The boys are playing a Lord of the Rings game on the Xbox.
Kaleb is the White Wizard and Ian is Gandalf.
They are fighting.
Kaleb, who is losing says, "Come on Gandalf! I'm your brother!"
Showing posts with label Raising Boys. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Raising Boys. Show all posts
But I'm your brother...
The boys are playing a Lord of the Rings game on the Xbox.
Kaleb is the White Wizard and Ian is Gandalf.
They are fighting.
Kaleb, who is losing says, "Come on Gandalf! I'm your brother!"
Man-speak
Overheard from downstairs-
Oliver (6) walks into room where his Dad is folding laundry.
Oliver says, "Your names Bob and I'm Joe."
Levi replies, "OK."
Oliver pauses and then says in a cool deep voice, " Hey Bob."
Levi replies, " Hey Joe."
Mothers Day
The boys gave me these cute charms for Mothers Day. They each brought me a handmade card and their charms. Levi gave me the silver chain to put the charms on. Its adorable!
Ahhh!
Looking forward to a Girls Night Out tonight, where conversation does not revolve around what people need from me, Legos, or Xbox.
The Teen Years
Hard to discipline smart-alicky 13 year olds when you are laughing.
Ian says to Josef in a reprimanding tone. " Remember! Your supposed to help me when you are done with your chores.
Josef says in the same tone. " Remember! I don't care."
An Adventure
“Life is either a great adventure or nothing.”-Helen Keller
I've sent Josef on his first huge adventure. A 5 day, 50 mile Scout canoe trip on Lake Lowell, then the Snake river and onto the Payette River. They will travel 50 miles by canoe all together. I sent him off well informed and prepared, full of the spirit of adventure. I packed soap, toothbrush, and clean underwear that I am sure will not be used, but I did my duty as a mother by including them. I also told him to keep his life jacket on at all times, if could even see the water, he should have it on!
Real Men
photo from this blog: http://ajnrileysmommy.blogspot.com
" Kaleb! You need to clip your toe nails!" Ian protested.
" No, men are supposed to keep their toe nails long. " Kaleb reasoned.
" No, everyone is supposed to clip their toe nails." Ian argued.
" Well Dad has long toe nails." Kaleb declared and the argument was ended.
A trip back in time...
I was cleaning up my Outlook email program today and I came across this really, really old email from 2004.
boys and their cousins 2004
At the time we just had 3 kids-Josef was 6, Ian was 3, and Kaleb was a baby. You can tell from the email I was a young mother and worried and also how nice I was. I would not apologize for the poop thing now. After all everyone poops. Right? And if you don't, you should go to the ER immediately.
It also illustrated how much more laid back I am now (is that a good thing) and how much I have learned. Both Kaleb (6) and Oliver (5) have some speech issues-I know so much now I could rattle them off for you. I am not overly alarmed, because I know more now. Most kids do not develop all the necessary speech sounds till age 8-10. Many will have problems with 'r' and 'th' and enunciating constants. They will usually pick these skills up without intervention, just like late walkers or crawlers catch up to their peers. There are also many things you can do at home to assist them, like reading aloud, talking to them, making them communicate (not giving them a cookie until they say cookie or attempt to say it), and speech therapy activities and games. Ian's speech issues were very severe back then so the hearing testing and speech therapy was needed and well worth the cost. But I think I would not have been so panicky if I had known then, what I know now.
Anyway, I thought this email was a fun flashback to 2004.
Hello, everyone!
As most of you know Ian has suffered from a speech delay for quite some time, he had gone from barely speaking even one word, understandable, to now, speaking in 3-4 word sentences. He is still having problems with pronunciation of some consonants sounds, but this is normal since pronunciation skills are not fully developed until age 7. He has come a long way and we are so happy to have him talk to us no matter how silly he is! Ian sat on my lap and told me a story about animal (his favorite tiger toy). I wrote it down for him and repeated it back to him. Here is Ians story...in his own words!
Animal
One nice little animal.
One animal outside.
One animal inside.
Two animal outside.
But mama Animals outside too.
One animal outside.
One animal inside.
Animal outside poop.
The End
Sorry if the poop part offends anyone. We are also working on potty training Ian ,so poop is a topic in our home daily.
Anyway...I hope you enjoyed his little story as much as we did. Having him say that many words consecutively is such a blessing.
Love,
The Mitchells
Levi, April, Josef, Ian and Kaleb
Going Wild at the Zoo
Levi's cousin Stacy was in Boise visiting for Spring break and invited us to join her at the Boise Zoo. We haven't been in a while so it was a nice day out with 7 boys and 2 girls (I had Tanya's girls). The new African addition to the zoo was great. We loved the lion enclosure!
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| Digital slideshow made with Smilebox |
Oh! I Wish I Were An...
Oscar Mayer Wiener
That is what I truly wish to be
cause if i were a Oscar Mayer Weiner
everyone would be in love
oh everyone would be in love
everyone would be in love with me
I took the boys down to the Albertson's in Boise that their Uncle Jassen works at for a close encounter of the hot-dog kind. We got to participate in a genuine Oscar Mayer Wienermobile sighting. It was fun to check out this American icon. We learned a little about it's history and viewed a poster of the different Wienermobiles from 1963 on. We loved hearing the horn that sings the Oscar Mayer Wiener song. We even got in a little math at a display telling us how many hot-dogs tall, long, and wide the vehicle was. We came away knowing all the lyrics to the classic Oscar Mayer Wiener song. With wiener whistle and free hot-dogs in tow, we were forever changed.
