art and funnies

4/6- A few more pictures of recent art... with some mixed in quotes and funnies from the past year or two.  I have a giant stack of little pieces of scratch paper with funny phrases written on them.  Time to get them on this blog and out of that pile!!  (this will be a long read!)  This first picture is one of Cainan's most recent masterpieces.  Pretty colorful for him!!

Boaz's 'th' sound often sounds like an 'f.'   When he finally gets it right, I'll miss how he says things like "I fink so!"  I also love the way he says 'plaskit' instead of plastic, 'okamel' instead of oatmeal, 'charaker' instead of character,  'hot 'n house' instead of haunted house, 'halleluLah' instead of hallelujah, 'Ward' instead of Lord, 'hospible' instead of hospital, 'chapskit' instead of chapstick, 'elfelent' instead of elephant, 'wonder swopin sway' or 'one purse swopin sway' instead of one horse open sleigh, 'cock-a-google-doo' instead of cock-a-doodle-doo, 'poskible' instead of popsicle, 'tummy hake' instead of tummy ache, 'elmo donalds' instead of mcdonalds, 'elmo darns' instead of menards (this was awhile back).   His 'ganks' has turned into 'fanks' and soon will be replaced by 'thanks.'  It's so fun to watch this little man grow up!

Cainan ends a lot of his words in a 't' sound.  It makes every word sound so funny... opent, downt, muffint, nothint, covers ont.     I love the way Cainan asks for a 'nack!'  Everything is a snack... breakfast, lunch and dinner are all 'nacks' to him.... maybe that's why he's hungry all the time?   I love the way he says the simple word, "Yes" with such sweet inflection and big brown eyes glowing.  The same with 'Me, too!"   His answer to most questions currently, "'Cause."  He's just recently started putting more words together as he speaks.  Sometimes I find myself stopping to count the words he just put together because I can hardly believe it!  He was silent for so long and now his language skills are developing quickly! 

Boaz likes to talk tough, though he's often more bark than bite.  The 'rough' phrases he comes up with crack me up constantly.  Here are a few of the favorites....
"If anyone chews with their mouth open, I will throw them up in a big tree... if anybody dos this!"
"I will just throw them in a tree!"
"I'll just put you in a big hole!"
"I'm going to get you underground/knock you over/knock you down/etc/etc."
"I will just throw you in the sticks!"
"I'll take your shirt off!"
"You can just go up the big hill."
"You should just go to Prairie Lakes Church."  (up the hill behind our house)
Seeing a boxing commercial... "I could knock that guy right off that board- I'd KNOCK him!"
Mentioned that it might rain tomorrow..."I'll get into that TV and knock that weatherman down!"
"You should go spit your gum out!"
"Go throw all of your medicine away!"

Yes-- he does get reprimanded when he speaks to us this way.  Though it's pretty humorous when he comes up with these things!

One day (several months ago) Boaz decided that he didn't like the food I made him. "This is nothing what I like except in the fridge."  He proceeded to open the fridge and look for something that he liked then said, "Huh.  Nothing what I like... let me try again."  He closed the fridge, then opened it again... hoping that something delicious would appear??

When the guys were here doing cement work, one of them smoked quite a bit on the job.  We talked about what cigarrettes are and Boaz said he wasn't ever going to use them.  Then followed his statement by saying, "That's a good choice for Boaz! Good call for Boaz..."

A couple days ago, Boaz declared that he didn't want to be a dad.  "If you're going to be a dad, you have to do your stretches."  When I asked him what else dads have to do, he said "Get a job for your family. Buy stuff... and watch TV."    :)

The boys were watching Mickey Mouse and the characters were skiing.  I asked them if they'd like to try skiing someday.  Boaz replied, "Yeah, because I know! I already know because I've been watching this show for years!"

Spongebob came on the TV after a cartoon they'd been watching.  We turned off the TV and I commented that we don't watch that show.  Boaz said, "Mom, I love this show.  I used to watch it in college. It's my favorite."  Nice try.   

Boaz tells all sorts of stories about the good old days... (imagine all of these said in his matter-of-fact voice!)
"Those are my parents from Colorado..."
"When I lived in Hawaii, I drove a semi..."
"When I worked at the White House..."
"At my old mother's house... she's old and old and I used to go there..."
"This is what my grandson used to wear..."
"At my old grandmother's house she had a garage door that she just kept leaving up..." 
"My old grandmother puts me in the trashcan for timeout..." 
"I don't want to play that game (pretend restaurant Mrs. Guh-Guh's) anymore... we played that for a hundred years."
"My old grandmother told me to do this..."   (I need to investigate this lady!)
"Want to hear the song my old grandmother used to sing?"

