Kids are Freaking Hilarious!

 

I'm afraid things like this are going to come out of my children's mouths sooner than I'd like!  And I'm pretty sure I won't be able to keep myself from laughing, they should get points for being clever! :)

September 15th:

The other day my boys where supposed to be cleaning their room and when I went in, nothing was done. So I picked up one of their stuff animals and threw it to Harrison. He missed it and it hit him right in the face. Super serious he looks at me and says "You broke my smolder!" Then everyone was laughing, him the hardest! LOL!

 

The Greatest Show on Earth!

We thought since we weren't going anywhere all summer, we would do something kind of special and fun with the boys here in Tucson.  And it just so happened that the circus rolled into town. :)

They were not so sure about it before it started, but they ended up really liking it. 

Jackson said his favorite thing was the tigers (one of which really wanted to eat his trainer!) and the human cannon ball.
Harrison's favorite was also the cannon ball and the elephants.  (The elephants were my favorite too ;))

It was really fun to get to take them, just the big boys and mom and dad.  I loved that they are so much fun to do things like this with!  :)

Crazy BoYs!!

A week after getting back from their UT trip, and me alone with all 4 kids, Jackson and Harrison decided 8 years of kids without any emergency stitches was long enough...  :/

After a frustrating morning with these wild boys stuck in the house and bored with way too much energy and no ability to listen or follow instructions, the boys were sent to their bedroom to sit on their beds in a "Time Out".  It hadn't been more than 5 minutes when Jackson came to get me, hysterically crying and panicked, followed by a very bloody Harrison who seemed to be more in shock.  I took Harrison in the bathroom to clean him up and had Jackson follow me to explain. 

It turned out that while they were stuck on their beds they thought it would be funny to throw things at each other.  "Funny" was the word Jackson used.  The toy they were throwing was a foam covered Thor hammer.  Covered completely, except for the very tip of the handle, where a very hard piece of plastic pile stuck out.  That piece of plastic was the precise part of the hammer that happened to hit Harrison in the head!!  (It wasn't very big, but it was pretty deep and kind of hung open.)

Jackson was obviously pretty traumatized by all the blood, and he felt pretty bad.  I told him Harrison was going to be fine but would probably need some stitches and to go wait on his bed until I came to get him.  He seemed to calm down, but he was still pretty worried.  Good!  Stinking kids don't think about what would happen if what I am always telling them is going to happen... actually happens!  Seriously, I don't talk just to hear my own voice!  Sigh....

Funny enough, Harrison was very calm about it all... until he saw himself in the mirror!  He was standing facing the mirror and sink while I was cleaning his face off, and few seconds after looking at himself, he told me he was going to be sick!  Hahaha. I probably would have actually laughed out loud if he hadn't gone pail as a sheet.  But it was kind of funny.  ;)  He was fine after a minute on the floor, so we finished cleaning him up and stopped the bleeding.  He still didn't feel very good, so I sent him to his bed too.

With them both on their beds, I sat down to talk to them about what happened and what it meant to need stitches.  I thought their eyes were going to bug out of their heads when I explained it.  So naturally, after waiting for Patrick to get home from work, I made Jackson go to the Urgent Care with us to watch!  (I know, I'm mean!  But we were going to learn from this if it killed us!) 

After attempting to glue it (that's the purple stuff, it's not a bruise), it had to be cut back open and then stitched shut.  Harrison was incredibly brave!  He cried for just a second when they started numbing him, but he just squeezed my hand and kept his eyes closed!  Jackson nervously talked the nurses ear off and paced the room.  Hahaha. 

When it was all over, Jackson was very proud of Harrison, and very glad it wasn't him who had to get stitches!  And Harrison was pretty sure he should get a prize for being so brave!  Hahaha.  Nice try Bubba.  He seemed to think he wasn't at fault in any of this, so we talked in the car about it again, what had happened and what they had learned, their responses were these:
Harrison:  "We don't throw toys!  Especially at our heads!"
Jackson:  "Listen to Mom!"

