School cancelled!?

School was cancelled the three days before christmas because of the winter storm that was headin our way. The neighborhood boys came to "inform" us of the school closure at 7:45 am, and ended up staying for a while. Nothin like having a house full of boys. No big deal we have a wii.

The Best Day Ever

What was "The best Day Ever" according to Nathan? It was his 9th Birthday. Trents sister Sherida and her family (4 kids! and one on the way) made it into town for Christmas. They came over in the morning and played. We visited Grandma Kunz. We went to Wendy's where he ate 4 orders of chicken nuggets and a Frosty. (We love the $1 menu) Then we went bowling. Sherida's kids had never gone before so it was a real treat. Here is Nathan showing off his bowling moves.


The bowling alley had a cool little ramp thing that the ball went on so Trent could bowl. Trent beat everyone..."humbly" of course. Not! I wonder where Nathan gets his competitiveness from?

Grandpa Kunz gearing up for his turn

Sherida aka "The Pregnant Lady"Ross and ChristianMe and Jonathan. Notice all the wet spots on my shirt? I had just wrestled with Jonathan as he was throwing a ROYAL fit out in the van while I was trying to change a massive poopy diaper. My left hand had his ankles like a calf holding on for dear life as he arched and tried to roll, and poop was flying everywhere. He was hysterical, his cheeks are still red from the fit in this picture, and his head it all sweaty. The wet spots were where I literally had chunks of poop on my sweater. grrrrr! Even though I gave it a thorough washing in the bathroom it still smelled like poop, or maybe it was the poop underneath my FINGERNAILS! Poop and Vomit...story of my life I tell ya.

Eleri crashed on the floor. I wish I could do that

The final scores. Trent won with a score of 91. I had to remind him that he played with the kids so he beat a bunch of kids. Save the victory dance. :)Grandma's house for tacos.Opening presents. Trent always hated getting books for any holiday, so we had him open them first. Nathan was "gracious" and "acted" grateful.
Now this is what we're talkin about. He was much more excited about a Wii gameAnd yet another Wii game! Oh yeah! I found out my brother in law works for EA sports so we got great deals for birthday and christmas. Hallalujah!

Root beer Floats

Trent "showing" off.

Grandpa Kunz and his little hop kick type of bowling.

When I asked Nathan about his birthday, he told me "It was the best day ever". It doesn't get much better than that.

Trash Treasure Trove

Note to self. In the future BEFORE I tear apart the entire house looking for the blasted car keys...check the trash, Jonathans favorite place these days.

Christmas Miracle "Mania"

The snow is still falling! It is beautiful. I have never seen a storm like this since we have lived here. It feels like I am back in Idaho and I love it! I sent Nathan out to shovel a pathway for Trent so when the bus comes to pick him up tomorrow morning he can get down to the street. All we have is a skinny digging shovel...guess I better go buy one for the next time it snows like this...four years or so? Nathan in his own words describes what happens:

Before our little "miracles" showed up

Our church was cancelled today so this family from our ward was making the rounds and saw Nathan out there shoveling and stopped to help. It seriously saved me probably 2 hours worth of work...at least. There is a thick layer of ice on top of all the snow, so it is quite the process shoveling all of that. I have already had to go back out and shovel two more inches to try and keep the path clear for Trent. Here is some video of Nathan walking on the snow. You can hear him breaking through the ice.

This truly was such a wonderful Christmas "Miracle Mania" (as Nathan put it) It was so nice for Nathan to be on the receiving end of service. We go and do things for others, but to be on the receiving end is such a gift. Nathan keeps talking about it, and how awesome it was that they came to help. These are the times when I feel truly watched out for, and that Heavenly Father is aware of me and knows what I need. It just reaffirmed to me that we are not alone, and others can help ease our burdens. Shoveling my driveway may have seemed like a simple thing to them, but to me...it was huge and one less thing that I needed to worry about.

Winter Wonderland

Winter is here. A real Winter! Usually winter in the Northwest means freezing slushy/rain that freezes and turns the road into a solid sheet of ice. We are actually getting snow...and quite a bit! It actually feels like christmas AND looks like it. We are just loving it. The boys went over to the Morgans to sled down their semi-steep driveway. Jonathan loved being pulled around in the sled. I would ask him if he was done and he would shake his head no.

Jonathan and Annie on the sled (Jonathan is in the back)

You can see the snowflakes comin down and piling up on the bushes. It is still snowing too. It has not quit all day. Life is so good.

