{ Spazzy and Other Scottisms }

One of my most enjoyable things is seeing my kids being funny or saying funny things. I love a good sense of humor. Not to be confused with outright craziness and running around wild like maniacs-though that happens a lot around here. Just a good old fashioned great sense of humor, sweet innocent sayings, and some deep full on belly laughs. The kids seem to always be saying something that I think is so funny. Scott is my top one for saying some pretty clever things.

Scott has this amazingly intense side to him. He loves to focus and concentrate and create. And then there are times that he is just so silly. That little head of his can scheme up some pretty funny things that come out of his mouth. Here are a few from the last few months that I remembered to jot down.

• Erika was complaining that she was so hungry (she’s hungry a lot it seems), and Scott was evidently kind of sick of hearing about her hunger problems, so he offered her some sound advice. “Erika,you need to be the master of the food”.
• We were eating tacos for dinner and they were coming apart and in his little fit of frustration he did what he does best-he came up with a creative invention and solution for his problem. “Mom, what if we had tape for taco?”
• We have a real problem with Scott and Ryan staying at the dinner table during meals. One particular meal Scott ran off and I quickly tried to verbally bring him back to the table. He got a little huffy and turned around and in his best exasperated voice says, “Mom, I can’t even sit there, Ryan is being so spazzy on the bench”. Ahh. Some good 80’s lingo is always enough to make my day.
• We were coming back from the beach and Scott said from the back seat, “"You know those red things in your eyes? Mine are all burnt out.”
• To say that Scott is a picky eater would be a gross understatement. He loves what he loves, and certainly makes it known what he does not. I was making dinner one night and he climbed up on the counter to inquire what I was making. I told him and he got real excited and said, “Ooh I love that, keep making it.
• We were driving in the car and he says, “Mom, my brain has a mind of it’s own”.
• “Is there wine at the store? We should get a bag and garbage it. I think satan drinks a lot of wine.”
• He calls hard boiled eggs, hard-spoiled eggs
• When Scott asks me something if I say no right away he gets pretty upset-typical 5 year old I think, so I have started asking him if I could think about it first. He had requested something one day and I pulled out my magical “Can I think about it?” phrase and he replied, “Sure, but you only get 7 minutes.”
• In the spring when he still went to preschool he would ask everyday if tomorrow was preschool. When I would say no, it was the day after that,he would say “Oh, I know the tomorrow-morrow.”
• This one wasn’t funny, but just so honest that it made me smile. Scott was sick with the flu one night, and had already thrown up several times. He finally turned to me and declared, “I just can’t take this anymore!”
• This one wasn’t by Scott, but directed towards him from Brooke. I hear from the back seat of the van, “Don’t stick your fingers in my mouth if they’ve been in your nose!” Lovely. Sometimes that craziness just creeps in.

{ Master Builder }

This summer we had a couple weeks when the two big kids were gone at different camps for a week, and it was just me and the kids. I tried to make it a little bit of fun, so towards the end of the week we planned on heading to see the Lego movie at the dollar theater. Let’s just say, Everything was awesome! It was a super cute movie. The boys were talking through the whole thing-getting exciting as each new character would show up that they knew of. Ryan was most excited when Batman came-no surprises there, he still loves Batman. Scott just loved all of it!

They had gotten some Lego cups in a Happy meal a few weeks before, and Ryan was SO excited to tell me every time he saw “his guys” from the cup. Scott and Ryan love to build Legos. Like REALLY love to build Legos. They both got some new sets for Christmas last year, and combined with the large stash we already had, now have a whole huge basketful to create with.

Scott is always building some amazing creation. I would love to get inside that kid’s head sometime and see where he comes up with all these ideas. He is definitely a master builder at heart. His favorite thing to do is to build things for presents for people on their birthday. He will make it in “layers” with a big container as a present, and then it will have moving parts to reveal what’s inside that he made.

