Reptiles, Phobias & Bacteria! Oh, My!

So if anyone really knows Riley, they will know that he likes snakes. Okay, this kid doesn’t just like snakes, he adores them, loves them, thinks they are the greatest animal (besides maybe a cheetah) that was put on this great earth. So when Phil saw on the news that there was a Reptile show going on at the Utah State Fair Park, we knew we had to take him. I swear this kid thought he was in heaven, snakes everywhere. There were other things as well, like bearded dragons, iguanas, geckos, scorpions, hissing cockroaches, and of course trianchulas. (All a boy could dream of.) And all of which he thought was interesting. But nothing could be better or even come close to the snakes.
That’s where the phobias come in.
If anyone really knows Phil, they will know that he isn’t afraid of much of anything, except snakes. And he isn’t just afraid of them, he hates them, loathes them, thinks they are the worst thing ever put on the planet. But he of course went with us. Did he touch the ones that Riley was dieing to hold! Not on your life. Did he even get near the gigantic Bermes Python that was about as round as Wesley and about 15 feet long? I don’t think so! He stood very far back while, I took pictures and Riley sat next to it for around a half an hour and soaked up everything that the ‘handler’ had to say about her! But Phil kept his distance! I have to commend him for just going though! What a great dad!
So we stayed looking at all the snakes for a while, until Wesley started saying that he needed “Macaroni & Cheese, Fried Chicken, French Fries, and MacDonalds.” And then we noticed that the rest of our stomachs were growling as well. We didn’t find anywhere that had all of the things that Wes said that he needed, but he did get Mac & Cheese and French Fries, so he was happy! However, he started telling us that he needed “a band-aid for his mouth” and that it “hurts when it goes up and down.” We took this to mean that it hurt to swallow, and since Lori told me on Friday that one of the kids at daycare had just gotten strep, I called the Doctor A.S.A.P. And yup, it was strep! Yeah! So after a quick stop on the way home from the Dr. to see the “Water Falls” (Wes begged to see them) we spent the rest of the weekend at home, inside, just playing with marbles and the Wii, and trying to convince Phil that Riley should have a snake someday! (I think he might actually agree now that he saw how much Riley loved the snakes.)

Funnies!!

So last night at dinner, we were almost finished, and Wes jumps up and says that he's done. We look at his plate and there was maybe one bite taken out of his fajita, and he hadn't eaten anything else. So Phil looks at him and says,

"Bud, you're not done. You haven't touched anything."

"Okay."

Wes says with a huge smile.

He turns back to his plate, and very carefully with a single finger, he touches each piece of watermelon, then his stack of chips, then his pile of salsa and last his fajita.

Then with an even bigger smile, he turned back to Phil.

"Okay Dad, I've touched everything. I'm done now."

And took off.

After Phil and I stopped laughing (and I took a picture or two), we did make him EAT some of his dinner, and not just touch it.

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On Wednesday's for the next month, Riley is in Basketball camp. He loves it and is so excited to be showing us his new skills. These are a few of my favorites.

First the "trying-to-keep-up-with-the-ball" move.

Then there is the all famous, "If-it-gets-away-just-get-ready-to-Karate-Chop-someone" move.And last but not least, the great "Double Dribble" move.

(Which I know will come in handy, wait isn't that illegal in basketball.)~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I think it might have something to do with the fact that before Wes was 1 year old, he had to wear a helmet everyday for about 3 to 4 months. Ever since he has loved hats. Anytype of hat, at anytime of year. Most recently he found this one, and being as it used to be Rileys, I couldn't convince him that it usually isn't warn with Shorts and a T-shirt. Oh Well.

Wow!!

I feel rather dizzy from the past few weeks! Riley starting second grade, which includes the meet the teacher night, and the back to school night, and the calls to the school about a 4th grade bully telling Riley to meet him by the soccer goal after school because he is going to beat him up (ours wasn't the only phone call about that kid), and the homework, and the endless money raising, and so on and so forth. And because of the start of school, all of us are on different schedules, and Wes, I think is taking it the hardest. Not having Riley at daycare, and going and leaving at such different times, and also his poor cough that he just can't get rid of. Then there's the fact that my company just moved us all - to a nice new grand and wonderful building - and all of the moving and packing, and crap that went along with that. Then of course there is Phil and his job and the start of school at the new University (which is always crazy) plus the fact that at least half of the student body doesn't seem to know how to park, or what it means to park legally. (And then of course Phil is the jerk, because he pointed out that not only is it illegal to park that way on this campus, but it's illegal to park that way ANYWHERE!!! Didn't anyone listen to the parking lecture in Drivers Ed, so stop calling my hubby all those horrible names, because he is just doing his job and it's not his fault that you're an idiot.) Anyway, so then of course all of the other things we have going on -TaeKwonDo on Tuesday's and Thursdays - Basketball Camp on Wednesday's - Doctor's appointments here and there - and Elder's Quorum Parties in our basement - Oh and of course, the car blowing up on the way to the Library, and having to have mom come and rescue Wes and I. Add this to all of the usual things, like laundry and cooking and cleaning and taking bath's and taking out the trash, and cleaning up after the baby birds in my carport (which is almost a full time job in and of itself), and shopping for groceries, and suddenly I'm exhausted. However, we have had time to add some fun to all of this (Not of course that being stranded at the library wasn't totally fun, especially the hurried rush into the bathroom so as not to have to put a sopping wet smelly little boy into grandma's very clean car. Or that the crazy mad rush to clean my basement for all of the Elder's Quorum to come over and mess it up, wasn't completely enjoyable.) But I'm speaking of things that everyone would probably consider being fun. Like - Riding Scooters, playing marbles (an almost daily occurence), lawn fishing (another favorite), swimming, and making cookies. (I threw in the last picture because it was just so cute.)