Ethan and Photobooth

Randomly found these in with my photos.

What a cute 10 year old!

Ethan in fourth grade

Ethan at 9

Centipede cupcakes that we took to Scouts

Pushing Sadie on our walk between conference sessions

After he opened his first present- lego Hagrid! Ethan loves... -Dragons - Harry Potter- he reading #4 at the moment - His hamster China - scaring his mom amd other by jumping out and yelling boo -the word thingy -talking about and making noises that sound like various bodily functions -mythology -ancient Egypt -astrology

Ethan's door

Art Expo at Oxbow Creek

Eli's project: a lego battle!

Ethan's project: Hieroglyphs information

This year the Expo snuck up on me, it was the first week in March, and I hadn't turned my calendar page over to see what was going on until Sunday night... and the Expo was on Thursday! Which meant that the kids had to turn their projects in on TUESDAY... which meant we now had one day to get them ready! Eli's was already done, we just had to arrange the ships and label them. But Ethan and I hadn't started yet. So when Ethan said that he had a sore throat Monday, I jumped on it and had him stay home so he could get his poster together. That was quite a long day. I used every ounce of patience I had to get through that day and that project. But it turned out just right, Ethan did a great job arranging and pasting. It was fun to walk through the school and see all the projects, and chat with some families that we haven't seen for awhile.

Funny Phone pics

Curtis being the great guy that he is, is always trying to keep me up with the latest technology! For Valentines Day I got a iphone 4. And I really love it, it is really amazing. The thing is, it is so much fun to play with that the whole family wants a shot- especially Ethan! He paid me $1 two weeks ago to download a hunting game- which of couse he wants to play in his spare time. And Ethan discovered the camera and here are some his pictures:

Ethan and Jamers

Fish lips

Us in the car discovering the camera for the fist time

Curtis and I on Valentines day at the Melting Pot.

Ethan's B-day and Baptism

Wow it has been quite the week around here, Ethan turned 8 last Tuesday, April 6th, and then he was baptized Sunday, April 11. I cannot believe that MY child was baptized on Sunday. I'm way too young to have an 8 year old... right? It was well worth feeling old to have such a beautiful day and special ordinance happen in Ethan's life. He had an interview with our Bishop, Bishop Crockett, a few weeks ago, and Bishop Crockett said that Ethan really understood what baptism meant. I love this age of 8! The buck teeth and everything. We were singing a song during scriptures today and Ethan's voice is so sweet and high, but it won't always be that way, he's growing up quick!!

Ethan opened one present when he woke up- it was a Bakugan and a Bakugan guide book.

Eli, Eth and mom. We are making a Bionicle cake for his friend party in a few weeks

Ethan's first scriptures! He was so excited, he took them to his first night of Scouts last Wed!

Sunday morning, before church

Walking out the door on the way back to the church- self styled hair

Ethan and Curtis


Afterward, getting in on the cookies


This one speaks for itself. Janie was having a rough day.

Mom and Eth


Grandpa LaClaire confirmed Ethan as a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. I had to convince Ethan to let Curtis baptize him... he wanted Grumpy to do that too!

Ethan's favorites at 8:

Vegetable: black olives
Fruit: pears
Toy: Bakugans
Candy: grape Jolly Rancher
Dinner: hot dogs
Movie: Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief
Book: How to Train your Dragon
Color: Blood Red
Snack: hard boiled eggs
School subject: science
Best Friends: David and Kylie
Wants to be an: Engineer
Sports Team: Cougars
Favorite Song: Axel F
Favorite Story: 2,000 Stripling Warriors

What fun to be a mom to a great kid called Ethan. I love you buddy!

Nanny Noelle

We have had lots of visitors over the past few weeks! It has been awesome to have so much fun AND so much help. Noelle flew in last Saturday to hang out (ok, help) while Curtis was in China last week. I loved having her here. We laughed at the kids alot. Noelle took a week off school and away from her job as a nanny to 4 kids in UT to come take care of 4 kids in MN. Perfect example: Have you ever met Jonah? Well he has no problem asking very personal questions like: "Hey, what are you doing in there (there meaning the bathroom). Are you done yet? Are you going pee or poop?" It's even better when you're at Costco!

Sofi's hockey game! Sofi and Hogan are great on the ice, so fun to watch them!!

We drove down to pick up Curtis and went to IKEA and Mall of America. Noelle had JK's bottle in her purse and it SPILLED all over Noelle's lap. Now is she not only an ice cream snitcher and a hypochondriac, she's a little bit incontinent!! (and hasn't even had a baby , phht)

I got to go to UnderWater World with Ethan's class on Wednesday. Ethan's teacher, Mr. E. told jokes and stories all the way there and home. It was a riot.

Next post: Grandma and Grandpa Tanner, and Rosie!

Basketball Evaluations

On Saturday I took Ethan to basketball evaluations at the Free Evangelical Church a few miles north of us. The church hosts basketball and soccer programs each year which are open to anyone. So we showed up and kind of went through an assembly line where Ethey got fitted for a jersey and shorts, and his height measured. Then we went into the gym. It was set up with a big stage on one side and a serious sound booth on the other side.

There were about 4 kids in front of us, and Eth saw a boy from his class at school, and I talked to his mom for a minute. Then it was our turn and 2 coaches I assume came over and said hi to us and took us over to a little area with a hoop and some orange cones. One was probably 50 and the other maybe 60 or so.

Then the fun began.

They asked Ethan to shoot from a couple of different spots, into a short little hoop. He missed a few, and then actually made one!!

Then over to the cones to slide. The younger coach told Ethan to put his hands up like he was on defense (puzzled look in Ethan's eye... what's defense?) and slide back and forth between the cones. They actually timed him to see how fast he could slide. But because he was trying to go so fast, the sliding became a hop, and Ethan's hands lost their defensive stance and looked a little bit like he was washing windows.
Ethan: HOP! WAVE ARMS! HOP! WAVE ARMS! DEFENSE??
Coach: "Faster, don't stop, keep goin'!"
Me: small giggles
Ethan: going faster because he's being TIMED with a stop watch
Me: larger giggles

Next obstacle and I knew it was gonna be even better: dribbling.
I won't describe it but this was the dialogue:
Coaches: "OK Ethan, try to WALK while you dribble!"
Coaches: "Use your fingertips Ethan!!
Me: a few giggles escaped, but please just let it be over
Coach #2, (the older one) walks over to where I'm sitting: "Do you have a basketball at home?"
Me: "Yup"
Coach#2: "You'll probably want to have Ethan practice his dribbling, using his fingertips."
Me: "OK "

OH, and Ethan's new basketball tank top (which he wore with a t-shirt under him after I made him) stated:
(front) : I DON'T NEED A MIC
(back): MY GAME SPEAKS FOR ITSELF
Yes it does, and it says that basketball season is gonna be AWESOME.