Sam's do

This morning after finishing combing Sam's hair for school, Sam looked in the mirror to check it (like he always does). And he turned to me and said "Mom, I look like the president." (He was very please with that.) But after a comment like that i figured i better take a picture of his presidential do. What made me laugh again was when i was taking his picture Ethan came up and saluted him and said President Sam. Sam used to tell me that he wanted rock star hair (spikies) or superhero hair (the combed look that superman has). I'm going to have to add presidental to the options.

Yet that's still not the only funny part. As I was taking Sam's picture, Sam said, "Mom i look like Calvin (of Calvin and Hobbs cartoon), when his mom and dad are trying to take his picture." Of which only prompted him to try and make funny faces when i pushed down on the button for the picture. You know how digital cameras have that delay, it only makes it easier for a boy to make faces before the actual picture is taken. This was the best one. It's only funny because there are days that i feel like he really does have a lot in common with Calvin.

Juniper

When I was growing up there was a smaller juniper bush in the back yard that during wiffle ball games wasn't too far from first base. Over the years the bush has obviously gotten bigger. It started taking over the cement patio and blocking the sprinklers and such so it has had to be cut back from time to time. Well when we moved into the home i thought we need to get rid of that bush. Dad doesn't really like that bush anyway and it steals all the balls and i was beginning to wonder what kind of things were living in it. I started to hack away at it last fall and went into it about 3 feet and still was only barely making a dent in this massive bush. I filled the garbage can with the clippings and put it off for another day. But as the seasons happened i found it spring time in a blink of the eye and saw that the bush was still there and growing. About 2 months ago on a warm day the boys were out swinging in the swing behind the bush and i decided it really needed to go. I started cutting into it again that day but there was so much pollen and dust collected into it that i started sneezing and coughing like i had hay fever. I quit cutting the branches after my eyes couldn't stay open from all the sneezing and such. Blake had a go at it a week or so later and we filled the garbage can again with the clippings. But we both started talking that it was just such a big bush that we don't have the equipment to get the roots. So we hired Javier to come and take it. So yesterday the juniper bush was finally removed from the back yard. Javier had it loaded up on his trailer (of which i wish i would have taken a picture of) after 2 hours of cutting and cleaning and removing. It was a well loaded trailer. And just so you all know the bush that stole all the balls only ended up having in all that i counted 9. 10 if you count the birdie for badminton. I wouldn't have been surprised if there were more in the big part that Javier had taken out. The root was massive, so i am really glad that we had someone else come do it. Last night as we were just looking at the emptiness Blake commented "You know i know, the bush did smell nice after watering the lawn." But it seems like that area of the yard just doubled in size. We were suggesting that a hot tub goes in it's place and we can buy a pine tree air freshener to keep the scent and memory of the juniper bush.

The Golden Tooth

Ethan has had a few teeth that have been slightly loose for a little bit. But he tends to wait till they are really really loose before he puts in the effort to pull them. This last week Ethan and Sam were downstairs playing. Generally speaking they get along, but on occasion they seem to butt heads about anything. This particular day was one of the later, they were having a hard time just being nice to one another. Ethan bosses Sam and Sam doesn't go for it and then they just get mad at each other. Well Ethan had just bossed Sam to the point where he had had it and so Sam punched Ethan in the mouth. Ethan was about to freak out and realized that Sam had punched his tooth right out. Ethan was so excited about his tooth being out that he didn't even get upset with Sam for hitting him. Ethan came flying up the stairs with the shrill of excitement in his voice saying Sam knocked my tooth out! Ethan just was a grinin' from ear to ear. Too bad for Sam though, we got after him anyway. Ethan was pretty stoked that night to put his tooth in his tooth pillow that his aunt Jaimi made for him and for the tooth fairy. (i recommend having a tooth pillow!) Anyway, along those same lines of loose teeth and all that. We went to Kenadie's (my brother's little girl) baby blessing on Sunday and great-grandma Priday was there. Ethan got to sit by her in sacrament meeting and showed her that he lost a tooth. Later that day i found Ethan with is tongue in the hole where his tooth once resided and he turned and asked me, "is it gold mom?" I said what are you talking about? And he told me that grandma had told him that if he put his tongue there long enough the tooth that grew in would be gold. No you have to understand this is my grandma that has never ever said a bad thing in all my life and if you ask my dad he would say that she's never said anything bad in his lifetime either. So i had a to chuckle that grandma told Ethan that. After i started thinking about it, it stirred a memory for me that i remember someone telling me the same thing when i was little. who knows, maybe it was even grandma.

The Good Ol' Bean Museum

Last Friday, I got to go with Sam's class on their field trip. We went to the bean museum. Sam asked me if i had been there before. Yes, but only 3 times on field trips with my kids, many times outside of that. It's always great to see the animals and see the kids eyes enlarge with amazement. I do have to admit I was a little sad this time cause this was a first that mom and dad Priday were not working down at BYU so there was no extra surprise for the boys to see grandma or grandpa. Maybe in a few more years when i go with Ryan's class they will be back down on campus working. There were enough mom's that had come to help that i only had Sam and one other boy in my care during the trip. Here are a few pictures to see of that exciting field trip. But isn't it funny it doesn't matter where they go, it's the bus ride that's all the excitement.

Young Artist

Ethan this last week came home from school with two different chalk pictures that they did in art at school. Both Blake and I were very impressed with his ability. This isn't a first for him to impress us with his artistic ability, but this maybe a first for the rest of you to see. For a reminder, he is only in 3rd grade--8 years old. After seeing his pictures though i went to the local craft store and bought some art stuff for him to do during the summer. He's pretty excited that he can do it at home too. Just so you know the one picture is abstract art. I wasn't sure when he first showed it to me if i was supposed to see something that i wasn't seeing. Either way it looks cool.

FHE Park style

This last week we went to the park for family home evening. We met up with some neighbors there and had a blast. The kids played and had a great time. After playing on the playground they went over to the grass and "played football." It was more like tackle and cry, but if you weren't crying you were having fun. It was the end of a busy day and so some were more sensitive than others. The boys did fall to sleep really fast that night though. Here are some pictures of the fun we had.

Arizona friends

So my good friend Tara was here visiting this last weekend from Arizona. She and her family came and stayed with us here for a day. Alden her oldest is just a few months younger than Ryan and they had a blast. They played and played and played and just had a good time. Saturday evening the boys were just playing in the back yard just after dinner and they had taken their cups from dinner and were playing in the sprinkler. First Ryan would get a drink then Alden and then they started spitting it out. (They are soo boy!) They were both soaking wet after all the fun in the water. But they were both grining from ear to ear.

We didn't get to spend as much time just hanging out as i would have liked but it was a fun time. Tara said they are coming again in July so we'll get to hang out more then. When Tara and I were living together at the BYU we were the only ones in our appartment so we always had to do self portiaits so we did this one for old times sake. Thanks Tara for being such a good friend.