A Proud Moment

I meant to post this a long time ago but I am pretty sure I never did. It was from last summer I think.
We were listening to "A Prairie Home Companion" and a song came on and in the middle a trumpet joined in the music. Ezra got really excited and said "Ah, It's a trumpet. Mom I hear a trumpet". Now keep in mind that he was not quite 3 years old when he said that. Then a little later a blue grass song came on and he said "Oh I hear the drums. I'm going to play the drums" Both boys were really happy about the blue grass music.
I love that they love music and Ezra being able to pull out the different instruments in the music was quite impressive at his age. It made my chest swell with pride.

Random Funnies

Favorite quotes of the boys lately:

"Lucy, you got some [esplaining] to do."

Enoch: "Duck season"
Ezra: "Rabbit season"
Enoch: "Duck Season"
Ezra: "Rabbit season"
Some of you will recognize this from Looney Tunes.

Enoch: "I am going to read the newspaper while I eat." Sits down with the latest Investors Business Daily and pretends to read. He looks like a little man at the table with the paper. Leg crossed over other leg and looking like a pro.
Ezra: "Hey, I want the sports page"
Enoch: "no I want the sports page."
Ezra: "Give me the guitar page then"
I am not sure where the guitar part came from but the rest was learned from an I Love Lucy episode.

Enoch and Ezra split my last piece of gum in the car one day. Enoch asked if I had gum and I said no, I gave you guys my last piece. He was feeling a little guilty about it I guess and he said "Mom if you don't have gum you should get a sucker". I said I don't have a sucker. He thought for a minute and responded "Mom do you want to take turns wis this gum?"
Thanks anyway Enoch-Mom doesn't like to share gum :)

My close call with Self-Betrayal

So for Christmas my mother-in-law bought each couple a stack of books. One of which is called "Leadership and Self-Deception". I just finished reading it last week and I felt like a new person. I was so excited knowing that this is really the answer to all the difficulties I have with my children, and how I can become better in ALL my relationships. It is the way to really live the life we all want. The first day I was reading it I was sitting in the living room reading while everyone else was taking a nap. I started thinking about how I really needed this right now in my life. It was a good reminder even of the things I had learned before. I was reading about self-deception and self-betrayal and how when you ignore the feeling you have to do something for someone else that is a self-betrayal. As I was really getting into the book I had the prompting or "feeling" I should go play with Ezra. He was in his room playing instead of taking a nap like he was supposed to be doing. I REALLY didn't want to put the book down but I realized if I didn't obey that prompting I would be starting a cycle with this self-betrayal, so I put the book down and went to Ezra's door. He was coming out as I was going in. He looked at me and said "I have to go to the bathroom. I need to go twice" I said this is your 3rd time going to the bathroom since naps. I said go ahead and go and then come back. I was coming in to play with you. He perked up and smiled as he said "oh good". He was SO excited. When we started playing Enoch woke up and came in to see what was going on. I had two thoughts simultaneously (1) Oh man this is going to ruin the one on one time that I wanted with Ezra and (2) Hey maybe since Enoch is awake I won't have to play with Ezra and I can read my book. I realized of course this too would be a self-betrayal so I stayed to play. We played kitchen/cook and a card game and other things. They had a GREAT time and they were SO happy for the time I had given them just playing the things they love best. I was really grateful I listened and took that opportunity with my kids. I realized that I don't stop my day often to play with them. We do many various tasks and projects together but not a lot of just plain playing. Thanks for the book Edwina.

Knights, Dragons, and Princesses

Enoch and Ezra both spend a lot of their time playing knights and dragons and wishing they had someone to be the princess. Ezra often pretends that Ethne or I are the damsels in distress, but Enoch asks why Mary or Addie can't come over to be saved from the dragon. He complains that ever since Addie moved to UT "we never have anyone to be the princess". Notice in the picture below the crown on Enoch's and the armor and sword on Ezra's. My mom sewed those on with her embroidery machine for the boys. They got to pick out the thread and sit on her lap to sew them on. Great fun! This year they both asked for and got Knight costumes for Christmas. I had high hopes of making the costumes they wanted but got really busy really fast. I didn't get Ezra's made, Santa brought it. I did however make Enoch's (which Santa also brought since I wanted it to feel equal). I copied the one he wanted from a favorite magazine of ours and then purchased their chainmail (crocheted) hood to go with it.

