Balloons

We love balloons at our house.  I guess I speak too freely when I say that.  Mike doesn't like balloons.  Who doesn't like balloons!?  I just can't even imagine it.  Anyway, we love balloons and are always excited for an excuse to have them in the house. 

We used balloons as the decorations at our RS birthday party, so between that, and Nate's birthday, we had a lot of balloons around.  We were getting ready for dinner when Allie came into the room looking like this.  It totally cracked me up.

Of course, the brothers wanted to get involved.

Jake might have a bit of Mike in him because he just wanted to shoot the balloons.  He begged every day.  I kept putting him off because I had wanted to take pictures of them.  Pretty soon, he had the littles on board to shoot the balloons, so we had to take some pictures fast.

They really were fun to have around.
I had to laugh when I walked into the room to find Jason trying to reach a balloon that had a short string.  He moved the chair over so he could reach it...only to find that he was still too short.

I don't have any pictures of the boys shooting balloons, but it did happen.  Allie wasn't happy about it, but the boys sure were.

Worm Season!

When all the snow was gone, Nate came running in from school and excitedly told me that he had seen a worm on the sidewalk.  I shared in his enthusiasm (in words only) and thought that was the end of it.  He had his after school snack and told me he was going out in the back yard.  When I hadn't heard from him in a while, I went out to check on him...

 It is worm season indeed.  This crazy boy loves finding worms.  He gathers them all up in a pile and watches them for hours.  So gross!

Conversation on the way home from school...

Jason makes stuff up.  Sometimes his stories are so convincing that I just don't know it's a story at first.  Here's an example...


Jason: That's John Doe (I actually can't remember what kid he was talking about, so we are just using John Doe).

Me:  He looks like a nice kid!

Jason:  He is a nice kid.  His dad picks him up from school.

Me:  That's nice of him.

Jason:  He picks him up because his mom is dead.

Me:  What!?  That's terrible!  She's dead?

Jason:  Yeah...she's dead.  She got shot.

Me:  I don't know about that Jason. (finally realizing that he's telling one of his "stories")

Jason:  She did!  She got shot and she died.  But you just didn't hear about it.

Me:  I think that would be in the news if someone around here was shot.

Jason:  They didn't put it on the news.  She just got shot.  But you don't have to ask his dad about it.  That would just make him sad.

Me:  Are you sure this isn't one of your stories?

Jason:  Just don't ask his dad about it...
well, yeah...it is one of my stories.  His mom probably isn't dead.  But his dad does come pick him up!

Honor

My dad's older sister died.  She was 10 years older than him.  I knew her pretty well because she lived near me for a little over 10 years of my married life, so I had more of a relationship with her than my siblings.  Her husband died when she was still raising her kids, and then she married a really good man the same year as Mike and I were married.  So we were newly weds together.

I canned tomatoes with her when Jake was a tiny baby and I clung to every story she told of my dad.  I went to the funeral of her husband 4 years ago, and I know many of their family members because we all live in the same town.  I loved my aunt Beverly.

On Saturday, I went to her funeral and saw all sorts of people that I hadn't seen in years.  Some of them were people I hadn't seen in more than 30 years.  I remembered faces and had fun memories of childhood.  I got to chat with my cousin Joey, and meet his kids.  I played with Joey every day for hours until his parent's divorce took him out of our neighborhood.  I got to see that his son has the same eyebrows and eyes as Jason...further evidence of the similarities of Jason to the Johnson side of the family.

I introduced myself to dozens of people at that funeral, and each time, I said "I'm Robert's daughter".  Those are words that I haven't said in so long that it hurts.  I am Robert's daughter.  

Nearly every person said some great thing about my dad and what a shame it was for him to die when he was so young.  Then, they'd ask how my mom was.  Every single one of them had admiring words to say about my mom.  They'd say how lucky my dad was to have her and that she was so good for him.  

I have always been so proud to be my parent's daughter.  It was nice to be reminded that other people think they are pretty great too.

