Thanksgiving!

What a wonderful Thanksgiving! Hudson was my pre-Thanksgiving prep helper.  I learned one thing from him and Easton, I should cook more meat around this house...or at least show it to them!  Hudson was very curious about this turkey we had in our fridge.  As he helped me cut off the packaging and revealed our 23lb little friend he decided he needed a name.  Well, ok I thought by all means, let's do it!  I gave Hudson the sole responsibility of naming him....Nixon Rudolph!  He also informed me that his birthday would be the next day, Thanksgiving!  Easton thought it was not quite right that his birthday be the day we eat him.  When Easton saw our little friend, Nixon, he looked at me with his curious eyes and furrowed eyebrows and said, "Is that a REAL turkey?".  I laughed and said, "yes Easton, did you think we would eat a fake one?" at which he replied, "like someone shot him?"  Oh boy!

We had 2 of Ray's brothers and 1 of his sisters here with their families.  This was the first year we have cooked Thanksgiving dinner here.  I have cooked a turkey before but never had the pressure of it being the Thanksgiving Turkey!  Well, I did some research and decided to brine our turkey.  I didn't anticipate the work/mess this brine was going to make!  On Tuesday when I made the brine  Ray was helping me by holding the bowl while I was pouring it from the pan, well with a combined effort (neither is admitting fault) I managed to pour part of the brine down his pants, onto his shoes, and all over the floor!  Woowee!  But boy does it get better.  On Thanksgiving morning, I had planned to go running (calorie deficit baby), so I figured I better get up early get the turkey all ready so I could come home and put it in the oven.  I realized that with our 23lb turkey in the bag and all the liquid it got rather heavy, so at 5am I softly whispered in Ray's face that I needed his assistance in getting the turkey out of the fridge.  To my surprise he quickly found his way to the garage fridge.  As I stood on the steps to the garage I felt a little uneasy about the tugging on the bag he was doing.   And my fears were soon put into reality as the bag ripped and turkey brine (now with a raw turkey juices!) came pouring onto Ray and all over our garage.  Nasty!  All I could do was ask how I could help.  I thought it was bad the first time, but now to have it happen again...what are the odds!?!?

Ray was a trooper, we managed to get the turkey into the house so I could get it ready and then he hosed off the garage floor at 5am on a 30 degree November morning.  Needless to say I don't know if the tasty turkey was quite worth the effort.

I always love Thanksgiving weekend, no pressures, just home with the family and lots of food!  Today, Sunday, when we got up Easton announced that he was going to have a busy day, he had to watch Spiderman 2 and Football.  Man the life of a 7 year old.  I also had to remind him he had 3 hours of church to fit in there too!

Well, bring on December we are ready for the season to begin!

A Set of Stitches

Well, we had our second set of stitches for our home.  It amazes me that in all the craziness that occurs on a daily basis the stitches always happen in the duller moments in our lives.  While watching television Hudson got up to get a drink and tripped over Easton and fell right to the corner of the coffee table.  Wowser...his head split right open!  I was gone at young women's and pulled into the garage right after it happened.  I was greeted anxiously by Canon and Easton who were quick to tell the news.   We went over to the hospital and boy was Hudson brave!  He received a shot and 5 stitches.  He was quite an example for his older brothers on how to be brave.  The boys all made a date of it and had chicken fingers and fries from the hospital cafeteria while we waited for the numbing gel to work.  

Halloween 2011

 Halloween Night 2011 - Canon (10yr) Scream, Easton (7yr) prison inmate, he decided this on his own.  Hudson (5yr) Bumblebee.

Picking our pumpkins at the neighborhood pumpkin patch.

This fall was so crazy with sports we didn't get to go pick our pumpkins until the Friday before Halloween!  Talk about leaving it until the last minute.  I guess it wasn't procrastination just no time.  Every time someone got home from sports practice it was too dark.  But it made for a fun activity over Fall Break.  

