Secret Agent Ellis

I have to follow up the post about Henry's imagination with a quick nod towards Ellis' own ingenuity. Thankfully, Ellis has not yet entered in to any Why or What If phases just yet. Instead, he loves to pretend that we are all other people. Recently, this means that each morning he will assign one of us the identity of one of the Apostles, or, in Jenn's case, one of the Relief Society, Young Women, or Primary General Presidency members. Today, for example, I was Elder Holland, Henry was Elder Nelson, Ellis was President Uchtdorf, Sam was Elder Cook, and Jenn was Sister Wixom. If we aren't prominent Church figures, we're often U.S. Presidents (Jenn gets to be my first lady!). Ellis is good at this game. He never forgets who anyone is, and if he catches you calling someone else by their real name, rather than their assumed identity for the day, watch out! He will insist that your correct yourself and repeat the entire sentence with the correct alias. I swear this kid's going to be a double agent when he grows up.

Aside from apostles and presidents, Ellis has cycled through a few other great sets of characters for us all to be. A few of these actually lasted for days on end; Ellis would wake up in the morning and instantly be in character and would expect the same from us. He's a professional. Anyway, here's a list of some of the good ones:

- Leo (Ellis), Quincy (Henry), June (Jenn), Rocket (Ben) (from Little Einsteins!)

- Woody (H), Buzz (E), Jessie (J), Bulls-iah (B) (Toy Story--note that the horse is really named "Bulls-eye"!)

- Father (B), Mother (J), Son (H), Bomgwomgwomgwom (E)

- King of the Dinosaurs (B), King of the Dinosaurs (J), Henry (H), King of the Dinosaurs (E)

- Ben (B), Jenn (J), Henny (H), Ehngph (E)

- Puffin (B), Vulture (J), Finch (H), Penguin (E) (I love that Jenn, of all of us, was Vulture)

Between this, and Henry's What Ifs, you can imagine the kind of circus we're living in around here! And yes, I love (nearly) every minute of it.

What if?

Long-time readers of our blog might remember a classic post that Jenn wrote a couple of years ago entitled "Why Me?" When I put our posts together into a Blurb book a few months ago, I re-read that post and Jenn and I have been laughing about it ever since. I'm happy to report that the "Why?" questions have died down considerably over those two years (although they could be just around the corner again if Ellis follows in Henry's footsteps), so we can now look back and laugh at the hilarious things we were forced to explain to a 3-year-old.

Unfortunately, the Why Phase has been replaced by another, perhaps worse one: the What If Phase. For those of you that haven't yet had the pleasure of living with a child in the What If Phase, let me give a brief description. Your 5-year-old has an imagination that knows no bounds, and NEVER stops. He has decided that the best way to use this imagination is to conjure up wild scenarios, precede them with the phrase "What if..." and then DEMAND an answer from his parents. He will not rest until he has gotten some response. It is his quest in life to know exactly what you think would happen if that wild scenario actually took place. It does not matter if his parents are trying to talk to each other, deal with another screaming child, navigate a new area of Boston, purchase groceries, or flee a burning house. He needs to know, NOW. When your child is in the What If Phase, you can say goodbye to uninterrupted anything.

But the real problem with the What If Phase is that there is no good answer to the questions your child asks. Jenn and I collected a sample of the What Ifs that we have gotten over the past 72 hours or so. How would you respond to some of these?

What if...

- it was 2,000 and a zillion degrees?

- 22 million ants and 1 queen plus 32 quadrillion queens plus 32,000 workers went marching in to town?

- there was an intersection with way more than 4 roads, and you were just driving in circles in the middle of it?

- there was a place that had no moon or stars?

- the boss of the Motts Company told everybody in the whole company they were fired?

- there was a crouton as big as our house?

- there were dinosaurs in the clouds, and then the clouds broke up and then the dinosaurs went out of the clouds?

- you and I were walking to Joy School, and every time we saw someone we knew, they gave me some bread, and on my bike I had a basket, and we put the bread in the basket, and then we got to have the bread for afternoon snack?

- we baked some bread shaped like you, and every time you did something nice, we got to put cinnamon sugar in it, and we spelled "I Love Jenn" with butter and cinnamon?

- there was a car that didn't have wheels, but it just rolled because it was shaped like a wheel!?!

- they kept feeding us candy and it never stopped?

- I did all of my jobs before and after the timer?

- 3002 became known as the treat-weather year?

- I was an astronaut and I need to use the toilet?

