Sunday, August 30, 2009

Becker Business

I had Grant's soccer sheet sitting out to put in his book. One original and one color copy for me. He cut out the individual picture of himself on both sheets to hang in his house! One was hanging on the wall and one was hanging on the toy box! I cracked up!! Later he and Trent hung it from the ceiling!

Dad bought one of these . . .

on Monday, August 24, 2009.

Grant wanted to go out and sit on the motorcycle in the garage all day! He gripped the handles and was in his zone, “I am vrooming up the mountain. I am an awesome dude. This is so cool!”

Mom has blue toes, which the boys requested! Trent came home from home school, “I like them. Thank you for doing blue like I asked!”

Grant was telling me about the house he made upstairs with baskets and cushions from the couch. He said, “My house is rockin’!”
This is Trent's house! It changes constantly . . . the blocks get moved around, blankets get moved around! He was trying to make a "party" entrance using the ribbon! He wanted more, but I had to help Blake!

This is inside the cabinet. Behind the blocks are puppies sleeping!

This is the other side of the cabinet . . . his stash!
The homes are continually changing! After taking the above pictures, the boys decided to combine their home with a few pathways and secret entrances!


Before the homes were in the smaller 2 door cabinets . . . then Trent took over the big ones! Pretty much the whole room is their house now . . . with a little spot blocked off for me and my computer chair! They made swings with paper and ribbon for their stuffed animals!

Blake was helping me do laundry. I sat him on the washer while it was spinning to see what he would think! He was laughing and shaking! It was very cute!

I was singing while Trent and Blake were bathing the other day. After I hit a high long part, Blake belted out the best note he could get! It was adorable! Trent and I laughed so hard!!

Wednesday, August 26, Trent had a really hard time going to school! It took us an hour to get him to go in! He wanted to be home! (Plus his shirts are itchy and his shoes are too tight too loose etc.) Later that day he called me a few times and I was not home! He had a bad bloody nose at recess and needed a new shirt! He got a hold of me and I nervously took him a shirt . . . I hoped he would go back into school easily! HE DID!!!

The first day or 2 of school a big 3rd grader pushed him and his buddy down at recess! He told my mom he had been bullied! I was proud of him for speaking up and understanding what being bullied meant!!

Trent had a wonderful night Aug. 24 because Grant and Blake were asleep! Trent had mom and dad to himself! His favorite thing! We played Candyland, wrestled and read!

Grant told me one morning, “Mom I had a nightmare. It was about a cat under the bed. There was a little door in the wall it would come in and out of! It was horrible.”

Beckee was leaving and Jen was coming and Grant said, “Wait mom, I want John to stay so I can interexplain him to Ethan! You know, Ethan this is my cousin John.”

Ethan and I were dropping Grant off at the Condie’s and little Blondy Branson came out. Ethan said, “He looks exactly like Grant. That kid Grant is going to play with looks just like him!” I got a good laugh!

My soccer boys!

This is my "Cheeto" Grant! Josh and I coach the Cheeto Tigers! We love it . . . they are so cute and funny!!
The Cheetos played our cute neighbors the "Lime Ricky's!" T.J. Mortensen and Tyler Harward!! It was fun cheering for both teams!!




This is my "Red Dragon" Trent! Kenny Condie coaches the Dragons. Josh is suppose to be the assistant coach but he has school on Thursday nights! I will help at Thursday practices now that Grant's Thursday game is over!! Kenny is great and doesn't mind!!

We can't wait to play cute Aly Johnson and Ella VanHorn!! We coached Ella last year, Aly is our neighbor, and they all had Kindergarten together!

Both boys scored goals in their first games!! (Which really helps with morale!)

Saturday, August 29, 2009

Goodbye Simmons

Thursday, August 27 we went to the park and had Cafe Rio to say bye to the Simmons! Jill's friend Lisanne came and we got to see her darling twins!
Mike's boss has been back and forth with where they are going! They were set for Germany, then Thursday, August 20, during family pictures with Pita he called and changed to France!! Lizzy told Jill she is one inch nervous to go!!



