A Four Year Old in the House!

Can you believe there is a big four year old living amongst us? And an amazing four year old he is! How do we go about describing our little Brock at four? I will try, but he is a complex little love. At four Brock is ....
Adventurous
If there is a couch to be scaled, a bike to be crashed, a scooter to be jumped, and any item (you name it) to be jumped off - Brock will conquer. Brock's first attempt at a bike track on his Strider...looked like he had been doing it for years.
IntenseWe are learning more about Brock's personality. This part he is just born with I'm sure! He can be a bit serious and quiet among new people, yet he can observe a crowd and soon have them in the palm of his hand by negotiation, leading, new ideas, sweetness and down right persistance. His teachers call him, "the man", "the quiet leader" and "future president"...wow, strong words for a four year old. But with this calculation comes stubborness and, holy moly, can he negotiate. I often wonder how he can stay one step ahead of me at ALL times. Geez Brock, sometimes mommy needs a rest! Oh and you always say no at first - even if it something fun like going to the park or eating a cup cake. Apparently, this is an annoying trait your mother also had as a child! Here is Brock in his school picture...looking oh so serious. Just to be sure my child was unique I looked through all the other kids pictures...yep...my little Brock was the only one to not smile! I recognize that look on his face, he is thinking 'I know you want me to smile, and I'm slightly amused by what you are doing to try to get me to smile, but I'm in control here - no smile for you!' Intense!
Curious Oh, my smarty pants - you ask the most amazing and thought provoking questions? I really need to be better at writing them all down. We do our best to answer them (or look them up on the internet:)) and fufill your eagerness to learn. We tell you about something once and I soon hear you repeating the story to some one else. Brock has a love of nature and mechanical things - he wants to know how things work, anthing - a dirt bike, a meteor, a jelly fish, a prius. You love to read and we could read for hours! You are starting to enjoy more of the boring stuff like writing letters and drawing!
Sweet You say the sweetest things and you are so loving with your family and kitty. I do have to catch you first if I want a kiss, but come bed time you are all snuggles. You are an amazing brother - right now you enjoy interpreting your brothers 'words' and getting him in on your little games.Taking your brother by the hand and telling him all about the beach - your favorite place. So sweet!

Busy You are always up to something! You always have an idea and you figure out a way to make it happen. I love your creative and busy personality! I wonder what other things you will make happen in the world - time will tell. The other day you told me, 'Mom,when I grow up I want to be a Dentist, a fireman and a worker that works on high poles...but mom, you're gonna have to get me some tiny big gloves so I don't get burned by electricity' Wow, Brock is one busy guy!
Happy as can be perched in a tree.

Funny Even though you can be a little serious at times, you are always up for a good time. Nothing pleases you more than a fun 'outing' as you call them, a good play session with your friends or a funny joke. Here is Brock getting a laugh - he made a ring for his nose out of a pretzel on our roadtrip to Fresno.

The Beach!

As Cory was in Idaho hunting and, of course, breaking his leg, the boys, Mama, Pa and myself went to the beach house to play.

Story time with Pa

Oh Theo! Why must you lay face down in the sand and eat it?!



Major lego time with Uncle Arthur!

Days at the beach house are exhausting!

Fall Fun

Things have been just a tad crazy around here...I can't imagine why? Two kiddos, a crippled and somewhat naughty patient (who hops, cruthes and crawls around the house like a mad man and drives himself on outings when I go to work), and a crazy cat. Before Cory broke his leg I was working on one last summer post because I was so behind and now I'm even more behind! Where to start? I think I will start with Fall Fun and hopefully get to the other posts I've been wanting to do.

Annual trip to Ferrari Farms. Pumpkins, animals, games, corn maze, hay ride...so much fun!



I love this pic. Nora LOVES Theo and I mean LOVES him! Ever since he was born she has been assisting me with him. I believe she thinks I am an unfit mother and I should not be trusted with her Theo. She even wants to change his diaper. Here she is trying to squeeze his cheek. I love Nora and that she loves my little Theo so much!









