Kevin's in 4th Grade!

Here's Kevin leaving for his first day of 4th grade.  How did he get to be so old already?  He's still my little boy!  Sometimes I hate year round school, because it feels like we should be busy having some summer fun still.  This summer ran away from me, and I didn't even do a fraction of the fun things with the kids that I wanted to.

I know this picture isn't great, but he was already on his way when I thought about it, and it was bright and sunshiney outside.

Here's Kevin's after school treat.  It's pretty yummy, and was easy to make at the last minute when I realized I wanted to have a treat for him after his first day.

Recipe:
1/2 cup honey
1 cup nut butter (whatever you've got on hand)
4 TBS cocoa powder
2 cups oats

Heat up the honey, add nut butter and cocoa powder, stir, add oats.  Stir some more.  Make balls.  Eat 'em.

Working on the orange belt

Here's a couple videos of Kevin practicing--working towards his orange belt in karate. I think my video camera is horrible, and I need a new one.

Dragons Kata


Karate creed

Ethan's first day of school

No, I'm not behind at all. Why do you ask? Just because Ethan's first day of school (and the day this picture was taken) was a couple months ago doesn't mean I'm not right on target with my posting. Ethan started preschool this year. His teachers name is Miss Megan, and he loves it.

Funnies

We were looking at pictures, and we saw one with Ethan as a baby (his eyes are red in the photo), and I said "that's Ethan", and Kevin said, "Really? I had red eyes when I was puny."

The rest of these are things Ethan said (he's at a good age):

"I'm going to spank your bum in the face."

"I'm the best E-bear in the galaxy."

"I'm a kid because I have a penis."

Kaitlyn's first day of school

Kaitlyn started 8th grade this year, which is totally unacceptable, but I can't seem to figure out how to stop time. I'm so thankful for by sweet, beautiful daughter.

Ethan's Birthday

Ethan just celebrated his 4th birthday, and we had some family and friends over to help us celebrate.

He wanted a dinosaur theme, and since we waited until the last minute to look for a cake, we couldn't find a dinosaur one, so I had to just buy a regular frosted cake and decorate it with dinosaurs myself.Ethan was really excited about some of his presents. He'd say, "awesome!" when he really liked something. Here's a little dog he got from Grandma Howell.
We got little pill-type things that you put in water and they grow into dinosaurs. It was the one activity I did.

Here's Allston taking a swing at the pinata. I think it was after this picture that I realized I needed to go to the other side to take pictures so I could get faces. I'm a little slow sometimes.And here's Ethan (he actually went first, before Allston). He's got some good form here.
And that's pretty much it. Thanks to our family and friends who came to help us celebrate. We love you!

A few pictures

There was a grand opening for the new building where Ethan will be going to preschool. They had facepainting. Both of the boys wanted to get batman paint, so they're matching.

Here's Kevin on his first day of second grade:

And Ethan felt left out, so I took his picture too.

I've been too nice

Felicia and I took our kids to the Classic Fun Center in Layton. I feel like I've been too nice to my kids lately. They've been doing too many fun things, and I don't want them to get unrealistic expectations about me being a fun mom. ;)

But look how happy it made them:

I'm not sure if happy is the right word here. Scared, maybe?

It looks like Kevin is just laying there, but he's actually sliding down the slide.

I read the rules later, and you were only supposed to go down the slide one at a time, but it's much more fun as a group!



On one slide, Ethan kept going down, and then faceplanting it at the end. I did catch it on video, but it's sideways, so just rest your head on your shoulder and enjoy.

Nickelcade

We went with Geoff and Felicia and their boys to Nickelcade. The kids had a lot of fun. So much fun that Kevin couldn't take a break to go to the bathroom.

Dance performance at school

At Kevin's school they had each grade do a dance performance. Kevin's class did a country type dance. Here's my little cutie:

And I tried so hard to get a picture of him dancing, but between the lady with the white stretch pants and no underwear in front of me, and the kids dancing in front of him, I couldn't quite get it. This is the best I could do. It's kind of like a Where's Waldo picture. You have to look real hard for him.

Kevin's Birthday

I'm way behind on blog posts, so I'm going to try to catch up on a few today. Here are a few pictures from Kevin's birthday (last March).

Here's a picture of his pinata. This is the only picture I got, since it came apart after one hit, and I didn't get out there in time. Stupid pinata.


But all was not lost. We are resourceful around here, and we made it into a mask.

Then we all had some fun with the other masks.

There must be something really cool about this present, with all the kids crowding around like that. It looks like a pad of paper and pencil to me, but I guess that's pretty cool.


I wish I was talented enough to make a cool Star Wars cake, but since I'm not, we did the good old standby: cupcakes.

