the golden child

anna and avery were playing over at emily's house and i told them that when they sat down to dinner, that they needed to come home. after the kids came home, the phone rang and it was emily telling me what a good girl i have. she said that anna was watching tv and didn't notice that they had sat down to dinner and when she noticed she got right up and started putting on her boots so that she could come home. emily and kyle were trying to talk her into staying and finishing her show, but she was insistent that her mother told her to come home as soon as they sat down to dinner and so that is what she did. emily said that she felt a little bad because they were trying to get her to disobey, but it didn't work. we have always wondered why we were given her. she is such a precious gift and way more than we deserve. i am really worried about the teenage years because she has to rebel sometime, right?

the golden rule

avery: i know what the "golden rule is, do you?"
mom: yeah
avery: do you want me to tell you
mom: yeah
avery: do unto others as you would have other do unto you (this is where it gets scary). like, if they kick you, kick them and if you punch them, they will punch you.
mom: that isn't what the golden rule means, it means treat them like you would want to be treated. like, when your nice to them, they are nice to you.
avery: thats what i meant mom. what if your nice to them and they are still mean to you?
mom: you only have control over yourself.

he's a genius.

gambling

i am sitting in the office with blake (he's on his computer and i'm on mine, he calls it "bonding") and he starts teasing with anna (yeah she's on her computer). he holds out his hand so that she can slap it and then quickly pulls it away. he does it again and it is like cold honey as she tries to hit his hand over and over. then he starts saying double or nothing. she then stops playing the game and says, "dad, i don't gamble."

you might think that she is a golden child, well she kind of is, but just a few months ago she was all for the gambling experience. her dad and her were playing the same game and he says, "i'll pay you a dollar if you hit my hand, but if you miss, you owe me 2 dollars." they play until anna is in the hole about $10 and then he says, "ok, double or nothing." she of course misses his hand again and he tells her to go and get her money. she starts bawling and tells him that that money is for college and she doesn't want to pay up and thats when he teaches her a life lesson.... wait for it..... he says, "thats why we don't gamble." ever since, as soon as he starts putting money on the table she says, "dad, i don't gamble." its pretty cute.

avery: mom, does my hair look cool?
mom: your hair doesn't make you cool.
avery: is it your clothes that make you cool?
mom: no it isn't your clothes.
avery: i know, i know it is your moooves that make you cool?
mom: no it isn't your moves. at this point he is totally confused as to what makes you cool.
avery: then what is it that makes you cool?
mom: it is what's in your heart and how you treat other people that makes you cool.
avery: a lot of people don't know that, do they mom?
mom: no avery, a lot of people don't know that.

it is pretty sad that my 5 year old is already worried about what makes him cool and trying to fit in. i am trying my dangdest to teach him that it's whats in the inside that counts.

avery: mom do you think you can get some of those things that go on your teeth for anna.
mom: you mean braces.
avery: yeah.
mom: she doesn't need them. why would we do that?
avery: they make you look cool. (he is way into looking cool)
mom: they don't make you look cool. in fact, they make you look kind of nerdy.
avery: they don't make kennon look nerdy (that is jenean's son who is in the 2nd grade and already has braces).

when do braces become uncool, because right now avery thinks they are so cool!

avery's quotes of the week

avery: mom can we make my turkey now? it is a turkey to hang on the wall at school. we ended up putting seeds on each feather it turned out really cute. i will have to take a picture and post it.
mom: no
avery: how bout now?
mom: avery, i am busy. after i am done making dinner we'll work on it. why don't you think about somebody besides yourself and ask mom what i need help with.
avery: like when anna just thinks about herself.
mom: don't worry about anna.
avery: you just told me to stop thinking only about myself.