This was right before the school, Midas Creek Elementary, carnival.  What a fun night!  I have resigned myself to running a booth each year.  Canon of course had football practice so he went dressed as a FOOTBALL player!  

Last Monday was Halloween.   It always is a fun time of year with lots of activities to keep us busy.  This year Canon was the Scream, Easton was an inmate, and Hudson was Bumblebee.  This was the first year that Canon and Easton went trick-or-treating with friends.  They both went the Austin and his sister and friends.  Once they left I realized it was just Hudson.  The last few years I have stayed home and handed out candy, but I thought this year it would be fun to go around with him.  We started out, but he didn't dig going to the door by himself and asking for candy.  After walking down our street and him only wanting to go to one house, I figured I better find him a friend to trick or treat with.  After we found Courtney with Grace and Jane he quickly found the hang of things.  I was amazed at how long they all stayed out.  The older boys ended up going home to empty their sacks and then headed back out.  Hudson stayed out for 2 1/2 hours!  We walked the neighborhood from end to end.  It was a lot of fun.  The weather was gorgeous, 60 degrees!  We couldn't have asked for better.  But we woke up the next morning to rain/snow & cold.  Winter is here!  

Hudson's Journal

SUNDAY January 24, 2010

Hudson is 3 years old.  He is ADORABLE.  What a darling little boy he is with such a sweet personality.  He is so shy around others, but at home he has a lot to say.  He loves to wrestle and play with his brothers and mom and dad.  He always wants someone to be “good guys” with him.  He loves popcorn, candy, and snacks.  He is not so fond of DINNER!  HMMMM…..!!!!

He loves his Dad and could play with him all day.  He loves his little friend Grace Palmer and frequently tells us that he loves Grace.  His latest thing is he is always trying to use nice words it is so cute!  Mom…can I please have a drink of water.  Then he tells you he used his nice words. 

Last week I was folding clothes in my room and he came running in and jumped on the chair, lost his balance and went flipping over the edge.  I quickly said “OHHH!!!”  He quickly replied back “Sorry, Mom”.  I laughed and explained I was just worried he was ok.  He loves to give me thumbs up!  And we frequently tell each other we are buddies.  He is my little buddy and will be sad when I lose him to preschool this fall.  He plays so well on his on and I often am looking to find where he is playing. 

He loves to line up all of his toys.  At night (he is quite the night owl), he will line up all of his cars throughout his room.  Then once he decides he is tired he crawls into his bed.  One night when he was 2 he once again decided he was not tired.  He was in his room quietly playing and the rest of us were fast asleep.  I quickly awoke to someone inches from my face.  As my vision cleared I noticed it was him with swimming goggles on his head and he was eating fruit snacks!  He had gotten into the swim bag and had everything strung out through out the hall.  Thank goodness his middle of the night episodes ended, but he still doesn’t fall asleep that early!  He is going to be a great TEENAGER!  We love him to death and it makes me sad he is growing so fast!  Mom

WEDNESDAY January 27, 2010

Yesterday Hudson said something cute so I thought I would write it down.  We were at the gym (his brothers are off track) and I went and picked up Hudson and then we went down to get Canon & Easton.  We got down there and Canon and Easton were playing basketball and weren’t coming when I asked them too.  After waiting a few minutes I told them Hudson and I were leaving and started up the stairs.  Hudson looked at me and then back at the boys and said “Tome on Tanon and Easton we’re leaving!”  Then he looked at me and said “Mom their going to be sad when they look and can’t find their mom”.  He is always so worried about his brothers and their well-being!  What a sweatheart!

Nana told me that when he was at their house last week he burped and said, “I just farted out my mouth!”  What a BOY!

WEDNESDAY November 10, 2010

Hudson is 4 years old and started preschool this year.  He absolutely loves it.  He is doing so well.  He has started reading this month.  He loves going and really likes his teacher Mrs. Merrill.  I should be more consistent about writing in this journal.  He really says and does some adorable things.  The other day I went to pick him up from the daycare at the gym and as he came running toward me he turned around and said “Thanks LADIES!”  We all laughed pretty hard. 

