Abraham, Rachel, Soren and Liam. Our life together in Smalltown, Idaho.

Friday, July 20, 2012

Soren Update: July 2012

These are the notes I've taken on Soren's life over the past few months:

One morning Liam ran into the kitchen crying.  Before I could say anything, Soren asked in a genuinely sweet voice, "What happened, Liam Baby?"
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One day Soren told Briar "I'm going to be an inventor--and you're going to be an explorer and find new stuff me."
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At night Soren likes for me to tell him a story.  I'll make up random stories using whatever comes to mind, things like, "Once upon a time there was a family of badgers who decided to move out of their badger den and into a condo in the city.  The badger kids started wearing name brand sneakers and playing at the park every day.  The mother badger had her hair set once a week by the beautician whose shop was around the corner.  The father learned to golf and went nearly every weekend with his friends.  They all enjoyed traveling on the subway together.  They lived like this for quite some time and were generally happy.  The end."  But if I tell a story like this, Soren will say, "But you forgot about 'and then one day,' Mommy." "And then one day" is apparently the phrase I usually use to introduce a conflict into the plot during story time.   That kid, he's a stickler for plot.  
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One of Soren's greatest fears is that a truck will come while he's using a portapotty, load it up, and drive away while he's still inside.  My job while he's doing his business at the city park is to stand guard and make sure no trucks take him.

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The boys and I were playing in the sandbox one evening and Soren was flooding a corner of the sandbox with the hose.  "Look, Mommy!" he told me, and went on to explain that he was flooding outerspace but that he lived on a crater and the people who lived out in space thought he was a giant machine.  A very important giant machine, apparently, because he then added:   "They even pray to me!  They start their prayers, 'Dear Heavenly Giant Machine'..."
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After work one night Abe was watering the lawn and Soren wanted to play in the sprinkler with me.  I was reluctant-- didn't particularly want to get cold and wet-- but I finally took his hand and we ran through.  After two giggle-filled passes through the shockingly cold sprinkler, he wrapped his arms around my legs and exclaimed, "I love you, Mommy!" Totally worth it.
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Mommy: Soren, how can you stand to sleep in this filthy room?
Soren (surveys the mess for a minute, then shrugs):  It doesn't make any noise!
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Soren amazed us on Father's day by making a very nice Father's day card.  All by himself he wrote "Dad" and "Soren" and drew a bunch of hearts.  At church he answered a questionnaire about his daddy too.  According to Soren, Abe's favorite thing is ice cream and his favorite food is ice cream.  He also remarked that his favorite thing to do with his dad was go to the Army Surplus store. (You know you're from Idaho when...)
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The first thing Soren said to me upon waking one morning was, "Why is every day so dumb?"
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Soren told Briar that the only "fing" he liked to do in the back yard was watch the garden grow.
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I was doing a fingerplay about Joseph Smith at Family Home Evening.  Liam happily chanted along with me, doing his best to match my actions and words; Soren covered his ears and said, "Blah, blah, blah!"
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One night when we were camping Soren was having a hard time settling down because he's so scared of the dark.  Finally, out of the darkness, I heard his little voice begin a prayer.

"Dear Heavenly Father...."

Little Liam chimed in with his own nonsensical words and they prayed together in the darkness.  Their prayer went something like this:

"Fank you for this day.
Fank you for Mommy and Daddy.
Please somehow make this trailer less scary.
Name of Jesus Christ, Amen."

Then there was silence.

Then: "Mommy?  I'm still scared."

I climbed down form my bed and lay down with the boys until they were asleep.
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Soren helped push Grandpa's pickup truck into a jump start while we were camping.  He pushed all his forty pounds into it and was very excited when it started to go.
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One night we gave each of the boys a cup of water, kissed them good night, and closed the door to their room.  Sweet silence.  Then, Liam started screaming.  On investigation, Abe discovered that Soren had emptied his cup onto Liam on the bunk below.  "Soren, why did you do that?"  asked Daddy.    Soren looked bemused.  "What else was I supposed to do with it?" 






