Momma Bear

It's not that I didn't know he was okay at the time . . . but he was stuck and I didn't know how long I had until he started freaking out too!  So a couple days after the New Year the boys and I were at my Mom's, +Janet Dixon , finishing a puzzle we had started over the Holidays.  My sister +Dari Willey was there with her kids and the they all were playing while he chit chatted over the puzzle.  Soon it was time for Hank to take his nap so I put him down in his usual place, my Mom's bedroom in the Pack -n- Play.  About 30 minutes later I heard some chatter from the bedroom and I figured Hank was just chatting himself to sleep.  It wasn't until Dari went a little closer to the door and heard Hank at the door lightly knocking.  First of all, I don't know how he got out of the Pack -n- Play!  But when I went to the door, somehow he had twisted the bellybutton lock on the door. Again, as I stated earlier, I knew he was okay at the moment, but Hank has a tendency to find . . . situations that end badly for him.  Like the stitches just a couple days previous--frankly I'm surprised he have gone this long without stitches. ANYWAY, he was locked in the bedroom and I knew I might not have long until he was hurt.  Dari and I found something to poke in the little hole in the doorknob to try and pop it open, but we quickly learned it wasn't that kind of doorknob.  After talking with +Jason Dixon , we tried applying pressure in the little grooves at the hilt of the doorknob to pop the door handle off, WELL, that just broke the hilt. SO, I took a hammer and slammed the door handle off, opened the door and there was my Hank, holding a picture frame and laughing as I opened the door.

Squeeze in a Head Wound

We were planning on playing with cousins over dinner at my Mom's, +Janet Dixon ,  our playtime was cut short when Hank slipped off a stool and hit his head on a neighboring stool on his way to the ground.  When +Andrew Smart picked him up there were large droplets of blood falling from his head and I knew it wasn't good.  My sister +Jill Van Orden and my mom, +Janet Dixon  quickly got a towel and an ice pack and I held him to my chest and rocked him to settle him down so we could evaluate the situation.  The bleeding stopped but as we looked at the cut, it showed fatty tissues.  It wasn't very long, but it was pretty deep.  Family members have stitched others up in their homes before, but those capable of doing the stitching (Brent, Warren, +Robert Coray, +Annie Dixon, Gordy) were either still working, traveling, or too far away. SO, we went over to Physicians Immediate Care and Warren's P.A., Lana, stitched Hanka up.  He needed 4 stitches and it was just 6 hours before the New Year.  Needless to say we did not finish our play time at Grandmas.  Instead we went home and put the boys to bed and enjoyed a great movie.  Happy New Year!

Randy's Gym

My Mom always takes the grandkids to Randy's Gym around Christmas. This year we went the Friday after Christmas and between big cousins jumping into the foam pit and little cousins building forts, all in all we had a marvelous time!

For some reason Robert didn't have a fabulous time this trip to Randy's Gym.  He sat in the "soft tunnel" and watched his cousins play most of the time, but isn't this an adorable shot?!

Hank loved running around and had a great time with cousins at Randy's  Gym.

My sister +Anna White and her husband +Joseph White came up with their kids.  Here are their boys, Johnny and Tyler, with my sister +Jenae Dixon 's daughter Maya.  They had quite the fort built from cones and mats.

Christmas

 We had a VERY merry Christmas. The boys loved their cars/race track, Avengers, and especially....the dragons! +Andrew Smart loves his gun history books and I love my new bling watch.

Hank got goldfish crackers in his stocking and didn't open much until the crackers were gone!  He had cars in his stocking too, but didn't want anything to do with them until he was well into his crackers.  So he sat on the steps and held his garbage truck while the rest of us opened presents. 

Hank ventured from his post on the steps, with his crackers, to check out the new rack track.  Robert got dragons (actually one is Hank's but he's not too into it) and took them everywhere!

Okay so Hank played with his green dragon for me to snap this picture, but mostly he played with his new cars...AFTER the crackers were all gone.

Robert also got "shackles."  When we wrestle he likes to tie the other person up in "shackles" so he got some REAL shackles and loves shackling anything and anyone.

