The white boy

Calvin's kindergarten class has been learning about friends. I guess they have made little notes because he has brought a couple home in his backpack. Tonight's was the latest and I had to laugh. Try as Calvin may to be a local boy, no one is fooled. It's pretty obvious in the picture which one is Calvin. Ü

Sekoa is the friend who drew the picture.

Workin' It

Hadlee is already learning how to get what she wants. Who am I kidding, she learned that a while ago, now she is perfecting it. We were in Sears the other day and she saw this shirt/dress and scarf combo that she had to have. It was on clearance, so she must know her audience. You can tell from the pictures though, that she was so excited about it. She has started to have quite a preference when it comes to what she wears. Not always what I would choose for her, but as long as it's modest, I guess I can't complain.

Simply Irresistible

It's hard for Tyler to resist The Point. If we are driving home from 'town' and the waves are crashing, it calls his name. We stop there far more often than we post pictures of it, so I don't feel sorry for you having to look at more. We had our camera and the sun was going down. Have I mentioned that Hawaii is beautiful? I can almost feel the clock ticking and our time coming to an end. I hope when we leave I feel like we have enough pictures and memories.

The Hairdresser

Hadlee has started to want to do her own hair lately. Much to my dismay. But I guess you have to pick your battles, right? Just thought I would document one of her favorites. She likes to make a bun type thingy at the bottom of her head in the back. I know, it could be worse.

She is at the computer, mid sentence, if you are wondering...

Letters from Hadlee

Hadlee is always giving people notes and pictures. Because coloring and drawing are her talents, that's why. She is constantly making notes for her friends and Tyler and me. They all usually have the same message; love. Also, when she is in trouble, she will draw pictures and write notes to say she is sorry.

I kind of laughed at this one, because she had rolled it up and written, "Mom Tatton," on the back. (you can kinda see it through the paper.)

Beau-T-ful

Most of the time when I see something I want to take a picture of, I don't have my camera. But this time, oh, I had my camera. I just thought it was so pretty with the moon and the colors from the sunset. So I had to take some.

Hawaii is a beautiful place.

Another One Bites the Dust

It seems like these days, Hadlee's teeth are dropping like flies. This was the last of her bottom 4 teeth in the front and her top 2 front teeth are loose. Hadlee and Tyler wiggles this one out tonight. She kept whinning when he was wiggling it, but also was very afraid of swallowing it in her sleep. Who wants to miss out on a dollar? Is a dollar the going rate these days? That's what she's been getting.

Note: Even if you tell your kids that there is not a Tooth Fairy, they still expect money when their teeth fall out.

A Good Daddy

I am not sure why I think it's so cute when Tyler paints Hadlee's nails. But I do. Especially when it's right after church.

Hadlee had time to change before the nail appointment, but Tyler didn't.

The Local Boy

There are a lot of things about Hawaii that are different from what I am used to. Not necessarily bad things, just didn't realize what it was like anywhere else, growing up in sheltered Price. One of them has to do with little boys and their hair. There are a lot of little boys here that have long beautiful dark hair (a lot of times, curly).

I think Calvin is trying to fit in.

The little boys must also be very strong as well as half naked most of the time.

Art Day

Tyler and Hadlee decided that Fridays are going to be Art Day.
You know, so she can do her talents.
Coloring and painting (remember, I've told you 5 thousand times) .
This morning Tyler taught her a piano lesson (the 1st one) {I guess I have to be okay with the keyboard purchase if she learns to play piano, right? } and then we learned about Monet and colors. How some paintings have bright colors and others have dark colors. She drew a couple pictures of houses, one using dark colors and one using bright colors. Then she got to paint a picture. I had some white wrapping paper that was being used only as a decoration in my closet so I rolled it out and let her go to town. From the picture, I think it's safe to say she is a bright color kind of girl.

Last night after Calvin did his homework, he was trying to put off going to bed. He was trying to draw a picture on the back of his homework so I got him a couple sheets of paper. I was well aware of what he was doing, avoiding bedtime, but I also had ulterior motives for giving him paper. One of the things he has to work really hard on is writing and even holding the pencil or crayon properly. So anytime he wants to draw or write, I will gladly let him stay up a few extra minutes to practice. These were his pictures.
I don't know how you wouldn't be able to tell, but this is Clifford, Chloe and T-bone. Isn't it completely obvious?

This is Mary Elizabeth.


If your wondering what inspired these works of art...

Calvin has been watching this movie whenever we will let him these days. He loves it and it's on Netflix so he turns it on when we aren't looking.

Fractions and Tranquility

Today during school, Hadlee was supposed to be coloring the shapes with equal parts.

It was taking forever, and she is kind of past that anyway, so I said, "Hadlee, why don't you just circle the ones with equal parts?" You know, hint, hint, let's get on with it.

She said, "No, because coloring is my talent and I should probably do my talent."

