The Bass Family Files

First Day Jitters!

2010-08-24T21:28:00.003-06:00

Back to School already! Tucker looks as shocked as I feel! The summer flew by.

Derek is in second grade now. He has glasses now too! I should get a picture of that.

Tucker just started Kindergarten! He was nervous they were going to give him a hard spelling test on the first day. Derek told him that spelling tests don't happen until the second day. What a thoughtful brother.

We had a "notebook" cake to celebrate the start of a new year. There are two "pencils" on top of the notebook in case any of you were wondering. Andy started his semester as well. One more year . . .

Happy Learning everybody!

Sake's Alive - TUCKER IS FIVE!

2010-08-13T21:04:00.005-06:00

Tucker had a birthday last week! Poor kid was not well at all. He got pink eye, then an ear infection, then spots on his throat. He was not quite the spunky birthday boy we thought he would be. He tried his hardest to enjoy it, but really just wanted to lay down. You can tell in the picture, he just doesn't look well. We postponed his party until a week later when he felt better.

I got him this bowling set. He loves games and makes up all kinds of games. Reminds me of the Calvin and Hobbes cartoons where they play "Calvin Ball."

Here is his cake on his actual birthday. Notice how Zane is pluggin his ears. Is it our singing?

He wanted an M&M party, so we bought lots and lots of M&Ms. I made M&M beanbags to play with and made M&M pillows as party favors. We played Don't Eat Pete, BINGO, Musical M&Ms (musical chairs) and more M&M party games. We all had so much fun!

As I was making stuff for the party, I gave everyone some M&Ms. Tucker was still sick, but I thought he would still eat them. Nope. He told me he didn't like M&Ms. I was wondering why the heck he told me wanted an M&M party when he didn't like them anymore! As it turns out, he came to his senses and truly does love M&Ms. He enjoyed his party and we have since played all the games over and over again.

Here is his cake on his party day. What a difference! Notice how Zane is still plugging his ears. Are we really that annoying when we sing Happy Birthday?

Happy Birthday, little Tucker-man!

Big Toe, Idaho

2010-08-13T20:52:00.004-06:00

There is really no such place as Big Toe, Idaho, but my sister Julie lives in Idaho. When we were growing up, she always, ALWAYS called it Big Toe, Idaho. Now I think it is so appropriate that she lives there! Long story short (too late!), I went to visit her for a birthday surprise last month. Her hubby flew me down and somehow, someway, we were able to keep it a secret from her. Andy took some time off work to watch Derek, Tucker and Zane so that Will and I could go there.

This is Julie with her little girl, Emrie.

When she saw me, we both screamed! Poor Will got caught in between two screaming, squeezing and psycho sisters! He was bawling. We tried fruitlessly to comfort him while we kept hugging each other in excitment. Brad got it all on tape!

These are her two boys, Lukas and Joshua.

I had so much fun hanging out with her and her family! We went shopping, made a quilt top, made a volcano with her kiddos, and mostly talked and laughed. I miss her so much! It was a blast and I hope we get to see each other again soon!

Derek's Jedi Training Party

2010-08-03T21:37:00.003-06:00

For his birthday party, we decided to have a Jedi Training Party. Derek was concerned about how we were going to do this since none of us are true Jedi. I told him that Andy & I would take an online course. They believed that we did! So after completing our course of study, we had the boys do light saber training (bouncing a balloon with the saber) and blaster training (nerf guns with targets). Our friend down the street helped us (he, too was trained online in the ways of the Force).

However, our friend and Andy were truly bad guys and there was a small battle where they were defeated by a bunch of energized boys with light sabers and nerf guns!

We had cake and presents. The cake is supposed to be two light sabers crossing. The red saber was chocolate, the blue saber was white cake. Like dark and light. Good and evil. That sort of thing. One of the kids asked, "What's that supposed to be?" I replied, "Cake, now eat it!"

Derek and all the boys had a great time!

Derek is 7

2010-08-03T21:10:00.002-06:00

My parents came out and spent the fourth of July with us this year. It was so much fun to see them and the boys were thrilled to have them here! It was extremely HOT - after all, it is Houston in the summertime. But the fireworks were great and Derek had a great birthday!

Each of his brothers got him a present. Tucker stood smiling next to him the whole time he was opening the one from him. He was posing for his picture with Derek.

While my parents were here, my mom and I got to play piano duets which is one of my favorite things to do! I was so glad they came! We live too far away!

Teeth

2010-06-28T15:44:00.004-06:00

Hot Topic at our house: TEETH! Some want to lose them, some want to grow them. Take your guess - who wants what?

Derek has lost four teeth with four more wiggling around waiting to come out. I think we have a while though.

Will cut his first tooth today! That's perhaps why he looks slightly grumpy in this picture. It is more fun to get money from the tooth fairy than to have a baby tooth slice through your gum!

This might also explain why he drools and chews on EVERYTHING! It is so funny when he starts chewing on something because it is a whole body experience. He grabs the "chewie" and once it gets to the sweet spot in his mouth, his shoulders hunch over, his legs go up and his toes start to curl. He really gets into it. What a funny baby!

Volcanoes

2010-06-12T09:18:00.003-06:00

We wanted to blow things up, so we built a couple volcanoes with some friends and had an eruption party. The results were "explosive."

Little baking soda, lot of vinegar.

I wish we see Zane's face! From the side, he looks thrilled and amazed!

We also experimented with the mentos in a coke bottle. That was really cool! I think Andy and the other dads had more fun than the boys did! We didn't get pictures of this one because it was too fun to watch in person. If you want to find out what it looks like, then try it yourself! Get a 2 liter of Diet Coke and a pack of mentos (extra mentos for munching on). Take the paper wrapper off and leave the foil one on. Drop it in the bottle and run! The mentos that are not dissolved can be used again for a second, less explosive eruption (perfect for the kids that want to drop it in). A few people got a little Coke on themselves, but no one seemed to mind. Andy also got the idea to put the mentos in, put the lid on and turn it upside down and toss it. That was REALLY explosive and you should watch out for people, cars, houses and things. We all survived. The neighbors think we are crazy now. Either that or they wish they would have thought of it themselves!

SCHOOL'S OUT!

2010-06-06T21:22:00.001-06:00

HURRAY! Summer here we come!

Tucker's Pre-K Graduation

2010-05-21T08:31:00.003-06:00

Tucker reached a milestone yesterday. He graduated from Preschool and is now ready to enter the world of public education. He looked so cute in his cap and gown. I got all sappy and emotional (what is wrong with me?). They sang some cute songs that Tucker has been practicing over and over and over. He really is a very good singer and the boy has rhythm. They gave the kids a rolled up blank piece of paper instead of the real diploma so they wouldn't have the real one all rolled up. So when Tucker was playing graduation later that day with Derek, he said, "Congratulations! Here is your blank piece of paper."

Tucker loved his teachers: Ms. Cheryl and Ms. Janet. (In Texas, you call the women Ms. and whatever their first name is. So I am Ms. Adrienne).

We are very proud of Tucker and how far he has come this year. He has such an eagerness to learn. There is a kid in his class that Tucker thinks is super-duper smart because he can spell "raccoon." So I taught Tucker how to spell "raccoon" so he would feel just as smart. If spelling "raccoon" means you are super-duper smart, I just might rank as a sheer genius!

We love having Tucker in our family and congratulate him on his milestone!

Andy the Snake Man

2010-05-21T08:09:00.003-06:00

Andy slaughtered a snake last night. Someone rang our doorbell at nine o'clock last night. It was our neighbor across the street. She told us a big snake was in our yard and she was worried about the our kids and her grandkids coming in contact with it. Andy and I went out armed with a shovel and a camera. Our neighbor's son was there with a shovel as well, but was not willing to make the first move. I don't blame him.