Other times he will be making places for his special stuff. He will construct something to hide him money, or his candy, and anything else he managed to swipe from someone else. I can almost always count on going in his closet and finding a Lego creation hidden there with something inside of it. We try to keep the Legos upstairs, but undoubtedly they always make it back down here. Scott always wants to show me his stuff that he has made, but more times than not, it gets destroyed on the way down. I have finally resorted to just keeping the basket in the piano room for weeks on end just so they have closer access to me to show me their cool things.

{ Scott’s New Glasses }

I think this is my favorite picture of Scott ever. He is so cute! This kid was just made to wear glasses. His love for Superman has come full circle, and now he can sport the Clark Kent look too. When Scott went in to have his kindergarten physical before school started, we found out that this poor kid was in dire need of some glasses. As part of the Pre-kindergarten testing they need to have their ears, dental, and eyes checked.

When we went in for the eye exam she had Scott look at a TV screen with black and white letters and pictures on it. He wasn’t getting the first few and I thought maybe he was just confused because the eye tests he has done before have been the charts on the wall. She had him look through a little machine and she took some measurements of his eyes. Yep, sure enough this poor kid is blind as a bat. I felt so bad for him, and sad that I hadn’t recognized it before-and then very grateful for this little test that I had taken for granted before.

We scheduled a day to come back and have a full eye exam with the Ophthalmologist and see exactly how bad it was. Luckily, Aaron was able to come over for the exam that day and help me understand all the information. For someone who doesn’t wear glasses, it was a bit confusing and seemed a little like a foreign language. For Aaron, it was a trip down memory lane, as he relived himself getting glasses when he was 5.

They had to put drops in Scott’s eyes to dilate them, and then we had to hang around the waiting room for another hour. Luckily Aaron’s office was right down the hallway, so he took Ryan with him to do some work, and then came back and made some awesome exam glove chicken’s for the boys. No one can claim this guy isn’t a fun doctor! And the best part of the day for Scott? The awesome roll up glasses to wear to protect his dilated eyes.

The next Monday, we took a trip for Family Home Evening to the eyeglass store to help Scott pick out some glasses. Ten people invading the glasses store was quite a site.

Everyone had fun trying on glasses and modeling them for us, then would bring Scott the ones they thought looked the coolest. After a while I was so confused at which ones we had tried on and which ones we hadn’t. After most everyone had had their fun, Aaron walked everyone but Scott and I, next door to Krispy Kreme's donuts for our Family Home Evening treats..

We narrowed it down to three pairs, and then picked the perfect ones just as they were returning. Everyone gave a unanimous thumbs up. I don’t know if Scott really liked them, or just wanted to be done so he could eat his donuts, but either way we ended up finding some that we loved.

The day that we went to pick up the glasses, lenses and all, Scott was a little nervous and actually telling me that he wasn’t going to wear them. After we walked out of the store though, he looked around and said, “Woo! Mom! Everything looks so deep!” It would be an understatement to say that his depth perception was a wee bit off too. Poor kid-welcome to the world of seeing!

Scott has been super good about wearing his new glasses. The lady at the store told him a little rhyme-“If they’re not on your face, they’re in your case.” He is very diligent about putting them in his case whenever he takes them off. We let him pick out a special green case to go with his new glasses just to make it a little bit more fun about keeping his glasses safe.

At first he would wear them to school, but most days take them off after school. Now a days, he keeps them on well into the night as he is drawing and doing his homework. We have gotten so used to that cute little face with a pair of glasses on them, it seems like they have always been there. And now..he is pretty sure that he needs to be superman again this year for Halloween, just so he can be the Clark Kent version of him.

{ Remembering Easter Sunday }

Last night I was upstairs sitting with Scott and Ryan in their room trying to get them to bed. It was way past their bedtime, and I was trying my best to get them to sleep without too many tears from either of us. Getting two little boys to want to go to sleep after a full day of Easter egg hunts and chocolate was becoming a bit of a challenge. We got on pajamas, brushed teeth, read stories, put on their stickers on their bedtime sticker charts from the night before, said prayers, and they were at least laying down in their beds. I was sitting between them trying to keep the peace, and hoping that sleep would quickly find it’s way to them. I had my phone out and was trying to finish up reading parts of my Sunday school lesson that I would be teaching the next day.

