Ethan’s 11^th Birthday!!!!

Here is my very handsome 11 year old!  Can you imagine anything cuter than this guy?  Ethan is such a wonderful boy.  He's funny, sweet and always full of energy!  We all love our Ethan-boy so much.

For all the kids' Birthdays, we've decided to stop with the bunches of small, not so great presents, and stick to just one really great present.  To make this one present a little more exciting, I decided to send Ethan on a big treasure hunt to find it.  I wrote a silly poem to help him get to the present.  We had it stored in our car at the park, so Alaina and I drove out to the park and walked back home, hiding the clues as we went along.  Once we got home, we gathered up the family and Ethan went a-lookin' for his gift.  (When we were nearly at the park, Robert ran ahead and pulled it out to hide it under a park bench...that way, no one took off with it before we got there.  Here is his poem.

At 11 years old, it’s easy to see 
that your witty, funny and smart.

Your quick on your feet, not terribly neat, 
but certainly blessed with a spark!

For a smart kid like you, handing over your gift 
would really just be so lame

No, we knew that you’d rather work hard to find 
the booty you’re going to claim

With your flaming red hair, and devilish grin, 
you're clearly a great man of mystery.

Use your adventurous spirit, the brain that God gave ya 
and you're sure to go down in History.

So, put on your shoes and follow the clues 
and don’t give up in the middle…

The work and the effort will be well worth the while, 
so go on and unravel the riddle:

1.              To turn this key, you’ll need to go to your lucky number 7

From all times you ask to go there, I’m sure you’ll be right in heaven.

p.s. it never fails to make me want to wag my tail….

(I didn't get a picture here...but that was the mail box and the extra clue is from Blue's Clues!  We've seen that show too many times!)

2.            One dark night under the light of the moon, crept your Dad on a secret Mission.  STOP and you’ll find, with a quick little snip-snip, how he left the world in a better condition.

(This refers to the time Robert took it upon himself, in the middle of the night, to go and trim a tree that was blocking the stop sign.  I guess it really, really bothered him.  Not sure if it was completely legal, however....)

3.            These silly buttons give your neighbors and friends a little sense of protection…    Although it is easy to fool since the buttons you press will accept so many selections.

Ethan loved posing for every picture.  He's such a goof!

4.           This spinning place for the little ones could make you quite dizzy

It’s not a slide or a swing but it will make your hair go all frizzy.

(This was the spinning thing at the first park by our house.)

5.            There’s a famous old story about two animals that I’ll share

The slow, green guy won the and quick one lost by a hare

6.            There’s a place I know with a great view of the traffic in town

Don’t be scared, halfway across, just make sure not to look down.

7.             When you’re out of the dog house and before you go for a run

Take a rest in the shade of the fourth set of leaves blocking the sun

8.            This here is the best place to eat your peanuts, salted or plain

Where you can scream at the ref and enjoy the game

9.            For the rugged type who like to scale mountains and things

You can practice your skill here before you head to the swings

10.         You’re tired, I see, so go ahead and take a seat

Where the grandmas and grandpas always stop to go eat.

This was really funny.  Ethan couldn't find the gift at first.  I think he was looking for another clue.  It took him a few minutes to realize his gift was right in front of him!

Needless to say, he loved his gift.  This twins and I walked him home while he tried it out.  Robert drove the little boys home to put them to bed.  It was so warm outside even though it was getting late.

Look at that happy boy.

A sunset view of the strip from the overpass.

Happy Birthday, my sweet boy!

I was just about to go to bed (and really, maybe I should have...) when I came across this picture of the twins.  This was a February moment that I forgot to put down.  For some reason, this pictures made me stop in my tracks when I saw it.  

There is nothing really special about it.  I mean, it's cute of them and all, but they are always looking pretty darn cute.  No, for some reason, I just couldn't stop thinking of another picture of my twinnies.

This picture, to be exact.  This has always been one of my all-time favorite pictures of these two kids.

Something about it just makes me smile, every time I look at it.  Maybe it's the protective way Austin has his arm around her shoulder.  Maybe it just how little Alaina looks next to that big ol' twin of hers.  

Whatever it is, nothing much has seemed to change in the last 8 years.  They both just love each other just as much.  They take turns protecting each other against different types of obstacles, but they always seem to make it through... together.  They still have their own little conversation going...the one they started as soon as they could talk.  None of us outsiders, (Me, Rob, Ethan) can ever seem to really 'get' what they are talking about...their stories never have a beginning or to Ethan's eternal chagrin, an ending.  Often they communicate without talking at all.  (Alaina has stated before that she can understand Austin when he is screaming in pain from some mishap or another...and honestly, I have seen this in action.  I hear "Whaaa!!!  Ah!  Oooooo!  Huh! Ahh!"   and she says, "What?  You bumped your leg on the back of the chair and then you fell over?  Oh...that must have hurt!!"  Being a twin must be an amazing thing.  At least, these two have always had a special kind of relationship and I hope they never loose it.

