" I Can Do That When I'm FOUR"

Photos by Jen Herem

Dear Kray Boy,

Today is your birthday (finally), you have been counting down forever.  I wonder if now you can touch the ceiling?  I have to admit I will miss you telling people you are three and a HALF everytime they ask you how old you are.  Most will ask then before you can answer they will guess three and then you have to correct them and tell them how old you really are. 

You are such a sweet boy, but you are a boy and you love to tease your sister and your brother to no end.  The bigger the reaction you get from them the more fun you have and the more you keep at it.  Once you make them cry you hurry and say sorry thinking that will get you out of trouble.  Most of the time you're right.  I try to put you in time out just for alittle bit but you keep reminding me that you said sorry.  You know the rules really well and are using them against me (the rule being you have to say sorry to get out of time out).  Dad has found a new place for your timeout since the stairs really don't work for you anymore.  It's above the fireplace where the TV is supposed to go.  We don't have a TV there anymore just some decorations and you can't get out.  You aren't very fond of it up there but it gets the job done.  You are spending less and less time there but as we speak you are fake punching your brother and he is running to me for help.  You get close enough and he hits you then you kindly remind him that we don't hit and I kindly remind you that we don't tease.  You just gave me the biggest smile (the one I love and melts my heart every time.  Your eyes, oh Krayden your eyes.  Then you run away)

You make my day everyday.  You still like me to hold and cuddle you.  Whenever you get really tired, fustrated, or just need a moment you say "I want you, I want you, I want you to hold me" then you curl up into my lap so tight and just sit.  Some times it can be for one minute and others it's more like twenty.  I love that you still like to sit on my lap, but you hate it when I tickle your back while you are "resting".  You tell me it feels like I am scratching you.  But you do like if I just rub your back, and you tell me to often. 

Krayden I am so proud of you.  You try so hard everyday to be a big boy.  You wish you were as old as Kynlee, and I wish you would stop growing.  Your favorite thing to tell me is "I'm trying" I tell you to put on your shoes and you tell me "I'm trying" I tell you to brush your teeth and you tell me "I'm trying" I tell you to put on your jammies and you tell me "I'm trying" all while just standing there.  I think it is so funny.  Then I start to help you and you tell me no, that you can do it.  It takes us FOREVER to get ready in the mornings.  I mean everything I tell you to do you tell me you are trying.  

You have taught Trevin how to "fly".  You still flap your arms when you get exited and now so does Trevin.  Krayden I want you to know how much Trevin looks up to you.  He tries to copy your every move.  You are very protective of him and you let EVERYONE know that he is YOUR brother.  Please remember that you are an older brother and be an example.  So far you are teaching him great things, you are teaching him to share (even though sometimes you HATE it), you are teaching him that you are his friend, you are teaching him how to play, and you are teaching him what big brothers are all about they can tease you and beat up on you but in the end they will always have your back.

Krayden you LOVE to play computer games.  If I would let you I bet you would spend ALL day on the computer.  You are good at them too, you amaze me how you can turn on, load a game and then figure out what you are supposed to do.  Right now your favorite games is the pirates.  You can get bigger weapons and a bigger boat with how many points you have and you love it.  Your favorite part is when you shoot a missle and it knocks one of the "bad" pirates off is boat. You also love BOXING.  I have no idea where this came from but you love to PUNCH.  Your favorite punching bag is your dad's tummy.  I tried it once and you can really throw a good one.  I don't volunteer any more. 

You would rather eat anything but cereal for breakfast.  You like mac and cheese and long noodles (ramen).  When I don't make something you like you threaten me with the words of El Bandito "do you want me cut you like a stinky burrito?" And you can drink a gallon of juice a day.  I swear you are constantly thirsty.

Kray Boy, I love you so much.  I am so glad that you are in our family.  I am blessed everyday because I get to be your mom.  Today you chose to eat at "the music kids meal" aka McDonalds.  So that is where we are off too.  I love to see you run and play and have fun.  You make my heart swell.  Happy Birthday big boy, and just so you know I'm happy you can't touch the ceiling quite yet. 

Love,

Mom

Trevin Got Tubes...

and HATED every minute of it!!

