Summer Kick Off

 

 Friday was Ethan's last day of school for the summer.

He had a music program at 9:15 that morning where the kids sang 3 songs and had a short assembly program. Then at 11:30 Kamden, Owen, and I went back to have lunch at the school for the family picnic, followed by an ice cream social in the classroom. It was raining all day so we had our picnic in the classroom, too.

And since it was the first weekend of summer, we decided to take a little trip with my parents to Utah.

On Saturday we went to the Dinosaur Museum where we met up with our good friends, the Kaskels, who moved from Emmett not long after we did. It was so good to see them and catch up, we will have to visit them again soon. 

The museum was fun but it seemed to never end...the boys loved it.

After we finally saw everything at least once we followed the Kaskels to a local pizza place for lunch.

 We checked into our hotel and got settled, then mom & dad were nice enough to take the boys swimming while Jeff & I went to the Salt Lake Temple.

I've probably been to Temple Square at least 20 times in my life but I've never actually been inside the temple so it was a neat experience, made even more enjoyable by the homeless guy near the gate playing hymns on a harmonica.

On Sunday it was cloudy and cold, but we braved the weather and went to Hogle Zoo. The rain held off for the most part and it wasn't too bad, but Ethan still couldn't bring himself to look at the camera and smile for a picture near the "snoring elephant".

 Kamden got his picture with his favorite animal...

The Rhinoceros

 And then we found a Golden Rhino & the boys had to take the opportunity to ride it. It didn't end so well for Kamden...

Owen & Kamden were excited to see Zoboo, the leaping lemur from the PBS Kids' show 'Zoboomafoo'

 We sat through a really lame presentation that promised 4 zoo animals and following the presentation we would be allowed to touch 2 of them. They brought out a cockroach, a toad, a snake, and a turtle. The audio was so horrible that we couldn't understand much of it, but they talked A LOT about food webs.

When it was over the boys got to touch the snake and the turtle.

Then we spent a few minutes on the playground where Owen slid out of a snake and became a turtle...

 Out of all the animals at the zoo, I thought the best place for the boys would probably be the monkey cage.

Don't you think they would fit in nicely?

 After lunch we went to the 'This Is The Place' monument depicting Brigham Young's declaration that the pioneers were to settle there in the valley.

Apparently it's quite the tourist attraction because while we were there a busload of Asians came and had a group photo then took turns posing like all of the different statues. It was pretty entertaining to see their excitement over the whole experience.

We also went to the cemetery and found some of the Prophets' headstones which was neat but the streets were narrow & since it was Memorial Day weekend it was ridiculously crowded.

  After maneuvering our way out of the cemetery we went to Temple Square and walked through the visitors' centers. It was fun to watch the boys explore and recognize different things. When we climbed the walkway up to the Christus Ethan and Kamden got so excited. Ethan said, "It's Jesus!" and they both started running toward the gigantic statue. By the time I caught up, they were already running their fingers across the nail prints in his feet...I'm not sure if you're supposed to touch it or not, but they did.

 We also took a guided tour of the Conference Center, but the boys were barely hanging on since we had been walking practically all day. They did really good, though, and we made it to the roof where Ethan thought it would be a good idea to get a better view so he climbed up on the railing, trying to give me a heart attack I guess. I saw him from several yards away and interrupted our tour guide to yell at Ethan to get down, then the guide told us that a kid actually fell from that spot awhile back, which was why the railing was put up. I guess the view must be pretty good right there, but my heart was racing too fast to enjoy it.

 Monday the weather was much better and we went to Lagoon.

The boys were so excited and had been looking forward to it for weeks. We haven't been in 3 years, the last time we went I was about ready to have Owen. We had a great time watching the boys have so much fun and Grandma & Grandpa were great sports to let the boys drag them all over the park for 8 hours.

 Jeff & Dad are more adventurous than Mom & I, so they went on several rides while we stayed with the kids. Then Jeff & I took Ethan & Kamden on one of the bigger rides that Ethan was trying to run away from up until the lap bar closed on him. Of course, after it was over he said he loved it and wanted to go again.

Owen liked the Carousel and these little planes with guns, which Grandma so kindly let him go on SIX TIMES IN A ROW.

