My Rylee Pot Pie

My Rylee Pot Pie--
Oh, where to begin. Not sure whether we should really call her "Naughty Pot Pie".
She can be the sweetest, cutest, best cuddler in the world.
Or she can be a terror. Yep, in the picture above she is sassing me.
She knows when she is being naughty--whenever she is caught in the act, she puts herself in time out. Saves an aweful lot of time."I go timeout" she says as she runs into her place on the living room sofa.
She has such a sweet heart. She also knows just how to tilt her head and smile sweetly. Makes daddy's heart melt. Saves her from a lot of time out too.

My Lil' Tay

Just a few thoughts about my Lil' Tay.
She has always been my biggest helper. Since she could walk she has been out in the yard with me, digging, mowing, planting, and cleaning up after Rylee.
She is such a sweetheart. Always looking after the best interests of her siblings.
At random times she will tell me she loves me and give me a huge hug--sometimes two or three.
She loves when we are together as a family and hates when we are apart.
She loves Princesses, climbing, running, dancing, soccer, and teasing. She loves to play jokes on the rest of us. Her laugh and giggle brighten my day. I love you Tay!

Fathers Day

Fathers Day was the best!
Started the day with a royal breakfast treatment. Six course meal to start the day.
Short church schedule.
Picnic afterwards with my family at Farmington Pond.
It was awesome.
Here are some of my favorite pictures from the picnic.

Here is Jayson headed for the camera. Again.



Two seconds left before I get mauled.



Rylee and Tayler kept running down the hill as fast as they could. This was one of the few times they made it to the bottom without one of them falling flat on their face or back. Not so good at putting on the brakes yet.



They are the best of friends. The other day Jessica asked Rylee if one of the neighbor girls was her best friend. She answered, "Tayler's my best friend". They are so lucky to have each other.



I am a very lucky Dad! Thanks Sweetheart, Tayler, Jayson, and Rylee for a great day!

Um....Daddy....Are you really sure this is a good idea?

Changing Jayson's diaper Wednesday night while Jessica was at Enrichment, I realized we had a real problem. I thought the University of Utah sweatshirt was only put on for pictures. But here it was again.

I gathered the girls together for a mini-family "Cougar Club" council. While I was putting on a fresh diaper I asked them, "How can we let Jayson suffer wearing this sweatshirt? You know he must really hate it. We have got to get rid of it. Don't you agree?" Both girls adamantly agreed.

Tayler, will you take this and throw it in the outside garbage? (Thursday morning is garbage removal time for our neighborhood). She hesitated. "You do it dad". Rylee quickly volunteered, "I do it dad!" Tayler decided she better help her.

As they headed for the front door Tayler double checked, "Um.....Daddy....Are you really sure this is a good idea?" "Absolutely!" I reassured her, wondering myself what the outcome would be when Jess found out (I was pretty sure I was strong enough to take responsibility without throwing the girls under the bus).

Thirty seconds later I heard Rylee crying from out front. "Tayler, why is Rylee crying?" The answer came swiftly and confidently, "She wanted to throw it away all by herself but I did it instead". Well, what did I care, the damage was done. Then a strange thought....I better check and make sure. When I lifted up the lid-----no red sweatshirt. "Tayler, where is the sweatshirt?" No response. "Tayler, where is the sweatshirt?" No response. "In the garage," said Rylee, still teary-eyed. "Tayler, where is it?" "In the very back of the paint shelf". Sure enough, I found it wadded up in a small ball on the back of the paint shelf.

It frightened me how quickly she had come up with her little lie about why Rylee was crying. But then, I'm the one who put her in an awkward situation. 'Was I to blame?' 'Of course not', was my follow up thought 'she learned that from her mother'. (JESS--think VISA). Yeah---VISA.

"Tayler, Rylee, when mom comes home and asks where the sweatshirt is you say, "Ask Dad". Got it. Two head nods--one blond, one brunette. "Good. Ask Dad. Nothing more".

Sure enough, "Tayler, where is the Utah Sweatshirt?" "Ask Dad" came the reply. "Tayler, do you know where it is?" "Ask Dad," I heard again.
'Good, this girl is a fast learner' I smiled to myself.

Then, an unexpected (somewhat tearful) tattle "Mommy, Tayler wouldn't let me throw it in the garbage all by myself." Oh crap! The weak link......
Thanks Rylee.

No harm done. Somewhere in Clearfield there is a sanitation worker with a slightly used Utah sweatshirt on his little boy.

Either that, or it's being used as a rag to clean the dipstick after he checks his oil.

Utah Man

I know.....I know....Jayson, it's horrible!

Don't worry buddy, we'll get that ugly sweatshirt off you as soon as mommy is done taking pictures. Great idea crazy Grandma had isn't it......

What a Stud!

Another successful Daddy-Daughters weekend! Last weekend (not this past one), Jessica spent three nights in Boise and left me and the girls home to play--with very few rules and "sleep-overs" every night. We call it our "weekend of YES".

We went swimming, went to Lagoon, prepared our garden, and watched "The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe" twice. Finally, the girls have discovered some princesses (Narnian Queens) with a little fight in them (and thankfully, a lot less "priss").

When Jessica came home, the announcement was made--"Rylee was Queen Lucy, Tayler was Queen Susan, I was the High King Peter, and Jayson was King Edmund". Unfortunately, that left only one main female character (sorry Honey). Jessica was the White Witch. Everyone in the kingdom was excited Sunday night when the White Witch and King Edmund arrived back in town. However, much to Queen Susan and Queen Lucy's dismay, the White Witch swept into town and put a stop to the sleep-overs. "Everyone back to your own bedroom!" she ordered that evening with an evil cackle (added for story-telling emphasis). "Don't worry," the High King quietly reassured them, "if we have enough hope, Aslan might return and bring sleep-overs back to Narnia".

Now, to the pierced ears. Queen Susan wanted her ears pierced. Even when I told her how much it would hurt, she couldn't be dissuaded. What a brave Queen. She thought it would be fun to surprise her mom (I think I will stop referring to her as the White Witch, lest I become permanently banished from Cair Paravel) by getting her ears pierced while she was gone. Jess had once told me that we would pierce Tayler's ears when she wanted them done. The time had come. So I made an executive decree, "Off to the Mall"! Queen Susan wanted her birth stone studs. So let it be.
She was brave.
Not even a flinch.
Queen Lucy, on the other hand, fearing for the safety of her own lobes, informed me, as she hugged the comfort teddy bear, "Me no want my ears pierced Daddy". No worries.

Jessica was surprised (well, sort of) and thankfully not mad. Lucy couldn't keep the secret. She tried to tell Jess Saturday afternoon on the phone--but I yanked it away. The secret safe for the time being.

But the first words out of her mouth when Jess got home were, "Tayler pierced her ears". So much for surprises.

Another Mormon Missionary "Chooses the Right".

Rise and Shout! Sure enough, Riley Nelson bleeds blue. Cougar Blue.

Yet another tough break for the hapless Aggies.

Maybe next decade...Probably not.