Halloween party at school - these are Brock's best buds, Sean and PJ - all looking awesome in their costumes. Their school went trick or treating around campus...I'm sure they made a lot of peoples work day!


Trick or treating at about 3pm in our neighborhood before going to our annual friend Halloween Party. I know that we would be disowned as neighbors if we didn't bring the kids by in their costumes...our neighbors answer the door with candy and cameras! We really have the most wonderful neighbors.



Let the fun begin - a Halloween party with our closest friends - 9 kids total now - crazy! The older gang - Brock, Grace, Annie and Tay were totally into the trick or treating. We went to so many houses this year - some of which were VERY spooky. Brock would say - 'did you see that mom - I wasn't even scared at all'.

Cory has a broken leg

While Elk hunting with Ryan Cropper and Bryon Mowlds in scenic central Idaho last weekend, Cory had a stumble and fall which left him with a busted right tibia. The rescue effort required Cory to crawl,roll,hop, and crutch himself about two miles down from 9500' to about 8200'. Ryan and Cory continued moving toward camp while Bryon sped ahead to sound the alarm and send a horse. The boys all made it back to camp just as the sun went down. The next day they all made the final six mile trip to the trailhead on horseback. Four hour drive back to Boise, caught the last plane to Reno with 10 minutes to spare, cab to St. Mary's ER by 7:30 pm Sunday. Xray and CT scan revealed 10 in sprial fracture requiring surgery. Four days in the hospital, twenty stitches, ten screws, steel plate, six weeks on crutches. Thank you so much Bryon, Ryan, Blaine, James, and Jeff! Doc says it will be a memory in a year, so see you opening day!

Girls Get-a-Way

Last weekend I escaped for a girls trip to wine country with the fabulous Alaska wives! They are dear friends and also the wives of Cory's high school friends - we were celebrating Jill's 30th birthday. We rented a limo, visited the wineries and went to Apple Hill. Placerville didn't know what to do with us! It was a blast!

Brockisms and Theo Tales

Um Brock - You are too big for the back pack when you can climb in by yourself and walk around in it!

Brock likes to watch You Tube videos - a little something his Dad taught him. So now he requests the search and then he can navigate the videos by himself. Some of his favorite requests 'rc tractors with dump trucks' or 'motocross tracks with woops'.

Brock with his Magnaformer creation - a turtle!

One sink of water + two boys = hours of entertainment!



All in a Monday with Brock :) My sweet, entertaining, and oh so smart little guy:

Brock and I were playing with Trio - Brock is incredible at building things out of Trio and Legos. As we were playing he pointed to a piece of the structure he was building and said, "Mom, this piece is for stability" a new version of a word he has been using for a long time 'stabilize'

Forget Sesame Street, Brock's favorite books and shows are about nature. We were reading about the schooling behaviors of a certain type of fish (I'm using terminology from the book - I have no idea). I was explaining to him that groups of animals have different names - herd of cows, flock of birds, school of fish. Brock's response, "hmmm...that's interesting'

Brock was setting up some fake spider web for halloween and described the web as looking 'very natural'

We ran into our neighbor at Costco (our favorite store!). She was with the elderly lady that she drives, shops with, etc. Brock said, 'Is that Emma's grandma?' I responded, "No, that is a lady that she takes care of', Brock then asked, "Why?, So she doesn't die?"....pretty good question.

Theo Tales:

Theo was playing in the yard and Cory and my Mom were chatting right next to him. The next thing they knew, Theo was jabbering and proudly walking toward them with a BIG DEAD BIRD (no doubt a Sonny kill)! Gross! You can imagine the chaos of trying to extract the BIG DEAD BIRD from Theo's hand and promptly washing him up! So glad I wasn't there!

Tonight the boys both got baths and jammies on - just like every night around here! The bath tub was draining and Theo disappeared for just a moment - guess where we found him? Yup - sitting in the tub, playing with his toys, up to his 'freshly diapered and jammied' waist in water. And here we go again...

Sliding!

These slides are nothing! You should see me at the park climbing and then sliding down slides that are meant for children at least 5 times my age. Don't worry, my mom is always within inches - I just can't seem to get rid of her!