Down come the ribbons

The yelling from the room is not anything new. Jaxen has turned into the HULK and needs some time to cool off. Another one of those leave-your-sister-alone...turned into don't-talk-back...leads into a go-to-your-room.

While in his room he is screaming from his perch in his loft bed because he lost a ticket for hitting his sister, and lost more by waking up his brother with his screaming. Wails of I don't want to lose tickets, give them back, whine, whine, scream, whine whine....ok, you get the pattern.

I can hear him start talking to himself and wonder what he is up to. The usual, my mommy is mean, I don't like her, I want my dad talk. But, wait a minute, yes, could it be...a new one. Jaxen has decided he is going to run away.

I walk into his room to see him swiftly packing up his beloved toys in his backpack. I ask what he is doing, and he matter of factly tells me that he is running away. I wonder if I should give Diane a call, because Grant's house is where he plans on staying. He then grabs another bag and proceeds to pack his first place ribbon from the science fair, his perfect attendance ribbon, and other life long momentos. Yes, he makes sure to grab the good stuff. Obviously he didn't need to pack clothes, Grant can share right?

I ask what I should do with all his stuff and his says nu'sing because he is coming back. I thought you were running away. Apparently he is just running away for one day.

While his is dragging his feet and pouting I ask if he would like to read a few books before he goes. He said he will read a little bit and then he will run away. Ok, I'll read to you a little bit and then you can go. After a few books, I ask if it was time for him to leave. He smiled and said, "I decided I am not going to leave...are you happy?"

Yes, Sonny, I love you and would miss you too much if you ran away...even if it was only for one day.

Now all I have to do it get him to unpack. If dealing with the HULK that turns my boy green was that easy, I would have it made.

Candid Kids

JAXEN
While at the father/son/child outing Jaxen saw someone who had brought a dog.

J: Dad, I think that dog will like us because he is brown, like us. You are brown and I am a little brown, right dad.

EMBER
Two nights ago...

Ember is whining about her nose.

M: What's wrong.
E: My nose burns.
M: Why?
E: Because there is ketchup in it.
M: How did ketchup get in there?
E: I put it in there.

What in the world makes a 3 year old decide to put ketchup in her nose?! Hmm, lets not put things in our noses kids!

OWEN

He has two nice, shiney, sharp new teeth. He tips the scales at 16 lbs 8 oz and he "talks" up a storm and loves to hang out and eat anything that isn't baby food. :)

Jaxen's been tagged

OK, enough dragging my feet. Tasha has tagged Jaxen and would like to know 11 things about him, besides his obvious good looks and charming personality. Don't know if I can come up with 11 things that are "interesting" about him, but I will try.

1. Jaxen has really good balance. He started walking at nine months, and could "walk the snake" before he turned one. For those who don't get the reference, there is a snake fixture at Fiesta Mall. He could walk that thing over and over again (see #4).


2. Jaxen is a perfectionist. Not sure where he gets that from, but it has it's perks and drawbacks. He has to finish a project, and it can't contain errors, at least not any that he notices, or he gets upset and wants to start over.

3. Jaxen is very photogenic. He was posing for the camera before since birth. I have a really hard time picking out pictures when we have them done because they all look so good! He has even done some print work.

4. Jaxen is focused. He can sit and play Legos for hours. He has been able to build 25 piece puzzles since he was two. He is very analytical like that.

5. Jaxen is an artist. His pictures have more detail than most 5 year-olds. You can look at his artwork and know exactly, most of the time anyway, what he is drawing without having to ask for an interpretation.

6. Jaxen is very agile. He was the only one in his class that could get all the way across the monkey bars, as well as swing his legs up to sit on top.

7. Jaxen is a risk taker. He is willing to try everything. Seriously, if someone told him to jump of a bridge, he just might. He does stunts on the trampoline that freak me out.

8. Jaxen is confident. It is few and far between that Jaxen ever seems to doubt himself. He knows he can do just about anything he sets his mind to, and then goes out and does it.