 Another favorite were the Bumper Cars...

 A short walk through Pioneer Village & we found a great place for Grandpa & Jeff...

 

 But the jail couldn't hold them so we went back to the rides. It's not a trip to Lagoon without going on the Log Ride.

Owen really liked it...until the big drop off right at the end...

So we found something he enjoyed a little more...

 Ethan & Kamden loved the LadyBug Bop...Owen went on it once and didn't like it.

It's funny because last time we went Ethan was 4 and he wouldn't go on it. Kamden was 2 1/2 and he LOVED it then, too.

 They also really liked this dragon roller coaster that went around in a circle one way and then went backwards. I went on it once and that was enough for me...Grandma & Grandpa didn't care for it, either...Jeff wouldn't even try it.

There was a new kids' roller coaster that all 3 of the boys liked. Jeff took Owen on it and when the ride was over Owen started crying and screaming. The people waiting in line commented on how he must've not liked it but he was throwing a fit because he wanted to go again.

 Now, you might be wondering if my Mom went on any rides besides the Carousel and her attempt on the spinning dragon thing...she also rode the train that goes throughout the park.

She even braved one of the roller coasters that you hang from in a harness-type seat. Kamden & Ethan really liked that one, too.

 At the very end of the day we finally talked Ethan & Kamden into going onto the Colossus, a roller coaster that goes upside down twice. Kamden, of course, loved it and wanted to go again.

Ethan sat next to me and tried to put his head down between his knees but we were going so fast that the poor kid was bouncing all over the place. I pressed his head back against the headrest and held it there the entire time. He had his eyes open wide during the whole ride but when it was over he pointed to the two loops and asked why we didn't go on them. He didn't even realize we were upside down.

The park was about to close so we had time for a few more rides. Jeff & Dad went on Wicked while Mom let Owen ride the shooting planes to his hearts' content. Ethan, Kamden, & I went on the Ski Lift and they did the LadyBug Bop once more, the spinning dragon, and the blue roller coaster before we called it a day.

It was a great weekend and Owen has been carrying around a map of the zoo and asking to go to Lagoon again...but we're all still recovering.

 

Ethan's Schoolwork

If I Were President

By Ethan Stoker

 "If I were President I would do many thing's. First I would open a video game stor. Evre one could play game's. Next I would mak shr evy one had food. Thay wont go hangre. Also I would help them if thay need help. People would file good. last I would open a skhool. kids cood loorn. Being President would be...hard wokce."

Winter Break

By Ethan Stoker

 "Oove winter break I did many fun thing's. Me and my cusin plad in the snow. But thery whas not verey much snow. I stad in a...hotel I stad at my grandmo's haws. I had a slep ovre with my cusin. My cusin's name is Addsen. Wintr brak was osom."

My Father

By Ethan Stoker

 

My father's name is Jeff

My father likes to play galf

My father's favorite food is met lofe

My father's favorite sport is foot Ball

My father's favorite color is red

I love it when my father plays with me

My father is good at vido games

My father and I like to ride bickes

My father likes it when I play with him

My father is great because he plays with me 

The Graduate

Yesterday was a pretty big day for Kamden.
He graduated from Tiny Hands Preschool
where he has been going since mid-January.
You might remember that he started at another preschool at the beginning of the year, but that didn't go so well...I was so happy when Miss Crystal said she had an opening in her Tuesday/Thursday class and that Kamden could attend. 
He already had 2 friends in the class that came over from Emmett and he was really excited to be able to spend time with them. Miss Crystal's older class was full, so Kamden was with kids that were a year younger than him, but he did really well. One of his friends in the class will also be starting Kindergarten in the fall but the others have another year. Kamden made so many friends and was always asking if it was Preschool 
day because he could hardly wait to go back.
When he started at Tiny Hands he could write his name but couldn't spell it out, he also didn't know the alphabet or numbers very well. Now he is a pro at all of that and can write and sound out every letter as well as name words that begin with them. He loved his turns taking the snack box and since he wasn't in Preschool in November for his birthday, they celebrated last week. Kamden chose to take one of his favorite kinds of cookies, Snickerdoodles, and a chocolate milk with a straw for everyone. He even got a gift from Miss Crystal that he was super excited about. He thought it was pretty awesome getting to celebrate his birthday in May but was a little disappointed when he found out I didn't get him anything. 