Halloween 2008

Wonderwoman and Superman. They were so cute. By this time of night though, Wonderwoman had started to undress.

lamb

we went to the lamb sale on saturday (oct. 11). we ended up getting 2 lambs (1 from the sale and 1 from the wades) because avery was all upset because anna wouldn't share her lamb. first thing sunday morning i hear the door close and look out the window and she is trucking out to feed her lambs in her jacket and flip-flops. she has never had a problem with responsibility. she is more determined than anybody i know and is willing to work hard to achieve her goals. she is going to be a great little lamb shower so anybody around in april needs to come and watch.

soccer

avery learned how to skip the same week as his first game. needless to say, he skipped the whole game and to every ball. it was really cute. he just kept turning to us and giving us a thumbs up while were yelling, "watch the ball." i don't know about him. he didn't seem to have a competitive bone in his body. maybe it can be developed.

splitting wood

my dad and blake in their element. we went and cut 4.5 cords of wood this summer up on cedar mountain with luis, megan, billy, blake, anna, avery, and i. it was like christmas for blake. anna came up to me and said, "avery said a bad word." i said what did he say" and she of course wouldn"t repeat it, she is way too good. i then asked her what context he used it in. she was saved when avery comes around the corner and says, "i just said that we were working our a**es off." it was so cute because he mostly took breaks and drank all the gatorade. i was just glad that he stayed out of the way. luis was worried that he wouldn't get to run a saw so when we got up on the mountain blake just handed his over and was like here you can cut. i don't think luis will be complaining next time about not being able to run a saw. by the time that we were done cutting, his back was killing him and he was moving really slow. billy ran the other saw. on the way home we got 2 flat tires with only 1 spare and had to leave the trailer in between mesquite and moapa until the next day when we could go purchase another tire.

our star

we call her gifted! what else is it when you can give your brother a dirty look and still not lose your place? she is becoming quite good on the piano. i wasn't going to post her playing, but after i posted avery, she said, "what am i, a plate of grits?" i guess thats what the kids say now instead of chopped liver, but it means the same thing.

chicken coop

blake worked months on this chicken coop and was convinced that all the neighbors were going to be so jealous. i haven't heard one lust over it yet. billy would tease that everytime he came over he had to go inspect the progress on the chicken coop. you should see these chicks now, they are huge. we have 45 (not one died) and should start laying eggs soon. i have no idea what we are going to do when they start laying an egg a piece a day. what in the world am i going to do with 45 eggs a day?

our violinist

the other morning blake rolled over and very sarcastically said, "i am so glad you brought music into our lives." it was a saturday morning at about 6:30 and avery was practicing his violin. he hasn't quite learned the difference between weekdays and weekends and he is in the habit to practice as soon as he gets up. i don't discourage him although blake thinks it would be nice.

farmer's wife

i really am a farmer's wife. my siblings are always asking how in the world i found the only other guy just like my dad in the world. he loves this field and it really has brought our family closer together. it is fun to plant something, nurture it, and watch it grow. it is not so fun when it needs to be hauled, but anna is becoming quite the little driver.

anna's 9th birthday

anna's 9th birthday. i can't believe how fast it goes by. sandra came up with pig cupcakes and anna was all for it. thanks for the grandmas because i could never have put them together.

avery lost his first tooth

avery lost his first tooth. since then, he lost the other bottom one. he has had kind of bad luck because the first one he lost, in the literal sense. the second one, when blake was putting the money under his pillow avery caught him. so now when he shows people that he lost his tooth they ask if the tooth fairy gave him money for it and he says, "no my dad did." its pretty funny. blake tried to cover it up by saying that the tooth fairy gave him the money to give to avery because she was in a hurry, but he didn't fall for it.

maggie nursing her puppies

the kids have named them all, but we are not keeping one. we already have 3 dogs that drive the neighbors crazy. we have 3 males and 1 female (the black one). it has been fun. the kids love them. maggie is anna's dog. megan is taking the black female and she told her that even she has to pay $50. they all already have homes. she keeps on telling grandpa that if he wants one he will have to pay too even though his dog is the dad. she is such a little entrepreneur. blake docked the tails when they were 3 days and avery was like, "can i play with them." next thing i know, i look out the window and avery is playing with 4 little puppy tails.

she thinks my tractors sexy!

i decided that i was going to clean the dangerously dirty tractor windows. blake thought that it was hilarious so he went and ran and got the camera. it is his screensaver at work and the title is, "she thinks my tractors sexy."

08-09 school year

anna and avery are both in school this year. i thought i would find this difficult at first, but i seem to be adjusting well. the funniest is blake was really pushing for homeschool because he said that he never gets to see them and then this morning they were driving him crazy and there was a big sigh of relief when my dad picked them up for school. they are doing well in school and avery says that he is sick of getting stars on all his papers. he is convinced that he could skip up to 2nd grade and be in grandmas class. anna is our studious child. she is on the ball to say the least. she already has amounted a huge number of ar points this year.