We are going to miss them . . . and we still feel like we just got them!! We are already looking forward to next summer!!

Monday, August 24, 2009

Bags of water!

I watched the Simmons for the day so Jill could pack! The kids were watching Backyardigans Pirate Treasure and it sparked a game! They set to work coloring and cutting out gold pieces! Grant put his gold in a zip-lock bag and added water! He was thrilled and so was everyone else! They started making paper fish and everyone got a bag! They wanted me to add air to the top like in the pet store! When it was time to go meet Mike and Jill, I conveniently forgot the zip-locks. I knew she would not want bags of water riding in the Suburban to the Schwitzers!

1st day of 1st GRADE

Thursday, August 20, 2009! First day of school!! Trent wanted hard boiled eggs and toast, which he has never asked for before! He took a ham sandwich, grapes, Doritos, oreos and water for lunch in his Transformer lunch box! The whole fam took him to school! I felt so funny all day wondering if he was ok! I dropped Brysen off for Joslyn at 11:15 and I could tell Trent wanted to cry seeing me! It broke my heart! After school he said it did upset him to see me but he only teared up for a minute! (Joslyn, my neighbor, lost her father and both brothers in a plane crash last week. She had a baby 4 days before the accident! Her brother Jed was flying the plane!After all the funerals and traveling to ID Joslyn decided to let Brysen sleep in!)



Cute yellow backpack! Trent did his hair!

My little Trent, no matter the temperature, always in jeans!!


Harrington Bramwell, McKinnon Blanchard and Trent! The boys are in the class next door to Trent!


After school when I picked him up, I asked how it was and he said, "I could go back right now!"

Scavenger Hunt

The day before school started (Wednesday, August 19) the boys and I did a scavenger hunt! A little fun, a few school supplies and a treat! We went to Trent's school, Target, Famous Footwear, Old Navy (to exchange something from Blake's birthday), Subway and African Ice (the snow cone shack!) This is Grant taking a little rest in Target!



I just love kids in Tenni's!! Blake was babysat during his nap in the middle of our scavenger hunt!

DANGER

If my bedroom door is left open . . . this is what I find!!

He is a little climber! He loves our counter and sinks! It is so scary! He loves the stool in the pantry, Trent's ladder and the Grant's bed! Anything off the ground!!

Becker Business

As Trent tore off some blue tape he said to the boys, “Can you guys smell caulk? That is because this is painter’s tape!”

The boys have been playing in our upstairs cabinets lately! They each have a home in one! They have taped flashlights to the ceilings and made paper TV’s, remotes, pocket knives and pictures for the walls! Their stuffed animals are their pets. They cover them with blankets for naps and have each other baby-sit! Sometimes Blake is allowed, sometimes Blake is not allowed! It is amazing to me how flexible Grant is and how not-so-flexible Trent is! They are too funny!

Grant got mad in time out and tinkled a little in his shorts. Once he was back with the boys he said to Kade, “Don’t get near me, I have wet drawers. You can call me tinkle head!”

After listening to music upstairs, we went to eat lunch! I asked the boys (from a song), “Are you human or are you dancers?” Trent got a little moody because he was hungry. After dealing with Trent, Grant looked at me and said, “Mom I am both, I am human and a dancer!”

Josh got into the Master’s Degree program at the University of Utah! He started Saturday, Aug. 15 with Orientation! He will be attending classes Tuesday and Thursday nights!

The Simmons leave this Friday, Aug. 28 for France!!

Friday, August 21, 2009

Couples Only

We went on a couples boating date Friday, August 21st and had so much fun we went again the next Friday the 28th! Armstrong's, Mortensen's, Isaac's and us!! We picked up Subway and took it with us!! The first Friday we all wake boarded and some of us skied! The second Friday we mostly surfed! All of us girls got a little crazy and it was a BLAST!!!


