Christmas Picture Attempt

We attempted Christmas pictures a few weeks ago at Grandma and Grandpa's house. Trent and Jen with their big, nice cameras, and me with my point and shoot, with Grandma trying to entice three wiggle worms to smile nice and hold still.
Still haven't had time to look at the pics on the good cameras to see if any of them turned out, but here are the ones off mine for posterity.

Proof they can only go about ten seconds before they start hamming it up!

"How much longer?"

I could put that on a nice Christmas card, right?

Future Blackmail

Someday, I'll use this picture for proof that they actually do love each other (insert wicked laugh here)!

Ballet Bug

Kaylee started dance/tumbling in September. Miss B lets you do a trial day, just to make sure they like it. Kaylee spent the entire class with a huge smile and a look of pure rapture on her face. She loves it, with one catch. She loves the ballet, the tumbling, the structured dance, but this is a 3 year old class, so Miss B tosses in a few songs where the girls get to dress up or use props and free dance to the music. Fun, right? Wrong. Our little ballerina usually spends these songs clinging to either Miss B or me and in tears. She is embarrassed to dance around without reason.
Tippy toe turn! A few weeks ago, I took some video of her dancing in class on my phone. Suddenly, free dancing is acceptable, not to mention fun, as long as mom tapes her and she gets to see it afterward!

They have a big performance in the spring, but they got pictures taken today (by my amazingly talented old neighbor, click on her website to the right. Kari Hennefer Photography. I think she is still taking appointments for Christmas pictures), so they got to dress up in their ladybug costumes.

Don't wake the ladybug...she needs her beauty sleep!

Kids Say:

Cameron:

My name rhymes with when. You know, when! C-A-M-E-R-O-N, like when. Like when you go somewhere. When!
Utah accents coming back to haunt us.

We do pronounce his name CamerEn, not CamerOn.

Tyson:

Why do we call them TV sets if there is only one?

Verification

I am often amazed at the word verification codes you type in when you comment on someone's blog. Amazed because often, not always, but often they seem to have some subliminal connection to the blog post I just read. For instance, my friend blogged about the passing of her family dog. The word verification when I commented: sqezmi. Like squeeze me? She really did need a hug. I wonder what would happen if everyone included those crazy letter/number combos in their comments? "Hey Bob! Loved your post. bLgMo0r."

Birthday Bow-A-Rama!

Tyson is nine! He decided to go bowling this year. Boys only...sad, huh.

They were a little excited.

Tys showing off his mad skills. I think bowling prowess skips a generation.

We have such nice boys on our block!

In the end, the boys did well, but got beat by E (our neighbor who came to help) and Kaylee! The girl has super, granny style rolling skills! Not to belittle your bowling accomplishments, E, but she is three, and you have a few decades on her, so props to Miss Kay!

My sweet friend who is much better at cakes (she is a birthday party queen!) helped me with the cupcakes. It took us a few hours and we were up to our elbow in frosting, but they turned out pretty cute. Tyson loved that he got the bowling ball.
Ten boys, ten pins in bowling. So grateful the H family came along to help! Somehow I counted wrong (math was never my strong point) and we ended up short seat belts for the ride down. So glad K and E came to the rescue and took a few kids down. Couldn't ask for better friends and neighbors. So glad Tys had such a wonderful time with his friends and family!

Party and Parade (Scary Edition)

I got to help Cameron's teacher with their Halloween party this year! She always plans the best stations, each centered around a book. This year they played bingo, made shape monsters, drank witches brew (root beer with dry ice), and made monster pizzas.
Immediately after was the school Halloween Parade where I got to catch of glimpse of my cute little spooks.
Ninja Tyson
He's so quick, if you blink, you'll miss him!

Harry Potter, aka Cameron

(I know! He does look like a five year old version of Daniel Radcliffe, but cuter and minus the nasty bejasty Broadway show.)

Kaylee's party was immediately after the Halloween Parade. This is her twirling outside the school, because she loves her costume, but she won't look at the camera because she is mad that we are leaving without the boys.

After school, we cleaned out our pumpkins so we could carve them Saturday. Then ran to church to get ready for our ward Chili Cook Off, Primary Halloween games, and trunk or treat. It was a crazy day, but so fun. BOO!

Cubs

In September, Tyson's Wolf den went to the Firehouse. I've never seen them so excited, trying to keep it cool, unable to contain the pure joy of big, manly trucks!!!
I am so grateful for the Cubs leaders in my ward. I don't think most people understand the importance of Cub Scouts. You are helping parents to raise future missionaries and fathers. You get to work with these marvelous, excited, just bursting to learn little spirits. What better calling is there?

I learned long ago (you whipper snappers!) that Heavenly Father is no waster of time. If he asks us to do something, it is for our own benefit or the benefit of those in our lives. If he ever asks you to be a Cub Scout leader, take him up on it. It just might be the best calling you ever have!

I love that face!

New Do, New You!

I've been dying to cut Kay's hair for a while. It is so thin that when it gets long it's just static hair everywhere! So yesterday, we did it! Cute little A-line. The girl who did it couldn't believe how good she was. She sat in the chair with a shy smile on her face and told the ladies how old she was, her teacher's name, all about her brothers and her friends.
It is really short, but she kept walking around yesterday singing, "Pretty hair!" And she told everyone she met as she pointed to her head, "I got a hair cut....this one."

First Field Trip!

Kaylee had her first field trip in preschool to the Paleontology Museum at BYU (which if you live in the area, is free (they ask for donations), small and fun!). Cameron got to come because he was out of kindergarten already!

It was obviously fascinating!

Cam and Kay standing in front of a brachiosaur femur. They are showing me that it is the same bone Kaylee broke when she was a baby.

Kay, Lucy, and Cam in the jaws of a ferocious, ancient, kid-eating crocodile!

Football!

As I forgot to register for soccer this year...OOPS!...Tyson gave flag football a try! He had a pretty good experience with lots of friends on the team. He played center most of the season and tried to be a good blocker. At one point during the season, Trent and I were discussing a BYU loss. Tyson interrupted in a shocked tone, "BYU lost?! They can't lose. They're the best team in the world!" At least BYU can say they have the best fans if Tyson is among them.
Hanging on the sideline with Dad!