elder john

 

On Wednesday Anthony's only brother, Matt enters the MTC.  He is headed to Boise, Idaho, to serve a mission for the LDS church. We're really excited for him! We've blogged about him before, but there are a few more things about Matt that are worth mentioning.

He is a great uncle. Last winter Matt visited us in the OP and spent hours playing with Will and holding Lauren. Really that means he sat with Will and built towers for him to knock over and read tons of books with him. He held Lauren while we painted in the evening. She would get fussy and he would pace around to relax her. When we visited Boston for Christmas 2010 he would let Will maul him because it made Will laugh. I've seen him be a great uncle to his other nephew and nieces too.

He knows his food. I never eat an EL Fudge cookie, Ma Magoos chicken cutlets with honey mustard sandwich, or chocolate shake without thinking of Matt.

He's dedicated to his teams, specifically the Celtics and Patriots, and he is willing to share the love. When Anthony and I went to a Celtics game in 2008 he loaned me his Paul Pierce jersey so I could fit in. He's created several youtube videos defending the Patriots.


He's got a great sense of humor. Not every guy could write a message like, "Bros before Hos, what more can I say?" on his brother's Christmas present and get away with it. :)

It's hard to imagine the John family without Matt. He goes with the flow and is always up to play a game or watch a movie. He's a great storyteller. He's been making me laugh since I first met him in 2005. We are really going to miss Matt while he's gone the next two years.

Best wishes to you in Idaho, Elder John!

2013 :: week 4

Sunday evening we invited a few friends from our ward over for dessert. Even though we've lived in our house for almost 18 months, I still feel like we are "new."

Will is getting better at playing games. Most days I don't have the patience to play games with him because it takes a lot of energy to make sure he follows the rules. Tony is always willing to regulate and enforce the rules.

We did a lot of just lounging around this week (I am never quite confidant if I should use lay or lie so I often use a synonym just to be safe). Lauren hasn't been feeling well and we are perfecting Will's potty training (for the record he is doing quite well). All the cords are out because TJ had an issue with his work computer and could only connect to the internet via ethernet cords.

Lauren loves pork chops and rice. She gets so serious when it is time to eat and does not want to be messed with. Her dad is imitating her "game face" in this picture.

Thursday we finally got out of the house to hit up a library story time. Will really got into the "wiggle activities." Lately he has been very into dancing. We have the Baby Einstein World Music DVD and he begs me to put on the "dancing kids" about 20 times a day.

Lauren has had a rough go of it lately. She just hasn't been feeling great. She's more whiny than usual and has had a runny nose off and on. For awhile I wasn't sure if it was a cold or ear infection, but I'm pretty sure it is mostly related to her teeth. The girl has such puffy gums right now. She chews on things constantly and is even grinding her teeth. We spent a good portion of the day snuggling on the couch.

Saturday night we finally got around to renting The Hunger Games from redbox. I saw the movie back in March with some friends, and despite good intentions, we didn't see it together until just now.

2013 :: week 3

Lauren is a funny girl. Sometimes she's friendly. Sometimes she's shy. This is her new "not sure what to make of things so I'm going to pretend you can't see me because I can't see you" stance. She usually does it when we go somewhere new or new people are added to the mix. It doesn't even have to be people she doesn't know. Just additional people she hasn't seen for awhile. In the case of this picture it was my parents.

Lauren loves animals and books. Her current favorite book is Moo, Baa, Fa La La by Sandra Boyton.

Tuesday night I worked on a project for Lauren's room. I have been so slow to finish decorating her room, but made some progress this week.

The kids struggled this week. I don't know if it was the fact that Lauren cut two molars or if it's been too long since we got much vitamin d, but the kids were on one. I came back from a jog and Tony had put up a gate to keep Will upstairs and Lauren down.

Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday are our bath days.The kids are really starting to play well with each other and this extends to the bath. Will is pretty bossy with the toys, but luckily we've accumulated enough that even with his hoarding there are still a few left over for Lauren to play with too.

This is what happens when your kids are naughty and taking care of their mischief distracts you from what you were doing and ends up causing you more work in the long run than if you had just left them and their shenanigans alone. Not pictured: sauce splattered all over the floor.

