Tucker's Sunday Reds

Written fall 2011-

Tucker loves the color red. How and when we pick our favorite color I do not know. But for Tucker his favorite has always been decidedly red.
Our kids (and their Dad) have always had striped/crazy socks. Mostly they are dressier socks and not their everyday wear. They each have several (or many!) to choose from. Over the last two years Tucker started only wearing a red striped pair of socks to church. When we would get his clothes ready the night before those were the ones he would lay out. Or if we did not get the clothes ready the night before (oh the pain!) he would fall into a heap on the floor in sadness if he could not find the right red stripes. One Sunday I told him to just pick a different pair of socks and he looked at me with a look of disbelief and said, "But I only want to wear my Sunday Reds."
So Sunday Reds they have been called ever since.
This year I looked and looked for a new pair of Sunday Reds as a gift for his birthday. The older striped ones were turning into ankle socks. Hooray! For his birthday he opened up a new pair!

-eating a Popsicle out on the church lawn after a Saturday practice for the children's primary program- 2011

Spring 2014

Red is still Tucker's favorite color. He will pick an item based on color. Except for socks. Because. You know. Boots.

Tucker is 6

 Tucker is 6!

In celebration here are 6 photos from this morning as he headed out to school.

Tucker loves cowboys. He doesn't dress up like one. He is one.

I was talking with him about Halloween and suggested that he dress up like a cowboy. He just looked at me and it was like I could read his mind. 

The boots that he got for Christmas were all but falling apart. I have used them as a bargaining chip since school started. If there was something in question I could just say, "you'll loose your boots," and that shaped things up quick. Until last night. I said the phrase and he whipped his head around to look at me and said "I'm not wearing those boots again. I am going to wait for my new ones." 

(He just knew he was going to get them for his birthday-we had looked at some and tried them on.)

He has wanted a "big" buckle like he sees all the older boys (and men) wear. Jack found just the one and got it for him. It was sweet.

Right after school we are headed out to go ride.

 

 I love my 6 year old!

1st day of Kindergarten!

 

This big boy is in all day school! A big day for him and for this momma! He was so excited. He had been excited all along, but expressed his concern for me. He didn't want me to be lonely. Whenever I was headed out to the store he would ask if anyone else was going. If I said no, then he jumped to go and would say "I don't want you to be lonely!" I kept reassuring him that everything would be just fine, that I would miss him but I would be fine. I guess it worked because he hasn't looked back!

 

-so much to carry!  a lunchbox and a purple (required) school bag-

The day before school started we went to meet-the-teacher and dropped off all of his school supplies with all the other kids. It was a busy place! Tucker was excited until we got a note that said the first day of school they would be having a "luau" to celebrate. I didn't realize it was worrying him until he told me he wasn't so sure about the "aloha" and he wondered if he would have to dance. I tried to ease his mind that it was going to be fine. He wasn't so sure.

But on the morning of the first day all jitters were gone about the aloha and he was just ready to get the show on the road! Can we just get in the car and go already?!
The whole family was loaded in the car and "I" was doing fine with the idea that all of my children were going to be in school all day long.

Until we started talking about how we were all going to walk in- Tucker didn't want to have anything to do with it. He said "why can't you just drop me off?" (reminded me of last year!) I was starting to explain that it was tradition for mom and dad to walk the kids into school on the first day when Savanna piped up with, "plus this is Mom's last time ever to walk one of her kids into school on the first day of Kindergarten!" Followed by, "It's a big day!" I felt the hot tears and tight throat coming on and tried to laugh it off. Jay said "way to go Savanna, you are making mom cry!' She thought he was kidding so then she started to sing Taylor Swift ... she quickly realized that there was no kidding. I choked it back and got it all under control so I could get these kids to school!

 

We parked around the corner from the school and started the walk in. I felt like I was doing fine, until I saw the marching band in front of the elementary and the Kindergarten building. Something about the music and seeing all the other tiny pre-K and Kindergarten kids and the other moms getting all emotional made me get that tight throat again!

-Love those boots, even though he had new shoes he still chose the old worn out boots-

All of a sudden my big Kindergarten boy didn't seem so big anymore. He's my baby!
I left pretty quick. I didn't want him to see me getting all emotional and then having him get sad.
After I knew that he was where he needed to be, we left to go get Luke dropped off to 4th grade.

I pulled myself together, but let a few more tears go as I passed other tearful mommas.