Playing (and hamming it up) at the park with daddy.

Behold: The Giant Machine God. 

Soren made a robot out of yogurt containers, pom poms, and an empty paper towel roll.  They played together all morning.  Here, they're playing under the rug. 

Now they're posing for a few pictures.

Soren will probably use these exact same faces in a photo booth someday.

Soren's preschool class had school pictures taken.  I paid for the group picture.  It was quite adorable.  This, however, was his individual photo.  I thought it was hilarious but was unwilling to pay the package price to get it in duplicate.  He's so cute it hurts my heart a little. 


Soren loves Briar's ferret, Mice.  Mice is a bit of a nibbler, though, so Soren always makes sure to wear shoes on his feet and socks on his hands when they play. 

There are truly no words to adequately describe this child.  He is just....so....much.  So preciously much.  So intensely much.  And I love him so much.    And "much" no longer sounds like a word.  

The end.

Wednesday, July 18, 2012

Liam Update: July 2012

At bedtime, Liam asks me to lie down with him by patting his pillow and saying, "Bed!"  Once I'm lying next to him, he'll insist on giving me kisses.  "Kith Nose," he'll say, and kiss my nose.  "Kith Eyes," is next, and he'll kiss my eyes.  Then, "Kith Hair," and he kisses the top of my head.   Last is "Kith mouth," and he'll plant a peck on my lips.  When he's done with kisses, he'll say, "Enough!"  Enough, Mommy!"    
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One day when his Uncle Quentin and Aunt Tailour were visiting, Liam was playing a game with them that involved sneaking.  He has a very exaggerated, squatty sneaking-up technique that involves a lot of elbow swinging and knee bending.  They both thought it was hilarious.    
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Liam taught himself how to jump, finally.  Legs shoulder-width apart, feet splayed out, he swings his chubby little arms and clears the floor by about a quarter inch.  He is in ecstasy.  I overheard Soren say to his Aunt Tailour: "Isn't it 'coo' that Liam can jump so well even though he's so little?"  
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Liam's new favorite word: "Nnnnnnnno!"
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Whenever Liam hears a rooster crow, he says, "I'm coming, Rooster!"  One day he was flying jellybeans into his mouth and making them say, "I'm coming, Liam!"
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One morning I told Soren that if he hurt Liam again, we wouldn't go to the park as planned. He was offended by this, and spent some time pouting around ostentatiously.  I was doing my best to ignore him but Liam, seeing his brother distressed, toddled up and offered him a hug.
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One evening Liam expressed an interest in going potty in the potty.  He sat down on the training toilet and Soren immediately rushed in with a stack of books to keep him occupied. He also planned to do a pooping demonstration on the big potty but Liam got bored (or maybe uncomfortable!) and decided to quite potty training for the day.
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Liam does this adorable thing where he'll be running along and suddenly stop, back up a few paces, get a grim and determined look on his face,  then barrel forward.  It reminds me of a cross between a toy cars you wind up by pulling backwards and a football player heading in for a home run.  










He climbed into bed and fell asleep all by himself.  What kid does that?  











Liam is a joy.  Everyone loves him.  Even when he's being obstinant and defiant, he's adorable.  Even when he's woken up for the sixth time in a single night, he's precious.  It's just impossible to be mad at him.  He is my snuggly buggly cuddlebucket of love.      

Tuesday, July 17, 2012

A Happy Post

I'm feeling perfectly contented and wonderfully happy tonight.

Spent a sunny day with my gorgeous little boys.  

We went fabric shopping and I couldn't resist Liam's happy shiny little face when he ran up to me with the package of fingerpaints he found.  And then I told Soren that he had to pick between the two "soft" things he wanted ("It's the craft fur or the curtain tassel, boy!"), but when he sweetly acquiesced and selected the craft fur I was all, "Oooooh!  You're too sweet!  We'll get the tassel too."   

