Tyson - January 2014

Well Ty, another month has come and gone, and not a whole lot has changed.  You're getting to the point now where things are starting to slow down as far as new things you can do and are doing.  That's okay with me though.  I'm okay with you slowing down a bit because you definitely aren't slow in everyday life.  I don't know how many times lately I have had to chase you, whether it's in the grocery store, at the park, in the house, or down the street.  You are FAST and think you are super funny when you make me chase you.

One night after the bath instead of a sweet, easygoing baby that lets his mom get him dressed I got this - a naked dragon cowboy superhero - complete with cape.  You ran around and around the kitchen riding the dragon.

You are such a ham, and when you know someone is taking a picture you turn up the charm as high as it goes.  You were more than happy to have your picture taken being a cowboy on our horse instead of a dragon, but I think maybe the pink cowboy hat will turn this into a good blackmail picture at some point in your life.

You and dad are still getting along a bit better.  You still prefer me to him, and i have to write that because at this point you are the only one.  I better do some sucking up to Tessa though because I'm sure eventually you will feel like Logan does and I will only be an afterthought.  The day of the NFL semi-finals dad finished up with dinner and then let me know he was headed into our room to watch the game.  I started cleaning up only to hear the Mickey Mouse Clubhouse theme song coming out of our room.  When I opened the door to see what was up I found this:

That guy sure loves you bud.  You eventually got tired of snuggling and headed out, but it was pretty sweet to see him trade a good football game for some snuggles and Mickey Mouse.

One Saturday last month dad, Logan, and Tessa all headed up fishing.  I love when we get to go or when I do fun things with the entire family, but I have to admit I kind of enjoy our one-on-one time too.  I figured dad would take Logan and Tessa to lunch in Panguitch, so we headed to Junction for our own little lunch date.

We had a pretty good time eating ice cream and fries, even if you do double dip!

One of the most favorite toys in this house is the laundry basket I've had since I was in college.  On laundry day when it is being used to haul clothes around you and your brother and sister always seem to find it and turn it into a rocket ship or a cave or a car or something.  One day while the big kids were at school and I was folding clothes you just decided to hang out in it to watch your show.  It didn't look super comfortable to me, but the mysterious draw of a laundry basket and nobody to have to share it with was just too much to leave it sitting empty.

No new teeth this month, but you've started to get better at letting me brush them instead of just biting the toothbrush and licking off the toothpaste.  You love peda butta sanwiches, apples, chicken nuggets, and a very occasional bite or 2 of whatever I make for dinner.  One of your favorite things to do is "wash da dishes!" by pulling the stool up to the sink and playing in the water until the size of the mess you've made outweighs the fact that you're out of my hair.  When I try to get you to fall asleep I have to tickle your back, stomach, hand, and face with the corner of one of your blankies while you make this ridiculous snoring sound.  I tried to get it on video last night, but you caught me and the phone distracted you and I lost all the progress I had made with the tickling.  You've officially moved out of your crib (and couch) and into the bottom bunk of the bunkbeds you share with Logan.  You usually last there until about 2 or 3 a.m. before making your way to our room.   Right now it is early morning (5 a.m.) and I can hear you in there moaning and groaning and probably sleeping right next to your dad on that king-sized bed.

You touched the hot stove last month right after I'd told you not to and HOWLED for over an hour - even after we'd loaded up in the car to go to Grandma and Grandpa Hillier's house.  I had to stop at the reservation convenience store to get you a cup of ice to stick your finger in before you fell asleep.  Then the next week you stepped on a poky and limped for 5 days.  FIVE!  I think you get your pain tolerance from someone other than your mama.  Now that I've seen just how dramatic you can be I'm going to have to be more careful about making sure you don't get hurt!

You may be a wild child who gives me a run for my money every day, but we couldn't imagine this family without Ty-Ty.

Love you bud,
Mom

Logan - January 2014

Well I'm late with your letter and the reason why is that I like your siblings more than you.  Obviously that's not true, but if you knew that I was writing you letters every month and knew that yours was X number of days late and Tessa's was less than that number you would surely accuse me of favoritism.  You've been kind of a pill lately to be completely honest.  Your absolute FAVORITE thing to do in the world is to argue with anyone you come in contact with (usually me), and you still feel like it is your job to raise Tessa and Tyson.  I've got to admit it's been a little rough around here lately, but we are learning and figuring things out and finally realizing that it takes 2 to argue. :)  Lots of times lately you find yourself mumbling to yourself instead of having someone to fight back.  I really do need to write down some of my favorite arguments you've given me lately.  I have gotten more smiles from hearing you defend yourself out of an impossible argument than anything else lately.

And then there are moments when you are so sweet and helpful.  This was one day before school where you stopped what you were doing and got down on the floor to play with Tyson.  I had to take a picture mostly because I was shocked Tyson was playing with toys instead of throwing them at someone's head, but I also thought it was a pretty sweet picture showing just how much you like that little troublemaker.

