Spencer's 1st hair cut

I never wanted to cut Spencer's hair.  I had big plans to keep it a curly afro forever but the tangles and tears every morning and Einstein like frizz that constantly needing rewetting and combing and more tangles and tears finally got to me so off to our neighbors for his first haircut.

In true Spencer manner he was not happy about someone messing with his hair and let Natalie know about it. 

Then he realized she much more gentle than mom and started to rethink his situation wasn't as bad as he thought it would be.

Finally he caught on that big boys get hair cuts and this kid has wanted to be an adult since he was born and then became excited that he could get a big boy hair cut.  I attempted a picture of him smiling and saying "Mencie big boy get haircut" but it clicked a little too late. 

There's always a chance once you cut off the baby curls that they won't come back but Spencer's hair is as cute and curly as ever.  Hallelujah!!

2 down... 2 to go....

There should be a universal rule that big time consuming projects should not be assigned in May.  I'm obviously not in charge because year after year our Elementary school continues to have the 3rd grade participate in the simple machines make your own miniature golf course project.    When Emily was in 3rd grade she came home one day and announced her miniature golf course project was due tomorrow.  Wait What?    I knew nothing about this project and Emily failed to give me the flyers that were sent home weeks before with explanations.  So we moved into crisis stress mode and jimmy rigged  a  dishwasher box with some glued on fisher price people gave her a golf club and showed up to school to see all these elaborate golf courses and here sat Emily's pulled together at the last minute. It was way to embarrassing to even take a picture of.  Luckily Emily is never ashamed about anything but I'm sure she noticed the difference and I think it served a valuable lesson about procrastinating.

Fast forward 3 years and all school year in the back of my mind I'm dreading the every looming project ahead. Sometime in April  Jane dutifully brought the flyer home and began to talk about doing her project.  I dutifully hand the project over to Bart knowing he's far more equipped for such projects.   So Jane and he spent way too much time scouring the internet for ideas.  Jane not liking any idea almost made Bart give up on helping but somehow or somewhere Jane came up with the Rub a dub Tub with rubber duckies.   So Bart was off to a collision shop's trash where he knew large cardboard boxes sat and he and Jane cut, glued, taped, glued again and measured it to fit the right specifications for a simple inclined plane miniature golf course.   

I wasn't totally off the hook.  I became the mom find me the supplies lady.  Lucky for me we have tons of paint at work and a dollar store close by. 

This project took days.  Mostly because we have a detailed notice every little detailed Richards man in our house.  When I noticed he was putting on a second coat of paint I said "Bart you know this will most likely go straight to the trash when it's all over with right".    Jane the things have to be just so so girl gathered up every rubber ducky in our house and painstakingly picked out the ones with absolutely no blemishes.  Again I mentioned to her that she knows this will most likely go in the trash when it's over right?   Well when the time came to glue the rubber duckies on they were no where to be found.  I suggested using all the rejected rubber duckies, we have a lot of them mind you, but she would not have anything not perfect on her project.  After an evening of weepy and wailing I succumbed to a trip to wal mart to shop for brand new duckies.  We arrived and walked all the way around the store looking for ducks with no  luck.   After our second trip through the bath supply isle I said a silent prayer that if Walmart had any rubber duckies He would lead us to them.  I told Jane we would check the baby isle one more time and if we couldn't find them she would have to use the ducks we have at home.  So we started walking toward the opposite side of the store and down an isle Jane out of the corner of her eye caught sight of a bag full of ducks.   Hallelujah!!!  I told Jane that I said a silent prayer that Heavenly Father would help us and he helped Jane spot the rubber ducks.    Jane responded with "With all the billions of people on the Earth how does Heavenly Father have the time to help us?"  I said I have no idea I just know he loves her enough that he did.   Happily we headed home and Jane and Bart finished up the project.   

Jane was so proud of her project and loved handing out candy to all those who attempted to sink the ball in the hole. 

I still hate this project more than any project given thus far as a parent but it was fun to see Jane and Bart work together and bring Jane's idea to life.     They did such a good job and the thing was so sturdy, the benefit to my detailed oriented husband, that I decided to store it away for another 3 years just in case Aaron comes home on a Thursday night and says "I've got a miniature golf course due tomorrow".   If that happens I'll gladly dust the thing off and say "done" here you go son without any guilt!!

Spring is for recitals

We've been busy attending recitals around here...    

Emily was chosen to participate in the Canyons district honor orchestra.  She missed a little bit of school for a couple of weeks rehearsing.  She enjoyed a Subway Sandwich at the mall each day and was over joyed when she missed the mile timed run in P.E.  (that was until she discovered that an excused absent does not mean she wasn't excused from the run and  had to go in early on a Friday to make it up).  

She also had an end of year recital for the Canyons Youth Symphony and I was overjoyed to not be driving her 20 minutes each way on Mondays to rehearsals.

Lastly Emily participated in her end of year orchestra concert with her school orchestra.  Every day all year long she hauled her Viola back and forth to school and at times stated she was only doing orchestra this year. After her concert she commented that she and wants to do it again and that next year she was going to ask Mr. Cox if she could do solos.  

Aaron also had his end of year recital with Let's Play Music.  I've loved this program and am super impressed with all the music theory he has learned this year and will continue to expand on in the next couple of years.  Aaron always enjoyed going to music class and with so much gusto performed all of his parts so well.   

Making memories on Memorial Day Weekend

Another memorial day full of memories as we spent the weekend at my parents house.  Bart went off to California for his annual birthday fiesta with Clint Eastwood.  The kids and I took off Thurs in time to celebrate Baxter's graduation at his house.  

