Summer's end

Ok, for those of you who don't live in the valley of the sun, you may wonder how summer can be coming to an end when it is still 101 here, but the finale is absolutely here! One night last week when I was up at 2am I opened the windows and it felt like fall! It must have been 72deg and the high that day was only 97! I was sad that it only felt like fall in the dead of night, but there is hope ahead.
Swimming. When we moved here I thought it crazy that folks did not swim longer. Like I said, it is still 101 or more, so why aren't people swimming? Because the water is 74deg, that's why! We got some goggles on clearance and had to try them out yesterday. That will be our last dip in the pool I'm certain. It was too cold! However, jumping and then getting out to sit poolside was perfect.
This last segment goes along with the Ryan entry a few days ago. Dan and Ryan were having some time together while Alex was at basketball. They were watching football.
Dan: Do you want to be a football player when you are bigger?
Ryan: No, I want to go into space.
Dan: Oh, how are you going to get there?
Ryan: I am going to build a rocket. I am going to use your truck and make it into a rocket.
Dan: What are you going to do when you get there?
Ryan: I am going to build you a new truck and send it back to you.

Photo shoot

My friend Lacie and I had a little photo shoot with Macey last week. Here is a compilation of that get together. Thanks, Lacie, for helping out and editing at home.

Lacie made this announcement. It is way cute. Although, I just noticed that Macey is missing an 'e'. Drats! Forever Macey will have to be like Anne of Green Gables, 'That is [Macey] with an 'E'."

Month old Macey

I like this for a birth announcement, but I just don't see me printing any off and mailing them. Mostly I made this one so I can put it in Macey's baby book!

I took Macey to the doctor today. She now weighs 7lbs 5oz, and is 20" long. She had her tear duct massaged clean, which she did not enjoy, and then she had a shot, which she REALLY did not enjoy. A rough day for my baby.

Dan is out of town this week. He comes home tomorrow night. We miss him, but we are surviving. I can handle being a single mom a few days at a time. The boys LOVE when Dan goes out of town because they get a surprise. And Ryan thinks it is way cool that Dad is staying a hotel!

Ryan's Wants

Dinosaur: Ryan said the other day, 'Mom, can we go down to the zoo and get a pet dinosaur?'
'I don't think there are dinosaurs at the zoo.'
'Yes, there are. Can we go get one?'
'Uh, our house is too small for a pet dinosaur.'
'We can build a bigger house.
I really wish we could get him a pet dinosaur for just one day!

Rocket: If you want to see his eyes sparkle talk to Ryan about going to the moon in a rocket. I believe I have put this info on here before, but man he wants to go in a REAL rocket. He is waiting for me to get it at Target!

Remote Control Tarantula: I have no idea where he first saw this toy. I thought he was making stuff up when he asked for a remote control tarantula, but Lo it was in the ToysRUs catalog we got yesterday and he is siked! Perhaps Santa can help us out with this one.

House (pool) sitting

Our good friends the Williams are off for a two week jaunt and we have been enlisted to check on the house and Charlie. We are also given free reign of the swimming pool. I have been wanting to film Ryan in the pool because I just cannot believe what a fantastic swimmer he has become this summer. Alex has gained confidence and really improved this summer also. Dan throwing Ryan out while jumping in.

Alex doing the same after Ryan has led the way!

Huh, throwing two boys at once?

This is his Spiderman jump.

Alex lookin' cool!

Ryan surfin'.

Mom and Macey relaxing poolside.

More visitors

We had a little get together yesterday with part of Dan's family. Here is Dan's sister Kirsten with her boys, Trey and Coby. Trey came to the hospital, but wasn't allowed to come into the maternity ward. He was bummed. But you can see here that he was very excited to see Macey at our house. Coby wasn't very interested in her. Grandpa Bob was taking care of Macey while Dan and I went to an earlier Sacrament meeting. We came home to find them snug on the couch.

Dan's sister Emily and her husband Zack came when Macey was a week old. The boys took most of Zack's attention. They consider Zack to be a kid like them.

Grandma June has been a big help around here. Be warned though: if you come when June is here you have to fight for your turn to hold Macey!

Our crew

Here is our crew of three. I love how Macey is looking at her brothers! Alex: Alex is at school when we have been taking most of our pictures. And he has to compete with Entertainer Ryan and the New Sister, so unfortunately we don't have much in the form of documentation of him. But, he is excelling in the first grade. His teacher is really pushing him this year. It is exciting to see him challenged (even though it is a lot of work for me too!)

Ryan: Ryan is coming to terms with his new sister. He helps change diapers and give her baths. He is going through a middle child crisis. He is constantly coming up to me and saying, 'I love you, Mom.' He needs reassurance! He also has fits if I try to spend time just with Alex. But he is funny and entertaining as always. He is loving preschool. I'm glad that he has something that is just for Big Boy Ryan.

Macey: Ok, so Macey will have to spell her name her whole life. I'm sorry little one. I really didn't consider Macey a unique name. However her Dr. wrote a Rx for her in the name of Mace and Walgreens assumed that it was Marcey. She still just sleeps and eats. She is a good little baby. Her little cries are more like a kitten's mewing. She gets the hiccups regularly and has a daintly little sneeze. Her legs reflexively go sky high when she is startled or during a diaper change. She had her first tub bath and it was a family affair. She is beautiful and peaceful. I just hope that Ryan doesn't try to carry her around and that Alex doesn't kiss all her hair off!

I'm not the only one who lives here.

I am a pile-er, stacker, and draper. I tend to lay things down here and there; but then in a spurt I put it all away. I need order and organization occasionally. I do make my bed everyday. I like the pillows to be in the correct place on the couch. I get a little crazy about the extra Tupperware in the fridge.

So when my boys build one of these forts I have to accept it. I'm OK with it for about an hour or so. But then I get the twitches and I just have to go in my room. I have to remember, 'This is there house too,' and 'I'm not the only one who lives here.' I love their creativity and their adventurism. I like to see where their imaginations are taking them. And when they play wild games or make enormous Lego stations or tape 10 different pieces of construction paper to their bedroom door (they were building a sandcastle), I have to keep the mostly dormant housekeeper at bay. They eventually tire of whatever mess they have made. And then I go Berserk trying to put it all back (or getting them to put it all back)!