Guh, Guh, GO

We've been working with Ben on some of the sounds he has trouble making, mostly hard C's. Over the weekend, Jamie taught him about the hard G sound.

He can tilt his head back and say "guh, guh" like he's gargling water (I think that's how she taught him in the first place - with water). So when we want him to practice a hard G, he'll do that drill - a couple "guh, guh"s and then the word.

This morning, he's in an anti-school mood and said didn't want to "DOE" to school. We wanted him to say GO:

"guh, guh, NOT DOE to school"

Jacuzzi and Naw-Naw Fingers

Ben (still) has this obsession with his two left hand fingers (index and middle), putting them upside down in his mouth while he plays with a tag (aka "Naw Naw"). Nowadays, he usually only does it when he's tired.

XMas night, Jamie and the kids went over to the Holiday Inn where YaYa and BaPa were staying to use the jacuzzi. When they returned, Ben asked:

Mommy, after you go to the pool, and you put your fingers in your mouth, is it good for you?

(Wondering if the chlorine taste on his fingers was ok for him)

Christmas 2008

Santa's Delivery:

• Avery - American Doll clothes: matching outfit for Avery, a vball uni (including knee pads and shoes), a stand-up dresser for the clothes
• Connor - 2 Nintendo DS games: Mario Kart, Super Mario Bros
  
• Bennett - Nintendo DS system, black case with Mario on it, Kung Fu Panda

Other presents from the 'rents:

• More DS games, Khet laser/mirror board game, balance board with maze, bead mania (melt beads with an iron to make a design), twister hopscotch,
  

Dan: "Sport Comfort" Bike (looks like a mountain bike, but isnt)
Jamie: Ugg boots (the real ones, with the good treads), cookbook

Kids to all:

Avery

• Dad - bungie cords
• Mom - glass ornament
  
• Connor - book light
• Ben - big bird wrist watch
  

Connor

• Dad - book light
• Mom - vase
  
• Avery - stuffed animal penguin
  
• Ben - SWAT kit (handcuffs, suction cup gun)
  

Ben

• Dad - wind spinner
  
• Mom - bear
  
• Avery - wrist watch
  
• Connor - LCD sport watch
  

Aztecs at Camp Marston

Had a great weekend with Connor and the Aztecs at Camp Marston (Julian, CA). The highlights:

• Rock Wall Climb - Connor made it to the top! Wow! Unbelievable determination, based on picture time stamps, he was on that wall for 25 minutes. Brookie passed him to the top and they had a chat when he was coming back down. "Did you make it to the top?" "Ya, it was easy".
• BB guns - Connor was a sharp shooter, with a handful of buls-eyes. Of course he only moved the target on the cable downrange about 15 feet :)
• GA GA -- new game "arena" they built by the rock wall. Check it out. Boys were in the ga-ga pit all day long, opting for that over other activities. Even us dads got into the mix occasionally. (Now back at the homeland, us Aztec dads are looking into the possibility of building a Ga Ga pit at Pacific Rim)

Sleepover at Cousins

All 3 kids got to sleep over at their cousins' house Thanksgiving weekend. Check out the fort they built.

Quote from Ben about their cat Izzy: "Tan you put da tat in a tage? "

(He's not real fond of Izzy jumping all over him ... obviously)

The best part of the story is that Izzy did end up sleeping in the fort with them after all (probably laying all over Ben in the middle of the night), and Ben didn't know or care.

Thankful on Thanksgiving

Avery made a little tree at school where you write what you're thankful for on a small paper leaf, and then hang it on the tree. We all wrote our notes and put them on the tree up at Aunt Cherie's house. Some great one-liners:

• Avery: I am thankful for my family, nature, and oxygen.
• Connor: I am thankful for my family and cousins.
• Bennett: I am thankful for Batman DS game.

A & C also spent some time with Grandma Roth, asking her some questions about her life growing up. (They got the idea and some of the questions from a recent Rice Krispies box.) We recorded most of it for posterity. Some great info: getting to school on a sled, nobody could afford college cuz it was the depression, no vacations - parents took them to a park once, etc.

Avery Likes Beef Tacos

A couple weeks ago, Avery went on her solo trip with my parents to the elderhostel in Dunsmuir to learn about the Boxcar children.

Anyway, on the last night there, the food offered in the cafeteria was BEEF TACOS, and AVERY ATE THEM, and LOVED THEM ! Came home saying she'll have them with Daddy. Only problem: the meat had the flavored seasoning and she liked that part too :( (Daddy no likey)

I'll believe it when I see it. I want to have a ground beef taco blowout, soft shells, potatoes, the works...