During the graduation the kids demonstrated some of the things they've learned. In the second picture Kamden is holding a beanbag on top of his head, they showed that they could follow directions. They sang lots of cute songs and each of them stood and said their name, then spelled it out. They also told us what they want to be when they grow up and answers ranged from Batman to a Princess or Ballerina. When Kamden stood up he said "When I grow up I want to be a Daddy." Jeff and I both got a bit emotional over that one. He has become so tenderhearted lately and there has been such a change in him. It's been amazing to watch.
Miss Crystal had each of the kids stand while she read a little about them. The first are answers that Kamden gave and the last are her own comments:
Kamden Stoker
Favorite color: Red, blue, yellow, and gray 
Favorite food: Carrots (I was SHOCKED by this)
Favorite thing about preschool: Going on the teeter-totter swing
Things that make him laugh: His brothers
Things that make him feel scared: "Nothing, I am brave...Oh, maybe foxes. They are scary."
Comments from Miss Crystal: Kamden is really great with numbers. He is always asking me questions about numbers so maybe when he grows up he should be a math teacher or an engineer! When Kamden joined our class in January he was a little restless and unsure of himself. He has grown so confident, aware, and independent. He is a great worker and always does his best. He is going to rock Kindergarten next year!

Miss Crystal is aMaZiNg & we are so grateful for her hard work & the effort she made to teach Kamden over the last 4 months. He has learned SO much and we've loved watching his excitement and enthusiasm for learning increase as he has been in her class. 

 Thanks Miss Crystal!

The Hissing Goose

 Yesterday we stopped to feed the ducks and as soon as we walked up, this mean old goose came around the corner, rushing toward us and hissing. I don't think I'd ever heard a goose hiss before and it was pretty scary. Kamden and Owen threw their bread and ran back to the car. I was afraid of what might happen when we ran out of bread, so I tossed mine quickly and joined them while Jeff and Ethan risked their lives to feed until all the bread was gone.

Thankfully, no one had nightmares about the hissing goose last night.

There were also a few pretty swans, but they stayed in the water and pushed the ducks away so they got most of the bread that didn't go to the hissing goose.

Next time we will have to find some nicer ones to feed.

Mother's Day 2012

Botanical Gardens Field Trip

 A few weeks ago I was able to go on a field trip with Ethan's class to the Idaho Botanical Gardens in Boise. The class made tye-dye t-shirts to wear and got to hold rollie-pollie bugs and gather all types of seeds, nuts, sticks, and anything else they could find and examine under their magnifying glass. 

Another class went with them and I got to ride the bus back and forth with all those kids...it was NOISY! 

After a guided tour at the Botanical Gardens we had a picnic at a park and the kids played for awhile before another loud bus ride back to the school. A few of the kids were so worn out they took a little nap on the way back, but I don't know how they could sleep with all of the other kids making so much noise...

We learned all kinds of things but the most interesting was that you can each a Violet and that people coat them in sugar and use them for cake decorating. I also learned that an entire stalk of celery is actually the leaf of the plant, not just the little leaves at the top. Who would've guessed?

It's crazy to think that Ethan has only one more week left of 1st grade. It feels like forever ago that I sent him off to Orofino Elementary to start the year and I never would have thought that he would be finishing in Meridian. We moved almost a month ago and were able to get settled pretty quickly since we had several weeks to bring things over and only had to make one trip with the furniture and everything that hadn't been moved yet. A BIG THANKS to my brother Ryan and my parents who helped with the move & especially my mom who spent an entire day helping me clean the other house & my dad who did yard work & helped clean the garage. Hopefully we won't be needing help with a move anytime in the near future, but with us, apparently you never know.

Since there were only a few weeks left in the school year I wasn't going to transfer Ethan to another school and have him attend 3 different schools in one year so we've been driving him in every morning and picking him up in the afternoons. It's only about 8 miles one way, but we will be glad when we don't have to make the drive anymore...but it's much better than the drive from our house on top of Crow Bench Road in Orofino, down the mountain to the school. Next year he and Kamden will go to the school in our new subdivision and they are working on making friends in the neighborhood and at church. It's been a crazy year for the boys with a lot of changes...3 moves in one year is a bit much for anybody...but they have done so well adjusting and have met a lot of new friends through the process. But we are planning on being settled for awhile and, if not, then someone else will have to do the packing because I don't want to see another cardboard box or roll of packing tape for quite awhile!

