Freedom!!

Mowing the lawn with Dad is a HUGE treat! Everyone loves to help...

Porter and Seth on the rocketship swing.

I had to post this one even though it wasn't very good- this is Seth's first reactions to having a camera pointed in his direction: he squats down, puts his little hands on his thighs, squenches his eyes and says, " Cheeese. Cheeessseee."

Freedom!!! Well... for a couple of days at least. We have had so much rain the past few weeks, but it's an improvement on snow and it's GREEN outside- which goes a LONG way with me! But in-between rain storms we've enjoyed some beautiful weather and I just wanted to show the boys out playing in the backyard since it's made us a SUCH happier family!! Seth is still addicted to Ow-shide and can be brought out of almost any pre-2-year-old tantrum by being asked if he'd like to go outside to play... works like a charm! He has actually turned into quite the 2-year-old nightmare. He thinks he can (and should physically be able to) do anything that Porter is capable of doing and gets sooooo mad when he can't. He's so freaking cute though that it's more funny than anything when he throws a fit. He is my snuggle buddy though- and still has time to give out loves to grandma's, grandpa's and anyone else he takes a liking to. Porter is Mr. Bigshot. His favorite line for me right now is "Whatever.." He says this anytime he thinks I'm being repetitive, mean, bossy, demanding, if he doesn't want to do what I need him to do or anytime and any place he can squeeze it into a conversation. It is SO funny. There are no words to describe how it feels to have your 3 year old say this to you in the exact same way that you would use it with your friends or family just to annoy them. He and Seth are the cutest friends though and I LOVE watching them play together. We are just having a great spring!

Happy Birthday- and Happy Spring!!

We had a joint birthday celebration for Grandpa Miller and Morgan two Sundays ago at the Heber House. It was a BEAUTIFUL day and the boys kept their grandpa and their daddy busy taking them on never-ending 4-wheeler rides. We would like to wish them both a very Happy Birthday!!!

Kindred Spirits

Yes, that is DIRT all over his face. I made the mistake of sending the boys out in the backyard to play- equipped with spatulas and such... Well, the next thing I know I looked out the window to see Porter shoveling dirt on top of Cache and when Seth came inside to check in I saw that Cache was not Porter's only victim. We were still finding dirt on him 3 days later.

I've observed since getting our dog last August that little kids and dogs really do have a lot in common. They are both naughty, enjoy getting dirty, eat things they ought not to, and don't listen to a word you say... Seth and Cassius are buddies down the line in all these catagories. My favorite thing since we got Cache is to watch him interact with the kids. Seth has taken to bonding with Cache in what we affectionately call 'the dogs corner'. The other day I had been working on the computer and since it had been quiet for rather a few too many minutes I decided to go make sure no one had escaped or was dead. When I walked into the kitchen I found Seth laying on his back next to Cache on Cache's blanket- rolling around kicking his legs, evidently having a great bonding session with the dog. It was so cute- but I couldn't grab the camera fast enough to catch his original funny position- but here are a few pictures of naughty Seth moments...

Listening...

Listening isn't easy for any 3 year old (I am hoping) and Porter is no exception. I must ask him to listen to me- or someone else at least 1000x a day. When I was trying to help him with getting potty trained I told him that he just needed to listen to his body and it would tell him when he needed to go. Since then I've heard many derivations of this idea... My body is telling me I'm this.. My body is telling that... This morning he climbed into bed with us and was promptly asked if he needed to go to the bathroom- of course he answered No, and that was it... Sometime later when he was informed that he would need to go to the bathroom before we turned cartoons on- he hesitated, then whispered "My body told me (then in a super low, puckered-lip tummy-ish voice I guess) I need to go potty...I need to go potty."