For those of you who know Andy, he is terrified of snakes. However, he took the shovel and whacked that thing about a dozen times. This might seem inhumane, but who knows how long Animal Control would have taken. What if it was poisonous and there are all these kids on the street? I don't want to have a snake slither into my home. Anyway, Derek was supposed to be in bed, but heard all the commotion and came out. I think he is in awe of his Dad. Kudos to Andy for overcoming his fear.

Did I Hear a "Niner" in There?

2010-05-13T08:42:00.003-06:00

Andy and I celebrated NINE years of marriage yesterday! We met for lunch at a restaurant appropriately called Niner's Grill. (I love a good theme!) We had to take three of the boys with us, so it wasn't exactly a romantic, secluded event. Tucker was home from school because of the croup and Zane and Will are always tagging along. We hope to go out this weekend and just bring Will.

Here's to nine years of wedded bliss! Love ya Andy!

In a Nut Shell . . .

2010-05-10T15:24:00.006-06:00

First off, Derek lost a tooth! He also caught a fish last weekend at a fish rodeo at Andy's work. He was thrilled, but wouldn't touch it. He is also starting to bring things home - live things. Things like caterpillars, snails, and ladybugs. I hope he sticks to tame insects like that instead of snakes.

Tucker scored another soccer goal! It was another slow-mo roll down the field, but it got there and his team won the game.

Zane is just trying to keep up. He goes full throttle all day long and with our current school schedule, he rarely gets a good enough nap. Summer is approaching which hopefully means more rest time for all of us.

Will can turn over! Once he gets there, he doesn't know what to do except suck his thumb. He sleeps through the night all the time now - yea!!! Will is extremely wiggly and wiggles his way through the day. When you talk to him and play with him, he talks back and even wiggles his eyebrows as if he is emphasizing his point. Super cute!

The past two weekends, our friends from Midland have been here. Yesterday we went to a park that has a small splash pad attached to it. We didn't intend on playing in the water, just the park. It was hot and we thought the boys could get their feet wet. That was a great idea, but they all got drenched including myself. I was pushed in by Andy (imagine that).

Zane is a looker in the wet white shirt. Watch out ladies!

SLEEP!

2010-04-18T15:25:00.003-06:00

Will slept through the night last night! From 11:00 pm to 8:00 am! Go baby, go! Unfortunately, I still had to get up with Tucker whose nose was totally plugged up from allergies. However, I was up for only two minutes instead of an hour.

Here he is all bright and chipper this afternoon.

Other news in the family:
- Derek's front two teeth are loose - stay tuned.
- Tucker is reading really well and suffering with allergies as previously mentioned.
- Zane is catching up on lost naptime when he can and still obsessing over Lightning McQueen.
- Andy is busy, busy, busy. Work, church, school . . .
- I think we all know what I do: feed people and drive them around.

Also, only seven weeks until school is out! Believe it or not, I am excited!

Houston: One Year Later

2010-04-11T14:39:00.003-06:00

It has been a year since we got here. What a year it has been! Words to describe Houston:

HOT and HUMID

That is about all you can say. It is not my favorite climate to live in, but it is what it is.

This Easter weekend, we spent with Nana and Grandpa in Galveston. It was a little chilly and foggy, but we still had fun. We went to the beach and saw dead jellyfish that had washed up. On another beach another day, we saw a dead baby dolphin that had washed up. I guess it was Marine Death weekend, instead of the usual Marine Life that we see at the beach.

The boys had a good Easter though and it was so nice to see our family. Will hadn't met his Grandpa yet, so it was exciting for them both. Will is very smily now and his head kind of wobbles around while he is grinning. Super cute! He is the king of spit bubbles. That has been true since day one. If this keeps up, he might have a hard time getting a date . . .

End of the Rainbow

2010-03-18T14:40:00.003-06:00

We wore green:

We had a "rainbow" for dinner (tacos with grapes and blue gatorade). We also ate rainbow cupcakes (they turned out surprisingly well).

No real gold, but we got mini snickers and had a great day!

Lion or Lamb?

2010-03-07T20:41:00.004-07:00

So, I can't decide if March came in like a lion or a lamb.

Here's the case for the lion:

1. Crazy schedule with kids in school, a two-year-old who needs naps but rarely gets more than twenty minutes, lots of night meetings for Andy, Andy gone at church every Wednesday and some Saturdays, oh yeah, and a newborn to feed

2. Speaking of a newborn (Will is a month old now!), I had a nursing crisis this week. It is somewhat resolved now, but if anyone can explain the throbbing pain I feel AFTER I nurse, let me know ASAP!! I've decided men doctors aren't helpful when it comes to this. Waste of time and money.

3. Andy sprained his ankle. It is pretty nasty looking and extremely painful for him.

He was playing tennis. Now he has no toes due to the incredible swelling, limps and shuffles around, and can't drive.

The case for the lamb:

1. Will is growing and getting more alert. He slept six hours in a row last night and slept for five in a row the two nights before. Go baby go!

2. Because of my nursing woes, Andy took half a day off to help and hang out with the boys who had been missing him terribly with all those night meetings and such.

3. Because of Andy's sprained ankle, he took Friday off and we helped each other and hung out with our boys who all need more time and attention from us.

So, maybe its a tie between the lion and the lamb. In order to sway it towards the lamb, we went miniature golfing. I got a hole-in-one on Hole 4. Four boys, hole 4 . . . it was cool.

Derek took the picture. I was doing good until Will woke up hungry. And that is how most of my stories end lately, including this one . . .

Hello, Will!

2010-02-04T18:17:00.005-07:00

Welcome to baby Will! Born Feb. 1, weighing 7 lbs. 11 oz. (our biggest one) and reaching 20 inches. He has dark hair (our only dark haired baby) and is very sweet! The boys just love him! Thanks to Aunt Mitzi and Nana for helping bring this cutie into the world.

George Washington Carver

2010-01-28T13:44:00.002-07:00

Derek is in first grade and was assigned to do a Social Studies report on George Washington Carver. So we researched him and found five interesting facts about him. If you don't know, he was an African-American botanist that came up with all these different uses for peanuts and sweet potatoes. He also helped fortmer slaves become better farmers and improve their lives. He also taught at a University. So he did lots of great things. The last thing that we wrote in his report was that he fell down the stairs and died.

Andy came home and asked him who George Washington Carver was.
His response: "I don't know."
I prompted him with: "Who is your report on?"
Derek: "Oh yeah, George Washington Carver."
Andy then asks: "What did he do?"
Derek says: "He fell down the stairs and died."

All that this great man did and Derek only remembers a guy falling down the stairs!

We have to make a diorama next. I'm going to suggest a peanut farm but I think it might turn out to be a guy falling down the stairs! So sorry Mr. Carver!

Don't Eat Pete!

2010-01-19T19:14:00.003-07:00

This game caused great joy in our home this week! We played it after Family Home Evening and lets just say we will play it again for sure! I found it on ldssplash.com and all you need are M&Ms or something similar. You lay out seven or eight M&Ms and someone leaves the room. You designate one of the M&Ms to be "Pete" and don't tell the person who left the room. They come back and eat the M&Ms one by one until they reach for "Pete." Then everyone shouts "DON'T EAT PETE!" Tucker was so excited he was just wiggling with joy! Zane was shouting the whole game which translates to excitement and Derek would have played all night! I want to always remeber the absolute joy in Tucker when we were playing. That memory is truly something special to me and Andy.

New Year, New Rooms!

2010-01-07T15:21:00.002-07:00

Andy finished Derek's bedroom and Derek got to sleep there New Year's Day. It was a longer project than we thought, but it is done and Derek loves it. We painted, built a closet, put in a door, and got him a bed. It sounds so simple, and yet . . .

