Photo Phanatics

Saturday was picture day during our Utah trip. For those of you who may not know, the Ricks women are a little crazy about pictures. They want to take A LOT of pictures and they want everyone to look their best. Don't get me wrong, I am grateful for their picture-taking ways. I love having the pictures, even if taking large group photos can be a little bit painful. Anyway, I thought I would post some pics which may not be as formal as our family photos, but could provide some handy pointers for taking great pictures in the future.
1. DO have a stool handy for pictures involving Rebecca Flinders.

2. DO bring along some hairspray to take care of those pesky flyaway hairs.

3. DON'T mess with David John's shoulder rides. Just reschedule the pictures.

 

4. DO be resourceful in protecting your fair complexion from the sun prior to picture day. Fashion or societal norms should be a secondary consideration.

5. DO be aware of hand and finger placement when being photographed. Fingers in pockets are acceptable. Fingers in noses, not so much.

6. DON'T try to compensate for sleep deprivation due to long late hours being a lawyer and early morning hours playing basketball by opening your eyes really really wide. You won't look more awake, just a little more scary.

 

7. DO accessorize your look.... but maybe not your face.

8. DO look like a Greek goddess by striking a dramatic pose.

9. DON'T schedule your photo session during the full moon if you are secretly a teenage werewolf.

10. DON'T be afraid to carry a purse full of snacks, make-up, hair ties and other miscellaneous items, even if you are a man. Way to go, Jonathan. Where's your purse of picture-taking paraphernalia, Marc?

11. DO demonstrate your impressive velociraptor imitation... after family pictures are over. DON'T give your grandsons any bright ideas.

12. DO brush your teeth before photos are taken. There is nothing more important to a great picture than your smile. However, it may not be entirely necessary to pose with your beloved toothbrush.

I hope this guide to Ricks family pictures has been helpful. I just want to reiterate that I really love all the photo phanatics in our phamily. I think you guys are phabulous.

Museum Mania

Friday was museum day. We hit both the Gateway Discovery Children's Museum at the Olympic plaza and the Church History Museum at Temple Square. We all had a great time.

The kids all loved this area of the children's museum which consisted of hundreds of balls with multiple tubes, chutes and simple machines to put the balls in. Benjamin was especially enthusiastic. Balls are pretty much his favorite thing ever. Okay, maybe they are second to eating.

The construction zone was another favorite. We tried getting Gabriel and Elijah to pose with the "work together" sign but, in an ironic twist, they wouldn't cooperate.

Gabriel was in heaven when he discovered that the museum had a rock wall. This kid loves to climb, and the rock wall is a little more exciting than the door jambs at home.

At the church history museum, David John and Elijah spent a long time constructing Nephi's boat and then fishing during the long journey. This was very serious business. (For those of you who aren't familiar with Nephi, he is a prophet in the Book of Mormon. You can read about in the very first book in the Book of Mormon.)

I confess to thoroughly enjoying the Latin dancing exhibit. It was fun for me to hang out with my sister-in-laws and nieces and do something girly.

Obviously, all this museum fun wore SOME PEOPLE completely out. You can't tell from this picture, but not only are Marc, Jonathan and baby Liam sleeping but so are Marcus and Rebecca sitting on the other side of the bench. The only person awake in this little group was Benjamin who was supposed to be taking a nap. The Rickses seem to have a terrible time sleeping at night, but they all have a knack for nodding off in the day time. In fact, Marc's dad made a point of congratulating him on inheriting the Ricks' penchant for napping.

Utah Rocks!

