Bike Derby

Last weekend while I stayed home with Aspen (vomiting), Dennis and the kids had a visit with Paul, Bryce & Co. They went to Devin's last soccer game (the only game they lost this season), then had a picnic and headed to Cabela's for the Antlerfest (not so exciting), and the bike derby (similar to the X games and very exciting). Here are some awesome pics Dennis took (I know, they should hire him as an official photographer or something!):

Shaylee, Bryce, and Devin get something cool to drink . . .

The really cool fish tank (too bad they missed feeding time . . . I'll have to take them back at another time).

A Mother's Woes

I am so incensed right now that I should not be posting on my blog, but against my better judgement I am going to do it anyway. Dennis and I have been struggling with Devin recently--he is lazy! He does a half-hearted job at everything, and then has to redo it because he did a lousy job the first time. What, does he think we won't check back?

Case in point, yesterday Aspen fell asleep on our walk and dropped her sunglasses somewhere along the way. Since we were almost home when we realized it (with Aspen asleep and Connor needing to go to bed), we asked Devin to walk the route again while we put them down. Dennis went out in the car to help them. Devin was already on his way back, hadn't even gone where we'd asked him to, and was going to tell us he couldn't find them. Dennis went right where we asked him to go, and there they were.

Dennis and Devin had a huge discussion last night about laziness and doing a good job the first time. ARGH!!! Devin wants to be a fireman, and Dennis gave the example that if there was a burning building and it just seemed too tough if he was going to just give up and let the building burn down and then make up some excuse for why he didn't do it. What if there was a baby inside? Would he let it die? He's also talked about being a policeman--will he just let the criminal go if he doesn't feel like chasing him down?

So today I told him he would need to spend the day helping out around the house to make up for his lack of zest to assist the family. He did great this morning. Got his chores done, played with Aspen and Connor, studied, etc. I have been trying to give the kids some independence with their studying, so I asked him several times if he needed help and he told me he didn't. I told him I wanted to look it over when he was done. He did not bring it to me, so I got it later this afternoon. CRAP! He just wrote down anything (most of which didn't make sense) and left it at that. He was asked to match 25 of the states and their capitals--he matched two, and one was incorrect. WHAT?!? I was furious. He was supposed to be outside weeding but was playing with a friend. WHAT?!? Not on my good list today.

Dennis and Shaylee are up at girls' camp, so I planned a fun FHE swimming at my mom's--guess we get to stay home and redo homework. Ugh. Okay, end of rant.

I should not leave it on that note. Devin is really a great kid. He is wonderful with Aspen and Connor, he loves to help cook dinner, and he is one of my most affectionate children--always gives me a hug and tells me he loves me before leaving the house, etc. He does try to do what's right, and he is learning. He has been studying hard, doing what is required of him, and honestly trying to do his best (I hope). He is working on his Articles of Faith for his Faith in God, and I am truly proud of him. I am going to need to focus on all of the positive before I deal with him again.

Vomit Fest

Well, poor Aspen is at it again. She started throwing up around 6 p.m. Thursday night, and the poor thing has been puking ever since. At first it was at least once an hour, if not more often (often two or three times an hour). Yesterday afternoon I called the doctor to ask when I should be concerned about dehydration. The nurse said if she has saliva, is still urinating, and has tears when she cries, then she's okay. Good signs to watch for. She hasn't thrown up since 11:15 p.m. last night, so we have our fingers crossed that we've seen the worst of it. We pulled a mattress in the living room and she's sleeping it off right now while everyone does chores around her. Poor thing! I just hope no one else gets it (so good so far).

Anyway, I just have to say that she is such a trooper. Aspen really is the best sick person in the house. She never complains, she never cries. When we ask if she wants something (like, "Do you need to throw up?") she just nods her head or points to the bucket. "Do you want me to read you a story?" Head nod. "Curious George?" Another nod. That's pretty much it. The night she got sick (before she started throwing up), I asked her if she wanted dinner, and she said (yes, this is a quote), "No, I don't feel like anything right now." Is she 2? Anyway, she is such a sweetheart, and we hope she gets feeling better soon!

Also, speaking of her amazing vocabulary/speaking ability, we have been working on the Articles of Faith with Devin. Aspen wanted to learn them as well. She already has the first one memorized and is working on the second. Whoa!