Once Derek moved out of the bunkbed, Zane got to move out of the crib and into the bottom bunk. He was so very excited to sleep in the same room as Tucker. Of course, crib to bed isn't as easy as all that, but he is doing remarkably well and hopefully won't try to reclaim the crib when the baby comes!

Tucker stayed put, but was such a great helper. He helped load people's clothes into boxes and put them away in their drawers. He was thrilled about his new bunkmate. What's more is everyone sleeps in a little later (of course, now that school has started, that isn't such a great thing, but I'll take what I can get).

New Year's Eve

2010-01-02T20:19:00.004-07:00

We went to the Aquarium for New Year's Eve and had a great time! Poor Zane was scared for parts of it. It was really dark in the exihibits and they had sound effects like you were inside a creaky boat. I guess that might have had something to do with it. We saw cool animals though!

They have a Shark Train ride where you ride through a tunnel of sharks. Everybody loved that! Tucker said it was his favorite.

There were also White Bengal Tigers that were Derek's favorite. They were beautiful and very large. Zane's little heart was beating very fast and would not let me put him down.

Derek and Tucker also got to ride on the Ferris Wheel for the first time. Zane and I weren't allowed, so we sat and waved to them as they twirled by.

My favorite was the octopus, but you couldn't take flash photos of it. It was spread out over the glass so you got a very good view of all the suction cups on its legs. Andy's favorite was the sea turtle at the large restaurant aquarium. The eel behind was cool too.

Andy and I also touched a stingray and a small shark! The boys were too nervous to touch it. Derek and Zane pet a starfish. It was quite motionless and less "scary." It felt remarkably similar to a rock.

I had great plans for a party with the boys, but everyone was tired and there wasn't much time, so maybe next year. With that, our year ended.

Happy New Year, 2010!

Christmas 2009

2009-12-29T15:35:00.005-07:00

It sure was different being in Houston for Christmas. There are still lots of trees with green leaves on them and flowers in full bloom. We had a huge thunderstorm early, early Christmas Eve morning. Patch hid under the bed from all the lightning and thunder.

Unfortunately, Zane was still sick and didn't fully enjoy the experience.

About noon-ish, Tucker started fading and spent the rest of the day on the couch with a fever. He decided not to eat or drink anything and it went unnoticed by me and Andy (oops!). He got dehydrated and threw up the next morning. Once he got hydrated, he recovered slowly. Derek thankfully never got the fever and remained somewhat healthy. Even Andy and I had a cold and cough this holiday. We are hoping to ring in the New Year healthy and without contention (sick kids can still fight with each other).

GI Joe and Army stuff was a hit this year! YO JOE!

The aftermath:

Here was a greatly debated item that I lost on:

The Nerf Gun. Santa thought the boys would just love them. I argued that yes, they would, but I would not. I would spend all of my time finding lost darts, telling them "Don't shoot your brother" and trying to dodge improperly aimed darts. The things a parent sacrifices for their children. Santa won. They love them. No one has shot their eye out yet, but stay tuned . . .

Zane is TWO!!!

2009-12-23T13:16:00.004-07:00

Our little "Bubba" is growing up!

Unfortunately, he has been quite sick the past few days and was still feverish when it was time to open presents.

I gave him some Tylenol and he perked up around dinnertime and cake time. Today, he is doing better, but still irritable and needs a great deal of snuggling and holding.

He got a new bike and LOVES it! Since he was sick and it was rainy, the bike is an inside bike for now and he just zips and zooms around the downstairs. Funny story about our other big wheel bike that we had for Tucker: I accidentally backed over it in the car when we lived in Bayfield. (Maybe I shouldn't have admitted that!) It was of course my fault because I put it behind the car in a hurry thinking I would move it later. We know the ending to that little story. But the happy ending is Zane's joy at having a big wheel bike. (Sorry to Tucker for the hours he missed out pedaling away on a big wheel).

This is supposed to be Lightning McQueen. No, I did not purchase it, I made it myself! Hard to believe, I know, but whatever you think it looks like, Zane knew it was his favorite race car and it tasted GREAT!

Happy Birthday Zane!

Gingerbread Huts

2009-12-23T12:55:00.004-07:00

Tis the season for lopsided, candy-covered, graham-cracker creations.

Poor Derek's roof just wouldn't stay up.

This is a picture of Derek's finished product (he took the picture):

Tucker only used M&Ms since that was the only candy I bought that he would eat! Don't worry, he still had an adequate amount of sugar on there!

Here is an extreme close-up of Tucker's house (Tucker took this one):

Zane was sick and sleeping at the time. Poor kid missed out on the snowstorm a few a weeks ago AND gingerbread houses because of a nap. I don't put him down then on purpose either (not really, anyway).

Snow in Houston?

2009-12-19T21:39:00.003-07:00

LET IT SNOW! Houstonians absolutely FREAKED OUT! It was on the news for quite a while that it might happen and people were stock piling things like wood, space heaters, insulation for their pipes, and even sweaters for their dogs. We were laughing at all of this. So Friday, the snow came and it was BEAUTIFUL. Perfect for building a snowman and throwing snowballs. Andy made all his employees go out and play in it and I pulled the boys out of school early to do the same. I know, I know, it sounds silly, but how long until they see snow again? We had a grand time and played snowball baseball and all of that sort of thing. Then we came in and drank hot chocolate (that was lukewarm because that's how Tucker likes it) and watched a Christmas movie. It actually felt like December that day.

About 10:30 that night, our heater decided it was just too cold and quit completely. The coldest night in decades in Houston and our heater is busted! That's what we get for laughing at these poor innocent people in a snowstorm.

I went to Walmart and to get a small space heater and as I pulled up, I saw a woman who needed help. Her windsheild was thickly coated in ice and snow and she was trying to get it off with her umbrella. I found my scraper in my trunk and came over to her aid. I asked if I could help her and she said she was about to go fill a bottle of water to pour over her windsheild. I quickly stopped her and scraped off her car in less than two minutes. She was SO grateful! I advised her to use a credit card in the unlikely event that this would happen again. I just hope that if I am doing something stupid to prepare for a hurricane or something, that some Houstonian will help me out.

Our heater couldn't be repaired until Monday morning, but we snuggled up together and were just fine. We learned to not laugh at others and that flannel sheets really can be used in Houston. (To think I almost gave them to my sister!)

Sinter Klaas

2009-12-19T21:33:00.002-07:00

My mother immigrated from Holland when she was five. Growing up, we celebrated the arrival of Sinter Klaas. You put your shoe out and Sinter Klaas comes on his horse and leaves a small toy and candy. Anyway, I celebrate with my children just like my mom did with us (including the yummy food). My boys know all about it since we have shared it with their school classes.

This year, we had our little celebration and then got the boys ready for bed. They put out their shoes and helped Zane put out his shoe. Then Derek decided it would be good to leave a carrot in each of their shoes for Sinter Klaas' horse. So they got out the baby carrots and put one in each of their shoes. Derek chomped on some and declared that "I am such a fan of carrots!"

The boys went to bed except for Zane who had taken a long nap. Andy and I were watching TV while Zane played. We heard this crunch and looked over at Zane who was eating the carrots out of the stinky shoes! YUCK! I guess he decided to be a fan of carrots too!

Thanksgiving Time

2009-12-19T21:12:00.004-07:00

This year, Andy's parents flew down to see us! The excitement was almost more than the boys could handle! So, Thanksgiving morning comes and my mother-in-law and Derek start making pies, my father-in-law starts chopping celery and onions, I am cleaning up breakfast with Zane and Tucker, and Andy went to play football with some guys at our church. Andy comes home while I am getting dressed and collapses on the bed and tells me he pulled his hamstring. It was REALLY BAD!!! He couldn't even put his socks on by himself! I went to the store and bought Bengay and Advil and all that stuff and for the rest of the day (and really the rest of the weekend) He painfully sat or laid on the couch! He could hardly even sit down to Thanksgiving dinner without a pillow under his leg and a tight look in his face. He got the interception, though!