On the flight from Chicago to Utah Elijah casually mentioned that while we were there he planned to go "mountain climbing". I had no idea this was on his agenda. Rebecca and I decided to oblige the little boys on our first morning in the mountain state. Kaleb came along and was a tremendous help. As we drove up to the squaw peak trailhead, the boys saw some snowcapped mountains and asked if we could climb all the way up and play in the snow. We had to break the bad news that we were not equipped with harnesses and ice picks and clamps. In the end, they were very satisfied with the hike we did and felt as if they truly climbed the mountain. I had forgotten how breathtaking and beautiful Utah can be, even during the relatively brown month of March. After our hike, the boys spent some time stacking rocks and making little miniature pyramids. I think building with rocks must be some sort of primal male urge. I liked looking back at the little mounds as we left, the remainders of a short-lived toddler civilization. I hope you enjoy these photos of our mountain climbing adventures.

Reunion Randomness

So, we went to Utah last month. Did you know? What? I didn't post anything about it on my blog? Well, to be fair we didn't get back until THIS month, and we were very busy doing family reuniony things while we were there... I know, I know, it is now April 22nd and my posts and pictures about Utah are long overdue. Luckily, (drumroll please) here they are! First up we have some random pictures and anecdotes that didn't fit nicely into the other Utah themed blog posts I have planned. Enjoy.

Stephen and Shirley Ricks, the founders of all this insanity.

One thing we always enjoy at these big family gatherings is playing games. This year, Jonathan brought a card game he is developing that is like the game Spaz, if the game Spaz were taking steroids. It was a lot of fun. We also enjoyed Scribblish and Blurt. I think my favorite gaming moment was during the game Blurt (a game in which you quickly try to guess a word as a definition is being read) when Kaleb, our 9-year-old nephew heard the definition "An alcoholic beverage made from hops" and yelled out "Beer!" before anyone else did. Marcus, his dad, said it was one of the proudest moments of his life.

Before we played all these games, we had put the little kids to bed. Apparently they were not-so-much asleep . We caught the twins sneaking up the stairs and stealthily placing hangers on the railing. They were able to hang quite a few before we saw them. Stinkers.

Here is my beautiful niece Meagan who, though not in very many of my pictures, was a never-ending source of good conversation and much needed help. She did far more than her fair share of watching our little boys while we there. Thank you, thank you, thank you Meagan! May you be blessed for all your service by only having extremely helpful girls when you get married some day.

This is Cai, another under-photographed member of the family. She is a super sweet dog and was extremely patient with my boys. She also had a knack for sniffing out stinky diapers. Benjamin enjoyed sharing his food and sometimes his binky with her.

One thing I really enjoyed about this trip was how much our boys enjoyed being with their cousins. They spent a lot of time outside playing who-knows-what in the backyard and possibly even more time on the basement couch watching shows and stuffing their mouths full of popcorn. Opa got a theater-style popcorn popper for Christmas and put it to good use. Although it has been three weeks, my boys are still quoting movies I did not know they have seen. When I ask them when they saw that show the answer is inevitable, "With Opa! In Utah! We had popcorn!"

On Saturday, after our family photo session, we all went out to lunch at Tucanos. We hope this becomes a tradition because we LOVE Tucanos! For those of you who are not familiar with Provo, Utah, Tucanos is the most affordable Brazilian-style steak house on the planet. The food is so good! Anyway, part of the experience is that the grilled meats, fish, pineapple and vegetables are brought to your table still on the roasting spit. The servers slice the meat while you grab a piece with your tongs. Our boys opted to use their tongs as eating utensils instead. I love this picture of Gabriel feeding Maya some pineapple with his tongs. For such a tiny girl, that mouth can open pretty wide!

This last random picture is of a typical encounter between Benjamin and his cousin Liam. Liam is four months younger but about the same size. Liam is very enthusiastic about other babies and wants to touch and grab. Benjamin, on the other hand, approaches other babies with extreme caution. This is probably the result of being the youngest of four boys. He's never sure what to expect. He wasn't so sure about Liam either. I think, in the end, Benjamin decided they could be friends.

An Apiarian Anecdote

A conversation overhead today while Gabriel and Elijah were coloring a picture of a bee.

Gabriel: Do you like bees?

Elijah: Yes, well, yes, but I'm kind of scared of them.