I wish I knew what Robert's thumb gesture was all about.  It's SO cute, but I didn't hear what he was saying, something about Hanka I guess.  They both got more race tracks from Grandma +Janet Dixon 

Grandma +Janet Dixon was amazed at her family tree chart we printed off in poster size for her.  It goes back 9 generations and is all color coded!

My sister +Jill Van Orden spent Christmas in Pocatello (she brought her family of course).  Her son Andrew got a bunch of survival stuff and was THRILLED anytime someone needed him to use his knife to aid in opening presents.

Robert's cousin Emma, +Jill Van Orden  daughter, found this giant dinosaur for Robert.  He wasn't sure what to think about it at first, but warmed up to it and includes it in all is battles with the dragons and Avengers he got also.

And of course +Andrew Smart received a gun.  Actually, the gift was money to go shopping because +Jill Van Orden  wasn't quite sure what kind of outdoorsy thing to buy for him.  I think Robert has commandeered this little Nerf gun since Christmas.

The merriment didn't stop as we headed over to Grandpa and Grandma Bob and +Sheryl Smart 's house.  I love this cute smile on Robert's face as he opens his new transformer.

Hank is all about phones these days.  Anything that looks remotely the size of a phone goes to the ear and he starts babbling.  Grandpa and Grandma Bob and +Sheryl Smart found this great toy phone for him to play with.  Robert had a little trouble transforming the transformer, truth be told +Andrew Smart had a little trouble too.

I love this face!  He's deep into some pretend battle or something with one of his dragons close at hand  of course.

Grandpa +Bob and Sheryl Smart built the boys a new toy box.  It's beautiful!  

 

Thanksgiving

More to come later, but........even Hank needed his after dinner nap. Okay so he are a small lunch then took his regular nap, then we had  the Thanksgiving feast. But he wanted to cuddle cuddle cuddle when we got home.

Three Arm Son

I have stopped guessing what Robert will come up with next. This morning he was trying to lug his toys from his room to the family room and struggling a bit. Then he says, totally serious, "Mom, I wish I had three arms. I need an arm out my belly to help hold my swords and guns and shield." I'm not sure where to go with that, but laugh behind a very sincere, "I bet it would be easier too carry sooooooo much stuff with three arms, but God made you with two. Why don't you just take some of the stuff and then come back for the rest."

Water boy

We aren't avid water people.....we don't have secret fins or anything. We go swimming every now and then, less than I want to, but just often enough to keep the boys happy. However, when we go outside......they go straight for the hose. They live to water everything. Hank watered himself the other day. I don't know of you can tell from the picture but he is soaked head to toe.

The ice cream truck

The boys hair is getting sooooooo long so tonight after dinner I asked Robert if he would let me cut his hair with the buzz clippers. He was excited so we went out I the back deck and buzzed him. Andy took over when it was time to do the finishing touches, then he started on Hank and his poor misshapen fuzz head. Well I heard the ice cream truck, what I thought was right around the corner. I grabbed Robert and we ran to catch the ice cream truck. I didn't want to miss it so I didn't stop to put my shoes on. Thankgoodness Robert already had his on because we ended up running 4 blocks. We stopped at each corner to listen for the music and see if we were getting closer and which direction we needed to go. We came back home with a fabulous Rocket Pop to share with Hank.

Wet Hank

My boys think when we are outside it is automatically time to play in the house. I didn't get a video, but Hank was soaked today! He was flinging the house this way and that, spraying his belly, trying to squirt anyone who came near, getting drinks out of the hose and superfund his face while doing so. I had it turned on just a little, but he loved spraying himself.

First day of School

Robert's first day if preschool was today. He goes to Tami's Tots with Tami Swallow. My bit is growing up! He's been talking about not being big enough to go to school and it finally dawned on us that he was probably expecting to wake up one day and be physically big like his cousins who go to school. It's been quite the ordeal to correct that teaching. He doesn't actually need to be big to go to school, but rather old enough. Wow, it's been a long week trying to get him to accept that the other kids in preschool would be his same size and that really out was about being old enough. He went and had the time of his life. Success!