It wasn't a cheap lesson, but at least they seemed to sort of grasp it!  ;)  At least until they get carried away again! 

Summer Fun Begins!

We haven't been super social this summer.  We started it with Reagan recovering, and that kind of set the tone.  We've been home-bodies!  Other than lots of trips to the pool and occasionally the store, we are busy chillin' at home!  But I'm not complaining!  Truth be told, I like it that way.  I like to have time and take the time to just hang out, watch movies, play games, dance to music, read, laugh...  It's nice to not have to be anywhere ....but here!  :)


One of their favorite activities so far... fort building!  

They left it up for a few days. And of course, they had to sleep in it!  

It wasn't until I realized that they were moving in... half of their room was in there!!... that I made them take it down!  hahaha.  They were a little heart broken... but there are always blankets... and tomorrow! :)  Oh, to be a kid! 

The Ocean

For spring break (in March) we decided to head to sunny California for some family fun time!  We stayed in Oceanside for a couple of nights, right on the beach, and the boys couldn't get enough of the ocean!  Neither one of them had seen it before, so there were lots of giggles and excitement!  ....And, of course, they had to get in!  (Even though it was only in the 60s!) :)

February FuN!

Uncle Kenny came to visit for a few days, which is always fun!  And naturally I didn't take many pictures.  ;)  But I did get some of him and the boys in his rental car (he flew in/out of Phoenix)... which had them all drooling!  :)  (Harrison and his cool shades crack me up!)

And in true Arizona weirdness... school isn't out for Presidents Day.  Instead we have Rodeo Days!  :)  So while Jackson was out of school for that, Patrick actually took them to the Rodeo!  haha.  They loved it... it's sort of in their blood.  And they are the three most handsome cowboys ever!

Just because it's funny!

We have some little white-boards (because of a project to be posted soon)... we've been playing with them a lot and the boys asked me to draw a picture of them the other day... so I did! hahaha.  I am not an artist, but I did think they turned out pretty funny!  hahahaha.

They were totally cracking up over it too!  It was hilarious!  :D  There is the tiniest bit of resemblance!  hahaha.

Dear Santa,

The boys decided they wanted to write letters to Santa this year.  It was pretty funny to sit down with them and do it.  Jackson wrote his all by himself, I didn't help him at all!  I was very impressed!  And Harrison dictated to me while I wrote.  He knew exactly what he wanted!  :) 

(Dear Santa,
I would like Mario Kart for my Wii and a real Harry Potter wand and Harry Potter Lego set.  Have a great Christmas. 
From,
Jackson E Swain)

Harrison wanted to be sure to tell Santa he had been good, just in case. :)  They are the sweetest boys!  I am getting so excited for Christmas! 

My BOYZ!

Goodness... they are a crazy trio!  And I LOVE them to pieces!  :)  They were checking out whatever was on the other side of the wall. 

Proof of Patrick's greatness!  :)  He's a week away from turning 31... and he's still got it!  hahaha ....He is SO useful! ;)  ...And it's kinda hot! hahaha.

And while most parents have been signing their kids up for sports and posting cute pics and videos of them hitting or kicking a ball... we were doing this... hahahahahaha!  They are wearing uniforms... ;) 

Hey, I don't care what anyone says... that is HARD to do!  hahaha.  So much fun they are! (I'm channeling my inner Yoda.)  :)  

111

111... is the average temperature this week.  I'm not going to complain, because the rest of the year here is awesome!  But it is really HOT right now!  So... what do you do in the summertime... When the world is all ablaze? 
We... have indoor picnics!  :) 

And play in the "sprinkles", as Harrison would say!  Thank heaven for the trampoline! 

We also do a lot of swimming!  And all things indoor/air condition oriented! ;) ...Like this.... hahaha. 

And what has Patrick been doing?  Moving yard after yard (15 to be exact) of rock!  Yep, we totally didn't plan that very well!  And he is loving it, if you can't tell!  ;)  My poor husband!  But it looks amazing! 

