October....

Halloween brought the following characters to our house:

Brandon The Vampire

Matthew The FBI Agent

Andrew The Vampire

And Zach the black haired Yoda... we could not get him to dress up as anything for most of the evening. Somehow Dawn convinced him to finally hold a light saber and put on a costume. The recurring theme of all the boys was the hair. They all wanted black hair...even Zach. He refused to put something on, but wanted his hair done like the others.Typical.

During Fall Break the boys made this table. We couldn't find enough work goggles so Matthew just put on his swim goggles. It was a few days project which was nice.

We headed to the corn maze- once again the camera on the phone and display screen on the camera saved us. They can only handle so long and once it gets dark we are done for! Brian is a great naviagtor and can figure our way out of most of the loops- we are always glad he is with us.

Zach turned two. Enough said. We can end all posts here and can sum up our last three months
with those three words. Zachary turned two. I really have never had a child like him. I am literally and soundly beat by the end of the day. Everyday. I think his temperment paired with the other three have really given me a run for my money. I know I am strong, I can do hard things, but the last three months I feel I am slowly being hammered into the ground. I know everything has its season, but I wish I knew where we were in this season- beginning, middle ( I know we aren't at the end- so I won't even mention it!) We love him dearly- he is vivacious, inquisitive, loves to snuggle, and has the most charming eyes, but he is a rascal!

A two-year old is kind of like having a blender, but you don't have a top for it. - Seinfeld


I was never a huge Seinfeld follower, but do admit he had some great one-liners.

September

Cinammon Rolls are a tradition for Birthday breakfast's. And of course they must be home-made. Generally I make them the evening before, but for some reason we needed to make Zachary's the morning before. He must be involved in every little aspect, of everything I do every waking minute of the day. Here he is trying to roll out the dough AFTER all the butter and cinammon have been put on. I really like my cinammon rolls to look perfect...but these ones were all over the place. And he was a sugary butter mess to top it off. Patience and deep breathing. I seem to do that a lot these days. Another little lesson to Steph: Presentation is not everything. They still tasted delicious- and once the frosting went on- no one really noticed.


Have you ever had the privilege of getting meat stickers from the butcher? If you haven't , let me tell you, you are missing out! You only get them if your child throws a massive tantrum in the grocery store, and everyone is trying to get your child to stop, as you CALMLY try to make your way unnoticed to the exit. This was the butchers peace offering. Sorry to say the butchers stickers didn't make the cut. But it made for a funny dinner story.



Content and Focused for twenty minutes. Yes, I know it isn't the traditional place to let your child play. But the key words here are content and focused. The ability to get something done for twenty minutes uninterrupted is worth the waterfall and ensuing lake that appeared on the floor. The phone is just to the left of the sink- so I happily made phone calls and he happily played. The two minute clean up was worth it- and I even got a clean floor out of it. Even better.

We had fondue for Dawn's birthday. It's easy, everyone loves it- chocolate is everywhere and you can't help but lick the plate clean!

The scouts have to arm wrestle the Bear (their dad) in order to get their Bear Badge. Brian gave it a good try, but Brandon's ten year old strength was no match for him, and Brandon emerged victorious. Love those feel good moments for kids. It's all the rest of the kids could talk about- did you see Brandon beat dad.....

The times I get to talk to my mom are few and far between because the kids just HAVE to tell Grandma this and that.... One morning we did have the opportunity to talk and when I walked downstairs after finishing the conversation, Andrew says, " Aren't you glad I kept Zachary occupied while you talked to Grandma??" I really couldn't say anything. So I didn't. I just took a deep breath, and another. And another.

Joe..this one is for you

I want to know which gene that was suppressed in me; however, quite prevelent in my brother, and now manifest in my children, is the gene responsible for -always- putting- the empty -juice -pitcher -back -in- the- fridge. Thanks Joe!!

Finally... it's finished

We have been working on putting up crown and chair rail all downstairs for the last six months. (Will someone please remind us to not take on such an ambitious project on our first attempt at something??!!!) The boys helped measure and cut the nail strips for the crown, which was a good project for them. Brian did the cutting and installing and did a great job. I got the finish work-caulk, spackle, paint. This is one of those projects that never ends.....paint...paint again....measure...cut...measure... cut just a hair more off... nail.. spackle...caulk...clean....final coat of paint. And that is just on the pieces you manage to cut right the first two times!!!

Brandon must have been taking pictures, since I can't find any of him!

Zachary's favorite new jungle gym.

Matthew cutting.

Zach the wood carrier

Bringing dad more boards

Now onto something else.... it just can't involve a ladder. (I'm tired of ladders!:-))

Healing Field

Saturday we went to the Healing Field at Tempe Town Beach. I have come to realize my children do not understand impact 9/11 had on our country. They know that 9/11 is Grandpa's birthday, they are supposed to wear red, white and blue to school, and some men flew a plane into the Twin Towers. I also realize that many years will pass before they do understand. They are post 9/11 children they will not know life any different- they won't know what it was like before. We have talked about how many people lost their lives- 2800 is a big numer. But children can't understand what 2800 is, honestly even I have a hard time grasping that number.