Saturday morning we went to Wonderscope. Will had an absolutely fabulous time. Lauren did pretty well too, until it got close to lunchtime, us John women like to eat regularly. An unintentional learning moment was afforded to us on this trip shortly after Will and Anthony finished playing with these pipes in the water room. There are a few turtles and Will got to see a turtle eat a small fish. He's been talking about it ever since.

2013 :: week 2

We affectionately called this day "Sunbeam Sunday." Will entered our church's junior Sunday School and now goes to class and sharing time instead of nursery. He was pretty excited about things heading into the day, but I had my reservations. He's pretty shy and has a history of separation anxiety. I am pleased to report he didn't even want me to stay in the room (I was asked to help with the class). Only time will tell if his excitement will last. We're only one week down.

Allow me to introduce to you Teddy, Monkey, and Froggy. These are Will's "friends" that hang out on his bed. Lately he has been saying that they are waking him up and he has been moving them throughout the house. Monday they each had their own stair upon which to rest. Will apparently belongs to the school of "no one can cause harm to my friend but me" because he routinely mistreats these animals, but if Lauren or I so much as look a them the wrong way or ever accidentally sit on one we are harshly condemned.

I don't know what it was about Tuesday, but the kids were driving me nuts. When Anthony was done with work we got out of the house and took the kids for a walk. Will peddled a bit, but not fast enough to keep up with us, so he ended up getting pushed most of the way.

 

I apologize for the poor quality of this photo, but the subject would not stay still for long. We have a few albino squirrels in our neighborhood and I have been wanting to get a picture of one for awhile. Will doesn't realize that they are unique because we see them around here fairly often, but I had never seen one before we moved into this house. A neighbor told us that there have been albino squirrels in the neighborhood every year since they moved in over 20 years ago. I wonder how the genetics of that works out?

 

I couldn't decide which picture to pick for Thursday so I am giving you two. We went to Target Thursday night to pick up a few items. I'm not really sure what sequence of events led to Lauren getting to stand up in the back of the cart, but she did and I think she felt like the queen of the world. She reminded me of Leo and Kate on Titanic. The second picture is of her lunging towards the Baby Alive doll on the toy aisle. Our kids seem to comply with typical gender stereotypes quite naturally. We've never given her a doll before, but this is not the first doll she has expressed interest in. I don't know if Will has ever looked twice at a doll.

Friday we had unseasonably warm weather and we had to take advantage. Lauren and I went for a walk and then met up with TJ and Will at the park. The kids LOVED swinging and Will even went down the slide on his own and without encouragement. He has not done that before. We all had so much fun at playing outside at the park. It tricked me into thinking we'd be doing more of that soon.  I was so disappointed when I woke up Saturday morning and it was freezing.

 

We've decided to get serious about getting Will potty trained. We've had some success previously, but nothing long term. We've spent a lot of time with Will sitting on the potty this weekend. Thank goodness for the portable commode. I was getting so tired of sitting on the bathroom floor waiting for him to take care of business.

last picture post of 2012

Sorry for the delay in getting this post up. I still want to post about Christmas and was trying to decide which pictures to use where. Add to that my tendency to avoid things rather than finish them (as evidenced by my house full of partially finished projects) and you can see why I would skip forward to 2013. It made me feel good to hear that people are actually interested in our lives and noticed I missed a week. Thanks for making me feel special.

On Christmas Sunday we hosted the family for dinner. I made pulled pork, my dad made some delicious potatoes and we enjoyed visiting with each other. I just want to point out that we love and respect our kids so much that we give them the seats at the head of the table. Actually, it's more like, they make such a mess that they need extra room and no adult should have to sit too close to them when barbeque sauce is involved.

Looking at this picture of my two crazy kids almost makes my heart burst. I love these two so much, even though this was probably the best "pajamas by the tree" picture we got of the both of them. We spent the day of Christmas Eve at home: baking, wrapping presents, and watching Christmas movies. That night we went over to my parents for dinner, the reading of Luke 2, and singing Christmas carols.

