Rosie's Birthday!

             Happy 7th Birthday to Rosie!  

 

Rosie loves her birthday and has been planning how we will celebrate for a year (right after her last birthday celebration).  Ever the unique girl, Rosie chose to have a Super 7 Shark Party. Wow!  We started off April 16th with a pancake breakfast followed by silly string and opening presents.  Rosie got a wallet with 7 bucks inside (she says bucks, not me) and a 3 book set of Hannah Montana/Miley Cyrus.  She also got a box of fruit snacks and Pops cereal, we are very practical in our gift giving.  Then, she was off to school!  

When Rosie came home from school, she said in a concerned voice,  "Mom, at school I still felt like I was 6!"  Rosie's birthday was on a  short day, and at 2:15 ten of her closest girlfriends came to party.  It was cold and we were so disappointed because we wanted to play outside. The night before her birthday, Rosie and Bud were saying how they really wanted to play a tag game called Sharks and Minnows outside.  During our nighttime prayer, I prayed that for a short time during the party it would be warm enough to play our game outside.  Well, our prayer was answered and for about 15 minutes the sun came out and Bud led the girls in a fun game of Sharks and Minnows and Pin the Fin on the Shark.  Later, Rosie told me she went into the bathroom to say a prayer to thank Heavenly Father for the nice weather!

  

The girls also played downstairs, colored a shark picture (not one of the girls made a peep for 10 minutes of coloring, except for Rosie who was running around the room, crawling under the table and laughing loudly).  We also ate pizza and rice krispy treats.  She opened so many nice gifts from her friends that I no longer felt guilty for giving her cereal for her birthday.

On Saturday morning, we meet our cousins for another celebration.  We ate breakfast @ McDonalds, and in true Summerhays form, we ate everything in sight.  After watching Coleman and Brady duke it out for 45 minutes, we headed to the Aquarium to see the sharks.  

We had a great time looking at all the exhibits.  Rosie loved the sharks, of course, Coleman liked the tropical fish, Brady enjoyed crawling in the tunnels and Macy cried when she saw the manta rays up close.  Bud was worried that Coleman would fall in the manta ray pool and was a kind big brother and held him tightly.  It was very fun.

Our last party (whew!), was a family party on Sunday afternoon.  We served pink cupcakes with blue sprinkles.  Grammy and Grampy gave Rosie a Calico Critter's birthday set, Adam and Amanda gave Rosie 10 bucks and Jen F. gave Rosie gum (it was on Rosie's birthday list), a card game and a Hannah Montana/Miley Cyrus 300 piece puzzle.  Rosie loved every minute of her party, just like she loved every minute of all her other parties.  Happy Birthday to our sweet Rose!

 

Jono loves puzzles and after Rosie's bath, the two of them started the Hannah Montana puzzle. Soon, it was time for Rosie to go to bed, but Jono kept doing the puzzle.  Golf Central was on, but Jono kept doing the puzzle.  Jono was supposed to make lunches for the next day, but he kept doing the puzzle.  Finally, I had to help.  I began explaining to Jono the story of Miley the normal girl and Hannah Montana the rock star with the blond wig.  He didn't get it, but @ 9:30 that night he finished the puzzle.  Almost finished the puzzle, he left the last piece for Rosie to put in herself.  He's the best dad!

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Oettli Kid News

Last night we had Pack Meeting.  Our whole family came, but we took one look @ the laptop, projector and screen the Cub Master had set up and decided that Coleman needed to go home before disaster struck.  That got me thinking about all the places Coleman has been banned. Here is a list of places and the reason he is not allowed:

Sacrament Meeting:  his little body gets more and more excited on the walk to church, the blood flows faster and faster in his veins, he can't contain himself and as soon as the opportunity arises, he runs from our seats on the back row to the front of the chapel, laughing hysterically.  Jono sits on the aisle and so it is up to him to stop Coleman, but he often fails. Draw your own conclusion.

