Because Boys Need Pampering Too.

I love being an all boy mom.
I love their enthusiasm, their delight, and their passion for life.
I love my boys.

But I got to admit.
Sometimes I wish I had cute little fingernails to paint, little pink tights, and big flower bows to place in long little girl hair.

Today I got a real good look at my toenails. A real good look. Pedicures have not happened for a long time. I've barely had enough time to do the quick thirty-second-paint-job-to-cover-the-fifty-layers-of-cracked-nail-polish as I run out the door for church with the kids. Real pedicure? It has been MONTHS.

As I looked at my toes, I dreamed about how nice it would be to do a pedicure foot bath in a quiet house with everyone asleep at two in the afternoon... maybe with a little girl one day if I am lucky.

Then I thought - "hey, boys need pampering too!"
So, I pulled out the foot mask, the bubbly foot bombs, and the lotion.
We headed outside with books, snacks, and toys.




We masked up the feet.






Rinsed the feet.

After which the feet were too clean so the boys had to march around in the mud.
Then soaked our feet in bubbly water.







It was kinda chaotic.
My feet are still un-pedicured.
But it was fun.



I may not get to paint my little boy's fingernails pink... but I plan to enjoy every little "girl" moment I can with them. Because every little boy needs pampering, almost as much as every mom needs a "little girl" moment.

One Day.

Caleb,


You have this cute habit of walking around with your tongue hanging out of your mouth. It is seriously adorable. Adorable yet dangerous and I am afraid that we are only beginning to learn how dangerous it is. One day when you are all grown up, you are going to look in the mirror and wonder where you received two deep scars on your tongue. Answer: Hide-n-go-seek and playing at the park


One day at the park, two years ago, you jumped off a small ledge (with your tongue out) and almost bit your tongue off.

Today we were playing hide-n-go-seek. You left the room. I had only counted to number five when I heard the screaming start. I found you on the floor next to the crib you had tried to hide in. While climbing you slipped, fell, and almost bit your tongue off - again.

Big Ouch.
Your cries, the blood, the pain.
Talk about break my heart.
I wish so badly that it was my tongue hurting, not yours.

How about we keep that tongue inside of our mouth from now on.
I love you (and your cute tongue) too much.

Love,

Mom

Eating Cake in the Street

For months I have been planning a grand old party for my family. A party that involved good news from BYU, cake, and eating in the street.

We received the good news at six in the morning on Sunday. With the world still sleeping, rain clouds, and tired boys - the cake in the street party did not happen. Instead, the boys received an early morning bath with a breakfast consisting of a health food store lollipop.

For the record: Lollipops for breakfast is really not a good idea. It has never happened at our house before and it will absolutely never happen again... unless we win some large amount of money - then the boys might have multiple lollipops for breakfast.

Some things are just worth celebrating.
Nate was accepted to the PhD program at Brigham Young University.
Neuroscience... here we come!
Celebration.


UPDATE: We ate cookies and ice cream in the street. It was fabulous.


I never ever ever dreamed that we would ever go back to school... let alone party about it.

"Today I want to be 109"

Conner has a fascination with numbers and "how many years old he wants to be."
Any time he spots a number, he proudly declares that he wants to be that old today.

"Mom, do you know how old I want to be today?"
"I want to be ____ years old today."

Most of the time he desperately wants to be 109 years old.


Today, I want to be two years old. I would like to take a two hour bath with shaving cream paint, eat pretzels with peanut butter for lunch, and take a three hour nap. Personally, I think the life of a two year old is pretty sweet. That's how old I would like to be today.

Guns, Angels, and Wal-mart

Despite our fascination with guns and shooting people,
there are angels that live at my local Wal-mart.


Imagine this.
I am pushing a cart with three energetic boys crammed inside of it.
Somehow I got them to all fit.
"Baby munchies" motivate my preschooler and toddler to do anything.


I am running to grab those vital items that necessitated a trip in the first place.
I know that I only have approximately 100 munchies.
Which equates to two minutes.
If I am lucky.

I know that once the baby munchies run out, the big boys are going to want to walk, run, or worse... play guns with the items stowed in the grocery cart.


Running,
I arrive to the photo center.
Long line.
Dang it.


Soap dispensers and drawer-liners transform into guns.
The two older boys are shooting people.
Colton is trying to eat the germ infested cart.
gross.


I do not know how.
Why or when.
But somehow everything revolves around guns at our house.
I am clueless as to where this obsession originated.


I grab my photos and we are off.
Quietly, I yell at the boys when they start shooting down the senior citizens walking past us.
The many discussions, lessons, and bribery are apparently not working.
How loud is too loud to discipline your kid in a public setting?


Colton is screaming out of frustration.
He wants to eat that cart so bad.
I am raising my voice at the boys.
They are still "play shooting" down innocent victims.


Luckily, lines are short.
We walk up to check out, but my cart is full of boisterous boys.
Then, like magic, this elderly gentleman appears.
He asks to talk to the boys.