I have grown a lot over the last few years.  I am not as naive as I was as a child, when all I knew were kids who were raised by people who loved each other and who loved their children.  I have grown to know that that scenario is more rare than it should be.  I don't take for granted the fact that my parents are good people.  My parents are wise.  They love me and are proud of me...always have, and always will.  They would do anything for me.  

Physically, my parents are split by the laws of mortality, but I know they are united in their care and devotion to their children.  I am so grateful for that.      

I hope to honor them by living a good life and passing that love and devotion to the five souls that God has entrusted me with.  Honestly, what more can I do?  What can I do to show my parents what they are to me, but to live a good life and to pass on the love.

 I am Sue, daughter of Robert and Pat...it is an honor. 

Conversation at the Kitchen Table

Jason:  Mom?  Can I have some cake?

Me:  Sure.

Jason:  Can I have a piece with lots of frosting?  Because I really like cake, but I don't like cake without frosting.

Me: (giving him a piece of cake with more frosting than cake)  How about this?

Jason:  Yes!  That's the kind I want...Mom, I'm so glad that Jesus made frosting.  Because without the frosting, cake wouldn't be good.  I just really like frosting.



I'm not sure how many times I have told the boy that Jesus didn't really make all the things that he likes...I've just sort of given up.  He'll figure it out one of these days.  For now, it can't hurt to give Him credit for all the good things in the world, because really, we owe everything we have to Heavenly Father and Jesus  :)

Puzzled

We've been putting together a few puzzles lately.  We put together a Harry Potter one, and that inspired the littles to put together ones that they were good at.  

 The big puzzles brought back memories for Allie and Jake, and soon it became a family affair.

I love puzzles.  It was one of my favorite things to do at Christmas time when I was young.  Allie doesn't have much patience for them, Jake thinks pieces fit that obviously don't fit, and Jason and Nate are still a bit young to be good at the more intricate puzzles.  So the jury is out on them, but I'm afraid they'll all have to stick with these big ones for a while.  :)

Conversation on the Way to school...

Someone left the car door open...so we had a dead battery when I went out to take Jason to school.  The jump starter didn't have enough juice to jump it, so we were in a pickle.  My neighbor, Heidi, saved the day by loaning me her car to take Jason to school.  Here is our conversation on the way there...

Me:  You'll have to tell your teacher that our battery was dead, so that's why you are late.

Jason:  I am going to trick everyone.  They are going to see me in this car and think we got a new car.  Then when you come tomorrow, they'll say "what?!  That's your old car!  I thought you got a new car!"  We will have tricked them.

Me:  That is a good idea!

Jason:  This is a nice car.  The seats are soft and even the seatbelt is soft!

Me:  It is super fancy huh!

Jason:  I think if Jesus were here, he'd say "no fair!  You get to drive in a fast car and all I get is a camel!"

Me:  Ha!  Jason, you are funny.

Jason:  And then he'd tell me that he really did invent cream.

Me:  What?

Jason:  He'd tell me that he invented cream!

Me: Ummm, ok?(totally confused for a while, I kept making him repeat his sentence until I remembered the conversation we had just had about whipped cream in the can.  He was professing his love for whipped cream in the can, and saying how glad he was that Jesus invented it.  I told him that Jesus didn't personally invent whip cream. I tried to explain that he did create the cows, and maybe he gave humans the inspiration for it, but he didn't personally come here to give us canned whip cream.  So, now I knew where he was coming from.)

Jason:  Yeah.  When I was saying my prayers, he told me that he invented cream and that he probably wouldn't tell you that.  Just me.  So, you don't have to ask him about it.  He just told me.

(His new thing when he's telling a "story", is to tell me that I don't have to follow through with finding out more information.  He doesn't want to get caught in his lie.)

Seriously...where does he get this stuff!?

Flippin' Awesome!

How's that for title?

We've had some sunshine.  It's so great to see the snow melting away and the tips of the tulip plants peeking out.  

Allie and the boys have been making the trampoline their friend again.  I was making dinner and heard their shouts of joy instead of the shouts and screams of battle in the house (with Nerf guns) and I was happy.  

Here's one of Jason's flips...

 One of Nate's flips...

 And one of Allie's flips...

They do them till they get head aches and come in to rest.
I can't help but look forward to summer.