  

The next day we headed over to Brooke's house for Chap's celebration.    Bentley and Jane loaded up with my parents to attend the graduation.  I passed knowing Spencer is not equipped for such outings.

The girls spent Saturday morning puttering around the hut and helped Raquel clean up an old trailer house.  Now they are planning on fixing it up for a club house the next time they visit.  Bentley discovered the 3 new kittens in Grandma's garage and then it was seventh heaven for the 3 girls who tended them the rest of the weekend.

Meanwhile the boys were MIA most of the time as they scoured the surrounding hills for interesting rocks and lizards.   Raquel told me on the way down to Teasdale Dayson was complaining that there would be nobody around to play with.  She said Aaron will be there and he said "Aaron's just a little kid".  Raquel lied saying Actually Aaron is 7.  Dayson said "he is? oh ok I'll play with him then".   

I guess it pays for Aaron to be a giant child because Dayson didn't clue into the fact that Aaron was not 7.  Aaron is use to chasing with the older boys in the neighborhood and didn't skip a beat with Dayson.

After I put Spencer down for a nap,  I rounded up the kids and headed down to the park to hike  to Hickman Bridge.   Here's my post about the last time I went on this hike.    All the kids skipped up the trail like it was nobody's business.  They loved exploring all the many crevasses, caves and holes in the rocks.  I thoroughly enjoyed moseying behind them.  After a few stops for pictures it became a hike filled with "Mom take a picture of us here" "Now take a picture of us here".  I happily obliged and got lots of fun photos.   

Emily got a little bored and whining on the way back and needed to be reminded that if a 2 year old can make it up and back without whining surely she could.   After a while she found interesting things to explore and was back to her busy happy self.   At the end I gave out high five no whining awards and when I got to Emily I gave her a high five "most improved hiker award".   

We ran out of water on the way back and poor Aaron was parched and hot but trudged along anyway.  It was a welcome site to see a river at the end and all the kids to jumped in and played for a bit.  

Sunday on our way out of town we stopped by the graves of first my Grandpa Pace and then my Grandma Morrell.  A thunderstorm struck just as we pulled into the Bicknell Cemetery.   The girls with flowers in hand sprinted to the grave, delivered the flowers and were back in a flash.  I'm sure my Grandma understood and being a farmers wife was just happy for the needed moisture. 

Mensie

I think Spencer is preparing to audition for the show "Naked and Afraid."  He's quite the strip artist lately I swear every time I turn around he's naked.  

The best was on a Saturday morning I was meeting with the YW leaders in my ward inside my house.  Bart was outside with the kids doing yard work.    After the meeting Bart comes in carrying a naked Spencer and tells me that with in a matter of minutes Spencer was by his side and the next thing he knows he's coming around the corner to the front yard hearing Erika my 2nd counselor laughing and finds Spencer like this just chillin' in the driveway.  

This kid I tell you has a mind of his own?  We feel successful when we can catch him to put underwear on him.   

He's also taken to calling himself "Mensie" and like Elmo refer to himself in the 3rd person.  Bart took out some ice cream one evening and soon after found his boy just helping himself.   I'm sure he looked at Bart and said "Mensie's ice cream".  

Man we love our full of life half naked boy!!!  Never a dull moment with this one.  

Green Thumb

I've never been able to grow anything and am barely able to keep things alive.  Since the beginning of preschool with Emily occasionally my kids will bring home some sort of seed in a cup with instructions on how to grow it at home.    I use to try to give my kids a good experience and teach them to water it and tend it but without fail the seed would never sprout.  I am no good with plants.  I either give it too much water and drown the things or I don't give it enough.  Either way I've yet to see one sprout.  I haven't even bothered with the last few seeds that have come home.   So last week when Aaron came home so excited for Earth Day and his plant I pretended to be excited and told him he needs to water it daily and hopefully it will grow.     I've left this one to Aaron.  Aaron keeps a water bottle right next too it and waters it and then waters it some more and low and behold the thing is growing. 

I officially announced over breakfast that Aaron has a green thumb and thank heavens we need someone in the family with one.  Oh how Aaron laughed with confusion over figuring out how his thumb is green.    He's  now pretty proud of his thumb!!   The other day after he did his reading he told me I'm a good reader and have a green thumb right mom.

Adidas

On the way to soccer practice Jane asked me.  "Mom do you know what Adidas stands for?"  me:  "No what does it?"  Jane:  "It stands for All Day I dream about Sports".   me: "Sounds like Spencer don't you think?"  Jane:  laughing "Yeah it should be his motto."

The obsession continues at our house.  Spencer prefers to sleep with a ball and insists on wearing "athletic" clothes.  If a piece of clothing does not have a picture of a ball a number or some sort of stripe he wants nothing to do with it.    His vocabulary of sports is getting quiet extensive and can identify specific balls.   My favorite is he calls footballs "Fritaball"

He's lucky he has a dad who likes to watch sports and will sit right up and watch it too.

Over Spring Break I took my kids to a trampoline park.   Spencer was mesmerized by the dodge ball cage fasinated with all the balls being thrown around.

This kid is not all show.   He got quite the kick on him and has no problem getting right in the mix of playing ball with kids both young and old.   Spencers officially banned from attending his siblings sport games.   He is so miserable and makes everyone else around miserable because he can't go out on the field and play.    The worst was at Aaron's first soccer game of the season they gave each of  the players a brand new soccer ball.  Spencer was beside himself so angry that he did not get one and wanted Aaron's who needed it for practice out of the field and did not let up about it.   


I'm not one that feels you should push your kids into sports too early but man with this kid I'm signing him up as soon  or earlier than he meets the age criteria.