Monday, February 28, 2011

Hodge Podge of Pictures...

 Playing "Just Dance" on the Wii....

 Watching and laughing and the people playing "Just Dance"
 And really laughing when we talked Bill and James into playing....
Alex getting a "how to wash your face" lesson from Rylee....
James' famous nightly popcorn.....
Dev & Jaz
Austin @ Basektball #19
Alex @ basketball
Alex talking (or listening as he no longer speaks Ukraine) to his 1/2 brother Ivan.
That's baby Igor, and he is so cute. (Yes, I know Ivan doesn't have a shirt on and that it's below zero temps in Ukraine. He never has a shirt on when he Skypes with us. No one knows why.)
Devree & her amazing bubble....
Devree @ basketball
Team treats
Amazing Hair.....
February Birthdays!
We have Troy, Shaundra, James, Arron, Zach and Jake's birthday in February. We got together quick before Troy left for his first two week hitch to celebrate - with the emphasis on Z-boy. Here's Z doing his favorite thing with our nephew (Jake's son) Bo.



Ty & Z
Some of the group...
More of the group...
The cake BEFORE I lit all the candles....
And After....
A close up of the "FIRE" truck that literally lit on fire!
(The plan was that Z would blow out the candles (as he's the only little guy and we were trying to make this more about him) . Everyone is singing - loudly - and I notice the fire truck is on fire! I'm trying to yell - I'm holding the inferno of a cake - "The fire trucks on fire!" No one can hear me over the singing. Then I try to blow out just the fire truck.  Z looks at me curiously,  "Why is Aunt Wendy blowing out my candles?" written all over his face. James seeing the situation comes up and with a  big breath just blows out everything! Candles and fire truck together. Z's face is so sad. Crushed would be the best word. I quickly explain that Uncle James had to blow out his cake because the fire truck was on fire and we pull the number 6 candle out and stick it in a cupcake and sing again and let him blow out the candle.
Whew.
And by the way....I didn't put all those candles in the cake. I just lit them all!)



Brothers....

Brach and Tyler asking Grandpa about his military service. 
My three handsome brothers....

Sunday, February 27, 2011

Devree's (#33) Basketball Photo's
























She played hard and she learned a lot!
So proud of you Dev!

Friday, February 25, 2011

Kid Update!

It happened.
I knew one day it would.
It was inevitable.
At Costco today I was checking out. Alex and Rylee were with me. They're standing side by side watching the guy fill our cart and he's telling them silly jokes and then he looks closely at them and asks....

"Are you two twins?"

Yep.
He did.
How's that for fitting in?

It's been awhile since I've updated what's going on with each of my bambino's. So here goes...

KAMBREE  is in California as we speak at a drill competition. She just interviewed for an ambassador scholarship, and just put a deposit on her apartment for next year. She hasn't been home since my birthday but we've been in contact almost daily. Thank goodness for FB and texting.

AUSTIN is heading to California next month with his Acapella. He needs to find a job. I just don't want him to work on Sunday's and he just doesn't want to.....work? No, I think he wants to work but nothing yucky. Well, at sixteen not a lot of un-yucky choices. He's taking the ACT next week. The Saturday I got home he had nothing to wear. (Because no one did any laundry while we were gone. Except Devree who only washed her basketball uniform.) So he wore his PJ's all day. The matching one's that look like little old men? I bought them for him and Alex for Christmas. He wore them ALL day. (He actually did have jeans and plenty of shirts to wear but since his daily apparel consists of gym shorts and plain white T-shirts. Every. Day. He claimed he had nothing to wear!) He even went to his friends dressed in his PJ's. Met a girl there who apparently comes from a very rich family, went to her house (which was "sick") and now she refers to him as PJ's. Yep. That would be my son.

DEVREE's basketball season is over.....hallelujah! Not that I don't love for her to play but I am so looking forward to not picking her up every day and taking her to practice. Did I mention that it was every day? Geez.
She's still pulling straight A's, has an active social life, serving in student government and just all around crazy busy. We've been trying to work out her 10th grade classes and she wants to do so many things, try out for the musical, be in PLT (Peer Leadership Training) and of course basketball. Not sure we can fit it all in with her regular classes and seminary. It's almost as if each child has to pick ONE thing and do it. What ever happened to being well rounded? If you're on the bb team you need to take Woman's Athletics all year, yet musical rehearsals are over and done with before basketball starts. We're hoping she can do 1/4 musical and then switch over to basketball. Who knows? I just know that she can't turn 16 fast enough to drive herself places! (And she only turns 15 late July!)

