Little Weekend Things...

I have somehow fallen behind on the family blog.  Life, man... it's happening at a "speed of sound" kinda rate right now or something, but there are some magical little shots from the last few weekends that deserve a nod because some of my very favorite things are happening right now and they make me come alive...

The colors.  Though sparse this year, RyGar and the boys found some patches of goldenrod and flame orange this past weekend while hunting and they dutifully snapped them up in pixel form and sent them to me.  My only request when the boys go play in the mountains is that I get some photographic evidence of their time together.  Ryno came through like a champ.

 

Tiny man child getups.  Seeing them in their little camo pants and blaze orange jackets?  That's one of my favorite things.  The dirt around their nostrils and smudged on their cheeks is like the cherry on top.  The whole scene makes me come alive... and if I thought I loved RyGar when we got married, I never saw the train that was coming that was Ryan as a father.  Man oh man, I love that dude.

A good fall festival.  While the big boys were away, Ace and I got to play with my sista and Haven.  These little loves were just tickled pink to be together and to be the center of their Mamas' attention.  The corn kernels I'm still finding in the dryer?  Yep - they make me come alive as I relive that day in our little fall village made complete with the best carmel apple I've ever eaten.

A bump.  Like an official, "Oh you're pregnant" bump that isn't mistaken for anything else.  I love this little basketball...  I love getting to feel him roll and kick around in their and literally feel life inside me.  Now if only we could zero in on some names.

The Gardner Guys in their "Primary Program Sunday Best"... the vests had me all, "Oh HEY there dapper dudes", throw in some yellow, the color of happy, and I was smitten.  They rocked the mic that day like professional public orators.  Budding Junior Senators is what we have here.

 

 

The great flood of 2015.  We had a hail/rain storm unlike any other I've ever seen in our neck of the woods, and the aftermath made my front yard the lake front property I never imagined I would have.  It took all day to finally flow through the drainage system and our front yard became a play place to every kid in the hood.

Step-for-step.  RyGar was working in the yard and our little Ace Face pulled out his "mighty machine" and followed him around dutifully for an entire afternoon.  He didn't falter once, didn't even think of quitting and mimicked his Daddy-o's every move.  It was dreamy.

Rope swings by the lake.  We took a Sunday stroll and found ourselves a swing.  I still see their ultrasound profiles every now and again and it's kinda magical.  That's not just the hormones talking, right?  Naaaahhhh.

Silly faces at soccer Saturdays.  We may not have it all mastered quit yet, but dangit, we be workin' on it.  Though Kael has not professed soccer as his first great love, he has worked harder this year at practice and at his games than in year's past and we see some major improvements.  It's fun to watch him grow and excel, even if it's at something that may not always be the most "fun" for him.  And I love that they are all growing their muscles, their intensity and their knowledge that they can be a team player and do hard things.

Did you make it?  Whew.

I know all these little things that make me come alive are too big and too wonderful to hold inside.  So here I am, writing them down, saying them aloud and putting them into the world, because no matter how small our "little weekend things" seem now - they'll be the things that mattered most when we look back on our Saturdays & Sundays in suburbia during an Indian Summer.

Another Day Another Field Trip...

This week I got to accompany Dax and Ace on a field trip to Heber Valley Artisanal Cheese Factory.  I swear, they may not be learning a ton each and every day in Preschool, but their mama sure is - on each and every field trip!  

For example, I bet you didn't know that each Holstein cow on a dairy farm produces 6-12 gallons of milk a day.  This requires that they drink an entire bath tub full of water each day... every cow!  I mean... really?  Can you even?

Holsteins are the best milk producers, but they have fewer components in their milk so if you're actually a cheese maker or a butter maker, you may be more interested in Guernsey or Ayrshire cattle.  So much science to be considered like milk fat content and protein and breeding speed?  Gah.  These dairy farmers are freakin' geniuses.

Beyond my brain swelling with interesting facts, the boys LOVED the nursery.  The little cows over in this section of the dairy farm were a week to three-months old and they were ADORABLE!  Ace was the first to volunteer to let a wee one suck on his fingers like a little baby cow binkie.  And once he giggled his head off, most of the rest of the preschoolers followed suit.

Just one of my babies making friends with one of their babies...

  It was a gorgeous day in one of my favorite valleys in the state no matter the time of year.

I think I'm ready to make the move and become a milkmaid, Ryno.

Dax is still considering... :)

 Thanks all you milk cows of the world and hats off all you smart, hard-working dairy farmers.  Where would we be without our nightly cup o' "Chock Milk"? 

Orcharding...

Last week Ace's preschool class visited Burgess Orchards.  And you guys... if there is something better to do on October one than visit an apple orchard you will have to spell it out for me because it was EPIC!

The sweet lady that gave my little gents the tour grew up in the farm house on the orchard with her siblings and she let the boys prune, pick, and process apples like little worker bees.  If you are unfamiliar with my little hands-on work horses... they DIG gettin' down and dirty.

She read them a story in her "former Kindergarten teacher" reading voices.  She taught them apple picking songs and explained how they would paint the trunks of the trees to protect them from heat.  She even showed them the hydraulic apple press where they make apple cider.

And then... the little dudes got to taste some cider, some fruit leather, some applesauce, some dried apples and finally they chose two apples each, which they sent down the conveyor belt and hand bagged themselves.  Process complete.

Kael told me on the way out, "When that nice lady retires I'm gonna come work here and pick the apples for them."  Dax and Ace quickly agreed that they would like to grow up and work at the orchard together.

I'm thinking of just dropping them off there during harvest time... no payment necessary... just put the little farm hands to work, please!