This summer Hudson was at Nana & Papas.  Him and Papa were out in the garden picking vegetables and he told Papa that he had picked a zucchini at his house that was up to his nuts!  Oh the joy of older brothers!

SATURDAY December 4^th, 2010 – SWEATER DILEMA    

Ok, so I refuse to let my children wear t-shirts ALL the time.  Yes they would prefer to wear pants with holes in the knees and scroungy t-shirts for the rest of their lives, but I refuse.  As long as they are under 18 I will keep my stand strong.  We will see how long that lasts J.  Well, this week I laid out Hudson’s school clothes and put out a sweater for him to wear.  Keep in mind he is in pre-school so I would think I still have some control…and really what 4 year really cares what they wear?  Well, the instant he spotted it he started into a frenzy.  I told him he only had to wear it to school and could change after.  I got him dressed, fighting him each step of the way, but managed to win.  He kept telling me he looked “SOOO WEIRD” and “BORING”.  Really a sweater weird and boring?  I kept on my normal routine as we only had 5 minutes before we had to leave and he kept on with his small tantrum (soon to escalate).  His tantrum quickly became physical and started flailing his  arms and stomping his feet.  He then attempted to get the sweater off, but had it stuck inside out on his head.  Funny, yes slightly, and probably funnier if it weren’t 1 minute to leave time.  I finally caved and told him he could change, but he wouldn’t get popcorn after school.  In my children’s mind popcorn should be another food group.  They LOVE it!  He marched to his room still carrying on and on about how everyone was going to laugh at him when they saw him.  I decided to throw out one last try.  Yes, I was digging deep with this one.  I actually told him I would buy him a puppy if someone laughed at his sweater.  WOW did that get a response.  He immediately stopped all commentary and stepped back out into the hall.  He looked at me and said “What will you do if someone laughs at me?”.  I quickly had to make a decision, was I going to stick to my guns?  What are the chances that someone would actually laugh at a sweater?!?!  So I said it again.  I will buy you a puppy if someone laughs at you.  He began to put his arms back in and then the doorbell rang.  It was the neighbor boy ready to go to school.  He came in and Hudson immediately came up to him, unzipped his coat halfway and asked if he was wearing a sweater!  Trying not to laugh (because that may warrant me purchasing a puppy!) I gathered my stuff to head out the door.  And yes, Jacob, the neighbor boy had the most confused look on his face ever!  Well, coats on and in the car we were headed to school.  (YES LONG 5 MINUTES!).  At their preschool we walk them in.  So I walk them in, pretty proud that I had won my battle of the morning!  As they walk into class and as I am walking away I hear the teacher ask if they want to take their coats off or leave them on.  I honestly felt my ears perk up and I stopped to listen for a reply.  Hudson immediately said “I am leaving mine on”.  I pivoted back and looked in the door he was right there, and he looked at me and gave me a smirky smile and his eyes clearly said “Now I have won!”.  I couldn’t help but laugh.  I had been outsmarted by my 4 year old.  Am I surprised…no!  So when pick up time came I was interested to see what had resulted throughout the last 2 hours.  As I waited for the door to open, he had his coat in hand and was STILL wearing his sweater.  He came out and the first his first words out were “I wore my coat for a long time, but then I was sweating and had to take it off”.  I could only think of how funny the whole situation was.  We got into the car and headed home, and his next words were….”Mom no one laughed at my sweater, so I don’t get a puppy.” 

It’s moments like this that make my days eventful!  I love my little Hudson, he keeps me laughing all the time!  I would love to know if he will ever wear a sweater as an adult…or have I scarred my children for life?

