Selling Alex

The other night Alex was talking about when we sell him...
Me: What?
Alex: You know, when you sell me?
(Confused and concerned on my part.)
Alex, we're not going to sell you.
(Frustrated sigh from Alex)
You know at the temple....when you sell me?
(Light dawning for me.)
Oh, you mean when we have you sealed to us at the temple?
(Look of "finally you figured it out" from Alex)
Yes!
The word is sealed Alex, not sell! Big difference.

((Good grief))

For those that are unfamiliar.
Sealing: An ordinance performed in the temple eternally uniting a husband and wife, or children and their parents.
For more info about LDS Temples visit this link.

A Card Laid is a Card Played!

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I don't know if Kambree will appreciate this but I'm posting her school assignment on my blog. I just loved it!

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A Card Laid is a Card Played

There are a few things my whole family does together. We are pretty good at showing up for most birthdays and holidays. However, if you mention Lake Powell vacations aunts, uncles, cousins, and grandparents make room in their busy schedules to be together. We try to fill each moment with as much fun and laughter as possible. Our favorite things to do are water skiing early in the morning on the glassy lake, reading a good book (mostly my mom, grandma, and myself), cliff jumping, and so much more. However, my very favorite thing to do at Lake Powell with my family is play cards.

The best thing about playing cards with my family is everyone plays even the younger cousins. There are very few things in this world that involve people age five to age sixty. I love seeing the sun burnt happy faces of my family around the card table. You can see in our expressions that we love this time together and we play for hours and late into the night. As time passes one by one the weak will leave the table and go to sleep. Only the true card masters remain diligent enduring to the end of the game. These masters are usually my uncles, my aunt Kammy, my mom, and I. However, there is only one true card master in my family and that’s my uncle Troy.

My uncle Troy has mastered the poker face. Usually you can read peoples expressions and you know what kind of hand they have, but not Troy. When he is dealt a hand he has the same facial expression every time, so don’t even try to read him because you won’t be able to. Troy is also extremely anal about rules. Some of his favorite rules to enforce are you must deal cards and rotate turns in only one certain direction, you must keep cards in order when dealing and drawing, and his favorite saying is “a card laid is a card played”. He isn’t all that bad if little cousins’ mess up, he will let the rules slide. However, if you are twelve or older, then no way, each rule must be followed. I hate to admit it, but he wins most card games that have to do with strategy because he keeps special track of what cards everyone draws and discards. He’s not very good at luck games where it doesn’t matter what you strategy is, but it all depends on which cards you are dealt. Troy makes our card games fun and he keeps the game moving because we usually get side tracked. Getting side tracked isn’t always a bad thing when my family plays cards together. This is the time where we laugh, share stories, and talk extremely loud. There is usually two or more conversations going on at all times, which means we are usually yelling over each other so we can be heard. The funny thing is we tell the same stories every time. I cannot tell you how many times I have heard the story about how my brother got his nick name Soggy Augy or when we ran out of gas and had to camp on a random beach. Then we made my brother Austin, and Uncle Arron sleep on the rocky beach and not the boat because they snore like grizzly bears. But no matter how many times we have heard these stories they still make us laugh.

I love playing cards with my family at Lake Powell. You might wonder why playing cards is my favorite thing to do when there are so many more fun things to do at Lake Powell for instance cliff jumping, hiking, tubing, etc. Also, you might think that I can play cards anytime at home with my family. The thing that makes playing cards at Lake Powell so fun is that the whole family is there and no one has to leave early so they can get to work in the morning. We are all stuck together with nothing better to do so we can focus on the family and not the world. Card games bring my family together and I am so excited for our next family vacation.

Hum....anyone have connections for a Lake Powell time share?

Kambree's Valentines Serenade

I just had to share this.

This happened on Valentines Day.

Last year she was serenaded by four of these cute boys but this year their numbers grew!

(They actually serenade A LOT of girls-making them even more cute!)

So cute.

Makes me have hope for the future.....so sweet!