That is what I truly wish to be
cause if i were a Oscar Mayer Weiner
everyone would be in love
oh everyone would be in love
everyone would be in love with me
I took the boys down to the Albertson's in Boise that their Uncle Jassen works at for a close encounter of the hot-dog kind. We got to participate in a genuine Oscar Mayer Wienermobile sighting. It was fun to check out this American icon. We learned a little about it's history and viewed a poster of the different Wienermobiles from 1963 on. We loved hearing the horn that sings the Oscar Mayer Wiener song. We even got in a little math at a display telling us how many hot-dogs tall, long, and wide the vehicle was. We came away knowing all the lyrics to the classic Oscar Mayer Wiener song. With wiener whistle and free hot-dogs in tow, we were forever changed.
Mr.Monk and the Naked Man
Have you seen Monk? We love that show, the whole family does. Levi gets whole seasons of Monk on DVD from the library and watches them on his laptop while he is away. He lets the kids watch them before we return them to the library. I like Monk because although it is a murder mystery show, it is really clean (no sex, gore, blood, etc)- just a funny man solving crimes. I am so glad to know that our media viewing values are rubbing off on the kids.
Last night Levi and I were in bed watching a movie, he had given the boys his Monk DVDs to watch in the living room. We heard a knock at our door. "Yes?" we said. A muffled and sad Josef(11)voice,"We can't watch Monk anymore." "Why?" we ask miffed. "This next episode is called Mr.Monk and the Naked Man and I know we can't watch it if there will be a naked man." was his reply.
Levi went out and consoled him and let him know it was about a murder at a nudest colony, no truely naked men will be shown. Which prompted a whole modesty discussion with the boys.
So I am glad our boys have enough information to make good media choices, even when it's a show they love.
YouTube for Kids
TOTLOL
My dear sweet well meaning nieces who are 13 and 15, introduced my children to You Tube. And although some of the content on You Tube is fun and worth watching much of it is uncensored and just plan dumb. I don't like them on it just because you never know what they might click on. I was so excited and they are too that I found TOTLOL.
Totlol is a video website designed specifically for children. It is community moderated. It is constantly growing. It is powered by YouTube.
All videos were submitted, screened and rated by parents. The selection is huge and if you like, you can participate too.
Totlol is literally Video-on-Demand, and if you have kids, you already know. The video part is easy. It is the demand part that is hard. Are you ready? Here it comes: "Daddy, Mommy More Video!"
My dear sweet well meaning nieces who are 13 and 15, introduced my children to You Tube. And although some of the content on You Tube is fun and worth watching much of it is uncensored and just plan dumb. I don't like them on it just because you never know what they might click on. I was so excited and they are too that I found TOTLOL.
Totlol is a video website designed specifically for children. It is community moderated. It is constantly growing. It is powered by YouTube.
All videos were submitted, screened and rated by parents. The selection is huge and if you like, you can participate too.
Totlol is literally Video-on-Demand, and if you have kids, you already know. The video part is easy. It is the demand part that is hard. Are you ready? Here it comes: "Daddy, Mommy More Video!"
BFS # 118 All You Add Is Love (Purina Dog Chow)
This was this month Blogger Friend School assignment, since I already did this same questionaire earlier this year I'm just reposting.
I copied this questionaire from my friend Emily's bog-it is so cute. This is what my kids said about me-no editing.
About Mom!
1. What does Mom always say to you?
Josef- I love you
Ian- I love you
Kaleb- It's time for school
Oliver- Car
2. What makes Mom happy?
Josef- Watching Movies
Ian- Me hugging her
Kaleb- Printing out school pages
Oliver- Me
3. What makes Mom sad?
Josef- Me, when I don't do school
Ian- Me not hugging her
Kaleb- Me not cleaning up my room
Oliver- Me
4. How does Mom make you laugh?
Josef- I don't remember
Ian- I do, when I say something funny
Kaleb- Tickle me
Oliver- Make funny faces
5. How Old Is Mom?
Josef- 26
Ian- 40
Kaleb- 30
Oliver- 20
6. How Tall is Mom?
Josef- 5 feet 6 inches
Ian- She can touch the ceiling fan
Kaleb- 75 inches
Oliver- This big (raised arm up tall)
7. What does Mom like to do?
Josef- Play the computer
Ian- Make costumes
Kaleb- Talk to people on the phone
Oliver- Drive the car
8. What is Mom's job?
Josef- To feed us
Ian- doing school with us
Kaleb- Teaching us school
Oliver- To Drive the car
9. What is Mom's favorite food?
Josef- Pepsi
Ian- Speghetti
Kaleb- Olives
Oliver- Chocolate Milk
10. How do you know Mom loves you?
Josef- Because I'm her son
Ian- Because she hugs me
Kaleb- She helps me
Oliver- She's good
Halloween 2008
Homeschool Trunk or Treat at Tully Park in Meridian, ID.
Josef as the Grim Reaper
Kaleb as a Wizard
Ian as a Moth
Oliver as a grumpy Pirate
Keep On Truckin'
It is really nice to live somewhere that Levi can park his truck. It has been nice not to have to drive to pick him up at a Truck Stop or his Work Yard in Boise. He can come home early in the morning or late at night, park his truck and come snuggle into bed with me(and then Kaleb and Oliver who always come to cuddle in the mornings)
He can also sweep out his trailers here, and wash his truck.
For the boys, the novelty of the semi-truck has never worn off. They love to sit in Levi's truck or help sweep out the trailer. Josef talks about his summer driving with Levi all the time. He is really looking forward to spending next summer with Levi too. The other boys can hardly wait to be 10 so they can go in the truck with their Dad for a summer too. Boys and their big toys.
