Funny Pics

Heil Claire

I promise to inform you if Claire starts talking in a harsh german accent.

I don't care who you are, that's funny right there.

The Goldfish: A Eulogy

Goodbye dear Goldfish. You were indeed Orange.

Although we only owned you for exactly 23 hours, your impact will never be forgotten.

May the toilet bowl we flushed you down ever be a reminder of your life.

Might the stench you left in the kitchen clear swiftly and

Pray the stupid drinking glass you came in find its way to the nearest landfill quickly.

Gage went to a birthday party for one of the kids in the neighborhood and when I went to pick him up I discovered that the goldfish was his party favor. The fish were in just a regular drinking glass with rocks at the bottom and the mom had included a minuscule plastic baggy with fish food. The fish, that Gage named Wolverine, died less than 24 hours later. It is unclear at this point whether he died from the brain damage he received when we were walking from the neighbors to our house. I was pushing the double stroller and Gage carried him home, or it could have been that when we got home Gage dumped all the food into the cup, or it could be that I willed it to die with my rude thoughts.

I felt responsible because I was telling my parents about it and saying I just wish it would die and Tim walked into the kitchen and said, "Well you got your wish." Seriously I had seen him swimming not 5 minutes prior and so I took immediate heroic measures and poured him into a clean cup where he swam for 2 nano seconds and then finally expired. I really feel horrible about it and I wanted to yell at the mom that fish are living things not party favors and it would have been nice to check with parents before you give their child a pet. But alas, my forked tongue never serves me in the right moment and all the other neighbors seemed just thrilled so I said nothing and murdered a goldfish. Thankfully my dad flushed it for me because I felt bad that I finally killed something with my rude words and I feel this neighbor has fish blood on her hands.

My New Philosophy

My siblings and I joke that there is a gene that some of us carry that was passed from my dad's father. I may have mentioned it before. Whenever we do or feel something that reminds us of grandpa we say, "I'm having a Walter moment" and the other person instantly knows what you mean. See Walter grew up in rural Idaho and really never left rural Idaho except for his military service during WWII. Walter was the consummate worrier and abhorred change, he was the ultimate small town kind of person with all the fears that go along with it. My dad somehow escaped this personality, shall we say, flaw? He was the first of his family to move away and we all thank the heavens for that. So on my walk today with the kids I realized that I have been having multiple Walter moments lately when it comes to the changes with my kids. It really struck me that I'm in such a dither about them growing up that I'm missing the present. So my new philosophy is to just embrace the changes that come because each new phase they enter in to brings something new and fun and exciting. So I'm going to catch you up on the changes at my house.

Gage is not going to give up costumes without a fight. Here he is sporting He-man


Gage has changed so much over the summer. He has really grown up in a lot of ways and has jumped feet first into being a big kid. He is much more self-assured. One place I have really noticed the change is on the soccer field. Last spring he was just running willy nilly on the field but now he is getting in there and pushing and if someone pushes him he doesn't cry he just sluffs it off or pushes back. He was so proud when he made the first goal of the season. Tim was beaming and said it made his wee little heart swell. He is really helpful and rational which is wonderful. For the last couple of days Gage has been telling me about a girl named Autumn from school and he told me she was on his list of favorite people. I was telling Tim about it this morning and told him that whenever he talked about Autumn he got this dopey grin on his face. When the kids came and got into bed with us this morning Tim asked Gage about Autumn and Gage said, dopey grin and all, "She's more like my girlfriend!"

I really do bathe my kids. We are in the mountains and I think that is s'mores on his mouth

Luke has changed a lot too. His sentences are much more complicated and easy to understand. He loves saying things are "awesome!" Luke has always been able to hold his own around other kids and listening to him playing with Gage is hilarious. Luke has discovered Star Wars to some extent and runs around the house pointing at us and exclaiming, "You are Darth Vader!" Luke is really independent, which I love, because he can just hang tough on his own. He loves to go outside and just play by himself. I love hearing the lawn mower noises and car noises coming through the window. Which by the way, are boys just programmed to know how to make sound effects? Luke charms just about everyone he meets and it makes me scared someone will steal him when I'm not looking!

Look at this sorry sucker...he doesn't know what's hit him.



