good advice

Don't take a growing 10 year old to Costco with you right after he finishes swim team.   Because you will go into Costco with the intention of buying bread, milk and maybe some vegetables...but you will come out of Costco $98 poorer.

Hair Do's of Which I Do Not Approve

This morning, the kids went a little crazy with the hairspray and gel.

Due to my lack of desire for productiveness, I went along with it.

Here are the boys' hair masterpieces...

"The Alfalfa" 

 "Spike Surprise"

(the tongue is the surprise)

"The Mockhawk"

(Colby played the conservative card) 

 "The eastern Idaho 'I'm ready for church' slick back"

(There is a history to this one)

"Orlando, you like it?  It's Autumn Sunrise"

(Quoting a movie here...extra points if you know it!)

Colby stopped wanting his hair done, so he posed with kissy faces instead.

"The Horned Toad"

 

Something his mother should have NEVER let him do, let alone take a picture.

"The Darth Maul" 

...minus the red face and pointy teeth.

Sadly, the innocent hair fixing took a turn for the worse.  

I'm guessing the colored pencil taped on mustache makes this flower cap more manly.

"Pretty Boy Colby"

(Chances are, I'm in trouble with Steve on this one.) 

Staying Cool Cool Cool, at the Swimming Pool

It's June and swim lessons are officially on.

The kids are doing the swimming and I'm doing the driving and the paying.

Nothing new there.

Andrew for the third summer is swimming for the Manta Ray team at the Y.  Because of scheduling, he hasn't competed yet, but we are planning on having him participate in a few meets this summer.  I think he will do well.  He loves swimming and the "large" muscles it produces.

I finally broke down and bought him nice goggles this year.  Yesterday he told me they were "ninja"-whatever that means.  I'm guessing he likes them because the mirrored finish makes him feel professional and hud.

Saylor tags along.

Colby and Carter are taking lessons from a lady on the east side of town (yes...I do cross Blue Lakes even though I might be morally against it.) who has a pool in her back yard.

Colby had a rough go at first but is doing much better.  However, I can't imagine pushing in your eyeballs this far can be beneficial to the actual swimming process.

His favorite part of the lesson is jumping off the diving board.

I think my favorite part of his lesson is seeing how many little kids can cram themselves on one rickety diving board.  I think the record might be six, possibly seven.

Bad picture with good action.

Reach with those fingers Colby...reach!

Love this little face.

Knowing how lessons went for Carter last year, this picture is a blooming miracle.

My second born is swimming!

I am bursting with parental pride.

I'm glad he has found something he does well and really enjoys doing.

For a while there, I thought my only hope for fame with this kid was an Olympic scooter team...that, and his really good looks.

Way to go Carter Dean!

With your first Nike endorsement check, I would like a fancy SUV please.  You owe me!

Saylor is still tagging along. 

And yes Steve...these ruffles count as sleeves, even if the shorts are shorter than some of her diaper covers.

(I promised myself that Saylor would never wear sleeveless outfits.  This one was on clearance last summer.  It's amazing what I'm willing to lower my standards for.)

Lastly, this is what Andrew is doing most of the time this summer- eating.

After swimming more than an hour every morning and mostly likely going through a massive growth spurt, this boy does not get full.

This is what he ate before 1:00pm today:

-bowl of cereal

-sausage english muffin sandwich

-two cliff bars

-four graham crackers

-three fruit leathers

-the entire free lunch from the park today (sandwich, fruit, chips, cookies and chocolate milk)

-and he had the nerve to tell me that one hamburger at Wendy's was not enough.

My grocery bill just doubled.

For Fathers Day

Early yesterday I told Steve that our family would celebrate Fathers Day when we start officially celebrating Mothers Day.

I didn't want to give him any false hope of lame presents and cards that we didn't buy him.

(He bought himself four kites last month so don't feel too sorry for him.)

But because I'm not totally heartless and because it technically was Fathers' Day...

I let Steve get away with using my prickly unshaven legs to scratch his mosquito bitten itchy ankles.

He was sad after I shaved them for church.  

I made him beans with dinner. 

This was the first time in our 13 year marriage that I cooked beans.

Steve loves beans and I (cough cough) do not.

And I not talking about just opening a white trash can of pork 'n beans and heating them up on the stove- oh no!   I browned sausage, onions and apples together before combining them with three different kinds of beans to slowly cook together in a crock pot for hours, perfectly combining all their delicious (gag) flavors together to make my mother's famous baked beans.  Don't tell my mom, but it smelled like home.

...but I didn't try one bite.

I also told him that if he woke up this morning and I wasn't there, it was because I was translated.  Making him beans makes me the perfect wife.

I invited my entire Sunday school class over for dinner so Steve would have six teenage boys to play RC cars and kites with until 10pm last night.  Only two cars and one kite were damaged in the process.

I'm a saint, I know.

Love you Steve. 

 Happy "celebrated by the rest of the country but not by us because we are huge sticks in the mud" Fathers Day.

Mother of the Year

I took Andrew to the doctor tonight after he ran a fever of 101.

He has a double ear infection and strep throat.

I asked him why he didn't tell me he felt so awful.

Because really, the boy must feel horrible.

"You don't like complainers Mom."

Please send your Mother of Year Awards to:

Jill Dixon

Little House with Red Shingling

Twin Falls, Idaho

Other things said today worth remembering:

"Mom, my dead pancreas is itchy."

