What we've been up to

Between enjoying the beautiful weather by spending as much time as possible outside and juggling Matts' 2x weekly phyiscal therapy (he still can't straighten his arm.  At first it was funny.  Now, not so much).  We've been a pretty "quiet" house.  "Quiet" meaning no major events, doing nothing.  We've been...

Acting like gentlemen and delivering our traditional valentine flowers to the special ladies in our life.  

Acting like hooligans and creating homemade whoopee cushions.  

Acting like idiots and "testing" batteries.

Yep, still good.

Acting like big boys and making creations we're so proud of.  

Happy Birthday to Me

It was a wonderful day, complete with streamers, trick candles and confetti guns.  Have I mentioned I live in a house of boys?  

Confetti guns...

Characters...LOVE G as the "Birthday Triceratops" hiding in the corner and Matts ready for battle as the birthday knight 

So sweet

Even Allie got in on the party.  (And Luci, who I found later that night, under the chair with a party hat still on)

No party's complete w/o a little Michael

My Funny Valentines

As the only lady in the house, Valentines is a pretty great day for me.  I have the enviable job of juggling four handsome boys.  I love each and every one for a different reason:

The funny guy:

 Quotes from the day included:  "Who made Legos?  Cause I think it was God."  And before bedtime "Where's my squeakinator?"  Which was followed by Gray emerging from under his bed with a Luci in tow. "Ahhh, there she is :)"

The Charmer

Look at that face...Little C will NOT be overlooked.  His current tactic of choice is repeating his request over and over in rising decibels until you give in (or go deaf :)

The strong, silent type

Underneath all the rough and tumble Matts has a tender heart.  Valentines morning I woke up to hear "Oh yes Christian, that's your Valentine...you get to play with Matts' legos for 5 minutes."  Now that we've got compassion we're working on perspective.  

Also, the Saturday before Matts and I had our first "date".  Apparently all this guy needs to have the best day ever is a personal trip to Krispy Kreme (funded by certificates earned at the Physical Therapist) and a trip to the bookstore.  I have trained him well.  

My Love

He's pretty much awesome and makes my life better everyday I spend with him.  

Joy

Although he's a complete maniac and frequent hooligan, Little C continually reminds us just how GOOD life is.  

Good Girl, Allie Lou!

He know that we are "nice" to babies and animals.  So, when he approaches one he pets their heads (babies and pets) and repeats NIIIIICE over and over until they can escape.

Let's just say it's less Snow White and more Tommy Boy:
"I get all excited. I'm like Jojo the idiot circus boy with a pretty new pet. Now the pet is my possible sale. [holds a dinner roll] Oh, my pretty little pet, I love you. And then I stroke it, and I pet it, and I massage it. Hehe, I love it, I love my little naughty pet, you're naughty! And then I take my naughty pet and I go [makes ripping noises as he tears apart the dinner roll] OOOOOOHHH! I killed it! I killed my sale! And that's when I blow it."

Changing Lanes

With Matts' injury he's had a lot less time to run and a lot more time to think.  At Sunday dinner the other night he lead us in a conversation that resulted in the following essay:

Road of Life
A child's version


by Mattson Peterson Copyright 2011 December 30


The road of life is what we do our whole life.  There are three sections.  Easy, hard, slow.  Those are the three lanes of life.  Most of us are on the easy lane.  But I am in the hard lane.  Some other people are on the slow lane.  
We are walking it all the time!  the fast lane is when things are going smoothly and fine.  the slow lane is when things are hard and not fine.  Now, do not forget the stop lane.  That is when things are really hard. 


You switch lanes when you do something.  When you are fine you are on the easy lane.  When you are having a hard time you are on the hard lane.  When you are having a really hard time you are on the slow lane.


From a child   

Let's just say that was the short (child's:) version of a conversation that had Reed and I strategically hiding behind our napkins.  What can I say?  We've got the next Robert Frost or Jack Kerouac on our hands.  Happily for Matts (and all of humanity) he got his cast off yesterday.  The great news is everything looks good.  The bad news is he has the same activity restrictions in place for the next 4 weeks to allow his joint to loosen and heal.  His elbow is still fairly stiff/sore and he has pretty limited and painful motion.  But, knowing Matts I'm sure he'll be back in the fast lane in no time. In just 24hrs I've considered making a ginormous CAREFUL! sticker to remind him he's still healing.

Cast free and on his way to awards night

BROTHERS!

Cheese

Distracting Little C before leaving.

The monkeys

Never a dull moment

Over the winter break the boys had been creating things at an astonishing rate.  Tonite at dinner we hit a pinnacle.  

The homemade whoopee cushion.  It was so "well made" and well hidden that Reed was convinced it was real.
Happy Sunday Dinner to you too :)

Daddy Date

After days and weeks of waiting G finally got his special birthday trip with Daddy.  It was "a night and TWO days" of Grayson bliss.  But, apparently tickets to the Duke game come in a distant fourth place to swimming in the hotel pool, controlling the remote and ice skating in Centennial Park. 

 Consider it a lesson on the importance of the little things :)

All packed into his rolling suitcase and ready to go.   Necessities included: 5 magic treehouse books, a busy town, his favorite swimsuit, Duke gear and Book of Mormon trading cards.

Breakfast of champions

Apparently, shorts are appropriate skating attire in Atlanta.

Ready to go.

Dinner at Johnny Rockets.  They even had a special "5" bowl for  his ketchup.  

Love this boy and how much he loves life.