A Little More August

Shaved ice in August? Yes, please!

O lost a tooth on the way to the Home Depot. While he was walking around in the store, he lost another one. We can't figure out where it went -- on the ground, down his throat, not sure. He was so concerned about whether or not the tooth fairy could still pay him, so he left this note:

 (By the way, the tooth fairy did pay him!)

S was combing H's hair for him but couldn't get his rooster tail to sit down. What to do? What to do? Yes, cutting it off, while not the best option, certainly is an option.

 Look, Mom! I'm a ninja!

 We babysat my neighbor's cute kids. Here's O with the cutest baby alive:

 One of our favorite activities is riding bikes in the church parking lot. That's S on my bike.

 H with his best buddy:

 S & O. Best friends. I love how S pulls his socks up his legs.

 O giving H a ride on his back pegs.

 At the BYU Creamery getting ice cream:

The summer went by too fast! I was a lot more organized this year and kept the kids on a schedule, which I think they liked. They swam with OTAC every other day, had piano lessons and tennis lessons, participated in the library reading program, attended Shakespeare for Kids and the Bean Museum Presents at the library, each had a 'chef day' when they helped me cook, weeded the garden regularly, and kept the house reasonably clean. Since J went into negative vacation time when he was in Alaska for the entire month of May, we didn't take a family vacation. Instead, we camped out in the tent in our backyard and had marshmallow roasts over a fire by the garden. It's so fun to watch the boys become best friends -- playing, learning, and growing together. When they were tiny, I didn't have this kind of perspective. The fighting, crying, whining, and constant neediness drove me crazy. Now that they're older, they are more patient with each other and with me. I'm more patient with them too. I love their energy and their wacky ideas and jokes. They are constantly cooking up creative things to do and keeping me on my toes. I love these boys!

School Days Once Again

 When school started, the boys were definitely ready to go. S is in 6th grade, O in 2nd, and H started Kindergarten. I love how these brothers are best friends!

 When did I get old enough to have a 6th grader?!? How did my fat little baby turn into someone ready for Jr. High next year? Ah!!

 H was ready to start school the same day as his brothers. Sorry, little man, one more week for you.

 O with his teacher this year, Mrs. Cullimore.

 Packing up his scooter by himself like the big boy he is.

 I got to drive carpool to S's school the first day. How fun!

 H, after waiting for a week (and asking me every day, multiple times a day) finally started school!

 Oh wait -- that wasn't H on his first day of school. That was him wanting to go to school before he started. This is what he wore on the first day:

 What a handsome little man!

 H with his teacher, Mrs. Smiley. (Yes, that is really her name, and yes, perfect name for a Kindergarten teacher.)

 Busy at work coloring. Did not even care that I was leaving. *sniff, sniff* (And Hooray!)

 S went with us to drop the younger two off at school. What a handsome group of boys!

On the second day of school, S came home complaining of a headache. Coming in from recess, he had tripped on someone else's feet, fallen down, and had the owner of the feet plus another person fall on him and knock his head into the ground. After comparing his pupils (they were the same size) I told him to drink water and rest. The next morning his headache was worse. He felt sick to his stomach and could barely walk straight. I told him he should stay home from school, but he couldn't bear the thought (his teacher this year and his friends are fabulous!! I love them all!), so he got dressed, and told me he was going to practice the piano. I was in the kitchen making breakfast and heard him start playing. "Oh wow," thinks I to myself, "He really is feeling better! I'm glad he's upright enough to play that song!" Um,
…no. It was memorized, played like this:

 I was really impressed. And I kept him home that day. It was a minor contusion, and he was back to school the next day.

We had a friend come over and bring her daughter to play. She really likes H :)

Ultimate Tri Relay

 (aka: Ultimate Throw-Up Relay)

My old college roomie Louise lives up in Cache Valley and does triathlons. I haven't gotten to the swimming-biking yet, but she found a race we could do together. The Ultimate Tri relay is comprised of 4 swim/4 bike/4 run -12 legs, totaling over 130 miles in one day. Louise asked me if I would come run two 6-mile legs. She swam one leg and biked one. The other 4 people on the team covered the rest. I woke at 4AM to meet a few other teammates to carpool with. And I puked on the way up. Yuck. After arriving at Pineview reservoir, I huddled in the backseat of the car until I could get myself upright for this picture:

 and to watch my friend Louise swim...

 ...emerge from the water...

 ...still emerging...

 ...run up the beach and pass the slap bracelet off to the first biker.

The rest was a blur. I remember a black truck, nausea, a 6-mile run (1.5 miles out, 1.5 miles back, 1.5 miles out, 1.5 miles back -- really, triathletes? Can't make the course a little more scenic?), more nausea, bumpity bumpity bumpity, eating, throwing up, and this run by Jordanelle Reservoir.

 Coming back from my first 3 miles

 Contemplating why I had to run the same 1.5 miles there and back again

And finally decorating the side of the black truck with vomit as we drove into Midway. Yeah. Wow.

So, those triathletes are a completely different breed of person! They're almost scary. But my team was fun and great and amazing. I'm glad they put up with the non-triathlete and her pukey chunks. Not sure if I'm going to do it again. Actually, I'm not sure that I'm invited...