October 3, 2011

Practice, Practice, Practice

All three of the boys play the violin.  Hudson started about a year ago.  He definitely doesn’t love practicing.   But, honestly…who does?  Anyway, one thing I have learned from my prior two violinist is that it’s not about how long you practice, but about practicing every day.  Even if it’s only or 5 minutes.  Consistency is the name of the game!  Well, Hudson  is my most resistant.  I thought he would be the easiest, since the other boys do it, I thought he would figure there was just no choice, but rather it was a way of life.  Not the case.  He practices at the most 10-15 minutes a day.  He has to have breaks between every song, and he lies down during those breaks!  Well, today as we were practicing and enjoying one of his breaks he asked “How long to I have to play the violin?”  I responded by saying “until all your songs are done”.  Then he said “No, you don’t understand, how long do I have to play the violin?”, I then asked back “Like for the rest of your life?”, “Yes, how long do I have to play?”, I then said “The rest of your life.”  His response was a quick “Well, I want to die then!”.  How do you help from laughing at that?  This kid cracks me up! 

Easton's Journal

Monday, October 17, 2005

I am beginning a journal for Easton.  I hope I can write all of the adorable, exciting, and memorable times so that one day he can read back on it and share them with his children. 

Easton was born on June 25^th, 2004.  He was a beautiful baby with bright orange hair.  His fair skin and red hair shocked all of us.  He weighed 6lbs 11oz and was 19” long. 

Sunday, January 24, 2010

Well, I started out well, but Easton is now 5 years old!  I can’t believe it.  He still has his red hair, but now it’s Strawberry Blonde, not bright orange.  Easton is full of life and keeps our family laughing! 

Easton started Kindergarten this year, and boy what a 1^st day we had!  He was so excited to go he had his backpack on 30 minutes before we were supposed to leave.  We all walked to school together.  The Dowdles and Davis’s our neighbors have girls Brinley and Maddie that are in Easton’s class.  So we all set off on our way.  When we arrived Easton played on the playground and seemed to be enjoying himself until the bell rang.  Boy did things change after that.  I soon saw his expression change and his eyes start to fill with tears.  I went into where they line up to try and help him get in line, but that just made things worse!  He wouldn’t hold his backpack or his scooter and then it hit…he Ran OFF!!  He was headed for home.  I left Hudson with my neighbors there and headed after him.   A lady from our Stake noticed my dilemma and went the opposite way so she could block him off before he got to the road.  Once he noticed her he just sat on the curb.  I picked him up and was carrying him, kicking and screaming, back to the Kindergarten area.  On our way back Courtney Palmer snapped this picture. Notice the lady carrying his shoes!

By this time all of the classes and gone into the school.  I carried him just like this into the school and through two other Kindergarten classes.  As I handed him off to his teacher I noticed a Big Cast/Boot on her foot.  The first thought in my head was how is she going to catch up with him when he runs home!!!  Well, as I left I could hear him crying in his class.  My heart was breaking!  I went back out to locate my friends and neighbors who had Hudson.  They were dying of laughter!  As I was recalling all of the incidents to them my cell phone rang.  It was the office telling me that Easton was in Principal Pullens office and the Principal would like to talk to me.  Well, this was going to be my first visit to the Principals office.  I went in and he meet me outside the front office and said Easton was fine as long as no one talked to him and he was sitting in there in his office.  He said he totally understood because that is exactly how he was as a kid.  He told me that he talked to Mrs. Titus and she didn’t mind if I came to class with Easton today.  Wow I thought I was going to be doing Kindergarten all over again.  So me and Easton headed off to our first day.  We were assigned as Red Bears and I got to join him on the rug with all the other little bears to hear about the class rules. 