The Healing Field changed our perspective. 2800+ flags were flying, one for each person who lost their life. Each flag had a name attached, a yellow flag if they were a first responder and a teddy bear if they were a child. Andrew found 11 bears the youngest being 2.

I found myself getting a bit misty-eyed. 2800 flags is quite an impressive sight. But it was what those flags stood for that brought my emotions to the surface.

Although the boys just wanted to run through the rows of flags, which was quite an enticing prospect, ( you can't blame them) once we got them to understand and read about some of these individuals they walked though as reverently as boys can!! Hopefully some year, some day the memory of the vast field of flags will represent something more to them.

An ode to Legos

Brian forwarded this article to me today. The author sums up my feelings precisely-it's exactly how I feel about Legos, I just don't have the ability to write it as she does! Some of you may laugh because it sounds humorous, others may not understand it at all and a few of you will laugh because you, like me live this day and day out. (you know the sound the vacuum makes when you happen to catch a stray piece and then debate whether you should fish the lost piece out or just let it go to lego heaven)

Written by Tiffany Gee Lewis

One of the greatest joys of being a parent is in reliving parts of your childhood. What parent doesn't love playing with their kids' toys? I have a certain weakness for dollhouse collectables and Silly Putty, among other things. For my husband, it's all about the Legos. There are marathon Daddy-Lego playtimes on Sundays. Bedtime usually includes a riveting Lego City story.

I try and be supportive of this Lego connection, but my world of small playthings as a child never included Legos. So I must admit, the Legos are nearly doing me in these days. The minute my kids drop their backpacks in the laundry room, they are heading up the stairs to play with Legos. I look at all the rest of their toys, languishing forgotten on the shelves, and my eye gets a gleam. I am a mother who gets particular pleasure out of getting rid of things.

But the consequences of Legos hang heavy. First, they are everywhere: on the stairs, in the beds, under the beds, fallen in that space between wall and carpet. Piled in little piles on every table, waiting for their return to the mother bin in the bedroom. In shoes, under shoes, clogging the pencil area of the junk drawer, at the bottom of the laundry basket and swirling their way through the wash. We are awash with Legos.

I have such mixed emotions when it comes to this particular toy. Legos bring my children such joy. I love that my boys use their nimble little fingers to create some really fantastic structures. And they can be entertained for literally hours. They are superior, in so many ways, to other forms of entertainment.

But oh, the clean up! The sound of the entire Lego bucket being dumped makes me go limp. Even when we manage to pick them all up, those little plastic pieces are never really gone. I sweep my foot across the carpet and little Lego pieces pop up like gophers in an arcade game. I crawl on hands and knees before vacuuming, knowing that the favorite pieces are always the smallest ones. Yet, no matter how closely we clean up, each time I vacuum there is that familiar "chink" when a Lego gets sucked up and knocked around the internal workings of the vacuum. Then I stand there for a difficult moment, wrestling with my inner conscience and trying to decide whether that particular piece is worth disemboweling the vacuum bag. No piece has been worth it, so far.

My other issue with Legos is that they're just so breakable. I know, I know that's the point, but I have a son who builds Legos for every occasion: welcome home gifts, birthday presents, Father's Day and Mother's Day. (I got a multi-colored, Lego-sized jail cell this past May.) Inevitably, before the big event happens, these creations will come crashing to the floor, break to pieces, or get slowly deconstructed by a younger brother. Oh, the Lego-induced tears in this family could fill a small lake.Yes, tears. Tears of sadness, tears of pain.

Everyone who has owned Legos in their life knows that singular feeling of stepping with full force on a small red Lego brick and thinking, just momentarily, that you might never regain use of that particular foot. I've learned the technique of walking through a Lego-strewn room is to not pick up ones feet at all, but to slide, ice-skater style, across the carpet, parting the Legos with my feet like they were the Red Sea.

We're heading into heavy holiday and birthday season. My kids have only one thing on their wish list, and it's Legos. More Legos, to add to the already-mounting pile in their room. Like the three little pigs who set off to build homes of their own, we may someday amass enough Legos to have them build their own little huts. Until then, I will step lightly, vacuum carefully and clean patiently, working my way systematically toward Lego sainthood.

...and the rest of the summer

I had the boys help me write some of the captions on these pictures and My thoughts are in italics.



We celebrated our 12th anniversary in June and Brian got called as EQ Pres- (the fun never stops around here!) The Stake President and I got to have a little chat prior to his call ( I know a few of you have enjoyed this same pleasure!) I feel very blessed to have such a wonderful husband!

Brandon: I took this picture!



