Predicting the Future

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

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

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

"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

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!

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!

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!