24th of July In Review For James

Alex's day started early as he and his scout troop had to get up at 6:30am to put up flags. He informed me that "flags not fun" . I explained that not everything about scouts or young mens' is fun and that putting up the flags helps his troop earn money for their scout camps. He was fine with that once I explained and when I pointed out that the flag project payed more than half of his camp! (I'm sure I've told him how much fun young men's will be and his first experience-putting up flags in the early am-was not fun!)

We also woke up to this prank. The "Sipper" had been shrink wrapped sometime between midnight and 6:30 am. (We went to the drive in and got home around midnight and it was done when Alex got up to do flags this morning.) It's Austin's car and he should be getting home today. Whoever did it must know that Austin is coming home.

We babysat Zach over the weekend. Troy had a softball tournament in Monticello. (Which his team took 1st in! But he's hurt his rotator cuff! He picked Z up before church Sunday morning.) This is Zach's FAVORITE pass time-playing Wii or DS. He could do it 24/7. Seriously. I am not exaggerating. He told me he doesn't need to eat for FOUR YEARS when I asked if he was hungry. Wow. And he doesn't' have to go potty for THREE YEARS.

I have to share how cute Alex was with Zach all weekend. He was so excited to have Z sleep over. The both slept in Alex's "big" bed. In the morning Alex helped Z get dressed combed his hair into a fau-hawk, and then entertained him most of the day. He tried desperately to get him to play something besides video games. "Mom, he no will play anything but video games!" It was sweet to see Alex take Zach under his wing. He even made clean up games to help Zach clean up the mess they had made. In primary the next day Alex got a king size KitKat (he called it a KittyKat) for his birthday and the first thing he said was "Oh, I wish Zach with us so I could share with him!" It just warmed my heart to see how tender and protective Alex was all weekend with Z.

I went out to our garden and harvested this! Notice the lack of zucchini? Normally by now I'd be sick of zucchini but we've only had one small one all season. Yet, the cucumbers & peppers are going gang busters. The tomatoes were brown on the bottom and not good inside. (James, am I over watering? What's your thoughts?)

This is Z looking sad when I told him he had to play something else besides video games. I made a deal with him. For every thirty minutes he played with his cousins on something BESIDES video games he could earn thirty minutes ON video games. He wasn't thrilled and after a quick time out in bed he decided not crying about video games and finding something else to do was better than laying in bed. (Teeheehee....aunt's with five children have been there done that with five year olds before!)

I sent the boys out to wash the van for their Saturday chore.

Then I sent the girls out too. (I was in cooking and cleaning for this evenings BBQ. Just in case anyone thinks I'm sitting in my air-conditioned house eating bon-bon's or something. Eventually I went and helped with the van as well!)

And Rylee cleaning. She's smiling because she's collecting bobby pins. Bobby pins are a coveted item in our home.

Austin got home from vacationing in Montana with Hayden. (He has been gone for over a week!) After showering and giving me a few batches of dirty laundry to wash he went outside and cut the shrink wrap off his car with his Samari sword. I know. Samari sword? Don't ask....

My sister and I went shopping mid-day leaving the kids at home with Devree. It was so funny seeing her putt around in those motorized carts for old people. She did really well. She did get stuck in the isle in the boys department and I had to move a few displays to help her get out.

We had her family and my Dad over for a BBQ (everyone else was out of town). I was so proud of Alex when he excused himself to leave and go take down the flags at seven pm with the scouts. I totally forgot. He and Brach went. When they came back we sent Alex, Brach and Ty to the store with Austin to buy fireworks. Alex was so thrilled when I gave him and Austin $10 to buy fireworks. "Thank you mother!" (He's taken to calling me MOTHER instead of mom lately. He say's it like he's from England. It started after watching us in Peter Pan over and over!)

When they got home from going to Smiths, Alex was filthy! I asked him what he had been doing?

Alex: Cleaning Austin's car.

Me: With your shirt?

Alex: No. (Then he glances down at his shirt.) I mean, yes!

Notice the dirty shirt and that grin over the firecrackers clutched in his hands?

(Also note-I let him remain in this dirty shirt the rest of the night. Pretty proud of myself!)

Syd started playing dress ups and even Devree got into the act.

This is Syd in one of MANY princess dress ups we have. Zach is the "guarding dragon". See what NOT playing Wii & DS can do for a kids imagination? (I had banned video games during the BBQ! Such a mean aunt....I know.)

Loved this combination!

And of course the traditional princess outfit....

Even Lloyd and Ella got dressed up!

We headed outside for the firework show.

Sparklers....while it's still light outside....don't know why.....

Although Austin is texting in this picture, what he is really doing is showing his young impressionable cousins and brother how to make super loud firecrackers by pounding them-note the hammer. I don't know the technicalities but it sounded like we had illegal fireworks! (We went outside while light as the boys ONLY bought loud firecrackers-nothing pretty! So why not just get them over with?)

Kambree showing off the grease chain marks from riding the bike to work. ("Mom, your chain is so greasy!" "Yes, especially when you rub your leg against it!" Someone at worked asked her if it was a tattoo. Good grief.)

Devree demonstrating sparklers. (She usually deletes all my pictures were her eyes are droopy or she's not looking perfect. Don't know how she missed this one!)

Alex super excited that I'm letting him light things on fire AND that his firecrackers are so freaking loud! (Thanks Austin!) Alex kept calling the sparklers "sprinklers". Teeheehee.

Ry and sparklers

This is my Dad pretending to smoke the punk-we told him he had to lift his pinky finger so he can be Fancy Nancy's grandpa! (Our Syd loves the Fancy Nancy book series and if you've read them you'll notice the similarities between Syd, my Ry and Fancy Nancy!)

Ry took this cool moon shot.

Zach & me.

I'm trying to document that I am actually AT events I blog about. But what I'm truly documenting is that you can tell James isn't home. I'm not wearing any make-up and my hair do is the same from when I cleaned the van earlier in the day. Regardless, here is me loving on my Z. (He still loves me even if I limit his screen time!)

Kam & Dev demonstrating there remarkable ability to shove one of our HUGE marshmallows in their mouth.

But then Austin topped them with THREE!

Roasting marshmellows

Rylee being the Statue of Liberty-I think Zach is being some sort of dragon slayer?

Here's Brach. (He was there the whole time but had somehow avoided getting in any of my pictures?)

I just love those last two sparkler/sprinkler pictures.

Happy 24th!

Missed you James!