They sure look good even from behind.

I think I did a great job. Thanks mom for all the help and instruction. She sewed in the piping on the neckline since I didn't have a clue how to make it look right. She did a great job as always. I needs some of these sewing skills--mine are SO limited. Oh and please don't tell Ezra that thing on is hood looks like a rooster. It is a PLUME!!! He isn't SENSITIVE he just wants people to get it RIGHT--ha ha

Fighting the big dragon Auntie Jenny gave them for Christmas. It has two heads and breathes fire-whew scary dragon-watch out Sir Ezra and Sir Enoch.

Enoch telling me to take a picture where the dragon "looks really really big". Sorry Enoch I tried and it didn't work out.

Helping Out At Home

I put these photos on backwards but I have no time to go back and fix it so you can just get the story backwards. This is Enoch entertaining Ethne so that I could finish dinner the other night.
I was right in the middle of fixing dinner with Ezra when Ethne woke up from her nap. I sent Enoch in to entertain her for a little while and much to my surprise it worked for 10-15 minutes.

He is usually only good with her for about 30 seconds to 2 minutes before she starts screaming.

This was his elaborate game of peak-A-boo. She loved it!

Ezra wanted biscuits and gravy for dinner so I thought I would teach him how to make it. He loves to cook. Here he is stirring the gravy.

Here is the biscuit dough rolled out. 1/2 wheat flour 1/2 white--turned out great! Aunt Dorothy's recipe--too much butter Dorth-I'm gonna cut it down next time.

Here is Ezra about to cut out the biscuits. Cute kid.

Pretty in Pink

Ethne is growing so big everyday. She is 6 months old today. WOW! Such a life she leads. She has us all wrapped around her chubby little fingers. At her 4 month apt. she weighed 17 1/2 pounds. The thing most people remember and talk about Ethne is not her beautiful smile, her pretty blue eyes or her lively personality-so what is it you ask...he chubby thighs. They are always the talk of the party. We are all just jealous I guess that her chubby thighs are cute and ours aren't :)

Here she is chewing on her tongue. Her favorite pastime.
Ethne loves the donut stacker she got from the Mechams for Christmas. Thanks guys.

Hi mom, whatcha doin?

oh look at my balancing act-it's gonna fall....ah it's still going.

Yummy! I sure love a good plastic donut.

Another favorite pastime for Ethne is pulling Enoch's hair. She LOVES his curls and dads. She likes mom and Ezra's hair too but not as much as the curly heads.

Do I Look French to You?

Enoch: Do I look like I'm French?
Ezra: Yeah you do look like you're French. You look like you're crunchy. Your lips look crunchy.
Enoch: Do you like my mustache (smiling with a spinach smoothie stache).
Ezra: Mom, I wanna be a 3 musketeer. But I'm not gonna be a musketeer until I get my hat.

Background:

Enoch thinks all Frenchmen have mustache's.

Ezra and Enoch got 3 Musketeer's costumes for Christmas from Aunt Amber but she didn't find hats for them. Ezra wears his a lot but is always feeling incomplete without the hat and the "right" sword. I guess kings and knights just don't use the same sword as musketeers and there ARE limmits to a little boys imagination.

Today Garrett chatted me from work and said he felt an earthquake. I told him we didn't feel anything here and then I went back to helping the kids write their letters to cousins in hieroglyphs. I had to pause things and get up and get Ethne up from bed. She had peed through her clothes and blankets and while I was cleaning it all up and giving her a bath the boys started getting crazy. I felt my blood pressure rising as they destroyed my room and the bathroom and I burst out the only distraction I could think of "Dad felt an earthquake at work today" Total silence! Ah! blood pressure going back down-boys engaged again and firring questions- HOW, WHAT, WHY, WHERE? I want to feel it... and on and on and on. When everything was cleaned up I said they could call dad for a minute and ask him about it. We called and I was very impressed with the quality of questions from my kids-especially my 4 year old. WOW! Ezra wanted to know: "Dad did you fall in a big hole? Are there any big holes? How come there aren't any big holes?" Enoch wanted to know how come we couldn't feel it here if he could feel it there? How do earthquakes happen? Was it a big one or a small one? What does an earthquake look like? Enoch said he wanted to go to Garrett's work so that he could feel the earthquake and know everything about it.