The meal was wonderful and almost the whole family helped, which made it even more special. Tucker helped make a yummy chocolate pie and Derek helped Nana with all sorts of things! Everything tasted great. That night, there was a tree lighting at a large shopping complex in Houston with music and fireworks, so we went down there to see it. Andy had to stay home, but watched a movie and stretched out. I can honestly say I have never seen fireworks on Thanksgiving, but it was cool!

Later that weekend, we ventured to Brazos State Park that has trails and campgrounds and WILD ALLIGATORS! We saw three of them and no one was harmed.

Tucker actually got very scared before we got there, but we told him that all he needed to do was outrun Daddy and he would be fine! The alligator would eat Dad (since he was the slowest mover due to the hamstring injury) and Tucker could run to safety. Once Tucker found a few large sticks for him and his brothers to defend themselves, he was totally fine.

It was cool and totally different than the mountain west State Parks in Utah and Colorado!

We were so glad Nana and Grandpa could come over! Despite sickness and injury, we had a great time and can't wait to see them again!

First Visit from the Tooth Fairy

2009-12-19T20:59:00.002-07:00

Back in mid-November, we were sitting in church when Derek came to me and asked what was in his mouth. I looked and there was a big tooth coming in on the bottom and his baby teeth were still there - and not the least bit wiggly! I knew this might create a problem eventually, with no room for all those teeth, so we went to the dentist. He pulled out the bottom two teeth and Derek didn't put up a fuss at all! He actually happily came with me and willingly laid down on the chair. I can't say I personally would have acted the same way, but I think the "happy gas" might have had something to do with it. . . Anyway, the tooth fairy came and it was all just so magical at five o'clock in the morning. My awareness at that time of day was honestly not at the same level as Derek's, but it was fun to share that small and magical moment with him.

What a brother!

2009-11-06T11:13:00.002-07:00

Derek keeps kicking his football over the fence, but gets really nervous to knock on the doot to retrieve it. We have helped him the first few times so that we all get to know each other, but now I think he can do it alone. Earlier this week, Derek kicked it over again and didn't want to go ask the neighbor. Tucker usually tags along and willingly knocks on the door and gets it for Derek. I thought Derek could show some independence and told him he had to do it himself. Derek wasn't budging and neither was I. Tucker went and got another ball and went outside to play. Two seconds later, he comes back smiling and told me he threw his ball over the fence! Imagine that, the same fence! I looked at him and told him to go with Derek to retrieve the balls. And of course Tucker did all the knocking and talking. I guess they really do like each other!

Halloween Happiness

2009-11-04T20:27:00.004-07:00

Our little pumpkins! They really enjoyed carving pumpkins this year. The first year we did it with Derek, it was a mess and he cried the whole time! This time: no tears and three marvelous pumpkins!

Derek was Darth Vader. His buddy was a Clone Trooper, so they were so very excited to trick-or-treat together. He had a blast and is still tired from staying up so late and the blessed time change.

Tucker was a blue Power Ranger and Zane was a basketball player. I wanted to make them really cute costumes, but there wasn't time and I have been consumed by my house! Zane was really very happy as a basketball player anyway.

Zane's first trick-or-treat house. Tucker showed him the ropes. Derek was at a party with some friends, so Tucker and Zane went around the cul-de-sac before Zane turned in and then Tucker went again with Derek and their friends after they got back from the party. Needless to say, Tucker's bucket got mighty full!

Derek and Tucker had to "sort" their candy. That was always so fun! Tucker gave Andy all the ones he didn't like. His favorites are the Reeses and the Tootsie Rolls. Derek likes the nerds and all the gummy things that are shaped like body parts. He even got a long finger-looking sucker.

Zane looks older here. His favorite kind are the suckers. He rarely finishes them, so I wrap them back up until the next time. We are going to find out how many licks Zane can take on the tootsie pop before getting to the center. He doesn't know that there is chocolate patiently waiting for him there!

Happy 30th Andy!

2009-10-24T20:03:00.005-06:00

It took two packages of candles for this BIG celebration!

We had a G.I. Joe kind of theme with the first season of "G.I. Joe" on DVD (a childhood favorite of Andy's and Tucker choose the pink gift bag for it) and . . .

a "Tank" cake. My cakes aren't beautiful, but even Derek and Tucker knew what it was without me telling them. That's pretty good for me! I tried to make the frosting brown with green swirls, but the green swirls turned out very, very faint.

The boys and Andy thoroughly enjoyed both.

The celebration was a little late due to our fabulous trip to Utah, but I think he understood. (Zane is thinking: Does anyone else think it's hot in here?)

HAPPY BIRTHDAY ANDY! I love you!

Utah Trip

2009-10-21T20:14:00.006-06:00

We just returned from a GREAT and very memorable trip to Utah! Andy had a big national conference in Salt Lake for work and of course the boys and I tagged along. This was their first plane ride and they loved it! They are still playing "airport" with their bikes and chalk lines on the driveway.

We stayed downtown for the first part of the week just across from Temple Square. It was great to be so close to the temple and we got a great mountain view from our window. The boys loved walking around temple square and learning about all the stuff there.

Tucker loved all the statues and Zane was scared to death of them, so that was interesting to accommodate. They really wanted to see the Conference Center, but we were running late to meet my mom and sister, so we thought we would come back later. Unfortunately, later it was closed for "event preparation." They never got to see it.

We also got to play with lots of cousins! We met Merrill & Jen and had a picnic at a really cool park. They loved playing with their three boys and one girl. Lightsabers and football were amoung the favorite activities!

We also had a sleep over at Mitzi's house.

She was very brave and let us come and stash the kids in the basement. They had a GLORIOUS time with each other and would still be playing if we let them! Zane and Ruby (their dog) were buddies and just loved each other.

Zane and just about any dog love each other.

We didn't get to see much of Kathy's kids because one of them was recovering from the dreaded swine flu. She is totally fine now and we saw them later. Julie also was absent because she lives in Idaho and couldn't make the trip. She was sorely missed!

Grandparent time was essential! My parents took the boys overnight so Andy & I could have a date night. We had dinner at the Garden restaurant above the Joseph Smith Memorial Building and saw the Tabernacle Choir rehearse. It was a much needed break! Then Andy's parents drove over from Colorado met up with us. We went to Thanksgiving Point to a festival there and spent most of our time at the Rocket Launch. It was a pretty cool thing. They also took the boys overnight for us to give us a break. It makes us REALLY want to live closer to grandparents!

Andy's Grandma came up from St. George to see us too. She had never met Tucker or Zane, so it was great to spend time with her and hear about all the memories she has.

My family had a big Halloween party on Saturday night that was so much fun! I think everyone wants it to be a new family tradition. I couldn't agree more, just worried about the airfare!

I wish I could have seen some friends while we were out there, but the schedule turned out to be too tight! I ran into my dear friend Madeline at Gardner Village and it was SO good to catch up! I wish her all the best. I also wish I could have gone in the mountains because I dearly miss them! The colors were so beautiful there! Maybe some of the Houston leaves will change. I guess we'll find out!

Thank goodness for good memories and happy children!

My Sons

2009-09-28T21:22:00.003-06:00

Update on the clan:

Derek: Loves soccer, not quite sold on first grade (especially when recess is cancelled due to slight rainfall), future economist (knows the difference between a "good" and a "service") and loves playing with his new friends on our street.

Derek is in the red shorts behind the kid in the gray shirt. He scored a goal with this kick!

Tucker: Loves soccer as well, loves preschool with a devoted passion (recess is either outside or in the gym if it is raining), speaks metaphorically (the scab on his arm was "melting away like a popsicle"), and loves playing with his new friends on our street and running after Derek and his friends.

