I just found these cute videos from 2010 - Ammon was 3 and Yousef just turned 6.

Gettin' Down!

Shake your bootie!

And He's Off!

How did it happen so quickly?! My little 2 lb 13 oz baby is now a kindergartner! Life is whizzing by way too fast for my liking! There was so much I was going to do with him before he started school, so many adventures, so much to explore, so much to teach and learn.....

But look - here he is - a full-time kindergartner in Mrs. Dahlgren's class at Sandy Elementary! And he's doing really well. He would rather be playing all the live long day but he is liking school "pretty well". Last Friday, as he was begging "just to have a day off", he exclaimed, "I just don't want to have to go to school every day forever!"

He loves recess - of course! He likes his teacher and making new friends. He thinks it's pretty cool to eat in the lunch room and thinks the cafeteria food is yummy. He's already started trading at lunch. He even likes doing the school work and homework! Yeah! If we can just keep that attitude for the next 16-18 years!! When I asked him if there is anything he doesn't like he told me, "I hate that we can never go on a walk to a store and that I can't just take a day off whenever I want!"

Overall I think he's doing great and I'm excited to start volunteering - although I'm afraid I've overwhelmed his teacher with my enthusiasm! I just don't want my boys growing up so fast!!

When Good Parenting Backfires

Today I was trying so diligently to keep a happy spirit in our home and my patience intact while trying to get everyone ready for church. Ammon distracted me while I was getting dressed and then I noticed Yousef had only got as far as his underwear and was not doing anything else to get dressed. Feeling very in control of things, I decided to do a little “Love and Logic” with him and I sweetly said, “We are leaving for church and it’s up to you how you go – either you can quickly get dressed or I will take you like that.” He gets a little smirk on his face, giggles and says, “So we are both going to church in our undies?” I look down and realize I’m only wearing a slip!

Happy Birthday Yousef!!

My little angel boy is 5 years old! Can't I slow this down or put my kids on freeze for a brief moment? They are growing up tooooo fast!! Yousef, of course is thrilled to be five. His birthday fell on game day so everybody was going to come watch my little swinger but we got rained out so we reconvened at the house for dinner and a snake rice cripies "cake". Yousef decided to have a jungle theme this year. And he is my wild little animal!! Yousef is very active and loves to wrestle, jump, run, do donkey kicks, dance, and play with whomever is about and approximately his age - whether he knows them yet or not. He loves music and dancing so when a rockin' tune comes on a movie, I'll see him look around to see if anyone is looking and then he'll start a-boogying. He sees everyone as a potential friend and loves to play. It doesn't matter if he knows them yet or not. Surely they want to have fun with him. He is a really great brother to Ammon - they hate to be separated from each other. Yousef loves to learn and has a great memory. He will ask what a word means and begin using it from then on. Including foreign words. Yousef loves reading books and is great at making connections. He applies Book of Mormon stories in our everyday life. Of course, part of the reason he loves the Book of Mormon is because of all the swords, fighting, and bloodshed. Sad but true, as hard as I try to talk about not hurting others and how violence is not a good answer, my boy loves swords and the like. I don't know....
Yousef is quite a ham and I see a great future in the theater for him! He went to his friend Benjamin's Mario party and came home doing an Italian accent with hand gestures and all, "Luigi, canna you bringa me some more spaghetti?" The other day he leaned against the wall in a James Dean/GQ kind of pose and said, "Mom, do I look cool?" I told him that he did indeed look cool and he replied, "Do you know why? Because when I was still in heaven before I came here I said to Jesus, 'Will you send me down there with some cool?'" Ha! There I was in the pre-mortal life asking for as many challenges as possible and he asked for "cool"! He is one smart cookie! His primary teacher said that last week they told the 4 and 5 year olds that they were going to talk about when Jesus calmed the sea. Yousef proceeded to tell them the whole story and then when they were going to act it out, he wanted nothing to do with the streamers for the storm or the active roles, he wanted to be Jesus. He slept quietly in the back of the boat until his disciples awakened him and then he rebuked the storm and told it to "Be still"! On the Mother's Day the children sang in Sacrament Meeting the chorister had to stop him from hamming it up 3 different times and then he applauded after they and Linda finished their song. I just know his teachers at school and I are going to have a lot of talks! Buckle your seat belts!!
I really love this little guy - he keeps me on my toes, keeps me laughing, has some good spiritual sense, and is a great kid!! I'm one lucky mom!! Happy Birthday to my big boy!

T-ball = HILARIOUS!!!

T-ball is a riot!! Tonight Yousef, my almost 5 year old, had his first t-ball game. Mind you he has never even been to a practice and he just wanted to play because last summer he had his first taste of whacking that ball and he loves hitting the ball with me. Come on - who doesn't love that thrill of connecting with the ball and feeling the force of your swing sending that ball flying?!? But the poor kid has never practiced catch or even seen a baseball game, let alone run through the bases to home. So he hits his first ball on the baseball diamond and just stands there. Everybody is yelling for him to run so he speeds off straight down the middle of the field. Then everyone is yelling for him to go to first and he just runs in circle because what in the heck is first??! Finally he gets there and when it's time to run to the next base we have more of the same. Then instead of heading for third he's running to outfield! I was laughing so hard! He looked so dang cute in his baseball shirt and helmet running all over the place! The next time he was on first I look out there and he's entertaining the kid who's guarding first with his Mario impression, "Luigi, getta me some spaghetti" (in his Italian accent). Later he is supposed to be catching on third. A little kid hits the ball five feet and Yousef runs and scoops it up and throws it to first base. Two other parents and I are cheering for him, "Way to hustle Yousef!!" "Good job little guy!" and Yousef turns to us, takes off his baseball cap, does a big sweep of his arm, and takes a grand bow! It was hilarious! The coach is cracking up and the lady next to me asks, "Is he always a character?" Oh yes, and if he never learns to play baseball, at least he can offer some entertainment for the crowd!!!