I stayed for a good hour of school and when I tried to leave (I hid by the library) I could hear him crying again.  Pretty soon the Principal came down and said that Mrs. Titus was requesting that I go back in.  So…I did.  As recess approached I told him that I was going to have to leave at recess.  He would only have 45 minutes left of school after that.  We went out and Easton insisted on my playing with him.  I told him I was push him in the swing.  I pushed him a few times andsaid ok…go play with your friends (mind me tell you he has 4 from our very neighborhood in his class!)  He quickly jumped off the swing and ran up with tear filled eyes again.  This time he said “Mom can you just give me 5 more pushes so I can keep swinging while you are gone?”  My goodness,  I just wanted to carry him home and tell him he didn’t need to go to school!  I said yes, and at the end of his 5 pushes he kept swinging and waiving to me as I headed home.  He lasted the rest of the time and didn’t say much about our experience when he got home.  I was really nervous for the next day.  I chose not to walk him to school that day for fear the same thing would happen.  I didn’t hear from the Principal that day and when he arrived home smiles and grins I said “How was your day?”  He said, “Great!  I didn’t try and run home once!”.  That is my Easton!  He has been having a blast at school ever since!

Easton wants to play with friends everyday.  He is such a friendly boy.  He loves people and loves to talk to everyone.  I am never sure what exactly he is going to say to others! 

One day a lady in our ward told me that as she was leaving church Easton smiled and waved and said “Hey pretty lady!”  Her husband said he must get is charm from his dad! 

During Christmas Vacation a few weeks ago, we decided to take the kids Ice Skating.  I thought they will really love this.  Well, by the time we all had skates that fit and were on everyone was in a pretty bad mood.  I was trying to help everyone around the rink, but Canon seemed to be the only one who could go around, but he said his heels were still killing!  After about 30minutes we decided to head off since everyone was miserable.  As we were walking to the car Easton declared, “it was like you took us to a restaurant and all they served was Chinese!”  My sweet little Easton he can always make us laugh! 

I am sure these are only a few of the times that will add some excitement to our family.  He is going to keep us on our toes and that’s what we love!

Mom

Easton was “FIRE” for Halloween, it sums him up to a T!

November 10, 2010

Tonight Easton went over to Cade Carter’s house to play.  When he came home he sat down for dinner and told us that he had some dinner while he was at Cade’s house.  Ray asked him what he had and he said “it was something pie…Joseph Pie!”  Ray and I looked at each other and said “Shepard’s Pie”  Then Easton said  “YES! That was it!”  It was sooo cute.  I love those moments. 

Starting New

I have been going back and forth on the best way to record my children's journals and thoughts that I have about their childhood.  I have been recording them in a Word document, but have decided that I will begin a blog.  They aren't very big so far, but I am going to post what I have done for each of them.  

Canon's Journal

Saturday, October 15, 2005

Today I (Mom) am beginning a journal for Canon.  There are so many things Canon does when I think “I have to remember that” that I thought I better do this. 

Canon is now four years old.  I will begin with a brief summary of his first four years.  Canon was born on August 15^th, 2001.  He was 6 lbs 2 oz and 21 ½ inches long.  WOW, was he ever skinny.  His little legs were so long and thin.  He had dark hair and dark brown eyes.  He began to crawl at 9 months which was short lived.  The first day he crawled he crawled to the coffee table and stood up.  He was only 2 months later at 11 months that he began to walk.  Or should I say run, and he hasn’t stopped. 

His first word was kitty.  He spent two days a week from the time he was born at Nana and Papa’s house.  They had a cat I grew up with that we called Kitty.  Boy did he love her.  Nana (my mom) watched him while I went to school and worked on those days.  He was so hard to leave him at first.  But it didn’t take long for him to grow a fond attachment for them both.  I remember pulling up in the driveway to pick him up and seeing them playing outside.  As soon as he would spot me he would hide behind Nana to try and stay longer.  He still loves to go to their house and has a hard time leaving.  He continued to go to their house until I started working at home full-time which was in May 2003.   I loved being able to be at home with him all the time.  Boy is he a character.  Definitely thinking of things I never would have thought of as a child.  He is all boy.  Canon loved to climb and still does. 

