"It's been a long time Since I've seen your smiling face"

Sunday we came home from church.  We pulled up the drive way and opened the garage.  Rosie comes out running saying "I love you."  I kid you not that dog can talk.  We are wondering where the annoying little side kick is.  He is usually right on her tail, literally, chewing away at her ears.  He is a bully.  We look out back to see where he is hiding.  He is on the tramp.  The above the ground tramp that also has an enclosure.  He is on his back balancing a soccer ball with all four of his legs just like what a cat would do.

He is so crazy.

So much has happened and I am annoyed at myself for having been so lazy.

Tom decided to run for 8th grade office.  I was excited for him.  He came up with an awesome poster, which he did almost all by himself.  He had an awesome idea for a skit which he did a large part of too.  He however didn't win.  We were sad.  They do it kind of screwy at our school.  Only the 9th grade council see your skit and their vote along with the teacher in charge count for like 90% of the votes.  So, the same people win every year.  I am just proud of him for even trying.  I wish I had a picture of his poster.  It was way cool.  For his skit he acted like Kip from Napoleon Dynamite and re did the words from the "I love technology" song at the end of the movie.  He even dragged his keyboard in and figured out how to play the song.

He also had a piano recital and he panicked a little.  I guess it's a good thing he is so willing to try new things and to not be afraid.  It will make him a better adult.  I still panic when I have to call complete strangers on the phone, and I know that sounds weird but believe me it happens all to often.

Pete, Tom and Jared got their last ski trip in at Deer Valley over spring break.  It was free to ski but they paid for it with their lunch.

Jared said that place is awesome.  I do not feel bad I did not go.  Not even a little!

For Easter we added three new chicks to the family.

We have named them Honey, Smoked and Lemon chicken.  They stayed small and cute for about two hours.

Yes we play with them like others play with puppies.  

Pete asked me the other day if I think he looks like One Direction with his long shaggy hair with the curls in the back.  I think he is cuter.

Jack started baseball.  He loves it but is still not getting it.

This is a very deceiving picture.  The truth is this is really why he wants to play baseball:

It's the after game treats.

He did get to ride a bus for the very first time.  He had a field trip and his dad went along with him.  He thought he was super cool and so did Jack!

Jared is still in mourning over the passing of Adam "MCA" Yauch.  We have been watching more of the Beastie Boys videos than normal.  In fact, Jared's ring tone has been "So what'cha want" for as long as he has had it.  Jack has declared that his most favorite song is "Girls."  Make us so proud!!!!

Zoe.  Since January she has been complaining about stomach pains.  Of course at first I would just ignore her because it usually was always brought put at bed time or if she were in trouble or really wanted something and I would think it was all just some evil plan to get what she wants.  After about two months I decided to just take her in to the doctor.  We have insurance, let's use it!

He didn't do much.  He had us try some tums and prilosec and if after two weeks she still felt bad to come back.  Two weeks later we call back.  He then wants some blood tests.  Nothing shows up with the tests he ordered.  He then says we should go see a pediatric GI and of course the soonest we could get in was a month later.  I liked this doctor.  Zoe felt a little uncomfortable at first because of all of the poop talk.  He orders some more blood tests and has us start on a poop journal.  That was fun.  

The blood test comes back.  They think it's Celiac.  So, to truly diagnose Celiac one must have a scope.  They need to biopsy tissue from the esophagus, stomach and the beginning of the small intestine.  I think it's call the do op er dundum!!!

Last Thursday Zoe and I headed south to the hospital.  She was scared stiff.  They gave her some liquid valium.  That was fun.  I have a video of it but she has sworn me to never show it, maybe at her wedding one day.  

They wheeled her off and did the whole procedure.  The doctor then came out with some pictures of her insides.  He couldn't at that time diagnose for real, but he felt most certain it was Celiac.