Gabriel: Don't be scared. They won't sting you.

Elijah: I know, but I'm worried they will get my stuff.

Gabriel: They won't!

Elijah: Or, I'm worried they will get some chalk and eat it.

Gabriel: (incredulously) No.....

Elijah: Or they might eat some garbage!

Gabriel: No! They eat honey!

Elijah: I know! Stink. Captain Crunch.

That was the end of the conversation. I guess "Captain Crunch" trumps all other arguments. They have a point. How can you argue with someone who wears such a ridiculous hat?

March Madness

Here are some fun pictures from the month of March:

Benjamin has decided that he LOVES the dishwasher. Is there any better place to play than inside a dishwasher? If the dishes are dirty, there are free snacks. If the dishes are clean, you can still play with knives. Ahh, the simple joys of life.

We ate these happy little shamrock pancakes for breakfast on St. Patrick's day. My boys are completely spoiled in the pancake department now. If their pancakes are not colored, fancifully shaped or don't include chocolate chips then I get complaints. In addition to these shamrocks, this month I made doggy pancakes, kitty pancakes, and violet pancakes. (My boys discovered some violets in a friend's yard and decided to eat them. No, I don't know why. They wanted me to "buy some violets at the store, they are delicious!" Our stores are lacking in violets. The pancakes were a successful substitute.)

Here is Gabriel with some green milk. Our house has seen a rash of random acts from March leprechauns. They turned batters, yogurt and milk green at various times throughout the month.

Benjamin stole this sucker out of his brother's hand and would not relinquish it. I guess he figured if he couldn't play the games at the little fundraiser we were attending then gosh-darn-it he was gonna get some candy! You have to love the combination of snot and sucker residue all over his face. We had to wash the baby bjorn after that.

This golf game was the decided favorite at the fundraiser. My boys all had a different approach to these games. Elijah would give it an honest try and would usually succeed. If he didn't, after a few attempts, he would accept a consolation prize. David John refused to be coddled and had to keep playing the game until he won without help or cheating. Gabriel, on the other hand, just wanted to win. He had no qualms about blatant cheating.

This month, Elijah had decided to be camera shy. I can't really complain. I know I did this to my parents and they were using film cameras. Mom, I am so sorry.

I have decided to try and take more pictures of myself to prove that I was actually around. So, here I am, crazy mother-of-four at the school carnival fundraiser without my husband. I am sporting a pink plastic lei which David John won for me. Thanks, son.

Have you ever seen a cuter clown puppy?

Gabriel's favorite color is green. St. Patrick's Day was the perfect opportunity for him to go all-out. Here he is sporting his shirt with green stripes, green necklace, green bracelet, green ring and pants with a green stripe. He is holding his green balloon, green bouncy ball and green stickers.

We had unbelievable weather this month. I think that was the true madness. Some days felt like spring, others like summer. For Cleveland, in March, warm weather is almost unheard of. We lived at the park. Benjamin is getting big enough to really enjoy playing outside with his big brothers. Thanks to my friend Sarah for taking this cute picture!

I can't believe this boy is going to be 1 on April 1st. I just love this scrunched-up baby sleeping position. As hard as it is to care for a baby, I know that I will miss the little moments like this.

Towards the end of the month, Marc and I took all the boys to a Spring fun-fest put on by a local church. It featured tons of inflatables, dressed up characters, hot-dogs and games. They had a blast. Sponge Bob and Mickey Mouse were hanging out by the entrance. Once volunteer, seeing how excited David John was about this, told him, "You should go inside! Elmo's in there, and Batman!" David John put his hand on the man's shoulder, raised a warning finger and whispered loudly "No! Batman is scary!" It was pretty funny. We did see Batman inside. He wasn't scary. David John gave him a high-five. The next four pictures are from that event.

These big boys all piled on the bed in our guest room with a huge stack of books, then called me in to take a picture. I love it when they play together and I love their love for books. This picture is pure joy. I am one blessed mama.