Adding to the Reier Children's List of Grievances...

Matt took the kids to buy pumpkin plants today.  The instructions were given, "Set the plants on the front porch until we plant them in the grow boxes.  Zeke will get into them if you leave them on the patio."  Maggie's ended up in the family room... HELLO?????   Anyhow, when said father discovered the mess (because Max had the vacuum out cleaning in an effort to protect his kid-sister) Matt scolded Maggie and told her she had to clean up the mess.  She stomped out of the house, "We are not supposed to be treated like slaves!"

So, we crush their "Happy Birthday Spirits" and we "treat them like slaves".   Wait, not ME!  Those accusations were both directed at their father!!!! Whewwww.  Safe again.

Ooops.

I forgot the funniest thing that happened at the MTC...  Scroll back down to the photo of the kids and I with Bo.  Look closely at the object in Max's hand.  Now for the background.  Easter was three days before.  Grandma Reier puts on an Easter Egg hunt like none other.  It really is more like a festival of toys and treats... literally, the Easter Bunny hides "stuff" (not just eggs, in fact mostly stuff that doesn't even fit in an egg!) until all hiding places are occupied and then the bunny keeps going.  Get the idea?  Well one of the many items was a battery operated fan that was also filled with Easter-themed candy.  Yes, every kid ended up with, like, ten of them.  When Max started to cry, he whipped out his "fan" which was fully operable.  Stuck it right up to his face and said, "No problem.  I'll just dry my tears."  Later, I found myself the recipient of such service.  WHERE DID THIS KID COME FROM?    Oh yes, I forget...Kid Planet.

Max's 8th Birthday

OK.  Why do my kids like Chuck-a-Rama???  Chuck-a- something!  But they sure do.  Hey, I cook quite a bit, so it isn't that they don't get good home cookin'.  Anyhow, we spent the evening out at you guessed it.  On the way home, we had three meltdowns that occurred in rapid secession.   First Maggie (not sure what got her going), then Hannah, and lastly Max.  It was pretty darn funny!  So, I decided to document the event with audio and video. Listen carefully to the first clip. I say, "What did Dad do?" to Max.  Max replies, "He crushed my happy birthday spirit!"

  

Missionary Prepping

... with Grandma and Grandpa Reier.

Then... we had to have a big party to celebrate Bo's new adventure. I wasn't sure where all the people came from. Do you thing there is such thing as "farewell groupies" for prospective missionaries????
Just a few days left!
Jill Winegar!!!!! We love Jill. (I think Bo kinda likes her too?!?!)
Last time Blake and Amy Walker were at our house, Blake was dressed like a woman... a scary woman! Then he showed up and expected us to believe he was respectable?????

Humm, these friends weren't hired. Bo must have thought these friends wouldn't be scared away by us, and apparently they weren't! They actually frequented our home on occasion.
Brooke and Jason (Bishop Lambert that is..) and cute Finn. Better than just good friends!

Mom, Is there REALLY an Easter Bunny?

To start off, we schedule the Easter Bunny to come on the Friday night before Easter Sunday. So, yesterday Max asked me if there really was an Easter Bunny because, as he sees it, it really could be the mom and dad.  My reply was something to the effect of, "Do you really think I would buy you all that crap to eat and make a mess with?"  He didn't have to think about it very long before he replied, "No, but Dad would."  Then walked out of the kitchen to carry on with his Indiana Jones activities.

So, when I was leaving for my run this morning, there was a note on the door that someone left in the middle of the night (I know it was really late because I was up with the dogs and Bo and Jill were in and out till who-knows-when).  The note indicated that there were eggs hidden in the front yard.  Matt let the kids hunt the eggs while I was gone.  After the eggs had been located, Max brought up the existence of the Easter Bunny again.  It went something like this:

Max:  I believe it is a possibility that you could be the Easter Bunny.  Not Mom, but maybe you.

Matt:  (Had nothing to say at this point.)

Max:  But then, I think I found some bunny fur on one of my eggs.

Then he left in his usual matter-of-fact way having asked and answered his own question.

Black and Blue

Here are some "progression"  photos of Maggie's head injury.  When I got home last night, both of her eyes had a hint of blue to them... the shiner-kind of blue.  This morning, yep, two black eyes filling in quick!  When I told her we needed to take a photo, she didn't want to because she said she would be embarrassed.  When I told her we would put them on our blog, she was all about getting the photo shoot done!  Silly girl.

Max's Taxes

The setting: Matt at his desk and computer doing taxes on the morning of March 28, 2009.
Max enters the study. Seats himself on a nearby chair. "Whatcha doin' Dad?"
Matt turns to Max: "I'm just doing taxes."
Max: "Are you going to watch 'Chuck' while you work?"
Matt: "No, I think I'll need to concentrate here."
Max: "Well, can I watch you do taxes?'
Matt: "Yeah, but it is pretty boring."
Max: "That is OK. I have to do lots of boring things. Besides, I should watch because someday I'll be grown up and have to do taxes."

Epilogue: Max didn't last very long. Perhaps he is a quick study.