Are you kidding me?

Kerry and I went out tonight for Sushi and to see the much anticipated "Transformers" movie with some friends.  I have to say I almost walked out.  Can they sex it up anymore for these little kids, or for adults for that matter?  Our kids are still with their grandparents up in Idaho until tomorrow, but there were parents sitting in there with their 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, and 10 year olds. I don't know why they would take them to a PG13 show anyway, but in their defense the movie is made in partnership with HASBRO of all corporations -  a children's toy company.

I have to say I was completely disappointed.   They are going after our little ones, and it really is disgusting to me. Please heaven help us.  Go support a production company with a little more integrity.   There.  I am done.  Just had to get that out. 

Wheeeeesh......

Do you hear that? 

 It's the sound of June flying by right in front of our eyes!  With the last week of school always  hyper fun and busy, it started out with a bang and is going to end in one, too.  A few days after the kids were out of school I was able to go on a girly trip to DC for a week with some of my best friends.  We had our Amigos of Honduras golf tournament the day I got home, and that has left me with a few days to finish preparing to leave for our Stake Pioneer Trek.  We are leaving early in the morning.  After 6 months of meetings and trainings and preparation up the ying-yang, Kerry and I are Ma's and Pa's.  We are no longer the Westenskows, we are Isaac Van Wagoner Carling and Asenath Browning.  People call me "Sena" for short, and Kerry just nicknamed himself  "V Wags".   Oh how lucky are the 8 kids we will get tomorrow!  I'm actually really looking forward to it.  Trek or Bust!

Crazy fun, but  I can't wait for those lazy summer days to show up sometime :)  

(oh and some sunshine would be nice, too!)

Eva Ding

Ever heard of this girl?  Eva Ding.  Eva was reading a book yesterday when she excitedly said that there was a word with her name in it.  Eva Ding.  Eva Ding.  "Mom, what does Eva Ding mean?"  she wondered.

After a quick glance at the word I started to giggle as I read the word 'evading', as in "the suspect had been evading police for 2 years".  Oh that just struck my funny bone.  I still kind of like Eva Ding better, though.  Use it in a sentence.  It's a fun word!

Ethan's 7th Birthday....Almost a national holiday.

This chain represents the final hours of time Ethan spent anticipating his next birthday..... I couldn't take any more of the 10 times a day questions wondering how many more days, how many more days, how many more days til my next birthday.....this seemed to work pretty well.   Eva helped him make it.  I noticed on each chain link she had written something nice about him, like, "Ethan is so cool.  He has the best friends."  or  "only 3 more days...keep waiting!"  or "time to buy my lego toy at toysrus"  (helpful reminder to mom).  I told Eva that it was sweet of her to do that - Ethan told me that he was the one that told her what to write.  Sounds about right...

Just for clarification - That is a Lego Cake.  It is gorgeous, I know.   Ethan loved it...

And so did Becks.  After the party he made his move with a spoon and a cake platter. 

The day before his birthday he got to open Auntie's gift to him - he had his Lego Pirate set built that same afternoon.  I loved this picture with Beckham looking on - he is doing everything his older brother is doing and really wanted to touch/play/break all of those Legos....It was killing him to have to sit back and watch!

The morning of his birthday he got to open his gift from Grandma Idaho.  He had been asking me that whole week if he could open it early.  Every day he asked.  Every day I told him he had to be patient.  He didn't even get his hair combed that morning before he went straight to the present....Guess what it is??  Legos!  This kid is in heaven.

.

Uncle Mikey celebrated with us.  He gave Ethan the means to wreak havoc on an 

unsuspecting older sister and her friends this summer....

Something from Mom and Dad that was NOT a Lego set.... Wii Indiana Jones - the Lego 

version.

Earlier that day after school Eva and 3 of her friends locked Ethan out of the house and all made cards for him.  I thought that was very sweet of her to do.  This time, Ethan didn't tell her what to write.

We had Uncle Kirk stay with us for a couple of months and were able to have Katie and Zach here with us that night, too!  

Grandma Cherie and little boy blue.

Mayhem: Ethan's party with friends!

So we love parties and we love our friends.  But when you are throwing a party, usually there are always a few that can't make it.  I was planning on that.  Of course you hope that everyone can come, but usually you don't get everyone.    

This year Ethan really wanted to invite his neighborhood friends and some other friends from school that live farther away. I thought that we could do it at a park and he could invite a few more than usual because of more space that we would have, and a good chance that with Memorial Day, there would be a few that couldn't make it.  All 15 showed up.  

Holy Hannah. Have you ever tried to get 15  7-8 year old BOYS to do anything without pure mayhem?    Let's just say that it took almost 10 minutes to form 2 lines to play a game.  Eva counted them off..."one. two.  one. two.  one. two.  Ok all the one's line up here and all the two's line up here."  In a normal world, people remember their number, divide and go to their lines.  In 7 -8 year old boy world it goes like this:  "I'm a one.  No you're a one.  No I'm a two.  Wait - am I a one or a two.  Hey  - let's wrestle! "  And then 2 or 3 of them would break up into wrestle-mania groups and then we had to do a NEW count and do this about 5 times.  

Throw in a pinata, cupcakes, heavy heavy hangover, playdough, bubbles, and you've got yourself a party you're kiddo will remember and so will you....