9. Jaxen is athletic. He is really good and soccer, and is picking up t-ball quite quickly...even if he is the shortest on the team...he is the cutest...unless he is on a team with his sister, and then it is a tie.

10. Jaxen loves hot dogs and peanut butter and honey sandwiches. He would eat them every day (not together) if I let him. Although, he does tell his sister not to eat PB and J every day because it will "waste bread". He can eat and eat and eat and still be hungry...and skinny. Hmm, yet another trait that I haven't quite placed where he got it from.

11. When Jaxen grows up he wants to be a nurse so he can help people. He wants to take care of babies because they are fun to play with.

There you have it. 11 things about Jaxen that you may (or may not) have known. Next time someone tags me (or my son) I would prefer a list of 5, I'll even go for 7, but not 11. I tag Zach, because, frankly, if I did it, then I think Jill should have to too! :P

"Stimulating" Conversation

I have been obsessed with food storage. OK, just recently obsessed. I have been buying a little here and there to add to it over the last couple of years, and actually started using it within the last year. (Still have no idea what to do with powdered milk, I want to use it, but don't need a quart for each time I make something!) Thinking about it almost always causes anxiety, which causes me to put it on the back burner so I don't freak myself out. Not exactly the best way to build a food storage, right?

I sit here pondering the fate of our "stimulus" check. While many might have visions of big screen televisions, a new sofa set, maybe even a vacation...my visions are of food storage. When is there going to be another time that I get a nice check in the mail, for free, with "no strings attached"? Forget stimulating the economy, I myself with be working on stimulating all aspects of my food storage.

So I sat down and wrote out all that we needed, did the calculations, and was ready to spend a pretty penny on stocking up on food, including cabinetry of some sort to store it all in. (Who am I kidding, to store some of it in...the rest is all strategically placed around my house...bet you didn't know that my furniture is made out of #10 cans, did you?)

Come to find out that you can only by 300 lbs of storage per family per month through the cannery, and the options are limited to about 3 different items. Personally, this is the way to go (buying that the cannery)...I really don't want to can all this stuff myself. Time is money and I would rather pay the few more dollars and have it canned for me then sit and can over 200+ cans. I will probably do some canning of some of the stuff that cannery doesn't have though.

So, *sigh*, it looks like I need to slow down a little. Can't put the cart before the horse. But I now have a plan to get the 300 lbs a month, plus some other items that need to be had anyway. Things for 72 hour kits, like backpacks, maybe a wheat grinder, we are also having someone come out today and give us an estimate on a solar water heater. Heck, I don't know, seriously I have no clue what I am doing!

I hate to watch the news...and it seems lately like there is way too much going on. Too much to just sit back and think that everything is going to be OK.

So, my friends, as you sit and ponder the fate of your "stimulus" check, take inventory of your food storage, your family's basic needs for the next few months, and stock up! Even if you just put a little money into that, it will make a difference. Don't let the thought overwhelm you and keep you from doing anything.

As a Mormon, and I am sure some of you feel the same way, I am convinced that if something were to happen, we would have family and possibly friends congregating at our doorstep. I already get the comments, "If anything happens, I'm going to your house!" (And we are seriously far from a years supply for even one person!) Hmm, how to handle that would be the next step, I guess. I can't store a year supply for everyone. Maybe I should just add a couple more locks to all the doors...

All American Boy

I have to start off by saying that I can't believe my little boy is 6 years old! He is growing up so fast. He is doing awesome in school and he also excels at sports. Which, brings me to the topic of this post.

A co-worker of Shaunton's invited Jaxen to be on a t-ball team for free...apparently they don't have enough players. So, after much ado, Jaxen decided that he wanted to give it a try.

We get there early and try to have Jaxen watch the teams that were playing before us. Jaxen is now a "Little Bandito".