She came out of the anesthesia like a trouper.  We had an awesome nurse and I just got a call today that it is 100% official that she does have Celiac disease.  I have been a little tense about it all.  It's going to require me to be better organized.  No cooking mac n cheese at the last minute for dinner.  I have a friend who has Celiac and she has been super cute to my Zoe.  Zoe was talking to me the other day in tears telling me how it isn't fair that she can't eat cookies anymore.  I told her Staci can't but she has also found some cookies and treats that she can eat and she isn't sad.  Then she said it, "but I am only 7 and Staci is old and she just found out she has it."

I was in the hippie grocery store today.  BOught five things that were gluten free and paid 44$.  They had a sample of a gluten free cookie.  It was not good.

I keep telling her that maybe she can create some new recipes and become famous when she grows up for being the best GF chef in the world.

She smiled.

"The sun is out, birds are singing..."

I can not wait for Spring Break...wahoo.

Every morning is a battle.  Zoe does not want to wake up.  Tom and Pete are messy and Jack wants to fight me every morning on whether or not it is warm or cold.  He thinks because the sun is out he does not need a jacket.  Even this morning he is picking out what to wear, shorts for today and he has them all laid out.  He asks me to pick which ones to wear.  I guess I kept giving the wrong answer because he ordered me to make a different choice until I picked the ones he wanted to wear.  Why ask?

Pete did a little play in class last week.  He was an archaeologist.  We found him an awesome hat at the DI and did a little spray painting on it.  I love to tell people I buy things at the DI just to watch them squirm.  I get bored.

He is so little compared to the rest of his class.  If he didn't act and look just like the rest I would think he somehow was switched at birth.

Pete has said some really funny things lately.

He did have his maturation thingy awhile back and he really hasn't said too much.  We were in the car last week.  It was Jack, Zoe and Pete.   So not sure how they got to this conversation but Pete started giving Zoe a biology lesson on her body and informed her that she already has her eggs in her body to make a baby.  Of course little Miss Know it All replies with a "I know."  Yay right!

We have also been doing a little watching of my new favorite show, "Once upon a time."  I was just informed about that show a week ago and have been hooked.  I have had to do some catching up so we have been spending some time watching it on Hulu.  I even signed up for Hulu plus for the free week so I could see them all....shoot, I need to cancel that today.

Anywho, the kids were watching with me one day after school, (to heck with homework) and this Macy's commercial kept popping up.  In the commercial they showed almost everything, pans, shoes and even bras filled with boobies.  Pete would get grossed out each time.  After the second time of seeing this commercial he says, "well, I guess I am going to have to get used to them!" 

I wanted to laugh but instead I wait for him to continue...

He then says, "my wife is going to have them" more pause....."and she will have to feed our babies!"

Such a relief!  He is so young and so sweet and I am not about to make him feel rushed into liking the boobies!

"It stinks! It stinks! It stinks!"

Tom is sporting the stinkiest breath ever.  In our home we will usually ask the other if they ate a poop sandwich but Tom's is more like a death sandwich.

So glad he doesn't have a girlfriend right now!

At his last orthodontist appointment he showed off his receding gum to us all.  It gave me the bum quivers.  It didn't start until after he got his braces on and then with the playing of the clarinet it all started, plus we are blaming Jared.  That's just fun to do.

We met with a periodontist who thought it would be fun to cut off some of his skin on the top of his mouth and stitch it to his front gum.  I didn't think it sounded fun and neither did Tom, but we had to get it done in order to finish out the braces.  It would only get worse.

The plan was to bring Tom in fasting so he could be put down (Ha ha ha) and I would sit out in the waiting room for an hour and a half and play my Creeps game.

Oh no! Instead, we get in there and find out that our doctor who is only in this office once a week does things his own instead of like all the other docs.  He tells my very hungry Tom that he won't be putting him down and that he will be awake the whole time but he doesn't need to worry because his mom will be there the whole time to hold his hand.  REALLY?

Tom's face was priceless.  It was something like death and surprise all together.  I was so worried for him.  They started with the numbing q-tips and then the big guns.  The needle. I hate needles.  I hate watching others get poked and I especially hate needles in the mouth.

