Arggg, It's MY Treasure

Noah's birthday pictures/adventures continue.  He was a complete stinker on the day of his birthday.  Fortunately, because he was now 4, he could spend longer in timeout...4 minutes.  Everything made him scream something about, "it's my birthday."  I was about done with his special day by lunchtime. 

He got a scooter with only 2 wheels.  His previous scooter had the babyish, 3 wheels. But he is big and thinks that it is great.  But don't touch it.

Davis tried to help fix the handlebars, but Noah didn't want him to touch his scooter.  So like any grumpy pirate he growled.  Davis, like any big brother, hung on and laughingly fought to fix them anyway.  Take my help whether you want it or not!

 Noah also got cap guns with caps.  That is what every grumpy pirate needs, a gun so that he doesn't have to argue.  Fight is over, I shot you.  And he did.

I was thrilled when the birthday was over and the grumpy pirate went to bed.  So thrilled that I quickly stabbed every balloon and tore down all the crepe paper.  No need to let him think that his birthday would extend another day. 

A few notables about my little pirate:
*Noah is like angel and devil in one.  His emotions switch within seconds.
*Nobody, NOBODY pouts (shoulders slumped and lip hanging out)better than him.
*He was born knowing how to pout.
*Noah is the most loving child.  He is always rubbing me or telling me that he loves me.
*He has always been polite without needing a reminder.  Please and thank you are really things that he thinks
about.
*He eats about 3 yogurts a day and never eats meat.

*Noah is tough!  He can down a brother in under 30 seconds.  Tackled flat.
*He loves to write letters and has been able to write his name for at least 6 months.  He also colors inside the lines and draws pictures of everything.  But don't touch his paper, or you may get scriptures to the head.
*If he were a girl, he'd have a dozen purses filled with crap.  He always says, "I like to keep garbage."  He means it.  Every tag and receipt is actually a treasure.
*He loves his sister.  Loves her.  However, he did give her a flip to the head one day when he was wanting her to stay out of his things.  It was the first sign that Anya may not rule the house and get everything she ever wants.
*He has the sweetest little face and big blue eyes.  He loves to wear his hair in a rhino horn, and doesn't want it messed with.
*He is forever my buddy!  Grumpy, greedy pirate or sweet little boy, He is the best!

Arggg, Me Treasure, Part 1

Noah finally turned 4!  He wanted a pirate party with 4 little friends and his brothers. 

Here are the pictures of his party, maybe a few too many.

Birthday boy sitting with his treasure chest cake:

 A close up of the cake.  The invitation, rolled in front, was a treasure map to get to our house.

The safest sword for a pirate is one that can be deflated if it gets too dangerous.  Here is Noah all "Pirated Up."

The best part is that his little friends all came in costume.  It was totally unplanned, but so perfect.  Gotta love kids who totally get into a party.  This is Noah's friend Mahali.  She insisted that her mother put red lipstick on her to "Complete the look."  Ha.  When these two were in nursery they got in trouble for kissing, Noah didn't end up with red lips on today.

Making chocolate dipped swords out of pretzels.  Safest way to eliminate any sword fights.

They played pin the eye patch on the pirate and musical islands.

 Every pirate loves a treasure hunt.  The kids went on a treasure hunt outside by following pictures of different locations in the yard.  Noah with his booty bag, goodie bag.

There were other kids there, but only Mahali seems to be in all the pictures. 

Sure sign of a successful party...snoozing pirate.

Happy Birthday little Noah.