The Rocket

Allie wanted to make a rocket for a school project.  I was a mean mom and didn't really want to get sucked into her project.  So, I told her to make it and I'd be moral support.

Mike told her where the spray paint was, and she went to work.  

She found some purple paint...her favorite.

The brothers watched on.

By the time she was done, it was really cute!  I loved the little alien guy on the top.  I think she was more proud of herself because she had done it all by herself...start to finish.  Way to go Allie!

The Last Tooth

On the same day that Nate lost his first tooth, Allie lost her last tooth.  The last one until the wisdom teeth come out, I hope.  She got somewhat overshadowed by Nate and his excitement, but now she gets her post.

We've been 6 months since her last dentist appointment, so that means she has lost 8 teeth since then.  Most of those were in the last month or two.  She has holes in her smile, but they'll fill in soon enough.

I think she's beautiful with or without teeth.  :)

Leprechaun Day

When Allie and Jake were little, we had a leprechaun come visit our house.  He used to do all sorts of silly things.  The kids would get so excited to follow a little path of four leaf clovers to see the mischief the leprechaun got up to.  I think our leprechaun got tired.  This year, the kids got a treat and he thought that was more than enough.

Good thing the little Schwabbies were happy with that too.

Jake didn't want to pose, but I made him.  Why do they have to get older and think this like this are dorky instead of beg to be in every photo?

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory

Our school chooses a book for the kids to read with their families each year.  Last year, it was My Side of the Mountain.  I remember reading Frindle, The Mouse and the Motorcycle, and The World According to Humphrey.  There might have been another book or two, but those are the ones I remember.  Anyway, this year, it was Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.  It was so fun to read with the kids.  All of them loved it and I even found that Jake was willing to stay and listen because he remembered and liked certain parts.  

After we finish the book, the school has a literacy night where you go and spend time with your family doing crafts or reading books.  This year was totally crowded, but the kids had fun.  We even dragged Jake along.

 They had a room where you created your own candy bar wrapper.

And a room where you created an employee of the chocolate factory.

Willy Wonka himself was even there!

They gave out tons of candy and the kids who go to school there were able to pick out a book.  Nate chose a Star Wars book and Allie got There is a Boy in the Girl's Bathroom.  We've already started reading it together because we got into a good groove of reading at night.  I love this tradition!  I love books!

Conversation at Breakfast...

Me:  Nate!  You are 7!  This is your first real day as a seven year old.  How do you feel?

Nate:  I feel good.  I looked in the mirror and I look older.  I knew I would.

Me:  Maybe it seems like it, but you don't really look older to me!

Nate:  Yes I do!  I used to have a long and skinny face with my ears sticking out and now my face is more round and fat and my ears don't stick out as much.

Me:  Really?  I don't see a difference.  You think your ears stick out?

Nate:  Yes.  I want them to go in more and that's why I want to be older.

Me:  I never knew you cared about your ears.

Nate: Well I do.  I don't like how they stick out and make me look like a bunny.

Me:  (by this time, I am laughing like crazy and he is too).  Well, I love your cute ears.

Jason:  I look like a frog...ribbit!


I love my cute little rabbit and frog.

Seven!!!

My cute little Nate is 7!  I can hardly believe it.

Nate's birthday was on a Sunday this  year, so he milked it for all it's worth.  Jason and I showed up at his school on Friday and took him out to lunch.  I made him pose at his desk for a picture.

 Then another pose with his teacher.  She is amazing.

Then, yet another pose with his brother outside the classroom.

 Then, you guessed it, I made him pose at Wendy's.

And I made Jason pose too.

That's what happens when you have a mom that carries around a camera everywhere. :)

So, that was Friday.  He got special attention at lunch, and had a party with friends.  Then, when he woke up on Saturday, Mike took him out to breakfast and to buy a gift together. 
He picked out a pellet gun.  Just what we needed around here. 

They spent the morning shooting targets.

Then, when he woke up on Sunday, he was officially 7!  Cute boy!  He wasn't thrilled about going to church on his birthday.  Mostly because "they don't even give away treats in Primary for your birthday anymore.  They just give you something to put on your wall and that's not fun."  Ha!