- I told Boaz we'd try some of the squash I was making tomorrow.  "I will just sleep really late."  I told him he shouldn't say he doesn't like it until he's tried it.  "But I've just tried it at my old grandmother's house!"

- A car pulled up beside us when we were walking into Hyvee with rap music blaring... Boaz says loudly, "I like this song! I listened to that music when I was in college." The college guy walking beside us proceeds to crack up.   (as did I)

I asked the boys one day what they would put in their dream house... Boaz says, "Some sticks to kill bugs and roast marshmallows." 

A phrase I say often... "Be careful!"  Boaz recently started replying, "We're FINE, Mom!"

We were at my parents' house one afternoon and Boaz wondered why a sliding door in the bathroom was always locked.  Grandma never had unlocked it (the door connects to the office and isn't necessary).  They were in there and couldn't get the door open.  Boaz yelled, "Dad! We have a situation!! We have a situation in here!"

At family Christmas, Uncle Jay said, "Boaz- I didn't know if you'd get to come. I didn't know if you'd get the time off of work!"  Boaz said, "Well, I got voted out.  I just have a new store now and I have to drive 40 minutes." 

"Mom... I love to do the things I love to do."

One day Boaz draped blankets over the toy shelves to create a puppet stage.  He crawled behind, stuck out a toy dinosaur and said, "Welcome to the show!  This show is called 'Dinosaur, Dinosaur. Why, why, why?" I don't know where he comes up with these things.  Luke and I laughed so hard.

(Wrestle/dance time at the Bartlett house...)

At lunch one day, Boaz's taco shell cracked.  He whined and said, "Why is God not fixing this??"  We'd recently talked about how God likes to help us when we have problems.  :)

I told the boys one day that I had a big surprise for them.  Boaz gasped and said, "I get to drive a car?!  And I get to honk?!"

The boys don't like picking up... are there any kids that do?  Boaz will often come up with excuses like, "I'm too tired.  I'm just too frustrated to pick up!"

We were pretending to talk on phones to each other.  When I answered my phone Boaz said, "This is a message for Becky the Mom.  I have some bad news for you, Beck."

"Shoo fly, don't bother me... because I belong to somebody else." 

"Blessed be the name OH of the Lord."   (I just love the way he adds words to lyrics)

"MOM!  You're a frustrate!!"   HA!!

For the longest time, Boaz asked for his milk to be warm & cold.  Every single meal I told him that it was... I have a special place in the fridge for his milk that makes it a little warm and a little cold. 

At lunch one day... "Mom, let's talk about puke."  I told Boaz that I didn't want to while we were eating.  "Well, I will talk about puke all by myself!"

For awhile, Boaz had a little imaginary friend named "Carry On."  Not sure where that came from.  One day he told me that Carry On got shot.  I asked him who would do that??  He responded... "John Wilkes Booth." 

"Does John Wilkes Booth play golf?"   Said out of nowhere while Luke was watching golf one Sunday afternoon.

"That was so sweet... like an apple pie."  (not sure he's ever had apple pie before??)

"In case if..."  In case if anybody wants to, in case if I need it, in case if we... such a funny phrase.

Boaz wanted to wear some of the lipgloss I was putting on.  I told him that lip gloss was for girls.  "Nothing's fun about being a boy.  I guess I will just go to another state."  

For awhile the boys were really into the Muppets.  (they still talk about them frequently)  When the first started sharing a room, Boaz was Animal and Cainan was Kermit.  I frequently heard Boaz talking to Cainan before they fell asleep saying things like... "Kermit!  Kermit- are you down there? Yoo-hoo, Kermit!"

Sometimes I'm suprised by his simple polite responses to my questions... "Um, yes- I sure did."  or "I suppose you're right!" 

"This is a darng it situation.  It's not a very happy situation at all."   (Darng it is his mix of darn it and dang it... I need to stop saying those... and don't very often, but he's picked up on it!)  Cainan has just begun to copy Boaz saying this in the last couple days... except he says it when he's excited and happy about something??!!

"Dad told me I could. You don't need to be worried.  Don't worry about it, Mom."

"We picked up McDonalds for lunch one day (about a year ago) and Boaz saw the clown on the wrapper.  He asked what his name was and I told him, "Ronald."   "Ronald Reagan??" he gasped!

Boaz has a definite potty dance.  When we ask him if he has to go potty, he just says "No, I'm just dancin' to the music."

We were in Walmart a long while back and walked through the dogfood aisle where a worker was stocking the shelves.  He'd apparently just ripped one and it smelled HORRIBLE.  I walked by as fast as possible, but Boaz still shouted out... "Man! It is stinky in here!  It's stinky over here, Mom!"  I about died laughing.