Take Me Out to the Ball Game...

 Jeff has been out of town a lot lately, so the boys & I have passed the time with a bit of exploring. One day after school we found a park we'd never been to before & there were some baseball fields. We didn't have any baseball equipment with us, but they really wanted to come back when Jeff could go with us. He got home late on Thursday so on Friday after dinner we went to play. 

Kamden was on my team, the Maniacs, of course!

 Owen didn't want ANY help, but he kept swinging the bat backwards & hitting the tee, instead of coming from behind to hit the ball...

 He finally gave me a chance to help him get on the right side of the tee & show him how to hold the bat...

 & when he hit it he took off for the pitcher's mound but we got him headed toward 1st just in time...

 But Kamden was waiting for him by the time he got to 2nd...

 Ethan's got a pretty good arm on him & a decent swing, but I'm fairly certain that the victory goes to the Maniacs.

Kamden's Quotes...

 I'm pretty sure that this kid was sent to me to remind me to laugh. He always has a snarky comeback and plenty of attitude to back it up, and he has always been able to speak his mind and be himself. 

I hope those qualities stick with him.

Here are some of the things he has said lately:

While grocery shopping I told him we needed to get laundry detergent so we walked down the aisle. Kamden doesn't read yet but he pointed to one and said "Mom, get this one! It has the stain fighting power of Oxy-Clean!"

I asked him how he knew that and he said "The guy on TV told me."

"Mom, who do you think would get me a dead bird?"
"What do you want a dead bird for?"
"So I could look at it. Do you think Uncle George would get me one?"
"You want Uncle George to kill a bird just so you can look at it?"
"No. I would pull it's feathers out, too."

When he said something a bit too sassy to me I told him that he broke my heart.

"No I didn't. You'd be dead."

In Preschool they had Show & Tell and Kamden chose to take his plastic Rhinoceros. When I asked him what he was going to say about it he said "That it kills stuff."

A few of the kids' moms from Preschool are pregnant or just had babies and one day while going to football practice Kamden said, "Mom, you'd better not have a baby in your stomach."

I told him he didn't have to worry about that and he said, 

"Good. But if you did, it better be a boy and not a girl."

I asked him why and he told me,

"Because we would name it Praying Mantis...

or Red Rodrigo." 

When I took Kamden to register for Kindergarten he LOVED going around the gym doing the different activities like getting his eyes tested and meeting the librarian who had a puppet that I think was a badger or something. He met a few of the Kindergarten teachers and then it was time to go. The kids were out at recess and he thought he was going to get to start school right then and there and started heading for the playground. I asked him where he was going and he said over his shoulder, matter-of-factly, "I'm goin' to school!" When I told him he couldn't go he came back, his head hung in disappointment. I explained that he didn't start school until August and asked him what he planned on doing when the kids had to go back inside after recess. He said he was just going to go with them and find a class. I wouldn't have been surprised if he had. On the way home he asked me if I knew why he was so excited about school and he said, "Recess! It's gonna be awesome!" While pumping his fist in the air. Hopefully he maintains his enthusiasm when he discovers that it's a lot more than time on the playground.

If Kamden is ever injured between the legs he says one of three things:
1. "Ow! My tenders!" another variation of this one is "I split my tenders!"
2. "Oooh, my coconuts!"
3. "Mo-om, he went right for my weak spot!"
(This is usually his response when one of his brothers is the cause of his injury)

Here is a conversation between Kamden & I:
"What do you want to do this summer, Kamden?"
"I wanna milk a cow."
"You wanna milk a cow?"
"Yep. A baby cow."
"You can't milk the babies. Only the mommas."
"Why not the Dads?" 

