Rythmn?

Ethan learned the dance to "I gotta feeling" by the Black Eyed Peas at his school talent show last friday. Now everytime it comes up on the playlist, he HAS to stop what he is doing and dance to it. I couldn't resist getting it on camera. I think that they have their Dad's rythmn when it comes to dances like this, that is why I love to watch them so much!!!

Kids say/do the darndest things.....

It has been one of those busy and chaotic weeks. We have had our cousin Maddie staying with us and doing lots of fun things. Do you think I remember the camera? NO of course not. Maybe today!! The boys have said and done a few funny things this week I had to write down.

Ethan had a homework packet to do that consisted of a worksheet of homophone spelling words. Lets face it they are hard. I don't always use their and there correctly. Anyway, he was tired of doing the work but I told him he as long as I saw an unfinished packet he had to keep working. To solve this problem, he began following the dog around the house trying to get him to EAT the homework packet. He came to me upset and said "That is the dumbest excuse kids use that the dog ate my homework. Tucker won't do it." I just told him "Maybe he doesn't like homophones anymore than you do!" Which made him chuckle and reluctantly finish his homework.


Garrison has never liked the nickname his Dad gave him when he was a toddler. "PUTE" I know most of you know the story behind it so I won't tell it. Anyway, on the way home from preschool, he was asking me if Dad had a nickname. I told him that some people use to call him "Bugs" after Bugs Bunny. He got this confused look on his face and asked "Who is Bugs Bunny?" I said "You know that "Waskily Wabbit" that likes to eat carrots and tease Elmer Fudd who is hunting him? It's a cartoon, Dad use to watch when he was little."
He thought about it and said "NO. Maybe when I visit Grandma Staples she can show me on her TV. Our TV doesn't play shows THAT old." OUCH!!!!! Having your kids tell you that you are "THAT old" when you are in your early 30's is far worse than any nickname. Sorry Brady!

The Elf Boys

The boys had to have their own elf show. Enjoy!

Shops

I can't find the camera so I will have to post pictures later. Sorry

The boys have been into turning their rooms into different shops lately. Anything from Candy Stores, to Pet Shops, to Dr. Offices. I have really enjoyed how quietly they played and not paid much attention to it until a few days ago. On Halloween they got a stamp from the Trunk or Treat. They asked for a piece of paper so they could make a shop. I gave them one and they went off quietly to play. A little while later I passed the room and noticed that the paper I thought they would be using to stamp on said "Tattoo Shop" I was thinking more along the lines of a Halloween store or Stamp Store NOT Tattoo Shop. I called them out to investigate and couldn't help but laugh when they showed me the "Tattoo's" they had given each other. All down their ARMS. Now let me just say for the record that NEITHER Brady or I have any Tattoo's. The only thing we can think of his that they have seen LA Ink; which we will no longer be watching. We had to talk about what was OK to put on our bodies and that Mom and Dad didn't think that Tattoo's were appropriate. Especially when you are 7 and 4. I will have to monitor the stores more closely. I am scared what they might think of next.

A FUNNY GARRISON MOMENT!

TODAY WHILE DRIVING HOME FROM PRESCHOOL, GARRISON ASKED ME TO READ A SCOOTER SAFETY PAMPHLET HE HAD FOUND. I TOLD HIM I COULDN'T BECAUSE I HAD TO WATCH THE ROAD. HE GOT MAD AND TOLD ME HE DIDN'T WANT ME TO READ WITH THOSE EYES. HE WANTED ME TO READ WITH THE ONES IN THE BACK OF MY HEAD!!!!!

Special Moments

I know I know 3 posts in one day. I am really out doing myself here.

I couldn't resist posting these pictures. I think they are so sweet. It is moments like this that I love to watch my boys together. It makes the days when they are fighting much more bearable. Since Ethan has to read 20 minutes each night, and Garrison needs stories read to him for school, they have found that after I read to them, Ethan likes to read to Garrison. It has become a nightly routine. You can find them cuddled up in one of their beds, reading together, begging me to let them finish one more story or chapter. These are precious moments!

Photo's of the Boys

My Friend Jannetta took these pictures of the boys today and I think they turned out AWESOME. Hope you enjoy!

Under the Sea?

Garrison and Ethan have wanted to go snorkeling after seeing it on "Zaboomafoo"(kids nature show) Never mind that they don't know how to swim and have never had swimming lessons. They are dead set on it and have been begging me to buy them snorkel gear so they can practice in the bathtub. Because I am an overly cautious stick in the mud mother and think that my 4 and 6 year old are not ready for snorkeling in the ocean I will not buy them the gear until they at least pass a few years of swimming lessons. So what do they do instead? They use their imagination and put on glasses with drinking straws for snorkel gear and practice going up and down the stairs looking at all the tropical fish that apparently I never new were there. They are hilarious to watch as they look at the creatures from the deep all while breathing through a tiny drinking straw! These boys really are good entertainment!!

When Mom gets sick everyone PARTIES!

Over the weekend I wasn't feeling just right but thought it was just from the usual Go Go Go of life. On Saturday when we got home I was running fever and not feeling well. I thought I had just caught Ethan's cold and figured it would be gone in a few days. By Monday I could hardly move and was sooo sick. I didn't want to go to the Dr. because I figured their was nothing they could do. On Tuesday I caved (with pressure from others) and went to the Dr. only to find out it was a simple UTI. While I was sick I did NOTHING, my kids took over the house. It was a DISASTER. No clean dishes, no clean clothes, toys everywhere, get up when they wanted, go to bed when they wanted, PARTY!!