Tucker making a goal in practice. The green socks are SO Tucker!

Zane: Doesn't really love sitting around while his big brothers play soccer seemingly endlessly, loves having time with mom all by himself while they are at school though, is not fond of his high chair but loves eating like a big boy at the table, loves playing baseball with whoever will throw the ball at him, and uses psychological powers to gain control over other people via dirty looks or slanty eyes, or other wildly expressive facial movements.

Zane at one of our long soccer Saturdays. Tucker took the picture.

Baby Boy #4: yes, you read that right! A fourth boy is kicking and swishing around in my belly until sometime in early February. He is apparantly loving life in there. I imagine he will like soccer (his kicks are pronounced) and love to wrestle (his brothers like to wrestle me and so he gets wrestled in the process).

We now live in a house - HOORAY! Apartment living with all these boys and the dog was harder than I thought it would be. We got a great deal on our house, but that meant that it was VERY dirty and lots of things weren't properly maintained. We are working on it and enjoying having projects and stuff to plan for.

It is still HOT, but there have been some cooler days sprinkled into the mix, so here's hoping for those days to become more frequent so I don't end up with puffy hands and feet. Pregnancy in Houston is not for sissies!

Cruel Summer

2009-08-09T21:31:00.006-06:00

Not really, but when you factor in the heat and humidity and "exceptional" drought we here in Houston are experiencing, it seems slightly cruel for our first summer here. Seriously! The heat index (which is like the wind chill factor for those of us used to cruel winters) gets up to 108 and higher! A few weeks ago Andy, Zane and I got a cold (how do you get a cold when it is so hot?) and all you had to do to decongest your nose was step outside for five or ten minutes. Pardon my vulgarity, but after the short time outside, the snot just poured out of Zane's nose! I am not kidding! Of course after five or ten minutes spent outside not in a swimming pool, you suffer heat exhaustion so then you must choose between being able to breathe or being cool.

Enough of that! We have had good times despite Mother Nature doing her job. We have been to the beach a few times and just love it! Galveston's beaches are not beautiful like Hawaii or Florida, but they are still fun! The boys loved jumping the waves and building sand castles. We saw jelly fish one time. That was interesting, but a little nerve wracking.

Tucker finally wins!

Zane enjoying the brown waters of the beach

We also went to Jedi Training camp. Yes, yes I know. The Jedi lived a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away, but some of them are still around and taught an auditorium at the Space Center full of boys and their fathers (and us few lucky moms) the ways of the force. Each of them got a little blown up light saber so they also learned some fancy maneuvers.

We got to meet people like Darth Vader and his Stormtroopers, R2-D2, Boba Fett and my personal favorite: the Tough Lady. I don't know her name, but she is in some of the new movies and Derek and Tucker call her the Tough Lady. They even dress up like her by putting their pants on their head and waving around a light saber.

The Tough Lady

We also celebrated Derek and Tucker's birthdays. Derek is now six and Tucker is four. We had fun with them and can't believe our kids are actually growing up. Just think in five years how much our family will change! Crazy!

Derek as Anakin Skywalker

Tucker playing with his new Soccer Guys

Now we are getting ready to move to a house. We have lived in an apartment since we got here and lets just say we are very excited to be moving to a house. If Patch knew what awaited her (a yard and much easier access to take her for a walk) she would be in the car waiting. We still have until the end of this month, but who's counting?

Houston Zoo Trip

2009-05-16T13:45:00.004-06:00

This picture is misleading. Tucker looks rather grumpy here, but in fact everyone had a great time! Yes, it was hot. Yes, it was sticky. Yes, we were drenched in sweat! Despite all of this, everyone enjoyed seeing all the animals. Tucker and Derek walked that whole zoo and still found energy for the playground at the end!

This orangutan was posing so perfectly for this picture. He just fit right into our family. Once we got up and someone else came for a picture, he turned his head and sauntered away.

Zane was ruthless at the petting zoo! We knew he loved cats and dogs, but he truly enjoyed the petting zoo more than any other exhibit! When he was in the stroller, he calmly looked at the exhibits and "oo"-ed and "aw"-ed at the proper intervals. When he got out though, he took a much more vocal and energetic response. He ran after a poor unsuspecting bird trying to "pet" it. Zane's way of petting involved arms outstretched, waving wildly back and forth with fists ready to grab a big handful of fur (or feathers in the bird's case). So, the petting zoo was perfect!
The only animals in the petting zoo were goats who were very calm and used to the turbulent kind of TLC young children provide. Zane was no exception. He was pleased as punch to have that kind of freedom and ability to run around petting every animal inside the fence. Only after Zane thrashed the goats around a bit did Derek and Tucker take a shy little pat.

Not only was the zoo cool, but our zoo experience was amazing. The animals were more active and visible than most other times I have seen them. Maybe it was the heat and humidity. Anyway, this is a cheetah that was pacing and came so close that Derek timidly backed away without realizing he was doing it! Below is a lioness. At the lion exhibit, you can walk to an underground tunnel to see them on a more "personal" level. There she was, right by the window! The male lion was there, but let's just say that he was in an awkward position that did not promote picture taking!

The aquarium was really neat. You could crawl through a tunnel to be "with" the fish. Zane and Tucker needed a lot of provoking to get through the tunnel. Good thing I didn't get stuck!

Thank you to the Houston Zoo for providing us with a fun and memorable afternoon!

Pig Party

2009-05-05T11:38:00.003-06:00

So, the swine flu is all around us. So to ward off any bad karma or ill-will, we had a pig party! We ate Piggies in a Blanket (sausages instead of hot dogs because my kids aren't too fond of hot dogs), corn on the cob, and "slop" (salsa and chips - I wasn't very creative on that part). For dessert, Tucker and I made a Mud Pie - chocolate pudding with cookie chunks. Then we played "Pin the Snout on the Pig." Zane didn't like the blindfold. Next we played "Pig in a Basket" - throwing a pig puppet into a laundry basket at various points in the room. It started as P-I-G, like H-O-R-S-E in basketball, but Tucker already spelled PIG with his first four throws (He made one of them). In all fairness, we let the PIG thing drop and just shot baskets.

Zane enjoys the slam dunk.

Tucker likes to show off for Zane. Note the cars all over the floor. Our floor always looks like this.

Derek enjoys the dramatic wind up. He made this shot, by the way.

Last, we blew up pink balloons and had fun with them. We were going to watch a movie like, "Babe" or "Charlotte's Web" but it was a school night and they were having too much fun with the games. So, if you are stuck at home because of the swine flu, don't fret, just have a party!

P.S. Don't forget to wash your hands!

Texas Two-Step

2009-04-10T12:01:00.004-06:00

Yes folks, we are back in Texas! After a whirlwind month of deliberation and packing and confusion, we are back. Andy was offered a job in Sugar Land which is twenty miles outside of Houston. So, after prayerful consideration, we felt that moving here was the right decision. That doesn't mean that it was easy. Andy is still in school and had to study and write reports amidst all the packing and planning. Not only is moving across the country difficult, but his new employer wanted him there on April 13th, which meant we had three weeks to get there! We told our friends and everything that we were leaving and they would ask when and we would say, "Friday is our last day!" It was very sudden. We considered having just Andy go down for a while, but it wasn't that cost effective and we would miss him WAY too much! So, here we are!

The drive was long. We made it in three days and spent two nights in a hotel.

A HUGE thank you to my parents who helped us drive across the country with three kids, a dog and a large U-Haul with a car transport attatched.

This was the view for three days for my mom and me in the van. The truck always tilted to the right a little and scared us. We thought it might tip over if a turn was taken too sharply.