Kevin getting his yellow belt

Kevin got his yellow belt earlier today. Here are a few pictures and videos, although our camera is crap and so none of the pictures are great.

Here's Kevin with Hanshi Darren Cox (his teacher):

Here's Kevin doing the star block kata:


His teacher signing his board. He signed it "awsome!" And the yellow belt is huge on Kevin, but it's the smallest one they have.

Kevin waiting to test. What's most surprising here is that he's not wiggling around. It seems he's either wiggling or off in another world.

Here's Kevin doing all the self-defense moves. I'm so mad that I turned the video off when I did because his teacher said something about how laughing when you're fighting someone makes you look crazy, and then went on to do a demonstration that was hilarious.



Kevin breaking a board. I didn't know Troy had already turned the video on when he handed it to me.

Kids Safety Fair & Book Blogger Social

Last Saturday we took the kids to the kids safety fair.  It really wasn't that great, but I guess the kids liked it okay.  The highlight was that the boys got to meet Batman, and you wouldn't believe how excited they were about that, especially Ethan.  After they talked to him for a minute, Ethan just stood there staring up at Batman.  He was quite starstruck, and didn't want to leave. 

Then on Saturday night Troy and I went to a book blogger social, and I figured out that I'm not social.  Just kidding.  I already knew I wasn't.  I just don't like to talk to strangers, even if I've had interactions with them online.  Maybe I'll go to the next one.  We'll see if I'm feeling more social by then.  So anyway, here's a picture someone took of me, sitting next to the husband of an author that came.  This guy was fun.  Also, I flicked some cottage cheese on his sleeve.  It was one of those fantastic awkward moments.

Stop looking at me!

Lately whenever we've been in the car and the sun is shining in the windows, Ethan gets really annoyed and says, "The sun keeps looking at my cheeks!"

Kaitlyn blinking . . . or not

I got a workout video from the library, and it had a section to work out your face and neck. Kaitlyn did it with me. Most of our workout came from laughing. There was one part where you're supposed to blink rapidly, and Kaitlyn has a bit of a hard time. You can see for yourself here:




I think it's funnier if you've watched the workout video, too, but we were laughing so hard I almost peed my pants.

*Adding on, we decided to get Kaitlyn doing the workout video, for your viewing enjoyment. (It was a little dark in there, so the video is not great)

Just like hobbits

From Lord of the Rings:

Aragorn: Gentlemen! We do not stop 'til nightfall.

Pippin: But what about breakfast?

Aragorn: You've already had it.

Pippin: We've had one, yes. But what about second breakfast?

[Aragorn stares at him, then walks off.]

Merry: Don't think he knows about second breakfast, Pip.

Pippin: What about elevensies? Luncheon? Afternoon tea? Dinner? Supper? He knows about them, doesn't he?

Merry: I wouldn't count on it.

This has been my boys lately.  I might just start calling them Merry and Pippin.  Kevin is off track from school, and all they want to do all day is eat.  By 9:00 they've had breakfast plus three snacks.  By 10:30 they are asking about lunch.  I don't know how they can't fit all the food in their tiny stomachs.

Dod's in my best

Tonight Ethan was reading one of his Bibles, and he looked up at me, and we had a conversation that went like this:

Ethan:  "You know Dod's in my best?" 
Me: "God's in your chest?" 
Ethan: "Yeah."
Me: "You mean Jesus is in your heart?"
Ethan: "Yeah."

Kevin's Karate

Kevin has been taking karate, and he loves it. I wish it was more than forty-five minutes a week, but I don't want to pay more than we do, so I guess it'll have to be enough.

Ethan Funnies

Here's a few funny things Ethan has said. I didn't want to forget them.

The first was when we were eating dinner, and he wanted more of something. I told him to ask me nicely, and he said, "Nicely."
Along the same line, Kevin was making him mad in the car today. Ethan was telling me he didn't want Kevin to talk to him, so I said ask him not to, and he turned to Kevin and said, "Not to."

Kevin was copying him the other day, and Ethan really doesn't like to be copied. He kept saying, "You not E-bear (that's his nickname), I E-bear. I not Kevin. I E-bear."

On Christmas morning, Kevin opened a Bakugan toy, and Ethan said, "Sorry, you have to share that."

A Sad Boy

Last Friday, when Mom and Dad were here visiting, Ethan decided he was going to be really ornery.  We've been trying to potty train him (which is not going well at all), and I can't really remember exactly what he wanted, except that he was crying non-stop.

Finally he sobbed, "I can't take this anymore!"  How can you not laugh at feel bad for the poor boy after that?  He really is my ornery boy, but he sure is cute.


Jason took the picture in this post, by the way.  He's a great photographer!