He instantly silences them with discussions about age.
Conner is obsessed with how old he wants to be.
Even Colton stops trying to eat the cart to poke the man's belly and smile wide at him.
I take a deep breath and pay for my items - scream free.

Amazing.

I thank the man.

But how can you really say "thank you" to someone who just performed a major miracle?


We walked out of the store.
Guns gone.
Interest in eating the cart gone.
Wow.


Truth is, this is not the first time angels have helped me at Wal-mart.
There have been multiple soon-to-be-grandpas who have stopped to help me.
I am convinced that there are angels at Wal-mart.
And I am so grateful to them.

I am so grateful for the many silent prayers that have been answered.

God is so good.

Easter

I do not know who was excited the most about Easter at our house.
I LOVED obsessing with fun Easter food, baskets, egg hunts, etc.



That Easter Bunny and I are pretty good friends now.

The boys were an absolute riot.
I think my boys are pretty darn cute.




Colton loved the Easter grass and chewing on the juice boxes.





Colton got pretty upset when I tried to open the juice box for him.
He is still very interested in gnawing on that box.


Conner and Caleb loved the egg hunt... but I am pretty sure that they loved sword fighting with their bubble sticks so much more. Any guesses on how long those bubble sticks lasted until they broke? Ten minutes.












I tried to get one of those Easter Morning Church Outfit pictures.
Trying to get three boys to sit still after an early-morning-sugar-rush is impossible.

Here is the best I got.



Maybe next year.

Anyone notice the "sword" in this cowboy's hand?
I'll have to admit that I was relieved when the "bubble sword sticks" broke before church.
I was not quite sure how I was going to motivate my boys to leave their new favorite violent toy at home.

Ordinary Moments

Living south of the Wyoming border, our little town receives a fair share of wind. Wind that will knock your bike over, blow your giant cardboard box to the other side of the yard, and keep you up at night.

I am not kidding.

The wind and I are not friends.
We are never seen together if we can avoid it.

So when the wind finally slowed down, it was time to go outside.
I love wind-free-spring-evenings.








There are two fabulous boys (ages 9 and 7) that we are so lucky to know.
I can not say enough nice things about them.
We love them.
So much that Caleb has to kiss them goodnight when they leave.

Tonight they helped my boys sled across the need-to-be-watered lawn.
My boys were beyond happy.








I want to hang onto this simple, ordinary, moment forever.





Life is, after all, comprised of simple ordinary moments. Thousands of them.
Learning to acknowledge the love, joy, and miracle of these very moments involves true creativity.

I want to be more creative.

All Boy House Confessions

Confession #1: I Let the Kids do the Child-Proofing.





This kid (Colton) has taken child-proofing to a whole new extreme. Child-proofing is not about keeping Colton out of the cupboards. Child-proofing involves Colton climbing in the cupboards to ensure that they are safe.

I can not keep Colton out of the cupboards.





Colton would spend all day in the cupboards if I let him.
And I do.
Most of the time.

All-Boy-House Rule #1: Never interrupt a happy baby. Ever. (Unless he is playing in the toilet.)



Confession #2: Simply Doing the Dishes is Not Enough.





Simply said - the only way I ever get to wash the dishes is when I wash the baby at the same time.






Confession #3: The All-You-Can-Eat-Buffet.






Colton eats a lot of food. Unfortunately, most of it ends up on the floor. I simply do not have enough time in the day to clean up after every time he eats. I decided to stop cleaning up the food and teach my baby self reliance. If Colton is hungry, he has learned to crawl on over to his all-you-can-eat-buffet. Open 12 hours a day, my broom is grateful. Once the kids are in bed, the buffet closes with a nice floor wipe down. When the sun rises, the buffet is open and ready to receive business.



Confession # 4: I Let My Boys Bury Anything they Want.





My boys have this new obsession with digging holes and burying their treasures. Today they came home from church and wanted to bury their pictures from church and I thought, "Why not?" Conner and Caleb spent at least an hour after church in the backyard cooperating.. which is the true spirit of the Sabbath.

Side note. The pictures were too cute, so I "un-buried" them once the boys were in bed.



Confession #5: We Do Not Get Out Much.







If the boys want to do something adventurous - like sledding - they constructively have to use their imagination and go sledding on chairs, yoga mats, hope chests, etc. Fishing, train rides, and trips to grandma's house all occur on the couch. Rides to the moon occur under the kitchen table.

Conner and Caleb's amazing imagination validates my refusal to venture out into the world with three energetic boys on my own.



Confession #6: Vacuuming Has Become a Full-Contact-Sport



While Caleb is terrified of the vacuum, Colton is "crushing" on it. Vacuuming has become an obstacle course trying to maneuver around the baby who refuses to be held while the machine of his dreams is running. Talk about your baby romance.


I love my all-boy-crazy life.