Then comes the moment of truth. Jaxen starts off by playing outfield and kinda just stands there (kids can't hit that far...even if they did take in the field). When his team goes up to bat, he hits the ball and runs half way to first base before stopping to set down the bat nicely chucking the bat and running like mad for first. Once on first, his team member hits a ball...Jaxen takes off, with some coaching, toward second...and then tries to get the ball....um, no just run to second! Once there...another hit is made and he starts to run back to first...no, go to third! He finally made it home! That was the first and only time he was confused out there. He took to it like a fish to water...once you take it outta the bag that is.

There were a couple laughs in the stands...but I gave them "the look" and said give him a break, it's his first time playing.

After his adrenaline got pumping, he was ready bring it on to play. He was third baseman, but boy, did he cover the field! I think the soccer instincts were kicking in, baseball is a lot slower physically than soccer. He was grounding balls at first base, by the pitchers mound, second base....you know, where ever the ball was hit, he was right there to try and field it. Who cares that it isn't where he is supposed to be, or that he was even "in the way" of the other players sometimes, he looked so freakin' cute I couldn't help but laugh until my stomach hurt. He always run back quickly to third base ready to do it again hunched is the ready position (instinct I tell you).

He swung the bat well, and made contact on the first try. They let the kids all hit until they make contact with the ball...so there are no "outs" at the plate based on swings. This also means that there is an endless parade of kids rounding the bases. Most of which went the right way around the first time. (Hey, they have had a few games and practices, my son is fresh off bench so-to-speak.)

Overall the first game was a hit!

It was an accident

Wednesday night Shaunton and I went shopping for Jaxen's birthday presents. After perusing through the church clothes and bed sheets, we head for the toy isle. What kinda fun would that be to just get stuff you need for your birthday, instead of the stuff you want? Afterward, I threw the bags of gifts into the back of the van and called it a night. We purchased a few additional items that were not birthday related, which were mixed into the bag. I figured I would get them out later. Shaunton went back into the van and got out something out later that night.

On Thursday morning, as I am loading Jaxen up into the van for school, I look through the rear view and see the biggest brightest handsomest winning smile on Jaxen's face. I thought, wow, he must be really excited that I am going to be in his classroom today. My heart swelled a little, yeap, I am a pretty cool mom. But the smile was so darn cute, and so darn long, that I knew it wasn't really for me.

I asked him what was up. Nothing was the reply, the smile still lingering.

"You...happy?" I asked.

"Yes".

Hmm, then it dawns on me. I looked again through the mirror at his huge grin and out of the corner of my eye I see it... Ironhide virtually waving right at me.

Look at me *waving wildly* look at me in this bright package, I'm right here! You know you wanna look!

My muddled mind clears. "Did you see your gifts?" Just when I thought the smile couldn't get any bigger, he radiantly beams and says coyly, "yes".

I let out a sigh, "great now you aren't going to be surprised".

Come to find out, when Shaunton went back into the van, the bags got moved into the line of sight visible to a five-year-old through the crack in the back seat. Jaxen takes a minute to register that I am disappointed that he saw one of his gifts. He somehow manages to wipe that now cheesy grin off his face and tried to look a little glum. I look through the rear view and manage a smile and tell him I know it was an accident and that I am not upset. Mentally noting to give Shaun a hard time for leaving the bags out. Jaxen agrees that it was an accident...and then... proceeds to look through the crack.

What?!

*Clearing throat* "Hey you, um, the first time was an accident, now you are doing it on purpose!"

"Oh, sorry mom. I don't know what Transformer is it." I told him it was just a box, and if he didn't forget what it was I would take it back. (I know, mean huh?)

So the rest of the way to school Jaxen says, "I am going to read all the signs and look at all the cars so that I forget what you got me."

As we get into the van after school, he goes on to say slowly, "I think you got me ...Ironhide, but I don't know, that's just what I think". Hmm, the little snot was so sure of himself, I know, that he knows, that I know, that he knows it's Ironhide.