Homecoming Hat Trick

Thursday night we get doorbell-ditched. MK finds a poster with instructions and a soccer ball with green letters written all over it. Some letters are written in permanent ink, most are in washable ink. When the ball is washed, you find the letters that make up the name of the guy who is asking her to Homecoming. Yay!

Thirty minutes later another doorbell. MK finds a note and several pudding cups with letters on the bottom—a riddle that will tell her who else is asking her to Homecoming. Oh!

Meanwhile, MK is texting a guy friend who says, "I know someone who is going to ask you to Homecoming." She texts back, "I just got asked." He texts, "I was the one who was going to ask you...(ticked)."

Wow. I don't think I had three dates my Junior year.

The guy who asked her first was a football player, so she answered the soccer ball with a football, "I couldn't 'PASS' up the chance to go to Homecoming with you!!"

A Few Things I Know About Getty

Doesn’t sit down while eating

You name it; he freaks out about it

Takes longer showers than I do (LONG!)

Has no known “off” button

Yelps like a chimp about every two minutes to add some excitement

Eats as many fruit snack packs as he can get away with. Turning into a fruit snack...

Says, "blow the window down" instead of "roll the window down" in the car. The little kids think he's right and I'm wrong.

Drops the phone wherever he lands (in the yard, under his bed, in the dress-up tub…)

Considers eating and going to the bathroom huge time-wasters when playing with friends

Sleeps in his clothes

Plays soccer like he’s on fire and the ball is the cure

Figures if he can't play with his friends for several hours every day, life is not worth living

Typical after-school scenario:

Getty: "Can I play?"
Me: "After you sweep and do your homework."
[Getty messes around until the phone rings. It's Cody, Jair, or Cole.]
Getty: "Mom, can I play, PLEASE?"
Me: "Same answer."
Getty: [tears falling, throat catching, cries into the phone] "My mom hates me! I can't play!" Slams the phone down.
I guess his friends love him for the emotional wreck he is(?)

A Few Things I Know About Elle

Loves to pose

Likes the boys

Favorite leisure activity—body painting with lip gloss. Knows how to apply mascara.

Doesn’t know it's possible to suck her thumb without her tag blankey

Drinks a gallon of milk every day (okay, not an entire gallon…)

Likes to crawl out of bed sometime after midnight and curl up with Cam in his bed

Randomly sings out, “Nother one bites the dust…” and “Celebrate good times, come on!”

Sticks out her tongue when she's mad at me (the teen years are gonna be rough :)

Has zero tolerance for hair brushing

Tantrums are short and sweet. I mean bitter.

Every week tells me who hit her in nursery and how she told him off. Doesn't feel bad—likes the excitement.

Still thrills over peek-a-boo

Rushing out of Chick-fil-a to a football game, stops me and puts her drink straw up her nose, "See—it's funny!"

Thinks potty training is for people who don't realize how convenient it is to poop where you stand

Banned for life from fishy crackers. Eats a few in a baggie then picks the rest out and hucks them as far as she can throw. Game not over until she stomps them all. Throws herself on the floor wailing and gnashing her teeth when she sees the garbage can next to her. Busted. I say, "You know the drill...."

A Few Things I Know About Cam

[Sorry—major font malfunction!?]

Cam would play, sleep, and watch tv all while standing on a countertop (and eat)

Likes to play “My Pretty Pony” in the tub with Elle

Makes up songs while he empties the dishwasher

Doesn’t like to sleep without Cy rolling on the top bunk

Loves to slide down the front stairs in a sleeping bag

Does his chores cheerfully without being reminded (what the?)

Sounds like a chipmunk

Almost always in a good mood

Prays that the kids will obey me and that no one will fight

Says “Cuprize!” and "I'm so cucited!"

Thanks me for every little thing

Favorite mom game: “Flavor Kisses” (Mmmm, cherry popsicle. Yum, caramel apple!...)

Favorite dad game: "Eat Toes"
Loves his imaginary friend Candace and is sensitive to her needs and responsible in getting back to her when his plans change (btw Candace cancelled her party the other day because of the rain, so that was a bummer…)

A Few Things I Know About Rob

Backrubs are a daily essential

Pajama bottoms must be worn below the bum (I know, TMI. Not going for sexy, just comfortable.)

