Noteworthy. . .

Here's Hy at Preschool Graduation/Celebration.

Sam at the Recognition Assembly. He got an award from the Music Teacher. He's hoping to get asked to be part of the school choir next year so he can sing along side Christian and Tanner.

Christian reading a poem at the Poetry Cafe with his best friend Harry.

Christian at the Recognition assembly. He's the 7th from the left.


Can I confess that I am glad that school is over. These pictures were all taken on the same day. . . I went to the school 6 different times that day . . . 2 recognition assemblies, drop Hy off at preschool, volunteer for field day, Hy preschool celebration, AND poetry cafe in the evening.

Ready, Aim, Blow. . .

Nothing quite says family love and bonding like a good Marshmallow Gun Fight

The kids had a great time trying to "take down" Eric. Unfortunately their father was on his A Game and was shooting with incredible accuracy. Ready, Aim, Blow. . .

Warner is more of a Love and Peace Advocate. . . so he happily ate all the ammo he could get his hands on.

Action Shots

Here are Eric and the boys. . .

Last Batch

Boys at the Falls. (the little fellow in the red is a school mate of Sam's)

The entire Male Alaskan Baconbit Clan

Funny Face Contest. 1st and 2nd place winners. . .

More Thunderbird Falls

Christian

Tanner

Hy

T, S, and C

Catch Up

Our cell phone has been lost for a couple of months. After looking all over the house we were convinced that it had run away with my Columbia Rain Jacket (I am still mourning the loss of such a companion). So with some gentle persuasion (thanks Dad) we bit the bullet and got a new phone. Eric LOVES it (please note that we are about as Loyal to it as we were our old phone).

Of course, less than a week after purchasing a new phone, Sam was assigned to vacuum the stairs and pull up the stair runner so I could wash it. What did he find? Yup, the old, lost phone. Warner now loves his new phone.

I thought it was so cute when I found the boys playing Risk a couple of Sundays ago. I sat down and taught them the rules and then the playing really began. After a nine hour game. . . it wasn't so cute anymore. It started out Christian, Tanner, and Sam. . . then turned into Christian, Tanner, and Mom. . . then ended with Christian, Tanner, and Eric. During the evening I would periodically check in. Eric would reassure me, "The game is almost over. I'm going to take over this next turn." Two hours later. . . another confident declaration, "No, really, this time they don't stand a chance." There never was a final victor, but eventually at the end of nine hours, Eric was eliminated.

Summer hiking has begun. We took the boys to Thunderbird Falls on a whim one Saturday afternoon. They are great little hikers.

Father & Sons

Tanner at the Alaska Sea Life Center. Eric said he just LOVED watching the seals. This was definitely the highlight of his trip.

A quick trip to the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center

Eric and Tanner at Exit Glacier

No. . .the Fathers & Sons campout isn't until this weekend (and how lucky am I to be the mother of FIVE sons?). . . but LAST weekend Eric had a teacher inservice meeting and afterwards a couple of the men planned a quick camping trip to Seward.

Tanner has beyond excellent the past month. He's our happiest helper and is so wonderful with Warner. As a reward, I packed up a backpack of goodies, prizes, a new hoodie (he's been begging me for one for months) and dropped him off in Anchorage so he could join up with his Dad and go camping for the weekend.

Playing in Plaid

Summer Goals

2009 Summer Goals



1. Back by popular demand. . . NO T.V. (includes no xbox too). We had a phenomenal summer last year with this as goal. Always a little adjusting at the beginning but incredible results.



2. Stay up too late, never get up too early, and savor the simple moments.



3. Read outloud atleast THREE books with the boys (the new Fablehaven, the new Percy Jackson and the Olympians, and The Giver & Number the Stars (done))



4. Explore something new in every direction (North: Byers Lake, South: Exit Glacier, East:? and West:Aleknagik)



5. Stick with Traditions: Midnight Fireworks, Bear Paw Festival, Family Bike Rides, Cubscout Daycamp, Winner Creek Gorge, Library Reading Program, Family Cul-de-sac games of kickball and baseball, Music in the Park, Free Movies, Slip & Slide, Park Days, Picking Blueberries, and Biking the Coastal Trail.

The Present of Presence

I've never had the luxury of being the model School Volunteer. Why? Lack of Devotion? Lack of Desire? Lack of Dedication? No. No. No. It has something to do with my three-year-old pulling all the teacher's books off the bookshelf or the baby in the stroller that the Kindergarten Girls insist on swarming and touching. Yup, I'm a Mom. And most of the time when I volunteer it is a family affair.

But with my boys I've realized that it isn't the Quality of Volunteering or even the Quantity, it is the mere effort of presence. They love seeing me at their school. They love the little hand symbol of "I Love You" or the extra special smile or wink in their direction. It isn't that I'm an amazing reading specialist or can grade papers extra fast. It is that I am there. . . just there.

I've been a Monday regular for Reading (in my more ambitious days), the Flouride Swish Lady, the BookOrder Orderer, and Field Trip Driver. I try to eat lunch with them a couple times a year and attend their special in-school openhouses showcasing projects, and their quarterly awards assemblies. It doesn't matter what Volunteer Hat I'm wearing the sparkle in that little boy's eyes when I walk through the classroom door melts my heart every time making me realize that sometimes the greatest present is presence.