Zane had the hardest time, of course. I believe that toddlers have to take a certain amount of steps each day before they can go to bed. If the requirement is not met, then mom and baby stay up until the remaining steps are taken. They also have to be held for an undetermined amount of time before bedtime can take place. Needless to say, Zane did not meet any of those requirements for a stretch of time and is now finally "catching up" on his daily steps.

Tucker did amazingly well. He rode in the U-haul a few times and overall, did excellent- THANK YOU TUCKER!

Derek also did great, but did not fall asleep once the whole way down there! He would start looking very glazed, but never gave in to the lulling temptation of sleep! He would also have a hard time settling down for bed. He doesn't want to miss a thing!

The end of one chapter, the start of another! I hope and pray our house in Cortez sells SOON SOON SOON! I know it is a horrible time to be selling a house, but we felt so strongly about moving away from Cortez, I know we did the right thing. I just hope that it sells soon!

Andy the Hoop Star

2009-03-07T20:49:00.004-07:00

Many of you have heard of the Harlem Globe-trotters where they do all kinds of funny and crazy tricks with the basketball and its hoop. However, there is another team called the Harlem Ambassadors that does the same kind of game, but on a small town kind of level (if you get my drift). Anyway, they came to Cortez last week and Andy was asked to participate as a team member to play against them. They named themselves the "Montezuma Mavericks." Montezuma is the name of our county. Anyway, all sorts of people from the community were asked to play on this team including the mayor of Cortez who is about four feet tall - seriously! The Ambassador team members joked around alot with everybody including my dear husband!

There are only five players on the Ambassadors and one of them is a chick! She "knocked" Andy down as seen in the picture.

Of course after that, he was entitled to shoot two free throws, but not before they "checked him out" and tried to make him mess up his free throw. He played along well and even made the shots!

Before the game, the Ambassadors told the Mavericks to play hard, even though all these funny things would happen. So Andy played hard, and is seen here out dribbling the Ambassador! The crowd was wild because Andy was keeping the ball away from this Ambassador and the guy was getting frustrated!

He made a few shots and had a lot of fun! I am glad we got to go and watch him play. The boys thought it was great fun to see their dad in the limelight! We love you, Daddy!

Predicting the Future

2009-02-23T16:28:00.003-07:00

If I were to predict the future occupations of my three children, it would go like this:

Derek is fast at everything: running, eating, growing, etc. He loves being the first one done at dinner or the first one to get dressed in the morning (bedtime is a whole other story, of course). Derek has a competitive spirit that he gets from his dad and his mom. Making friends usually comes easy for him, unless he is in an uncomfortable or new situation. At the park he finds new friends easily and just wants to spend his whole day playing pretend things. His fascination for cars started mere months after birth. He made the "car" sounds at nine months old (My friend Diane calls it "spit power"). All this taken into consideration, Derek would love to be part of NASCAR in some way. But realistically, he could work as a P.E. Teacher on some level. He loves teaching me how to do tricks on my bike. Things like riding with no feet, wheelies, starting and stopping in silly ways are some of my latest aquisitions. He loves sports and activity and competion. Another possible endeavor for Derek could be advertising. He has an uncanny ability to convince you of anything. Convince you that it really wouldn't be that bad to have another cookie (I ate some healthly food and I rode my bike for a long time today). Convince you that the fire alarm is what causes the fires (I think if we got rid of it, I could go to sleep because I wouldn't be scared of it going off and waking up to a fire- my response: "GO BACK TO BED, DEREK!") Back to the advertising bit, he could not only convince clients to advertise through his company, he could convince customers to buy their product.

Tucker is really funny once he warms up to you. He also LOVES music and books. Tucker also exhibits strong feelings for when he feels he has been treated unjustly (I didn't do it, Mommy). He ALWAYS makes sure that everyone gets a turn because then he is certain to get a turn for himself. He harbors resentment to those who are mean to him for no reason (one kid in particular at school who has hit him several times has the label of "monster," "scary guy" and "mean kid." Tucker can only take so much and then one day I just know he will turn around and slug this kid. Someday this will happen (it has happened on more than one occasion to Derek). So, Tucker is not serious enough to be a judge and too unsure of himself to be a police officer, but he would do well as social services worker. He would help those in need (he is always sharing bananas and toys with Zane) and put others in their place who are being mean. He also would love a position in the NASCAR industry, but realistically, he could also be an occupational therapist because he can be patient and kind with other people. He gets lost in his play and can spend a long time playing alone on one thing. This could prove helpful in this industry.

Zane is very young still, but I will predict possible occupations for him anyway. Again, any car job would work since his love for cars began in the womb (the boys would drive cars over my belly). Zane also has a very loud voice and loves music. The theater or opera could be fun, but requires late hours which Zane might not enjoy (he gets grouchy when he doesn't get enough sleep). The volume might be effective as an auctioneer. Zane is very jolly and loves to laugh. He also enjoys eating. He could be a restaurant critic. When he doesn't like the food, he can throw it off the plate or bring a dog and feed it to the dog. If the food stays on his plate or is consummed, that could be considered a good review.

Well, time will tell! I will keep you posted (assuming Blogger is still around then). When asked, they both want to be police officers or firemen. Zane said, "AHHHHHHHH!" very loudly.

Super Bowl & Valentine Boxes

2009-02-04T20:09:00.003-07:00

Nana and Grandpa came down to enjoy the Super Bowl with us. We had a great time and loved the 3-D part! The Saturday before, everyone but me and Zane played golf down in Farmington, NM where the course was very brown but open for business. The boys LOVED playing with Nana and Grandpa and came home very tired. (Thank goodness!)

As I mentioned before, Zane and I didn't go golfing. Some crazy rule about "no one-year-olds on the course." Anyway, so Zane decided that having muscles might make him look older than one so next time he can go golfing with his grandparents. I personally think he doesn't look older, but looks pretty funny!

Just yesterday, Derek came home with the all-important assignment of creating his "Valentine Box." The next morning he approaches me and says,
"Mom, I know what I want to do with my box and I know how to do it, too."
"Oh?" I say. "What's that?"
"I want it to be an alligator and his mouth opens and shuts and you put the valentines in his mouth!"
"How did you come up with that?"
"I had a dream about it!"
And that dream was apparently a good one, because I think his alligator box turned out fabulous!

Tucker must have thought so too, because he decided to make a shark one. We made fins and flippers that you can't see in the pictures.

This picture is a little better so you get the full effect.

The countdown to NASCAR continues. Thank you all for your sympathy. I told Andy that since last weekend we watched the Super Bowl and on Feb. 15th we will watch NASCAR that THIS weekend we are going to watch "Enchanted" because I have never seen it! He is a good man and agreed to it. How many of your husbands enjoyed "Enchanted?" Andy is a little skeptical, so I need evidence that it is not a horribly "girly" movie. (He'll watch it anyway, but I want to save myself from cynical remarks coming from the other side of the couch.) Thanks again. Any other good "chick" movies I might be missing?

Cookies and Dog Sled Racing

2009-01-24T15:05:00.004-07:00

Nice action shot by Andy. These dogs are ready to race at the Dog Sled race in Mancos (not far from Cortez). We came here last year and discovered that "mushing" is really interesting to watch. Of course, we only get to see the start of it, but the dogs get so excited! They are jumping and yelping and pulling until it is time to go. It gets pretty loud!

This race was in three stages of forty miles each. They do it in three days. The youngest musher was a fifteen year old girl! They travel all over the USA to race.

Derek made snow angels while we waited for the dogs to line up. They have them start in five minute intervals or else who knows what the dogs would do to each other! The dirt road leading to the race was a mud hole! Our car is a disgusting shade of light brown and desperately needs to be scrubbed!

Back at home, it was a perfect time to make cookies. Zane was having a fit while Tucker was helping, so I let him come up on a chair and "help." You would have thought I gave him the world!