I gave Tom my hand and had to really control myself to not scream.  I am sure he was in more pain, right?
But he squeezed like a champion thumb wrestler.

One hour later the Doc asks me if I want to see what a skin graph looks like.  I said NO!  Tom was still all bloody, but I really wish I had because now Tom won't open his mouth and I really want to see it and it just stinks, like death.

I can get him to gargle with salt water but I think I need to start mixing it with mouth wash.

I hope he "heals" soon.  I don't do well with smells.

The funny part of it all is now he has a very defined Backman chin.  I think it was all cooped up in his gums!

"Without your dental plan, you wouldn't have that diamond in your tooth."

Bull lost his manhood this week.

Day one he was a little sluggish but now he is a maniac.  We all have bruises just below our knees of where his stupid cone hits us.  It hasn't even fazed him.  I thought for sure he would give the chickens a break from chasing them but I think he has figured out that he can use it to trap them birds in under his cone of shame.  Rosie can't stand him right now.  He still wants to wrestle her and that cone makes him a deadly weapon.

I am just ready for the naughty jokes to be over, I blame the dad!!!

This is Zoe before the orthodontist:

She was nervous about what pain she would experience but committed to the colors scheme she picked out about a month ago for her new braces.

Pink and green, both for St. Patty's day and Easter.

Of course she didn't want to go to school after so we did a little hanging out for the day.  We were on our way to do lunch when I got a text from my visiting teachers.  I forgot about them.  First time ever, I did that not on purpose!  In Cache Valley I may or may not of screened my phone calls from them.  

I can't get over how much money we have spent on our kids teeth.  That is my fault, the boy never had braces.  What drives me nuts, just a little, is watching my ortho, who is my also my neighbor, go on so many trips.  He should at least bring me back a souvenir, right?

Tom was getting mad at me that I never write anything about him.  So here it is.

Tom, 

Thank you so much for helping out with the dishes.  I love that you can load the dishwasher without me having to ask you, but I need to tell you something, you need to take the wrapper off of the soaps.  They just don't work if they are still in their little cover.  Three times now I have found a little "finish" soap in the bottom of the machine still in it's package.  Which means that you boys have unloaded the dishwasher at least three times thinking they were clean but in truth they were only rinsed really good.

Thanks Tom and remember I love you and I am so glad your head is screwed on tight!!!!

Jack brought this home from school yesterday and it cracks me up with just how much of his personality was actually caught in this silhouette!

"You people are pigs! I, personally, am going to spit in every fiftieth burger!"

Jack does not like to eat.  It's is a battle every night.  All i ask is that he eats one bite of everything on his plate.  It's not that much.

Sunday dinner.

I made a roast.  I love a good roast and I love it even more with potatoes and gravy and rolls.  I could eat it every night of my life.

Tonight it began, again.  I should be wiser now knowing that this kid won't eat anything, but no.  I am as slow as they get.

We have all eaten our dinner.  Some more than others!!!  Jack somehow snuck away from the kitchen and I didn't notice until clean up time that his dish was still there full of his potatoes sans gravy and his three chunks of roast meat.

It starts.

He starts whining I start barking out numbers of how many bites he needs to eat.  He starts to negotiate.  I always win.  Points for trying.

He takes a bite of the roast.  He switches his tactics.

"Mom, what if I eat all of just one thing?"

I am exhausted by this point and cave in.  "Fine.  What are you going to eat?"

The roast.  Shocker!

He eats it all gone and then tell me after six and a half years that he likes meat.

YEAH!

He then starts the questions.

"Mom, is meat from your guts?"

Not quite!  I explain a little bit of where the meat is actually from.  He starts this list of all the meat he wants to try.  Turkey, chicken (not in nugget form) pig.  His list was very long and then he went too far.

"Mom, do we eat people and what do they taste like"

No we do not but if we did I am sure they would taste like chicken.

I love the sunshine out side right now but it is going to be a bugger tomorrow morning.