ALEX also had to select his classes for 7th grade. Slightly easier than Devree. He went with choir, art and shop. He's pretty nervous about going to junior high with all the "mean" kids. I asked him if all the kids in his elementary are "mean". "No." "Well, all the kids in Junior High are not mean either. They're just like you." Then after he went to 7th grade orientation this week he seemed much more relieved. He's trying really hard in school, expressing himself better, joining in on conversations, and really such a sweet boy. I joke that he is the child that will take care of me in my old age but really....I'm not joking. He is very concerned about me. Asking how my day went, if he can help me with anything and letting me know where he is if I need him for anything. He's worried about growing right now. He's grown a lot since arriving home and is now weighing ninety pounds but I think the fact that Rylee is approaching him in height has him worried. I tried to explain that girls get their height earlier than boys but you can tell he's a tad bothered by it. He wants to be big and have big "these" (pointing to his biceps) like Dad and Austin. Austin's biceps come from heredity. He's done nothing to deserve them, James on the other hand goes to the gym, works out and has a well deserved, large set of guns that I think Alex is hoping he'll magically wake up with one day. Not so sure Alex has those genes. We'll just have to wait and see.

RYLEE is looking so much older in her braces. I told her I wouldn't sign her maturation permission slip because then she couldn't grow up. She didn't go for it. She is a whirlwind. Even Troy commented on it. You know everywhere Ry's been because she leaves a path of destruction. Shoes, back pack, coat, dance bag....all through the house. I refuse to pick things up so about ten times a day I'm calling her in a room to figure out what she needs to take care of. After coming home from our trip and realizing that my single brother even noticed her whirlwind effects....I had a plan. THREE days of leaving NOTHING out. NOTHING. Would earn her a (gulp) a  Webkin. I picked three days because I sincerely didn't think she could do it. But she did it. Without a mistake. (That was why we were at Costco today. Buying a three pack of Webkins. Three at Costco are cheaper than ONE at Toys R Us). I felt a little snookered after our deal but quickly thought up plan #2! Now that I know she can clean up after herself, if I have to mention to her more than TWO times each day to pick up her stuff.... I get to KEEP a Webkin for 24 hours and that time will double after each incident!!! (You should have seen the terror.) "My Webkins?" "Yep." So far, I am noticing marked improvement on Whirlwind Rylee activity!

JAMES is working on the basment (hurray!) and building a new sled. (Yes another invention!) It's been great to have him home a little longer this hitch but next hitch he's gone for three weeks instead of two as he's switching hitches. Boo.

Midnight & Ella still dislike each other. Just in case you were wondering.  Ella just tries to steer clear of Midnight. Usually it's the dog that has the higher pecking order isn't it? Not in our house. The cat rules the dog.
And although both are adopted into this house....no one is mistaking them for twins!


Thursday, February 24, 2011

And The Cats Came Back!

Cat #1
Months ago, I found a new home for our cat, Midnight. With my brother Troy. My single brother without a dog. She LOVED living with Troy. She had the whole place to herself, she was spoiled rotten, she didn't have to contend with Ella and I didn't have to contend with her! Win/win for everyone. Except my kids. They missed her, but since she was gone a few days before anyone really even noticed.....how bad did they really miss her? Not much I'm telling you.

Cat #2
For Christmas Rylee got a new Webkin's cat. For those unfamiliar with Webkins, consider yourself blessed. (Stuffed animal with special code to log into a website and create a virtual world for your pet, complete with an apartment to furnish, games to play, parties to plan.) Rylee decided to name this cat Midnight after our beloved pet that had gone on to live the high life with my brother. Once you type in your name for your Webkins pet, it's set in stone for the life of your Webkin in their virtual world. Well, she had a slight type-o and now this cat is forever known as....Midnighr. Yes. That's right. Just like it sounds. 
January 5th Midnighr went missing. Gone. No where to be found. He was lost somewhere between my bed and Rylee's bed. We looked, we cleaned, we moved furniture. Nothing. Disappeared. I have had one sad little girl over this missing cat.