After getting Ryan to actually lay down and be somewhat quiet for awhile, Scott started talking to me about Easter. I told him that tomorrow was a special day that Jesus was resurrected. Suddenly all the knowledge that he had stored up in that little 5 year old brain, came spilling out along with all the tender feelings one could hope to have about the Savior. His honest and sincere questions of exactly what happened when Jesus died, and what is would be like when we are resurrected, and how Jesus really lives filled me with awe as I sat listening to this young child. His understanding far surpassed that of even some adults, and that “old” spirit of his came shining through in a way that I hadn’t seen before.

The spirit in that room was so real, and I could see Scott get choked up as he talked to me about Jesus. He spoke up with such excitement to answer all of Ryan’s questions like what a tomb was, and that Jesus was crucified, and how it was for three days. He told him that Mary saw Jesus and he talked to her, and that a big rock was rolled away from the tomb. We talked about Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ and the Holy Ghost, and how they were all separate and real. He told me that we are all brothers and sisters because Heavenly Father is the father of our spirits-even him and his friend Ann from preschool. He told me that sometimes when he is in the car and Ryan isn’t talking to him he hears a voice and it’s Jesus telling him, “Choose the right Scott”.

As I sat there experiencing a little bit of heaven, I was thankful that Heavenly Father blessed me with an over abundance of patience at that moment. The swirling thoughts of all the many things I still needed to do that night and the chaos of a busy day disappeared and there I was with just my two little boys in a dark upper room remembering what Easter was all about. The little light that shined from my phone was so small and weak compared to the bright light of hope from the Savior I felt in my heart at that moment. I felt like I knew in such a different way what it meant to become as a little child, and I was thankful for my own little children who had taught me so much about Easter.

My love for what He did is overflowing as I think of how imperfect I am and how much I depend on His atoning sacrifice that He made for me. How grateful I am for the Savior Jesus Christ who suffered and died for all of our sins, and who gloriously rose again on the third day. What hope it gives me to know that someday we too will rise again to be with Him forever.

{ Frozen Moments }

Scott and Ryan made cute little Easter bunny’s at preschool today. On the way home Scott asked if I had some glue at home because he wanted to glue something on his rabbit. When we got home he showed me how he wanted me to glue the pink sticks that used to be ears on the rabbit. I thought that was cute to give the rabbit arms and commented on it to him. He said, “It’s not arms for the rabbit, I am making Olaf!” The funny thing is that it looks a lot like him. Yep, we have the Frozen fever around this place too. Frozen songs lyrics have been typed up and distributed by Brooke to whomever wants them, the soundtrack and movie has been bought in iTunes, and we have it playing every chance we can get. Disney sure is making their money from this family. I just love when good movies come out, and this one is fast becoming a family favorite.

{ Visiting OUR Baby }

It’s funny how ownership works. Usually you buy something with money and it becomes yours. Or you earn something-like a grade, and it’s yours. Occasionally you may own up to a choice, and that makes it yours too. Little baby Ethan wasn’t bought with money, or earned through any good merit of his brothers or sisters. He wasn’t necessarily their choice they could own, but they have claimed him as their own since they knew of his tiny little existence almost nine months ago. Every time we talked about “the baby” he was always OUR baby. And not the Aaron and I kind of OUR, but the whole Starbuck gang kind of OUR.They bought him with love and take that ownership so seriously. His every little movement and need is looked on with love and care. There are usually three people deep in line to hold him, or change a diaper, or sit next to him. Yes, ownership for this little guy is a group effort, but never was there anything quite so nice to share as OUR baby.

  The first little glimpses of Ethan were looked upon with complete wonderment and amazement for this tiny little creature that just days before they had to only imagine what he would look like. They seemed to hang on my every word as I talked about him being born or what he was like already at just a few hours old. The nurse had come to take his temperature a few minutes before they arrived at the hospital and his temperature was a little low, so she had me hold him skin to skin to warm him up a little. The kids loved to see his cute chubby little body as I played momma kangaroo for awhile.