Whenever we are in the car or anywhere with music, Kamden HAS to dance. When we have the radio on he always wants a "Rockin' Song!" Which is basically 80's-style-rock or anything with a fast beat and lots of heavy guitar.
Some of his favorites are: 
Queen's Bohemian Rhapsody
Pat Benatar Hit Me With Your Best Shot
& the one he likes the most right now is
Pumped Up Kicks by Foster The People
(Which isn't really rockin' but he knows all of the words & asks for it all of the time)

The boys got bunk beds and when it's Kamden's turn for family prayer at night he always remembers to thank Heavenly Father for his bunk bed. Lately he has been so willing to say the prayer and get ready for Church on Sunday, it's been AMAZING.

The funniest one was when we were driving in the car and Kamden noticed Ethan's knee that is starting to scab over after a scooter crash. I heard him say in the backseat, "Your knee looks bastard!"

I asked him what in the world he was talking about and he said, "Ethan's knee is starting to bastard!"

While trying not to laugh, I hurried to correct him, "No! It's starting to BLISTER!" 
*He wasn't really saying "Bastard" but the way he was pronouncing blister, it sounded like it. He's been doing Speech Therapy for a year & a half now and has been making some great progress, but every once in awhile he has some difficulty with a word. So don't judge me, I don't say "Bastard" in front of my 5-year-old. But you just said it in your head about 4 times :)

Although sometimes he can have too much attitude, Kamden can be the sweetest, most caring kid. He has a deep love for his family and just a few weeks ago after Ethan crashed his scooter resulting in lots of cuts, scrapes, and bruises, Kamden helped Ethan inside where he immediately started cleaning Ethan's wounds. He loves his aunts, uncles, cousins, and grandparents and misses his Dad when he's out of town, wanting to call him several times a day and always asking when he's coming home.
He loves animals, even though he wants a dead bird to look at, and he brings me so many flowers and dandelions sometimes I have to remind him not to pick flowers from other people's yards. He can be so sweet and tender and gives great hugs and kisses, squeezing so tight and pressing his kiss into my cheek as hard as he can until I say "Yowzah!" I love his deep brown eyes and the sound of his uncontrollable laughter, his love of music and endless energy. Though he can be very impatient and at times I wonder if I'm the mother he needs, he tries so hard to be good and is so quick to forgive. Every day he shows me how to enjoy life.

Flag Football 2012 Season

The season came to a close for Kamden & his team, the Cowboys, on Saturday, May 5th. It ran for almost two months and by then we were ready for it to be over. Between both the boys playing we had 3 practices a week and 2 games every Saturday. But it was fun to watch them learn and run around...or in Kamden's case, SKIP around. You can see his typical participation in the games in the video below:

And here he is on the sidelines:

He was told by one of the assistant coaches that he needed to change his attitude because when they were called over to the huddle, Kamden would mosey on over, skipping and taking his sweet time. The entire season, no matter how much we reminded him, he never quite got to the huddle in a very timely manner.

When he was on the field he would find his position and then look around for us. When he'd spot us he would point his index & middle finger at his eyes, then toward us, then back at his own eyes. Then he would give a double-thumbs-up with both hands followed by a salute. It was always quite the show. His coaches would yell from the sidelines for him to watch the ball, get ready, pay attention...but he HAD to complete his routine even if we were echoing their instructions. During his last game it was so hilarious because twice in a row after finishing his routine, the guy from the opposite team who had the ball ran right past Kamden. Kamden realized it at the last second, reached out, and pulled the kid's flag. Two touchdowns in a row...I guess the routine served some sort of purpose!

Kamden works his magic, probably casting a spell over the opposing team.

Ethan's age group kept score and tournaments were Saturday May 12th with his game scheduled at 8:15am. It was a long day jam packed with two birthday parties, a graduation party, and of course football. Ethan's team was the Ravens, not to be confused with 'Raisins', even though their jerseys were purple & at times it was confusing.

Here's a video of one of Ethan's tackles...

Ethan played both offense and defense. Some of the positions he played were center, wide receiver, and defensive back.

Owen did pretty good cheering his brothers on & enjoying playing in the grass, although the nearby playground was really tempting so we had to keep a close eye on him. 

  We are so proud of both Ethan & Kamden, they put a lot of effort into their first time playing on a football team. Sometimes they about drove me crazy when they didn't want to go to practice or get out of bed on a Saturday morning, but now they are asking when their next practice is & we have to keep reminding them that the season is over.