The rest of summer

I'm really sad I didn't stay on top of blogging this summer.  I don't want to talk about it.

At the end of June we went to a Jespersen Family Reunion at the Rockin' R farm in Antimony, UT.  We had gone three years ago when the kids were 6, 4, 1 and pregnant, and let me tell you, ages 9, 7, 4, and 2 are objectively more fun.  We had a blast.  Jack and Hank spent most of each day playing with cousins using toy guns and swords. We had bought Jack a little gun at the toy shop and after it broke he got to pick out a cooler gun from his Aunt Tracy.  Jack told me, "I'm so glad my gun broke."   Jane and her dear cousin (1st cousin once removed maybe) hung out all day catching frogs, going in the canoe, and petting the puppies.  Jane also went on her first legitimate horse back ride and loved it.  Pete was still struggling with loud noises and chaotic situations, so meal times (when they would ring a big bell and tons of people would crowd around to get food) was a nightmare for him.  We just usually took turns hanging out with Pete away from the dining area until it had calmed down.  But other than meal times he did really well.  He loved the calm farm life and unless a random vehicle happened to go by he was enjoying life.  Pete did learn to start calming himself down when a vehicle would go by.  He would nervously repeat, "Bye bye truck!" until the truck had gone.  We all went on a hay ride on a wooden trailer (kind of yellow looking I guess) pulled by a green tractor.  Pete kept calling it, "Green tractor--yellow bus".  One night we had a camp fire and Hank said he couldn't believe we get to see real fire.  The camp fire guy sang a camp song, "I"m going on a bear hunt."  Hank was nervous about the story and didn't want to sing but watched intently.  After the song ended and everything was ok, Hank busted out his own versions, trying to get people to sing along, about "I'm going on a ghost hunt."  I wish I remembered his other lyrics but it was funny how much he had picked up on listening to the song.  Hank told me he wished it was now our home.

On the fourth of July we had a BBQ with the Sabins and then went out for pizza with my brother.  On July 3rd we got to see some fireworks at the Sabins house and Pete was terrified.  We had to hide in the basement so he could hardly hear them at all.  Ever since he's talked about them a lot but still ins't up for being around them.  I was trying to get him to say his usual phrase, "Fireworks go boom, boom boom" but of course that never happens when we pull out a camera.



In July I got to go on a short getaway with my best friend of 23 years and my friend/her sister to Park City.  It was incredible.  We ate the most delicious foods the entire time and we took ski lifts into the mountains for some hiking.  We also did zip-lining and extreme tubing down the Olympic practice hills for the skiers.  It was so much fun.

Here I am doing the tubing.


In August the kids and I got to have an awesome stay-cation at a hotel in Lehi.  Matt worked on sanding our front two rooms and we stayed with my parents in a hotel room that attached to theirs for four nights.  My kids had an absolute blast.  Pete, especially, was absolutely in love with hotel living.  Jane and I shared a bed, Jack and Hank shared a bed, and Pete slept in a port-a-crib.  Pete would often keep us up past 11:00 singing songs and kicking his legs, but they really did so well.  It was so fun to be able to knock on Grandma and Grandpa's door and hang out in both rooms, get free breakfast every morning, and go swimming and hot-tubbing every night. We also did a lot of fun things during the day like Lehi Fun Center (Trafalga) where Jack rode a go-kart for the first time (never mind he accidentally hit the gas when people were still trying to get in their cars), and Hank did laser tag for the first time (that was adorable, people eventually had to let him take a mercy shot so he could shoot someone), and we all got soaked in the bumper boats.  We also spent a fun day at the Thanksgiving Point Children's Museum, had a picnic at Bridal Veil falls, and went to see The Secret Life of Pets.  Pete was absolutely obsessed with the hotel exercise room.  Each time we left the hotel room he insisted on going by the exercise room (opposite direction) and would look in the windowed door and say, "Exercise! Exercise window!  Two exercise!  Bye exercise!"  And no matter where we were he kept saying the word "exercise"  all throughout our stay, too.  It was so funny.  My kids had so much fun spending so much time with Grandma and Grandpa Griner.  We all had such a blast we were sad to see it come to an end.  And now when we drive by the hotel Hank sighs and says he wishes we lived there.

Go kart time!

Jane and her cousin Paris love when they get to be together.

Pete would have been happy to live in the hotel forever.

