The story of the hamster.

Once upon a time, three boys talked their mother into buying each of them a hamster.  Their mother liked animals and thought that hamsters could teach the boys responsibility, so the three boys went to the pet store and each brought home a hamster.  Fluffy, Hammy and Spike.  Hammy got lost in the basement the next day.  It took them a week to find her.  But Mom did, in the laundry room. (Yes I screamed!!!) And they were glad to have her back.  But by that time dear Fluffy had a surprise.  Fluffy multiplied.  They welcomed seven new hamsters home, with a total of ten. So the hamsters were separated into individual cages.(Did you know that they can bread every 3 weeks?)  But these three boys had forgotten that they had a predator  in their home.  While the hamsters were sleeping in their individual cages, the dog Casper would find them and do what she does with all the rodents around, and the three boys had to bury Hammy and Spike in the back yard.  But at least there was Fluffy with her few extra babies.  So they tried again.  They picked out babies Snowflake and Fatty.  And their mother, who had learned a few things about hamsters, quickly gave the rest of them away.  And the boys tried to keep the lids on the hamster cages when their dog was around.  But soon it started again Fatty died of natural causes and Snowflake soon found herself faced with the predator and perished.  So there was a few more graves next to the garden.  And only Fluffy remained high on a shelf and only released when the dog was locked outside.  Six months later,with both the dog and the hamster surviving, two of the boys started asking again and the gullible mother said "okay, if you share one". So they picked out a brown one and named it JJ Buckie Ray.  So the next day while the boys were at school Mom went to walmart to pick out a new cage for JJ.  She brought it home and started putting it together, then it was time to go get the boys from school.  But when she left, Casper was left in the house.  And they returned to yet another tragedy.  They are now planing another funeral by the garden.  (GOOD DEAL ON BRAND NEW NEVER USED HAMSTER CAGE.)  But at least good old Fluffy remains, high up on her shelf where Casper can't reach her because, I'm afraid if Casper does find her, she will probably choke and that will be the end of them all.  Maybe then we will learn and get a fish.

Happy Birthday Jakob!!

Today is Jakob's 5th birthday!!

 He is so excited to be five.  He is just a fun kid to be around and he just gets better every day, I guess that it is okay that he is getting so old:)

My 5 favorite things about him are...

1. He loves to cuttle in the morning.  When he wakes up he lets me snuggle him for a few minutes before he is off to play.

2. His mischievous grin.  I can usually tell by his smile if he is up to something.

3. He is a great brother.  He loves to be with his brothers and he looks up to them so much.

4. He is such a boy, he loves to play with cars, trucks, super hero's and play outside.  Riding his bike is his favorite thing to do.

5.  He loves to learn and he loves to ask questions.  He is just fun to be around.

 And he is incredibly handsome.  He was showing me what he got in primary yesterday.  A timer to read his scriptures with.  But he uses it to be a bomb.

Jesse and James are excited to spend the day home from school.

Jesse and Casper enjoying the sunshine.

James has been working on his model car.  I love it when everyone is home and happy and doing the things that they love to do.  Happy Presidents Day!!

Can't Leave Alone Bars!!

Last weekend Logan and I went to a party, and I took a desert.  I wanted something new so I found this recipe for "Can't leave alone bars" I had to try them just because of the name.  They were really tasty.  Jesse asked me after the party if he could have another one, and when I told him that they were all gone he said "Mom you left them alone to long!"  So I guess that the name fits.  You try them and see what happens at your house.

Can't Leave Alone Bars

1 package white cake mix

2 eggs

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1 can sweetened condensed milk

1 cup chocolate chips

1/4 cup butter

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Mix cake mix eggs and oil. Put 2/3 into 9x13 pan.

Melt milk, chocolate chips, and butter in microwave until smooth, add vanilla.  Pour over crust and drop remaining cake mix on top.

Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes.  Cool before cutting.

SHEEP

Today we watched some sheep loose their hair.

 

 This lovely lady's name is Noodle.  Liz I thought you would appreciate that:)

 Jake and Isaac.  Why is it that my kids will never smile at me?

 Jake and his friends watching how it all works.

Today I am grateful that I am not a sheep.  

But it sure was fun to watch.

After School

This is what we do after school lately.

 James and Jakob like to shoot some hoops.

 Especially James.

Jesse likes to listen to Fablehaven.  He loves stories.  

And he found out that he can read the really long ones if he just listens to them on CD.  

That is what he is always checking out from the library.  

Jake just likes anything outside.  He was writing his abc's in the snow.

Happy Valentines Day

Happy Valentines Day!!!

 

 

 

 

 I love valentines day.  This year Logan helped our boys make their valentine boxes.  I am not very good at making tanks and when Jesse said that he wanted a giant nose to have people stick their valentines up I resigned:) Luckily Logan talked him into thinking of something else.  So we had a lock and a couple of army tanks. 

As you can tell James and Jesse were a little excited. 

Look who's reading

Okay I know that everything is always changing, and that kids do have to grow up.  But do they really have to grow up so stinking fast?  I want them to slow down just a little bit.  

Is that really to much to ask?

Jakob has been ready to read for awhile.  He is great with his letters and sounds.  Yesterday he asked me if he could read, so we got out our Sam books.  And guess what?  

He learned how to read.

 And not just the first book.  This morning he read three more.

I love that he loves to learn, but when did my baby get so big?

Strike!!

This weekend we went bowling.  I love to see our boys helping each other out.  James is really into helping Jakob lately.  They also like to dress alike too. 

 Jesse is all about the moves.  He likes to watch other bowlers, and try to use their technique.  Notice the cute little leg flip.

Lots of celebrations!

 

a funny conversation

This morning as I was taking my boys to school there was an intense discussion in the van.  James and Jesse were discussing the pros and cons of their new crochet hats from Grandma, and the raccoon skin hat that James' friend wore last night.  James really liked the raccoon hat and Jesse loved his new hat from Grandma so much that he slept in it.  

So Jesse was standing up for it.  "But James this hat is a new product, that hat has been around forever!!"   

"Ya, but Jesse, someone had to hunt for this and hunting is very hard!  And an animal had to die for it."

"So James, an animal had to be embarrassed for a  year for this one,  it had to go around naked."

That is why I love them, they come up with the funniest things.

We LOVE school.

I am so thankful for my boy's teachers.  They make school so much fun.

 Jesse got to wear something to school with 100 things on it for the 100th day of school.  He made a shirt with100 fingerprints on it and made them into little monsters. 

 Jake had pirate day for the letter P.  So this was his outfit.  He loves to dress up for anything.

As he was posing for this picture he was saying "Hey Lady." I don't know where he gets it from, but he is always making me laugh.

Freezzzing!

Today it is cold!  I really don't like the cold. But I am trying to appreciate everything in life so I am looking at the beauty of freezing temperatures.  These are pictures that I took this winter, but not today.  It's to cold to go outside.

 

Now if I could only find beauty in the growing laundry monster in the basement. 

Snow fun!

For Christmas this year my boys got snowboards. 

 I love those toothless smiles.

 This was actually Christmas day, their first time trying them out.  They did so great.

 I love the looks of concentration on their faces.

 Jake just liked hanging out.

 

Logan likes to play to.

Why is it that every time I turn around those boys are on top of each other?