I couldn't resist stopping back by to see him in his class. When we had dropped him off his room wasn't open yet. I was so excited to see him smile and wave! He was happy and had a lea on no less!
(I guess the aloha was going to be fine after all)

All in all I think it was a great first day. Even if Tucker came home and proclaimed that the teacher wanted to call me because he got mad in the middle of the day. That was the only thing he complained about. Everything else was, in his words "Great!" (or gweat if you speak like Tucker)

Survey says ... back to school edition 2012-2013

I love the survey's we do on the first and last day of school. I just went through all of them- It is so fun to see how each child has changed over such a short period of time. Even their penmanship!
Here are just a highlights from the first day of school 2012 surveys.

Savanna-10th grade

What did you wear today? 

My red pleated dress from the Trunk Hippie road show. My dad really likes it. 

(I do too, it is like it was made for her!)

If I could change one thing about my first day it would be:

I would like to have had a longer lunch period. I wish I had more classes with certain friends.

My favorite thing about summer was:

I LOVED  getting to go so many places! I stayed really busy!

My least favorite thing from summer was:

I didn't finish my summer reading list or my summer bucket list.

When I grow up I really want to:

Be a music teacher and a photographer.

What do we need more of in the world and what do we need less of?

More friendly, outgoing people. More color! Less awkward silences. Less homework.

Jack- 7th grade

What is great about being in 7th grade?

Having a locker.

I think my favorite class will be:

Art.

If I could change one thing about my first day it would be:

Keaton being here.

(I'm sad for you too.)

My favorite thing from summer was:

Photos.

My least favorite thing was:

Chores.

When I grow up I really want to:

Be some form of artist.

What do we need more of in the world and what do we need less of?

Kinds of art          war

(I love how all of Jack's answers are very to-the-point-one-word answers.)

Luke- 4th grade

I think my favorite subject will be:

Science

I am not looking forward to:

Math

One goal I am setting for myself this year is:

More A.R. points.

(that is going to be tough- but I am sure you will succeed!)

My favorite thing from summer was:

Swimming

My least favorite thing from summer was:

Heat

What do we need more of in the world and what do we need less of?

More happiness, less unhappiness

Anything else?

I'm upstairs this year!

(I am so glad this is exciting for you- moving up!)

Tucker- Kindergarten

What did you get to do on your first day of school?

Got to have a tiny party and stay in school all day. We had lunch in the cafeteria.

What was great about your new classroom?

Our cubbies were hidden! (where were they?) I can't tell you.

I think this year I will learn:

When we get in our room we start playing.

(hmm- I think there will be some adjustments!)

Something I am looking forward to this year is:

Getting the playground in

If I could change one thing about my first day it would be:

Having the playground in

My favorite thing about summer was:

swimming

My least favorite thing was:

the hotness

What do we need more of in the world and what do we need less of?

I don't want any floods.

Anything else?

My teacher was going to call you. I was sort of mad in the middle of school. The helper was giving me a lot of orderings. My teacher should be the one to do it. 

(Oh boy.)

The 2nd Three Billy Goats Gruff

I was so glad that Tucker picked the same Fairy Tale Character as Luke did from when he was in pre-k.

I cracked up when I went back to find the post of Luke being the littlest billy goat.  Back then I was begging Luke to pick something else, and this time around I was begging Tucker to please be a billy goat. 

  

Tucker would have nothing to do with the beard or all white outfit.  

But he did wear the horns and the tail.

 The boots were especially helpful in making the "trip trap" sound going across the bridge.
He was really worried that people would laugh at him- but once he got to school it was all fine when he realized everyone else was dressed up in his class.  He even tried to give the principal a little headbutt with his horns!

Easter

Our Easter was memorable- We did the things we normally do to celebrate Easter, and added some new things. Some things went just fine, and others didn't go so well.

This (and the following instructions on her blog) is what one of our added things was supposed to look like. But instead it grew mold. I didn't even bother with the pictures of that.

I tested gravity to make sure all laws still applied.


They do.

This is a resurrection cookie that we make every year. I had a hard time finding the recipe. So I got off to a rough start. I added everything in the wrong order- and started mixing at the wrong time. But after the kids went up stairs I did a quick re-do of the dough and we put them in the oven overnight just like we were supposed to.

The idea is that in the morning when you open the oven, the tomb- the cookies are supposed to be hollow, empty inside. But not this year!

So after that- we all just laughed and finished our Easter prep ... our family was speaking and doing some of the music in Sacrament meeting. I don't think I have ever been so thankful for late 2:00 church. We enjoyed a simple Easter brunch with my Mom and then finished our preparations.

Savanna sang All Creatures of Our God and King and it was beautiful. I don't say that just because I am her mother. It really was beautiful. I just sat and took it all in- afraid to blink or shed a tear for fear I would miss a note.

Jack gave a most heartfelt talk and testimony about Christ. I love that he took it so seriously and had it prepared a head of time. I am thankful for his devotion.

