I’ve headed back to work and Pops has picked up the slack on the home front.
The kids now must adhere to a new dress code…
The older ones are protesting for a “casual Friday”
Watch out ladies, the gig is up. Pops is now “in” on the good times of stay-at-home-moms.…and he has taken it up a notch too. Every day the kids have a regimen of school-work, chores, and swim lessons.
Everyone keeps asking how the kids are holding up. Let’s just say that being lavished with as many Lego meetings, pony play times, and car chases as their hearts desire hasn’t been too hard on the kids.
I’m loving it too.We kicked off the weekend with a sparkling bathroom and empty laundry baskets.
Watch out gentlemen, Pops is still working full time as well. You may want to sensor your wife’s reading of this blog as she may expect you to kick it up a notch on the home front. The old, “Just let me relax for a minute, I’ve had a hard day of work” excuse just got ’86-ed.
I think this poem written by Pops’ good friend and mentor sums it all up…
Brad, Brad Super Dad,
As a parent, pretty rad,
As a lawyer, not half bad,
Even for a Suffolk grad,
Brad, Brad Super Dad.
Thanks Dana! You should take Pops to lunch sometime, I’m sure he could use the break!
Well we couldn't let PIONEER DAY pass us by without celebration. I loaded the kids up in the double wide stroller (which means that 2 had to walk) and we headed up the street for a swim. In honor of the day, as soon as the first complaint was uttered (about 5 feet out of the driveway) I busted into all of the great pioneer songs of yesteryear (and we sang as we walked and walked and walked and walked). Then we pretended that we were the oxen of a fine wagon. Of course I had to drone on and on about how the pioneer children had to walk not just 10 minutes to a pool party, but all day every day. God bless those pioneer mothers who probably heard, "Are we there yet?" a billion times.
Little did our Californian and Canadian friends know that they had unwittingly stumbled into their first Utahn celebration!
Here are the kiddos establishing exactly how big a beach ball is.
And I'm just throwing this in there to prove that boy clothes are just as stinkin' cute as girl clothes.
Obviously Superkid's turn to choose an activity for Family Home Evening. He is a pro at coming up with object lessons... Don't forget your shield to defend yourself from Satan's bombs!
This was after Abz's Stranger danger presentation acted out by Pinky Pie, Baby yellowy and Rainbow Dash.
Little Chief checked in with the pediatrician yesterday. She was most impressed with his leap from the 12th percentile TO THE 60TH (12 lbs. and something ounces)! Wahoo! Still kind of scrawny for a Toad, but definitely on the right track.
Turns out that this kid is screw ball. He has all sorts of expressions that crack us up. And in other 2 month news, the kid has found his hands. More specifically his thumb. This is definitely a Phrogbottom trait. Of course he will only use it to pacify himself until he is 3 yr. old and then one day announce that he will never suck his thumb again, and then quit that instant. That is, if he takes after his mom. It has been a great month!
Today was blessing day for this beautiful baby boy. Like always, he was super cooperative and smiley... Guess who won the, "I get to hold the baby for the picture!" game? Don't worry, everyone got a turn in the end!
On the way to church I tried to impress upon the children what a sacred event Little Chief's baby blessing was for our family. In reality, I was just hoping to make it the 10 minutes into sacrament meeting without hauling some *situation* out and missing the whole thing. I started telling the kids about each of their blessing days.
Remember how Superkid's blessing was postponed because of the great blizzard? We have the gorgeous hydrangea in the front yard given to us by my friend Jill on Abizella's blessing day. I love how the white flowers are in full bloom every year for her birthday. Little Tadpole was blessed over a sizzling labor day weekend. And today our Little Chief had his big day. What a blessed mommy I am to have these 4 BEST EVER kids!
I LOVE ALL of my babies!
You can click HERE for more blessing day fun! I know I will be going after some of these shots!
Independence Day is a REALLY big deal around here!
