Dinosaur Park

We have some good friends that have kids that are roughly the same ages as our kids.  Willow and I decided to test our mom skills one day and take all EIGHT of our children to the Dinosaur park one day.  Luckily we only lost one kid for about fifteen minutes.  The kids enjoyed themselves with the exception of the animatronic dinosaur room which Gideon and Harper hated.  Gideon buried his head in my chest and would not take one look and Harper had the death grip on my legs.  

Tate's Birthday Party

Since his horrible mom limits him to one hour of video game time each day, all Tate wanted for his birthday party was gaming. So here is the geek squad. They are playing the game that is Tate's current obsession: Star craft. It is all he talks, thinks, sleeps and breaths about.


I like to joke about things, but in all honesty Tate is the sweetest, kind hearted, responsible eight year old I think I have ever met.
Some things that I truly love about this little guy.
. He is only allowed one hour of game time each day. He sets a timer for himself and stops playing when it goes off.
. He has the sweetest, most genuine testimony.
. He adores his siblings, especially his new baby brother. When people say to him "won't your brother be fun when he grows up a little". Tate replies "I love him so much right now.
. He does wonderful things for me all the time! Mothers day is seriously his favorite day of the year and he spoils me with mounds of hand made goodness.
. His insatiable thirst for knowledge is facinating and the way he retains everything that he reads is just amazing.
. He strives every single day to make right choices. If I ask him to do or not do something he earnestly tries to obey me.
. His pure heart. He is the real deal. And I love him for it.

Resourceful Kids

Tate kept bugging me the other day to help him climb a tree. I didn't have time but he kept persisting, so I off sarcastically said, "get a ladder".

This is scene I came upon 10 minutes later;

Harper was actually at the top of the ladder. I pulled her down and grabbed the camera.

I just glad I've never told him to drive the car somewhere...

You can be a winner at the game of life.

So, I was playing Life with Tate and his cousin Derrick yesterday. Life so happens to be one of my favorite games. Growing up I played it a lot with my family. I bought it for Tate this Christmas figuring that he was now old enough to enjoy the game.

We set up the Board and I proceeded to give Tate a lesson on the importance of making good choices in "life." Such as choosing to go to college at the beginning of the game. I explained how it takes a little longer but in the long run you can make more money and have better success in the game. He choose to go to college and I gave myself a nice pat on the back for helping my child make a good choice.

Little did I know that they have added a little something new to the game of life. Tate landed on a "spin to win" tile. I had to refer to the instruction to find out what that was exactly. Well its like heading out to wendover for the weekend. You pick a number and put money down up to $50,000 and then spin. If the spinner lands on your number the bank pays out 10 times what your "investment" was.

This is the part in the game where I explain to Tate about how you can lose everything that you put down just for the "small" chance that you would actually win. I tried to teach him about smart money choices. After my little talk I ask Tate what he would like to do.

"$50,000 on #1" Tate replies. He spins, it lands on 1. He makes $500,000. Thanks game of life.

Obligatory Easter Pictures Post

Aren't my little chickens the cutest?