Back to My Crazy Kids

So it's been a few weeks since I've done an update on the little tyrants who torment our humble abode...
Ashton starts Kindergarten on Tuesday and I'm a little apprehensive. He is going to a private kindergarten this year because his birthday is too late for public kindergarten and David and I opted for him to go straight into kindergarten versus a preschool repeat. That way he has a better head start when he goes into public school. I'm still a little indecisive though because Ashton was the only one in preschool last year who still had an occasional crying fit when I left him up until the very last week of school. The kid's a tad on the sensitive side. Well, I guess since school starts in a day it's a little too late to change my mind. I may just end up coloring and counting right beside him for awhile until he adjusts....which I pray is quickly.
Zander has grown into quite the little character. Ashton was an adorable toddler too but I don't remember him being quite this lively and manipulative. Zander thinks he's got the whole house and routine figured out and knows just when and where (and who) to go to when he wants something. He says "Daddy" very well and still only has eyes for him (and despite my best efforts, I'm developing a complex about it). He also says "go" and points to his desired location, "Hi", "Thank You", a very dramatic "uh-oh!", "Tigger" for his favorite little friend and "bye, bye" with a wave, but pronounced "gu, guy" for reasons I don't understand. Oh, and he can say "ma, ma" but he prefers to call me by my name "Dacy". Yea, the little baby I carried for nine agonizing months and have since reared for an additional fifteen thus far prefers to address me by my formal name. Now, tell me I shouldn't be developing a complex, right?
A few weeks ago, David took Ashton out four-wheeling on his brother's new Yamaha. (Boys only, I wasn't invited). They had me drop them off up Hobble Creek Canyon so they could go over the pass and come out in Squaw Peak in Provo Canyon. As we were unloading and Zander began to realize he was not going to be taken out of his car seat, he was not well pleased. We were pulling the four-wheeler off of the trailer and I was making sure the back pack was all set so there was a lot of noise from behind him that he couldn't place and couldn't see strapped in his car seat. He began roaring "Daddy! Daddy!" at the top of his lungs and after a minute of no response or appearance of anyone he paused a moment and then quietly said "Dacy?...Dacy?" I just about died laughing it sounded so funny.
Here is Ashton right before they sped off, none of the big helmets would fit him so we used his bike helmet, hope that's safe enough.


When Ashton first got on he got a little spooked and wanted immediately off. I had already been nervous about letting him go because though I trust David, it is a dangerous activity and with no phone service, I wouldn't know if they were okay. As I was putting him back on the seat I tried yelling over the engine to just take a quick spin up the trail a little and back down to make sure he was okay when David just took off. Startled, I sat there for a few minutes expecting them to come back...but they didn't. I could just hear the ferocious rev of the four-wheeler getting farther and farther away. And in that moment, I couldn't help but burst into tears. He hadn't even let me give them both kisses and say goodbye and now what if something happened to them up there like you hear in all those terrible news stories? (David later told me he didn't want to give Ashton a chance to chicken out which was probably good because he ended up loving it).
So Zander and I made our way back down the canyon in tears. Zander feeling the sting of rejection as Daddy was leaving him out of a boy's activity and me nursing my irrational fears.
David and Ashton had a great time, they had a little picnic at the top with this amazing view.

Here are a few more pics of the beautiful scenery that I missed:


Of course, they ended up being just fine and we picked up two very dirty boys just a few hours later up in Provo canyon.

Because Zander felt so bad about being left out on the four-wheeler, a few days later we went and visited the new Harley Davidson store so he could see all the bikes. He found one that was just his size:

But the hat didn't last long...

Of course, Ashton is our cool rider and he had the posture down:

I'm totally out of my element with this boy stuff though. In fact, as I am writing this Ashton and David just came in so that Ashton could do a reenactment of his new fighting skills where he takes down his opponent with a swift punch to the nose and a choke hold from behind complete with legs wrapped around the waist. Maybe I should take re-considering Kindergarten more seriously after all...