pink

I just changed the background of our blog. I showed Jeff and he replied. "but it's pink? We are all boys." I just wanted to point out that not everyone in our house is male. I am allowed to like pink. In fact for the benefit of my sons' future wives I think I should expose the boys to a few things feminine. This includes pink.

You can't win them all

No I am not referring to the SU loss in the sweet sixteen-- but rather just my life in general. Alex has finally started pooping in the toilet. How old is he you ask? More than old enough. Anyway after buying a Diego toilet seat and new Diego video that he only get to watch while 'going poop'. Not that he ever went while watching, but he would at least sit there. Anyway Monday we had success, even without the video. We have been promising him and the other boys too that when Alex pooped in the toilet we could go to Chuck E. Cheese-- not my favorite place. However I had purchased gift cards months ago (as in before Thanksgiving) so everyone was excited to go. There was something every night this week and Jeff wasn't getting home in time anyway-- So Saturday was the day. However Seth started throwing up in the middle of the night. Not good. I think he was more excited than Alex. Jeff and I decided to go later in the evening because Seth was acting fine all day. We piled in the car got to Chuck E. Cheese, parked and Seth proceeded to throw up again. Now for all of you with kids you know this is a lose lose situation. You can't take Seth inside and the other boys will by very upset leaving after waiting not only all week, but months as well. I stayed in the car with Seth and Dane while Jeff went in with the rest of the boys and Dane's binkie. While holding Dane I noticed a dirt smudge on the back of Seth's head. The only reason I can see it is because he is bald. Thank heavens for that because it is not a bit of dirt but a tick!!! This is his second tick. He gets them in our yard!! So I moved the car around to the front of Chuck E. Cheese parking in the handicapped spot. I was willing to chance the ticket. I tried to get Jeff paged and just watched for Jeff in the window. Seth spotted Jeff only after a prayer. Needless to say I was glad to get home. Oh and for the record Alex has pooped in the toilet 3 more times!!

Bald, Bald and another Bald Brother

Oliver, Bryant, and Seth shaved their heads in memory of Connor Dixon and to help raise money for children's cancer research. It was great. Seth asked if he could do it Sunday morning. I wasn't sure if he would be able to. But luck was on our side. They were all very excited. Oliver and Bry both reach their goal and raised $300 each. However anything extra is still great. Donations can still be made. Check the post below for directions. You just need to do a search for each of the boys seperately. I am very proud of them. They are already talking about next year. Afterward at our friends house, Seth kept asking "Who wants to rub my head?" Bryant the palest of all the boys really looks like he has been through chemo. Oliver looked like an old man half way through the shave with the top of his head shaved, but the side of his head not shaved. Alex's hair now looks very shaggy.

THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU everyone who help the boys meet their goal.

projects and more projects

I loved Pres. Uchtdorf's talk the last Relief Society General Conf about creating. It makes me feel good about all my projects. Jeff however thinks I am crazy when I tell him what my plans are. Here are a few of the things I have been working on or plan to work on in the near future---

• Pirate quilts for each of the boys. Fronts and backs are done. Dane's is finished completely. The others are at a friend of my mom's who is doing the machine quilting. These were supposed to be done for last Christmas, but I am aiming for having them done by the boys' birthdays. That spreads it out a bit. If you want to see the fronts of the quilts they are posted in one of my first posts.
  
• A quilt for Bryant's teacher. Bry has had her for the last two years. She is great. It will have a square for each of the kids in the class with their hand prints and names on it.
• An apron for Oliver's teacher with the kids hand prints.
• Getting ready for a garage sale in the early summer. I can't wait to get rid of some stuff.
  
• Painting circles on Dane's bedroom walls to decorate it.
• Taking out a few flowers and adding a few morein my garden. I also curse the deer that eat them.
• Reading the books for book club (I always give a disclaimer when I join a book club-- I may or may not finish or even start the books, but I will come and enjoy everyone's company. That way I don't feel guilty when I don't finish or feel like I shouldn't go).
  
• Training for a mini triathlon in July.
• Tiling our bathroom-- I tiled, Jeff put in the new toilet with the boys.
  