Christmas finally came, thanks to you for counting down the days, and the Saturday before we headed up to Panguitch for the Pollock Christmas party.  We had talked about if the Santa that came to the party was the real Santa (because Quade told you it wasn't), and I said that some years Santa needs help getting to all the Christmas parties and stores but that I thought the real one was coming this year.  Well you were the first one to catch a glimpse of him through the window that night and then the first one to have your finger scanned on Santa's Naughty or Nice app (Santa's got to keep up with technology apparently.).  When you ended up scanning naughty you weren't too thrilled, and complained later that it wasn't a real thing because all the 6-year-old boys were naughty.  Dad and I know that wasn't a coincidence though!

You must have forgiven Santa enough, and he you, because you sat on his lap to get your present and tell him that you wanted a basketball hoop for Christmas.  Earlier that day we opened presents with the Veater family, and you got a transformer and a puzzle from Quade and some nice clothes and a fishing pole from Grandma and Grandpa Veater.

On Christmas Eve we had our tradition of going out to look at lights and then coming home to watch a movie together.  Before the movie I let you guys open up your presents from me and dad.  They'd been under the tree for a couple weeks and had been thoroughly shaken, and you were pretty stumped about what it could be.

A new pair of Christmas pajamas of course, along with some popcorn and some movie theater candy (that's what stumped you - the shaking of the candy).  We got a picture...

and then snuggled down to watch The Polar Express before sending you guys off to bed.

The next morning you were the first one up (not bad at 6:45!) and headed straight for the goods under the tree.  I caught you and told you we had to get everyone else up first, and you wasted no time making sure Tess got out of bed while I got your dad and Ty.

You got a basketball, the new Diary of a Wimpy Kid book, a basketball pump (which ended up being the most popular "gift," go figure), an electric pencil sharpener (still makes me laugh), and a few other smallish things.  You didn't see your basketball hoop though.  You were definitely disappointed, but you were trying really hard not to be.  You decided you'd better look outside, so you checked there.  Then you checked in the basement and the garage.  You were just telling us that Santa must not have gotten you one when you turned around and saw it hiding in the kitchen.  You were pretty dang excited that Santa had listened.

Tess got you and Ty both a little something, and you guys gave her something as well. It was pretty sweet to see your hugs and my favorite part of Christmas morning.

Later that morning we headed to Hurricane and spent the day with Grandma and Grandpa Hillier and Aunt Lisa and Uncle Joe.  You got spoiled there as well with a bunch of fun stuff in your stocking and some Legos.  We won't mention the fit you threw that night on the way home because the rest of the day had been a pretty great Christmas.

A few days after Christmas Tess and I took all the decorations off the tree, but I left it up in the front room.  The night before New Year's Eve I redecorated it with streamers and hats and balloons filled with jokes and noisemakers for a New Year's Eve tree.  The look on your face the next morning when you saw the tree transformed was pretty fun, and you guys had a blast popping the balloons to find out what was inside.  Who needs to stay up until midnight to have fun on New Year's?

We signed you up for basketball this year, and I have been a little nervous as to how you were going to do.  When I first told you that you could sign up this year you were so excited, so when registration opened up I didn't even ask you, I just did it.  When I told you that I'd signed you up you Fah-reaked out on me big time saying you didn't want to do it and I needed to get my money back and take you off the list.  Well a couple days later you switched back to being so excited you could hardly stand it, so I breathed a sigh of relief that I hadn't wasted my $25!  First and second grade basketball is... tough.  I wish they had done the program a little differently, but what amazed me and your dad was the way you handled everything.  You've never been a super aggressive kid when it comes to sports, and basketball was no different, but you went out there and played and enjoyed it every single time.  You were nervous and unsure of yourself, no doubt about that, but you DID IT, and that tells us so much about you.  The first game you had your hands in your mouth a lot so I put the nail-biting nail stuff on your fingers for the next game only to have you discover your pockets.  I sewed your pockets shut for the next game, but you picked them open!  You only had the ball on a couple short (very short) occasions during the games, but your attitude was awesome and you were just happy to be playing.  I was VERY impressed.

It's not too hard to see where your love of arguing comes from, I think your dad and I have got that pretty well covered, but it is so good to see that sometimes you are just happy to be where you are doing what you are doing.  Content.  Normally that's not a word I would use to describe you, but it's in there.  I think life is easier and better if we choose to see the good in whatever situation we are in, and you did that with basketball.  Hopefully we can grow that trait so that it takes over the argumentative trait?  I don't know, but I do know that you are my favorite oldest child, and that your dad and I and your grandparents are so, so proud of how you did in basketball this year.

Love you bud,
Mom

Tessa - January 2014

Well would you look at that, I'm only 4 days late in writing this.  Maybe this new year will be a better year as far as keeping on top of your letters.  (Ok, so I had this written on the 5th and then forgot to publish it - but it was ready on the 5th!)