I woke Boaz up one morning because we had to get somewhere.  When I rubbed his head and told him it was morning, his first words were.. "Ganks! Ganks for telling me that..."  (about a year ago) 

our BIG project- part 3

4/6-  Cement day!!  The truck arrived nice and early.  (our neighbors will be glad when this work is done!)  They used these cool machines to get the concrete to our backyard.  The process went pretty quickly!

Cainan likes to make 'blocks.'  A block is his term for making a wall or fence to keep people out.  It's humorous, but also dangerous.  I already trip over everything in this house without his blocks all over the place.  I stub a toe at least once every day.  Luke thinks that means I should wear shoes around the house like him... I refuse.  Barefoot is the only way...

Luke supervising...   :)    Love you, Babe!

Chatting it up with Jon.

Jon smoothing it all out to perfection. 

Watching all the action from outside today... it's so beautiful out!

One of the highlights of each day was taking the guys a morning snack.  We made muffins, cookies, bars, etc. this week and the boys enjoyed sharing with their new friends. 

Myka just started waving a couple days ago.  It's so fun!!  She's also enjoyed giving the boys high fives.

She's given up on using the typical sign for 'more' because I'm never looking at her when feeding this crew a meal.  Instead she grunts and hits her tray... that's her sign language! 

Yippeee!!  The finished cement!

BIG project - part 2

4/4-  I made a big batch of chocolate chips cookies to share with the cement guys yesterday.  I had quite a few left in this baggie, but came out the kitchen to find these this morning...  Cainan was at it again!  (chocolate mouth to prove his guilt!) 

Today they worked on setting our poles for the basketball hoop and net that will protect the house.  The cement truck came this afternoon and Cainan was in awe. 

While we waited for the cement crew to get back to our place from another job, the truck driver entertained our boys.  Cainan had a blast sitting in the big truck!!  The driver even honked the horn for him!

Then he let Cainan run the water sprayer to wet down the road a bit. 

Talk about a nice guy!! 

Luke helped the guys figure out all the specifications for the hoop sleves, etc. 

And the boys watched them start loading up with cement!

Cement going in the post-hole forms. 

They filled the court with the sand/recycle stuff today also.  It's almost ready for concrete!

Boaz thought of a 'GREAT EXPERIMENT' (imagine that in his excited voice) today.  "What if we took a bottle of water and put a drop of color in it and then shook it all over the place?"

Here's what happens!  We got blue water... and then just that fast, the experiment was over.   So funny. 

Rebar is down...  these guys were so great with the boys all week.  They'd turn and wave at them in the window, humor them when they went outside to watch for awhile, etc.  We enjoyed having them all at our place. 

No turning back now!! 

our BIG project

4/2- Blueberries for breakfast this morning. 

4/3-  Today was a BIG day at the Bartlett house.  There are a few of you we'd hoped to surprise with this addition to our home.  But the blog must forge on.  If you haven't seen it firsthand, you'll see it here I suppose. 

For years, Luke and I have dreamed of having a basketball hoop at our place.  Our current driveway situation doesn't allow for one.  Luke and I both love to shoot hoops and envisioned many hours of doing so with our children.    (our friend, Ellen, came over for breakfast and viewing!)

Another thing our driveway doesn't allow for... a flat space to run around, push trucks, ride bikes, etc.   So, we started dreaming about putting a hoop up in our backyard.  Luke's friend, Jon, has a concrete company here in town and posted on facebook something about getting people quotes for projects.  Luke emailed and told him that 'someday' we'd like to have him give us an estimate on a slab for a hoop.  He came out a couple days later and we started thinking more seriously.  And you can tell by the skidloader in the yard that things moved quickly!!  Jon happened to have an opening a week later and we started work! 

They tore up part of our existing patio. 

The boys were in heaven watching the machines at work.  Ellen had the brilliant idea of turning the couch around for prime viewing all week. 

Hauling off old cement. 

And out comes the sod!  Aaaaugh!!  At this point, I second-guessed our decision a bit.  But that was short-lived! 

The boys used pillows to make a giant bed and Ellen read them bedtime stories. 

And more grass went bye-bye outside. 

At lunchtime, our doorbell rang and we went outside to find this... we'd been EGGED! 

The boys had fun running around to find all the eggs hidden in our yard. 

Who could have done such a silly thing??  Jace, Kris, & Addelyn!!  :)

Cainan was a slow egg finder... he took the time to eat the candy inside first before finding another. 

Our sweet friend, Addelyn...

Jace & Myka... born a day apart.   What a fun pair. 

By this afternoon, this is what our backyard looked like!

It was like watching a movie right from our own window.... popcorn included!

At the end of the day, the forms were partially up and our basketball court was well under way!  Jon and the guys joked about Luke being the inspector at the job site.  Just making sure things get done the way we want them to!  :)   Here he is checking out the day's progress with Cainan...