• Keeping up our blog
• Our taxes
  
• Trying to keep the house clean (notice this is at the bottom of the list)
  

kids in bed

I am not a fan of my children sleeping in my bed. I don't sleep well. Then I turn into a cranky mom the next day. So when Alex joined Jeff and I in bed. I wasn't really happy, but he was on Jeff's side of the bed so I just rolled over to go back to sleep. It didn't take me long to realize the sound of him snuffing his nose was not from a cold, but a bloody nose!!! So needless to say Jeff and I didn't get right back to sleep. Plus both beds needed their bedding washed.
Two nights later in comes Seth with a croupy cough saying he can't breath. All is well and for both boys, but I am just repeating-- I don't sleep well when the kids come into my bed at night.

St. Baldrick's

Oliver and Bryant are shaving their heads in
memory of our cousin Connor Dixon who died
last year of cancer at the age of 7. 
Would you consider sponsoring us to help
raise money to support the research and
cure of children's cancer?
All donations can be made online
by following these steps:
    * go to www.stbaldricks.org
    * Click on "Get involved"
    * Click on "Donate"
    * Search for a Shavee-- Oliver Nelson, or Bryant Nelson
    * That should take you to my site page where
you can donate by following the prompts.

Thank you for considering this for us.
We are each hoping to raise $300.
Any little bit will make a big difference.

If you have any questions give our mom,
Erin Nelson a call-- 315-424-0283.
Check out the Webpage!

Spring

I love each season of the year. As you can see from the last several posts, our family enjoys winter and all the fun that abounds with it. As the boys get older I foresee even more fun in the snow. However there comes a point when I am ready for spring. Usually it comes when we are given a taste of warmth-- the day or two where only a jacket is needed or no coat at all. During those days of warming the piles of snow melt down some even disappear. Those that disappear leave dark dirty marks from the dirt that got trapped in the snow along with a bit of trash as well. My favorite part comes next-- the pouring rain. I don't mind the gray skies. Just before the rain begins every color seems to become a vivid version of itself. I can always tell that the rain will start in the next few minutes or so by watching the colors outside. The rain refreshes everything. The dirty spots fade as the dirt is washed away. Grass that is brown, tan and yellow-- very dead looking-- suddenly has bits of green peaking out. Tufts of my soon to be flowers start showing their heads and buds on the tree branches look fuller and will be ready to burst soon. People can be seen taking walks in the evening or starting to clean up yards. Hibernation is about to end. Spring is one of my favorite seasons in the year. I love the rain. The mud doesn't bother me. I can't wait to the flowers and watching the boys play outside enjoying the fresh air.

I appreciate that mom

This week I went shopping and among other things I got turkey for sandwiches. I didn't always get it because O has never liked processed meat, however S does. He frequently asks for his favorite sandwich-- ketchup, mustard, cheese and turkey. So anyway I got home from the store and told S I got turkey for him. He replied, "Thank you mom, I really appreciate that." It is really refreshing to hear thank you with out a prompt from any one.

Dane is almost walking

Dane is almost walking. This little clip is a few weeks old. He now is much more coordinate. However crawling is still his fastest way to get around. Stairs are not a problem. He can go up and down and knows to go down backward.

BOB the Snowman

Just in case you miss him there is a snowman in front of the boys. His name is BOB. Oliver and Bry named him. The boys had a great time making BOB, sledding down the side hill and having a snowball fight over the back fence with Shannon and Molly. We love our yard and having winter fun.

Scooter tag

The boys love to ride their scooters. They play tag with them and will crash into each other. I am not so sure that the bearings on the scooters are going to last and not rust out. However they are having a blast. It is nice for them to get outside and get fresh air when it has warmed up a little bit. By that I mean above 3o degrees.

Oliver's first time skiing

Jeff took Oliver skiing for the first time, February 20. Bryant had a sore on his foot and was a bit too nervous to go. The little ski resort has a deal with for cheap-- lesson, ski rental and lift ticket. Oliver had a great time learning. Jeff had fun skiing for the morning until Oliver joined him.