Ezra Gets Contemplative

This picture is as random as Ezra's thoughts yesterday in the car.
Often when we drive in the car Ezra gets contemplative and when Ezra gets contemplative he says some of the funniest things. Yesterday we took Garrett to work because we needed to have a car. Ethne had a Dr. appointment and we needed to get some meds for everyone since we are all sick. This meant spending and hour in the car in the morning and an hour in the evening. Here is a sample of the funny things that Ezra said with a few interjections from others.

Ezra: "mom, trees aren't a good place to live.

Mom: nope

Ezra: "trees are a good hiding place though"

Mom: yeah

Ezra: "what you say mom?"

Mom: I said yeah they are

Ezra: "But trees without leaves are not a good place to hide"

Mom: That's true.

Enoch: Grass when it grows tall is a good hiding place. Snakes have a good hiding place.

Silence for a while then Ezra says totally out of the blue: "What if a lion broke our car?"

Another totally random thought out of no where Ezra: "Seat belts are safer than..." Unfinished thought.

Enoch builds on that thought and says: "Safer than what? Safer than tying a rope around yourself and lowering yourself onto a boat?"

RANDOM-Ezra: "Vegetables aren't real"

Mom: What do you mean? Vegetables are real

Ezra: "vegetables aren't as real as eyes"

Garrett got in the car at this point and when he heard this part of the conversation he clarified with Ezra. The meaning behind the cryptic words was...vegetables with eyes (veggie tales vegetables) aren't real.

To which Garrett said: "some vegetables that are real do have eyes and ears. Those little bumpy things on a potato are called eyes. And what do you call a piece of corn on the cob? It's called an EAR of corn.

Sometimes They Leave Me Speechless

The last two days Ezra has been our law and order (a policeman) putting Enoch in jail for speeding and resisting arrest. But today he has a play silk over his nose and mouth and he is a bandit out to steal every ones money :) We need a good sheriff around here to restore law and order to Dodge City :) Ezra just stole something of Enoch's and Enoch hurt him and I called to him from the kitchen: Enoch what did you just do to Ezra? Enoch: I was just putting pressure on him.Me: What do you mean by putting pressure on him?
Enoch: Squishing him!
Enoch is outside riding his bike without a shirt. I asked him if there was a reason he was outside without a shirt and he said "yeah, my skin wants to feel the sun"

On night the boys were having movie time and asked for "I Love Lucy" of course and Enoch said: "mom Ezra and I have something to say to you.(dramatic pause) We don't like it when you and dad sneak and watch I Love Lucy when we go to bed at night. Right Ezra?" Ezra says "Right!"
Enoch said " So that is all we have to say to you"
I said what makes you think we are sneaking?"
He started thinking really hard and said "well it's yours(think think) and you can watch it when you want (think think)-so I guess you aren't sneaking. OK, I guess you can do it if you want to.
But me and Ezra still don't like it when you watch it without us"

Last night Garrett was going a round with Enoch and said: "Enoch, don't talk back to me"

Enoch looked up and smiled and said "I just did!"

Dang that smarty!

Today Was The Perfect Day...For Counting Small Achievements

For the last two days Ethne has been horribly sick. The kind of sick that really makes a parent worry. She hasn't let me put her down for two days and our nights are only bearable because of benadryl. Poor little thing is so miserable she only wants to lay in my arms. Her one enjoyment today was when dad walked in the door tonight. She only saw him for about 2 min. before he put on his suit grabbed his dinner plate and walked out the door for bishopric meetings, but it sure put a smile on her face.

This is the reason we are counting our small achievements today. Today is the kind of day that has the potential to make a mother feel like a failure. I look around at piles of laundry-clean and dirty. Dishes, a dirty floor, clutter, toys, bills to pay, valentine's decorations to put away not to mention that the boys have been completely neglected for two days and have wreaked havoc all through the house because of boredom.

That is why I choose to count my small achievements. As I am going to bed tonight I see dishes done, happy sleeping children (for the moment :), games that have been played with mommy, A pirate ship built with mommy, books read with mommy and more mementos of the things we did get to do together.

School may not have been done but we did play geography and anatomy games together on the computer.

Food may still be on the floor but it is wholesome food prepared with love and MOST of it did get eaten.

The kids may have watched 4 episodes of Charlie and Lola, but we talked about it and laughed about it and had sharing moments because of it.

