Who would you vote for???

The other morning, when I was watching the presidential debate that we recorded from the night before (that I fell asleep to while trying to watch with my husband), Josh was with me. He was very interested in why I kept telling them to be quiet so I could hear.

"Who is that, mom?"

"That's Mitt Romney."

"What is he saying, mom?"

"He's telling us what he would do if he were President."

"What's a President?"

"That's the person we made the leader of our country."

"Is he a king?"

"No, we don't have a king. We have a president. God is our king." (Good line, huh? I got it from Little House on the Prairie.)

"How do we make him a President?"

"We vote. And I hope this guy gets all the votes. I hope he wins." (I know this might be sounding like a political commentary, but it's not, I promise...just keep reading.)

"Would you want me to win if I were talking?" (Talking = running for the nomination, but we don't worry about particulars.)

"Yes!! I would absolutely vote for you! What would you say if you were talking?"

(Oh, the wisdom of children...)

"I would say: I hope everyone is safe and that no one dies. I hope we are all happy. And I hope Jesus comes back soon."

Isn't that what it all boils down to?

Oh, the timing is ironic...

Over the past few years, I've come to love Halloween. It's so fun to see little kids in costumes! And hear one of them say something like "Howdy Ma'am. Trick or treat" while tipping his hat (not the one that was a skeleton). And seeing some of our neighbors go all out in their decorations with old ambulances with flashing lights, zombies trying to rise from the dead and giant spiders...
And here's where I start my story.

Sunday afternoon was beautiful, so Ryan and I decided to take the boys and the dog on a little walk up on the face of the mountain that nearly borders our yard (minus a couple neighbors, a few orchards, and the highway, but those are small details.) It was a perfect temperature, and the view was incredible as we looked over Willard Bay and threw rocks across a small little pond.

Half way up the little dirt road on which we were walking, trying to not laugh as Harley yanked Emmett off his feet as she took off for something or other, we saw this:

Yes, it's a tarantula!!! It's casting its own shadow! Suddenly, living so close to the mountains doesn't seem as appealing as it once did. Bring on the highways, I say.

But I didn't truly appreciate the timing of this little creature popping out of the rocks until the next day--Halloween...

We took the boys down to see Grandma and Grandpa and their cousins in a town not too far away from us, and ended up at a little trunk or treat at the end of a cul-de-sac. One woman was dressed up as a witch and had a cauldron full of cockroaches that she offered to children with a cackle. Real cockroaches. Big ones.

It was very dramatic. But it became truly frightening when my kind-hearted, bug-loving son Josh (entomologist in the making. I'm looking on the bright side) politely took one of the large, leggy, shiny cockroaches and PUT IT IN HIS CANDY BUCKET!!! I experienced a feeling I've never felt before...it can only be described as aaaaaaaaaaakkkkkkkkk! It came out before Josh got anywhere near me or the vehicle. (Someone took pity on me and got it out. But not Ryan, because I think I was screeching in his ear.)

Truly a time of frights, right? Not done...

After wrapping up a fun Halloween (shake it off, Kendra) at the neighbor's house with homemade donuts (thanks Sandy!), we opened the door, turned on the light, and found...

A DEAD MOUSE! Seriously? Was this a joke??

I'm not so sure I like Halloween anymore.

Pretending is fun!

Okay, I know Halloween is a day we celebrate? honor? fear? the dead, but really, what it ends up being is a day of pretend. I'm pretty sure I'm not alone in saying this, but my kids pretty much live in a world of pretend. They pretend to be fathers, babies, train conductors, monsters, cats, cars, horses, worms... It's always kind of interesting to see what they come up with. And since I'm really smart in psychology (mmmhhhmmmm), I know that these things are how they come up with who they are. I can see them trying out the world in their play. And it's fun to see that.

And sometimes it's hilarious to see that.

Like when Emmett hid behind his Grandma Carolyn's closet door--the one with the witch hanging on it

and made scary witch-laughing noises. When I went to investigate what that strange noise was, he politely told me to close the door, please, because he was being a witch.

Okay, so maybe it's not always about figuring out who they want to be.

Maybe it's just fun.

Emmett picked out the mask! He has wanted the mask with the "oval up and the oval down" since he saw it in a store a month ago.

And Josh has been saying "howdy partna!" to everyone while tipping his hat. What a gentleman! Already, he has a couple girls swooning over him. Which makes me cringe...not yet!!!

It's a relief for us all to leave our normal world and visit somewhere else. Where do you go?

Crash!

Good news! Josh is riding his bike WITHOUT TRAINING WHEELS! I'm so proud of him. But, surprisingly, the title of this blog does not refer to him...

Emmett was trying to keep up with his big brother and dad while we were out on a bike ride, but he just...couldn't...make...it. He was trying his hardest, though.

Okay, I have to insert a little information about Emmett. He is a little spacey when it comes to riding his bike. I'll be riding next to him, and find that I'm on the other side of the street because he DOES NOT drive in a straight line. He's more interested in watching how his training wheels work than in watching where he's going. In fact, I have a pretty good scar from when he rammed me from behind and ripped a part of the skin covering my calf off. (But that's another story. And kind of funny...Mostly because of the concerned neighbor who expressed her concern about my injury so long that blood actually congealed in my shoe.)

Anyway, back to Emmett. He was pedaling as fast as his little legs could carry him, but a momentary distraction hit him, and his bike got all twisted up. He flew over his handlebars as I watched, and landed flat on his nose. No really. Flat on his nose. No other part of his face touched the ground. In fact, the hit was so square on his nose that his nose didn't even get scraped. But it did start to bleed profusely. I jumped off my bike and held him on my shoulder (ruined shirt...but who cares about that?) while he screamed. For approximately 37 seconds. And then he hopped on his bike and took off down the road as he wiped the blood off his face with his hand.

Emmett doesn't let a whole lot bother him.

And Josh hasn't crashed once.

Getting started

Yesterday morning, I was trying (unsuccessfully) to download my new camera's pictures to my old computer (Help! Jeremy? Anyone?), and I realized two things: why I have waited so long to start a blog (technologically challenged--see above), and why I need to start a blog. After failing said photo download, I gave up and just looked at the pictures already there. In no time at all, I had Josh and Emmett crowded on my lap, begging to see their own pictures and videos. I kind of peeked under Emmett's armpit to navigate with the mouse to the pictures they wanted. Josh probably could have done it for me, but I'm sorry, I can't let my 5 year old pass me in my technological skills. (It won't be long, though...) By 9:24am, I had to drag them away from the computer to get Josh to preschool. I noticed something, though. Josh and Emmett seemed to join each other in a new, unspoken brotherhood of nostalgia. (Who knew that a three year old could feel nostalgic?) Josh left for preschool saying "I love you Emmett. Be good, okay? I will really miss you." And Emmett replying, "I love you Josh. Have a good day in preschool! I will really miss him, Mom." (Except insert w sounds for most r's and all l's, as well as a pronounced lisp. I can't help thinking it's cute!) (Okay, I'll help them work on it.) (Another day.)

Point is, I don't want to forget this stuff! I can't believe that the time that I was the only one who could understand my baby even when he made no discernible English sounds is long gone, and that my two little squawling newborns have turned into this:

And this

And this

And, of course, I have a hot husband that many of my friends and family don't know as well as he deserves to be known, mainly due to the fact that we have only been married since June.

He's seriously wonderful!

Ryan has often told me how he wishes he were there when the boys were babies. Somehow, there is power in writing down memories and sharing them with family. So, I'm getting started!