Sunday, September 18, 2011

Update on Our Lives

Wyatt started preschool this past month, and he is loving it!! He wanted me to take his picture with him facing backwards and looking over his shoulder.  I think he may be ready for the red carpet.  Look for him at the Oscars.  

At the park.  Always at the park.  Can you believe Cyrus can climb that ladder thingy.  He goes fast, too!  He's a monkey.
 The boys bought bikes this past month, and we have been enjoying riding them in the evenings after dinner.  Calvin lost the training wheels just a few days after he got the bike, but Wyatt still wants to keep his on (even though I don't think he needs them, but don't tell him I told you that).  I don't know what made me more proud: that they are riding so well or that they bought them with their own money.  

We went to the fair this past weekend.  They were running a special:  we thought it would cost an arm and a leg, but it turns out you could get by with just an arm.  Nevertheless, we enjoyed funnel cakes, fried oreos, tri tip sandwiches, snow cones, cotton candy, fried tacos, etc. etc.  Oh, and the rides and games were fine too.  





And Missoni came to Target, but I bet you already knew that.


So here is the boring stuff without pictures:

Noah - He doesn't have to leave for work until 9:30, so we get to spend the morning with him, and I don't have to drag the little boys out of bed to walk Calvin to school.  He doesn't usually get home until 6:30 or 7, but we still get to enjoy him in the evening.  Also, Noah and I have joined the ranks of those who have TVs in their bedrooms, and we often stay up too late watching episodes of 30 Rock on Netflicks.  We especially think Jack Donaghy is hilarious.  I think that this might me a good place to mention one of my favorite things that Noah does for the boys.  Noah will often draw at church to keep his hands busy.  A lot of times he will draw things for the boys to keep them quiet.  A few weeks ago he drew Wyatt this picture of a dog bone that was a big as the page.  Then he drew a tiny little bite mark in the bone and a tiny little dog standing beside of it.  Wyatt was smiling from ear to ear just thinking about how awesome it would be to be a dog with a ginormous bone.  It was too cute. It made me think that if someone gave me a piece of birthday cake that big that I would be as happy as that tiny little dog.  In fact, I would even be that happy if the piece of cake was regular size.

Katie - Well, Missoni came to Target.  That was the biggest event in my life since Cyrus was born.  I ran over there early Monday morning to find that it wasn't actually coming until Tuesday.  Then I went again on Tuesday and walk the store over and over and over taking things in and out of my cart, calling any sort of advice giver I could talk to trying to decide just what thing I should get.  And that's how boring I am.  And also, I clean the house and pick up kids and go running.

Calvin - He is loving first grade and his teacher. I am so proud of him.  He is reading well and learning more and more everyday.  I have to tell him to turn his lamp off at night after an hour of reading, which secretly makes me so happy that he loves to read.  I have enjoyed tracking down books that he likes at the library and having them waiting for him when he gets home.  As I mentioned, he is riding his bike so well.  He is great at riding, but had a little bit of trouble learning to get started on his own.  I think that will come with time.  He has been riding along with me when I go running, and we have a lot of fun just visiting and tell jokes together.  I have a feeling these will be some of my most choice memories of us.

Wyatt - Ahh, Wyatt.  He is going to preschool four days a week and also attending Katie's school of responsibility and chores.  It actually is fun to work together.  After Calvin gets off to school, he and I spend some time together each morning doing his chores.  I hope I have fooled him into believing that chores are just a game because right now he thinks that unloading the dishwasher is just a game of hot and cold.  He also has been bitten with the Nintendo bug.  He used to not care, but now I find that not only his interest has increased, but also his skill.  He's better than me!  I can no longer bail him out of tough levels.  In fact, he usually had to bail me out!  And oh yeah, he still loves Rico.

Cyrus - He thinks that he wants to give up his naps, but I am brainwashing him into a few more months of napping.  Recently he has started saying more and more words: Costco (I couldn't be more proud), taco, Pablo (he loves Backyardigans), Uh-Oh, and quite a few more.  He is also extremely generous with his kisses though sometimes they are french kisses.  I have had to give him the talk about how that isn't really appropriate to try and french your mother, but he still tries.  He also got a little bike (though not with his savings).  It's a little tricycle with a handle that we can use to push him with. HE LOVES IT, and tries to put his favorite puppy on it and push it around.  He also has developed a su-weet ear-piercing scream that he saves for appropriate places like church and the store.


Monday, September 5, 2011

A Victimless Crime

Back in the day when we only had one child, Noah and I would often take turns waking up with him when he got up sooooooooo early and would turn on Elmo to grab a couple more minutes of sleep.  It was win/win. We had kind of forgotten about Elmo because Calvin and Wyatt are into older boy cartoons and often times Sesame Street doesn't interest them like it used to.  Noah, however, remembered one of Calvin's favorite Elmo clips (Elmo's Song) and pulled it up on YouTube for Cyrus. And now another addict is born.  

You will find no apology here.  I am not sorry that I let my not even two year old indulge as long as he wants while I make dinner.  I have to be honest with you, I was getting a little tired of tripping on all of the pots and pans that he places all over the kitchen like land mines while I'm cooking away. 

Monday, August 29, 2011

A Mother's Love

{Trust Me.  You do not want a picture of this event.}

This morning while I was walking Calvin to school I heard him sneeze loudly and exclaim, "Mom, I need a tissue!"  I turned around to see him bent over with the world's biggest snotty booger hanging out of his left nostril.  