Plenty of ice cream to go around

We, my boys, my mom, and I, drove to Aberdeen today because my niece Adrielle just moved there with her husband, Greg Duffin, after their graduation from BYU-I. Anyway, Adri cuts my hair so we went to see the new house and get a haircut. After the "new dooes" we drove in to the large metropolis of Aberdeen for a milk shake. The Country Kitchen was full of Mennonites today which totally took me back to my days on my mission in Missouri. I was afraid Robert might say something about their appearance. My fears were in vain, I don't think he noticed anything different at all. Hank made quite a mess however, that was quite distracting.

Fry Day

This morning Andy told Robert that it is Friday so when he, Andy, comes home for lunch he doesn't need to go back. Andy works halfday on Fridays during the summer. So all morning I've been hearing how when Dead gets home we are going to buy fries because today is fry day.

Mothers Day

We had a great time in Hansen with Brent and Lindsay and Perri for Avery's blessing. Afterward we had a little luncheon at the Norris'. Robert was sitting at a table waiting for his plate and started chatting with Brent's mom Marcia. "I haven't seen you for a long time," he said to her. He says the funniest things.

On our way home Hank was falling asleep, eyes closed, blanket up by his face and a half cry emitting from his mouth every few seconds. I hurried and snapped this picture. Then I turned to snap a picture of Robert who was zoning out the window. He sensed a camera on him, looked at me then closed his eyes and dripped his head to the side for the picture. When he heard it "snap" he opened his eyes and said, "Mom when we get home open my door and say, oh look at my sleeping boys....okay?" They are such a joy!

Face Stuffer

Hank is the messiest eater. Sheesh I just fill his plate and the food is gone. Most of it is stuffed in his mouth some is on the floor and under his bum. He surprisingly doesn't choke on the pound of food he's gnawing on though.

Knock knock jokes

And so it's begun. The age of knock knock jokes. Truthfully knock knock jokes are the only jokes I consistently get the punch line right. So this is our afternoon snack conversation...
Robert: knock knock
Me: who's there?
R: stinky banana
Me: stinky banana who?
R: no I'm saying stinky banana who, not you.

Me: knock knock
R: who's there?
Me: interrupting cow
R: cow wh....
Me: moo!

R: knock knock
Me: who's there?
R: stinky cow?
Me: stinky cow who?
R: moooooooooo!

Thank you cousin Spencer for introducing Robert to the "stinky" version of the knock knock jokes.

Jesus Baptized Me

I've been meaning to write this down for a while. Robert was about 3 years old and really started talking about his dreams when I woke him up in the mornings.  There was one character who kept returning to haunt his dreams. A man with a white robe and wings who would try and take Robert away and he didn't want to go so would cry and cry.  The whole concept of dreams is hard to explain to a 3 year old. Robert would say, no I didn't dream Momma that man with the wrote wings came and visited last night. One morning, after several nights of bad dreams, I asked Robert who came to visit him. "Jesus," he replied. "Oh really?" I inquired. "What did Jesus do?" "He baptized me. There was that big tub with lots of water and I was scared. Jesus came and baptized me to help me feel better." We had been to several cousins baptisms so he'd seen the baptismal font. I guess it was a little haunting. But what a great lesson to refer back to. When you're scared Jesus will always be there for you.

Dinosaur Museum

We were visiting my sister in Utah last weekend.They wanted too show us the dino museum at Thanksgiving Point. Robert was in HEAVEN! He was a little nervous to stand in front of the big shark mouth. I'm sure he was imagining it suddenly coming to life and eating them all up, but the cousins were confident it's dead and not going to harm them.

Lunch 2/20/12

Yummy lunch at Wingers

Breakfast

I'm taking pictures of my yummy food so at the end of the day I have a visual of what I've eaten. I call it the photo diet.

Photo Comparisons

 

Hank's 7.5 month old photo shoot. He's never been much of a rolly polly. He's always wanted to stand and walk. He grabs on to anything that holds still long enough for him to get his fit underneath him.

 

Robert was a rolly polly. He rolled and scooted and was content sitting until about 11 months old when he realized he could put his feet on the ground and get places faster than on his belly. One day at about 13 months old, he decided to walk.

I love these two pics because 1) they are of my boys, 2) the same photographer took both of them so they are both her style, which is my style, and 3) it's a darn cute photo shoot!