Pillow Talk

Last night the kids and I watched "Amelia"-the story of Amelia Earhart. Alex asked how come I always rent boring movies? In all truth it was very boring. There's a part when Amelia is proposed to and I asked Alex-in an effort to make the movie more exciting-just how he planned on proposing to his future wife and he told me laughingly that he would not tell me. Like he already had a plan and everything. I convinced him-with a few tickles-to tell me but he didn't want Rylee to hear so he whispered in my ear. "I get two rings and say 'will you marry me?'" Very sweet and simple and such a tender whisper. I assured him that any girl he asks will say "OF COURSE I WILL!"
Everyone except Alex fell asleep before the movie ended. I got Rylee and Dev into bed and went to tuck in Alex. He asked me for a story so I gave him the Three Bears. He loved it but said in the Ukraine version Goldi Locks cleans the house. "Are you sure you're not thinking about Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs?"
"No."
Hum...maybe Goldilocks is more considerate in Ukraine? After hugs and kisses I went to leave and hear a little:
"Mom, may I sleep with you?" (Yes, just perfect like that.)
Yes. I said.
"Really? Whoohoo!!"
And he jumped out of bed and ran down to my room with a big grin.
I always read before I go to sleep so he got up to go get his book. That held is attention for about five minutes. Then he kept asking me random questions so I gave up reading and turned the light off and answered question after question. I started to drift off as he began telling me all about the aliens on Halo and their purple blood. (He's convinced that by playing Halo he will be able to defend our family from alien invaders. The only reason I allow this shooting game in my house is because they're not shooting people but aliens!)
A: Mom you sleeping?
Me: What? Oh, yes. Sorry. I got up at five to go to the gym this morning. I'm tired.
A: Why you go to gym at five o'clock?
Me: So you won't have the worlds fattest mom.
A: Mom, you not fat.
Me: Aww, thanks Alex.
A: You the bestest mom.
Me: Thanks, Alex. You're the best boy.
A: I think you skinny and beautiful.....when you were sixteen.
Me: Uh....thanks?
Alex: Mom I just like to talk and talk. And then he made some incoherent sentence with the word lonely in it. (It's 12:30 am at this point.)
Me: Alex, how can you feel lonely? You're sleeping with your mom. Tomorrow we can talk and talk. (Keep in mind we've talked for about forty five minutes by now and I am seriously having a hard time staying awake!)
So he resigned to hold my hand and we both fell asleep. The good news is he didn't talk in English or Russian in his sleep and we all managed to sleep in until almost eight thirty!
Today he and Austin had basketball games. Alex's little team got stomped on. So bad that they turned the score board off. Afterwards he came to get me on the bleachers and said with a very serious face. They beat us by two. I was speechless. Is he serious? They probably beat them by forty. "Uh....I think it was a little more than two honey." Then his face split into a big grin. "I'm just kidding!" On the way out the door he says laughing and completely pleased with himself, "I got you good...huh Mom?" "Yes, Alex you got me good!"

Just got home from talking to some amazing mom's that have also adopted through the Save A Child foundation. There are mom's there adopting for the first time and some going back for the third time adopting their forth and fifth Ukrainian. Wow. Truly amazing women.
So I have to share a funny story about a child (not Alex) that will remain nameless as she/he doesn't not see the humor in this BUT I find it incredible funny.
Last night while studying with said unnamed child for this HUGE test on the Constitution, I was reading questions from a practice test. The question was:
Who delivers the State of the Union Address?
And quick as a lick said child answers:
THE MAIL MAN!!!
Ha, Ha, Ha! Delivers, address, mail man.......of course! Get it?? Too funny.
Last night I told Alex the story of the three pigs before bedtime. I've just been thinking about how he hasn't ever had bedtime stories. I happen to be a pretty good story teller so it did hold his attention and then he asked for the three bears and the three mice. (Blind mice?) I told him we'd save those for another night. Funny how it takes me nine months to think about telling stories but then he probably wouldn't have understood them if I had thought to tell them any sooner.
I wonder what other things I haven't thought of. Christmas threw me-we have so many things that are personalized. I remembered the stockings and didn't put them up until I had one for him but I didn't think about the painted Santa holding stockings with every one's names.
I also didn't think about our out late night "heart" routine. You see, I had a family home evening wall hanging that had a heart for each person painted with their name and you would hang it on who is giving the lesson, prayer, song etc. The hanger is long gone but the hearts I keep in the little drawer in our foyer and at night I set out the hearts of who is still out-usually Kambree and Austin-and leave the light on and the door unlocked. This way when one of them come home they can see who is still out, put their heart away and leave the light on and the door open for the next person. The last person/heart on the table locks the door and turns off the light. (They still have to come and tell me they're home-even if I fall asleep-or else I fly down to their rooms at 2 am and shake them awake all in a panic that they're still out!) Our heart system works really well-as long as they come and tell me goodnight. Alex asked the other day where HIS heart was? Thinking fast I explained that as soon as he starts staying out late I will have a heart for him too. Great. I have such issues with matching (OCDness) that I know I will have to re-do all the hearts so they match, just like the Christmas stockings and I'm already looking for FIVE Easter Baskets. Good grief. The things no one tells you about when you expand your family after 9.5 years!

