A week or so ago, Emery and the older boys came to Twin with me. The boys had to turn in all of their school things and Emery wanted to just come.
Grandma Arrington took her shopping, which she loved so much.
Jackson loved the 'Bro Week' with Brad. They watched movies that he wanted to watch but none of the other kids wanted to, he picked every dinner and stayed up late. He crashed one day and slept while Brad had to do some work meetings. He was happy to have Emery back, so he had someone to play with.
For Mother's day, Emery wanted to do something. I'm not a huge fan of holidays like this, so we usually don't do anything. Since COVID has closed pretty much everything, she gave me a 'at home date night' with Brad. It was a super sweet idea and a fun night.
We have the laziest dogs ever, which can be a good. They love the mornings the most and they follow the sun.
We have survived year one of teenagers. It's been fun, and really not too bad. They seem to be lazier, but that's about all. We can't complain too much, we really do have good kids.
Thanks to COVID the boys really didn't have a normal birthday, but I think in the end they had a lot of fun and ended up having a great day. We had Zander over for pizza, cake and games.
Then presents. Camden wanted a suture kit, a magic trick and new card. Beckham wanted a Rastaclat, Hulk-buster and Thor Pops!.
Emery made this cake as well.
After playing games for a while, we sent them out. They walked to a store close by, but then got tired and had us pick them up.
Then at dinner we got Wings and had other snacks and watched a bunch of The Simpson's.
For their 'cake' tonight we got 2 cheesecakes from The Cheesecake Factory. I thought Cam's was the best.
We ended the night with them all playing games, which is their favorite thing to do.
Camden has had a big year. He really has come out of his shell and seems more outgoing. He still doesn't like to talk to people he doesn't know well, but he talks a lot to kids his age and had made a lot of new friends. He really got into drama this year, and even had a major roll in one of them. Camden is like Brad, super smart, knows he's smart, but that can be the problem. Camden knows he is smart and doesn't study as much as he should. The second semester his grades dropped and after losing a lot of things, he is starting to pick back up (just as the year ends). We are hoping that the new schools really push them and make them even better. Camden is into Magic and is getting better and better. He has a good amount of tricks now that I can not figure out. He still plays the piano and loves not doing lessons and just playing songs he wants to. However he does play for hours on end, which the rest of the family tends to get tired of. Camden spent most of this school-year not playing video games. It was nice but weird. However, since Boise, he is getting back into them. Camden is into
training the dogs tricks. He starts is and we all join in, but he is doing such a good job. He cares so much about his hair. I like to bug him and touch it. He thinks it does something when it's touched, but it doesn't move at all. Camden's favorite subject is math. His favorite food is fried rice. His favorite game is Destiny, and just for fun, favorite COVID activity is sleeping, which he can do a lot.
Beckham has grown so much. He's enjoyed getting taller than me, then a short time later is now taller than Brad (Brad won't admit that one). He pulled away from drama a little, but still may try it in Boise. Maybe new teachers will make it better. He is still pretty shy, but he has made a goal to try to not be so shy. COVID has not helped with that. He tends to be a little easier than Camden at times. Beck is like me and doesn't like getting in trouble and just does what he needs to go and get done. His school from home has been very easy. Beckham didn't care for piano much, but he really has gotten into the guitar. Now has 2 and is going to take a class next year to learn. He still loves games a lot and could spend hours on end playing them. Beckham also likes to cook and is always wanted to either make dinner or help with it. He is getting better and better. I love talking about music with Beck. He is always willing to listen to a new song and even better when he likes what we show him. He is loving having his own room. I really think it has made him and Camden closer again. They all just needed a little alone time. Beckham's favorite food is a good burger (last ones he helped make and they were amazing). His favorite subject is Drama. His favorite game is Drama and his favorite COVID activity is exercising. He's trying to get super buff.
It is May which means one big thing for our family, every boy in the family gets 1 year older. First is Brad's. Since I am still working in Twin all weekdays, I would have missed Brad's birthday. I really didn't want this year to be the first time in 15 years I missed it, so I took the week off. I didn't tell anyone in Boise I had done that. I tried to tell Brad I had a meeting and left Tuesday around lunch. About 1:30 Brad realized that I never have meeting this long, and my Skype says I'm gone. He figured I was coming, but also was worried I really was in a meeting and would Skype him back any time, then he'd really be disappointed. Before I left however, Emery made him lunch. She brought it to him at 'work'. She is so sweet and always wants to do things for others.
I showed up to the house just before 3 and rand to door bell. The kids were confused at first and then excited when they realized I was home for a week. Brad was very happy with this part of his present. I think he was just as sad for the possibility for our first birthday apart.
Emery also made cupcakes for Brad's birthday. I was nice to be there for dinner and cupcakes.
Emery wanted her hair lighter, so this week we colored it. We had to use a box, since most other places are closed. It didn't start too dark, she just liked being blond a little more.
I was worried it was going to be dark when it looked like this.
But it lightened up pretty well.
One day we went to Uncle Chuck's house for roasting hot dogs and played some corn-hole. It was a lot of fun and good to get out. Jackson was not a fan of the smoke though.
It was the hardest this week to leave. It was fun having an almost 'normal' life for a week.
Last week was the easiest week to leave so far, I took home Emery and Jacks with me. They wanted to spend a few days with cousins and Grandma and Grandpa.
I just found this picture on my phone. A random Emery selfie.
We went and got Snowasis one night. The kids will all miss going here throughout the summer. It's one this we need to find here in Boise.
Grandma and Grandpa have been redecorating the downstairs and Grandma Nickle's room was last. The kids helped with a base coat of paint and loved it. Emery always wants to help paint, so she was in heaven.
They spent 2 days at Uncle Bryan's house. They love going over there and hanging out with these cousins. Emery loves how girly the girls are and the make-up Ambree and Adarah do. Jackson and Jarom are so much alike, they just play pretend for hours and never get bored.
Sometimes the dogs do cute things and that makes them fun.
They know they aren't allowed in out room. With Brad working from home, he sits on the chair in our room with his laptop. Luna was just waiting for him to say it was okay for her to come in.
Luna loves blankets and found a new favorite place. She slept really well on her queen spot.
Jackson loves scary things, if you haven't noticed. He has wanted to watch "The Boy 2" for a while now and Uncle Paul got it on his Vudu. I mentioned to Paul that Jacks was excited for it, but Cam and Beck don't like scary movies and won't watch it with Jackson. Paul said Payton would which made Jackson excited. A few days later Paul invited Jacks over to watch the movie. The second I got the text, Jacks ran to the window to watch for Paul. He loved it, and even Emery went. All of the kids went over this past week and watched "The Sixth Sense". They all can't wait until the next movie night at Paul's.
Today I went upstairs to get something and saw notes on the walls. Jackson wrote them.
It is a cute idea and I love that he thought of it. It also made me tear up a little because he felt he has to ask for nice things and they just aren't given. With all of the close stay-at-home that has been going on, the kids are getting a little tired of each other. Jackson and Camden fight the most. Camden tends to say the meanest things to Jackson. If he is made at Brad or I, he takes it out on Jackson. Jackson always wants to impress Camden and wants Cam's approval, which he doesn't get often. They can be the best of friends one day, then fight non-stop the next.