Seriously, every minute.  I would get him distracted with a toy and a new person in scrubs would walk by and he would scream and run to me.  I guess with all the doctor appointment recently he has figured out that those who wear scrubs often inflict pain.  We got to the point with medicine that we had to start giving shots.  That was a pain, we had to go once a day for three days to get the shot at the doctor's office and it was pure awfulness. 

The procedure took about ten minutes but the recovery was long and painful, long for him and painful more me.  The surgery actually left his ears feeling better with  having to go under and then coming around again was not so fun.  We couldn't leave until he had some juice or slush and he was super stubborn on both.  Just f.y.i primary childrens has the best slushies ever, I ended up eating it and enjoyed every bite.  So anyways about 45 minutes later he finally drank his juice and we were able to go home.  He cried the whole way out in the wagon.  He was a trooper though and now we very happy to be hopefully done with ear infections!! 

All for the LOVE

of CHURCH basketball

This was pretty much right after it happened.  It got bigger and then turned some different shades of purple but don't worry a week and a half later it's now just some lovely shades of green and yellow and just a medium size growth on my leg.

I admit I might take church basketball a little too SERIOUSLY.  I DON'T want to lose, I don't LIKE to lose but who does? We were down by 5 with a little over 4 minutes to play (we had just been tied like three minutes before).  Our stake does stop the clock for ANYTHING (this really bugs me) I mean anything, not timeouts, not free throws, who name it the clock runs.  Half the time the clock starts before we even jump.  So any way I knew that time was RUNNING out.  I had already spent half the game on the floor, I was either fouled really hard or I was going for loose balls.  For some reason I can't just let a ball go out of bounds if I am near by.  My head just doesn't work that way.  Some times I wish it did it would save  me a lot of pain.  I think about it after the fact, like after I have a floor burn the size of Texas, or a jammed finger because I slipped on someone's jacket and slid into a chair (don't worry the wall stopped any further progress), or finger nail claw marks running from my elbow to my wrist (why for all that is holy do they not clip their nails before playing.  I'm just sayin') or bruises from trying to defend someone three times my size, (the tallest member of my team might be 5'7) I come in at 5'5.  Anyways the ball was about to go out of bounds and I couldn't have that so I started running I could see that I was going to be the first one to make it to the ball then time slowed down...I started falling and my hands flew to my ankle.  Pain shot up my leg and water came eyes fast.  I couldn't cry, I was laying on the floor and nine other women and two men refs were all staring at me.  Jon came to my rescue for the second time that night.  The first was when he got there to watch the kids.  Since he has school every night I take the kids and hope that he gets out a little early.  Any way he scoops me up and carries me off the floor.  (Yep he is super buff and didn't even mind that I was super dooper sweaty).  After that I kept saying to myself and Jon why was I so dumb?  Why can't I just let a ball go?  Why do I have to chase every loose ball?  Why? Why? Why?

The answer(s)...I LOVE the sport and I am VERY competitive.  It makes me HAPPY.  I have realized once I stop playing the way I do I need to stop playing the game.  I don't think I would enjoy playing any other way.  As with anything I do in life I don't want to give it anything else but all I have.

i HEART this kid

The bottom picture on the right is my all time favorite.  He wants to give me a kiss and how could I say no?  You know what it's like when you have your first baby, and then every baby after that, and all you do everyday, all day is look at them?  You just can't help yourself.  You wonder why this little baby is so interesting and all they do is sleep?  They don't really make eye contact they don't smile back but still you just sit and your eyes never leave that little bundle? For some reason I still can't keep my eyes off Trevin.  I could watch him all day, he hasn't lost that newborn wonder yet.  Jon probably gets sick of me saying "don't you think he's so cute?" I say it on average about 11 times a day.  He has the best personality, he could and does play all day long his favorite playmate is his daddy and again I could watch them play all day. Today we were at the office and Trevin fell asleep on Jon's lap and again I just sat and watched.  He was so cute and peacefull nestled into the crook of Jon's arm and I thought how blessed we are that we are able to see Jon while at work.  While he slept I kept billing but progress was slow since I had to keep stealing glances.  Trevin I LOVE you!!!