    

Our tradition of holding a new baby still stands as youngest to oldest-and our former youngest Ryan was SO excited to hold Ethan. I think the sweetest thing though was that he immediately wanted to come sit on my lap and he asked me, “How are you feeling?” He had come up with that sincere little thought all on his own with no older sibling prompting and it was just what I needed to hear. He was so gentle holding Ethan and kept stroking his hair lovingly. So cute to see this brother to brother interaction already forming-or maybe just picking up where they left off in heaven a few years ago.

He was very interested in my IV in my hand and wanted me to “open it up” and show him my tummy. It took a little bit to figure out baby Ethan wasn’t in my tummy anymore. He decided he would just push on my stomach a few times to make sure and then he declared, ‘'”It’s just kind of fatty.” Ha! Love his candidness! And yes he was right, it’s just kind of fatty still. He was happy to give others a turn holding Ethan too, but after his last time holding him before leaving he said, “Can we put him back in your tummy?” I asked if he loved Ethan and he said “Yes, I was just joking”

{I just noticed how appropriate that he has a number 8 on his shirt for our little number 8 being born. Good job me for picking out that shirt beforehand and not even realizing that. I guess my pregnancy brain wasn’t that non functional at the end.}

Scott seemed almost the most nervous to hold Ethan. He was completely taken back by how little he was and kept saying, “I want to hold him, but I am just afraid I am going to brake him!” It was very sweet-and he did great! He held him close and Ethan even stuck his thumb in his mouth as Scott started holding him, so that made Scott just beam even more. He is going to be such a good older brother to those two younger guys.

Abby-aka “Little mommy #4”. I tell you those girls have been planning and plotting how they are going to care for this guy for months! A real live baby doll is just about every 7 year olds dream-and boy did Ethan not disappoint. After two younger brothers she has perfected the baby hold, and cuddled him like a pro.

Little mommy #2 and #3 were equally happy with their new roles as big sisters. They were pretty pleased that they were chosen to stay extra long that night and hold Ethan. They made sure that everyone got exactly 10 minutes of holding time and that he was constantly being passed to the next person so that they could get in as many turns as possible before Aaron came back to get them. Brooke amazingly seems to call all the diaper changing. I don’t complain at all, and am secretly doing air high fives about that fact. That girl knows just what this “service love language mom” needs sometimes. I love that!

      

And then there is this guy. I don’t think that smile could have gotten any bigger. He is pretty positive that Ethan and him are twinners and he couldn’t love it more. Austin and the girls got to stay a few extra hours with me at the hospital that night when Aaron took Brianna and the little boys home, and then Austin got to come back the next day and spend the whole day with me at the hospital. It was very heartwarming to see him loving hold Ethan and get just as excited as the girls at every little sneeze and yawn he made. It’s times like this that I feel bad for some other families that never get to experience bringing home a new baby and seeing what that does to your other children. It is pretty priceless.

    

Brianna was the one that most opening declared ownership on Ethan. He will probably eventually share a room with her for a while, and she has assured me that she will be overjoyed to fetch binkies in the middle of the night and calm him down. We will see about those latter promises, but as for the loving part-she already has that down pretty good. She loves on him and he just stares and stares so intently at her-it’s quite special to see. Brianna was happy to go back with the little boys instead of staying extra at the hospital that first night-with promises that she would get a chance the next night. After Aaron came down to get the other kids later that night though, he was SO tired and maybe rethinking the three trips down to the hospital the next day. At 30 minutes each way, it takes a lot out of the day and being in the car. She was bummed when she left for school the next day thinking she may not get a longer chance to be with Ethan. Aaron then decided to bring Austin to the hospital during the day to help me, and when he brought every else after school bring Brianna down and let her spend the night with me at the hospital. That text reply was filled with a resounding YES!!!! and lots of smiley faces.

It was nice to have some one on one time with my older kids and let them have some alone time with Ethan. Once he gets home and their busy schedules get quickly filled there aren’t always as many hours of uninterrupted baby holding time for them.

We are so glad that you are OURS Ethan. You have been waited for for a long time and we are so glad you are in OUR family. We love you so much!