New York, New York

Nate was going to New York for some training, so I tagged along.  Here are some of the highlights.
Zachary Quinto (the guy that plays Spock in the newest  Star Trek) was on our plane and Nate got a picture with him. 

So, the trip got off to kind of a cool start.
Our hotel was right across the street from Madison Square Garden.  We were "lucky" enough to be heading back to our room one night after a Nicks game let out.  The street was packed with people and cars.

We saw a Broadway show, the Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island, Ground Zero, and the Empire State Building.

We had dinner at Carmine's one night.  The food was so delicious.  It is served family style so there was a lot of it.

We had a lot of fun and it was so nice to have the time together.  However, it is always nice to get home and be with the kids.

A Work of Art

Zach was being very quiet and I was worried that he may have fallen asleep too soon before bedtime.  No worries.  He wasn't asleep.  When I asked what he was doing, he replied, "Nothing."
This is his version of nothing.

He found a couple markers (one Crayola and one permanent) and decided to "color a picture" for his teacher who is coming for a visit today.
After I suppressed my laughter, I grabbed the camera so his teacher would be able to see the artwork and (hopefully) a clean boy.  I put Zach in the shower and reached for my makeup remover.

Thanks to the Pond's you can hardly tell he used his face and arm as paper.

Golden Birthday

Brandon turned 6 on the 6th of February.  We had a really fun day of playing games, eating donuts for breakfast, and having a giant cookie instead of birthday cake.  Brandon has grown so much in the last year and it has been great.  He is showing that he is more and more like his dad.  He is doing well in school, but he doesn't want to go.  For awhile he was asking me daily if he could stay home.  Not because anything about school is bad, just that he'd rather be home doing nothing.  I love this little guy so much.  Happy birthday, Brandon!

Priesthood Times Two

We are now blessed to have two priesthood holders in our house.  Jacob turned twelve last week and was ordained to the Aaronic priesthood on Sunday.  What a blessing to have the priesthood in our home.  Jacob was so excited to attend Young Men's on Sunday.  I feel like time is passing so quickly and he is growing so fast.  I am proud of the young man he has become and look forward to watching him honor his priesthood throughout the year.  Happy birthday, Jacob.  I love you!

Number 4 is 3

Zach turned three today. As I sit here typing, I'm trying not to cry. My baby isn't really a baby anymore. He is, however, a very fun and active little boy. He would tell you he is big though. He loves to play. Especially with cars, trucks, balls, and trains. He is so sweet. He always tells me goodnight and gives me big hugs and kisses. I'll take those for as long as I can get them. I love my "big" boy and look forward to watching my three-year-old grow and learn new things.

Call Me Spider-Man

Zach and I were making an "All About Me" page (with some help from friends) for his preschool class. We are not particular about calling him Zach or Zachary, so I asked him which name he wanted me to put on his page.
"Do you want to put Zach or Zachary?"
"Um, Spider-man."
"No, you have to have Zach or Zachary."
"Zachary."
"Zachary or Zach?"
"Zachary."
"Ok, Zachary it is."
"Mom, can you call me Spider-Man?"
At least he enjoys playing and pretending.

Beginning Reader

With about four weeks of Kindergarten down, Brandon brought home his first homework book. It consists of different things they are talking about...letters and the sounds they make, numbers, writing his name, and some sight words. The Kindergarten teachers have taken what is, in my opinion, a really great approach. "Don't push your child if they are not ready, please work at their pace." So, I asked Brandon if he wanted to work on it and he did.
We started going through the book and he was doing so well. Telling me the names and sounds of the letters, reading sight words, rhyming. I was excited and so was he.
When Brandon was younger, he didn't talk...at all. He made some noises, but didn't have any words. So, we put him in speech therapy. He did well, but I was always a little concerned that he would have a difficult time in school. He is doing well.
He doesn't like school, but that is because it is all day and he said, "It takes too long." However, he enjoys learning and is so excited to show me what he has accomplished. In fact, he just came up to me as I'm typing and is picking out the words he knows. Way to go, Brandon!