Friday, Michael was away babysitting. When we were putting Derek to bed he asked, "Mom, where did you put Michael?"

Derek-isms

These are all from today:

• Why is there an "ick" in my name?
• Why are all the people that live in Pasco and Costco and Mount Rainer our cousins and neighbors and friends?
• I like grandmas better than bad guys. (He said this after I told him Grandma Johnson was coming tomorrow.)

Sometimes I have a hard time understanding this kid.

I recently painted the boys room. We took out the red race car bed and set up the bunk beds in its place. I wish I would have gotten a picture of the boys in the race car bed. I thought it was cute how they liked to share it, even though there was another bed that most nights remained empty.

When I was taking the bed apart Megan told me how surprised Michael was when we first got it. He didn't think we could afford something like that. That is why he asked Derek to share with him. I'm so glad he did. Every night Michael would tell stories to Derek to help him go to sleep. We need to thank Aunt Carrie for letting us use the car bed.

Slow Down Kiddo

Eliza is so full of energy. She is driven and determined. She gets hurt several times a day. She runs into walls, falls off of things. She just can't seem to slow down.

A Little Dramatic

Last night Derek wanted a Lego piece that Lizzie had for the airplane he was making. Overheard: "But if I don't have that piece I will DIIIIIEEEE." I tuned out for a while while he continued. I wish I would have kept listening because a few minutes later I heard, "and if I die...."

Derek was excited about me painting his room last night. Since Nate and the older kids are at the Johnsons' for Christie's homecoming I let him stay up and keep me company. He talked and talked until about 10:15 when he finally layed down on the floor and mid sentence fell asleep.

We've had lots of fun while the rest of the family has been gone. Derek didn't not want them to go. "Our family should go on trips together." I agreed with him, but we don't have the transportation. When it was dinner time he didn't want to eat without everyone else. He's a tender guy. But other then that he's been okay. We have read a ton of books, made a tent in the toy room, a pretend fire, and roasted marshmallows. Then I cut up hot dogs for dinner and let them use their roasting sticks (bamboo skewers) to dip the pieces into ketchup and mustard.

All the kids have had swimming lessons the past week. Derek would rather not, but has stuck it out. On the second day Asher did a bob and so Derek had to follow. Way to go! Also, at lunch afterwards, Asher ate his broccoli, so Derek did too! On Friday they went off the diving board. (One guard threw them in and another caught them.) I was a bit worried about that, but after he did it he screamed, "that was fun!" Merian, on the other hand kept moving to the back of the line and avoided getting her head under water. How is she going to be baptized? I think Derek's main problem is that the kid has not meat on those bones and he spends the whole time shivering.

Asher, Eliza, Merian, Cecily, Derek

Kenna, Emma, Callie Emma and Kenna

Uncle Mike and Norah

I've wanted to write down things we usually do during the summer because this summer I forgot and we missed the Reptile Man.

* Sign up for the library summer reading program. This gives us coupons so we can go roller skating and out to dinner sometime later in the year.

* Library programs such as the Reptile Man and Recess Monkey.

*Free summer movies

*swimming and tennis lessons

*splash park by the baseball field

*Howard Amon Park to play in the sand and go swimmin in the little round pool. (I remember going there when I was little when he came up here from Utah for a family reunion.)

*I want to try the "free" bowling.

*We are finally starting Cousin Camp this year

*Last year we picked blueberries. That was fun, expensive, but fun.

*I know there is more. See I'm forgeting and we do these things every year. Too little sleep. I'll add more as I think of them.

More Lizie-isms

The other day we were reading a book and Eliza was pointing at naming everything. When we turned the page to a picture of a snail, she obviously didn't know what is was, but she was willing to take a crack at it. "That's uh, that's uh, ... a rollersnake!

Today she was "reading" a book to herself, (Purplicious - current favorite along with Pinkalicious) running her finger along the bottoms of the words. "Hey Mom, look what I found," she said holding up her pointer finger and wiggling it.

"Your finger?" I asked.

"Yaaaah," she replied with a smirk that quickly changed into a smile.

"It was right here!" she said pointing to her book.

Derek: When I grow up I'm going to be a dad and go to work.

Eliza: When I grow up I'm going to be a mom. When Norah grows up she's going to be two. (Pause) Hey, I'm two!

Derek has been very interested in adding lately. He figured it out by himself and is teaching himself all the combinations up to ten. (That's only because he only has ten fingers.)