Brandon: It's my birthday. We had an Amazing Race around the house. My cake was ALL chocolate with cookie dough ice cream in the middle
Matthew: The Amazing Race was wild- we had kids all over the house running around.

We had a great time with Brandon's birthday- what else do you do with a bunch of boys in the middle of the summer and you just don't want to go swim????




Matthew: Zachary is trying to drink water out of the hose and he is getting soaked instead. This happens all the time.

Zach loves the water! He always wants the hose on- which alwasy results in the complete soaking of himself- but at least it dries quick!


Andrew: I love reading books and I like the pictures in them.





Matthew: Andrew's big book mess. He pulled the whole bottom shelf of books out.

Oh my dear Andrew- he really does love reading and I never want to discourage reading but this is what I come find in the boys room so very often. Ahhhh.... Also, he has taken to sleeping on the floor most of the summer so he can sleep under the fan. His blanket and pillow are amid the book stack. He has the bottom bunk and truthfully it is pretty hot under there, so I don't blame him, but it is just one more thing to clean up!



Brandon's braces. The 5th of August. They are orange if you want to see them.

Matthew: Brandon got his braces- this is the first day of school he has his braces on.

Thankfully, thankfully we got his braces on prior to school, since he didn't really eat anything for five days and was a little irritable!


Andrew: It's Andrew's first day of school and I'm lining up. I sit in the front row, the blue row. August 10th. The thing I love about school is PE and music.

A few days after school had started we were talking to Andrew about PE. The first day of PE they had played with hula hoops and he thought that was really cool. He was telling us that PE wasn't so fun that day. In response to our question as why it wasn't fun he said, " We had to exercise!"


Andrew: It's me and Zachary at Benjamin Franklin. It's my first day of school. August10.

Andrew: Its Andrew, Zachary, Brandon and Matthew. August 10

Matthew: It's our first day of school. Zachary thinks he is going to school. But in the afternoon he got pretty lonely and when he came to pick us up he got so excited, that he said OH BOY!

Zachary and I were driving to pick the boys up on the first day of school- he had been quite lonely all afternoon. Lest you think he takes a great nap and I have all afternoon to myself, I must set the record straight... I get maybe 1/2 hour nap out of him and then it's back to two year old antics. When the school came into view through his window he started screaming, Oh Boy, Boy, Boy! I'm grateful at this point he loves having them around. I'll admit I kind of missed them all too.

it's the real thing.

Family. it's the real thing. We got together with Brian's family in Duck Creek, UT for a week in July. Dawn and I, who were the lucky planners of this years reunion had been trying to come up with something to put on a t-shirt when we ran across an old photo of her wearing a Coke jacket with the words- it's the real thing- written on it. Because Grandpa White worked for Coke the Teuscher kids always had a few Coke things to wear through the years, so it seemed like a fun idea to use. Half of Brian's family we hadn't seen since the last reunion two years ago- his family is spread all over the US. We had a great time together. I know it sounds cliche- but we really had fun together. I hope all the kids realized that family *is the real thing*- it is where they will find the greatest happiness in their lives. I know my kids came home happy and with a week full of fun memories! ( and so did Brian and I :-))



On the last cast of the evening Brandon finally caught a trout. You can't beat a smile like that. A boy and his first fish.

Matthew and his catch.

Andrew- with the first cast of the evening- reels one in- it is so typical Andrew!


Dawn whistling in Zachary's ear with a reed. Zachary LOVES Dawn. She really is his second mother.

Cedar Breaks. Pictures from these National Parks that we visited hardly do them justice. They are places you have to experience to understand the magnitude of their beauty. When young boys are visibly impressed and express such you know that it truely is.

Teuscher Family 2009


The Cousins.


We divided everyone into teams and had various activities/competitions thruought the week. The highlight at the end of this activity was the Coke/Mentos experiment. (Andrew is in the orange bandana)

Aspen Mirror Lake was a ten minute walk from the cabin. The kids all loved hiking up and playing on the rocks, finding sticks, fishing or finding fishing supplies discarded on the banks to use in their fishing store. These abandoned finds were then sold to the younger cousins, who thought it was cool to buy something from the store. The money was then taken to Ace Hardware ( 2 minute walk up the road) for brand new fishing hooks. At least the money went for fishing supplies and not to the shaved ice right next door!

Walking to the lake. James, Matthew, Andrew, Cassidy, Brandon, Noah.

We hiked a portion of the Narrows in Zions Canyon.

The dot in the middle right of the picture is Brandon's head, who despite the mucky water decided floating was the way to hike!

This is what Zach thought of the magnificent scenery!

We played frsibee golf at Brian Head one morning. Brandon teeing off on the first hole

Finished with three holes! It took us an hour adn a half to get us through three holes!

And just like the photos we took of the national parks we went to, these photos don't really tell the whole story. You have to be there to experience it. I guess that is why pictures are priceless. They remind you of the feelings you had and bring you back to those moments. Thanks family for a wonderfully fun week! We love you all.