Religious Artist Graffitis

What can an artist do when he can't find his preferred medium. He can get creative and find an usual canvas-his little brother's belly.  Quinton loves to tease and quickly struck with a marker to Archer's wee belly.  Now Archer is walking art, at least until it fades away!

Graffitied Archer

My Golf Pros

Originally our 1960's era neighborhood was planned around a golf course as it was to only be for those 55+.  Some things changed and those under 55 were allowed to live here too.  The golf course was still a major part of the neighborhood though.  We live just a block or so over from the golf course. There is even a secret walkway that is between two houses just down our street that puts you right on the golf course itself.  The two neighbors gave up a little bit of land to make the walkway.  I have always liked that walkway but now that my kids golf it is especially appreciated.  

Our golf course has a program that lets kids under 18 years old take 6 golf lessons and pass a golf test and then they get to golf for free.  This is the second year my kids have done this but it was Archer's first year.  Archer was so excited to finally be able to golf!  The kids took the classes and all passed the test.  They were dedicated to golfing because those lessons despite being in the morning were in the height of summer so we are talking 105+ temperatures! They would come home soaked in sweat.  Now as the weather begins to head to the cooler fall temperatures it is perfect golfing weather.

Eddy took three boys, Declan, McCoy and Archer out golfing on Saturday.  Quinton wasn't able to go but he loves to golf too.  In order to have a golf cart you have to adult so Eddy drove them around while they golfed.

McCoy lines up a shot while Archer watches

Now it's Archer's turn 

Archer checks they lay of the grass

Declan putts

Cool McCoy

McCoy tries out the driver's seat

Getting four kids outfitted with all the necessary golf stuff was much cheaper with thrift stores, yard sales, and Wal-Mart clearance.  We have so many extra golf clubs at this point we could outfit four more kids with clubs albeit junky ones.  Of course they are always looking for upgrades to their equipment! 

After the boys had finished golfing, Zaynzley wanted to go for ride in the golf cart with dad.  She was so excited as it was her first time to ride in a golf cart.  

Eddy and Zany with Mt. Graham in the background

Zany by the large duck pond on the course 

Before long, I bet Zany will become a golf pro just like her brothers!

Archer the Legomeister

Archer has long played with Legos as all his older brothers have been into Legos at one time or another.  We have quite a lot of Legos that have been amassed over the many Christmases and birthdays.   Archer recently discovered the joy of building a new lego set following the instructions.  Archer received a junior build lego set for his birthday in July and throughly enjoyed building his set.  Yesterday, Archer discovered a unbuilt lego set in the playroom and happily began building it.  It took him about 24 minutes to build it he says.  Archer is also a member of our local library's LEGO club.  So he meets once a week with them and enjoys a L=lego day, E=enigma day, G=game day, and O=outside day.  Archer's favorite day is Lego day, because you can create anything you want.  One time Archer built a bank in Lego club.  

Archer working on his excavator 

Archer puts on the tires

Finished!

Now he only has to wait to Christmas to get a new set of Legos! 

Meanwhile he can continue to build creations of his own.

Boys of Summer

Town baseball starts right as school is ending, for me it is a sign that summer has truly arrived.  I held off putting Archy in baseball so he never played t-ball and he went right to coach pitch.  I wasn't sure how he would do skipping t-ball if he would be behind the other kids or not.  I think all the years of watching his brothers play ball paid off because he knew exactly what to do.  He was quite aggressive and Archy was always in ready position and focused on the game.   He was a hoot to watch and his games were so fun.

There's Archy ready to step on the base and get an out

Throw him the ball, he's ready!

Archy at bat

Neon shirts make Archy easy to pick out

Sign the town posted at all the baseball diamonds

Dec always ready for a photo op (portunity)

Treats are sure appreciated!

McCoy loves playing baseball!  He was on a team of 8, 9, & 10 year old boys.  He was 9 this year and so was in the middle of the age group. At this level, the kids do the pitching until a batter walks and then an adult pitches until the batter gets a hit or strikes out.  McCoy most often was the catcher, if he wasn't he was playing in the infield.  Once the playoffs started he was the only catcher.  He did a great job!

Coy goes for the ball as catcher

Coy's ready for the pitch (light blue shirt)

McCoy the Catcher

Ashlee, Pa and Nona came to see the boys play several times.  With all four boys playing, there was a lot of games to chose from.  Now that baseball is all over I kinda miss it but I don't miss sitting in the heat watching them.  Baseball will be back before we know it!

River Play in Gila Box

Rivers in Arizona have a tendency to slowly diminish until they are a mere glimmer of their former glory.  The Gila River almost disappears until the summer monsoons arrive refreshing it.  We decided to go to the Gila Box Riparian Area and enjoy a lovely swim before the river dwindles.  The water was pretty chilly but that didn't stop the boys and zany from swimming.