Claire is on fast forward or something. Maybe it is just because the boys were slugs but she has so much control over her body. She has been trying to sit on her own for a while. She tries to bounce when you have her on your lap which seems a little extreme when she started doing that at a 2 month old. I had a dream that she was rolling over the other night and this morning she looked close. Maybe this is all normal stuff but I'm used to my boys who didn't attempt this stuff until later. Her eyes are just wise somehow. She is definitely a thinker....which sort of scares me. She already manipulates all the males in our family...ok and me too...by crying so bitterly when we stop talking to her. Of course we all come rushing back and the look in her eyes I swear says score another one for Claire.

Oh the Humanity!

Monday we went to the Rocky Mountain Raceway to see the Dooms Day of Destruction. Tim thought it would be funny, and a good display of his hair growing abilities, to grow a handle bar mustache to fit in with the crowd they've got going on out there. Which I must say we saw a plethora of awesome hilly billies. But good folks you know what I'm saying? Wes and Andrea, never to be out done, donned their most redneck outfits. Andrea says she was borderline hot and who am I to disagree and all I can say about Wes is that my retina's will never be the same. The boys had a great time. Luke was a little afraid because it was really loud. The crashing was awesome just too short lived and we waited through I don't even know how many races to get to it, but it was a great time. Thank you Paxtons for the invite.

First Day of Kindergarten

Gage started Kindergarten today! He has been so excited for most of the week. Yesterday he packed his backpack. Last night he had his father's blessing and I think I detected a slight quiver in Tim's voice. Tuesday I went shopping with my mom and sister Pam for clothes. Gage informed me that he still wanted new outfits he just didn't want to come with me to pick them out. As he was saying it I could tell he was wondering if shopping attendance was mandatory to getting the clothes! His mind is always working. I put off buying clothes to the last minute almost hoping that if I didn't prepare that the day would never come. I even toyed with just sending him in his regular clothes, his baby clothes to me now, but Pam informed me this would ruin his life so I bought some new clothes. I knew new clothes were what it's all about but I just was having a hard time bringing myself to admit that Gage's official school life was beginning. He was very excited to wear them and looked like a little man.

He was ready to go complete with backpack by 10am. He is in the PM session so we had 2 hours to kill. He said he wasn't nervous but I noticed that he sat with his blanket, his ultimate comfort item, around his shoulders. He didn't eat much at lunch and to be honest I felt like I was going to throw-up I was so nervous. We said prayers before we went and Gage gave me a kiss on my palm so it would capture his love and I gave one on his palm so if he missed me he could put it to his cheek and my love would "magically" transfer from his palm to his heart. He insisted on giving a kiss to Claire and to Luke. He is such a sweetheart.

I don't know how we could have been ready since 10 this morning and still be rushing to get there on time. Most of the class was there when we got there I saw his face fall as the realization set in that he knew nobody. I guess he thought that one of this friends from church was going to be there but he wasn't and my heart was breaking for him. It was almost good we were late so he didn't have time to dwell on it. I watched him hang up his bag and sit in his seat and the second I turned my back I was in tears. Thank heaven for big sunglasses.

This picture really captures my feelings dropping him off. I must have been shaking or something. Or it could just be that I still don't know how to use my new camera very well. You decide.

Really, this whole Kindergarten thing has been one of the hardest mom moments I've had thus far. All week, when I would think about Thursday looming, I would just get emotional. I couldn't really put a finger on why until last night. I feel like Gage doesn't belong to just me anymore. He half belongs to the task master which is the public school system. It is the beginning of his independence and I'm excited for him but feel sorry for myself. I'm mourning my little baby, and that he won't look to me as his sole source of knowledge, and that we can't have a PJ day whenever we feel like it, (Gage loves staying in his PJ's when we have no where to go) or that we can't just go to the park on a whim for a picnic and spend a couple of hours in the afternoon.

Well it is only 2:14 and I can't pick him up for more than an hour....I'll finish this post then with details of his first day.

Picking him up was chaotic. He gets out at the same time as the rest of the school. He looked as overwhelmed as I felt. I can't get anything out of him about school other than it was great! He came home with a mountain of paperwork and I'm not sure who just started school because it sure feels like I have homework now.

Dang my tear ducts

I decided, for once, to check the blogs at night when I don't have the kids hanging all over me and I'm just sitting here crying. Wondering when Sandy will feel like home. Wishing I could have brought all of our Lake Circle friends with us. Wondering when three kids won't feel like 500. Wishing I could keep my kids small and around me forever. Wondering why I feel that way when I don't even have time to eat lunch. Wishing I had more patience. Wondering if I'll make it through Gage's first day of kindergarten without crying. What am I talking about? I can't even read blogs without crying.