(don't even need to write who said it)

Truly...I couldn't make these things up.

Faces, Feet and Friendly Night Games

This is the face Colby gave me after neighbor kids came to my door to let me know that he had peed at the park.  I guess I should be happy because he only peed at the park this time instead of something else.  

 This is once again a reminder to myself why we don't have pets.  Taking care of my childrens' bodily functions is complicated enough.  

Colby has been threatened and hopefully won't make the same mistake again.

This is Saylor's "NO" face.  No is a new word for her and she uses it readily.

Here is another shot of her "NO".

This is Carter's annoyed face because I asked to take pictures of him.

This excuse of an outfit is proof that I still have the parental right to pick out my childrens' clothing.

 (And for the record, I thoroughly detest tie dye.  He brought home this beauty from school...so I can't burn it.)

I also wonder if I should get his eyes checked.  He can roll them back further than what I thought was humanly possible.

This is the face I got when Colby got in trouble for something else.  I forget what for...but his outfit is pretty classic too.  My children have a flare for the tacky and clashing.

This is Andrew's face.

I took pictures of him just like I promised.  He was indifferent.

 The neighborhood kids played night games outside our house Saturday night.  I had flashbacks from my own childhood.  I think this is what being a kid is all about- fun, freedom and the right to stay out past 9 pm.

We love our neighborhood. 

By the looks of it, Colby was "it".

And lastly, my childrens' feet just because I felt like it.

Say piggies with Steve shoes in the background.

Colby and his $15 D&B Supply red boots of happiness.

Carter's red crocs.
(The Star Wars accessory was extra.  We're suckers for Star Wars.)

Andrew in the foot buff.
I don't like to wear shoes either.

crappy weather

I'm thinking our extra cold spring has ruined my garden.

I have replanted my peas and still nothing is coming up.

I have three...yes three...corn plants up and only two bean plants.

My tomatoes are runty and my squash and pumpkin have yet to show their little green faces.

Whatever.

the best way to spend a summer evening

We rode our bikes to the school a half mile from our house after dinner tonight.  Steve and I flew kites while the kids climbed around on the playground toys. The wind was just strong enough to let the kids practice flying without the fear of them being drug across the grass.  (Carter went through two juice boxes and was still low when we got home.  Ghee whiz.)

I'm thinking most of our summer is going to be spent just like tonight.

 Next time I'm tossing my real camera in the bike trailer...but I'm still pretty impressed with my I-phone.

Catch Up With Picture

I'm very behind with everything, and this is mostly due to the fact that school is out.  Hurry!

Summer vacation has officially begun and were hoping it will be warmer than our spring has been.  We had highs in the 50's last week.  Yuck.

Today hit close to 80.  

Things are looking up.

Because I am so behind, I'm just posting a bunch of pictures and not taking the time to put them in the correct order- they are actually backwards chronologically.  

It's summer now and I don't care.

But the last few days have been eventful.

Saylor is learning the art of RC cars.  We start 'em young around here.

She has already perfected the art of loving her dad.

I'm not sure what this pose is...but I like it anyway.

Please ignore the muddy puddle of who knows what behind Colby.  We have some drainage problems  and as we actually sprung and had our lawn sprayed (hallelujah), we had to water it a ton yesterday.  Hence the cesspool.  Whether or not my boys or my nephews actually relieved themselves in it will remain a secret.  But the rumor has flown.

While Steve and I were in Idaho Falls last weekend, we stopped by Toys R Us to look for Saylor an outside toy.  I wanted it mostly to keep her contained while I work in the yard.  Would Steve let me buy a cute pink car?  NOPE!  He bought her her own bumpy truck.  

She loves it just as Steve knew she would.

It is still in the house because once it gets dirty, it can't come back inside.

I'll be moving it out this week when I need to weed my garden!

Yes...the boys danced.  

If you can call what Carter is doing dancing.

We've also been flying Steve's power foil kites.  This picture was taken right before Steve called it an afternoon last Monday.  The kids were whiny and Steve was annoyed.  Just thought I would document Steve not being happy.  Its rare...really rare and deserves documenting to make me look better.  :)

Carter had a darling first grade play last week.  He was a messenger in the Princess and the Pea production and he did a wonderful job.  His lines were memorized and delivered with ease and flare.

He's adorable.

I was a crappy mom and forgot my video camera and good camera.  This happens when a mom has to drag two other children with her to events in the afternoon when one of the children in tow should be taking a nap.  Phone cameras are a poor substitute, but better than nothing.

Carter and Mrs. Black.  

This teacher is gold.  GOLD I tell you.  She learned the ins and outs of diabetes and even mastered Carter's pump.  I will miss this woman next year.  Both Carter and I wish she could move up to second grade.  But that wouldn't be fair for the kids going into first grade.  They deserve a teacher like this!

Andrew did not get a picture taken with his teacher this year.  Fifth graders are too cool for that sort of thing.  However, Mr. Cieslick was the perfect teacher for Andrew this year.  Andrew excelled in all subjects and learned to work extremely hard.  We couldn't be happier with Andrew's last year in elementary school.  

Carter's end of year celebration was held at Harry Barry Park just a few blocks from the school.

One game station the kids participated in was the parachute.  Kill me this looks so fun!  

Mrs. Black even let Colby join in.  Bless that woman!

 Juice boxes are not just for diabetics.

Colby and his make out buddy. 

-just hugging this time though thank goodness.

...note to self.  

Take more pictures of Andrew.