Okay, so that last one you might be able to answer. But the rest of them? We find ourselves saying things like, "wow, that would be crazy," or, "whoa, that would be scary!" over and over again. At first, naive little parents that we were, we tried to imagine along with him, thinking this was a great game and a good way to interact with our kid. But after about 75 What Ifs, my imagination just breaks down. I just can't keep it up any longer, so at this point as soon as I hear the "What if..." my brain literally shuts him out, and when it sounds like he's done with his question I muster a, "that would be wild, Henry," and usually that's enough for him until about 30 seconds later when he comes up with another one. My other go-to option is to retort with something like, "what if there was this boy named Henry who actually got his pajamas on when I asked him to?" Shockingly, that has yet to actually get him to put his pajamas on! :)

Henry's other recent use of imagination is to invent new games. I think this stems from the fact that I got an iPod Touch a while ago that I let him play games on occasionally. Now, he invents his own games, complete with levels and points, and the whole family gets to play them! "Playing" them basically consists of us trying to act things out, while Henry makes up a bunch of rules that (a) don't exactly make sense and (b) ensure that he wins. Here's a quick sampling of some of the titles:

- We Are Shooters

- Kill Game Route Shoot

- Blood Vessel Defenders

- Star Killers

- Route Number All War Game

- Animal Savers

- Spy Action!

Lastly, after studying up in his Children's Encyclopedia (easily the most-read book in our house), Henry came up with a game called "Questions of the Human Body." The way this game works is I get to name a body part, and he has to tell me what system of the body that part is in. This is my favorite of all the games, because I get to ask him what system of the body the liver is in, and he actually knows it (often when I don't)! I guess suffering through all of these questions from this most quizzical kid really is worth it!

Jogger

Look who's all grown up and big enough to go jogging with Mom! We've gone a couple of times together now and he loves it! Thanks to this product which keeps him a little more snug and stable in the jogging stroller, which made me feel more comfortable taking him along at 3 1/2 months!

And the double stroller! It looks like we've got two blanket-sucking boys on our hands. It seems that Sammy's favorite pastime is putting any type of fabric in his mouth, much like his big brother who can't go to sleep without sucking on the edges of the blue blanket above. Just be forewarned: if you give Sammy any of the blue fleece blankets ("the Mamies"), you'll have to suffer the wrath of Ellis. Trust me. You don't want to mess with Ellis and the Mamies.

Father of the Year

Being the considerate wife that I am, I got Ben the Father's Day gift he has always wanted: the chance to be a dad to six kids! Let me tell you, he was THRILLED.

The best part was walking into church with Ben and our six kids (all under the age of seven). Our ward boundaries were just realigned, so this was the first Sunday in our new ward, and I'm sure everyone who didn't know us thought we were nuts! Several people asked me how old our daughters were, so I know many people assumed they were all ours!

Anyway, so Ben had the privilege of keeping the wee ones quiet during church while I took care of Sam and occasionally helped by passing a book or a package of fruit snacks down the pew. Apparently I'm really good at ignoring other people's kids when they are loud in church, because I didn't even realize that a few of "our" kids were being quite noisy until I looked over and saw how stressed Ben looked, sitting between a bunch of kids with one on his lap, trying to hush the others. I was just about to be responsible and start helping when I noticed Sam probably needed a diaper change, only to look down and realize that his diaper had just exploded out the leg of his pants, ALL OVER my white skirt! Aah! So I couldn't help it - I escaped and left Ben even more alone to live up to his role of Father of the Year.

Other than church, it turned out to be a pretty fun (albeit exhausting) day. It was fun to have some girls in our house for a change.

Doesn't he look like he could pull it off? Just for the record, we're not planning on six kids . . . but maybe five! We still need our two girls, right? Doesn't it look RIGHT to see Ben with boys and girls?

Ben really is just the best sport ever. He always goes along with my crazy plans and is ALWAYS here when I need him and is willing and happy to help with all sorts of kid-related fun.

And let me tell you; these three boys love him to pieces. As soon as 5:45 rolls around, nothing in the house matters unless it's related to D-A-D. In fact, I pretty much don't even try talking to either of the big boys after Ben gets home, because they just say, "I'm not talking to you! I'm asking DAD!" I don't blame them. All I want to do is talk to Ben too (but I usually don't bother trying that either until the little chatterboxes are in bed!).

[I took this picture after lunch today when EVERYONE (except me) wanted to sit on Dad's lap. And Henry wanted his picture taken with pizza all over his face].

Jenni & Troye

Jenni & Troye left their 4 kids in Utah to come visit us for almost a week! We felt honored that they would choose to spend their time away with us (and, let's be honest, the Red Sox). I created this post a few weeks ago and forgot to publish it. Oops! Well, it allowed me some extra time to steal a few pictures from Jenni's blog! I didn't take enough pictures while they were here.

Anyway, despite my picture-taking ineptitude, we had a great time! Jenni and I took the boys to Cape Cod one day while Troye golfed at a fancy golf course (by himself - he just joined a group and made fast friends!). We also spent a day in Concord and a day in Maine. Jenni and Troye spent some time downtown as well; they went to TWO Red Sox games and took a tour of Fenway Park!

Here is Jenni with my boys at Cape Cod. Sammy had a major blow out (what's new?), so we wrapped him in the sling until we could buy him the cheapest little overpriced outfit we could find!

We loved having Jenni & Troye at our house! They are such fun friends and great company. They feel just like family. We miss them already and can't wait to catch up again in Utah!

Ben's Birthday

Here we go. Another year of Ben attempting to catch up with me in maturity. Somehow I fear he'll never make it! But you've gotta hand it to him for trying . . . and we had fun celebrating this amazing guy's birthday!

