May In Pictures (and some words. I just couldn’t help myself)

There are a lot of missed posts in the month of May. It is at least as busy a month as December with less cute decorations but better weather. We have been going non-stop and will continue for the next two weeks but I thought if I could pop this post out and at least get caught up in pictures then I wouldn’t feel like throwing in the towel and jumping over all this May hoopla. Because there has been some good hoopla!


Earlier in the month, Daniel started eating solid food.  Our pediatrician said to start introducing food when he seemed interested and after a couple of dinners when he kept swiping my plate and cup, I figured he was interested.  Oh, boy, is he ever.  This boy loves food!  So far, he has only tried rice cereal and sweet potatoes but he loves both.  It’s messy and time consuming and I don’t do it at the end of every day because nursing is so much quicker but when I do, he appreciates it.  I’m thinking of getting one of those baby food blenders I see on TV.  Has anyone tried them?  Is it a gimmick?




In his new high chair.  He likes to put his fingers or thumb in his mouth after every bit...which spreads the food mess love all over!




Have you ever heard of the Hershey track meet?  They are sponsored locally and those who finish first in their age group move on to the state level and then, I suppose, if they finish first there, qualify for the national meet.  Seth qualified last year but the state meet conflicted with another summer commitment.  This year, he was determined to qualify.  Sam was old enough to compete this year but ran against some pretty fast 10 year olds and got third in both his events.  Of course, to a perfectionist like Sam, third place means he is the slowest and worst runner ever but he did great.  I love watching him move.  He’s such an athlete.

At the start of the 50m dash.









It was close but he got third.

What a neglected third child does to entertain himself when dragged to all kinds of events for his older two brothers.  He has his own race!











“I’m fast, huh Mom!”

Sam’s 100m dash which was immediately after the 50 yard dash.  Sam kids.













Maybe next year, Sam!

Seth really wanted to run in the mile but it wasn’t offered in his age division so he settled for the 800.  It was a small group of runners and Seth’s strategy was to not start off too fast.

You can see him settling in nice and steady.


Nice and steady....



Wait a second!  Way too nice and steady.  Go catch her, Seth!



At the 200m mark on the final lap, Seth finally switched gears and started to kick.

















He caught her in the end and qualified for the meet in Denver (if he gets his grades up..Grrr) but I think he needs some coaching from Dad or maybe Uncle Rex.

May has been absolutely horrible for exercise.  I know I’m an excuse maker but it’s hard to fit it in with a newborn who is still figuring out his sleep.  The gym I pay to go to only has classes in the morning and then for the after work hour, which I can never make, so if I miss those 8 or 9 or 10 o’clock classes, out comes the baby jogger.  Daniel seemed to like it.



Henry’s kindergarten class threw a mother’s day tea party which turned into a parent’s day tea party because father’s day is in June.  Jay couldn’t make it and I was surprised again by their strict adherence to the tea theory.  They only served tea.  They did this at his preschool party and I think it is so bizarre.  Do kids like tea?

Here’s Henry performing one of the many songs they learned.  With his hands down his pants.  So proud!





What an absolute cutie.  I’m a lucky mom.  Who doesn’t drink tea.



May (and April.  And March) have been all about soccer for Sam and Seth.  Practices, extra practices, tournaments and more tournaments.  It is finally over and I’m not a bit sad about it.  I like that it gives them a team experience and it is wonderful exercise but this club soccer is way over the top, in my opinion.  I think some parents are already gunning for their kids to play in college or professionally and so it makes sane and reasonable parents like me seem lazy and whiny when I think it’s all too much.  But, I support them because they have committed to the season.  I’m still proud of them though for choosing not to play on Sundays, even when Seth’s team made it to the championship game in two different tournaments which were played on Sunday.



Sam was under the weather and as he is the dominant scorer on his team, they didn’t do so well.  Plus, this team was really, really good.  The ref was hilarious.  I’ve never seen a ref take his whistle and hand signals so seriously.  It was very reminiscent of Paul Blart, Mall Cop.



Go, Sam!



He takes a shot!

Seth’s team is much more intense.  These boys have been playing together since they were six or seven and Seth has struggled to find his place and feel worthwhile as this is his first year playing.  He contributes to the team with his speed and stamina (he can run for forever) but definitely plays with some inhibition and fear of doing the wrong thing.  In spite of all of this, he played his heart out at this tournament and even got yellow carded!  His teammates were shocked.  He’s one of the taller players so gets put in the line of fire when the opposing team gets a shot at the goal.  His priorities crack me up here.