Alex & English....

In an effort to come up with a good reason to not eat his green beans:
"Mom, this rice make me don't eat beans."
Ha. Nice try.
On Saturday Alex asked me:
"Mom, I good boy or bad boy?"
Me: Oh, you are most definitely a good boy. What do you think?
A: I try be good boy.
Me: Yes, sweetie I know. Sometimes you get mad but I don't think you're ever bad.
Later I asked him why he asked me about being good or bad.
Me: Is it because no one has ever told you you were a good boy?
A: Yes.
Which is probably true and makes me sad. Even now in our home. Which is not to say we don't praise him, we do. But you tell your toddlers things like "That's a good boy." "Your such a good boy", "Wow, what a good boy." But to say such things to an eleven year old sounds a little dorky-apparently we need to get some "good boys" in so Alex knows he's good. (This is not to say we don't tell him things like "awesome", "perfect" or "good job" and I'm sure I've told him "good boy" at some time or other but apparently he doesn't remember OR at the time didn't understand. I will have to work on that-even if it sounds dorky to me!)
Alex wanted to warm up some left overs in the microwave.
"Mom, what I put it?" (Translation: How long do I cook this for?)
Alex LOVES to talk through sacrament meeting. He's learned if he asks me church related questions that I'm more apt to actually answer and talk with him. This week he wanted to know why Austin's friend Hayden didn't attend our ward. He has a hard time comprehending that there are MANY church houses in our area and yet we all belong to the same church. He's also very concerned about how he will learn to pass the sacrament when he turns twelve. I tried to explain that where you sit determines what area you will pass to but he just wasn't getting it. Finally I said, talk to Austin later, he'll explain. (Which he did.)