One of my favorite things to do with my kids is to bake! Their favorite part is to taste test. Derek used to eat the raw flour! Now he prefers to lick his hands after rolling out the dough. (Of course, a large chunck of dough is usually left on his palms.) Tucker has always prefered the chocolate chips. Zane is just happy to be along for the ride (for now!).

Things to look forward to:
1. Chinese New Year Celebration (a tradition in our family)
2. Super Bowl (who would have thought the Cardinals would have made it?)
3. NASCAR begins (I used to think people were crazy for watching NASCAR. I thought it looked so boring. Now I am stuck watching almost every race with a house full of boys who LOVE the races - including Andy! MORAL: BE CAREFUL WHAT YOU SAY!)

Tucker vs. The Toy

2009-01-15T20:48:00.002-07:00

"The Toy" in this scenario is a solid wooden toy that is shaped like a guy riding a wooden bike. You pull the string as you walk and he pedals his bike behind you. Tucker was laying down in bed and looking at it as he held it above his head. Well, he let go and you know the rest . . . It looked worse in person and kept swelling as the night went on.

I think the toy won!

Blast from the Past

2009-01-11T20:13:00.006-07:00

Here is a look back at some funny photos of the Bass boys. Derek is wearing a pair of goggles that kept fogging up on him. He also wanted them very tight so it made him look like his eyes were being squashed together. He thought they would make him swim better, but he didn't realize he still had to move his arms and legs to stay afloat. How's a four-year-old to know? This is in Bayfield right around his fourth birthday.

This is the first time Tucker and these boots were together. At the time, they were Derek's, but now Tucker has grown into them and wears them ALL the time! Now that it is cold and icy, he has started wearing snow boots so he doesn't slip and slide. It is not uncommon for him to wear boots with shorts or, heaven forbid, no socks! We were still in Bayfield for this picture.

Below is Zane's first encounter with fireworks. We were sitting incredibly close and his eyes were as big as saucers the whole time! I thought he would get scared, but it was complete amazement and astonishment. This was in Cortez for July 4th.

This is a very old picture of Andy with his brother Neil in Mesa Verde when Andy was about 3 years old. I think it is cool that years later, he has returned with his kids and actually lives ten miles away! Who would have thought? (Andy is on the left with the blonde hair)

It is fun to look back!

Christmas!

2008-12-27T21:10:00.003-07:00

We had a WONDERFUL Christmas! It turned out to be very white, too - at least a foot deep! Christmas Eve started us off the right way. The boys and I made some of the food while Andy went to work for the afternoon. We made pumpkin pie, turkey, rolls and cookies for Santa. We also prepared for our Nativity play. When Andy came home, we feasted and then headed out to see some lights. There is a street here that does luminaries, but not many people participated this year. Maybe it was the snow . . . Our church also does a live Nativity with real animals which is very nice. Once we came home, we did our own Nativity play. The boys loved being the "innkeepers" and telling me and Andy that there wasn't any room. They were also shepherds and Tucker was a wise man too. Then we set out the cookies and read "Twas the Night Before Christmas." Amazingly, they went to sleep!

That is, everybody but Zane! He was wide awake until 11:30! Andy and I set out our gifts to the boys while he was still up. Not a good idea. We gave Zane a big red playground ball, but didn't wrap it. He saw it sitting there and started playing with it and laughing! Little stinker is supposed to wait for Christmas! He was enjoying it so much, that we just let him have it. Then, he started ripping the paper off of another present under the tree! What a twerp! After all that, I just held him until he calmed down and went to sleep.

The next morning was early, of course. The kids had fun and the first things that they played with were the gifts they got for each other.

We have enjoyed this time together as a family. I love Christmas for many reasons, but that love you feel for others at Christmas is one of the main reasons. "How silently the wondrous gift was given." The words ring true for the great gift of love we give each other - which is the gift the Savior gave to us. Through the noise of Christmas morning, the memory of being together in the spirit of love is the silent gift I will always cherish.

Zane's First Birthday!

2008-12-22T21:58:00.003-07:00

Here is Zane a year ago! Look at the skinny legs! He has certainly put on some weight since then! (A few extra chins, a roll here, a dimple there . . .)

When you eat like this, you might tend to put on a few extra pounds! He loved the cake!

This year has flown by! He is a sweet and silly little boy! Today we were going to go swimming because he LOVES the water. However the pool was 83 degrees and I just couldn't bear it on a cold and snowy day. So we played in the tub with bubbles and had a great time until Zane "went" in the tub. That's one way to get them out of the water! Then he took a big nap while Derek and Tucker and I made his Cookie Monster Cake. He had a blast playing with his new toys (he got two trains - one from Nana and one from us - I guess we need to communicate with Nana and Grandpa about gifts better). All was well until I got a lovely thick sliver in the side of my hand. Later, Zane was walking toward me and fell flat into the bench at the kitchen table. He is sporting a nice purple bruise inbetween his eyes and I experience sharp shooting pains every now and again in my hand. Aside from that, it was a very fun day! Derek gave Zane a card that was a "coupon" to play together. He actually did it, too! Tucker also made sure to give Zane extra kisses and hugs today. Tucker calls him "Zsa Zsa" for some reason - you know, like Zsa Zsa Gabor. I think that is how you spell her name. Anyway, Zane eats it up! I am so lucky to have three healthy boys who love each other most of the time! Happy Birthday, Zane!

Merrill & Jen's wedding!

2008-12-19T22:13:00.000-07:00

Merrill (my brother) just got married last Saturday to Jen. We are so excited for them! I got to meet her the night before at Chuck E. Cheese with Julie and Brad. All our kids were there, so it was a perfect place to play before the big day. I feel truly honored that they would spend that time with us right before their wedding. They were married in the Mt. Timpanogos Temple and it was SNOWING! It was perfect though because Merrill LOVES the snow! The sealing was beautiful and I cried my eyes out like an idiot! I wasn't all sappy and emotional until I had children. Now look at me. I start crying over Bob Barker on the Price is Right and have those embarrassingly loud breath intakes when you can't control the volume or the timing. Everyone in the sealing room must have thought I was a idiot! Anyway, it was nice that my whole family could be in the temple together (minus my brother-in-law Dave who couldn't get off work on the short notice). The luncheon was nice and laid back. In fact, our whole trip to Utah was sincerely one of the best trips we have had and I will always look back and smile at the memory. The snow and the roads were really quite nasty at times though. At one point we were going 5 mph on

I-15! We came home to a foot of snow in Cortez! I guess it is wintertime. Well, congratulations to Merrill and Jen and hope they can come see us in 2009!

Patch the Pooch

2008-12-01T22:39:00.001-07:00

Zane and Patch are buddies
Patch as the "Super Dog"

Here is our noble dog, Patch. We got her when we lived in Midland, Texas two and a half years ago. She was a furry little puppy and we got her sister Bailey, too. When we moved to Bayfield, our landlord would only let us have one dog, so Bailey stayed in Texas with a good friend and is doing well last I heard. Patch is now our pet. She is very sweet and licks and licks and licks and jumps on people when they pet her and licks and licks and . . . you get the idea. She LOVES kids! She also loves to chase prairie dogs, geese and her tail. Behind our house is not developed yet and the prairie dogs have a large existence there. Whenever we open our garage door, Patch whimpers and runs full force out to get the prairie dogs before they hide in their holes. She caught one once and didn't know what to do with it. She played with it for a while and let it go. Another time, she got so excited when the door opened that she ran into it (this happens quite frequently) and got a bloody nose. She loves to chase a frisbee and rough house with Andy and Derek. Tucker thinks it is funny to balance things on her because she sits still while he does it and then jumps up unexpectedly and knocks the stuff off her. Zane and Patch are friends too. Zane pulls her fur and plays with her face while Patch remains still. Once Zane is done, Patch licks him and won't let up easily! Another favorite game the boys play with her is "Bull Fighting." She sits under the table and they "open the gate" which is really the bench to sit at. She runs out and they try to "rope" her in with a blanket or their hands. Once Patch has had enough, she simply doesn't come out of her pen and then the boys have to take turns being the bulls themselves. Our trusty watchdog barks when someone is at the door, but is such a scaredy cat that she won't go outside in a thunderstorm, or if the garbage truck is there or any other loud noise. Someday I'd like to get her a friend, but this mama can't handle it yet!