On Wednesday I was feeling much better after having a day on antibiotics and started the dreaded clean up. I started cleaning the kitchen and living room where the boys had Easter things scattered all over and so I was constantly calling for them to come and get their stuff or I would take care of it MY way and throw it away. (A trick my parents ALWAYS used. Don't judge me. You probably say it to!) Garrison came in and said "Mom are you feeling better?" and before I could answer "Yes" Ethan said "Can't you tell. She's BAAAACK."
I guess their carefree days of doing what they wanted and eating what they wanted are gone. The fun is over, Mom has returned to normal!!

Fat Lips, Bloody Noses, Mat Burns and We still had Fun!

Tonight was the last Wrestling Tournament for

season! It has been 5 weeks of 3 nights a week and I am glad that it is over! The boys did so good! It took
them a while to get the hang of it but by the end they

had drastically improved. Ethan had fun learning the
holds and trying them out on Brady! He hopes one day he will be able to take him down. He probably will since Brady has walked around like an old man after each wrestling practice and keeps saying "I am getting to old for this" I just smile and laugh and tell him it is good for him. And remind him how many more years he has of it! Ethan

has also got a pretty good idea how things work this time and understands better what he is suppose to do. It is no longer a game of tag around the mat!

This was Garrisons first year and I have to say I admire their coach Cody for having the patience to teach a bunch of preschoolers! I am sure he thought he was herding chickens on more than one occasion. Garrison did really well for his first year. He did play a lot of tag around the mat and spent a lot of time on his back. After his last match tonight Brady asked him how many lights were out in the Gym to which Garrison said. "One, That one right there"and pointed to the one light that WAS out in the Gym. He was so happy to receive a medal just like brother and his very own team t-shirt. He calls his team the "Muscle Men" because of the picture on the back! He had one match tonight when he had pinned the other kid and was just laying on top of him and they were looking at each other. The other little boy reached up and patted Garrison's cheeks, then stroked them, then jiggled them back and forth. It was so funny. I guess I am not the only one that loves his big cheeks!!

Through it all Ethan only received one bloody nose and Garrison one fat lip. Both had a few Mat burns but when asked if they wanted to do it next year they both enthusiastically said "YES, and We can practice together all year long" To which I hope my furniture and carpet will last. They are boys and will wrestle anyway so they might as well learn the right way to do it and have fun!!

Can I talk to your Mommy or Dadddy?

Garrison LOVES to talk on the phone (lets face it Garrison just loves to talk period) He will even talk when nobody is on the other end. Do I think he has called people without my knowledge? Yes. Do I think he has made long distant calls? Yes. Have I missed calls from other people that Garrison has answered the phone and refused to tell me thinking they have called just for him? Yes. Do I mind when it is a telamarketer? NO! (It's funny to watch him talk their ear off for a change when they are trying to get him to give the phone to his mommy or daddy!)

Knowing his love of the phone I have been trying to teach him our home phone number. Does he want anything to do with it? NO. I thought he would think it was cool to know our phone number but instead he wants one all his own. That's right a private Garrison number. I don't think so buddy. You are going to have to share the one we have! You would think he was a teenage girl; not a 4 year old boy. So if you give us a call and Garrison answers be prepared for a lengthy conversation and when you finally get him to hang up call back and hopefully someone else will answer!

Space

We were having a conversation about space at dinner tonight. Garrison had just had a unit on it at preschool and was so excited about it. He informed us that the men went to space and found the American flag there. So Cute! I was telling the boys that a space shuttle was just launched a few days ago and they were all excited about where it was going and what it would be doing in space. They then went off about aliens and creatures on different planets and started goofing off. I teased back and asked about the cow that jumped over the moon and other jokes. I then said to the boys "Do you know that Men are from Mars and Women are from Venus. Its true there is even a book about it." Ethan looked at me and said "Then I am taking off to Venus!"(Wink, Wink) I am not sure where they come up with these things but they sure make me laugh!!! Maybe I should take a page from Ethans book and head to Mars! Could be interesting! (Wink, Wink)

The Big Flirt!

As many of you know Garrison is quiet the crack up. I had a friend stop by today and she told me that in Primary on Sunday the kids were getting a new teacher; her son was having a hard time with the transition from sunbeams to class 5.Not Garrison; she was sitting with her son and watching Garrison; when he made eye contact with her he winked his eye, gave a snap and pointed at her. He then grinned the biggest grin possible. I was relaying the story to Brady at dinner and said "Garrison you are the cutest little flirt." To which he replied "Mom I am not a little flirt; I am a BIG flirt." Brady and I couldn't hold in the laughter. I said like father like son. Brady said he never flirted, he got all the girls with his good looks. I know better and from experience know he was a BIG flirt. Now I have the proof he passed those genes on to Garrison.

Watch out Carlos Boozer Ethan's Movin on in!

Ethan started Jr. Jazz again for his second year. He sure thinks he is a great ball player. He is very excited to have real basketball shoes and be wearing a number from a real Jazz player,Carlos Boozer. He keeps asking me to put his name on the back of his jersey. He puts on his basketball attire as soon as he gets home from school and wears it all night. I am impressed with his coaches. They have so much patience and have the cutest way of teaching them the basic skills. It is all about "My coach says this" "My coach says to do it like that Mom." How can I argue with someone who will be a pro-basketball player when he grows up! At least that's what he says for now; we will see when wrestling and baseball start in the spring!

Cell Phone

Garrison has been attached to his play cell phone lately. Just like Mom and Dad he won't leave home without it.

For the most part it has been innocent conversation.The other day I caught him talking to his cousin and carrying on a very adult like conversation about the weather, his day, and plans for tomorrow. It was so cute. I also overheard him having a conversation much like I had earlier in the day frustrated with Direct TV about not reaching a live person for help. Boy I'm I glad I didn't use any bad language:} It just goes to show you never know what they will pick up on. I'm glad for now it is a pretend phone with no bill. He sure is a talker.