3 Minutes

*Thanks all! I am uploading my pictures to Photobucket. That seemed to help.*

Cereal boxes everywhere. 

Our mornings always look like this. 

Everyone seems to think that they need their own box. 

Sometimes two. 

They also like the cereal with sugar.

Except for Laney who seems the most sensible and will choose plain Cheerios or Mini Wheats the majority of the time.

Canon likes to hoard all of the boxes when all of the kids are done.

Then snacks on them leisurely. 

Then the sugar kicks in and he goes through the 6 steps of a sugar high.

High: getting shaky.

Ninja like speed.

Elation.

Woot woot.

Rage.

Normal.

Then he has a couple more bites and we start again.

A wide range of emotions can happen in just a few minutes. 

S.O.S

My blog says that I am out of room for pictures. Quite frankly a blog with out pictures is just a bunch of words. So...has anyone had this problem. Is there a way to get around it or am I tough out of luck and have to buy storage space for my blog? 

Mild

When you end up talking about how October has been mild so far, you got to know that at some point mother nature is going to show you who's boss.

Personally I think she went a little overboard.

During the middle of the first day we had 9".

I would have been fine with it stopping there.

The problem is, is that when it snows the kids want to go outside. 

Do you know how big of a production it is to get 4 kids dressed in their snow gear? 

Only to have them remove it 4 minutes later because they got snow down the back of their neck.

4 wet boots, 4 wet coats, 4 wet gloves...it adds up.

Laney was die hard though. 

Girlfriend could make a snow angel like it was nobody's business.

Laney tried to convince Penny that snow angels were all the rage...

she should have tried harder. 

Penny didn't go out from under the covered patio...

but she was ready for the snow. 

It was just going to have to come to her.

Hike Before the Storm

When we tell the kids that we are going hiking to find pine cones, you would be surprised at the cheers that are received.

You would think that they have never been on a hike before. 

That they don't know what a hike is...

Perhaps it is because hikes become more like impromptu photo ops.

Maybe that is why Laney is making that face.

I am going to give her the benefit of the doubt.

Because, quite frankly, I can't think of any other reason to make that face but sheer confusion.

Ask them to make a silly face and they are on board.

Ask them to look at the camera and smile...and let's face it...you might as well have asked them if they wanted to scrub toilets...because eye contact is being strictly avoided.

Sometimes there is the element of surprise and you catch them.

Looking...and smiling.

Just to make our kids laugh we like to try and take self portraits. Nothing is funnier then watching their Dad balance the camera on the pine cone bucket and then race back and sit down real fast all the while smiling and trying to make it look "natural".

The kids did manage to get some hiking in. 

But at this point we had ruined them and Gavin was under the impression that if you get on any rock that it is important that you stop and pose.

Collecting rocks was more up Penny's alley then hiking.

Only problem is, you put a lot of rocks in a little kids pocket and it makes it that much harder to walk.

She didn't seem to catch the correlation.

I am always happy when my kids feel independent and aren't afraid to try new things.

However, I can't in good conscience approve this message:

 Two little kids sitting safely on a rock smiling? 

That is more my speed.

Politics A La Unguren

I am not going to talk politics because I just won't. But you know who will talk politics with you?

He learned about the election in school. 

So he told us all about it.

Some gems?

We voted today in our class. I voted for Romney. He won. There were 18 of us that liked him and 10 liked the other guy. 

"Gavin, Obama could win."

When you are president then you get to be president for 4 years. Then you have to run another lap and you get to be president again. Obama is running another lap. Mom? Who did you vote for?

I didn't vote. I wasn't registered, but Dad voted.

You didn't vote?!

Shamed by a 7 year old. Feels good.

Independent

I find nothing wrong with walking to the beat of your own drum.

If your drums beat says walk around in PJ's and a back pack...rock it.

Sometimes the beat is Rapunzel. 

I can dig it.

I would like to say that we encourage independence.

Even if that independence is portrayed with goggles for everyday wear.

No need to hide behind a bush. 

Own it.

Generally I would say that wearing pajamas in the middle of the day would be considered only "half dressed" or the "pajamafication of America"....but if you are insistent...then I am a sucker...and will probably let you have your way.

Because if your Mom chooses to wear some 70's high waisted pants...then what harm is there in pajama bottoms?

Like I said. Walk to your own beat. Boom boom. 

Even if it embarrasses those around you. 

Which, it probably will.

Done

Soccer has ended for both of our boys. 

I am sure that they are missing it, but I am not missing spending 3 hours at the Holladay Lions Rec center every Saturday.

Canon did so much better this go around.

He only sometimes missed the ball.

At least he was running after the ball...that is...when he wasn't running after his shadow. 

Oh, how I wish I was lying about that.

He learned some of the rules...

And then chose to play as close to breaking them as possible.

He did a better job at playing and paying attention....

Until he lost interest.