The winter has been pretty fun so far considering we haven't been able to go to the park as much as normal.  Dad's back seems to be getting better, and one day he decided he'd been cooped up too long, and we drove out to Jacob Lake to play in the snow and get some cookies.

I don't know what has gotten into you with the snow lately, but you can NOT see snow and not eat some.  That's normally not that terrible of a thing, but the other day we went ice fishing and you decided to snack on some of the "snow" that was around your hole, which was basically the ice that the auger had shaved as it dug the hole.  When I informed you that the "snow" you were eating was really ice made out of fishy water you didn't look so thrilled.

I can't blame you for trying though.  When we had our big snowstorm in Kanab in December the snow was so light and fluffy it looked like it would be good to eat.  You and your brothers had fun playing in it that Sunday when church was cancelled because of it.  I liked taking pictures of you best because you were the only one who didn't throw it at me!

That's a pretty common theme around here.  While you still really, REALLY hate to clean your room or the toy room, you are usually pretty good about helping me out with whatever else I need done.  I try to let you too because I definitely do not want to discourage this helpful attitude.  You are always wanting to help cook, bake, or help me with Tyson, and you are definitely his second little mother whether he likes it or not.  You are also always the perfect person to ask for a hug.  Logan will ask why, and Tyson will say no, but you will always run over and give one of the best hugs.  Everybody loves Tessa hugs.

When we went to Hurricane for Aunt Lisa's birthday dinner last month you guys got into the Play-doh and got downright silly.  We had to really work to get that big piece to stay on your tiny nose!

Aunt Lisa said that for her birthday she wanted you, me, and grandma to go with her to the Dickens' Festival in St. George.  We ended up having to bring Ty too, but you were so excited for another girls' day, and we had a good time looking at all the booths and tasting all the samples.  You got to dip a candle into colored wax and got your face painted too.

You were really into Christmas this year, probably more so than before because you got to do the fun crafts and sing the fun songs at preschool.  You told me that you were learning the songs so that you could sing them to the "really old people."  That would be the people in the Beehive Home here in town.  I thought it was pretty cute that you wanted to make sure I knew it wasn't just the old people like me and dad or maybe your grandmas and grandpas but the REALLY old people.

All month long when I asked you what you wanted for Christmas you told me the same thing, Pet Shops.  That's what you told Santa when he came to the Pollock Christmas party too.  I'm loving your consistency compared to your brother who changes his mind every time we ask.  Earlier that day we opened presents at Grandma Lori and Grandpa Rob's.  You got some cute clothes and a horse barn with some horses from Grandma and Grandpa, and a puzzle from Bosten in your cousin exchange.  Overall it was a pretty fun day.

On Christmas Eve you all finally got to open your presents from mom and dad that had been under the tree for a few weeks.  You were excited to find your new pajamas, popcorn, and movie candy to settle in and watch the movie with.

We had already gone out to look at lights, so you guys changed into your new jammies and settled down with dad to watch the Polar Express.  After the movie it was a bit tough getting you to sleep, but that's no change from every day.  Every morning you tell me that you didn't actually sleep and just had your eyes closed when I came in to check on you.  We told you that you better really try to sleep because Santa wouldn't come until you did and because we knew Logan would wake up before you would be ready to get up!

Sure enough Logan was the first kid awake, and he and I had to go around and wake everyone up.  I tried to get you up first, but it wasn't until you heard Logan's excited voice that you crawled out of bed.  I had put your hair in a braid the night before to try to keep the bed head to a minimum, but that plan didn't exactly work.  First you opened your stockings...

You loved the reindeer antlers Santa left for you.

Then you started on your other gifts.  Santa got you Pet Shops like you asked, 2 My Little Pony houses, a calendar, puzzles, some fun magnetic dress up dolls, and....

a puppet, which I hate.  Thank you Santa.

I had taken you to buy your brothers a small gift, and dad took Logan to get one for you.  Seeing you guys give each other thankful hugs was the best part of the morning for me.  (Don't mind the star on top of the tree that looks like it is going to fall off and hurt someone.  It gave the tree more charm.)

When I asked if you got everything you wanted you said yes.  I'm pretty sure Santa could have given you boxes of rocks, and you would have been thrilled with it.  We love your (usually) happy-go-lucky attitude.

The one thing I wrote down to remember for your letter this month cracked me and dad up pretty good.  We were in the car together when all of a sudden you kind of half yelled, "Mom!  I have a problem!"  I answered and asked you what it was, and you said, "Every time I sit down my pants fall off!"  Oh Tessa Sue, our life would be much more boring with you.  I said to dad just yesterday as he was saying that he had more gray hair than Grandpa Rob that it was because you had a girl and he didn't.  Dad said, "Yeah, but she's the easiest one!"  I know that probably won't always be the case, but we will take it while we can get it.

Thank you for always being happy and ready to cheer up anyone who might be feeling sad.  We are so lucky to have you in our family and love you to pieces.

Love you sis,
Mom