And I had no tissue.  

And from where I was standing, I couldn't find even a leaf. (A disadvantage to living in the desert.)

So, I did what any mother who loves her child would do.  I let him wipe his nose on my shirt.

And it grossed me.

And I rolled up the bottom of my shirt onto itself so as to hide the grody (pronouced GROW-DEE, as in slang for gross) booger from other people, and I (with dignity) made my way home.  

Thank you Jenn, for standing by me.


Monday, August 22, 2011

Summer: What We Did

Wyatt dressed up as a favored Nintendo Character, Link:  Hat (check), green tunic (check), Iron Man Underwear (though not part of Link's costume, check), Shield (lid tucked into underwear, check).  

 I went shopping and upon finding these t-niny shorts in the juniors section realized I am too old to be dabbling in juniors any longer.  
 Enjoyed several beautiful sunsets while out running.  
 Enjoyed visits from grandparents and my double chin.


 We went to Costco A LOT.  And loved every second. (Costco, I love you.  You complete me.  Thanks for the deals you give me.  xoxoxo)
 We hung out in the backyard.  Just chillin'.  Steady chillen'
 I went to Girl's Camp and discovered that while I missed my family so much, i still had a very fun time. I stayed up way to  late, laughed way too hard, and slept way too close to the latrines.  You live, you learn.
    We had Calvin (a.k.a The Guillotine) take our picture on Noah's birthday before church.  Happy Birthday Honey, your present is Bon Jovi hair.
 I experienced the strange mix of emotions that comes with the passing of a loved one:  Happiness that they are not suffering, Emptiness that they are gone, Sadness that you didn't have that last chance to say goodbye, Joy to see relatives that you haven't seen in at least ten years.  (Hardy girls, why didn't we get a pic???????)  I am glad to have gone to my Grandma's funeral and celebrate her life, but I have found myself yearning to have one last visit with her.  Rest in Peace. 


 Adorable Cutie at Pioneer Day.  
 Cyrus and I logged a lot of hours watching Calvin and Wyatt swim it up at swim lessons.  They are certainly more fish like than they were a few months ago.



The boys traced themselves and colored them.  And yes, I don't make my kids wear clothes that match during the summer.  

The boys opened a very successful lemonade stand and made $4 each.  Regular tycoons, I tell you.  Plus, it was just adorable.  

 We went on several evening walks and let Cyrus lead the way because let's face it, he never gets to lead the way!  

Summer, as always, it is a bitter parting.  But we shall meet again after Spring.  Don't forget us!  And don't forget to get us pool passes next year!  Much love, Shafers.

Sunday, August 14, 2011

Splash Pad

Because summer is almost over here, I decided to make the most of the few days that we had left.  I said farewell to a clean house for the week, and tried to just focus on fun, fun, fun.  We went to the splash pad and took our fun neighbors with us.  I wish that I had gotten more pics, but I was too busy  lazing around.
 The one time that getting dumped on is fun and refreshing.  
 Cyrus and his smoking moves.  Bonus:  those are not his flip flops.  In fact, I don't know whose they are, but he enjoyed clomping around in them anyway.  
We ended this week with Friday being "Do whatever you want day."  (Thanks Ortons for the idea).  Much to my surprise, it wasn't all that huge of a disaster.  The boys started off their day by not doing their chores.  They had to go to Costco with me, even though they didn't want to, but they decided to order churros for lunch.  Then they spent the rest of the day sword fighting in their underwear, watching Pink Panther, and eating hot dogs for dinner.  They fell asleep in our bed, after which Noah and I moved them to their beds so we could get some sleep.  I am sad that Calvin is starting back to school tomorrow, and that Wyatt starts preschool this week.  The house will be so quiet!!

Sunday, August 7, 2011

Livin' On A Prayer

I woke up with Bon Jovi hair this morning.  I'm just as confused about it as you are.  

Sunday, July 31, 2011

It's a Bad Week to be Furniture and/or Valuables at Our House

Shafer Household Weekly Damage Report
 (July 24th - July 31st)

1.  Sharpie Marker on new kitchen table. (Wyatt)
2.  Rubbing alcohol removed part of finish on kitchen table in effort to remove sharpie from the table.  (Katie)
3.  20+ holes in the leather ottoman by way of a pointy object. (Wyatt)
4.  Sunscreen sprayed on the side of the car only to come out after a trip to the car wash and a good wax down.  (Wyatt) (Note to Mom:  Don't put a child in timeout in the garage when the other time out spot is occupied.  In the future I would recommend the bathtub without water.)
5.  Scratch to the front of the new desk. (Nobody)
6.  Broken support on the bottom of the bench. (Calvin)
7.  Game stuck in the Wii Console thereby rendering the Wii temporarily unplayable.  (Calvin)
8.  Original artwork piece executed on the hallway wall.  Medium is colored pencil.  (Cyrus)
9.  Chocolate ice cream stains on kitchen chairs.  (Wyatt)
10.  So far nothing else, but there are still 5.5 hours left in the week.

My Mom says to look at these acts of destruction by my children with fondness because when they are grown up, they will remind me of when my kids were small.  And because they will be all grown-up, the memories will be all I have.  

I am still waiting for the fondness to come and make me feel better.