We were especially sad to realize just how much more work needs to happen on the front rooms.  So, it's just the six of us existing in one bathroom, one bedroom, and a kitchen.  Thankfully we do have access to their bedrooms upstairs but the kids won't go up there to play.  It's crazy-town.  And on top of that I'm supposed to be spending every waking moment studying for a big exam I have on August 30, and my new semester starts tomorrow, and the kids start school tomorrow.  Can't I just go back to a hotel and play?

But, here are some funny things the kids have been saying.

Hank asked me for a fuzz ball and was very upset when I couldn't understand him.  We finally worked it out and he got his much desired fudge bar.

One night I decided to listen to the song that Pete was singing to himself in his crib and I heard "Pete bed", "cream" (that we've been putting on a rash), "veese" (what he calls chapstick), "garbage truck", and "song again!"

The kids played a game for awhile that they called "movie star bite".  Jane and Jack would take turns taking bites of their food in slow, exaggerated ways, as if they were on a commercial selling delicious food.

Hank was talking about how Pete is my baby.  Then he started laughing and said, "When we grow up we will be mom's grown-ups".

Pete is still in love with letters.



Matt overheard Jack explaining to a neighbor friend what hell was.  Jack said, 'It's bad guy heaven."

One night when we were watching a movie I took a couple bites of Hank's popcorn.  He looked at me but let me take it.  After the third bite Hank said, "My brain says not to share.  But I will share.  I will not listen to my brain if it says something mean."

Another time he talked about his brain telling him things was when he told Matt, "Dad, do you know why I am always punching Jack?  Because my bwain say to do it and I should listen to my bwain when it says that."

Jack said to Hank, "Hank, a teenager is a type of kid.  It's not a grown-up but it still can drive cars."

Hank said, "Dad, how come my wee-wee have a hole on it."  Matt said, "That's so you can pee, bud."  Hank said, "Oh, I thought a bug bite it on the.....on the.....right there. I thought I go pee-pee and it make a hole, then go back in, make a hole, then go back in.  That how it rain."

Matt was outside cutting through some fallen branches with an electric saw and Hank asked, "Dad, what is that?"  "A saw."  "What is it used for?"  "To cut through stuff."  Hank said excitedly, "Like HUMANS?!"  Matt said, "Well, yeah, but we don't cut through humans."  Hank said, "Can it cut through bad guys?"  Matt said, "Yeah."  Hank seemed awestruck and said, "Oooh, it is a weapon and a tool."

If Hank likes the taste of something he will say it tastes like meatballs.  He tried out a new jelly on a PB&J sandwich.  After one bite he said, "MMMM, tastes like meatballs!"  And he likes to ask for water mixed with his milk.  And every time he ways, "Tastes like meatballs!"

Quite awhile ago Jack went through a phase of pretending to be a zombie.  Hank hated it so much that eventually Jack only had to barely cock his head to the side and Hank would run off screaming.  We were getting really frustrated and Jack was getting in trouble.  Hank didn't want Jack to get in trouble so he came and told us, "I only hate it 1%."

Hank told Matt, "Dad, my body say the only dinosaur that didn't die is a crocodile."  Matt said, "Yeah?  A crocodile is a dinosaur?"  Hank said, "Yeah, and it's the only one that didn't die from that big huge meteow."

After Jack told Hank it's illegal to go outside with a diaper Hank asked Matt, "Dad is it a eagle to go outside with a diapow?"

Hank said, "Dad, I am seeing if I am wolverine."  Then he held out his fists for awhile, stiffened his arms and fists, said, "H--nnghhemfpf."  "Nope.  I am not Wolverine."

Jack and Jane have been into the idea of getting pet rats lately.  I had four pet rats when I was growing up so I was telling them about them.  I happened to have the coolest pet rat to ever live so I was telling them how Squeaky would tarzan swing from the house plant on a table next to the couch to the top of the couch, go from the couch onto the shoulder of a person sitting there, and into a pocket if she could.  She also had a pack rat's nest under the couch where she carried everything she could find.  She new how to get crinkly-wrapped atomic fireballs from my mom's purse where it hung on a chair by climbing up the chair, dropping onto the purse, then reaching her head into the front pocket of the purse.  Then she'd take it to her nest.  She was the best.  Unfortunately she passed away when she peeked her head out of the door when my brother was leaving and the screen door swung back and broke her nose.  I was mostly telling Jack and Jack but Hank was in the room.  I told them how I held Squeaky until she died but that she died very loved and then I started telling stories of other rats.  A few minutes later Hank came to me very serious and asked, "Is it true?"  I could tell he was asking about Squeaky and I said yes.  He collapsed onto the floor, covered his face, and simply said, "I care about her."

Summer's been good.