When Enoch was satisfied about the earthquake he started in on Garrett's work. He talked Garrett's ear off about "The Yellow Submarine" and everything else from snacks to sleeping quarters.
He said: "Dad are you working on Yellow Submarine?"
DAD: yes
Enoch: Are you doing the blue meanies? I thought that you did not do characters. In the Scrooge movie you didn't do the characters so why are you doing the blue meanies?
DAD: I'm not doing the blue meanies. You are right I don't do characters.
Enoch: Are your friends doing the characters?
DAD: yes
Enoch: When? What are your friends names?
DAD: I will tell you again tonight-you have met them before
Enoch: OH! Do your friends live at your work?
DAD: no they go back to their homes just like I come home.
Enoch: Oh, do you eat a snack at work? Do you have food there?

And on and on until Garrett said "I have to go. I will talk to you when I get home"
So funny! Smart kid!

Some Random Funnies I Have Been Meaning to Post for a Long Time

"This Moose has Hot LAVA in him that's why he's wild and crazy."---Ezra


I want to see which of my boys is going to be happy and obedient.--mom
"No! I want you to see"----Ezra


I'm SO SO SO SO SORRY!---Ezra in Sacrament meeting


ME: Enoch if you guys aren't quiet and don't go to sleep you're going to have to sleep in the bed in Uncle Matt's room.
Enoch: "Uncle Matt's nice. I don't care if I sleep wis him"


In Tahoe this Summer Camilla my then 17 year old sister slept in the bunk beds upstairs with Enoch, Ezra and my nephew Nathan. Here was a sample of her many crazy nights.
Nathan @ 3am wakes up walks over to Camilla's bed and wakes her up and says "Hi what's your name. I'm Nathan. I like to paint."
Boys run around--Camilla threatens and says go to bed--
Enoch: "Nathan, I'm tired I just want to go to sleep"
Nathan: "yeah"
Ezra: "yeah"


Enoch: "What the?"
Ezra: "yeah, What the?"

Enoch: my bottom said something
Ezra: Enoch's bottom said something
Enoch: that's good food old man
Enoch: My tummy said something
Enoch: I don't want dad to sit on the stand. That's not fair. I want to sit by him. I love daddy.

The boys are talking about what Enoch wants for his birthday and Enoch said "Ezra I want you to get me a present for my birthday.

Ezra: "I will"

Enoch: "I want you to wrap it in Green wrapping paper. I will show you the wrapping paper I want"

Ezra: "I'm not going to get you something dangerous"

Enoch: What would be dangerous?

Ezra: "I am not going to get you like a real knife."

Enoch: "what about a play knife? Well we already have two so that wouldn't be good. I want you to wrap it in Blue wrapping paper"

Ezra: OK, Mom I am going to get you a real knife.

Enoch: Mom can we make a cake for my birthday.

Enoch: Mom what do you think I would like for my birthday? Maybe I would like a tennis racket so I can play tennis with Ezra.

Ezra makes lots of noise and grabs Enoch by the shirt. Enoch brushes him off and say Ezra I'm thinking what I might like for my birthday.

Signs of a Good Dad

You know you are a good dad when conversations like this are customary in your house.
Ezra: playing his drum and singing "The Wheels on The Bus" says "mom whats the other parts I can't remember."
Mom: sings the different verses with him as he plays the drum then says "what do the daddy's on the bus say.
Ezra: "kiss kiss kiss"
Mom: "Who do they kiss?"
Ezra: Big smile on face says "They kiss a WOT (lot)"
Mom: "But WHO do they kiss"
Ezra: "The babies and EVERYBODY. They kiss a WOT"
CUTE!