the one at whom we point to account for all the noise

How do you like this most rad of outfits? It's because his brothers conspired against him to lose his shoes, and he refuses to wear pants.

Captain America

• is the unfortunate oldest child, and therefore guinea pig for all our parenting experiments
• has been very patient with our incompetence as parents
  
• loves to make people laugh--he prides himself on being "the funniest"
  
• will often attempt to deflect punishment with humor
• does an awesome stunt fall
• is very smart and tends to lose focus when he's bored in school
  
• tried to ride a hot lawnmower and burned his leg*
• grabbed a pan of hot water and dumped it on himself, burning his chest*
  
• has burned himself numerous times on the gas fireplace*
• is what we call "an aggressive researcher"
  
• has a kind heart
  

*Yes, we tried to stop him, don't email me, DCFS.

two tags

Superman and Pinga have both been tagged. Superman first, because age before beauty and all that.

• Superman is officially potty-trained (knock on wood)
• he is a natural athlete and loves to play soccer
• he is offensively cute--so cute that I don't think I'm as strict with him as I was with his brothers
• he eats all day long, and is always hungry
• he is devoted to his tractor blanket (pronounced tratterblankey) and drags it everywhere
• he is an avowed thumbsucker, and I bet we'll have to use those zip-tie mittens that my parents used on my little sister
  
• he was our first child to actually enjoy our company--the other two couldn't wait to get away from us, and were like, "see ya, losers!"
  
• he was a beensy wee child until we started drinking goat milk, and then he went KABOOM, and before long he's going to overtake the Hulk
• he's the only one of our kids who enjoys wearing the cowboy boots they got for Christmas
• he's very smart and I hope I can keep him entertained until the time he can start school
  
• when he was little he used to try to ride Aebleskiver
  

Pinga

• Pinga is an angel straight from heaven
• she is very mellow and sweet
• she has dimples on both cheeks
  
• she is named after her great-grandmother
  
• people keep giving us hair bows, but she never wears them, and I think our Relief Society President feels bad for her because maybe people will think she's a boy
  
• she is a great sleeper, just like her brothers, and has been sleeping through the night since she was about six weeks old
  
• she messed up our streak, because we were totally going to have John, Paul, George and Ringo--hope she knows how to play the drums
  
• I'm excited to finally have a girl
  
• I hope her brothers teach her not to be a prima donna
  
• she eats a lot of carroty and squashy food
  
• she is orange

We want to tag everyone we know, but I guess we won't be pigs. We tag Emma and Eden and Ellie and Easton, and Captain America and the Hulk.

hope you don't mind the poaching

There are some young cousins in our family who refer to their camouflage pants as "killing pants." That cracks me up.

thank goodness I ripped up the carpet

All moms who are tired of their children peeing on the floor, raise your hands . . . oh, so it's not just me, then? Okay. How is it that a child can use the toilet and pee his pants 20 minutes later? Sigh. Despite the setbacks, Superman is doing a good job of potty training, and when he does have an accident he wants to get right back on the horse and try again, so that's good. I need to do a better job of making him go to the bathroom every half hour or something, because whenever I ask him if he needs to go, he always says, "Not quite yet." He would say "not quite yet" with pee running down his leg, I'd wager.

Captain America and The Hulk both had soccer games last night, and according to The Dad, Captain America actually seemed to realize that he was participating in a team sport for a change. He even made a near-goal. I love that he is so supremely confident in his abilities that he refers to himself as one of the better athletes out there, despite the fact that his coach is always calling to him, "[Captain America]! Where's the ball? Point to the ball, [Captain America]!" He's a wool-gatherer.

happy dirty family

We are tired around here. It has been very busy. The boys have been good helpers with the goats, especially Captain America. He is great with animals, and I'm thankful for all the help he gives me when I need it.

I promise Superman is not my only child . . .

He's just the one here and awake the most.

He reads magazines in the bathroom . . . *

And he helps when we go outside and find a brand new goat baby.

*This photo wasn't staged.

my mouth hurts from my carelessness

I was eating a cookie yesterday and it Cap'n Crunched the heck out of my mouth, so eating has been unpleasant. The cookie's wrinkly exterior gave me no clues as to its subversively scrapey texture!

I am pleased to report that Superman is progressing on his potty training. He's had a couple of accidents, but nothing serious, and he isn't fighting tooth and nail to remain a giant baby anymore. There have been many chocolatey rewards given, and he is excited to get the Dinoco Blue Lightning McQueen that flies, and it will fly all around the house (his words). I really hope he'll be well established in his routine by the time we go to Disneyland this fall, because I don't like the idea of changing poopy underwear at a theme park. I mean, I sort of do, but I'd probably rather not make all the other moms jealous. I don't need anybody scratching my eyes out.

chicken taco soup

Here is the recipe for the soup that The Dad's mom brought to Captain America's baptism.

She says:

PS

I made the soup a little different than the recipe because I wanted to make something [K] could eat. I used powdered onion, powdered garlic and no jalapeno. I also didn't cook the chicken first. I just cut it into pieces and put the chicken into the mixture and cooked everything together.

Chicken Taco Soup:

½ onion diced
1 clove garlic minced
1 tablespoon oil
1 14 oz can tomato sauce
1 14 oz can diced tomatoes
1 can corn
½-1 whole jalepeno
1 tablespoon cumin
1 lb. cooked chicken
2 c. chicken broth
Juice of one lime
1 bunch of cilantro – cut up

Saute garlic and onion in oil. Add remaining ingredients and simmer 20 minutes. Serve with chips or cut up corn tortillas, cheese, sour cream and avocado.

captain america's big day

before

after

We partied in my parents' garage, like a good Mormon family.

Tying on the feed bag.

More eating.

Even more eating.

Another of our many sets of Grandmas and Grandpas.

I feel very thankful that we live so close to so many of our family. Thankful for us, sad for them and the lowered quality of life they experience as a result of proximity to our weirdness.

coarse and/or funny things my children say

Superman: "I'm taking a nap because my tummy is so tired."

The Hulk: "We sang the CRAP out of Sister Cunningham on that song!"

Captain America: "[the hulk]! Dressing up for Halloween is NOT A JOB!"