Turkey Day

2008-11-30T21:40:00.001-07:00

We just came home from a great trip to see Andy's parents. In seven years of marriage, it was our first Thanksgiving meal at their home. It was nice and they invited several friends that didn't have kids or company for the holidays. I was nervous about how my boys would handle it because they usually act like deer stuck in the headlights, but they were great! One guy brought a remote control truck and they drove it around after the meal. Now, this was no ordinary rc truck. This was a top-of-the-line, souped-up, all-terrain vehicle. This guy was seriously into remote control vehicles! It climbed up hills and combed through weeds like a regular four wheel drive! Of course, Derek and Tucker were in complete awe. After they came back inside, they wrote their letters to Santa asking for a "remote control monster truck." The kind they had just played with started at $300. Luckily, Andy and I found a much cheaper and sensible version at Walmart!

The next day was Black Friday. For some reason, my in-laws and I decided to get up at 4:30 am because Sports Authority was giving out gift cards for up to $300. Not one of us received $300. We each got $10. So it was over to Walmart which was so crowded, I was nauseated! We soon left and went back to bed. Andy and I hit the stores again later and decided it is NOT worth it to get up early. The sales are usually for things that are not on our list anyway, so why bother? I HATE large crowds.

My in-laws have a Wii and so we played boxing on Saturday night. My back is so sore today, I could barely lift Zane! We convinced Lyle and Jeanne (my in-laws) to play. Lyle was hilarious to watch! He was dancing and weaving and going all over the place! If you haven't tried it, it is fun to do and funny to watch other people do it! Tucker is unbeatable at golf!

We came home today through Telluride were they hadn't plowed the roads. It wasn't so bad until we came across a tree that had fallen across the side of the road. Luckily no one was coming the other way. We are glad to be safe back at home and can't wait to go out to Utah in a few weeks for my brother's wedding.

Thanksgiving Past and Present

2008-11-24T21:52:00.000-07:00

This Thanksgiving, I am thankful for what you see here above. I love my family! I love my boys (Andy counts as one of the boys)! I remember past Thanksgivings with so many great memories. I remember the first turkey I cooked without the aid (or supervision) of my mother. Pulling the neck out of the bird was just about the grossest thing I could imagine! I don't remember seeing my mother do that. My sister Julie was with me in my tiny little newlywed apartment in Springville, UT. We were screaming with laughter as the neck just kept coming out the hole! That wasn't the worst! I realized there was a bag of unmentionables in there too! That memory is classic. Because our "discoveries" took so long, we didn't eat until well after six (everyone skipped lunch, too). I had no dish washer and did six loads of dishes to clean it all up.

I remember other Thanksgivings that included more than just our family. I love being able to share Thanksgiving Dinner with family AND friends. Thanks to our friends the Shaw family in Texas who had us over two years ago. We were moving the following week and literally had no table to sit at! We had sold most of our furniture in order to fit everything in the moving truck. It would have been cheese and crackers on the floor! This year we are heading to Montrose, CO to be with Andy's parents. I am thankful for them and their ability to make each visit a memory filled with laughs! Can't wait to see what memory this year will hold!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING FROM THE BASS FAMILY!!!!!

Random Moments

2008-11-11T16:50:00.000-07:00

Zane's latest discovery is the piano. He knows how to play the bottom notes and thinks it is the coolest thing ever - with the exception of his thumb, of course. He has already taken one step. He'll be walking just in time to destroy the Christmas tree . . .

Here are Derek and Tucker catching "air" into our giant beanbag. Our wonderful neighbor gave it to us and it has provided our boys with hours of pleasure - who knew? Their favorite game is to run and jump into it. I was very sick this day and could only sit in the corner and click a picture while they ran circles around me - or maybe my head was spinning and they were really sitting still. The world may never know.

2008-10-31T22:15:00.001-06:00

Make a Smilebox greeting

Of Scarecrows and Soccerballs . . .

2008-10-30T22:50:00.000-06:00

This year I got to be Derek's soccer coach. They must have been completely desperate to have someone like me do it, because I know so little about soccer. Luckily, Andy was there to guide me and over the course of the season, our little team improved quite a bit! Derek was the soccer maniac and LOVED to score goals. He scored five goals in one game! The difference between a four-year-old soccer player and a five-year-old soccer player is amazing. Still, we got in some good laughs and had fun doing it. Tucker was our official "Junior Member." We were the Panthers and everybody's favorite part was snack time and when we did our team cheer. Octopus tag was a hit as well.

After soccer was done, we all battled with different illnesses. Tucker was sick for almost the entire month of October. He is well now and hopefully will not miss any more school or church! We made some scarecrows that the boys were immensely proud of.

Here is the finished product. In nice weather, we like to sit outside on our extremely large front porch and read stories, so the boys wanted the scarecrows to sit there in memory of warmer days. We had fun and hope for more fun tomorrow trick-or-treating!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

Fall Time

2008-10-10T15:02:00.000-06:00

Andy, Me & Zane at a football game in Montrose - Zane's first one!

Tucker loved being way up high and seeing the pretty leaves.

Derek in the Gondola at Telluride. It was raining pretty hard!

This is Telluride in the fall

Here is Dallas Divide right by Ralph Lauren's ranch (just outside of Ridgway)

We had a beautiful drive up to Montrose a few weeks ago. Andy had just been at a conference in Vail and we met at his parent's house in Montrose. We enjoyed the colors - the boys looked for purple leaves and found quite a few! We feel so lucky to live near such beautiful country. I love the San Juan Skyway and travel it often to see my in-laws. When you see the changing colors, you know that God must love us to send us one last perk before winter!

A Year Ago Today . . .

2008-09-10T10:20:00.000-06:00

A year ago today, Andy started his job in Cortez as the Parks and Recreation Director for the City of Cortez. We were living in Bayfield at the time and only had one car, the '93 Toyota Camry. Bayfield is almost a two hour drive from Cortez, so he had a very long commute. I was left without a car with two little boys in a small town. This went on for two months while we waited for our house to be finished. The first two weeks were tough, but after that it was great! We walked everywhere we went: the library, bank, park, friends houses, etc. I was six months pregnant with Zane and living in a sea of moving boxes. Luckily, we had friends who would visit or take us hiking or to doctor appointments. One year later, we have a beautiful new home, a chubby happy baby, a preschooler, a kindergartener, a mini-van (I know!) and Andy in his MBA program. Unfortunately, the Camry took the brunt of all this and is currently under repair with Andy trying to figure out how to put in water pumps and timing belts - eek! Wish him luck. We both agree it has been a very fast year. Here's to longevity!

First Day of School

2008-09-07T21:38:00.000-06:00

Zane enjoyed the first day of school because he could take a nap uninterrupted!

This is the second day of school - Derek actually smiled that day!

Here is the dilapidated school bus cake. Give me a break! I only had a few hours to make it from start to finish!

Tucker loved it!

Our first day of school was a mixed bag. Derek, our kindergartener, cried and put up a big fight. The picture is rather sad, so I will leave it out! Tucker, our three-year-old- preschooler, just happily skipped out the door. Of course, everyone came home happy and said how great it was! I made them a school bus cake that turned out rather sloppy, but they loved it! Now that two of them are in school, I thought I would have more time. That is a joke! Amongst other things, I am Derek's soccer coach! They must be desperate if they ask me. Good luck, Panthers!