9 Months

Anya is growing too fast.  I really wish that she'd slow down a little bit.  But 9 month old babies are busy.  It is getting harder and harder to take her picture.  I have to hide the sign out of her sight or else she grabs for it.
A few notes:
* She is the most flexible baby ever (in this house at least).  She is always sitting in the splits.  Her little feet then, with toes pointed, start to spin and next thing I know, she is in a different place.  We call that her propellers.
* She is a big baby.  She is pear shaped, we all know that that is the better than apple shape, and carries a lot of weight in her squishy thighs.  I love it.
* We have to be careful as to which pants we put on her because some don't fit (see above).  She is a big fan of the stretchy pants.
*She loves to eat and doesn't hate anything yet.  Nothing like her brothers.  I have never had a baby that liked baby food.   Maybe because I waited until she was 7 months to introduce it.
*She loves her brothers.  Loves. Loves. Loves.
* She doesn't crawl, but we see the first stirrings that it is going to happen.
* She has only 1 tooth...her snaggletooth.
* She ALWAYS has her hair done.  Always!  I just can't help myself.
* She is the most perfect little girl around.  I may be a bit biased, but I can find 5 boys that agree.

Snaggletooth

Anya has been teething.  I have been watching and watching for the first tooth to pop through.  Any day.

Sunday I looked in her mouth and still nothing.  I started looking at all her other gums to see if anything else looked promising.  That is when I found the snaggletooth.  I was shocked to see that not only was there a tooth close to coming through, but rather one that was really through.  The best part is that it was a TOP TOOTH.  A really big, top tooth.

Her loving dad has been coming up with all kinds of names for her.  Bucky.  Nanny McPhee.  Snaggletooth.
He likes to stick out his top teeth and say stupid things.   I am just mad that I didn't make the photo appointment that I had been planning before she had teeth.  Now, now she has the snaggletooth.

It looks like her second top tooth will come through before either of the bottom teeth do.  What kind of crazy girl is this?

Sticking Out

We have been a lot of places, and we usually can "fit in" for the most part.  However, we arrived at a place in which we were so far from looking like we fit in.  Nothing about us conformed to the environment we were in.  Everything shouted "What are you doing here?"  We went to the San Antonio Stock Show and Rodeo, and we were so out of place.  We were missing boots (these people really have and wear boots, not just cute boots, real boots), hats, and anything glittery or sequined.  One older lady had a shirt that flashed with multi-colored LED lights, awesomely Texas!  I don't necessarily think that it was bad that we were out of place.  In fact, it may have been more disturbing if we hadn't stood out.

For Lane.  Darin,a true Fawcett.

Watching the showing of pigs.  The kid would just walk across the corner of the ring with their prized porker.  Jag's face tells how really exciting it was to watch.



Beef Sundae anyone?! 



 Davis giving me his "best" face.  I asked him to show me how much fun he was having.  He is sooo almost 12.

 We met our friends, the Miller's, there.  Here is Darin and Glen sporting the kiddie hats just trying to fit in.  Lawyers are funny guys.





No Scriptures Allowed!

This face looks sweet, BUT...This is the face of trouble.

Noah got kicked out of his Sunbeam class.  Yep, embarrassed and crying as he was brought to find me.  I then had to hear the tale of how he pushed a little girl and then chucked his Book of Mormon across the room to hit her in the head.  Yep, embarrassed.  The behavior just couldn't be tolerated and he was kicked out of his class.  UGH!

Turns out that cute, little girl was driving him crazy by... TOUCHING his paper.  He is an artist and really, really (book to the head) hates it if you bug him and touch his papers.  He just couldn't stand it, and like anyone with 3 older brothers used violence to settle the issue.

Poor Noah had to spend the rest of church time sitting in the hall outside of the primary room.  He kept his fingers in his ears, because He doesn't want to hear about it anymore. I then had to explain that my kids were just normal and sometimes naughty despite what the pure-requisites were for my calling.  I am thinking that maybe I should be released, taught a lesson....:)

The little girl came and apologized (yes, I made Noah apologize to her and the teacher) because she confessed to her mom that she was in fact, touching his stuff.  That just sounds like the new equivalent of the ancient Chinese water torture...touching stuff.

As a result of the altercation at church, I now have one child grounded from bringing scriptures to church.  Yeah, we are awesome here at this house.

Funny Face

Anya has a new "Funny Face" that she makes all the time.  It is a combination of shock and surprise with a bit of shaking.  We all think that it is hysterical, even Anya.  Which just continues the funny cycle. 

I think that she has "Funny Hair" in these pictures as well. We'll just call it her Fluffy Puffy hair.