Quinton tries to talk Zany into going in the water

Declan in green, Quinton and McCoy bent down (Shadow Ash far left)

Finally got Zany into the water, she's shirtless like her brothers

Happy Archy

McCoy going for a real swim

Zany decides a piggy back ride is the way to go

While Archy was swimming he found a debit card in the water.  We actually knew the person it belonged to, we had bought our piano from her.  We contacted her and she had been there the day before swimming. She had already cancelled the card but she couldn't believe we found it.

Archy with found debit card

Zany didn't like the cold water for long so she spent her time on shore building a fairy house with sticks, rocks, and flowers

Zany with Fairy House

We'll have to go back sometime and see if any fairies have moved into their lovely home!

Fun at the Tucson Zoo

We decided to purchase a zoo membership since it was about as cheap as just going once.  Whenever we went to Tucson we would go to the zoo.  Pa went to this same zoo when he was a boy with his grandma LaVona Jones Hawkins who lived in Binghampton (which was the LDS community in Tucson back in the day) not to far from the Zoo.  We had talked about taking Pa to the Zoo with kids for a couple of years.  We picked a lovely day for it, and the animals were very active.  The Tucson Zoo is a perfect size and you can get quite close to the animals.

Part of the Zoo Party

McCoy, Zany and Archy getting a closer look

 Archy loves of animals of all kinds and was very excited to feed them.  When Archy gets excited he does flappy arms (his elbows are bent and his little hands and arms flap up and down).  Zany does the same thing but for her its when she is scared.  McCoy, Archy and Zany got to be a part of the feeding giraffe experience. 

Here is the experience in Archy's own words:

We wait in line, then we give them the token, Then we got our carrots, then we go to feed the giraffe. The giraffe was walking to us. Then he got a little closer, then the giraffe stuck his tongue out and he wrapped it around the carrot. Then he ate it. Zany was scared because she doesn't want to feed the carrot to the giraffe.  Dad help her to feed the giraffe. We pet the soft skin on the giraffe's side.  It feeled soft.  McCoy did it too. He feed the giraffe too.

Interview with Mom (Rhiannon) and Archy, again in his own words

Me: Archy would you do it again (feed the giraffe)?

Archy:  Yes

Me:  If you could feed any other animal at the zoo which one would you feed?

Archy:  Well the lions would be scary, but I want to feed the lion. Wait, would the zoo helper help me?  Would I have to climb in or get in to feed the lions?  Wait, I have to climb on the glass and drop it?

Me: They probably have a back door

Archy: Will I probably just throw it in?  I don't want the lions to get out.

Me:  What would you feed them?

Archy:  Lions like meat. I will feed them meat. I think they eat any kind of meat but I think deer meat.

Me: What is your other favorite animal at the zoo?

Archy: Peacock, because when you're eating french fries and walking it will follow you.

Me: Archy if you were in the zoo and people could feed you, what would you want them to feed you?

Archy:  French Fries and carrots, a ham sandwich, that's my favorite food

Getting carrots to feed the giraffe

Archy and Zany waiting for the giraffes

Brave Archy feeds a giraffe, while Zany and Eddy watch

McCoy's arm feeding a giraffe

McCoy (left to right), Archer, Declan, Zany and Eddy with a giraffe

We just love the penny stamps souvenirs and usually get them when we see them at various attractions. They are fun to crank and a cheap souvenir too.

McCoy cranking out his souvenir

Archy with a Zebra finally on display, most of the time the Zebra is in a back pen and Archy is disappointed but not today!

Zoo pals: Archy, Declan and Quinton who happen to match

Maybe next time we will see if Quinton and Declan are brave enough to feed a giraffe!

Its a christmas miracle: A blog post

Well I broke first. I was waiting since I did the last blog to not post again until my Lazy Boned Sister did hers. But I attended two Christmas concerts and thought in the spirit of the season , to make a post.  Both of these concerts were pretty quick, and I didn't arrive early enough to practice to find the right settings, so not the best of pics, but hey at least I blogged!

Archy's class also a chance to play "Where's Archy?"

There he is! Singing greatly.

He is so much cuter then Rudolph don't ya think?

Here is McCoy's class. He is really good at being expressive when he sings. 

Here they are doing a dance, they did a nineties rap inspired program. 

right before they started singing with lights in the dark. It was a fun program and always good to hear different songs than normal. 

I have been bad at taking pictures of birds of late, and this guy would have none of it. 

Boys come to visit

What to do when you get a crew of boys together? Why put them to work! Dec, Archy, and Coy came for a couple days. Nona offered them paying work to weed the drive up to her house.  As it was starting to scrap the bottom of cars. 

Very Excitedly picking out gloves. 

The Offending weeds

Dec and Coy shovel while Archy puts the weeds into the trashbox

Dec showing us fine technique

Mccoy Helps Arch with a particularly stubborn weed. 

Success! Is there anything funner than a hard days work? (or maybe 45 mins of work?)

They were very helpful, and made thier beds! 

After that we went to the Gila. It looks deeper than it is in this pick, but they had fun!
Next time we will have to try and get the weeds on the side of the road too.