In July we went down to the farm for a week long visit. While we were there we hiked to Hickman Bridge in Capitol Reef. This is a picture of our family just before arriving at the bridge. Hickman Bridge is a nice hike for families, especially on an overcast day where it isn't too hot outside. There are crevices in the sandstone that make fun little "clubhouses" for the kids to play in.

Giving Up at an Early Age

Seth was carrying several of his toys up the stairs in our home. He had placed them in a box in order to carry more at the same time. "Mommy!" he exclaimed, "I wanna go home. It's too hard!"

Do You Want Tickles?

Deborah was playing with Seth and teasingly asked him, "Seth, do you want tickles?"
"Yesh" was his reply.
"Where do you want them?" she asked. "On your feet?"
"No." he responded.
"On your tummy?" Deborah continued
"No." he again responded
"Then where do you want them?" she asked.
"On Hyrum" was Seth's reply.

Daddy's Girl

 

- by Jessica

The Candy Bars and I

In the garage
is a cache
a non-nutritonal stash
of candy, handy
from last summer's
scouting outing.

There's quite a lot
in a pot.

Snickers and Milky Ways
enough to last me many days.

I often eat
a sticky treat
of non-nutrional
chocolate sweet.

Today, I threw the stash
into the trash
and covered it with a bag of wet garbage.

I'm free!

- Maribeth Ivie

Not Bad for Age Two

Seth had some cereal in his hand, along with the bag out of the box. He thought it would be funny if he started throwing the cereal, which he proceeded to do, causing his mother to quickly take the bag of cereal away from him. He cried "Gib it back," but his mom told him "You can't have cereal if you are going to throw it." Seth continued to cry for a few more minutes, then without prompting, he went carefully around the room picking up the cereal that was on the floor. Finishing he then went his mom and said "more pease." Charmed, his mother gave him the bag back. We sometimes underestimate his level of understanding.

Conversation between Seth and Noah

Our two youngest sons were sitting on the bed. Seth carefully brought Noah a stack of toy animals. Then he presented them to him and said:
"Hey, baby! Here go! He like it! Here go, Noah! Here's a robot!"
Pretty good for age 2, both in the speaking and sharing departments.

Frustrated Hair

Debs was in a hurry to take our kids to school, and so she left without doing her hair or anything. Upon her return Hyrum looked at her unkempt appearance and remarked, "Mom, your hair looks like you woke up, and were just all frustrated."

Grandmothers, The Best Help

Hyrum wanted to go to his Grandmother's house and was trying to pester his mom into taking him. "Mom, please can I go to Grandmother's house? Please, will you take me? Please, please... PLEASE!!!!" Deborah, who was struggling to get the house clean, without a lot of help from her children, patiently explained to him, "Sorry Hyrum, but I need to clean our house today. Can you help me clean the house, and then I'll have time to take you to Grandmother's?" Hyrum considered her request and then replied, "But if you will take me to Grandmother's house right now, I won't mess up or get into trouble here, and you'll be able to clean faster."

Swiming with the Fishes

Having heard the term, "Swimming with the Fishes" many times, Hyrum decided that it was time that he actually experience it. He filled the bathtub with water, and then getting a fish net he managed to scoop up a guppy which he then plunked into the tub to swim with him. Though a fun sounding idea, the guppy didn't survive.

Juicy Coincidence

Deborah was picking me up so we could run an errand with our three young boys in tow. Seth was seated near the passenger door, and then Noah, and Hyrum was behind Deborah. I climbed in our van and as she pulled away from the curb we heard an "Erphhhhh!" from Seth. Turning around we found Seth drenched in orange juice holding a huge half-empty pitcher of it. Apparently he had been attempting to get a drink from it when my wife accelerated. "Hyrum, did you open that and give it to Seth?" Deborah asked. "No" was his reply. Taking the pitcher from Seth and trying to mop him dry with a towell, I looked around his car seat, but couldn't find the cap. "I wonder where the cap is," I exclaimed as I search around Seth to find it. "Oh, hey, here it is," said Hyrum holding up his hand. "I found it right here by me. That's lucky I found it" I took the cap from him and screwed it back on the picture, and Deborah and I had a good chuckle.

Guess Who?

So you can tell that this is an Ivie, but which one?

Miraculous Math Book

This morning Cassandra couldn't find her math book.  She was frantically looking for it before leaving for school. When I picked her up this afternoon, I asked her, "Did you find your math book this morning?"

Her response: "Actually, when I got to school, it was already there, Mom!  It was a miracle! I had a miracle today!!"

Not Square

Hyrum was watching me as I made sandwiches for his sisters to take in their lunches to school.  He was impressed as I took a sandwich that had been cut in half diagonally and was able to fit it into a sandwich bag by putting the two halves back together.  "See, Hyrum, two triangles make a square."  I said to him, trying to be educational.  Hyrum looked at my work and then replied, "That's not a square that is a 'bread'."

Kissing it Better.

Seth is fascinated with his new younger brother and likes to point out his different features like his hair, or nose.  When it comes to pointing to his eyes we have to stop him before he pokes Noah in the eye, "No Seth, be gentle" to which he immediately takes out his binki, and kisses Noah on the forehead with a big, wet 1-year-old kiss.  I guess he figures that kisses make everything better.

Noah Ray

 
Such a serious little baby we decided to name him Noah.  At 8 lbs and 13 oz, he was quite a big kid, and look at that hair!  He was 20.5 inches long, but we think he will end up being as short as our other kids. 

1-Year-Old for "Get Your Own"

I was passing out granola bar treats to each of our kids this morning. Seth came running up and so I offered him one, and then I asked him to take it to Cassandra. He obediently headed straight for Cassandra, but upon arriving where she was, rather than offering it to her he held it close, and said to her "Da-EE" and pointed in my direction. We had a chuckle at how he was able to express himself. Apparently he wanted to keep the one he had.

Hyrums Short Parkour Life

"Parkour" is the term for an urban gymnast who climbs walls, jumps between buildings and other outdoor stunts. I watched a movie with Deborah called “Parkour Rules” that showed some amazing feats by young men who were performing all sorts of impressive outdoor gymnastics. My son watched the video with me with wonder and decided while I was at work that he wanted to try some of the same feats. He tried flips on his parents’ bed, and was quite good at them, deciding that the next step was to do a flip off of the bed. He went to the side of the bed and jumped off, turning mid-air he rammed headfirst into the floor. He cried for a while and later confided to his Mom that he wasn’t going to try and do the other Parkour tricks that he had seen. We’re going to be more careful about what he watches on TV/Internet.

Katie Elizabeth Shaw

Born: April 6, 2006 at 11:32 a.m.

8 lbs. 6 oz.
21 1/2 inches

Black Hair, Blue Eyes, Beautiful Baby

At Least He's Honest

Two or three of our more clever birds have learned how to escape from their cages. In an effort to keep them from escaping Deborah has tried twisting wires and using carabineers to keep them in their cages, but they have managed to figure out a way to get these open. Deborah has since tried placing small luggage padlocks on the bird cages and these seem to be working but they hold a fascination for Hyrum who likes to take the key, remove the locks and play with them. One night Cassandra carried the locks upstairs to her mother and asked what she should do with them. Deborah asked Hyrum, "Hyrum, did you just do this?" "No" was his reply. "Then when did it happen?" "Oh, about an hour ago."