*POP*#1! Pop's birthday... which is on the REAL Independence Day. Did you know the 2nd Continental Congress voted for independence on the 2nd? Pops knows.
Tadpole did the candle blowing... *POP* #2! Fireworks over the Harbor... When the fireworks started, Tadpole said in amazement, "I'm not scared of the fireworks!" Then he started reassuring his toy train James and informed us that, "James IS scared of the fireworks!" Just loving that this little guy, and all of his brothers and sister, will always have memories of fireworks over the water. See! Water! *POP* #3! Pop's annual reading of the Declaration of Independence. It started as just a Superkid-Pops affair, but the others drug in chairs so they wouldn't miss out on the action! *POP* #4! The Boston POPS! LOVE LOVE LOVE them! Well, not enough to camp out 24 hours to hear them on the 4th of July, but enough to camp out for 4 hours on the 3rd of July. Now I am the old fogey who gets super excited over the 1812 Overture 15 minutes before the canons blast. I can't tell you how happy it made me to watch these two ladies boogie to the music! After all that POPPING, we were POOPED!
Ahhh the great American family road trip. I have many fond memories of trips from my youth. Of course those were the days before seat belt laws (at least the kind that anyone took seriously). I remember making little club houses in the back of the family van in the luggage. One memorable trip we stripped my brother Dixie to the waist, colored his body with markers and put in about 100 little braids all over his head. Don’t feel too badly for him, it was his idea. While there are good memories from the road trips, I am sure there were some ugly times too, but I don't remember them as much.
In an effort not to forget the Up-s and Down-s of the trip, Pops and I have compiled a list for posterity...
Lo: 5 minutes into our trip Abz starts begging for a snack. Denied. She said, “You guys said you were going to feed us!”
Hi: No snack policy meant kids actually ATE when we stopped for meals.
Lo: The trip to the emergency room after Tadpole somehow developed a little “Nurse-Maid Elbow”. Then enduring the guilt every time Tadpole said, “Dad, you hurt me.”
Hi: Tadpole scoring a brand new James train engine to relieve Pop’s guilt.
Lo: Not having towels in our hotel room for 2 days of our trip.
Hi: Our hotel being nestled in among am IHOP, a Target AND a COLD STONE!
Lo: Living in the car for 4 days
Hi: Getting to see so many church historical sites
Lo: Driving luxurious mini van for 7 hours each way
Hi: Driving luxurious mini van for 7 hours each way
Lo: Tadpole peeing on me during my birthday dinner at Applebee's
Hi: Not caring and finishing my birthday dinner anyway
Lo: Little Chief’ s blow out that filled his ears
Hi: Happy baby
Hi: Getting to see 4 *1830*, 1st edition Book of Mormons
Lo: Not having $100,000 to buy one
Lo: Getting rained out of our trip to Niagra Falls
Hi: Fun-filled day at the National Museum of Play instead
Definite Hi: Just being together as a family!
Now, tons of pictures...
Our fearless (and ticket-less! - which is kind of a big deal) driver...
The happy travelers...
The happiest traveler...
The definite advantage of emergency feeding stops for the baby...
My Happy Birthday Party...
Our trip to the Strong National Museum of Play. This place saved the day for the young among us! While the kids didn't fully appreciate seeing the first ever Barbie Doll and Raggedy Ann collection, they really enjoyed hours and hours of good fun play.
Of course every story book village come s with a UNICORN!
Tadpole enjoying one of his many train rides with his little buddy James (the toy train that never left his mitt).
Superkid doing a little engine work on Sesame Street...
Just so The Chief knows he was there too. This is pretty much how he spent the whole trip.
Abz chatting with Abi Cadaby... She thought she was a movie star!
And a little Rositta time too...
Cross one off the bucket list... now I too have sat on the steps of Sesame Street!
Tad was REALLY into all things transportation...
Superkid LOVED the more SCIENCEY exhibits...
Our fly-by the Palmyra temple as we scooted out of town...
And of course there were good times for all at the hotel pool...
Let's do it again!