Canon loves to be Spiderman.  He is often climbing onto furniture shooting his webs from his hands and jumping into mid-air.  When in regular clothes he goes by Peter Parker.  While in his Spiderman pj’s you can call him Spiderman.  He loves to run.  He is always wanting to race.  I believe that he is a born track and field man.  He surely is fast.  He loves to go outside in the backyard and have me count while he runs around the yard.  He sees how fast he can do it over and over again.  I wish I had that energy. 

Canon is full of help.  When Easton was only a couple of weeks old and we had just gotten home from a doctor visit and he started to cry.  I put Easton down in his basinet to go and get a diaper and a burp cloth.  Canon asked why he was crying and I told him that he was hungry as I headed off to the bedroom.  When I came back to the family room where Easton was laying in his basinet I found a gold fish cracker hanging from his mouth.  Easton’s little tongue was licking that little fish like you can’t believe.  Canon was trying to help ease little Easton’s hunger by sharing his snacks with him. 

Canon is definitely a talker.  We chat all day about all sorts of things.  I love to hear what he has to say and wonder what is going on in his head.  Last winter as I would be driving Canon to Challenger (his preschool) in Sandy we would round the corner from Redwood Road onto 10600 South Canon would say there is Jesus’ McDonalds.  We had many discussions on how Heavenly Father and Jesus have given us everything, but Jesus doesn’t exactly have a McDonalds.  But he would still insist.  It took me a few weeks to figure out that at just the right spot as we turned it looked as if Moroni from the Jordan River Temple was on top of the McDonalds on that corner.  Canon has also had many memorable prayers.  One particularly was for Papa.  He had spent the day with Papa and they had run some errands.  I had picked him up that afternoon and we didn’t discuss much as to what they did.  Later that night at bedtime Canon was saying his prayers and prayed that in the morning Papa would be able to hit the little ball with his racquet.  Holding in all the chuckles and tucking him into bed I went to call my parents.  My mom told me that Canon and my dad had gone to the sporting good store that day to buy my dad a new ping pong racquet and ball to play with at the recreation center.  As he goes down there every morning to walk and play ping pong with his friends.

We currently have our house for sale and it is quite the job to try and keep it clean.  A few weeks ago I had asked Canon to pick up his toys in his room.  He asked me why and I said because someone may come to look through the house.  He replied, “That’s ok, just tell them it’s a little messy.”  It’s comments like that that keep my days bright. 

                        Mom

January 24, 2010

Wow!  I let a few years go by!  I forgot about this and then my kids say stuff and I think I need to write that down.  Well, Canon is now 8 years old.  He was baptized this last August.  It was such a neat day.  Ray baptized him and our families were there.  Nana gave a talk; both of his Grandpas said the prayers and Grandma Carter lead the music.  Canon also played I Am A Child of God on his violin.  The Stake held his baptism early so that he could attend the Oquirrah Mountain Temple dedication.  So he was baptized Saturday, August 22^nd and we attended the dedication on Sunday August 23^rd and the Stake Center.  I hope he is able to remember that important weekend and what an opportunity it was for him. 

Canon is in the 2^nd grade.  His teacher is Mrs. Montoya.  He likes school sometimes J.  He loves recess…football, basketball, etc.  And school lunch, especially the Mashed Potatoes and Gravy!

He is playing Junior Jazz this winter.  They had their best game yet yesterday, they scored 16 points!  Last fall he played soccer and baseball, his soccer team this year is really good and so fun to watch.  He is playing his violin still.  He is getting so good.  He had his Book 1 recital in November they have that once they have learned all 17 songs in book 1.  We had it at Nana’s house and invited our family and friends.  His teacher Esther Larsen presented him with his Book 1 Trophy.  He also received his Gold Cup for Music Federation.  He received that for scoring Superior ratings 3 years in a row at Music Federation.  He is a busy kid, but does so well in everything he does.  He is very respectful to all his teachers and leaders.  I am very proud of him!