Horny Toad

I forgot to post this, but a couple weeks ago the boys of the house went hiking up Mount Blackie here on post and they caught a horny toad lizard. It was pretty amazing because Tyler kept talking the whole time on the way up about how he was going to catch one that morning. Eric was more than skeptical since they are scarce and hard to see. Well what do you know, on the way down, Tyler found one. Eric caught it in his hat and brought it home to me...aren't I lucky? They let it loose on my kitchen table, despite my protests. The boys then made a little home for it in a baking dish. We kept it for a day, fed it some ants, watched it burrow itself in the sand, then it escaped. Tyler was sad it got away, but I was going to make him let it go after a couple days anyway. Jake loved holding it in his hand, but Tyler didn't want to. I don't blame him....although it was fun to look at.

Our New Toy!

Before all the baby pics, I have to show you the helmet Tyler and Eric made. As you can tell by the crazed look in his eyes, Tyler loves it! Please ignore the inside-out backwards shirt...So our new toy is the hit of the house! Actually, the kids are very sweet with baby Joey. They love to look at him and hold him. It is sweet but a little nerve wracking since Tyler is really the only one who can hold him without assistance. The problem is that Jacob and Maggie don't want help holding him. So I sit right next to them very tense until I take Joey back! As you can see, we are all enamored with him.
You can kind of see his hair too. I think he will look like Tyler...maybe.
Maggie is the most obsessed of all. She thinks it is her baby. She wants to hold him all the time. She is very soft with him, most of the time, but if she his holding him and you try to touch him she will freak out and start yelling at you, "No no! Don't touch! Go 'way!" and hits your hand repeatedly until you comply.
But of course we have to give all the kids a turn...
And here is Maggie's reaction when we take him from her... classic. I think she is already coming into her terrible two's. She is being a real pesticator lately! I am going to call her Little Miss Bossie Britches. And I love the look on Jake's face....
Isn't he sweet? Now just got to get him sleeping! Ugh, aren't he first 6 weeks torture!?! That's why Heavenly Father makes them so cute...so you won't throw them out the window when they are up all night. We still love you Joey!

Lastly, today is Eric's birthday! Happy birthday! He has been such a champ this week with the kids--getting them ready for school, even packing lunches and remembering to turn in Tyler library books! I am thoroughly impressed and very grateful for his help....now the question is how do I manage next week when he goes back to work????

He's Here!

This will be just a quick post since I am very tired, but I know you wanted to see a few pics of the new baby! Joseph Lee Swenson arrived Saturday morning (Sep. 18) at 11:23 a.m. He weighed 8 lbs. 2 oz--the biggest of all my kids! He is healthy and well....

School Pictures!

Yes, my Tyler has been in school long to enough not just to already have his school pictures taken, but to actually receive them! Isn't he cute?

It took my utmost skills in bribery and cajoling to get him to wear what he calls a "button shirt." He is ADAMANTLY opposed to them in every way and refuses to wear them on anything but the most special occasion. But I managed--and even managed to convince him not to bring a t-shirt to change into after the picture was taken. Although the first thing he did when he got home was to run upstairs and change his shirt. It's too bad--he looks so handsome in them!

He also has a crush on his best friend Emma. It is so funny. I certainly don't encourage it (he is only 7 after all--girls should still have the cooties to him) but apparently there is no stopping him. He is head over heels. Tyler and Emma have grown up together here as both of them have lived here for the past 3 1/2 years. He is always making pictures or cards for her (usually Star Wars related--I'm sure she is swept off her feet) and bringing her stuff. They have a mutual arrangement that they can get married because Emma loves horses and we plan on having horses someday (you should've heard that conversation between the 2 of them), even if Emma did have some doubts about their relationship seeing that she is 3 months older than him. But the funniest thing was the other day Tyler runs in the house home from school and says, "What is Emma's phone number, I have to call her!" I asked why but he wouldn't tell me. I told him the number, figuring he wanted to ask if she could come over but he runs upstairs. I called him down (I was ignored) and after a minute he comes down and hands me the phone. I asked him what it was all about and he says something along the lines of, "Well, I heard that Emma liked this other boy and he has a crush on her and I wanted to know if she had a crush on him, but she said she doesn't have a crush on him." Ummmmm.....I know Tyler isn't a "fighter", but a "lover" at this age? He's got me worried a little until he pauses and says, "Mom, what's a crush?" I had to giggle. So concerned and he doesn't know what about! Mindy (Emma's mom and my best friend) calls me later and says on her end she hears Emma saying adamantly, "NO, Tyler, no, NO, no, I don't, no.....no." Then looks at her mom, rolls her eyes and sighs, "Boys!" Tell me about it, Emma. Tell me about it.

Where has the time gone?

I swear, it feels like we just moved here a few months ago and already we are in the final stretch. Assuming Eric doesn't deploy (fingers crossed) we will be out of here the very beginning of April! I am a little behind--here is the picture of the boys' first day of school...Tyler in 2nd grade, Jacob in Preschool...To those who don't know when school actually started this probably seems about the right timing, however, school at Fort Irwin starts INSANELY early, as in OVER A MONTH AGO! We are no longer in the phase of getting going in school, we are talking math, spelling, writing tests, etc. I am just a little behind in posting the picture. Both boys are loving school...as is mom.... I refuse to post pictures of myself because I look, well, 9 months pregnant. Which I pretty much am so I guess that's okay. Here is a look at my belly...
Okay, okay, so that's not really my belly. But I feel like this little boy is kicking that hard. He is so active--he is ready to come out! If I come as early as all 3 of my other kids, that means this little guy (still unsettled on a name, can you believe it?) will be born on Sunday, THIS Sunday! As in 6 days from now! Holy moly. Didn't I just find out I was preggers anyway? It has ZOOMED by.

No doubt the "zoom-iness" comes from just being busy with the three other kids and life in general. A week or so ago Maggie tumbled off the edge of the trampoline and landed on her head (yes, we do have a net but it doesn't work very well when your kids are outside of it--mental note taken). She cried and Eric and I didn't think much of it, Eric picked her up and after a minute he took his hand off her back to look and see if she cut her head or not. As soon as he did her eyes rolled around a bit and she started collapsing backwards. FREAKED ME OUT! I took her to the ER to make sure she was okay. Long story short (too late) she is fine, was probably just seeing stars. Phew! Here Mags is in the ER. Not a happy camper. And yes, she was in her pj's when she was playing on the trampoline--don't judge me, it was 7:00 in the morning. Hey, if your kids got up at 5:30 a.m. you'd try to fill the time before school too!
On a good note, Tyler won a special award at school for exemplifying the character trait of the month, "cooperation." I was very proud of him. He is such a sweet boy and is always thinking of others...Jacob excluded, of course.
We spent the long weekend at my mom's, as one last hurrah get-away before freedom disappears for a fourth time. The kids had a blast, as always. I didn't take any pics, but my mom took a few when she took them to feed the ducks. They loved it.

My mom also took the kids to Chuck E. Cheese while she let Eric and I go out on our own...pretty sweet deal! Thanks mom! My mom found out that Maggie loves salad, or, more accurately, loves to lick salad dressing off lettuce. What a mess!
Well, I know I missed tons of fun stuff, but this will have to do. I will try to be better about pictures and posting, who knows, maybe next time I post we will have a new addition!