Reagan Dribbling

Reagan dribbling 3yrs old from anjie hawks on Vimeo.

Rocks for Sale!

Aubryn picked rocks out of the garden, washed them, and sold them for a penny each. She was so excited to make some money. Brian asked her why she didn't try selling dandelions. She said, "Daaaad! No one would buy those!"

Reagan with his money. He decided not to buy any rocks.

I hope my neighbors know that I do not encourage my kids to sell random objects. I do not discourage them, either. If they want to go to the trouble and stand out there for hours I let them. I figure they might even learn something.

It's Blue!

We were given some blueberry popcorn from some friends.

The next night during dinner, Reagan needed a potty break. Brian went in to help him with the final steps. "Whoa! You have to come see this!" I have heard this before. Usually because of the impressive length. I wasn’t about to leave my dinner to check out my 3 year old’s poop.

The kids filed in and all left amazed and laughing. So, I finally went to see what all the fuss was about. The poop was blue, but only HALF of the poop was blue. There was a clear line down the middle. Reagan was so proud. "I have bwoo poop!"

The blue poop continued for days. But now it was ALL be blue. Even better! Every time this happened Reagan and Aubryn would announce it so loud that people passing by in airplanes overhead could hear.

The kids have really enjoyed telling everyone they meet about the blue poop. My visiting teacher, people at church, and today an old lady at the grocery store.

I had my three littlest in, or hanging on, the shopping cart full of groceries. I had remembered to grab one last thing, so I left them at the end of the isle and ran down the isle to grab it. When I came back to the cart an older lady was talking to them. I caught the end of the conversation.

"So, you’re name is Reagan and you’re 3?" She said.

"Yeah, and he has blue poop." Aubryn told her.

Reagan backed up the claim. "Yeah! I have bwoo poop!"

She tipped her head to the side a bit and in a high voice said, "What?" They told her again. I arrived at the cart about now. She looked at me with her head still cocked and said nothing. She looked very confused. I guessed that she couldn’t understand what they were saying. So I restated it AGAIN. "He said he has blue poop." I said with a half smile. She said nothing. She turned and went away.

A Gift

Brad was 3 years old. Isaac was 18 months. Christmas was coming and I was preparing. I was wrapping. I brought several wrapped gifts to place under the tree. Brad asked, "Who can we give all these gifts to?" Later a neighbor dropped by and jokingly said to Brad that he wanted one of the presents. Brad immediately walked over to get a present for Dale. (We used to have neighbors named Dale and Dale. Both the husband and the wife had the same name! We lovingly referred to them as "the Dales". I don’t remember if this was the wife or the husband and my journal doesn’t clarify.) Brad was a tender little boy. But in the same journal entry I also wrote that he told Brian he had a nose like Mr. Potato Head.

I had wrapped one gift for Isaac that I wasn’t sure he would like. He wasn’t a typical kid. If you walked down the toy isle shopping for him, you would find nothing. I had to think outside the box. Part of that was because his vision was very limited to bright contrasting items that were placed right in front of his eyes. That is why I bought the snoring Ernie doll. With his bright red striped pajamas, red nose and black hair, I thought Isaac might be able to see him. To my delight Isaac loved the doll. Not because he could see him, he loved to feel him snore next to him. Isaac’s body would relax and his face light up when Ernie was placed next to him. In Brad’s word’s Heavenly Father had made Isaac "wiggly". On a visit to an elderly woman in the ward who had never met Isaac, she asked Brad if his little brother was walking yet. Brad thought for a moment and then replied, "No, but sometimes he stops wiggling."

I have hung onto Ernie for all these years. None of the kids really play with him, but I don’t have the heart to get rid of him. His batteries are dead. He hasn’t snored for a long time.

Ernie has a new friend. Rylan. And I love it.

Christmas Day, 2003. Right before holding Ernie. You can see the difference in Isaac's body and face.

While holding Ernie.

I am not sure if I was trying to dress like a candy cane or if I was hoping my sweater would help Isaac find me.

April, 2010. Rylan and Ernie snoozing.

Duck, Duck, Goose

It was a beautiful evening a few nights ago. We were getting ready to go on a walk at dusk. I had the two little boys in the stroller in the driveway with Brad and Aubryn. I ran into the house to get something and the phone rang. While I was on the phone a panicked Brad ran in. "A DUCK! A duck just got hit by a car!"

I ran out to see my kids traumatized and watching a struggling duck die in front of them.

"Do something!" Brad pleaded with me. He was very upset. "She didn't even stop! She just hit it and kept going!"

