Great Odds and Ends Pictures

Here are some great pictures that I couldn't resist posting. Hope they make you smile like they make me smile!

I don't know who took this picture, but it's a great action shot of Dad and James at the pre-season Ute Day where the kids get to do all sorts of sports activities.  I was not there, so when I returned and saw the picture below, I thought all the boys were in some sort of accident.

We went on a short hike with Grandpa Wheeler. . . . . . .

 . . . . . and found a hairy friend . . . .

 . . . . . and a great sunset!

Uncle Matt showcased his talent while helping D.J. out with his piano duet.

This is Spencer's frustration face.  Even though it's burned into our brain, we had to record it for posterity.

James build a pyramid of monstrous proportion!

The week after my accident, James decided he would finally ride a bike.  He did it all by himself, which was great because I was in no shape to run behind him while holding the seat!

This is why I have to buy a new pair of shoes for Spencer every 3-4 months.  It does not matter what brand I buy, they all end up like this:

D.J. brought a cabbage plant home from school last spring.  It grew in our kitchen window until we could plant it in the garden. It grew so big we made a huge salad for a school party (his teacher was so pleased) and for steamed cabbage the next night.  Good thing my boys like steamed cabbage!

As a result of Dad's new toy: his iPad, he has another new appendage: James

On Aug 15th, D.J. Turned 9!

My kids are getting older. No really, THEY ARE GETTING OLDER!  This is not like birthdays in toddler years where you just think it's cute they are getting older, because now they are ACTING older, complete with sarcasm and eye-rolling.  It just seems we are definitely past the toddler stage of life and into a graduated potty humor and punch-line joke stage.  We are having fun with this and will enjoy it as long as we can before the eye-rolling and sarcasm reaches levels of insanity.

D.J. finished reading Harry Potter #7 right before his birthday so he could see Part 2 of that book while still in the theaters.  He was so excited to do this right on his birthday and worked extra hard to finish the book. This was a very fun experience to take Spencer and D.J. to a "late" (8 p.m.) movie. They loved it and talked about the differences in the movie and the book together throughout the movie. Being in the Harry Potter mode, D.J. requested a Harry Potter cake, a scene from book #4 where Harry is dueling Voldemort in a graveyard.

This shirt that Grandma Wheeler gave him sums up D.J.'s personality well.  It is a Wimpy Kid shirt that says "I'm pretty much one of the best people I know."

D.J. got many presents he liked, but this is one of the best: a gerbil.  Granna gave him the aquarium and accessories and took him to a pet store to pick out his own gerbil.  I finally thought getting him a pet would be a good idea, because I just couldn't handle him calling the potato bugs under the front yard rocks his pets anymore.  The kid needs a more interactive pet (I'm just not up to a dog yet).  He wanted to name her Bellatrix (the second to most evil character in Harry Potter), but I persuaded him to try a nicer namesake, so he went with Lily Chompers Lestrange, which is a compromise (Lily is nice, chompers is animal-like and Lestrange is evil Bellatrix's last name).  She has finally gotten used to D.J. and will let him hold her without wiggling out of his hands.  I, however, have not gotten used to hearing little noises in the house and still freeze when I hear them, thinking I will have to deal with a violent intruder.

He really has fun watching and caring for her, as we all do!

Happy Birthday D.J.!