Soccer Saturdaze...

Every Saturday on our calendar for the months of September and October looks a little like this:

Ace Soccer 9 am

Dax Soccer 10 am

Kael Soccer 11 am

OK, I lie.  The gnarliest weeks look like this:

Ace Soccer 9 am (Team Treats)

Dax Soccer 9 am

Kael Soccer 9 am (Team Treats)

Yep.  We're that family.  And thanks to our families and neighbors we're able to manage and divide and conquer as the little gents learn those precious life lessons including: Being a team player, working hard, winning well and losing well too, and hustling.

This past weekend I attended Dax and Ace's games while RyGar took Kael to his game.  Guess which one of us took pictures?  :)

Dax's team is called the "Blue Dragons".  This was settled upon after much debate and for a while there, they were the Blue Gators.  Dax always does well and is really fast, but he hasn't been as aggressive offensively until this season.  Here he is right after scoring his first goal of last week's game:

Dax and cousin Zane are on the same team along with some neighborhood and Preschool friends, Isaac and Talmage.  Dax loves Saturday mornings and "Soccer practice nights".

 Ace plays on a little team comprised mainly of girls which bodes well for his scoring tally.  During games one and two, Ace scored four goals each.  Game three he slowed down with just one goal.  You never know what you'll get for sure... but you can place your bet on some "Tiger Action" with a couple of same-team battles between Ace and his buddy Talmage, who are the only two boys on the team.

 How we lucked out and got orange and black jerseys on this, the year of the Tiger, according to Ace Face, I will never know.  His team was sure they should be called, "Orange Crush", but little convincing one got "Tiger" added to the team name per his usual fashion.

So.... "The Orange Crushing Tigers" were born.

And thrive on.

Next weeks soccer report will be brought to you by Kaelster,

His Mom-ographer, and the "Blue Waves".  Ohhh Ahhh. :)

The Force...

You guys, have you walked through a grocery store lately?  Props to Disney's marketing department for all the magic shenanigans they have done throughout all of America in promoting the old and new Star Wars.  My kids are officially obsessed.

Here... I offer you photographic evidence:

 I love the imagination this whole thing sparks.  They can often be found outside fighting some sort of battle against some bad guy with their light "savers".  You know, just saving the world one day at a time and all that?  What I don't Love...

Is being quizzed all day, err day about characters ages, powers, ships, relatives, weapons and all other random factoids... Because, "No, I don't know when Yoda's birthday is."  Sheesh.

Ryan exercises the largest haul of patience I've ever seen the dude exhibit when he watches the movies with these gents.  Lately the movies have consumed our "Friday Fun Night" screen time.  I'm not really a Star Wars kinda gal, but Ryno knows the movies and watched them as a little lad himself... what he wasn't prepared for was the onslaught of mid-movie BURNING questions.  He has to push pause while they ask things like, "Wait, so is Luke using the force right there or not... because he isn't a Jedi yet, right?  And so, if you're not a Jedi, but you're training to be a Jedi, can you still use SOME force?  And -- When will he get a "light saver" and when does Anakin get his arm cut off?"  Somehow, their stream of consciousness almost always ends in, "When will Anakin get his arm cut off," OR "When do we get to see Yoda fight?"  It's freakin' exhausting, is what it is.

I know this is just a fantastic little boy phase spurned on by the magic of marketing and end cap everythings that sport Luke Skywalker's face in every store across America... but seriously, may the force be with me while we see this one through!  :)

FOUR Someone's Birthday...

Our Ace Man is FOUR!

He is also a great many other things:

-Tiger obsessed

-Equal parts "Lova" and "Lord of Loud"

-Opinionated

-Animated

-Expressive

-The best sharer of all time

-Creative

-An amazing colorer and writer

-Athletic

-Charming

-Bossy

-Independent

We had a little family birthday party for him yesterday.  It was Tiger themed (obvs) which is far easier said than done.  But a little tiger birthday cake and some tiger balloons plus his own tiger costume and the dude was beyond thrilled. 

His list of present requests included:  

Benny Shoes (like Benny from the Sandlot - also known as black high top Converse)

A Remote Control Lightning McQueen

Dinosaur Claw Hand Gloves

and His Own Personal Sized Vacuum

???

That's right... He's totally random and off-the-charts COOL.

We kept reminding him that it was almost his birthday for the weeks leading up to the big day and EVERY SINGLE TIME he acted as if this was brand new information.  Like the night before the big day, Ry and I were tucking him in tight and RyGar said, "This is the last time I get to tuck in three-year-old Ace!" and Ace put his hands on his papa's cheeks and erupted into, "IS IT MY BIRTHDAY?"  We laughed and told him, one more day.

The morning of, he padded into our room where his brothers were already awake and his parents were trying to get them to snuggle in for a few more minutes of blissful quiet, and as he climbed over bodies to get to his coveted spot right between Ry and I, Ryan said, "Ace, guess what today is?"  That sweet little light of life put his nose right to his Daddy-o's nose and repeated his surprised sentiments, "DAD IS IT MY BIRTHDAY TODAY?"  Cue a bed full of boys erupting with enthusiasm and clambering out of bed to get to "all the presents" and holy moly, our little ball of fire was in Birthday Heaven.  He even went to church AND primary program practice on his big day... which is more than I can say I would do on my birthday... so kudos little man.

I gotta say, they don't come more unique and completely awesome than our little Acers.  He lights up our days and warms our hearts and he's everything we never knew we needed. 

 Hope number FOUR is your best ever, little bud!

Thanks for choosing us!

XO FOUR-ever!