 Since the whole family was home, there was no need to wait till evening to open gifts though.  He got some exciting things.  Jason gave him a cap gun (imagine that).  Jake gave him a set of Nerf gun accessories (imagine that!).  Allie gave him a ukulele.  He started asking for one of those just a week before his birthday.  Allie was really excited about that because she's wanted one for a while too and thinks that she can just take over ownership (she might be right).  Then, he also got another Nerf gun.  That kept all the boys busy while Allie and I worked on the cake. 
 

While the cake isn't exactly as bad as the hedgehog disaster of August 2017...it was still pretty bad.
Well, looking at the pictures now, it wasn't that bad.  But it wasn't that good either.
Allie made the whole city scape, and the spider at the top.  I have to claim ownership of the frosting of the cake, but to be fair, it was a rushed job.  Not sure if you could tell...but I didn't have time to let it freeze and do a crumb layer.  So, this is what he got, and he loved it.

I don't have any pictures of the corn dog dinner that was requested, but we did give in to his desires.  I also made sure to have lots of fruit at the table.  We had cousins over, so the distracted kids didn't eat much fruit, but it was there.

Nate,

I am so glad that you came into my life 7 years ago.  I have told you before that you came into my life at just the right time.  You helped to heal my aching heart and helped me have faith that babies can be whole and healthy.
You were always so busy as a toddler and haven't really stopped moving, but you also know when to stop and come in for a hug and some kind words. 
You have really progressed a lot this year.  I can't believe how reading has just clicked the last few months and there really isn't anything you can't read.  You read our whole passage in the scriptures tonight and really didn't get hung up on too many words.  That's impressive!
You are such a friendly boy.  You like to surround yourself with kids who are as active and fun as you are. 
You love math in school and tell me that you are constantly adding up numbers in your head.  I have heard you do it as we lay in bed at night waiting for you to fall asleep.  You still like to snuggle until you fall asleep, and most times, I don't mind because it's a nice way to wind down my day too.
You and Jason still fight like crazy.  Your punches and kicks have gone from wild, and haphazard to focused, and aimed to inflict pain.  That means there are still a whole lot of tears and finger pointing when a fight arises. 
Even as you fight, you are fiercely loyal to each other.  You are always watching out for Jason and making sure he isn't being left out.  You stick up for him when there is an argument with a different sibling and it's clear that you will always be on Jason's side of the fight.
As for favorite things, you still love green.  You still love to eat all sorts of fruits and any kind of candy. You still rarely eat any food with protein.  You are super skinny, but you don't like to be teased about it.  In fact, you don't like to be teased at all.  That's rough when you come from a family like ours.
You do like steak, grilled chicken, tomato soup and cheese sandwiches and have just started liking peanut butter and honey sandwiches.  However, you won't eat a sandwich that has been sitting around for a little while.  For example, if I put a sandwich in your lunch box, it comes home un-touched.  You don't like bread that is "crusty or soggy" with honey.  So, making a lunch for you is hard. 
You love to play on the xbox and the playstation with your brothers.  In fact, that's really the only screen time you have.  You'd rather do that than watch a show. 
Since Christmas, the "cool" thing to do is to have Nerf battles.  We have bullets all over the house and an occasional scream when someone gets hit in the face.  But, I like that you are all playing together and not on electronics. 
You are in Jason's class in church.  It's just you, Jason, and Finn.  You have our old Bishop Howells, and Shilo as teachers and you are a good boy in class (when you aren't wrestling Jason, trying to get him to be good.)  Your favorite church song is "I Am a Child of God". 
We have "The Greatest Showman" soundtrack at home and you love, love, love that.  You like the song that "Zack Efron and the greatest showman sing in the bar".  You know all the words and were mortified when Allie told you that you were singing a swear word.  Now you make sure to substitute the word. 
You want to be a football coach and a teacher when you grow up. 
You are just such a good kid.  I am so grateful for you and happy that you are one of the little Schwabbies.  We have such a good life, don't we?

I love you forever sweet boy!

Love,
Mom