Then we had lots of fun taking pictures. The boys even took pictures of me, but those are NOT going to be posted since it was after I went swimming and I hadn't showered or anything. My point -- we had lots of fun playing "photographer" last Friday night. (We're so exciting I can't even stand it.)
Here are their serious poses:
And while I was searching through my pictures I found these: (Robyn, don't kill me, but these are awesome. I'll ask your permission uh.....next time.) Here's my friend Robyn and her husband (then boyfriend) Kip. HAHAHAHAHA I love them. 
(Sorry if I grossed anyone out. I think it's fascinating.)
Jackson was adamant about having a party at our house. He wanted everyone (meaning my family, I don't think he's quite figured out that he could have a friend party if he asked, but he hasn't asked yet, so we're not going there) to come over to his house. He wanted to decorate it really bad I think. So we just had my family over for dinner and opening presents. Oh, and opening birthday cards. I can't forget that. This kid loves birthday cards. He had to pick one out for himself at the store. 
And here is Jackson opening his favorite present: a camera for kids. The pictures he has on that thing are hilarious, but that will have to be a different post.
But I think that he had a great day. We love him and I can't believe that he is already 4 years old! How did this happen? I know I say that every time one of my children have a birthday, but how did this happen?
Here are some things I have learned from Jackson:
Sleeping is totally overrated, and it absolutely cannot happen unless the proper steps have been taken. If you're going to torture people by putting them to sleep it is all about routine, routine, routine! If anything goes wrong during this very particular process it is totally normal to go into absolute irrational hysterics. For instance, after you have had your books, prayers, songs, kiss, hug, lambey, lambey's blanket, said,"Good night, sweet dreams, I love you, see you in the morning," and blown a kiss, if something is forgotten such as say, an idiot parent forgetting to put a drink of water on the bucket of blocks by the bed, as soon as you are almost asleep, bolt upright out of bed and scream and cry that you absolutely cannot go to sleep without one sip of water and the cup on the bucket by the bed. After you get your water and you are almost asleep again, if said idiot parent accidentally turns off the bathroom light before you are completely asleep, jump out of your covers, open the door and shriek something unintelligible but containing the word "light" until the light is turned back on. Duh, people. What is so difficult about remembering everything in my bedtime routine?
Whenever you have to go potty, no matter what you are doing, out of nowhere scream "POTTY!" That's it. Just, "POTTY!" Then you will always be escorted to the bathroom.
Peeing your pants is no big deal, or at least peeing a little in your underwear is no big deal. Seriously, I, Jackson, do it every day. It's usually not bad enough to have to change your pants, just your underwear, so what's the problem people, more specifically - mom? Seriously! And if you do pee through to your pants, it's no big deal if you have to walk home from your friends house wearing your coat but no pants in the winter. Why would you borrow your friend's pants?
If you want something, anything, and something happens to make you sad or angry, tell your mother that you don't want, say, Lambey, or you don't want to go to the children's museum, or you don't want any ice cream, or you don't want to have fun. After a while your mom will understand that you really do want it. Of course if she misunderstands you and says, "Ok, don't have it." Tell her, "No, I DO want it." Then she'll know it's really really important.
If you are sad, and someone does something that you think is really funny, laugh really hard. It's super easy to turn the crying off when you want to. You can always start crying again later.
Always show your enthusiasm. If you are so excited about something (and nothing happens to make you sad) be super happy about it. Open your eyes as big as you can and put your hands over your mouth and gasp and laugh and jump up and down. It makes your mom really happy.
Holidays are the best things ever. Always be happy on holidays and talk about what you are going to do on them weeks before they happen.
When you say your prayers, always, "Bless the prophet so we can help somebody and do something and have fun."
I think we'll have to get a pass, just so that Jackson can go play with the sand or more technically the "erosion" exhibit. 
This was Ty's Favorite part. Seeing the human being smooshed by the Mammoth.
Can you tell he's excited?
