At the 10th

Ryan has been looking forward to his birthday like all kids do. This year however i have said a few too many times to him that he can't get older or bigger. So for a while he would say when his birthday came in December he was going to be "another five." We decided we'd better correct that so that he really did know he was going to be six. So as his birthday got closer he would say "it's almost my birthday and I'm going to be six, right mom?" and wait for the confirmation. So as much as i tried to keep him from getting older he just did it anyway. He tried to not get older for me, but even he couldn't help it. He's told lots of people his birthday was coming and that it was in December but when they would ask what day his response was "at the tenth."
For Ryan's birthday we let him pick what he wanted to do in the afternoon with just Blake and i (since Blake had to work that night). He helped me make brownies since he wanted brownies and coco puffs for his dessert (it's because we like to have coco puffs with peppermint ice cream). He had a good day and loves that he is now six. He comments all the time that he is six now just like his cousin Dallin and his friends.Last week as we were sitting down to eat dinner Ryan said in his prayer "bless Heavenly Father to know that i am six too."

Abracadabra and hocus pocus!

Ryan, lately, has not gone very far without his trusty cape. He has it on himself, or on his stuffed dog (Toby). And since we won't let him sleep with it on, it is hangs above his bed on a cowboy hook. He loves it. Some days he's batman and some days he's superman. Perfect for a little boy who loves to do the super hero thing. A few weeks ago he came up with an additional use for his cape. Actually it goes back to Ethan pulling out his magic stuff that has been boxed up since the move. In the box of magic stuff is a hat. One that you can pull a rabbit out of. Ryan just happens to have a small green rabbit (also named Toby) that fits just perfectly for the magic trick. So one afternoon while I was cleaning in the kitchen Ryan came down the stairs with the magic hat and his cape and said "look mom, I'm a gician." I said a what? and he replied "a gician" (like magician with out the ma part). Silly kid. Then he proceeded to pull the rabbit out of the hat all proud of himself. After that i asked him if i could take a picture of him being a gician and he said yea. Then he posed with the cape in front of his face saying I'm a bad a gician as he wrinkled up his face behind the cape. I just asked him again if he was a bad guy and he said no i am a good guy with a mad face. Silly me.

All guts no gore!

It has tried to be a tradition with the males in my family to go fishing around conference time. Tried is the key word. When trying to fit that many schedules it gets pushed off from time to time. This time around was no different and the trip was just barely made the week of thanksgiving. Better late, then never right? Blake and Ryan (and Bill and his boys) were the only ones to miss it this time. This was Grandpa's first time to make it. Because Blake had to work Grandpa offered to take Ethan and Sam with him. They were stoked from the moment i told them they could go if they wanted. The only problem with going this much later means that it's that much colder. At the same time it adds to the fun right? Plus it means there has to be a fire, and boys and fire mix--it's totally in the dna. They left far earlier than the crack of dawn. I think mike calls it dark thirty or dark thirty one.

I went over to Orem to meet up with the male folks at my parents and to pick up the boys after the fishing was done. They all came home about 11 or 12 smelling like fire and fish and smiles on their faces. I'm sure my boys imparted wisdom and that my brothers imparted wisdom to them. In all reality I'm not sure which one of those statements worries me more.

When they got to grandma and grandpa Priday's house they started an additional lesson. GUTTING. yuck!!

It was really quite funny to watch. Ethan was all kinds of excited about it and fascinated with the whole process. Sam on the other hand was as far from gutting as possible. And even Ryan went over to take a look at what was going on (see picture) but he followed it with a big Yuck. Ethan successfully gutted his own fish that he caught, with Darin's tutorial. Unfortunately that evening when Blake was grilling up the fish he found that the poor fishes back had been broken/shattered in the gutting process so that it meant that every bite would have bones in it. Maybe next year he'll have a little more finesse. Thanks grandpa for taking the boys and thanks to the brothers (and Casey who counts as a brother) for bringing them home and getting the tradition planned.

IT's time to PARTAY!!!

For Sam's birthday Ryan made him a card. I thought it was quite good.

Sam's birthday is Nov. 12th, Ryan's birthday is Dec. 10th. So this year we decided to have a combined party since they have a lot of similar friends and their friends are in the same families etc. So a few weeks ago we had a big party of boys and one lonely girl here at our house. Blake's parents had brought 3 large (and i really mean extra large) pinatas from El Salvador 3 years ago and we've had them in the basement and garage over the years thinking we needed to use them. So for this big ol' party we broke out (hahaha literally) the pinatas. We ended up having 13 boys and 1 girl here for the fun. Our neighbors son and daughter came a little after i took this picture and i didn't think to get another picture.

note the 2 other pinatas in the back ground--Clifford the big red dog and a dalmatian. you'd be amazed how much candy fits into just one of these pinatas.So just for future reference when planning a party with 3 pinatas the kids will need bigger bags for their candy. And notes sent home with parents explaining that yes they really did get to take home that much candy. I'm sure the parents really appreciated it since they had probably just finished off their Halloween candy. Sugar highs were extended to Thanksgiving I'm sure.

Thanks grandma and papa Young. The pinatas were a hit (hehehe--sorry i couldn't help myself). And happy birthday to my boys!

Happy Birthday To ME!