It's Summer!

Well, we had the perfect start to our summer (I say that as a mom because I like structure, and we've had it, with a lot of fun mixed in). So we had a crazy weekend of doctor appointments (Shaylee got an eye infection), scout office (Devin needed a new uniform and book), library (hurrah summer reading program), soccer games, and more. We spent a fun afternoon at Grandma & Grandpa Brown's farm on Saturday hanging with Dennis' cousins. (Author's Note: Mild potty language follows). Aspen wanted me to take her to see the cows. One of them was going to the bathroom.

Aspen: "Mom, is that cow peeing?"
Me: "Yes, Aspen."
Aspen: "Where's his toilet paper?"

Hmmm . . . not sure how to respond.

So we went inside where she explained to her dad, "Cows just pee in the dirt, and they don't use toilet paper."

So here's Aspen with the cows.


The rest of our summer got off to an amazing start as well. The kids voted to have scripture study in the morning so they would get up and get their studying and chores done. Okay. Dennis and I have both gotten up and worked out at 6:30 a.m., then we've had scripture study from 7:15-8:15 a.m. (including studying articles of faith and a new scripture dictionary we started with words the kids are learning in the scriptures), then the kids have breakfast while I shower, etc., then we do homework (algebra, french, writing, typing). I'm having the kids do research papers on our Disney cruise and Walt Disney World (motivation--anything not included in the paper will not be included on our vacation). Then it's chores and off to play. I've even had time for the park several times with Aspen and Connor, weeding, laundry, piano lessons, scouts, dance, etc. Whew! I hope we can keep up this pace.

These are some photos I hadn't downloaded from my other camera. The first few are of my dance recital (the kids all did awesome--I even got to play a duet with Taylor):






These are random photos we've taken recently:

We decided we didn't have many pictures of the cats, so here is one of Athena:

Sorry these took so long to post! These are from Alicia's graduation at BYU:

7 months

It is hard to believe my sweet boy is 7 months old! He is so big (yes, still in 18-month clothes, for a little while). Apparently, RSV has not slowed my boy down. He is rolling all over the place and scooting (backwards, to his dismay). He's going to have crawling down any day now and then I'm really in trouble. He has the sweetest personality and the cutest giggle you will ever hear in his life. Everyone in the house is constantly trying to make him giggle (and it's not hard) because it makes us all laugh at how cute he is. :)

Connor has recently decided that baby food and nursing are not for him. He still will take both, although discontentedly. He much prefers "table food," i.e. whatever I'm eating. So tonight for dinner he had peas and corn and a roll and jello. Healthy, huh? I did convince him to nurse before bed, so hopefully he'll get some of the protein (yum, steak) I ate for dinner. Do you notice how a lot of my posts revolve around food? I feel like I spend the whole day making food, feeding people, or cleaning up after people I've fed or who have fed themselves. The rest of my time is spent on laundry, ugh.

Okay, back to Connor . . . he now has 6 teeth--2 on the bottom and 4 on top. Ouch! Yes, he knows how to use them. It cracks me up when people put their fingers in his mouth and come out with a yowl and teeth marks. Connor is an amazing sleeper (I believe good sleep habits are trained, not inborn). He sleeps about 12 hours at night and then takes three 1 1/2 to 2-hour naps each day. That's my boy! He hasn't had great sleep the last couple days because our schedule has been off, but today I put him down at 11 thinking he'd be up for church at 1--no such luck. Dennis woke him up at 2:30 and brought him to Sunday School. Good boy!

J.C. Penney does such a great job (although I can't afford to order them all, I can share a low-resolution digital version with all of you). Isn't he darling? He loves to play to the camera. In fact, he was totally flirting with the photographer, who had a tough time getting him to look away for any shot. She did an amazing job, don't you think?

Aspen was so disturbed that Connor was getting his picture taken and she wasn't that the photographer humored her and took a couple of shots. It's hilarious that she's such a smiley kid and loves to get her picture taken, but she hates photo studios and will not smile. The photographer asked if I wanted her to keep going to try to get her to smile--forget it! She'd already done enough just taking a few pictures. Most of my "formal" pictures of Aspen have red eyes from previous hysteria. Cute thing.