Tate and the "Secret Asians"

Clearly, Traci and I need to learn to better enunciate around our children. Everything that comes out of our mouths must sound the same to Tate's ear. Not only does he think secret agents are called secret asians, he also calls:

• A dugout a digout
• An umpire a vampire
• A balcony an valcony
• The Vancouver Whitecaps the Vancouver Hubcaps (he also calls the Cleveland Cavaliers the Cleveland Hubcaps. I think it's because he thinks the Cavs are really the Caps, which is clearly short for hubcaps. Why he even knows anything about hubcaps, I don't know.)
• The Baltimore Ravens the Baltimore Raisins

Words are hard when you're a four-year-old.

Rollercoasters: No Fun at All

Even on a roller coaster, Curtis finds a way to have no fun at all.

Anniversary

13 years ago today.

Fast Sunday

Tate: Is today Fast Sunday? Me: No. Tate: Boo. I hate Slow Sunday!

Sunday School

Sunday School: Learning the names of every MLB team.

Picture Day

Most important day of the season. 

Traci and Tate Spend a Lot of Daytime Hours Together

When a Four-Year-Old is Your Best Buddy

I'm pretty lucky to have a little guy who wants to spend every minute of every day with me. 

We do lots of fun stuff together. We play football and soccer. We play drums and guitars and ukuleles (which are the perfect size for a preschooler). We walk to church and go to Home Depot and mow the lawn. We make paper airplanes and watch hockey and play the Wii. It's awesome. 

But sometimes things just get a little too familiar. 

Like last night when he said excitedly, "Dad, dad! Guess what?! I used your toothbrush!" 

Or when I tried to go into the bathroom by myself and he insisted on coming along. "Buddy," I explained. "I just need to go in by myself for a self for a second."

"I'll just come with you," he replied. 

"But what if I need to poop," I whispered. 

"That's okay," he whispered back. "I'll just hide in the tub."

Which he did. 

I guess that's what best buddies do. 

Manifestogram

First year of preschool is officially in the books.

Manifestogram

Curtis' special place: My backyard.

Manifestogram

A lady an a bug.

Manifestogram

Sutherlands on Mars.

Manifestogram

Looks like Paige is already preparing to be a Buzzfeed writer when she grows up. She made this quiz for Curtis and Tate last night.

Manifestogram

Somehow, what starts as soccer always ends as pro wrestling.

Paige's Acting Debut

Paige was born for the stage. She started dancing when she was four [video]. She had her first piano recital when she was five. And she started singing in the school choir when she was seven. But this weekend was her biggest moment so far. Her big theatrical debut.

For the past eight months, she's been rehearsing for a play called Frostbite (which is in no way affiliated with Frozen, despite starring main characters who just happen to be named Anna and Elsa).

Paige had two roles: Lily Bo Peep and Snowman in a Hat. The world has never seen two more confident and animated characters. She knew her lines, hit her marks, and had the jazziest jazz hands of anyone on in the cast.

When she walked off the stage, she was absolutely beaming.

So were we. Proud dad and mom moment, for sure.

Mother's Day

Curtis can be incredibly sweet sometimes. He made this little Mother's Day card for Traci at school. But it was more than just a card, it also included coupons for stuff like a free back rub, a hug, and a song. 

After Traci thanked him, Curtis looked at her quietly asked, "Is there a coupon you want to use right now?"

"How 'bout a free hug?" Traci replied.

"You have to use the coupon."

She used the coupon. 

Tough but fair. 

...

Tate's Mother Day gift wasn't quite as sweet. 

On Mother's Day Eve, he fell asleep on our bed. Traci and I were downstairs watching TV and had kind of forgotten about him -- until we heard a bunch of screaming and crying. 

When we got upstairs, we saw that Tate had thrown up over every surface of our bedroom, with Traci's side of the bed being the epicenter. I took kid clean up duty. Traci was stuck with laundry details -- four loads after all was said and done. 

Happy Mother's Day, indeed. 

Manifestogram

If anyone needs some help with their Dutch skills, this little gem will soon be available at the Deseret Industries in Murray. #springcleaning

Curtis on Religion: Hymns

Curtis told me he wasn't going to listen to General Conference. True to his word, he played the iPad for pretty much the whole session. But that doesn't mean he wasn't listening. As conference ended, the organist played a postlude of Families Can be Together Forever. 

Without looking up from his game, Curtis said, "I don't even know this song. Every time we sing it in Primary, I don't listen. And I just mouth the words."

So there you have it.
---
In sacrament meeting the next week, all the kids were asked to come up and sing that very song. Paige marched up to the front. Curtis, as usual, refused to participate and instead hid under our pew. Tate, now a Sunbeam, had his first chance to sing with the Primary choir--but he was asleep on my lap.

We're not great at church.

Back on the Pitch

Today was the first day of Spring soccer. Tate was so excited about his new uniform that he hadn't taken it off since he first got it on Tuesday (he's even been sleeping in it).

Given my gimpy hip, I decided not to coach his team this season. It was nice to be able to just relax and watch Tate play. I've never seen a kid who spends more time smiling while he runs around. He had a hard time following the ball because he was too busy grinning--not at us, just at life in general. 

Tate also spends a lot of time falling down (he's learned from his older brother that ending every run with a dive or dramatic roll makes soccer way more fun). 

He did manage to score a goal--it was during a timeout, but he didn't know that and there was need to tell him otherwise--and that made him even happier. 

After all of that running and smiling, he went to bed exhausted--wearing his uniform, of course.

What's the Opposite of a Selfie?

It's nice to have a kid who is now old enough to take pictures. Paige snapped this shot of us--on her fourth try. The first had her finger in it. The second and third were blurry. But with her last attempt, she got this gem: A picture of a husband and wife who are happy, despite being generally exhausted all the time.