And here is my dad reciting his annual Christmas poems. That's right, I said Christmas poems, and they're awesome. Different yes, but awesome. My dad's grandpa used to do the every year and my dad has taken over. Usually he's dressed up with a crazy nose and glasses and coat and scarf. This year he even added awful teeth from halloween and he has authentic sleigh bells that he rings to scare the crap out of everyone. But this year he forgot his outfit, his fake nose and glasses (which were his grandpa's) got run over by a car, and Hayden hates the bells so much because they are SO LOUD. He heard them for a second a couple weeks ago and it took me half an hour to completely calm him down. Then he yelled at my Dad the next time he saw them and every once in a while he still talks about "Grandpa's loud jingle bells." I've never heard anything like them. But at least he still did his little performance and then it felt like Christmas. 
Christmas morning we were at home and Jackson woke up before us all. Surprise surprise. He came in our room all excited and began telling us exactly what Santa had brought him in his stocking. At least the stinker didn't open present without us. I have one picture of Hayden:
Can you tell we woke him up? And I didn't get any of Jackson at home. I have an awesome video that I have been trying to download for weeks and it won't work. But he made it fun to say the least.
Then we went over to my parents, opened some more presents and hung out with all of my family for the rest of the day. I loved spending time with my sister and her brand new baby Taylor. (Pictures of her on my dad's camera) She was born on December 16th, but I felt really bad when at about 6:00 Jackson laid down on the floor and turned a light shade of green. We then packed up and went home and spent the rest of the night trying to prevent puking. But it was great and we had a great Christmas and I am sad that it is over.
I have been in pajamas since Thursday and on the BRAT diet since Friday. We all had a great Christmas, even though Hayden got sick Christmas Eve, and Jackson got sick Christmas night. I followed on Friday and I'm pretty sure Tyler is catching all of our "fun" . . . right now. (Sorry to everyone at my Grandma's house Christmas Eve.) The boys still had a great Christmas and did not disappoint with their reactions. More pictures to come (for the Grandparents) as this is all I can manage for today. And now I'm going back to bed. Peace out.
In every single picture I took, Hayden was eating something off of the house and Jackson was stacking his "stacking cups." They put every piece of candy on all by themselves. Hayden ate half of the candy though. Next year we'll get two gingerbread houses so Jackson won't be upset that there are not more gumballs to put on the other half of the roof. 
Did I mention it snowed? It's snowing right now actually and the boys love it. They wanted to make it snow inside, and they did. 
Here they are making snow out of packing peanuts. And they had a blast. Did I also mention their new favorite thing? If you didn't notice the two very large mostly naked boys in the pictures, let me enlighten you on the new happenings of our household. My boys love to run around "nakie". They love love love it. It is usually just after dinner. (Today they ran around "nakie" all morning, so I guess it's happening more frequently.) Hayden asks to be "nakie" which means to take off all his clothes (besides his diaper) and run, jump, and go absolutely crazy all over the house. If Hayden has his clothes off, Jackson takes his clothes off, except for his underwear, and sometimes his socks, and they both run up and down the halls, jump on the couches, and just go particularly nuts. I don't know why they want to do this in the middle of winter though. I am freezing with sweatshirts and blankets on. But they seem to enjoy this and since we haven't been spending much time running around outside, I guess it's the next best thing. Needless to say I now have a lot of pictures of then half naked. 
I hope you'll take me seriously now when I tell you the winter is driving us all crazy.
Hayden got him back though. Not 1, not 2, but 3 times.
Jackson tried to get him back too.
Madagascar 2, and can I just say...I loved it. I don't know if I was just in a good mood or what. I remember that I did not like the first one, at all, except for the "I like to move it move it" part, which my boys do exceptionally well. But I really enjoyed myself, even though I was sitting in the front row, which is something I will do again, especially if Hayden is with me. Right at the 45 minute mark he gets up and runs around in circles. It was fine until he started throwing an empty popcorn bucket at the screen, other than that, it was great. I loved it and they loved it.
And my feet are in love. SLC half marathon, I'll be ready.
It was a good weekend. How was yours?
