Ethan's Itty Bit of Soccer

Ethan wanted to play soccer this fall but we were hoping his schedule wouldn't entirely conflict with his soccer team's schedule as well.  Sadly, it did.  Practices, and all but 2 games.  He was a little sad- but ridiculously busy with football so not upset.  But he was REALLY excited to go play those 2 games.  

So excited to kick every single ball in.

Or to throw them in.

I do mean every throw-in as well.  Sadly I spent most of each game chasing Isla back to our chairs and away from the other games going on so not too many pictures.  But more to come in the spring I promise.

The Scouts are Back

It's that time of year again- back to school and back to scouting.  And this year our neighborhood has 8 more wolves joining the group.  That makes 19 in total for our little Cub Scout group.  Not bad for 3 blocks.  

And they were all so cute earning their Bobcat badges.  Taylor loves his calling and he's the prefect guy for it- happy to be silly with the boys and doesn't take himself too serious.

Just One of the Boys

I'm really excited to have a girl who I can dress up in cute dresses and put bows in her hair.  And she puts up with it but she really just thinks she's one of the boys.  They're sitting at the table eating snacks- so is she.

They're watching TV with blankets- so is she.

Okay, maybe for a few seconds before she's totally bored and starts messing with them.

They're playing at the table- so is she.

I love that tongue sticking out as she concentrates.

So cute with those tiny feet hanging off the big chair.

The boys are eating fruit snacks- well I'll just climb myself up onto the table and smile real cute and they'll give me some too.  And she's just cute enough that she's right.  She's just one of the boys here.

Is this a hint?

Taylor's mom actually came to Utah for college on a dance scholarship.  She LOVES dancing and is really excited to finally have a granddaughter to take to dance class someday.  

Isla seems ready now.  She frequently stands up on our kitchen chairs (which freaks me out) and then practices bending her legs around in every way she can imagine.

Yep, she's ready for ballet.  And so am I.  I'd much prefer to have her on the floor with a bar to lean on.

Daddy's Girl

Taylor loves all his kids.  I promise!  But how can you compete with being the only girl and the littlest.. and also the most cuddly of them all.  Okay and she's irresistibly cute too.

Isla was parroting back almost every word we were saying over the summer and then for the last few months she's just decided she's not interested in performing for us.  But one day, after watching Taylor squirt whipped cream from a can into his own mouth, she made the aerosol can noise- in his direction.  And he died laughing.  And then promptly rewarded her with her own mouthful of it.

Yep, she seems pretty pleased with herself.

And she'd like some more.

Which of course she's just cute enough to get- provided she makes the aerosol can noise again.

But then the boys want in on the fun.

And Taylor's no one to refuse an open mouth and a smile.

Yep, they're all his favorites I guess.

Holes in the Wall

I'm very grateful to have such a big house with so much room for all these rambunctious youngsters and all their toys- even when that means that sometimes my poor walls suffer from their "games".  Toping the list of favorites is something I'd call- roll the ball down the stairs.

Yep, even Isla gets in on the fun.

Ethan throws a ball up and over the railing.

And after retrieving it, she throws it back down the stairs...

...to the boys.

Over and over again and with lots of laughing.  And with 3 holes already in the wall at the bottom, what's one more really?  Long live the fun!

Ahh! Climber Alert!

My life is over.  At least for a few months til Isla decides that climbing isn't the coolest new thing on the planet- that she needs to try everywhere- all the time!!!  I'm not sure if I was expecting a girl to be different or just hoping- but she's not.  And she's discovered how to pull herself up on to everything... and so she does.

Chairs- leading to the computer desk...

And all the lovely books and papers and drawers to explore.

Wagon to toy to box to...

... well give her a week and you know where she'll be going next.

Chair to table and then there's all that unfinished food to enjoy.

And stairs to a bed.

This is actually a hilarious process to watch if you're not cringing that she might fall and crack open her head.  She climbs the first 2 steps by hanging on to the bars at the top and pulling herself up.  Then she turns herself around backwards and uses those bars to angle her way up - backwards.

Then she plays king of the mountain.

And then climbs over the railing.

And then crawls over to the railing....

And tries to climb off backwards... into empty space.  And this is why I'll be getting nothing done for the next few months while I follow this child around and clean up the messes she'd made while "exploring" and saving her from killing herself by explore the dropoffs in our home.

Scout Biking

This year I've moved up with Ethan's scout group so I'm no longer with the wolves, but the bears now.  It's a whole new program to learn and lots of new adventures for me and 6 little boys.  Biking was one of our activities so off we went to the church parking lot.  We learned about the parts of a bike, how to ride safely, how to lock and unlock a bike, and finally how to maneuver around cones.

LOTS

OF

FUN!!!

Yes Jeff, this ones for you :)

When you went to BYU (and so did all your siblings)...

... but now one of them is at Law School at University of Texas... and they're coming to Provo to play... you kind of have to go... and take all your kids... just so you can call and rub the deplorable loss in their face... especially when you were expecting you'd have to watch the Cougars get slaughtered... and have your face rubbed in the mud... and instead it's a blowout!  Go Cougs!

SSSnake Soccer- Isaac

They're back!  And they're ready to go!  What a difference a year makes.  They're faster, they're more familiar with how to play, and they're much more into the game.

Taylor has been really excited to have the same 8 little kids as last year.  5 of whom are in the same primary class.  They know how to play- now they can work on real skills.
Last year's practice shirts were orange though so they were the Tigers.  This year, Isaac picked neon green shirts so they all voted to be the Snakes.  
This makes cheers a little tricky.  Last year the Tigers squeaked and roared and meowed (they're 5 years old- he's trying to be funny).  This year they yell serpentine, snakes, and little baby mice.  Mostly they're little boys and think this is hilarious.  

One year makes a difference- look at that effort to keep the ball in.

Still keeping it in.

And chasing it down full speed.

And hanging out with next door neighbor friends while we're out.

More cheers.

More kicking and more chasing... and more scoring of course.