Ever since Christmas, when Matthew received a bow and arrow from Santa, he has been DYING to go hunting. At first the requests were manageable. "Ya, one day, Matthew." But then the $5 Walmart, er, I mean hand crafted by elves bow and arrow broke almost in half during normal use! (dirty elves!) So mom and dad gamely sprang for a new one (yes, this one was higher quality. . . $7) which happened to have a picture of the "big game" you'd most definitely bag with this particular bow and arrow right on the front of the package! There they were: pictures of a deer, moose, and, of course, a grizzly bear! (cause, what else do you bring down with a bow and arrow?) I can just see the visions going through Matthew's head when he looked at those. It was right there on the package so he MUST be able to kill those things (dirty Walmart and their toy packagers!) So ever since then I've been fielding the question: "Mom, can we go hunting?" "Mom, when can we go hunting?" "Mom, I'm ready, are we going hunting yet????" I think my response of "one day" got old real quick - especially when he heard it at least 4 times a day! So finally I told him he had to practice first - why I even perpetuated this idea, I will never know! Here he is, full of excitement, sidekick in tow, ready to go "practice" in the back yard.
A few days later, there was no getting around it. We had to take him "hunting." I had put him off long enough with stories of how animals hid from people so there'd likely not be any right by out house but only farther away in MUCH more secluded areas like, oh, say. . .by the duck pond! Again, what was I thinking? So I did the only thing I could do. . . I made Woodson take him! We drove over to the duck pond and I waited in the car while Woodson and the kids went out to hunt. This next picture shows the happy hunter on his way to kill some wild animals.
The next 3 pictures pretty much tell the rest of the story. I'll wrap up after you've viewed them.
Dejected. There was no other word for it. Needless to say, he did not catch anything that day. This in no way dampened his enthusiasm for hunting, however. As bad as I felt, I had hoped it would but I guess I told too many stories to make him feel better about how you have to be REAL sneaky and quiet or the animals will run away and it may take a long time of just sitting around! I thought this would make him less likely to want to go again but let me just say we have been several more times since then (different locations, of course), all with similar results. The only difference now is that he PRAYS that Heavenly Father will help him kill some animals. Naughty ones, naturally. Not nice ones. He specifies this in his prayers. After all, he's not a brute or anything! And he always plans on killing them to feed, as he tells me, "his starving family." Hmmmm. . . maybe one too many dramatic stories on my part. Anyway, I've begun using the excuse now that the animals are all hibernating and that his arrows aren't sharp enough anyway to kill them. Somehow this is not getting through. I'm now trying to find some hunter in the ward to take Matthew under his wing! Help! If you know of any likely prospects, please comment. Otherwise, you will probably see us skulking through your yard with a bow and arrow sometime soon!
Forget the conference packet I was so excited about! He called coloring the pictures "boring" and could only stand the bingo for 15 minutes because he knew he'd get to eat the M&Ms we used for pieces eventually. Next conference I will be getting out the construction paper, scissors, and tape again first thing! 
P.S. The only downfalls were that this chain became quite long and is now hanging from the fan in Matthew and Nicole's room. Also, we had to admire it every 2-3 new links.
Yes, there is usually a treat with the breakfast (which Nicole snitches off the plate while Matthew yells at her to "stop eating Mommy's food!") He also makes it VERY clear that I am not allowed to eat the candy till after I eat the healthy stuff!
Despite feeling sometimes slightly nauseated at what is presented on my plate, how do you say "no" to this cute little face who just LOVES doing something nice for me when he sits there watching me, saying, "Eat, mom, eat!"
Yes, that is grated cheese next to leftover corn bread and raisins. Bubble gum next to the chocolate milk.
How can I say "no" to THIS every morning? (actually, seriously, how do I stop this? I am running out of excuses to not finish my "breakfasts"!)
Well, what do you think? Are we excited for our baby to come? All I know is I have faded to the background and have become no more than the carrier of the baby. Nicole feeds "the baby" by spooning things into my mouth. She invites "the baby" to go places instead of me. We all look at "our baby" online each week to see how she is progressing (alright, that one has help from me). 
But nonetheless, I am grateful to all our friends and relatives who allow my children to fawn all over their babies. Thank you. Thank you. Hopefully the practice will allow our baby to survive infancy.
Here I am, coming down. Yes, I did the blue colored rocks that pretty much look like a ladder but at least I made it to the top (on THAT one!)
Ha ha ha! Looking like we do this ALL the time!
Woodson "bouldering," or in other words, climbing up a rock wall without any ropes or anything.
A beautiful shot of me on my first attempt. I didn't actually get any higher than this and technically the ground is right below where the picture cuts off but I did manage to hold on there long enough for the photo op. Go me!
A few days later, there was no getting around it. We had to take him "hunting." I had put him off long enough with stories of how animals hid from people so there'd likely not be any right by out house but only farther away in MUCH more secluded areas like, oh, say. . .by the duck pond! Again, what was I thinking? So I did the only thing I could do. . . I made Woodson take him! We drove over to the duck pond and I waited in the car while Woodson and the kids went out to hunt. This next picture shows the happy hunter on his way to kill some wild animals.
The next 3 pictures pretty much tell the rest of the story. I'll wrap up after you've viewed them.
Dejected. There was no other word for it. Needless to say, he did not catch anything that day. This in no way dampened his enthusiasm for hunting, however. As bad as I felt, I had hoped it would but I guess I told too many stories to make him feel better about how you have to be REAL sneaky and quiet or the animals will run away and it may take a long time of just sitting around! I thought this would make him less likely to want to go again but let me just say we have been several more times since then (different locations, of course), all with similar results. The only difference now is that he PRAYS that Heavenly Father will help him kill some animals. Naughty ones, naturally. Not nice ones. He specifies this in his prayers. After all, he's not a brute or anything! And he always plans on killing them to feed, as he tells me, "his starving family." Hmmmm. . . maybe one too many dramatic stories on my part. Anyway, I've begun using the excuse now that the animals are all hibernating and that his arrows aren't sharp enough anyway to kill them. Somehow this is not getting through. I'm now trying to find some hunter in the ward to take Matthew under his wing! Help! If you know of any likely prospects, please comment. Otherwise, you will probably see us skulking through your yard with a bow and arrow sometime soon!