A Pocket Full. . .

Ever since we've told the kids about the new baby I've overheard them saying to other each other or friends, "When Mom lays the baby. . . " or "Did you know my Mom is going to lay a baby?"


I have this vision of me clucking and wallah. . . Baby Bacon!


The other day Hyrum told me that he knows how the baby will come out.


"Really?" I asked ready to brace myself.


"Yup," he said in all four-year-old confidence, "He's going to bash his head against your tummy and pop out." Then after some more thought he added, "Or maybe he'll just come out of your pocket."


The bashing the head sounds gruesome and a foot under the ribs is about all I can take let alone a whole body. . . for right now I think I'll stick with the idea of simply LAYING a baby.

Rekindled

It has been months and months since I've scrapbooked. Thanks to my sisters, I've been really excited to tackle 2008.

Hy Four

Happy Birthday Hy!

Blast From the Past

Every evening the boys read in their rooms for at least an hour. Christian and Tanner particularly have fallen in love with the world of silent reading and really enjoy the adventure of a great book. One afternoon Tanner was ranting and raving about this book he was reading A Rumor of Dragons (the first book in the Dragonlance Young Reader Chronicles) that he had checked out from the school library. He began telling us about the characters and immediately Eric's eyes widened. As a little boy Eric had read (or heard about the stories thanks to his brother Bryan) and had LOVED them. It was the catalyst for a lot of their play and imagination when he was little (something to do with the Dungeons and Dragons game). For hours Eric and the boys talked characters and situations. It was wonderful to see them so enthralled in conversation together. I immediately got online and found the original books at our public library for Eric and ordered the Young Readers (same books/stories but split into six different books) for the boys.

It is not uncommon, if I cannot see or hear Christian, that he is downstairs reading, reading, reading.

Baconbit #6

Yes, Baconbit #6 is on its way.

Due to arrive July 2009.

Christian and Tanner are hoping desperately for a boy. They are still clinging to the idea of becoming a living replica of 7 Brides for 7 Brothers.

Sam REALLY wants a girl. I think he secretly wants the perks of a sister. . . meaning, he wants the Polly Pockets.

Hyrum tells everyone that "only God knows" what the baby will be. He's content to switch his mind several times a day as to what the Heavens will send us.

Go Tell It On A Mountain

For most of you who know me well, I'm a fairly private person. No need to blab things that don't need blabbing. So you can only imagine how mortified I was when my FIRST and LAST name show up on our towns OVERPASS in the BIGGEST, most GIGANTIC letters you've ever seen. But that's not the worst part. . . it is what follows. . . Imagine if you will the words "IS PREGNANT!"

I'm not mortified of the truth. . . only its presentation. Let's go back a few months . . .

I'm getting harassed daily by my friend Jodi. "When are you coming to basketball? When are you coming to basketball? When are you coming to basketball?" I admit, I had taken a rather sudden leave of absence . . . but really were all the questions necessary?

So I let Jodi in on the big secret. Baconbit #6 is on its way. Something about racing to the bathroom, dry heaving, and just overwhelming nausea didn't seem to mesh with 6 a.m. basketball. Not to mention that this time around the only decent sleep i get is from 6 a.m. to 8 a.m.

Immediately Jodi gets this sparkle in her eye and asks, "Can I tell people for my birthday? I could CALL (yes she said CALL!) Kerri and Jessy and your Mom. . . It would be the best Birthday Present Ever!"

Who asks for that for their birthday? But I was game. . . we weren't going to tell the boys until Spring Break. . . what were a few extra days.

Warning bells. Warning bells. Warning bells. A) Jodi's Birthday is April 9th. That would take me almost to six months. Now, granted, I can suck it in with the best of them (the perks of being tall and 20 lbs over weight) . . . but 6 months? I knew that by not telling people, they would be in that dilemma thinking "Is Steph pregnant or just getting fat. . ." Great. And then there was B) Have any of you seen Maya and Miguel on PBS kids? You know whenever Maya gets a great idea and her pony tail holder does that flash thing. . . it means that Maya thinks her idea is great but more than likely it is just a bit of trouble. Maya=Jodi. I should have made that connection sooner.

So the months pass. And with the help of a cold Alaskan Winter and Bulky Clothing, I've got the average passerby duped into thinking I'm just fat.

Nothing could have prepared me for April 9th. Did I mention big black letters. . . the towns major thoroughfare. . . first AND last name. . . Mortified. Absolutely Mortified. Happy Birthday Jodi. I hope it was the BEST birthday present EVER because next year I'm sticking with a cake and balloons.

Conference Baskets

I knew that I was going to be over Easter Sunday, so this year we opted for "Conference Baskets." Since General Conference was the 1st Saturday and Sunday of the month, I filled the baskets with all sorts of candy for Conference Bingo and a Super Exercise Activity to burn off all the extra energy between Sessions.

Conference this year was a challenge for me. We had had such an amazing experience 6 months ago, that I just assumed the same thing would happen this time around. I suppose I was my worst enemy. . . I forgot to set up my expectations with the boys and invest the prep effort into making the moment. Lesson learned.