like a child

Yesterday we celebrated the 4th of July with fireworks. 4th of July used to be my favorite holiday (before becoming a sentimental mom and latching on to Thanksgiving). There's just something wonderful about fireworks. I didn't used to think so. I still remember my childhood Independence Day celebrations spent hiding under the seat of our van to escape death by fireworks!

I wondered how Noah would respond to his first real fireworks show. I thought I better prep him before dumping him on a blanket in a dark field way past his bedtime with explosions and fire and brimstone showering down upon him. So I sat him down and told him we were going to watch fireworks. This was a new word for him. He paused and thought for a minute, and then his eyes lit up and he puckered up his lips and blew (as if blowing out a candle). I said, yes it was fire in the sky, with loud noises. Boom Boom, I said, and moved my hands like I would during "Popcorn Popping". We drew pictures of fireworks, all different colors against the black night sky and made sound effects to go with the drawings. For the rest of the evening, he kept running to the window, looking outside saying: "Boom Boom! Sky!" Finally it got dark and we loaded into the truck and drove up the road on the red cliffs. We found a good parking place and climbed into the bed of the truck. The fireworks show started, and it was hands down the best fireworks I've seen. Not because they were spectacular (it is St. George, after all...) or because we had the best spot (we were pretty far away). But because we were with a child. I won't forget the look on his face when he saw the first firework. And since we were far enough away, the look on his face was not one of terror. I think you'd call it "wonder". I watched him more than I watched the fireworks. On the drive home I told Kyle the reason I love fireworks is that it makes me feel like a child (a child without the firework phobia, of course).

Noah woke up this morning still talking about the fireworks in his crib. And he hasn't stopped. He keeps saying: "Boom Boom! Boom Boom! Pleeeeese??" in the context of "Mommy please please take me to see more fireworks!!" and I've been trying to come up to appropriate responses. "Fireworks went bye-bye." "Fireworks are all gone." "Fireworks will come back later."

The good thing is that we are Mormons living in Utah in July. So until Pioneer day, we will be drawing a lot of Boom Booms and counting down the days until the fireworks come back!

Jacob (s)Miles

Jacob was 2 months yesterday. He is growing into his cuteness and becomes even more endearing every day. Especially because of his smiles. There's nothing like seeing that sweet little toothless newborn smile. It melts my heart every time! I read that universally, in every culture, babies begin flashing their social smiles at around the same 6-week mark. Jacob is no exception. The past couple of weeks he has been very responsive to my smile-coaxing techniques, which I have been perfecting for years. Back when I was 8 years old, I was caught on tape trying to make my youngest brother Kenton smile by tickling his cheeks while chanting repeatedly: "Can ouuuuu smiiiile for meeeeeeeeee?" in a very annoying high-pitched voice. My family still mocks me for that, but I don't let it get me down, and I haven't abandoned my technique, because it works!

Noah plays with Jake

(The last one is the best.)

Father of the Year

Last week Kyle had Scout Camp. On Wednesday morning, he called me to ask if he could take Noah with him to the camp for the night. I thought it was so sweet that Kyle wanted to take Noah along. That's true love, to want to take a toddler someplace crazy like camping! This was their first big father-son outing, so the whole thing made me a little emotional! I helped pack Noah's little over night bag and did some motherly nagging ("Make sure he's warm enough"), and then the boys were gone. I missed them so much, and I almost didn't know what to do with myself! But the night passed and they came home, and I got to hear all the stories. Here are a few pictures of their adventures:

with Dad and the cows

around the campfire

Good thing he has already had his tetanus shots :)

I know this will be just the first of many father-son things, and I love it. I feel so happy that my boys have an amazing father. He is so patient with them. He loves to spend time with them and is so good at playing with them. He brings a lot of laughter and fun into our home. He is a good example for the boys and I hope they will grow up to be good guys just like their dad.

More from the Party

The proud father presenting his son. This is exactly how he did it in church after the blessing too. Just kidding.

Mommy and Jake

The next pictures are what Noah was up to the whole day:

Playing with his food
I don't think that shirt will ever be the same!