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas

Christmas is upon us. I actually got up my decorations early this year, and even wrapped my presents a few days ago. Nathan was wondering if we'd ever get presents under there. I told him that the present fairy hates to wrap presents, and she'll get to it someday. I always underestimate or overestimate how much wrapping paper I need as I am cutting. I was dreaming of hiring someone to wrap the gifts. Nathan came home from school the monday before Thanksgiving and told me that he would like to put up our christmas tree. He was so excited about it, and I had visions of spending time together while we decorated the house. It was quite precious, since these days I am not so "cool" anymore and his friends are much more important. We pulled everything down out of the attic and got the three pieces to the tree out in the living room. I hadn't even put the tree stand up when Nathan said, "Mom, can I go to Trace's house". Sheesh...so much for our "quality" time. Now I had to do it because I was surrounded by bins (OK...only two bins) of stuff. It forced me to get it done though. I love looking at my christmas tree with the white lights, drinkin my hot chocolate, listening to my Time Life Christmas Music CD. (yep...ordered it off the TV) It is so "christmassy".

Nathan took this picture of me trying to put the star up. I had to rig it with a wooden spoon, and shove it down in the tree, because it is so heavy. I included this picture because he only got 1/2 of my body...I like it. The "other" half is no quite as attractive. :)

Nathan-isms

Nathan will come up with some funny stuff...he is so random sometimes. I love it. Yesterday he was standing over the garbage smashing two very ripe pears together. I had asked him to throw them away.
I asked him, "What are you doing?"
Nathan: "This segment is called, "Playing with Pears".
OK...random.

The other day he was talking about those drug commercials with the lists of all the side effects, and he started talking as if he was doing a commercial. "This drug will help your allergies. The big risk is that you can get Cancer. And a lot of other side effects that you don't -even -want- to know about.". It struck me as so funny. I laughed and laughed. I love that kid. (school is cancelled today...by the end of the day, he'll have driven me crazy "I'm bored", "what can I do?" where I list several things that he is more than welcome to do...clean the bathrooms, his room....)
P.S. We went to the Maynes last night and Nathan said something else that was funny. She made some homemade alfredo sauce and he said, "This is the best alfredo sauce that I have ever had in my whole alfredo sauce life". Amen!

Come out Come out Wherever you Are

I've been looking for my library book. You know how you are wracking your brain, because you seriously just had it two minutes ago? Well...I found it! Good thing I looked down as I was taking the garbage out. Mystery solved. I wonder who put it there? Trent? nah...Nathan?...nah? Jonathan?...OH yeah. He is into "cleaning" up these days. Found a cup in the bathroom garbage. Gives new meaning to "Trash to treasure".

WWW

Wonderful World of Wrestling. Trent and Jonathan have a nightly wrestling ritual. Jonathan literally watches at the window as Trent gets off the bus, then runs to the back door and climbs up on Trent before he is even in the door. It is SO cute. Here's the video.

My Little Drummer Boy

I LOVE the Little Drummer Boy song. I have vivid memories of listening to that record (yes I said record) over and over when I was little. So, I was tickeled pink when Nathan picked that song to play at his piano recital we had today. The "tickeled pink" quickly wore off when he only had a weeks notice to get it all ready to go before the big day. This week has not been fun getting him to practice this "Way hard song!". "I can't do it" "I don't get it!" eye rolling....tears...loud sighs...whining... I had to turn into Mommy Dearest to get him to practice and practice so he could do it. We just about killed each other this week. I am happy to report that it went well. Here is the video. I was the only one that didn't get the memo that it was "church dress". I showed up in my sweatsuit. Love that. I was the only one comfortible. :)

Wondering why I have a clock as my first picture? The recital started at 6:00pm. That is what we are talkin about people. My kind of recital. Short and sweet.

Older and Wiser?

I feel so different today. (Not) I am so much older, AND wider...I mean Wiser. :) Yep...it's my birthday. Here are some facts about that day, other than the most glorious one of all...that I was born.

# 1 song "Me and Mrs. Jones" by Billy Paul. Never heard of it (Frankly I like the#1 on December 9th. "I am woman!" Yeah...much better. Even the song after my birthday is "You're so Vain". I'd take that one too)

Headlines: U.S.S.R performs Nuclear Test at Eastern Kazakh/Semipalitinsk. I KNEW that the earth shook when I arrived. Thought it was my magnetic personality, or gaseous abilities. heh heh.

