Spencer

Our sweet Spencer

Spencer is such a sweet boy. He is loving, friendly and kind to everyone. He loves babies and toddlers and especially loves our friend Jill's little girls Alaina and Gabrielle. He is usually obedient to my requests, although he says "you make me work so hard." 

Spencer is who I call my "screen" child. He LOVES anything with a screen. The list includes the TV, laptop, wii, my ipod, and  my phone. He obsesses big time, to the point of turning into a different kid. I keep telling Darin we need to stage an intervention:) It is the worst when I put a new game on my ipod. My friends came a couple weekends ago and showed us a new game, so now he wants to play all the time. 

 Spencer likes to be outside. He loves rocks, dirt, water, all the "earthy type things." Last weekend we went to see the water and we had such a great time. He loves to throw rocks and sticks into the water. Spencer LOVES sticks, as well. He is getting quite adept at climbing on our tree house. He climbs up the slide, and also climbs from the main part of the tree house to the roof of the playhouse. He loves to climb trees. He has a favorite at the Lee RECenter. Each time we go, he runs straight to that tree.

 Spencer is quick to do what I ask him. He knows what he wants, and if I tell him exactly what he needs to do, he gets it done to get his reward. He is focused when it comes to his homework-he wants to get it finished as quick as he can to get on with other things he wants to do. Although he gets frustrated when daddy isn't here since mommy doesn't speak Spanish. Mommy is happy when the teacher sends it home with English instructions!!

Spencer is getting better and better at reading as well. He also loves to help Landon read Bob books. Spencer loves playing with Landon. I found a paper at school where he wrote "my best friend is my brother Landon." He is generous with his brother, sister and his friends. He will share what he has if someone doesn't have something. 

We are so thankful you are in our family, Spencer!!

Scuba Spencer

Anther time my kids crack me up!!

I sent Spencer and Landon in to take a bath. Spencer took his clothes off and ran the garage to get this mask. I filled the tub but they put more water in. Spencer is such an underwater kid-I went to get him and he was actually completely underwater. he cracks me up. 

 Brotherly love!!

I could look at these faces all day. I know I'm biased, but man are they so dang cute!!!

Landon

Oh my Landon....you make life such fun.

This kid cracks me up.

Time to update the kiddos. Landon is a funny kid. He has a mind of his own and comes up with some funny ideas. Here are some things about him at this time in his life.

He could live in pajamas. When he knows he has school, he gets dressed, but if I tell him he doesn't have school, he stays in his pajamas. And I don't fight it. He's been to many public places in his pajamas, including the ones in the above picture. Minus the underwear of course:) He mostly gets smiles and giggles and comments like "do it while you can." Or " I wish I could get away with that."

Landon LOVES his daddy. He prefers him when he's sick, tired, mad, happy, just about any time he prefers his daddy. At times it is frustrating because he will say "I love daddy, I hate you." I try not to take it personal, but at times it does get to me. Darin says he doesn't really know what he is saying. One night at bedtime he did say "I really do love you, mommy" so I felt much better.

This child could be left home alone. I mean it. He gets what he wants to eat with no problem...most of the time. He can push the microwave buttons...which is actually not good since he puts way too many zeros. But he loves to help me in the kitchen-anytime I am going to make something, he wants to be my helper. He can crack open eggs-a bit messy, but he loves it. He likes to stir and pour things in.

Landon can be super exasperating, sometimes, and other times he is super fun to be with. We have started the "bob" books so he can learn to read. He likes it and tries hard. He gets frustrated when he is doing work like making projects, etc. He wants things to be perfect and gets so really upset if it is not the way he wants. I subbed in his preschool today and we were making robots. He drew eyes, but then he didn't like them and had a fit until we fixed it.

This little brother truly loves his big brother. He misses him when he is at school and if we are out running errands and I buy him a treat, he always wants to get one for Spencer. Well, for sissy as well. But he and Spencer play really well. He likes everything Spencer likes as well. Saturday mornings he and Spencer will get up and play really well until we get up.

Lanny is still a challenge in sacrament meeting and primary. He just has such hard time sitting still for that amount of time. He is getting better, but we still struggle. He does ok in primary as long as he is not sitting by anyone else who is loud. And the teacher really makes a big difference to him. If he likes the teacher, he will do well.

I just love this little boy-he sure is a stinker, but our family would not be the same without him!

I had to stick up for him.

Spencer and Jordan have been in a Karate class after school once a week. They have been enjoying it, especially Spencer. I have been proud of him-he has been trying so hard. He's so shy and always worries that he isn't good anything, so I have been just so proud of him for trying and sticking with it.

So I really had to stick up for him yesterday. I am the parent who checks the kids in every week and makes sure they are signed out after. I got one of my kids in the class free for doing this, so that was a good perk. So the kids come filing in each week, take their shoes off and start running around. Well, a couple weeks ago, Spencer and his little friend were the only 2 kids to come in and sit right down and start stretching and getting ready. The teacher marked them down for that and after class said that Spencer was one of the stars of the class. I really built him up after class-told him how proud I was, etc. So on the way to school Thursday morning we talked all about how today for sure he would be getting an invitation to test for a belt since he had been doing so well.

Well, yesterday he did the same thing-came in, got ready and paid attention. The coach started the class by telling the kids he would be watching them and looking for the kids he would "invite" to "test" for a belt. I sat and watch the class and Spencer did really well. At one point, the coach lined all the kindergartners and first graders up, and Spencer stood at attention and did everything he asked. Oh, and it's not pertinent to the story, but Spencer was the tallest kid in that group, as well.

So at the end of class, he told the older kids and the kids on the "blue line" and any kid that had a check on their hand to come over to get their "invitation" to test for a belt in two weeks.

This is where I got mad. Spencer was not on the "blue line" nor did he have a check on his hand. WHAT???? I was so upset. I had watched him all class and he was great. I wanted to rip into the coaches. I know this may seem "dramatic" like Darin always tells me I am, but I could not understand it. Spencer was of course heartbroken and felt like he failed. He was obviously confused as he totally expected he would get an invitation.

So I stood with Jordan-who did get one-I think he gave all the older kids one- and asked him about it when it was her turn to get her paper. He told me to talk to him after class, so I did. I told him that he had told me Spencer was top the week before and that I felt like he had done the same work today. He said he was getting better; although he did seemed surprised that he hadn't given Spencer one. It think he realized he had over looked Spence because at one point he had the little kids in 2 lines and Spence was in the back.

So he offers to test Spencer right then, but Spencer was already upset and thought he "didn't think I did a good job." He ran off and was crying. It was cute because Jordan ran over and was consoling him. She was just as upset as I was that he didn't get and invitation to test.

I probably was not as clear as I should have been. I should have just asked the coach why Spencer didn't get a check. One of the problems is that there are entirely too many kids in the class-nearly 40 kids. And how on earth can one coach watch that many kids at all times? Anyhow he grabbed Spencer and they had a little talk after his little crying fit. But Spence said he couldn't tell me what they talked about. ( Later in the evening he said he would get another chance next week. I felt a bit better after that.)

I finally got out of there half an hour after we were supposed to-mostly because the coach had to talk to all the kids, and I was ranting and raving all the way down the hall. Little did I realize the assistant coach was walking right behind me the whole time....awkward!!! At least the main one wasn't-although I worry about him telling the main one how upset I was.

Did I go a little overboard? Maybe. Should I have just left and told Spencer to try harder next time? Maybe. When Spencer cried and ran off, should I have just left it at that so he could learn a lesson? Maybe.

I may not have made the best choice in the situation, but I would do it again.