I wouldn't normally post about my birthday but this post really isn't about me.
I started working at the boys school on Halloween. I am an aide in the resource class. I love it. I go to school with the boys in the morning and then when Ryan is done with kindergarten he walks down the hall to my class room and i am done for the day. And we get to go home together. And some days when we want to we can stay and have lunch with Ethan and Sam. It's really the perfect thing for me. Last year the secretaries at Sharon kept telling me i should just get an aide job since i was there so much and then I'd at least be paid for it. So when i heard there was an aide job at the new school i thought what the heck. And i do love it. Low stress since I'm not the teacher. No meetings since I'm not the teacher. Projects that i did when i was volunteering in the classes. One on one time with some of the students. Reading and Math at levels that i totally have mastered. And the timing in my day is perfect.
Anyway, the point is that i had to work on my birthday (just like everyone else does). Blake that morning had to do a class so he was on the phone in his office when we left for school. When i got home he had left for the office in Sandy since they had meetings. But there were flowers on the table on the counter and even in our room. I thought oh that's so nice of him. He's good to me. And I will fully admit I'm easily bought since those flowers made my day. I would have just been content with that. But as the day went i got lots of calls and emails and texts from friends and family and that always makes me happy.
The boys were cute all day trying to find ways to help me and be good and kind to each other. And i would find them whispering (not very quietly) to each other about doing this or that together to help mom out or make a card together. It was very sweet of them too.
Then as the afternoon approached and i was getting ready to start dinner Blake called and said since he had to work late that night (as per his Thursday schedule) he would pick up dinner so i didn't have to worry about it. Again i would have just been happy with that. I had to run to the store to get some milk for the boys and when i got home i went to put the milk in the fridge outside and noticed what else Blake had been up to that morning. He had made me a cheesecake with a strawberry chiffon/glaze top to be topped off with chocolate dipped strawberries. AND he had cleaned it all up in the kitchen so i had no idea that he'd done anything. What an awesome husband i have! Just to make you all drool I'm posting the pics of the final product. Take my word for it, it was AWESOME! Just added to my perfect day! Happy birthday to me. (I won't mention either that he totally surprised me with my gift that i made him take back so he could get his computer but he still hooked me up with a great gift in the end.) So thanks sweetie for making my day great!

Sorry ladies he's taken.

Future Bach and Beethoven

Halloween morning the boys had a piano recital (again happy they were healthy in time, cause they had worked hard to get ready for it). This was Sam's first recital and he was so excited. He played his pieces perfectly. The boys were doing one solo and then a family duet. Which means that they were doing one piece with a family member. Some did piano duets, others did singing and piano, and another did a quartet. I was supposed to do the duet with Sam but i will be totally honest i didn't get as much of my practicing done before the boys got sick and i certainly didn't get done when they were sick. So i know I'm horrible. Sam was fine with it. He got to do his duet with Anne Cox his piano teacher and friend. That week was our last lesson with Anne so i think it worked out just as well (at least that's how i justify it in my head). Sam was a natural performer. He played them perfectly and then bowed the most gracious bow ever. He was very happy with himself after it was done. And he should be, cause he did do very well.

Ethan's duet was with Blake, Ethan accompanied Blake singing. They did Josh Groban's Polar Express song "Believe." Both of them did great. Blake wasn't sure about it when he got his cold earlier in the week because he wasn't being able to hit the notes like he had practiced. He was worried but for no reason. It was wonderful. I love that the boys are doing so well with piano. After the recital we went to lunch at wingers with grandma and grandpa Young. (grandma and Grandpa Priday were out of town visiting my sister). The boys thought that was pretty awesome too. I know Ethan and Sam loved doing the recital but i also know they were happy to be going on to new songs. Especially since it's time to be getting Christmas music out. Great-Grandpa Leland Priday would have been proud. There is some musical talent in our family.

Halloween

This year we were not sure if we were going to be able to celebrate halloween with the usual routine. Sam was just getting better from swine flu/h1n1, and Ryan was starting to cough some here and there. Luckily that's all it was for Ryan, just a few coughs. So Thursday night (Oct. 29th, the night before the halloween parties at school) we had to scramble to get the boys costumes decided. We usually have it figured out weeks in advance since its such an exciting day/event for kids. Lucky for us we have our stash of costumes. Friday the boys had their parade at the school and then that night our ward/neighborhood did a trunk-or-treat and chili cook off. I love the trunk or treats, get it all done in 30 minutes tops. Kids are happy, mom/dad are happy, and still lots of fun and less time in the cold. Then Saturday morning the boys had a piano recital in Orem (more to come on that). So off to orem we went. We figured since we were going to be there we'd do the trick or treating at grandma and grandpa Youngs a little earlier. They came to the recital and then we all went to lunch and headed back to their house. The boys put on their costumes and loved being out of the house for the first time in well over 10 days. Glad that they all were healthy again. Happy we got to celebrate and enjoy the fun of halloween. That night our neighbors that live just one street down did a big fire (in fire bowls) and had the street decorated with lights and music playing and games going for all the kids. It was a blast. Yet another great way to celebrate halloween.

Blake was a "bone-ified" chef, Ryan and I were pirates, Sam was an indian, and Ethan went as Swine flu. Ethan carried around germ-ex hand sanitizer with him. You'd be surprised to know how many people really liked that. Happy Halloween.