Trying to describe this makes it worse.

Engineering

Addi was layering the snow for faster melting time.

Breathing Not Important

Emma said she had a bloody nose.

Drywall Update

Well......I completed the soffits yesterday. Ideally, I would have used longer pieces but shorter pieces had to do since I was working alone. The extra mudding will be hidden with texturing.

Dress-up

Emma can be playing baseball at one moment and then dressing up the next. Addi was struggling to walk in her shoes.

.........yep

Britt did a great job with Emma's Dora cake.

Emma's 4th Birthday

Emma was now in her "birthday chair" and chomping artery clogging pizza.

Emma's 4th Birthday

Emma & Ella

Emma's 4th Birthday

Kangaroo Zoo has a room where you could pelt your enemy with balls shot with air through a tube.

Emma's 4th Birthday

Emma had her birthday party at Kangaroo Zoo. If you were trying to AVOID kids, the row of minivans would be your first hint that this is not the place.

Happy Birthday to Emma

Emma is 4 years old today. She is having a big 11:00 AM party tomorrow at some "jump around and fall on your head" place. It should be fun for her and probably some time for me to act a little immature.

The above picture really shows how little kids REALLY look around the house. The faces are covered with chocolate and their hair is tangled beyond repair. I can already hear my wife yelling at me for posting this picture. She thinks I don't dress or bath the kids enough as it is. Oh well, might as well enjoy the moment.

The Basement Project

In hopes of making our house less toy cluttered, we have embarked on a basement finishing mission. The home currently is filled with tripping, cursing and sweet remarks of how organized the house is.

The plan is to have a "rec room" (picture above) along with my office. I can then work downstairs and still be close to the kids without cluttering the main floor. We plan to bring our 42" TV downstairs and have a nice spot to watch movies, etc. I will also be able to watch anything from my office computer on the TV as well. I have installed speaker cable in 5 different locations with the hope of having surround sound when extra money becomes available. The kids will have an area for internet access (supervised of course) and internet will be available through the TV. We are making a little play area under the stairs complete with a couple windows. We are leaning towards painting the play area with chalkboard paint and allow the kids to experience the facination of wall coloring without the guilt.

After these two areas are complete, we will then finish the storage room, bedroom and bathroom. I am looking forward to completing this project. It will be important for me to have an office once I am teaching and important for Britt to have the main floors clean at all times.

Check out the window cutting...pretty sweet, huh?

Early Present

Emma opened an early birthday present from Grandpa and Grandma Engar. 

Life Stuff

I've been doing some thinking and it seems a little weird to be at this stage of college. Why?

Because I grew up being told by teachers, counselors, neighbors and others that "Mark" just isn't school material. Could you imagine how comforting that was?

I've spent a long, long time finding pieces to a gigantic puzzle. It didn't make sense that I was stupid. I was born with a natural ear for music and I was able to play instruments quite well at an early age. I never met a "stupid" musician then and I never have today.

There was no greater fear for me than going to school each day. I dreaded being called on but I totally loved the feeling of "not getting it" in class. Just as I was able to to get a grip of a concept the teacher was already 25 minutes further along with the lesson. I would then scramble to TRY and figure out what else I was missing. It was just another lost cause. It was another episode of "Lost and Still Lost" in my daily classroom environment.

Let's see here. What can make the daily clueless school day even better? Let's tack on the nights of homework to that. By then I had already mentally placed myself deep inside my "Tired of the Frustration" world. This world shielded me from any further prompts to lessen my already empty self-esteem. Yes, I realized the family members helping were getting more and more frustrated but it was my defense mechanism. A pre-teen's psychological state could take only so much.

Eventually, I came to the conclusion that maybe I was stupid. I couldn't grasp concepts so it was a no-brainer, I'm stupid. The best tutors in school were helpless with me. Oh yeah, I must be stupid. I fell into the "dumb jock" routine early in my life. I was told by a few "Thank goodness you have talent for sports because"....you get the point.

Sports could have carried me quite far but I was missing a very important thing. I was always very immature emotionally growing up. I couldn't accept not being the best. I was better than most people without breaking a sweat but I could never handle being truely tested. It reinforced that fear I learned in the classroom. Why couldn't sports always be pleasant? Hadn't I suffered enough in the classroom to deserve some "happy time" on the basketball court or baseball field?

Here is the flip side. Yes, a lot of things were a little screwed up when I was younger but it's up to us as responsible human beings to grow. I could have given up a long time ago, never married and possibly found myself in a cozy cell with a very large man............holy freakin' crap. I know today I am not stupid and I realize my attention span is that of a 3 year-old. Yes, I'm sure it drives my wife crazy when she says something to me and I'm off in another universe. I will probably always get frustrated when it takes me 12 minutes to complete a task that Emma can do in 4.

Charlie took his second of six naps.

Emma and Addi look nothing alike in this picture.

Addi was singing her "ABC's" while playing Grandma's piano.

Hmm...is it time to be held?

Addi believes in drinking her ice cream.

Finally...Post #504

Greetings,
I have not forgotten about the blog. A cool thing happened. Britt and I (after a couple months of sleeping separately) had to buy a new mattress. RC Willey gave us a $200 Sony gift card along with the purchase. We bought (it cost $30 after the card) a compact Sony camera which makes it a lot easier to take pictures of the kids.

Emma

Emma is becoming quite a remarkable little girl. Her humor (I think) is advanced for her age. She already quotes movie lines and informs us that we "aren't the boss." She is becoming more protective of her sister.

An assortment of pictures containing laughing, full diapers and eyes rolled back. ;)

"Dad, she's touching me!"

The Kari Trim

Britt groomed every cat in Utah County...all at once.

Emma

The girl is growing up.

Kentucky Religion

Addi wears the UK apparel well.

The Family Look

I have my grandfather's nose.

Cutie Pants

Give Addi a sucker and everything becomes jolly.

Hanging With Gramps

Addi appears a little worried about this ride. Emma's just happy to be outside.

Crafts

Grandpa Beavin assisted Emma in making name plaques for the whole family. Of course, you cannot do any woodworking without blowing off the finished product.

The Hyperness of Easter

Emma and Addi improved their chances of cavities.

Addi has her teddy bears close and her Mom back in town.

The Job is Done

Emma had just enough energy to destroy the living room before drifting off to sleep.

Britt gives new meaning to tossing and turning while sleeping.

Bonding Blocks

Addi believes in being "one" with the toys.

Hands Off Windows

Why do we bother cleaning the windows?

Sisters

It was time for "dress-up." Addi was again studying Emma's every move. Both girls are starting to play a lot better now. It's fun to watch.

Wow

Dear: Mark

Congratulations on achieving a high GPA for fall 2008 semester. We want you to know that we recognize the time and effort you gave to achieve this GPA and we know this was not any easy achievement. Keep up the GREAT work!

This was an actual email sent from UVU. The sad part is I instantly assumed this email was sent to the wrong person. I'm not quite accustomed to good GPA's.

She Can Fix It

Emma is REALLY into tools. If she encounters a hole of any type, she instantly tries to insert a screw.

The Later Years Will Be Interesting

Tricia, Emma & Addi's babysitter, informed me today she had to put Emma in timeout. After being asked why she was in timeout, Emma responded with "that's because you put me here."

Pure Love

Addi likes Oreos.