We went to the bookstore and they each picked out some books.  Liam even sprawled out on the floor on his belly to flip through the books he found.  When the clerk rang rang us up and told me, "Thirty-seven even," Soren asked, "Is that lady speaking Anglish?  Or is that Spanish?"  

Grandma and Grandpa Hanson sweetly watched the boys for me while I took a nap in their guest room.  

Then we got snowcones and ate them in a patch of grass by the highway.  Liam tried several snowcone eating methods (straw? spoon? drink?) but finally settled on using his fingers.  Soren got sick of his halfway through and asked me to tell the lady in the Snowshack that the snowcones started out tasting yummy but got yucky at the end.  

We went grocery shopping and they didn't whine or beg.   

We came home and I cooked, not one, but two nutritious dinners (one for tonight-- one for tomorrow!).  Liam helped by sauteeing mushrooms and onions.  Soren helped by sprinkling spices on the chicken.

We danced in the kitchen to Haydn's surprise symphony and Beethoven's fifth.  

And then their good-lookin' daddy came home and we all went to the park.  Liam made friends with the angsty teenagers sitting on the stage in the park shelter.  Soren wallowed around in the dirt.  Daddy sat on the top of the jungle gym and chatted with Soren.  Mommy kept an eye on Liam and read Take the Cannoli.          

We brought the kids home, bathed them, and put them to bed.  (They were even too tired to even remember to employ any bedtime delay tactics!)

And then I went for a solid run.  

All in all, a very good day.    

Can I just tell you how desperately in love I am with my little family?  How precious they are to me?  My sweet, supportive husband and those blue-eyed little boys--they are my everything. My only complaint is that the boys are growing so quickly.  I just want to freeze them, just how they are.  Keep their little cheeks heart-breakingly smooth.  Keep them little enough to curl up in my lap for a story or a cuddle or a song.  Keep them young enough to always love being chased and tickled, to always notice every butterfly and airplane, to ask endless questions.  They are little angels, pure and lovely and perfect (even when they're caked in mud and acting less-than-angelic!)  I'm so grateful they are ours.  

Monday, July 16, 2012

Snuffer Visit 2012

Abe's sister and her husband, Nate, and their two kiddos came to live with us for three weeks.  They are a lovely family and it was fun to have them here.  I kind of slacked in the picture-taking department, but this is what I've got of their visit here:  
Chase (far right) is six.  Maya (middle) had just turned five before arriving at our house.  They kept my kiddos occupied much of the time.  Chase and Maya spent a lot of time pretending that Chase was a baby named Juicy and Maya was his mother.  Sometimes to switch things up, I got to be the mother and Maya was the Grandma. 

 One day the kids helped me make cupcakes.  Maya somehow ended up with chocolate on her forehead.   If you look closely, you can see Nate in the background.  
And yes, that is Liam looking very pregnant.  He's due any day now.  


 When Chase and Maya learned that at our house you can do chores to earn tokens that can be spent on toys and candy, they very enthusiastically did any household task I requested of them.  They were forever asking if there was anything they could do to earn tokens.  I wish Soren would catch their excitement. 

Saturday, July 14, 2012

Brothers

More than anything, I want my boys to be each others' best friend.  Soren still occasionally tells me that he wishes Liam were dead, so I don't think they're quite there, but they do play together adorably sometimes.  

On the trampoline at my sister's house.   

 At a park with Daddy.




 Playing dress-up in the kitchen. 

Playing "Bridge." 


Liam looking on in alarm at Soren's flamboyant cross-dressing dance moves.

Soren excitedly telling me about Liam's new hair clips.

Twin burritos. 

In the sandbox with Mommy.  I love sandboxes.

Soren pretending to tuck Liam in for a nap.  

Thursday, July 12, 2012

Catch-up Post: Birthdays


Soren turned five on January 1st.  We had family over for a party...



 ...plus he wanted to invite two friends, Kienzle and Porter.  Aren't they adorable?  


Soren decorated his own cake.  Cute, eh?




Liam turned three on February 25th, so we had another party.







Briar decorated Liam'sLightning McQueen cake.


My boys are getting so big!

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