His big birthday gift: a tag-along bike to ride with Henry!

We spent the afternoon at the North Bridge throwing rocks in the Concord River.

And (sorry for the blurry picture! It's the only one I have!) the best part of his birthday is that we got to hang out with the Sorensens who were in town for Mike's graduation! It was a treat to have them spend a few days with us.

Okay, maybe the best part was when Christina's parents took us out for a fancy, delicious dinner downtown, and then to Mike's Pastry to top off the evening with TWELVE cannolis to share between the six of us! We officially bonded with Mark and Paula, and I'm pretty sure we have adopted them as our new extra-parents.

Look-Alikes

From the day he was born, everyone has been saying that Sam looks a lot like Ellis. Well, the past month he has been looking a lot more like Henry. I guess he's a little bit of a mix - but that's to be expected. The third time around, they're just all starting to blend together . . .

Henry

Sammy

Sam at Three Months

Three or More

I am just discovering a few things about my new leap into the "big family" realm. This is why it works to have more than two kids: the 5-year-old is often actually helpful! I'm LOVING Henry right now and all he does to contribute to our family. He has taken it upon himself to be Sam's little buddy, and he'll jump at any chance to play with him and make him happy. He'll run all the way upstairs to fetch a pacifier before I even realize Sam needs one. He'll play and laugh and make faces at him to entertain him. He'll bounce the bouncy seat or rock the car seat. He'll protect Sam from the dangerous "I'm-going-to-step-on-your-head" Ellis. I love that these two are forming a good relationship already. I love seeing the sweet, willing-to-help side of Henry that he had not exhibited before. I love the thought of someday having another baby and having Ellis at this helpful age, and Henry at an even more helpful age. How wonderful this is for kids to serve each other! This is how people have more than two kids! I'm starting to get it.

Funny Moments

1. The day Ellis' jeans ended up in Henry's drawer, so he put them on, and they totally FIT -- just a little differently than his own jeans fit. I think he'll start a trend for fitted, capri-length pants in boys!

What do you think?

2. The day "Elder Hales" went missing . . . and was later discovered on the bottom of Mom's shoe! I did feel bad, because I definitely don't think apostles' faces should be trampled on, especially by me . . . and we have all been wondering if Elder Hales might be sick, since he didn't speak in General Conference in April (which is why his cut-out wasn't on the Conference Train with the rest of the Apostles and instead made it to the bottom of my shoe). Yes, I do feel some guilt about this.

And apparently Ellis ("Elder Nelson" today) doesn't approve either.

F.A.Q.

Q: Is there really a group called "Tabernacle kids" or is that Ellis' special name for his very own group? At first I thought you were kidding, but the multiple references has me doubting.

A: These are the children whom Ellis calls The Tabernacle Kids. Really, they are any group of children who have ever sung in the Conference Center. He watches all of their clips on YouTube and totally idolizes them.

Jenn

Mt. Auburn Cemetery

We had a feeling that Ben's parents might have a hard time returning to Utah from the breathtakingly beautiful and G-R-E-E-N Scotland. So we thought we'd help break them in slowly by taking them to the most enchanting place in our neighborhood: the Mount Auburn Cemetery. My pictures don't do it justice. The cemetery was absolutely gorgeous with all the spring blossoms in perfect bloom.

Ben's mom and dad couldn't get enough of the azaleas, rhododendrons, and flowering dogwoods, and they helped us plan out what we will plant in our future yard (someday!).

I adore all the details of this garden cemetery - from the ancient-looking headstones to the ornate little signs that mark all of the pathways. I wish I had more/better pictures -- especially of the angel statues that I would definitely choose over a slab of granite to mark my grave (remember that, friends).

We had a picnic here at the mount where we could see a pretty decent view of Boston. It was a bit chilly and overcast. We were commenting on how the whole experience seemed like something we would do in Scotland . . . when we heard the sound of bagpipes coming from below. A Scottish funeral was about to start in the chapel. Coincidence? [I think Ben must have paid them in advance.]

Here is the view of the city from the top of the cemetery's tower (yes, this picture was taken on a different, less-cloudy day).

The Warrens and I agree on names that sound good together, apparently.

Ellis used every spigot he saw as a "mikerphone" to conduct General Conference.

Here he is sitting down while waiting for the Tabernacle Choir to sing "Glory to God on High."

Here he found the perfect set of steps to be a Tabernacle Kid. He insisted on singing 3 verses of "I am a Child of God" at full volume.

And here's Henry standing perfectly still for a full 2 minutes. He was sure he heard the buzzing of a bee, and you never can be too cautious.

Blessed

Blessed:

• To have good friends who came to support us in holding Sammy's blessing at home (when Elder Perry's visit complicated our plan to have it at church yesterday)
• To have been able to share the blessing (and 3 blissful days!) with Ben's parents, who just returned from a very successful 18-month mission in Scotland
• Mostly, to have three wonderful, amazing, adorable boys -- especially our little Samuel Patrick. We love him!