Oscar Stew

No doubt about it, turning 8 has not only been an exciting time for Drew, but for all of us. There have been a lot of fun and new experiences that Drew has been able to share with us, and we’re super-proud and happy for him. Hit the lights, crank the music, it’s time to celebrate!

If your lunch items are wrapped up like presents, does that mean they taste better?

Mama was out of commission, so Ryan whipped up some mathematical cupcakes for Drew & his class. Each one was frosted with an equation that adds up to eight (except for one that only added up to 7…oops). What a nice “house-husband”. That sounds kinda weird, but so is Ryan…

After school Drew got to put his own dang candles on his own dang (cup)cake…a firefighter’s nightmare!

Lookin’ mightier than an olympic torch! Happy Berfday Scoob! Let’s tear open some presents!

The most special part of turning 8 was a very important decision Drew made. Drew decided to follow the Savior’s example and get baptized. Ryan baptized and comfirmed him a member of the church. It was a decision that Drew thought long & hard about. 

We’re all so proud of you Drew! Thanks for being a great example to all your little sisters, and to us! (Wanna know more about baptism and what we believe? Click here.)

We’re also grateful for all the wonderful support Drew got from our extended family. The baptism “after-party” got a little rowdy…a total of 30 relatives in our house at the same time! Thanks everybody! Sadly this is the only shot I got of the fam all weekend.

Turning 8 also means that Drew is now an official Cub Scout. Drew aged-in at the perfect time: 10 days before the Pinewood Derby! He didn’t seem very interested in making a car, though. He created the design he wanted for his car only a month in advance. Sand away son!

Looking real good Drew!  The weigh-in is in 24 hours, so you better hurry up!

Ah, finally getting down to the finishing touches. Drew decided he wanted a hot-rod look which required whitewall tires. Of course! Abraham Lincoln’s copper profile helped us avoid getting paint on the wheels. Thanks Abe!

And now…for the reveal! Nice tires!

Looks like a real air-slicer. Is this thing ready to race?

Well if it’s not, somebody better call 911, cuz this ride is hot!

Speaking of hot, a couple of cute skinny blondes showed up to the race to cheer Drew on. Meow!

Gentleman, start your…graphite tubes! Let’s race!

Check out the rookie scout! That shirt is so new it still has creases! Lookin’ sharp!

Drew won some, he lost some. Perfecto! If it weren’t for that laser finish line thingy, some races would’ve been too close to call!

Drew was pretty worried about how his car was performing, can’t you tell?

Way to go Drew!

It’s that time of year again when kids all around the country eat their greens…and like it!

Check us out! We’re in a green kitchen! With green food! But no green in our pockets! Nice Mater teeth Drew!

I think at this point Brinley realized what she was eating today, and was doing her best to keep from turning green herself.

Green sandwich, broccoli, sour apple, and a couple of mystery containers…scary!

Us uneducated ones who don’t go to shewl shared the rest of the loaf at home…1000 bonus points if you know the “shewl” reference!

…c’mon Rowan sing it! There is beauty all around,when there’s loaf at home!

Yeah ok, it is tough to sing with your mouth full. I take it you like the sandwich?

Even Elea-crank is a fan. Maybe that spongy bread massaged those aching gums of hers? Can’t you see the tears of relief welling up in her eyes?

We went for a green dinner too. Why not go all out? The kids were just sure this dinner was going to disappoint, but they both went back for thirds.

I used a pretty fool-proof recipe. How could I go wrong with butter & parmesan? Oh I get it, you silly kids don’t like asparagus.

Not sure who this kid is. Maybe we’ll be able to tell once we peel off the anti-aging noodle mask. Happy St. Patty’s!

There is no one in our family that comes anywhere close to being as independent, self-reliant, and determined as Rowan. It doesn’t matter how difficult or dangerous the challenge, she is up to the task. She usually finds her own unique way to get the job done. And that is one of the many reasons why we love her so!

If your little hands lack the dexterity to open a candy wrapper, find scissors.

If you want to help with the laundry, put yourself in a position to get picked up.

We don’t have cable/satellite, so the only channels that are on are the soaps. Don’t judge!

How long a minute is depends on which side of the door you’re on. Rock on with your potty-trained self!

I know it’s your favorite food, but the cottage cheese is all gone Roastie. Sorry!

Well lookee here! After scraping the container for 5 minutes you actually came up with a decent bite! Have at it!

Yeah don’t transfer it to your plate, just hork it right off the mega-spoon. There’s less chance of losing any that way. Do you have a mother? Tell her to tame that mop!

Once Rowan discovered the location of the chocolate chips, she also found that descending from the third shelf with a full load was impossible. No problemo! 

Sesame crackers and chocolate chips: The snack of champions.

Crack is what happens when your parents buy your clothes a size too big to accommodate your enormous cloth diaper booty. And then you go and potty train yourself. Way to go girl!

Rowan enjoys mandarin oranges with her cottage cheese. Who needs an official cup when you can take care of business all by yourself? That’s my Rowan!