MaryJane and Jason

The LADIES . . . me, Tanya, MJ, Avery

Thursday, August 13, 2009

Thursday in ND

August 13
We walked the boys over to see the temple in the morning! The house is directly to the left!


The house is directly to the right!
This is the Grandma and Grandpa's temple house! The temple is behind the 2 big trees on the right!

The boys enjoyed side walk chalk with Grandma, it was just so darn hot!
We went to Space Aliens a second time!
Trent spun the wheel and hit the "JACK POT!" Josh and Grandpa almost died! I was sitting down at the table with my mom and Blake! Trent came down to the table and said, "Grandpa and my dad are laughing really hard b/c I got 1000 tickets!" My mom took the camera and went up! We were cracking up too! Literally it is the Jackpot, there is not a single game with a bigger prize! It took a while for the tickets to come out! After that he tried the claw machine and won a green dog! What are the chances? In this photo, people must have been watching . . . because he does not look too enthused!
I think he is in shock!
A little better showing expression here!



Trent shared his tickets with Grant! We were so glad! At the exchange counter he kept saying, "Grant can get 3 more things!" "Grant can get 5 more things!" They bought: inflatable little aliens, bounce balls, sticky lizards, grow in the water dinosaurs, ball/paddle, little cars, finger boards, little alien, bracelet etc. Our boys love little cheap things!

Josh and I went to the temple at 4:30 and did a session, then sealings at 7! It was wonderful! We walked back to the house and went to TCBY and McDonalds! We were very sad we had to leave Friday morning at 5:30am!

Wednesday, August 12, 2009

Wednesday in ND

August 12
The boys went to WalMart with my mom while Blake napped! My dad, Josh and I went to Mr. Delicious for lunch and to see 500 Days of Summer. Meanwhile the boys ran through the sprinklers! When we got home we all went swimming in Mandan! The pool was very fun! Some sweet boys let us borrow one of their balls and we all played catch! Blake loved it!


I sent Blake down the slide to Josh!


We all headed to Roby's after swimming! My mom waited for a while in the car with Blake while he slept! It was absolutely delicious!! Later that night Josh put the kids to bed and my mom and I ran to get yogurt and a movie! Yes, Reese's love their food!!!! And thank goodness Josh fits right in!!

Tuesday, August 11, 2009

Tuesday in ND

August 11
Off to the Dakota zoo!! We rode the train around the zoo! The kids really enjoyed it!
There were a few things we wanted to walk back to see so we rented a little tiger wagon! It worked out great! Grant fed Blake popcorn!



The sea otters were very active! We enjoyed seeing them swim around!


Grant thoroughly enjoyed watching this baby monkey swing around! It was darling!

Lucky enough to get an up-close with the tiger!



Feeding the goats! I am on the phone with Sonya talking about the Condie's! Late Monday night Jenette Burr called to tell me that Joslyn's dad and brothers were killed in a plane crash Friday night! Jed was flying the plane to Oregon for them to fish! So Jordan, Shelley's husband was the other brother, then Ron Joslyn's dad!


After the zoo we went to Erberts & Gerberts for lunch! My dad stayed in the car with Blake sleeping! Grant was very tired and would not eat! The people gave us free cookies because it was our first time in! It was very yummy!
Because Blake was sleeping we took a little drive! We saw the sites where the Mandan Native Americans had lived! It was a hill that overlooked the Missouri River! We drove down to the River and it was so pretty! Josh and I really enjoyed seeing Bismarck! Beautiful country!
We headed home and the kids played! We wanted them to nap but instead Josh and I fell asleep!
My mom took the kids to McDonald's and my dad, Josh and I tried to go to Roby's Steakhouse! It was closed so we went to Texas Roadhouse! My parent's really wanted us to eat there b/c Roby raises his own beef and it is incredible! The restaurant is off the freeway in the middle of no where!