It's summer in the desert!  The creepy crawly things are out.  Half the state is on fire.  We haven't had rain in months.  And... we are loving it!  :)

...the Science Kids!

I am admittedly in a blogging funk!  (And if I'm being totally honest, my funk extends to more than just blogging.)  I don't know what my deal is, but I hate falling behind, so I am going to play catch up... one more time... and then I am vowing to do better! M'kay!  ;) 

Let's go back a few weeks.  To the second week of June.  Jackson got a super cool science kit for his birthday from Grandma and Papa... and he and Harrison couldn't wait to try it out!  With Dad as the official assistant... they became crazy scientists!  Wild hair... insane giggles and faces... they were very convincing!  Mwahahahaha.  :) 

Great Scott!

It was a TON of fun!  (And pretty entertaining to watch... the kids and the experiments!)   

Whaaaaat?

On Sunday, the miraculous happened!!!  It SNOWED!  (Even weirder.... it's 80 degrees today!  hahaha.)  But when the Elams invited us to tag along for some snow time fun, we jumped!  :) 

It's not the Utah snow we are used to, it was VERY wet!  But they totally didn't care! 

They came back frozen and soaking wet... they had SO much fun!  :) 

Reagan and I hung out at Tom and Donna's house while they had their adventure. :) And I didn't remember a camera, so these are from Patrick's phone.  But Kerri got some of them, so when I get them, I'll post some more!  :) Thanks for the fun Elam clan!

Move Your Button...

We are the owners of a PS2... only for the purpose of playing the oh so awesome Rock Band game. :)  We are not really advocates of gaming systems or computer games for our kids... the average kid spends 7 hours a day in front of an electronic device!  7 HOURS A DAY!  Holy cow!  Anyway, so we figured to avoid that problem, and the whining and fighting that comes with it, we have never bought any other games for the system.... until now.  Patrick recently came home with a game for each of the boys, Legos Star Wars for Jackson and Cars for Harrison.  ....And the whining and begging began.  So, I thought, how can we use this to our advantage? ;) Enter the Minute Charts... and the Buttons.

The boys each have their own chart and can earn up to an hour and a half a week.  They have 3 opportunities to earn minutes a day, aka move their button.  They get to move it for good behavior (Jackson gets to move his based on his behavior at school), for eating their dinner (which has done WONDERS for Jackson's appetite) and for doing a random act of service/kindness for someone that day without being asked.  They earn minutes all week and then they can use them on Friday and/or Saturday.  They also lose minutes for doing things that are not acceptable.  And I have to say, I LOVE how well this is working for us so far!  ....Harrison would rather play on the computer (Playhouse Disney), the PS is a little hard for him still.  But Jackson, and obviously Patrick too, really get into the Star Wars game.  :)  I guess it's not all bad, they are having fun together.

It all just freaks me out a little.  They seem WAY too young to be this interested in this stuff!  We just didn't have this problem when we were kids!  We played outside and used our imaginations and road bikes... and I would hate to see them lose interest in that stuff too soon!  Am I crazy??  ...But like I said, for now, this system seems to really be working for us!  So I'm happy!  :)   

Dirt... and more Dirt!

I have expressed my non-loving relationship with dirt many times.  It doesn't help that we live in the desert or that everything is dirt colored!  We have also had an ongoing battle with the piece of dirt we bought with our house... to someday be known as "a backyard"!  The dust is killer!  And whenever we let the boys go out there to play they come back in looking like they were attacked by it!  Which means it's also getting tracked into our house!  And don't get me started on the MUD!  Rrrrr.... (Here's a pic to refresh your memory.)

So, we are finally starting to do something with it!  And our first move... contributing to the serious lack of concrete in AZ. ;)  Hello! giant patio and fire pit!  :) 

No complaints from the boys!  :) 

There is still A LOT of dirt left!  But we have a plan and are on our way!  :)  Woot Woot!