“Eat Toes” is his go-to toddler game

Compulsively mulls over and discusses MK’s soccer games

Frequently states he will “never” text, but texts MK relentlessly on game day

Tells MK, "You can use this move if you want..."

Favors grounding for extended periods of time and then takes it all back

Begs me to sleep sideways on the bed with him and would sleep sideways every night if I were out of the picture

Laughs like a (hysterical) girl when watching slips, trips, and crash landings on "America's Funniest Videos"

Alternately holds my hand and smells his arm while driving

If I perchance have the remote control, he tells me when to change the channel and when to stop (same goes for car radio)

Brings me flowers for "no reason"

If he sees me at the computer, he stands over my shoulder and tells me he needs to get on

Loves grocery shopping and always takes at least two kids

Offers to make me late-night snacks

Favorite G.A.: L. Tom Perry
Loves to “run the numbers” for our budget frequently

Takes me to dinner on Friday nights and insists I choose the restaurant... and then suggests a different one

Researches new business ideas as a hobby

Talks to me late into the night even when he has to get up early for work the next morning

Makes breakfast to order every weekend

Makes his famous Ovaltine malts after Family Night (he knows by the color of the malt if it’s just right)

Reads the Gospel Doctrine lesson most weeks

Tears him up to see handicapped people struggling or achieving

Doesn’t watch sports generally

Just asked me to use the computer (because I’m on it)

Considers it a personal triumph of his when I go to bed (sleep!) without picking up the house beforehand

A Few Things I Know About Cy

Rolls himself to sleep

Has night terrors and will pee in a drawer if you let him

If you don’t like to play sports, he probably won’t ever play with you

He talks in a stream of consciousness, meaning you hear every single thought fragment that enters his brain

Tells you his “famous” plays of the game over and over for weeks afterward, “Remember when I juked that kid and he went [sound effect] and I went [sound effect] and dribbled past and he fell? Pone!”

With his stream-of-conscious verbal abilities and his fanatic interest in sports, he’s a shoe-in for sports announcing

He likes to lean hard on you as opposed to stand next to you

He says the best prayers you’ve ever heard

Loves his giant black gorilla named DK (Donkey Kong) and insists that Elle love him too (“Don’t forget your DK, Elle!” [she just keeps on a walkin’])

Says things like, “(So-and-so) has really good kicks, but his dribbling (shakes his head). He needs to be like me (expounds on his impressive skills….).”

Has a massive crush on a girl we’ll call A

Tells me about how other kids got in trouble at school, so I can fully appreciate and praise him for how well-behaved he is (so I do!).

What time is it? KNIGHT TIME!

MK's front handspring throw-in. Gnarly.

I overheard Cam say to Elle, "Come follow me, . . . because the Savior said."

I Am From...

A poem by Mia...

I am from muddy shoe tracks on the wood floor and playing cards with the family

I'm from a neighborhood cat we named Tiger and deer we call Doe, Ray, and Mi

I am from a yard covered with sports balls and a garage filled with bikes, scooters, skateboards, and rollerblades

From Mama Mondays, Popcorn Pillow Talk Tuesdays, and Friday night movie nights

From Mom, "Mia, is your checklist done?" and from Dad, "I'll do your dishes for a backrub..."

I am from Grandma's Roast Beef and Yorkshire pudding dinners and lunches out with Granny

I'm from cooking lessons on Sunday afternoon
From Dad's malts to Mom's smoothies

I am from hidden candy on the top shelf

I am from Grandpa's piano, Ashley's guitar, Uncle Nate's band, and Clint's ukulele

I'm from English and Scottish relatives, from 6 foot 5 to 5 foot 1
I am from Vietnam, Hollywood, and Heaven

I am from two sisters, three brothers and parents who love me

Sliding Rock

Me and Ryan brace ourselves. I about stroked when I hit the subzero ice pool below.








If you go, I'll go..."









Cam volunteered for his ride. That boy :)








Rob's having way too much fun.








I tried to post the film footage we got, but it's a no-go. I forgot my camera, so we borrowed these pics from Megan (Britt, send me your pics!). Cy and Getty slid and jumped off the side wall there, too. Elle played in the waterfall below with Granny. Sliding Rock, we'll be back!

Mia's first concert

Mia and friends (and parents) are on their way to Owl City and John Mayer in concert. Lucky ducks...

MK and her BFF's