After church Alex is one of the first children in the Relief Society room. He finds me immediately and comes and lays his head against my shoulder or hugs me if I'm sitting down. This week I was walking when he found me and he laid his head squarely between my should blades and proceeded to walk right behind me telling me "I stick you like glue." "Yep, I said, you're my velcro boy." and I wrapped my arm around him and pulled him beside me.
Last night while clipping his nails with nail clippers-an ordeal as Alex likes to keep his pointer finger long for prying apart his Lego's and possibly picking his nose-he proclaimed in defiance, "Mom, next time I use scissors." "That's fine" I said, "I don't care as long as you trim your nails and keep them clean." Then with a twinkle in his eye he asks, "Can I cut them and chop off fingers so blood go (insert sound effect of blood gushing all over)?" "Sure," I said nonchalantly and not looking up from my book, "Just don't get blood on the carpet." He looked at me for a split second then burst out laughing. Rylee on the other hand was appalled. "Mom, if your son had bleeding fingers you would only worry about the carpet?" I had to explain that Alex knew I was joking. Girls just don't appreciate dry, morbid humor.
A few nights ago Alex was pretty discouraged about writing in his journal. He didn't understand why he needed to do it. I explained that writing his thoughts in his journal helps him structure sentences, find the words to express himself, and work on his spelling. He nodded and continued. I was pretty sure he didn't see it how I see it and was just trudging through it because he's obedient and tries hard to be a "good boy."
But, this morning (three days later) while I was dusting and blocking Alex's video game playing Alex tells me:
"Mom, thank you teach me English."
Just like that.
Out of the blue.
Which reminds me that more than once he has tried to convince me to let him stay home and home school him as "You teach me most English." Which is sweet and true but there is NO way I'm home schooling. No way. No how.
Alex was pretty excited for Walentines Day.
(Yes, I meant to spell that with a W-as that's how Alex says it.)
On a different, un-English note, Alex is really struggling to brush his teeth lately. He was doing so well after he first got his braces on that I let up and stopped checking his performance. So after sending him back five times, picking plaque out of his teeth with a toothpick-to show him what plague is, finally brushing them myself-which resulted in tears and bleeding gums due to his lackadaisical weeks of brushing-they finally were clean. I got him a softer and smaller tooth brush thinking that might help the next day. Nope. The next four nights-same drill.
"Alex, did you brush? Let me check. Nope, go back, there's stuff between your braces. Let me check again. Nope, there's stuff down here-look can't you see it?" Alex with exasperation would walk off and try again. By the 3rd or 4th time he'd get it right. Last night after FIVE times and twenty minutes I had enough. "Alex, this is ridiculous. You know how to brush your teeth and you're just hurrying through it and doing a crappy job hoping I won't check. Tomorrow you get one chance, if you can't get it right than no video games the next day." His eyes look at me in surprised horror. "Do you think you can brush your teeth correctly the first time tomorrow?" Vigorous nod and a "Yes!" It's disheartening that I have to resort to privilege revoking to get this boy to figure things out. We'll see how things go tonight.
Anyone else have issues like this?

Introducing the Glummy Bag.....

Hey everyone!
James has his Glummy Bag available on E-bay.
If you're curious to see exactly what it is, here click here for the link!

School Assignments!

Valentines Boxes

Rylee is the Queen of Hearts

But more importantly....

Valentines outfit-notice the red boots!

Alex's first Valentines Box-yes it's a pirate ship and that little pirate is actually a picture of Alex in his Halloween costume! (I did comb his hair today....we made a deal that he could play on the MAC and take funny pictures of himself IF I could comb his hair!)

Alex's Science Project

(He chose this scholarly pose himself!)

When we finished this project Tuesday night-which was a three week ordeal-I taught Alex a new word....

Hallelujah !!

And for extra credit this week Devree and Jazmine had to come up with a song for Science.

Sit back and enjoy their "Rock Song"!

Alex's Blue & Gold Banquet

Thursday night was Alex's Blue & Gold Banquet for scouts. I was thrilled as the whole family was invited so that meant.....I did not have to make dinner!

Rylee came too (Austin elected to stay home and hang out with Hayden) but she wasn't too cooperative when it came to taking her picture. She will regret this lovely look someday!

When we first arrived we were given a game to play with the words "Happy Birthday BSA" and told to make as many words as possible from it. Alex made 14 all by himself. (Hurray, we worked on English and he didn't even know it!)

Devree and Kambree really took the competition to heart. Here they are raising their hands that they had MORE than seventy words.

Kambree won with seventy nine but Devree was a close second with seventy one!

Here is Kambree with her MAJOR award!

Note to James: Okay, so I just hooked the camera up to the MAC and imported the pictures. No program or anything. It was super easy. This is my first post on the MAC. I think it's going to be cool once I get the hang of it. I tagged a few of our pictures and then it was able to recognize the rest-although it gets Kambree, Devree and me mixed up=which only makes me feel like my computer thinks of me as a sister and not the mother! I'm loving it already.

Still have lots to learn but so far....I really like it.

Our new MAC

I got a MAC computer this week.
It's got lots of great features.
The kids favorite feature is the photo thing.
I have no idea how to use it but they've mastered it.
Here are some of their master pieces:

Even the dog got in on it....

And the biggest kid of all......James!