It was a good day today. Robin had a breakfast for me with a couple of friends. Bacon, french toast, fruit salad, coffee cake, orange juice, cranberry juice AND for dessert she had her husband make me this absolutely TO DIE FOR chocolate flourless cake. Oh my. I am eating it as I type this. I can literally feel the yummy fat finding its way to my thighs. Bring it on baby! Trent and I went to the mall over the weekend (I am so NOT a mall girl...they drive me crazy. Shopping is of the devil) to buy some new jeans. I have been wearing my fat girl jeans and feeling like a total frump girl (My Big Fat Greek Wedding). We found some cute ones that look good (as good as they can over my "volumptuous" figure) and are a little bit tight. There is a price to pay for lookin good I guess. I think I'll only wear those when we go out on a date or something. Frump girl by day, Trophy Wife by night.

Nathan said to me, "You were born in 1972? That is like so 80's" I guess I need to work on some addition with him. That is his new quote though. All the kids say it around here for anything that is "old" in their eyes. "That is so 80's" Wow...I loved everything about the 80's. I'd take my stretch pants, big sweaters with a huge belt over it, and leg warmers any-day baby! And not to mention my BTH (bangs to heaven). Aqua Net was a staple in my house. Those were the days....

Chapped Lips

Nathan came home from a friends house practically in tears as he explained how much his lips hurt, and how he couldn't keep from licking them. Yes...I could see that just by looking at his red, raw, severly chapped lips. Did I comfort him and give him great words of wisdom? I guess that depends on your oponion. This is what I said:


"Nathan, if you don't stop licking your lips, they are going to end up looking like a Baboons butt."


Yep. That's what I said. Nathan stopped and looked at me and smiled.


I said, "Do you know what a Baboon's butt looks like?"



Nathan, "Yes. Red and wierd."


Me: "Yep. That is exactly what I'm talkin about."


I wonder if this little "golden nugget" of information will be passed on to his children someday when they come crying to him with licked, chapped lips? :) Here's a picture in case you never watch the Discovery Channel. I'm here for you.

It Beginneth, and Endeth

Game 1. Can we say...out of shape?

The soccer season has come and gone. I love watching soccer. Nathan is so aggressive and he is pretty good at it. It was a good season. Things I don't miss about soccer? Rain. Sitting there watching soccer in rain, trying to keep Jonathan dry. Mud. That word can speak for itself. Me hosing off Nathan after a game. Me out in the driveway with Trent holding a butter knife as I have to painstakingly pick out the mud/dirt from every tire tread. A tedious process, but necessary, and even then, there are chunks left all over the house. *sigh*. Cold. Yes...the Northwest is cold in the fall. We bundle up in September trying not to freeze our kahoonies off.

All that being said? I still love the soccer season. We did just start a new thing though. Indoor soccer. A lot of people play it, and we thought we'd give it a whirl. Can we say....heaven sent? Indoors, no mud, no cold, no rain, and STILL get to watch soccer. Oh yeah. Lovin it.

Here are a few pictures. I wanted to get a nice picture of Nathan in his soccer uniform.

Nathan...just stand there and smile please.

Let's try this again Nathan...please just stand there and smile. For the blog....priorities!

OK...so I am chuckling now, but we try one more.

Finally! That's what we're talkin about.

At the end of every season, there is always a party with the infamous trophy. Whatever happened to the days that the only one who gets trophies are the 1st and 2nd teams? Now everyone gets a trophy for every sport they ever play. Here's a picture of the trophy:

Where to put this one? On his dresser next to the "other... treasures".

Anyone who can coach a bunch of 8 years olds, is a Saint in my book!

And last but not least, this is Grayson and Jonathan at the soccer party. She followed him around for me so I could sit and enjoy the party. It was SO nice I tell ya. They even matched! I sat there as she tirelessly pulled him off of tables, away from the vending machines as he shook them mercilessly, all those fun things that toddler boys do. Life was good that night my friends. A small break...I'll take it!

Friendship

How does one know when you have a true friend? A friend that goes above and beyond the normal, "Let's do lunch" or you catch a movie every now and then. I learned that I have a true friend today. How do I know this? Check out these pictures. They are self explanatory.

What might she be doing in case you were wondering? There is a nasty smell in our house by our fireplace that we can not figure out what it is. Is there an animal that has died under the house and is causing this atrocious smell? That's where my "true" friend comes in. She got all the gear on and crawled through the teeny tiny crawl space under my house. (shiver...creepy) Did she find any dead animals or bodies, or anything stinky? No. She did find two pipes that are leaking pretty bad. There are a few things that I am thankful for.

1.) True Friends

2.) True Friends that happen to be skinny...it came in handy today as she squeezed through that tiny space. No Kunz could ever have accomplished this. We are all too "shapely".
.
3.) A nasty, stinky mysterious smell. Without it, we ( I say "we" when I had nothing to do with it) would have never ventured under the house, and never would have found the pipe problem, which potentially could have been a nightmare.

Friendship. It's a beautiful thing. You Rock Robin!