"Brad, there is nothing I can do." I said with my arm around him.

The duck was now dead. I was not about to touch it, let alone do mouth to mouth.

Brad couldn't stop saying how she had hit it and kept going. "She didn't even care!" He was crying.

Aubryn repeated everything Brad said. "And she didn't even care!"

Reagan said, "The car hit the duck. The duck died. That is sad, huh mom?" Over and over.

Rylan watched and listened.

Brian got a shovel and put the duck in the garbage can.

All my kids were very shaken up. They watched and heard the duck get hit, then struggle, and eventually die. There were tears and disbelief. It was sad.

We rounded the kids up and brought them inside to go to bed. The duck talk continued and Brian and I did our best to console and comfort the kids. "The duck died! The duck got hit by a car and died! Duck. Duck. Duck!!!"

Hearing the word "duck" at least 100 times, Rylan (20 months old), did what he usually does when he hears that word over and over. He ran to the family room looking back at the rest of us to join him. He sat down on the floor and said, "Duck, duck, goose! Duck, duck, goose!"

Golf Balls for Sale

Brad has found these balls near the road by our house, which is by the golf course. He washed them and organized them by brand.

I think he has a made about $20 selling them for no more than a quarter a piece. Tees are a penny.

Rylan in his shorts for the first time this year!

Yard Sale Find!

I love to go to yard sales! You never know what you will find. Today I found an Indian. Not an object. A REAL LIVE INDIAN! He was dressed head to toe in authentic Indian apperal. He Had long hair with it wrapped into two long pigtails coming down over each shoulder. I wasn’t sure if he had any pants on, so I didn’t look close. There was some kind of leather thing covering his legs, but there was a lot of skin.

We pulled up to the house and there was a sign that the sale was inside. I am leary of those. I don’t like walking into strange people’s homes. I think the fear goes back to a few years ago when I had Brad with me at an "indoor yard sale". We walked up to the front door, opened the door, took one step in, and high-tailed it out of there as fast as we could. There in the living room stood a young man dressed in all black with a trench coat on and his hands in his pockets (He looked very similar to the Columbine shooters). He had no expression. There laying on tables around the room where swords, knives, guns, weapons of all kinds. What a perfect plan! Lure them in with yard sale signs, then kill them all!!

So, I was hesitant to walk into the "indoor yard sale" today. I opened the door real slow and tried to see what kind of situation I would walk into. The living room was full of old stuff. REALLY OLD STUFF. There sat an old harmless man. So I walked through the door. When I stepped in I scanned to the left. There sat an old Indian just hanging out at the indoor yard sale. I tried not to stare or look surprized. I just said hello. (Brian asked why I didn’t say, "How!") I wandered around for a minute, then left.

I went to the car and told Brian he had to go in there! He took the kids in so they could see the Indian. They were excited to go in. Brian told them not to talk inside to prevent any , "HEY! Look at the Indian!" type moments. So in they went! A few minutes later, out they came. Aubryn was holding a blow up birthday cake. When they got to the car Brian asked Aubryn, "How much did you pay him for the birthday cake?"

"Nothing." She replied. "He gave it to me."

Brian said, "Well, I hope he’s not an Indian giver."

 

 

 

 

It's a...

Today was much anticipated!

We are looking forward to more bugs, balls, cars, and years of scouting.
It is a boy. Everything looks healthy and well.

Aubryn tried her best to be tough, but the disappointment of not having a sister set in and the tears came. She really was not trying to act out. She was sad. And it was sad to see. Even the ultrasound tech started crying.

When Brian came home from work he told Aubryn that I was going to take her and do something fun. I said, "Would you like to go get a new dress?" I have never offered to buy my kids something to make them feel better. But I figured it would make us both feel a little better.

She responded, "I would like to get a swimming pool in the ground." Yikes. I will remember not to do that again.

Reagan in his prayer tonight: "...and pwease bwess Dad to have a heart."

Later while he was laying in his bed he asked me when we were going to the store. The food store. "I wike the food store. [smiles to himself.] Hey! There'e the white milk! [points to the right] Hey! There's cheetos. [points to the left and laughs to himself as he thinks about it.] Do you want to buy everything in the food store?! I wike the food store."


A few days ago Aubryn told me she wants to fast.

I said, "Not eat?!"

"Yeah. I don't want my lipstick to come off when I eat."


Tonight after family prayer Rylan said amen for the first time! We were all excited and had him say it over and over.

5+1=__

I see London, I see France.
I see Anjie’s maternity pants.


I’m due September 8th.