March

We got home just in time to enjoy the end of spirit week at school, Friday was crazy hair day. Let's just say I will count my blessings that I don't have to do hair every day of the week, I think I might scream. Kudos to all you who do your daughters' hair- if we had girls they might be sporting the bobbed look their whole life. (Come to think of it, Jenny, do you think that's why we got the ubber-cool looking sugarbowl haircuts our whole young life ?:-)

 We also picked my mom up from the airport Friday as well.  My cousin, Andrew got married Saturday here in Mesa. I have a total of four cousins. Four. Two on each side. This wedding was a big deal. Friday evening we enjoyed having the Endsley, my mom's side of the family over for dinner.  It almost seemed surreal having everyone around my kitchen table, we were always at the ranch around Bill and Kath's kitchen table growing up. It was one of those times you think you are 20+ years younger, you revert back to being young again, not believing time has brought you where you are today. I was filled with very sweet thoughts/memories of growing up being with this side of the family. Each summer, when we were young, mom would load us up in the yellow chevy station wagon and drive us to Colorado to visit her side of the family. Sometimes my dad would come, sometimes he wouldn't. Some years we stayed for weeks, but as we got older the time shortened. Each of us would take a row in the station wagon- since there were three of us, each of us got a row. Joe generally got the back, his cocoon, and off we'd head across CA, NV, and UT. We'd get water from springs, build fence, watch branding, round-up cows....so I've digressed some here. Anyway, Andy, was getting married here of all places- fun for us!




Mom, Brandon, & Zach- the other boys went to opening day for their baseball teams

 


Andy and Andrea ( sorry family I didn't get a close up of them)

 


Virginia and Uncle Jack ( my mom's uncle)

 

Mom, Aunt Virginia, Aunt Kathy- my mom's two sisters

Uncle Bill and Aunt Kathy

Each year the school holds field day, where the kids play games for half the day. 5th and 6th grade are held later in the spring, so we just saw Matthew and Andrew. I had never been down to see field day, so we went down to check out the activities this year. They always have a few water games thrown in which helps make it even more fun.

Andrew turned 7 on the 23rd. Seven. He's been gleening ideas over the last few years from the other's birthdays. We played the best of the best games, in his opinion, with a myriad of clues thrown in to guess the next game. He chose: searching for pennies, guessing the hidden food in the bowls by touch ( the mashed bananas really grossed them out), throwing spears at balloons to pop them, sorting m&m's by color and then having to eat a certain number of them, among a few others. Andrew is a tough willed, determined child and can get quite intense. His mind thinks and works and spins way beyond a seven year old. He is loveable and loves to come snuggle during movies. He could be read to for hours and hours. We have been reading the Harry Potter books at night lately and just dies ( remember that intensity I already spoke about) when the book is shut. He builds the longest most elaborate lego ships, but has yet to master the need for structural stabilization, so a great majority break when you breath too hard.

He wanted an icecream cake with oreos.

His own Y hat, and a You Got Jimmered shirt rounded out his stash. He was so excited for the shirt, since we were in the throws of Jimmermania at the time!

Disneyland

We took our five year pilgremidge to the Happiest Place on Earth the end of Feb/March. I figure if we do this every five years or so, we are going to enjoy it without the throngs who decend upon it during Spring or Fall Break. Although we still managed to run into quite a few families we knew. (This is really just a bunch of pictures, so feel free to skip right through them!) We took great advantage of the fast passes and companion passes, rode all the rides to our fill, even got to stay on some rides and keep riding, had great weather and had no complaints, unless you were the one who rode with Zachary. He loved all the rides that went in circles- rockets, Zephyr (those types) and especially loved spinning on Buzz Lightyear. There was no hope in scoring any points when riding with him, except feeling slightly dizzy when getting off. The other three were roller-coaster-happy, so if you spent more time with them, instead of your head spining when trying to go to sleep, your body felt like it just kept moving.

We tried to give the boys a real life lesson in budgeting. We gave them a budget and with that money they determined where we would stay, if we would walk or ride the ART, would we bring food in or buy food there. All in all they did a great job with their task, although we could used a greater variety in the hotel breakfast. But in their eyes- you don't need more variety if you get donuts every morning!

After Andrew finished fighting Darth Vader, the assistant told him to go use his light saber on the clone trooper. He did as he was told, (suprisingly!) and got a few laughs. I thought he came up with the idea on his own, and wondered what on earth he was doing!

Andrew trying his first roller coaster, he was so excited, but came off almost white and scared stiff. Much to his credit he decided to try it the next day, and fell in love with it. We were proud of him for trying something again, he was truly afraid of.

Andrew still a little shaken up.

 I was the only one who got soaked- I seemed to always get the "lucky" seat!

Eating lunch with the Taylors. I love Boudin bread. Love. Love. Love it. and here all the kids are feeding the seagulls with the left over bread- it about killed me. We were just missing the Bishop ( they actually came the next week). Bro Taylor is the other counselor with Brian.

For Dawn

Zach loves "Kluno"-we can't get him to say Pluto!

Enjoying the massive corn dogs.



Febuary

Suprised to see me pop up in your reader?

I have been doing a co-op preschool/joyschool, whatever you may call it, with Zachary and four other friends this past year. Initially, I wasn't going to do it, but then realized the dear one needed a regular outlet with children his own age AND more importantly to learn to be without his dear mamacita. Ay! He will finally go to the others homes without a struggle or a panic attack, so all things considered we have achieved our goals. We took the kids to Marley Farms one morning. They have a petting zoo with a variety of animals, rescued or abandoned- goats, llamas, deer, camel, pigs, kangaroos, a zonkey (zebra/donkey). We wondered who would want to try that combination of genes- a bored geneticist? The kids can feed all the animals, which they had a ball with.

The Zonkey

A little intimidating from a three year olds perspective!

Aunt Nelly came for a whirlwind two days- how excited we were to see her. We last saw her over three years ago ( far too long) She brought her mom to visit with some medical specialists here in Phoenix and lucky enough for us they stayed with us. I let the boys play hookey from school the morning before they flew home, so they could actually spend some time with her. She was inindated with favorite Wii games, football, baseball, and all things Lego- bless her patience; and tried to convince the boys that a move to Georgia would be a great idea!

Body World came to the AZ Science Center. I have always wanted to see it, Brian on the other hand has never wanted to see it. Good thing I've got Dawn. She and I took Brandon and Matthew to this this exhibit- it was incredible. Andrew so wanted to come, but it just is not for seven year olds. Even Matthew had enough about half way through. Before we went, we spent some time talking about the body and even got out my old Anatomy book. Of all the kids Andrew was the most interested and continually asked questions. I finally got to the point where I had to limit him to 5 questions a night, he could just keep going and going. Perhaps he'll be our doctor?