Blue and Gold Banquet:  Coleman played the piano during the opening prayer.  Even worse,he tipped over the American flag.  One scout dad was so appalled, I thought we were going to have to burn the flag right then and there.  Jono quickly took him home.  Jono always takes him home, I am just now sensing a pattern.

PTA:  Coleman did something unspeakable.

Dan's Grocery Store:  He has to have a red Swedish fish from the candy bin.  Jono taught him this.  I have learned it's better to stop the car/grocery cart, let him out, look the other way while he helps himself to a fish, then hustle him back in the cart and move on to the donuts. Otherwise, Coleman cries and cries for a "red fish".  

Target:  Coleman likes the carts with two seats in the back for kids to sit on,  but the buckles are always broken.  More than once he has wriggled out of the buckle and hidden in the racks of preteen clothing.

Other Coleman stories are that he (thanks to Buddy) puts on his ball cap backwards and says, "Coleman gangster!"  When he's in the tub, he pulls on the shower knob to "make it rain".  When he gets out of the tub, he likes me to comb his hair into a point sticking up.  He calls it a "train mohawk."  And, after Coleman opened our door on Monday, left the house on his own and I couldn't find him for 5 minutes, Jono has put a child proof strap on the door above Coleman's reach, (also above Coleman's reach when he stands on a chair).  

 

At Pack Meeting last night, Bud received his Bear.  We have made scouting a family affair and it has been so much fun.  I am the den leader and Jono picks up all the awards and helps out with the woodworking requirements.  He also plays football with the boys, if we have extra time at the end of den meeting.  Rosie loves scouts, especially Pack Meeting!  She wishes she had a scout shirt.  She participates in the flag ceremonies and stands in front of me when I pass out awards.  She knows all the cheers, gets to be in the skits and is very enthusiastic.  Last night, when we divided up for skits, the scout standing next to her said, "Rosie gets to be on their team."

Bud has finishing Wolf Brother.  It is a very long and very challenging book.  I am so proud of him!  Grammy will be proud also.  She listened to him read many of the chapters.  It is a very good book, if anyone needs a recommendation.  

Bud has always had an excellent sense of smell and many funny stories to tell because of it.  Two weeks ago, after the kids were in bed and Jono was at a Jazz game, I heated up leftover Market Street; a crab cake, rice and potatoes.  As I sat down to enjoy my feast, Bud called me from his room.  He asked, "What smells like rotten fish?"  I couldn't smell a thing.  Later, when Jono came home he said the same thing to me, "Why does it smell like fish in here?"  Like father, like son!

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The Children's Museum

Earlier this month, our California Cousins Brookelyn and Katelyn were here visiting for Spring Break.  One of the fun adventures we had was going to the Children's Museum @ Gateway.  We had the best time!  There were so many fun exhibits that everyone in our large group had a fabulous experience.  Brookely, Katelyn, Bud, Rosie, Coleman, Will, Max, Claire, Brady and Macy were there, along with Grammy and the Moms and Greg.

Later, we met more family members @ the yummy California Pizza Kitchen for dinner.  Party of 23!  We trapped most of the kids in the middle of the long booth and they were very good and very hungry.  Coleman was not one of those trapped and so we left a little early because Coleman is so difficult in a restaurant.

This was a really fun outing for our family!  Here are pictures of the kids with Elmo, a special visitor @ the museum.

        (Will and Brookelyn passed on getting a photo with Elmo.)  

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What's on my mind.....

Am I meanest mom of an Oakwood third grader because I didn't let Bud have a chicken?  That's right, a live chicken.  Bud's teacher sent home a note asking which families want a chicken, or 2 or 3 or 4.  They can sleep in the garage and can be trained to run around your yard and cluck loudly.  Also, you can eat their eggs.  I wonder if Bud is really the only third grader to not take home a chicken, as he reminds me daily.

It's registration time at Prodigy Dance Studio for next fall's classes.  Should I sign Rosie up for Jazz and Ballet, like I want, or let her quit dancing like she wants.  I tell her how fun dancing is, how she can someday dance at half-time of the high school basketball games or be a cheerleader.  She says, "It's my life, mom, not yours!"  She actually yelled this, not just said it.  I think I will compromise and sign her up just for Jazz.  Is this really a compromise?  Let's just say yes.