Playing with his uncles
He has learned most of their names. He's had Kurt down for forever, but now he's got Ryan "Ry-Ry" and "Kenton" "Kenken". He was having a hard time with Christian, but when we changed his name to "Choo Choo", he says it now everytime. I think he calls Curtis "Brooke" and well Derek and Andrew, we're still working on them!

Playing with the girls--

He especially loves the Morgan girls, and Haylie in particular! He followed Haylie everywhere and tried to drag her along wherever he went. Through the whole weekend he said: " come on Haylie!" probably 300 times! The day after they went back home to California, I told Noah we were going to Grammy's house, and he said excitedly: "Haylie!" I had to break it to them that Haylie wouldn't be at Grammy's house this time. Sad! We wish everyone would just go ahead and move here with us!

Playing with The Ouch-y Plant

Since we live in the desert, we have plants in our yard that are well-suited for harsh climates. The "Ouch-y Plant", for example. It has spikes on it that are so sharp that brushing up against it the wrong way draws blood. During the party, my Dad and brothers were playing with Noah and developed a game that involves this plant. One of the big boys would pretend to touch the Ouch-y plant and then pull back and proceed to yell and writhe around the ground in pain. Noah would laugh hysterically every time. When he wasn't laughing, he directed the whole game. He would say the name of the person he wanted to hurt themself and with one finger point at the next victim, and the other finger point to the plant. He even took his turn. He would put his little finger up next to the plant and then give us a mischevious look and run in circles and yell "ouch!" and then fall on the ground. Great game. Guess you had to be there. :)

Blessed

Our little Jacob Miles was blessed in church on Sunday. We had a mini family reunion in honor of the occasion. The Piepers came out from Kentucky, the Morgans from California, the Eagle Mountain Campbells, and Grandma Campbell from Pioche! And the locals of course! It was a special day, one we won't forget. Kyle gave Jacob a beautiful blessing. I felt so grateful God sent this sweet little boy to our family!

This was my first experience with a full-on traditional Utah baby blessing and afterparty. It was pretty wild. We had about 40 people over to our house after the blessing- it was a full house! I've never been the best organizer, so I let the Pieper boys take over the food preparation, and then Grammy Shanna got here and I asked her to be in charge, and just about everyone else helped out in some way! Thanks to all the helpers, I got to relax and enjoy the party. We played Wii and ate food and talked. A new baby being blessed is a great reason for a party! We were thrilled to have everyone there to celebrate with us and can't wait to do it again! :)

The Four of Us

4 GenerationsGrandpa Chief
Brothers

More pictures to come...

Cooking with a Hungry Toddler

I woke up at about 7:00 this morning and came into the kitchen to get breakfast started. Most mornings we have cold cereal, or if we're lucky eggs or pancakes. But this morning I felt adventurous and decided to make a biscuit ring (aka monkeybread). Noah loves to help "cook", so I let him pull up a big chair next to me, expecting a little extra mess, because he is a toddler after all. Sometimes I'll let him sample the food as we go, but today he gave a new meaning to "licking the spoon". First he grabbed a handful of biscuit dough and practically inhaled it. Next he stuck a spoon in the cinnamon sugar and took a bite, actually three bites, before I confiscated the spoon. Then he stuck his little fingers into the stick of butter and shoved a chunk in his mouth. And as with each of his other taste tests, he followed wih an enthusiastic: "MMMMMMM!" At this point, I moved all the food away from him, but then he managed to crack open my prenatal vitamins (not childproof, apparently). Luckily I stopped him just before he put one in his mouth. (I won't be leaving my vitamins on the counter anymore.) My patience was wearing a little thin at this point, so I moved him away from the food, to the sink. I gave Noah a scrub brush to wash the dishes, or more specifically, the pot soaking from dinner last night. I turned my back for one moment to finish the breakfast, and when I turned back to Noah, what did I find? Noah had the scrub brush in his mouth and was nibbling on the remnants of last night's rice and whatever other scraps of food might have been stuck to that brush.
Moral of the story: don't underestimate the appetite of a hungry child.