I rolled on to the floor and laid on my back. (maybe a little dramatically)

Then she said, "I will do my talent and you just enjoy some rest and tranquility."

I thought I ought to also document the fact that she loves tomatoes. She just likes to eat them with salt and pepper. I think it started when we had a garden, but now she will even eat them from the grocery store that way. Yesterday and today she ate a carton of tomatoes by herself. We can't keep them in the house.



These next couple pictures are what happens when kids get a hold of the camera.

Calvin took the camera to Tyler and insisted on having a photo taken.

photo by Hadlee

This one looks like a joint effort.

The Book of Mormon Challenge

I am not going to lie.

Our family Book of Mormon reading has been sporatic at best.

We will read as a family for about a week and then it gets lost in the shuffle of life and pushed to the side, just for the night. But then that night turns into a month before we realize how lame we are. At the end of August our bishop challenged us to read the scriptures with our families. Tyler decided to figure out how much we had to read so we could finish before we move. He figured we had to read 2 pages a day and we would finish by April 1st.

Bless his heart.

He figured wrong.

Luckily, Calvin sort of ruined our chart so I was making a new one and wanted to include dates so we would easily be able to find where we should be and where we are. I noticed after putting dates in every stinking little square that we were a little off.

By about a month and a half.

We had to change it to 2 pages one day and 3 the next and we will just make it. And I got to redo the dates in every stinking square.

We started August 29th and have done it everday since. It's a record I am sure. I know that's sad, but it's exciting to think we might actually finish this time. I wonder how many times we have read 1st Nephi together. I can't wait to see what happens in 2nd Nephi. :)

the chart.

Bathroom Confessions

Today Hadlee was in the bathroom going (P-O-T-T-Y) and I heard her giggling. I went in to see what was going on and she had one of Tyler's magazines out and was looking at it. When she saw me she said, "Mom, look at this." (showing me this page):

(more giggling) "I am going to marry this boy."
Me: "Uh, okay, Hadlee."
(more giggling) "Watch this," then plants a kiss on Mr. Eternity Aqua.

GO TO SLEEP!!!

I know when my kids are tired. I am their mom. It's one of my jobs. There are times when I know they are tired and I don't make them take a nap. Most of those times, I end up regretting it more than anything in the world. Today, we woke up at 4:30 in the morning to take Tyler to the airport to fly to Omaha. The only thing that got me through the morning was knowing that nap time was not far away. I was kind of counting the minutes from the time we got home so I could take a nap myself. I need sleep, people. To make a long story short, those two would NOT take a nap!! Of all days! I went through several attempts to get Calvin to stay in his bed and he kept coming up with tactics to get out. You know, going to the bathroom, getting a hug, needing a drink, asking where daddy was, and finally this one...

He came out and had changed his clothes and put on this hat and shoes.
He would later ask me to put the necklace on that he brought out.
These two........I think I will sell them to gypsies. Or my favorite threat: put them in the garbage.

Football Fettish

Calvin hasn't really been too interested in sports until lately. For some reason he is all about football these days. We had to take some pictures the other day because he was carrying it around. I was laughing because not long ago, Tyler was saying that he was pretty much done watching sports (his decision, not mine). I was excited about the thought. Then Calvin had to go and start carrying a football around. So I found myself having to watch football again. The universe likes to torture me with such things. No more sports.....just kidding.

I think he would be a good football player though. He practically tackles me once a day, just for practice.

Beach Hunger

After hearing about Hunger Games from various different places, Tyler and I decided we should read it. I was going to order it from Amazon, but if you know Tyler, that is not how he operates. He just went to the bookstore and bought all three books. All in, that's how he is. He started reading them but I was taking my time because I had just finished a different book. So he finished the first one and was starting the second when he kept badgering me to start the first book because he really wanted to talk about it. So we went to the beach with our books and our kids played while we read.


There are moments when I get so happy because my kids are being so nice and playing so well together. I have to snap a picture to remember that we do have quite a few of those times.


Book Update: I was hooked almost instantly, which led to a couple late nights while finishing the series in 4 days total.
I really think I might have a problem.
For some reason when I get reading, some fictional girl's life is more interesting and important than sleep.

Tyler's Crazy Ideas!

I think I have mentioned that when Tyler gets an idea in his head, it's hard to get it out.
He wanted a keyboard.
We went to Target today and he decided he had to get it. I tried to talk him into waiting until during the week when Calvin would be in school and we could put one of the back seats down to fit in it our car easier. He just couldn't help himself. I wonder what we looked like in the parking lot trying to get that stinking keyboard in our car. We had to take it out of the box and wedge it into the trunk. I was worried that if we didn't keep the box, we would get it home and it wouldn't work (that is the kind of luck I have), so I insisted on keeping the box. We had to shove it behind our seats. Tyler and I have often wanted some kind of barrier between the front and back seats. You know, like in a limo. Well this was just like that. See?

I had to use the camera to check on the kids. I had to slide it over the box.