God's Killer Whales

In a lame attempt to get the boys to sit still during Family Home Evening tonight, I made the threat that the next person to get off the couch was going to really "get it" and then go straight to their room.

Cyndie in her wisdom and patience with the boys, made a game of the situation. She told us the floor was dangerous, that we needed to stay on the couch or we'd be at risk from Satan's Sharks.

Dane got a little scared. Tate looked at her and said, "Well, God's Killer Whales can come and eat Satan's Sharks!"

OK, you got us there, Tate. They stayed in their places on the couch anyway. Good work Cyndie, Sharks and Killer Whales.

Cyndie and the MoTabs

Among the many great blessings of being the Primary Chorister, Cyndie has become a folk hero of sorts. All the children notice when she is gone, and the skills she employs to keep 100 pairs of eyes on her (50 at a time) for 30 minutes have achieved Legendary Status.

As she left the church yesterday, little Elizabeth's parents related that earlier that morning, they were watching the Mormon Tabernacle Choir's rendition of Handel's Messiah. Elizabeth's dad pointed out conductor Mack Wilberg's prowess at leading such a large group. Elizabeth responded that "he's not as good as... as good as... hey, wasser name?" Sister Anderson, they asked. "Yeah," Elizabeth replied, "he's not as good as her!"

Cyndie was grateful for the complement.

Family Events

Waiting for Brother. The loyal fans await Tate's triumphant return from school.











And a great Family Puzzle Night. This Transformers puzzle has been framed and hangs on a D-Max wall.
I have no idea what is going on here, but it was a fun picture of Dane and me, so I included it.

Rudge Grundy Ninja

What is it about kids and making cool costumes by putting underwear on their heads? Oh, come on! Admit it, you did it too!

Easter

The boys know that Easter is really about Christ's death and resurrection, and they tell us that even though they like the candy and eggs, they are pretty sure those are "extra parts" of Easter.

Cyndie had fun making eggs with them last week. We didn't hide the eggs, but the baskets were for Saturday while Sunday brought the lesson on why Jesus' sacrifice and triumph over death are so vitally important to all of us.

I think, therefore iCar

Tate and I had a blast putting our third Pinewood Derby car together, It was a tossup between a SpongeBob SquarePants car and the iCar. In the end the iCar won out when we couldn't find the right SpongeBob parts to accessorize the car.

Special thanks to Drew and Kelli for letting us use the ShopSmith to make the required cuts, drill the new axels, and plan the widening project. (Glad the garage got cleaned out so we could get to the ShopSmith).

The iCar ran admirably and we were proud of our work. The whole family had fun and there were great treats! Depending on when next year's Derby gets scheduled, I may be making 2 cars (Dane will be in Cubs by January, and Tate won't graduate from Webelos until March). The CubMaster asked me how many I want to do so she knows when to schedule the race. I say let's go for 2!

Here are some shots of the car in all its glory:





Here's a great shot of Dave and Jackson's SpongeBob Car that inspired us. One theory of creativity states that if your source lives more than 4 hours away, it isn't really plagiarism to copy their stuff.



And finally, here is a shot that Tate took of himself on Derby day. The fact that T had the camera will also explain why there aren't any pictures posted from the actual race.

Birthday Greetings brought to you by the "Field of 64"

On March 14, Tate turned 10 years old. Can't believe that he's 10! I always have fond memories of his birth... well at least the hours afterwards. Apparently there are very good reasons that I am not a Doctor! I remember sitting in the rocking chair next to Cyndie and holding Tate while we watched the first round of the NCAAs. If you can plan it, that Wednesday is a great time to have a baby.

Cyndie made another great cake. This one was comparatively simple, but hit the spot as Tate wanted to use marshmallows and gummies. She made that combination appetizing to all. "Gator in the Garden" was critically acclaimed, earning the maximum rating: 4 stars (we don't let Sumner vote, especially on those things chocolate as they will kill him.)














Among the hits were a "Martian Matter" Kit that allows the kids to make their own alien design casts and then fill them with some goo that hardens up and makes little "gummi-like" alien figures, but "don't eat that stuff, it's toxic!" Dane reminds us. The much coveted EyeClops hooks up to the TV or a monitor and magnifies anything in its field of vision. Dog hair, people hair, salt, sugar, pasta, bread, boogers, scabs, whatever a 10-year-old and his seven year old brother can come up with.