I love these two little loves like crazy!   What would we do without our twinnies?!!

Just imagine, in another 8 years, I'll be posting their graduation pictures...

February 

February went by in a blur.   Baby Emmett was still not sleeping more than a couple hours at a time, making my night time sleep short and my day time sleepy.  Still, life seemed to continue one, wether or not I was fully awake for it.  Every now and then we took some pictures, so  have proof that things happened.  Here they are...my proof of life.  :)

Austin got his Wolf in cub scouts.

Mom and Dad drove through on a trip to California to see Lora.  I took advantage of the small time I got them.  Emmett managed to tire both Grandpa and himself completely out.

Robert took Laina on a Daddy/Daughter Dance.  They told me that they had an awesome time.

Jason continued to have Robert wrapped around his little finger.

Jason and I made his very first Valentine's Day cards.  He painted.  I cleaned up.

Lora graced us with her presence after she attended a girl's weekend in Vegas with her high school friends.  She had a wonderful time and we were glad to get her for a night.

Daddy and his boys.

Robert dragged us all to the park one day.  I have a vague recollection.  I'm pretty sure that this was as high as his kite ever got, however...

As you see...things happened.  Time passed.  You may notice that I was never in any pictures.  This was absolutely by choice.  I'd rather not be remembered as being the crazy-haired,  sleep-deprived,  pajama-wearing maniac that I actually was during the month of February.

There's no pictures.

You can't prove it.

Let's just assume that I was a well-rested, impeccably put-together, creative-genius, mother-of-the-year during that particular month.  Really, who would it hurt if we spread that rumor around?!




One other February Moment that I also don't have a picture of was the Mother/Son Dance.  I wrote this little blurb a while ago but never posted it...so I'm posting it now.

I just got back from the boy's Mom and Son dance at school.  Ethan and Austin have got to be the most opposite children on this good green earth.  Both of them have such wonderful qualities matched with such interesting quirks.  Austin likes to dance.  He likes music and being around people.  But he doesn't like loud music or being around too many people and he gets too tired to move after about 7 o'clock.  So, he liked being at the dance...kindof.  I more often then not found him checking out the strobe lights on the ceiling, the black lights in the back or just covering his ears in standing in the front.  When I asked him if he wanted to go, he always wanted to stay and join the party.  I think he had the most fun when he joined the small kids on the conga line that went through the crowd a couple of times.

Ethan, on the other hand, was absolutely frenetic.  He is a fantastic dancer.  I mean, that child pulls moves out of thin air and he keeps them coming with manic energy.  I don't think I've ever seen a child move so fast and wild in my life.  He kept up the frenzy for two reasons.  For one, he really does like to move.  Most of all, however, he wanted the D.J. to hand him one of the coveted CDs that he passed out through the night.  He did whatever he could be be seen by that DJ.  He was like a moth to the flame...wherever the poor guy went, Ethan followed...Movin' and Shakin' like a banshee.  Ethan also made me amp it up whenever the DJ made his way over to us.  Ethan showed me how I should whip my hair and pump my fists in the air.  When I didn't get it quick enough he'd act it out and if I still didn't catch on he'd move my hands for me.  It was exhausting and very amusing.

With five minutes to spare until the end of the dance, the DJ bounced on by and handed me a CD.  I guess I finally got the moves down.  As soon as that CD was in my hot little hand, both of the boys immediately turned to me and said, "Let's get out of here!"  Ethan was completely exhausted, sweaty from head to toe and I have a sneaky suspicion that Austin was just plain bored.  Either way, I wasn't going to complain.  Off we went, ahead of the crowd and walked in our front door before the dance ended.

Besides analyzing my boy's personalities, I really did just enjoy being in their company.  I can't believe how big these boys are getting.  They are both inching their way taller and taller.  I just felt lucky that both wanted to be seen with me.  Before we got into the dance, we stood in line outside.  I tried to warm up their arms with a cuddle both both boys promptly wiggled out of my arms.  Inside the dance, the forgot that they were suppose to be cool and they fought over who got to dance the slow dance with me.  You see those pre-teen boys inside of them, fighting with the Mama's boys that they aren't ready to leave behind quite yet.  Tonight was a win for the Mama's boys and definitely a win for the Mama.




Sadly, as I'm already two months behind on my blog, I can't tell you that the month of March was much better than February.  Truth be known, Emmett didn't decide to sleep through the night until April.   However, things still managed to happen during March as well, so you'll just have to check out the pictures when I get around to posting them.  Just don't ask me what happened in person since I'll more than likely draw a complete blank.  (Hopefully the pictures will job my memory...)