Thrills & Spills

Saturday, being the BEAUTIFUL 70 degree day that it was, could NOT keep this family indoors one more minute. We were out working in the yard, watering our spring flowers that are trying to emerge and washing cars OUTSIDE at the Papa McEuen's Hand Car Wash. We were intoxicated with fresh spring air and were delirious with spring-y thoughts... Porter has been asking for a bike forEVER and after trying unsuccessfully to satisfy the desire by way of D.I. (Deseret Industries- a Utah Salvation Army) and Target- we made our way to our cool local Brothers Bikes bike shop and picked him out a beautiful little blue bike and helmet that he can't stop talking about. We thought you should see him go (the cheesy grin was complimentary)!!!

Happy Days are Here Again!!

The last week has been one to remember. Porter turned 3 in January and I realized that it was time to start really working on potty training...not that the thought hadn't crossed MY mind- it had, I mean- he got underwear for Christmas and all, the problem was- it hadn't really crossed HIS mind. He's used the toilet for this and that, and had been pretty good about telling me he needed to go when he was in the tub- but actual day-to-day use- absolutely no interest. In March we.. okay- I, started really trying to help him get into the spirit of it so we established a post-potty training reward- he wanted a watch... this only proved to make him obsessive about having one. We'd have an all-out war whenever I asked him to go- no matter how gently or forcefully the suggestion was made. He'd do well half the day only to wet 20 minutes after using the restroom. Now, I am all about not forcing the issue, and waiting until the child is ready- but with pre-school on the horizon and size 6 diapers getting not only smaller, but incredibly annoying to change- I was finally fed up. Last week, after WEEKS of being alternately patient, firm AND understanding- I was done. I put the diapers away and vowed that we would be potty trained without use of anymore diapers or die trying... unfortunately for me, it actually almost came to that. Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday saw nasty accident after nasty accident and by Tuesday I told him he would spend an hour (or more, depending on how pissed I was) in his room following every single accident...I didn't see him much on Tuesday. Wednesday, the same rules applied, but I was soooo much less nice when sending him off to his room. After 4 #1 (you know the code- right?) "accidents" and 2 #2 "accidents" ("accidents" actually being actions in direct rebellion of the nazi-mother mood I was in) he wound up spending- let's see... probably 18 1/2 hours of that particular day in his bedroom and I was on suicide watch. Anger, frustration, guilt (...which is TOTALLY not fair), a little dab of hysteria and utter DESPAIR at having the most completely stubborn, retarded child that ever existed. I went to the gym that night and moped around with no energy to do anything- so I just went home. I didn't know what else to do. The next morning, Porter came into our room- he went in and used the restroom with NO argument and he hasn't had an accident since. I think the Lord knew when enough was enough and sent me a (not at all small) MIRACLE!!

Ow-shide...Ow-shide

OUTSIDE!! Seth thinks he should be outside all day, everyday, in any kind of weather- California gave him a taste for the outdoors that he can't get over...despite the fact that snowed for us everyday for a week after we got back. Depressing? You have NO idea. Here's the thing- we live in a snowy climate- we understand and actually APPRECIATE that, it's just that the first snow came somewhere around the end of November and it didn't let up until this week. The temperature (other than the occasional week long dip into the negatives) which usually fluctuates somewhere between 20-40 degrees, NEVER (and I actually mean NEVER) even made it to 20 degrees for several months. Never. It was too cold to even take our kids sledding- sledding (or skiing) in 7 degree weather just didn't sound like much fun. Our Christmas lights were actually frozen to our house until about 3 weeks ago at which point we finally took them down. The beginning of March brought us 45 degree weather and we were in our short-sleeves playing outside like it was going out of style- along with about everyone in the state.

So it is easy to understand why Seth and Porter think outside is soooo great! But to prepare throughout the winter- and up until last weekend, it was shoes, socks, jacket and hat... Well, Seth is sure that as long as he has at least ONE of these bases covered- he's good to go. He came to me the other morning in his pajamas, with Porters hat pulled on his head ski-wompas saying "ow-shide.. ow-shide". I HAD to take a picture...