Redneck Playpen

Spiderman Birthday Party

We celebrated Marcus' 5th birthday with a Spiderman party at our house. Activites included: sidewalk chalk, relay races, Kjell throwing parachute men off the roof, two squirt gun fights, pizza, a candy hunt in the yard, a trailer ride through the neighborhood, cake and presents. The highlight of the day was definitely the impromtu talent show. In an effort to stall the opening of gifts (so I could set up Skype with Grandma and Grandpa) we sang a song and then I asked Marcus if he wanted to choose a song for everyone to sing. He then stood up and sang a solo "I am a Child of God." Next, Mason wanted a turn and sang "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star" for everyone. Lastly, Andrew sang "I Love to See the Temple". Dallas and Joseph did not want to perform.

Hot Air Balloon

We had a rogue hot air balloon hovering over our cul-de-sac for about 30 minutes on Saturday, much to Holden's delight (Marcus and daddy were delivering green waste to the dump as part of a service project). Marcus got home in time to see the hot air balloon land in the park below our house. Ever since then he's been begging for a ride. For that matter, he's been asking me to make him a parachute. That boy wants to fly!

Next Door Neighbor

My boys LOVE playing with our neighbor Mason (and his mom Aryn, who Holden insists on calling "Mason" as well). If it ever gets too quiet in the backyard it's a safe bet that they've run over to see Mason. Marcus and Mason were wrestling on the trampoline the other day - when we asked them to stop Mason said, "but we're playing 'die'". Oh, boys will be boys. The only thing separating them is a fence, but they still find ways to communicate...

Look for a future post (about 10 years hence) entitled "the girl next door." I will be chronicling Wether's crush on Anna, Mason's sister.

Maggie & Marcus

These two have been friends since the womb; they were born 10 days apart. Here they are at Maggie's birthday party - a tea party! Marcus had a boys only spiderman party. Hmmm...they must be 5.

Desk

Here's the before and after of a desk I refinished:

Boyhood

Wether likes to reach his chubby arm through the bars of his crib, locate a poopy diaper in the garbage can, and pull it into the crib with him. Then he sleeps with it. Charming. In other Wether news, he likes to stand on his own.

Holden was thirsty yesterday so he took 5 daffodils out of a vase, drank the water, and put the flowers back. Mystery of why all my fresh cut flowers don't stay fresh - solved. How did I discover this? Marcus' articulate friend told me the whole story.

Marcus is no longer a fat kid. At 3 his BMI was off the chart (he weighed 40 pounds!) and at 4 he was in the 94th percentile. Now Marcus is 5 and his BMI is a healthy 84.5th percentile (they stop worrying when kids drop below the 85th percentile - close one Marcus). He grew 3 inches in 11 months (he's 73rd percentile for height) and now weighs in at 46 pounds (83rd percentile). I guess we can cease his early morning treadmill sessions.

Hee Haw Farms

My friend Erin Robinson and I took our sons to Hee Haw Farms today in Pleasant Grove. Baby Wether loved the animals (and one goat in particular loved him and followed him around). Marcus loved the slides and sand boxes. Holden liked the tractor ride best and was most apprehensive of the animals. What a nice way to spend Spring Break.

The Hunt

Our jungle of a backyard is perfect for one thing - Easter egg hunts! The boys enjoyed 2 hunts in our backyard and one hunt in our neighbor's backyard. That's a lot of eggs. The adults joined in today - Great Grandma Nordmark, Aunt Pam (finder of the Golden Egg), Aunt Vanessa (her 1st Easter egg hunt ever!), Uncles Shawn & Joshua, and Kjell. Our neighbor Darlene joined us for dinner, but didn't join in the hunt. Speaking of dinner, I'm going to have to be rolled to bed tonight after such a feast. Not to mention chocolate. Lots of chocolate. Although the "Easter Man" has been the topic of many a conversation, Marcus is also quite learned in why we celebrate Easter. He talks about Jesus like He's his best friend and is SO happy that after Jesus died on the cross he came back to life again. Take that Easter Man.

Grandma's Visit

Grandma visited for 9 days in March. Here are a few things we did:

Went shopping - D.I., clearance centers, and garage sales. We found an Easter wreath, tripod lamps, and butterfly nets among other treasures.

Enjoyed the warm weather - We went to the park, played tennis, attempted to fly a kite, played ultimate frisbee, went on a long walk and just sat in the sun on our deck.

Babysat - Kjell and I went on a quick getaway to Midway, Utah to celebrate Kjell's 31st birthday. We cross-country skiied at Soldier Hollow, ate out and went swimming. Meanwhile, mom kept the boys occupied at home. Thank you!

Projects - We did some painting in the boys' bathroom and touch-up paint in other rooms. Mom also helped me come up with some furniture arranging ideas which have since been implemented.

Last picture - Marcus made this mask. He loves to wear it.