BYU Basketball Game

Two weeks ago we made our way up to Fort-Worth to pay a super-quick visit to the Cougar basketball team on TCU's campus. 

 I expected the boys to be restless like last year, but we were very pleasantly surprised. Ian and Joseph sat still for the ENTIRE GAME! And they even kept their eyes on the court from our high-up seats and genuinely seemed to enjoy themselves. It made for a fun and memorable outing. 

I think it helped that we were seated behind the TCU band, which provided additional entertainment. Joseph was terrified of the trombones and he kept wispering "I don't wike those big woud guys dat stick out wike dis." (Trombone gesture). But the band keep him mesmerized and still on my lap, so I loved those big loud guys. 

He had his finger in his mouth like this for two hours straight. Here he is keeping his eyes on the trombone players.

Future members of the BYU student section. 

After the game we were hoping for a high-five like we got last year (the boys kept their hands outstretched for a looooong time.) We settled for a victory over TCU and a close-up view of Jimmer. 

Ian is really into BYU basketball, and thinks Jimmer is great. I once couldn't convince Ian to wear pants on a cold day. After I told him Jimmer had warm-up pants like Ian's, Ian put them on without further complaint. Those pants suddenly get a lot of use.

Joseph was excited to see Jimmer too, but soon everyone paled next to the TCU mascot. At first Joseph thought it was Cosmo, but even once we set him straight he kept asking after that horned frog and saying he wanted to "hold him". There were two of them, and the inflatable-costumed one was his favorite. It was referred to as the "one with a big nose".

A trip to Fort-Worth wouldn't be complete without a train ride in Trinity Park. We also fit in some indoor swimming. It was a really fun weekend and I love that our boys are at such a fun age to go on adventures with!

Go Cougars!

*** Scott's week got even better when he and some friends played golf "with" Ty Detmer at a Houston BYU Alumni fundraiser. We are excited to add an autographed football to the BYU bedroom! ***

Larson Boys

An older boy in our ward gave Ian this nice suit he'd outgrown. During quiet Quiet Time Ian got it out of his closet and dressed up to be a missionary. It was so clever how Ian tucked the too-long pants into his socks to keep from tripping. What a sight greeted me when I came in to get him!

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While at the dinner table Ian said "Everyday my nose just keeps on sneaking out boogers." It's true. But have you ever heard a cuter way of saying "runny nose"?

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Ian got a Handwriting Without Tears CD from his friend Kate, and Down on Grandpa's Farm has not stopped playing during quiet time for a solid week. It runs on repeat for a full two hours every single day. Is it the animal sound effects that he loves so much?

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Ian currently selects some blocks, cars, a CD player, his current favorite CD's and some books and holes up in his room (door closed) for two hours every day while Joseph naps. He usually makes a single potty-break request after the first hour. It's incredible. Right now Joseph naps every day from 1 pm to about 3 pm. I credit the white noise machine and blackout curtains for his excellent napping. I am positive this will all cease a week before the baby is born.

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Joseph has floor-length blackout curtains in his room that are covered in large giraffe print. Some mornings he tells me things that he "sees" in the print. Most often it's an "eagle" and when he leads me over to the curtains he'll usually point at the same spot. Recently he also spotted a "plane." I thought he might enjoy seeing shapes in the clouds too, but he doesn't understand what I am pointing to yet.

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Joseph coloring a Valentine, with his fingers stuck through his blanket. 

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Joseph still threads his fingers through his yellow blanket, and it is becoming increasingly threadbare. Recently the finger holes started becoming permanent parts of the blanket that don't get absorbed back in. The first morning I noticed this, Joseph came out of his room and explained: "Here is my soft hole" (for his thumb, which had made a large permanent hole to stick through) and "this is my ouchie finger" (showing how his pointer finger was forced through a new hole and was losing it's circulation.)

Fortunately the satin is still attached to the edges. We also recently started tucking him in at night, and he loves to use the BYU blanket Grandma Larson made for him when he was born.

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While playing at a friends house in the backyard, the boys captured a lizard and "played" with it on the trampoline. The friend let the lizard go back to it's home to "recover" after it was wounded, and the boys were all sad. Joseph came inside where I was making jewelry and said solemnly, "Da wizard is not a-wive anymore. It got brokened. It goed up to heaven. Jesus can hold it." He repeated variations of this and then with that same solemn face and big sad, blue eyes, went back outside. It was adorable!

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Decorating/Devouring Valentine cookies

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While we were walking into the grocery store one windy day, Joseph complained "The wind is coming on my head!" When the car windows are down Joseph holds his hair down with both hands (like he's holding down a toupe) and says "The wind is messing up my hair! Shut a windows!" (Lest you think he gets this from me, I must state that I haven't made this complaint since high school -- these days my hair spends it's time in a pony-tail.)

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I asked Joseph if he wanted to go play with some friends. He said "yeah, I'm gonna enjoy it." ("en-thoi it")

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Ian put on some safety glasses and "fixed the sink". Then he asked for payment. When I handed him some imaginary money, he refused it and said:
Ian: "More than that."
Me: "Wow. You drive a hard bargain."
Ian: "No. I drive a full truck. Full of money."

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Joseph is partial to a small stuffed dog we got at JoAnne Fabrics a year ago. (confession: I bribed him with it on a horribly long fabric-buying trip.) He calls it his "big doggie". It used to be light-colored and it's fur is matted with a bunch of greyish-blue  fuzz entwined in the fur. He also likes to sleep with a palm-sized dog that moves it's head up and down and wags it's tail when you stroke it's back. This one is known as "little doggie."

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Ian: "When I grown up I want to be a mountain owner."

Joseph: "I want to be a..... a..... a..... a missionary."

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