Luke played his own version of As I have loved You on the piano. He sat down that week and taught himself by ear chords to go along with the melody in his mind. I am thankful he agreed to play and when it was time he willingly got up and played.

And Tucker helped by being semi-reverent. He sat part of the time down in the pews with my Mom, and part of the time with us up on the stand.


I cried through most of my talk- and Jay spoke with ease. We all felt relieved to have it over, but also very thankful to have been able to speak on Easter. We were asked a few weeks ago, and it gave us ample time to ponder what we felt like we needed to study and speak about.

We subbed out a traditional Easter dinner for simple appetizers. It was a great end to a beautiful day.

The Easter Egg Hunt

There are no eggs in these photos. Our church had a BBQ/Egg Hunt- and my camera battery died. At least I thought it did. I missed all the kids running for eggs, and the mania that ensued. I missed the photo of Jack finding a $10 egg in the youth hunt. But we have all seen egg hunts. Imagine one and put my kids faces in it.

But then I had the idea to double check my extra batteries-and I am so glad. I didn't miss Tucker and Luke on the horses. Our kids love going out to this families farm- when we get there they jump out of the car before its even parked, and I don't see them until its time to go. And even then it is hard to see them because they run away when I call for them.

This family is so giving of their time- I have no idea how many times she walked around, and around giving kids rides. I am sure she was tired by the end, but she never seemed tired or put out.
Luke was kind to share with Tucker- and I think they both liked it. But I think Tucker's imagination took off when he got to ride by himself. These photos are meant to be scrolled through really fast- if I knew how I would put them all together in one of those moving pictures.




It got me thinking of his other cowboy & gun shots- cheese, gun-in-church pistol-to pop, cowboy Christmas to name a few.



And there you have the egg hunt.

Cowboy Christmas

Tucker asked Santa for a pair of boots that didn't come off when he walked. In other words he wanted his own pair of boots, not ones from the dress up box.

Tucker was thrilled to find not only a pair of boots, but a gun & holster and his own pass to the cowboy museum.

In his mind he is a real cowboy.

Tucker Week- animal parade

I am going to take a few weeks to highlight each of the kids. Believe me there are plenty of things that I could blog about that are negative, and I could vent all the annoying things. It is not my point to only portray our life like a glossy magazine. It is not. There are frustrations, tears, arguments, struggles, self-doubt. Pretty much a normal family life. But if I don't focus on the positive ... who will? Plus there are some pretty funny things that the younger kids do- and some sweet things from the older ones that I don't want to forget.
First up ...

Tucker week!

He called out "Hey -mom, come see what I made!"


"An animal parade."


"The stinky animals are on this side," (left)



"... and the not stinky ones are on this side." (right)

one whole hand-

Today this boy turned 5!


One whole hand!


Dear Tucker,
You were so fun to celebrate with today! You had such fun requests. The easiest meals to make for your special day.
For breakfast you requested: hot dog buns with honey
For lunch you requested: hamburger buns with jam
For dinner you requested: scrambled eggs with bacon
For dessert: " that yummy red cake because its so good"
Like I said the easiest requests!








When you woke up today you were excited thinking about getting to wear the birthday hat at church and being sung to in Primary. When you opened up a present before we left for church you were thrilled to get your own box of orange tic tacs. You always want your own box when we go to the store, and I don't buy them. You were so excited and said "my own pair of tic tacs!" By the time church was over the box was almost empty.
We let you pick where to sit in church and you picked the very front pew. That turned out surprisingly well!
Today you changed clothes many times- I stopped keeping track after outfit/dressup #8.
You and I had gotten out the size 5 box of clothes this last week, and today you wanted to wear everything that was in the box because as you said "now I am 5." You also added many items from the dressup bins to your clothes. You were variations of many different things- cowboy, batman, there were a few swords, and weapons of different kinds mixed with odds and ends from the bins.
You were so much fun to be with. You took all of our birthday traditions seriously. You made sure that you were the first one to take a bite at all the meals. All day I have thought about how much joy you bring to me and to the whole family. I am so glad you were born.



Last night I was thinking about the day you were born and how you got your name. All throughout your pregnancy we would talk about different names. We liked the name Quincy a lot. Luke picked up on the name and said that you would be Quincy P if you were a girl. If you were a boy we really liked the name Clarke. So right after you were born and we knew that you were our boy, I held you close and stared into your sweet face and questioned the name. I looked at Dad and back at you and said that I did not think you were Clarke. It was so funny, the name just was not you. So we took a day or so to think about it. The hospital raised a fuss about us leaving without naming you. But nobody was going to rush me into naming my son!
On the drive home we decided on Tucker. Tucker James. It is so you. I can't imagine you as anyone else.
I am so glad that you were born.
Love, Mom