Pump it Up!

We are on our second week of 100 degree temperatures with 96% humidity...we're spending a lot of time indoors. I took the boys to Pump it Up to burn up some energy. Pump it Up is full of bounce houses with slides and obstacle courses. This Pump it Up happened to be a Jr. version for kids 6 years old or younger. Most of the equipment was small, but there was one big slide that made Griff a little nervous.



Big brother going head first and on his back!



Little brother attempting to be cool like big brother.




It's a pretty big slide. SHOULD I???



MAYBE LATER!


When Griff gathered his courage he had a great time!





Cute Maddox!

Like Father, Like Sons

Anyone who knows Grant, knows that the man loves to clean. Grant has feelings of euphoria while cleaning. I imagine it's similar to runners high. I can only imagine, because I assure you, I receive no such feelings while cleaning! I guess I shouldn't have been surprised when my boys started to take an interest in cleaning.

Maddox will vacuum one room for 30 minutes. He'll take a break, but assure me that he's not done yet so I won't put the vacuum away.



While scrubbing the toilet the other day, Griffy approached me and wanted the bowl brush. Griffy was thrilled to be scrubbing the toilet!


Maddox heard the excitement and came running to the bathroom. I could not believe my eyes - a fight broke out over the bowl brush!



...Griffy lost!


With boys like these, who needs a maid!

Photography by Maddox

Maddox really wanted to take some pictures today. Never one to say no to my children, I posed with a smile. I would have preferred better lighting, but hey, it's my kid's first photo shoot!

The direction I got for this photo was to "LOOK SUPER RAD Mom!"


Next I was told, "Be angry mommy!"


Tired of my face, Maddox moved on to my feet. Mad wanted the world to know that we have matching toes.



When Maddox grew bored of me (which didn't take long), he moved on to our apartment. So if you've been dying to know what color our carpet is, the wait is over...



The hallway closet


The boy's bathtub


And here's the patio


There were many more photos by Maddox - light fixtures, ceiling fans, toys - but I think these photos are his best work. I love the world through the eyes of a 4 year old!

Beatin' the Heat

Texas summers are way too hot to take your kids to the park for an afternoon of fun. I've found quite a few indoor activities to keep the boys occupied.

The boys commandeered an airplane! Luckily one of them was able to see out the window!

The boys played a vicious game of air hockey.

Maddox climbed a mountain. From the look on his face, I think it's pretty clear he's inherited my fear of heights!

After Mad's thrilling rock climb, he decided to relax with a little fishing.

Griffy did a little shopping. That's exactly how I feel after a trip to the grocery store with 2 little boys!

Just a Few Reasons

Just a few reasons why I love being a mom:

1. Kids are always willing to help with meal preparation.
Breakfast anyone?



2. Eventually, your kids become less dependent on you. They start doing things like dressing themselves. No, it's not Halloween, Mad just thought this was the perfect outfit to impress the babysitter.



3. Although I don't get out as much as I used to, I'm still exposed to the Arts.



4. My boys do everything with a smile!





5. Never a dull moment! I LOVE it!

House Hunting - Texas Style

The Texas housing market is a little different from California's. Our Realtor informed us that Texas is in it's 11th year of "buyers" market conditions. Grant & I had heard the term the "buyers" market, but didn't think it really existed. As we are only familiar with having to decide if you like a home based on one 30 minute visit, then joining a bidding war with 11 other buyers, and finally having to pay above asking price to buy our first home.

A couple of other pros for Texas:

• We can actually afford a house in a school district we are willing to let our children attend

• Our house will be less than 50 years old & bigger than 1400 square feet

After visiting 9 existing homes yesterday this one made our list.

We didn't love the view from the front:




But we LOVE the view from the back!




Next Saturday we visit builders. We're excited at the possibility of picking out every detail for a brand new home. We never thought we'd have the opportunity. We'll keep you posted!

Long Live Peter Piper!

Peter Piper Pizza lives on... in Texas! If your last name is not currently or ever was Monge, you probably don't care, but for us, Peter Piper Pizza was a huge part of our childhood. We logged many hours at the 7th East location in the Sandy strip mall. The Peter Piper Pizza has since closed down. For a while there was one in Provo and my sister Emily and her hubby Troy - who is also a fan of PPP, would travel the 30 minutes to eat there. Emily has searched, but can no longer find a Peter Piper Pizza in Utah. I was so excited to see flags and a "Grand Opening" sign hanging from the Peter Piper Pizza in the shopping plaza across the street from our apartment. For a couple of weeks before it opened - I talked about PPP - ALOT , I think Grant thought I was a little obsessed. For all the teasing Grant sent my way, he's starting to get it - Peter Piper Pizza is quickly becoming a go-to spot for our family on the weekends.