Coleman and I made pumpkin chocolate chip cookies this morning.  He loves these cookies!  He also loves the batter.  While baking a batch, I ran downstairs to change the laundry.  When I returned, he was on the counter eating the batter by the huge spoonfuls.  I'm embarrassed to admit, my first thought was, "Great, now I don't have to feed him lunch!" 

What would we do without the internet?  Recently I had to look up a few math facts to help Bud with his homework.  Who remembers what the Additive Property of Addition is, or the Commutative Property of Multiplication?  What did our parents do for help when we did homework? 

At Coleman's 3 year old checkup, the "What to Know Fact Sheet for 3 Year Olds" stated that 90% of 3 year olds are potty trained.  My 3 year old is not potty trained!  None of my kids have been potty trained at 3, not even Rosie and "girls are easier to potty train".  Help!!!  I need one of these potty trained 3 year olds to send his or her mom over to my house to instruct Coleman and me on potty training.

And finally, I am now 38.  I think to myself, "I am 38.  Do I look 38?  Do I feel 38?  What does 38 feel like?"  I do know that Jono bought me the cutest Coach handbag for my birthday, and that  feels pretty great!

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Rosie's New Smile!

     

     On March 13th, while visiting Grammy and Grampy; Rosie and Grampy disappeared.  Soon Rosie appeared with a bloody tissue in one hand, her front tooth in the other and a $5 bill sticking out of her jeans pocket.  Grampy had pulled out her tooth!  It was not even that loose, but Grampy has a dentist inside of him who loves to pull teeth.

     The next week, on Easter Sunday, Grammy and Grampy came over to our house for Coleman's party and an Easter Egg hunt.  We noticed the bathroom door was closed, which was odd because the party guests had only just arrived.  Soon emerged Grampy and Rosie; Rosie holding a bloody tissue in one hand, her other front tooth in the other hand and a $5 bill sticking out her jeans pocket.  Grampy had done it again!  Rosie couldn't be happier, she looks adorable and she's rich!

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Coleman turns 3!

Happy 3rd Birthday

 Coleman!

We are trying to teach Coleman to say "3" instead of "2" when asked how old he is.  So far it's not working.  He doesn't enjoy getting his picture taken, as you can see. 

We can't believe that Coleman is 3!  It seems like just yesterday he was our tiny baby, and now he insists on doing everything himself and is old enough to go to preschool.  Coleman loves spaghetti, frosted flakes, fruit snacks, strawberries, avocados, rice and beans, roast and potatoes.  He will eat almost everything, and he always has.  His favorite songs are Old McDonald had a Farm and the Wheels on the Bus.  He also likes Hannah Montana/Miley Cyrus.  Coleman loves to write on walls and break anything fragile that belongs to Rosie.  His idea of sharing is to "share" everything to him!  When Bud and Rosie bother Coleman we say, "Don't bug him" and so now he says to the kids, "Don't bug him!"  meaning himself.  Coleman stalls every night at bedtime.  He says, "No bed, watch Jazz!"  Coleman's favorite person is his dad, much to the dismay of his mom. 

Here are pictures of Coleman hitting the famous Oettli pinata.  Check out his golf swing!  He is a natural, but what should we expect, he takes after his dad!

All the cousins had a chance to hit the pinata before Will, Rosie and Bud burst it open.  Just what the kids needed, more candy on this sunny Easter Day!

                                                

 Another party for Coleman!

We had a very fun party for Coleman @ Backyard Adventures in Draper.  Coleman's party guests included Bud and Rosie, his cousins Max, Will, Claire and Brady, his aunts Andrea and Sara and of course his favorite Grammy.  His future preschool friends Spencer and Annie also came, along with their families.  We played on this great playset for two hours and ate pizza and cookies.  One of the highlights for the kids was getting a token to buy a drink from the vending machine, their own drink!  Happy Birthday Coleman!

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