Dallin's Real and Actual Birthday

was on a Sunday. So the wild raging Saturday party had simmered down by then, but the family all pitched in to make the day special for him, (except for Davey who still assumes all clapping and smiling is dedicated just to him). Dallin, thus far, has been a fan of his close-to-Christmas birthday. Here he is with his birthday R/C car that drives up the walls and ceiling:

Just shortly before turning six Dallin reached the real rite of passage for elementary school kiddom--the losing of the first tooth. He is happy enough, and loving the Tooth Fairy kick-backs, but I'm not so sure I'm ready to welcome in the awkward large-tooth, small mouth, pre-braces days of elementary kids. It was a bit sudden for me, and I feel a bit half-hearted to see the cute little teeth go--or to see my cute little boy go.

Deej is Six! (as of Dec 21, 2008) hehe, late post.

How awesome is turning 6? So awesome that you get a one-of-a-kind Death Star birthday cake designed solely by your mom's own creative juices (and the sports ball Wilton cake pan set). So awesome that you get to have the sweetest cousins party known to Gilbert, all-inclusive with a stack o' Hot-N-Readys (sparing no expense for young taste buds), a big jar of Tostito's Salsa con Queso, a hastily glue-gunned graham cracker house for each guest, and a table brimming with sugary cracker house decor. So awesome that the place was decorated with the Star Wars Clone Wars party set and the shining (if not overly-glazed) eyes of children who had eaten a non-stop stream of anti-nutritious substances since walking in the door. ** Special thanks to Dylan Rich who provided each child with a pixie stick that was 2 1/2 ft long and 3/4 inch in diameter for our appetizers. Ya gotta buy somthin at the school store, why not 18 mega-sized pixies to start off your Christmas sugar blitz.** As you may have guessed--this party rocked! Only the best for our Dallin J. He IS sooo cool. {AND he got student of the month for being caring and got to eat lunch on the stage with the principle. Caring and Cool--quite the package.}

The Death Star kind of collapsed, but that was all well received, since it did that on the movie too.

In Another's Shoes

I have become abysmally negligent of this blog. Whenever my thoughts flitted over it's existence during the last month, I simply excused my care with the mantra "it's the holidays!" I intend to do some storytelling and picture posting from our holidays, which I will do in the very near future. But I made it a goal to post tonight, so post I will--until Jared gets back from the Redbox.
Lindsey has instigated a new game in our family. We have played it two or three times now in as many days. It begins by Lindsey telling me that I am not Mom, but that SHE is Mom. Thus, my "gentle words of guidance" to pick up the toys, cannot be adhered to at this time. The question then arises: "then who am I?" Well, I'm told, I am Lindsey, and Afton is Dallin, and Dallin is Dad and Dad is Davey, and Davey is Afton.
The game changes everyone and everything around here. Dallin (Afton) gets to ask Mom (Lindsey) if she can have more juice before dinner, and Lindsey (me) has to ask Mom (Lindsey) if she can "help" cook the beef.
The game lingered on for over an hour last night. And what was the result? Davey working until late and missing dinner. Afton making a mess of her vegetables all over her face and the kitchen floor. Dad complaining that he had to do homework (coloring the matching pictures can be rough at times). Lindsey giving a bath to Mom and Dallin while Afton stood gripping the edge of the tub, bobbing her head up and down until it was her turn. And Davey returning home from work to be corrected numerous times on what names to call whom, until just after he had them secured--at which point the game was abruptly declared adjourned until Lindsey's whim reopens the chaos next time.
Now, if that doesn't make your head spin, go read The Fox in Socks for YOUR bedtime story five times fast.

GGGGGGGGRRRRRrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr . . . .

Please click on photo for additional detail

Now you can create a Wolverine School Photo for your own family member!

Step 1:

Mother (or other parental/guardian figure) applies gel liberally to scalp, spiking hair on morning of school picture day in order to camouflage the much-needed-hair-cut status of hair.

Step 2:

Child decides while at school not to have spiky hair and decides to flatten middle-front section using a drinking fountain water/spit combination product.

Now sit down in front of the photographer's blue and gray shaded background, give a little close-lipped smile and. . . . Viola! Your own Wolverine School Photo to enjoy for years to come!

Style modeled by Dallin Jared Parker (a mini-Hugh Jackman in the making, and just as good looking).

Taking One For The Team

Because I feel it is in all of our best interest that I contribute toward this:

scrumptiously squishy goodness, I feel it my responsibility as a nursing mother to assist my children in their Halloween candy consumption, and consumption of all up coming holiday treats. It is a sacrifice I had not foreseen before becoming a mother, but one that I have buckled down and accepted as part of the work load that honorable motherhood requires.

Note: due to my diligent sacrifice, 7 mo. old Davy is now weighing more than Dallin, Afton , and Lindsey weighed at 1 year. I'd estimate that currently there is a good inch of soft babiness that squishes between each of your fingers when holding the child.

Halloween Pics

We met up at Em's for some homemade pizza and increasingly loud pre-trick-or-treating hype.

Back, L to R: Storm Trooper: Dylan Rich, Ghost: Brad Andrus, Strom Trooper: Nick Andrus

Front L to R: Batman: Jake Rich, Pirate Girl: Lindsey Parker, Cowboy: Conner Andrus, Buzz Lightyear: Dallin Parker, Birthday Cake: Afton Parker, Bumblebee: Spencer Andrus

Bottom: Dragon: David Parker

Just hatched from the dragon egg.

Aunt Em tames the dragon.

Birthday Cake costume (a little worn and torn by Halloween after a few parties), made of an upside-down canvas laundry bag and hat of paper plates with pipe cleaner candles.


Halloween is so much fun with cousins!


Quote of the night: "I'm not gonna say 'trick or treat' I'm gonna say 'trick or toilet!'" by Jacob Rich. And I can assure you, he stuck to that objective, and still received large amounts of candy!

Happy Election Day!

We had a debate at the dinner table tonight. Dallin told us he was voting for Obama (after a few questions on which one was which.) I asked why and his response was that McCain was a little fat.(?????????????)
Jared responded by referencing Arnold Schwarzenegger's remarks at a rally on Halloween for McCain:

"Every year, the first week in March, I come to Columbus Ohio and my friend Jim Norro and I we organize the Arnold’s Classic which is the greatest body building expo in the world. Now, of course, the Arnold’s Classic is all about building up the bodies and pumping up. That’s why, the next Arnold’s Classic, I want to invite Senator Obama, because he needs to do something . . . he needs to do something about those skinny legs. We’re gonna make him do some squats. And then we’re gonna go and give him some bicep curls to beef up those scrawny little arms. But we, if only we could do something about putting some meat on his ideas.”

Having skinny legs, however, didn't persuade Dallin against Obama, but when I mentioned that McCain was from here in Arizona, he became a hard, fast McCain fan. We'll see what happens tomorrow when Obama is likely to be victorious. We may see Dallin quickly jumping the McCain ship. He has remained loyal, though, for David, as he told us the other night over a chicken enchilada dinner. I had just explained to Afton that we were not eating tacos or burritos, but enchiladas. Then Dallin piped up: "Too bad David lost."
"What?"
"You know, David Enchilada on American Idol."

At least Dallin will have a memorial ring from this years election. He was happy to have found this among his Halloween loot on Friday night and proudly showed me:
"Hey! I got a ring with the two guys that want to be president!"