Fast forward to this week.

Well, my brother Troy got a great job doing something similar to James. Working away from home for two weeks then home for two weeks. So, guess who now has joint custody of Midnight? Yep, that right. Me. She's back. As fat an sassy as ever and will go back home with Troy when he comes home. We'll be making the cat exchange every two weeks. Lovely. (The kids were thrilled.)

The night before Midnights arrival, I went to tuck Rylee into bed, she has silent tears streaming down her cheeks,  "What's wrong?" I asked. "I miss Midnighr!" she cries. 
*Sigh* 
I told her I had no idea where he was, maybe he was stolen and then I got the brilliant idea that maybe Ella dragged him out the dog door? The next day Rylee checked the yard and brought a bucket of dog toys in, my salsa bowl, my 1/4 cup measuring cup and......Midnighr!

Both cats back on the same day.

Monday, February 21, 2011

When you don't have the words....just shrug!

So, this is the 2nd trip we've taken....just the two of us, since bringing Alex home. The first time was about six months after he came home. Despite me going over and over our agenda, and what he would be doing, and who would be taking care of him and assuring him we'd be coming home, he had a really rough time. He announced to his teacher the first day we left, that his mom was gone and was never coming back. He was very upset. I had clued the teacher in before we left and she assured him I would be home but he wouldn't be comforted. He would just shrug like "Yeah, whatever. You don't know." He was sure we were never coming back. As the week progressed he relaxed and let up until the last day he told his teacher "12 hours and my mom home!"
This time Alex has been home just over 21 months and much more acclimated to life here. Before leaving this time I talked to him again about leaving, about how upset he was last time and he laughed about it and sort of a shrugged with a  "I'll be fine. Just go. Don't worry." attitude.
Whew. 
(Last time I felt very guilty!)
So imagine my surprise when I heard he stayed home sick from church AND school on Tuesday. Sick to his stomach, yet able to eat and go to basketball practice. My brother Troy was pretty sure he wasn't sick but just missing his mom. 
We talked about it when I got home. I asked if he was really sick. "Yes, my tummy hurt."  We talked about having a nervous tummy and how our tummies can feel sick when we are worried or scared. Alex shrugged a maybe and then gave me a nod. Ah-ha, he was worried and missing his parents.

Later, I read over his journal entries he wrote while we are away. The stress he feels is pretty apparent:

2/14  (First day gone) I am grateful that I have a mom because she helps us when we need help.


2/15 (We called in and checked on the kids) I am grateful that my mom and dad are safe.


2/18 (We had been calling from the airport and checking on the kids) I am grateful that my mom and dad are safe because they are the only family I have right now.


2/20 (Yesterday) It is awesome having mom and dad home because I like them bossing me around. (I asked for an explanation on this one and he explained that he'd rather have us bossing him around then his sisters!)


2/21  (And again today) I am grateful that my mom and dad are safe at home.

On Sunday I was making breakfast and Alex was watching me and just blurted out "Mom, do you know how awesome you are?"  I looked at him a bit surprised and asked him why I was so awesome? He shrugged.
That afternoon after church a sweet lady in our ward (who is enamored by Alex) asked me if he missed me? Alex was standing right behind me and upon hearing his name popped in and asked "What?" She asked him, "Did you miss her?", pointing to me. His eyes got big and he nodded vigorously. I think most boys he's age would have scoffed and/or made a joke.
Nothing funny about not having mom around with Alex.
Love, love, love that part of raising Alex. He does not take having a mom for granite.
In his reading this afternoon he came across the word  "itsy-bitsy" and asked what it meant. I told him the meaning and then I pulled him into my lap and taught him the "itsty-bitsy" spider song, complete with actions, explaining that most children learn this song as a baby. We laughed and cuddled for a minute.
*Sigh*
. Pretty soon he'll be too big for me to pull on to my lap, and treat him like the toddler I missed raising.
Sometimes when I'm around little boys, I try to imagine Alex at that age.
I talked to him once about it, telling him how I wish I had the chance to know him as a little guy. And guess what he said?
Nothing.
He just shrugged.


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