The BrehiThomas Family Blog: July 2019

4th of July

We continued our tradition of driving to the Texas BBQ capital for lunch. Lehi cued up the "America" playlist, Lincoln insisted in bringing a lunch box with a bowl of (dry) cereal, and we began our drive. While there are at least 4 very predominant BBQ restaurants, we went with one of our favorites, Black's. The line to get it wasn't too long and the food was delicious as always. The boys were in heaven. I am pretty sure Maverick ate his weight in brisket (to Lehi and my dismay). ;) On the drive home we talked about what we were celebrating and what it means to live in a free country. We want the boys to know it is not all about fireworks and awesome food, but so much more meaningful and important.

That evening, we went to join our ward family at the Jeppson home for a dessert potluck. There was so much good food and with people arriving at different times, every trip back to the table brought new treats! It was Harry Potter magic caliber. Maverick & Lincoln quickly became sweaty messes via the trampoline, but part of that was our fault putting them in PJs to go outside in a Texas summer. After the kiddos did sparklers we headed home.

Maverick was a little dismayed when he discovered we did not buy any fireworks...all you really need to do in Texas is put chairs in the driveway and watch all the neighbors blow up their money. ;) Texans love their fireworks. However, after a very convincing argument from our sweet 5 year old, we drove a whole 30 seconds to the nearest fireworks stand (there are at least 8 in the 2 mile it takes us to drive to Tasha's house) with our $20 budget. Lehi blew the budget (surprise, surprise) and we contributed to the show.

Toothpaste, Toothpicks, & Marshmallows

We had some pretty great FHE lessons that were SO easy but have stuck with the boys. The first was talking about how we need to be careful what we say, because once we say something, we can't take it back. I squeezed a bunch of toothpaste onto a plate, gave each of the boys a toothpick, and told them to put all the toothpaste back into the tube. After failing, we talked about how the toothpaste is like our words and we can't "put them back."

The next one was similar to one we did with Maverick last year, but Lehi of course added a fun twist. Lincoln has been having a difficult time taking one piece of bread during the sacrament. So we practiced....with large marshmallows. The boys told us how many we are supposed to take, we talked about why, and after a few practices "just taking one" they were able to roast their marshmallows for some s'mores.

Jensen Family Visit

The Jensen family stayed with us for a few days for Logan's reception here! They stayed busy with wedding festivities and soaking up their time in Texas with Alamo visits, Sea World, etc. Maverick and Lincoln loved beating up on Scott (who did an impressive job keeping up with them being in a sling!) and taking pictures with Sharla (last pictures Mav took of Linc and Linc took of Mav). The reception was awesome, especially the food. We were so happy we were able to spend time with their family!

Kiddie Park

There is an old school park with carnival games & such called the "Kiddie Park." They were moving into the Zoo area, making it their last weekend in the original location. I decided to take the boys and had Lehi meet us there when we got off work. Parking was impossible so the bots and I ended up walking a fair distance to get there. We got lucky with the weather not being miserably hot and it not being too busy inside. The boys had so much fun. I am glad Lehi was able to meet us because they loved having him there with us...and he drove us back to the van so we didn't have to walk all the way back. ;) Also--I didn't puke on the carousel (preggo win!) and Mav & Linc had their first ever funnel cake, which they devoured.

They made the "pew pew" noises with the guns the whole time

Lincoln was cracking me up with how he sat on the rides

Lincoln REALLY wanted to be in the train car that Maverick was in...this was his face the ENTIRE duration of the ride.

Pool Party, Baby

We made one the bets purchases this summer--an inflatable pool. The boys had some fun with it indoors before we moved it to its permanent home outside. I can't even begin to estimate the hours that have been spent (and will be spent up to the end of the summer) in this poo. I love the boys being outside, but it is so hard to do in this insanely hot weather if you are not in water--even though I whimpered like a puppy getting into the freezing hose water every time. Lehi was always amazed how my preggo self could be so cold in 100 degree weather. I just needed the sun to warm up the H2O a bit to be comfortable.

Mission's Baseball Game

Our minor league baseball will have $2.00 Tuesdays, with tickets and selected food being $2.00. The scouts went for an activity (going with their families). With Lehi being Cub Master, we naturally went, too. The boys were...busy but we tried to point out some things with the game to get them to pay (a little) attention. ;) My favorite part of the whole game was Maverick singing "take me out to the ball game" and finishing the song with "....one, two, three strikes you're out of the base...ball....game!"

Linc Meets Stove

We have been scolding Lincoln almost daily for walking on the kitchen counters. For some reason, he feels obligated to scale the entire kitchen rather than just asking (or even getting up on the counter where the desired object is located). I had just make the boys some quesadillas (a new favorite this summer) and went to the family room to do something. A minute later, I hear Lincoln scream a scream that I knew was more than just a scratch or bump. Low and behold, the kid decided he needed a cup from the other side of the kitchen, and walked across the entire counter area to get it. Well, he walked right on top of the stove where the burner had just been on. Poor kid scalded his foot pretty good. I think he sensed it pretty quickly because it could have been a lot worse and it was just the edge of one of his feet. After sending some texts asking for some Burn Gel, the amazing Nicole came through with a prescription cream she had for burns. I THINK he has learned his lesson....but only time will really tell. It healed up fairly quickly, but most of the afternoon was spent with him in tears and hobbling around.

National Cheesecake Day

Yes, I was that crazy mom who took her kids to get a discounted slice of cheesecake. Yes, my kids danced around outside while waiting to be admitted into the Cheesecake factory. And yes, it was worth it. I figure life is only going to get more crazy the more kiddos we add, so you might as well embrace the now! The boys saw the cake with sprinkles and immediately knew that was the one they wanted. The contrast between their cheesecake & mine towards the end was the best. A mangled pile of crumbs vs a neatly layered piece of perfection. We did share, but I used the boys' fork to get a bite from mine rather than letting them dive in. Lincoln did steal my dark chocolate flower on top and shoved the whole thing in his mouth before I realized what was happening. Great memories and most likely a new tradition, too!

Quotes from the Month:

Maverick to Lincoln: "Are you going to eat that tortilla?"
Lincoln: "Yeah:
Maverick: "No! Don't eat it! It will make you evil!!!!"

Maverick announced that I was a loser after he won a game we were playing. He then quickly corrected himself, recognizing that was not a nice thing to say, "...person who lost...mom, what do you call someone who loses?"

Out the door to run errands...Mav brought a pokemon card, Linc brought calculator.

Maverick: "Mom, when I am at school, I will make you a note everyday and leave them in my backpack for you." (Side note...guess how many notes I have gotten...;) )

Maverick randomly bursting into song..."Take me home, West Virginia!"