Ethne may have been horribly sick but she did get to snuggle with mom all day, and she also felt new textures and did new things from mother's hip-such as: sticking her hands in the dishwater, doing laundry and squishing Enoch's beans between her fingers. [by the way I think my arms are going to fall off. She is one heavy girl]

Ethne may have wanted to wake up and nurse frequently but I have been blessed with lots of milk and that is burning calories :)

So if I can keep counting small achievements until they are all about 18 I think I will be good :)

Enoch's Birthday Party

Some of Enoch's friends at his party. Liz and Natalie, Hadley and Cami.

This is our late birthday party for Enoch and his friend Izzy. We had it at a park close by where the kids could all bring their bikes and scooters and play. Here is Enoch on the new bike he bought with his birthday money. Thanks to all who helped him with his bike fund :)

Enoch and his friend Jordan riding together.

Wendi and Ethne bonding.

Ethne enjoying a little sunshine (amidst all the rain we have been getting).

Ezra, Hadley, Ethne, and Oakley. Such a fun group of little ones. Ezra was the mediator amongst the free for all going on with all the babies. They were taking things away from each other and sharing germs. Ezra tried to restore justice to his little sister when her toys were taken and he loved on all the babies. Ethne has been spending a lot of time with Oakley lately and they get really excited to see each other. It is cute.

Izzy our birthday girl. She was feeling a little clingy here.

Having cupcakes with Helmet hair. These guys are the two Enoch's. Can you believe that there are two friends both with the name Enoch? Hard to find.

Enoch Fry, Enoch Cox, Ezra, Thayne, Izzy and Wendi.

Ezra was telling Izzy about her birthday presents here as she opened them. Ezra, Izzy and Thayne.

Enoch didn't want to get off his bike to open his presents. Thanks guys for the gifts. He is enjoying them all.

Overall he had a great birthday that was drawn out for a month. Lucky boy! On the day of his birthday we went with some friends to the Exploratorium in San Francisco and they had a lot of fun.

Too Cute To Chew

Yesterday we spent about 4 hours at the park for Enoch's birthday. Ethne was sitting on the lap of one of my friends while I was taking pictures at Enoch's very late birthday party. My friend sounded very concerned and said "Ashley she's eating something." She pulled something out of Ethne's mouth and asked me to smell it. I looked at it and said "oh my gosh is it poop?" She said "smell it". I did and it turns out it was a cigar butt. I was very alarmed since I know that those can kill small children. My friend called poison control and I rushed her to the bathroom and rinsed out her mouth. Poison control said she would have had to eat three cigarette butts for it to be dangerous and to just rinse out her mouth. They also said to have her drink water and that if she was sensitive she might throw up so to keep an eye out for that. Thanks poison control, but I have a question--Why is it that when you call (and keep in mind it is an emergency line) do they always want to know the name and other personal information about the child before they will find out the emergency? Someone could die before they got your full address.

So this is our princess in February. She is 7 months old now and just about crawling. She is the light of our lives most days :) She has two teeth that are deadly and she is strong as a horse just like the boys were. That may not sound very feminine but she will certainly need it to survive around this zoo. She is 22 1/2 pounds and 29" long and we just couldn't get along with out her.

She looks so pretty with her teething necklace on. Thanks Aunt Amber we think it really works.

There just isn't a cuter baby :) We sure love you Ethne. Thanks for coming to our family.

This started me thinking about something: If there is one law that I have lived to the very best of my knowledge it is the Word of Wisdom. And I would have to say that it has ALWAYS blessed my life. I see over and over in my life the results of people living and not living by the Word of Wisdom and I could never doubt that God knew just exactly what he was doing when he put that in place. I will never regret my decision to live this standard. Ethne, some things are for man and others for the beasts of the field. Not to mention you are just too cute to chew.

Perish in The Water

Enoch was playing with Ezra and their friend Mary. He put on the scripture CD in his bedroom and he said to Mary "I'm going to the promised land. Do you want to come with me? It will be a lot of fun." Later I heard them playing and Enoch was asking if they wanted to 'perish in the water'. He saw me and came up to me and asked me what it meat to 'perish in the water'? I told him it meant to die in the water. He went back and asked them if they wanted to 'perish in the water' or die in the water? I told them lunch was ready and they came running to the table where they conversed about this gloomy prospect. Enoch asked me if I wanted to perish in the water. I said I most decidedly did not want to. Enoch said he didn't either and when it was time for him to get old and die he wanted to "perish on the land". Mary said if you didn't have a pretty purple parachute you could perish on the land. And Ezra said he most decidedly didn't want to perish on the water either, but would much rather perish on the land. So funny!