At least they play on such a beautiful field.  I never mind being there.



With his running at school and outside races and soccer, he has developed a nasty shin splint.  Dad tapes him up.



Mother’s Day was a mother’s day.  Jay was on call and at the hospital all day and I was scheduled to teach the YWs lesson.  It’s probably a good thing May got so busy because I had a rather long-winded response to all the mother’s day complaining I witnessed which I’ll reduce to short form here.  Somehow, Mother’s Day turned into, “I don’t have to do anything” day which is a recipe for frustration, bitterness and feeling bad.  I don’t understand women who think it means sleeping in and skipping church or having nothing at all do to with their children unless it involves gift receiving and pampering.  All holidays have a materialistic and selfish alter ego and refusing to mother or thinking that it is the one day where you shouldn’t have to mother is a twisted interpretation, in my opinion.  It’s like saying, “Well, I’m thankful every day so on Thanksgiving, I will take a day off from being thankful.  I need a break from all that gratitude!”  Of course, mothers should be revered and respected every day, just like we should be patriotic and appreciative of our freedoms every day and not just on the fourth of July.  And don’t get me started on how I feel about the Sacrament meeting talk complainers.  Anybody that wants to can find a reason to rip on church meetings and those who speak.  We are a church of imperfect people.  So what if someone talks about his angel mother?  Or what if that guy mentions his hot wife?  It shouldn’t spoil your entire day.  If it does, then the speakers are not the problem.  I need to stop.  I promised this would be short.

Anyways....

Look at the blessings who call me mother.



A haircut might be nice.  Sam is looking awfully Miami Vice.



Here’s another picture of Sam.  He is such a good boy.


We went over to Vaughn and Patty’s for dinner on mother’s day as it was also Patty’s birthday and thus a double celebration.  Vaughn grilled some delicious steak and chicken and the boys enjoyed wrestling with Derek.  Daniel got some cuddles with Grandpa.



We scheduled our big YW girls camp fundraiser during the hectic month of May - a mistake I’ll never make again.  Because we have combined the 1st and 2nd wards for most mutual activities, it made sense to have a combined fundraiser.  It was definitely double the work but I’m not sure it was double the reward.  Thankfully, all the work, which was hours and hours of shopping and prepping in the kitchen and cleaning up afterward, was made better by working with these good women.



Henry had a tooth pretty much fall out the other day.  In pieces.  I took him to a pediatric dentist and the poor boy has to get the rest of the tooth extracted as well as crowns on most of his molars.  Between his super stubborn personality and all of his oral issues (tongue and speech things) he isn’t a very good brusher and it’s hard to help him.  As a result, he has almost $2,000 worth of work coming up.  Gulp.



More soccer pics!  This time, we were at a tournament in Grand Junction.  The weather was lovely and warm and my boys did great.  I was like a pack mule with the shade chair, umbrella, diaper bag, water and Daniel in a front pack.  That's my excuse for only getting a couple of pictures of Seth and none of Sam.  Bad mommy!





I am a huge fan and supporter of piano recitals.  We haven’t had many because Sam and Seth’s teacher had a baby this year but the music teachers in the area decided to have a combined recital at the college and I was happy both boys got a chance to perform.  Sam played Baroque in Bits and Seth played a duet with his teacher from the opera, Carmen, called “Gypsy Song”







All of the students take a final group bow.



Of course, we did our best to enjoy the rare solar eclipse but we didn’t have the right equipment to photograph the ring of fire.  Here’s my attempt anyway.



We did notice we got some funny shadows on the house from the eclipse.  Check out Seth’s webbed hands.



Sam and I practice our amphibian look as well.



Loved the eclipse’s effect on the tree’s shadow on our garage.



Jay pulls off science guy and builds a rudimentary solar camera.  The boys love these kinds of things.





Other random pics from my phone:

Nursing Daniel in the car between soccer games.



Daniel chilling with mom post meal.



Daniel discovering a new friend in the mirror.



Seth thinking and mom wishing she knew what about.



Seth and Sam eating at Chilis after a soccer tournament.



Jay and Daniel take a nap before church on Sunday.