 

We got some new games for Christmas. Christmas night I headed over to my parents and played Feast and Famine with my sisters and Andrew. It's a Mormon game (sold at Deseret Book) and was pretty fun. We sort of figured out the strategy as we went and it got a lot more fun when as we did.

 

The day after Christmas we put together some of our new toys. Will got a work bench from his Nana and Papa, complete with foam "wood" and plans to make various things. Will is pretty possesive of this toy, and it is one of Lauren's favorites to swoop in and touch when Will isn't around.

 

Thursday was the last day Melanie and Andrew were in town. They had to head back to Utah to get back for Andrew's brother's wedding and Melanie's dietetics internship. It is safe to say that Andrew is one of Will's favorite people. We are still invoking Andrew's name to get Will to do things. In case you were curious, those sweet green shoes on Melanie's feet are in fact slippers and I too own a pair. They are part of Snooki's signature line, and they are surprisingly comfortable. If you are interested in getting your own pair head here immediately.

 

Friday we had to say another goodbye, this time to Jill. Still can't believe that she wanted to spend New Years with her friends instead of with us. Oh wait. We went to bed before midnight and spent the day organizing children's clothing into tubs. Nevermind. Before she left we went shopping and had lunch together. Both of my kids really love their Aunt Jill and Will is proud that they have the same letters in their names.

 

Saturday was TJ's birthday! For someone that loves birthdays as much as I do, I struggle to deliver for TJ most years. We had a pretty quiet day where I ran lots of errands and Anthony played with the kids. We had dinner with some friends and enjoyed visiting while our kids played and Will got poop all over the toilet. I probably won't do a separate post about Anthony's birthday, being that this is the best photo I have from that day, so I just want to make it known that he is pretty great. He is a friend to everyone and is always willing to help. I often say that I feel like I do it all, until he's gone and life is much harder and I realize he does a lot more than I think. He's just quiet about it, not a martyr like I tend to be. Our kids love him, especially Will. Lately he has been telling me that the crazy donkey hangs out with Shrek and Will hangs out with Dad. He almost always chooses to do whatever Dad is doing, when given the option, and wants to do and be everything "like Dad."

google maps puts a strain on our marriage and other random thoughts

The other night we were out making some deliveries. I was the navigator with my phone serving as our map. My failure to decipher the map was leading us astray. 
Left!
No right!
No that right over there!
Loud sighs.
Reversing.
Me rolling my eyes. Duh.
Silence as we finally arrive at our destination.
I apologize for getting so mad and make a stupid comment about how google maps brings us closer to a divorce than anything else.
TJ looks at me like I'm crazy and says, "What are you talking about? I'm not even mad."
I guess I have issues. Also, the map feature on the LDS Tools App is not very reliable. Also, I found myself getting annoyed with how slow Anthony was driving again tonight, and finally, when I couldn't handle it anymore, said something. To which he replied, "You want me to drive faster through a crowded parking lot in the rain?" So, the moral of the story is I guess I shouldn't just be guessing I have issues. Am I the only one that gets more road rage when I am in the passenger seat than when I am driving? My kids might hate me when I am teaching them how to drive.

The smell of Abercrombie makes me feel like I'm 16 again. Whenever I go to the mall and am in the vicinity of A&F, the smell wafting from the store takes me back to 1999. I'm young and awkward again. I'm at a stake dance wondering why I decided to come and why only 14 year old boys are asking me to dance. I'm sitting in my first hour class behind a guy who bathes in cologne each morning. Part of me condems him for not getting up early enough to shower, but another part is glad he chose a decent smelling substitute. Does anyone else have smells that take them back in time?

Is it possible to keep playdoh from getting mixed up? Will got some new playdoh for Christmas and we've been playing with it quite a bit this week. Every color is mixed. It really isn't that big of a deal, but why do all the photos on playdoh accessory boxes show the colors touching, but not mixed? It makes me feel like I am doing something wrong. Maybe that is their point, and they want to guilt me into buying more playdoh.

2013 :: week 1

 

Lauren got this new bike for Christmas. The only problem is, her legs don't quiiiite reach. Lucky for her Will really enjoys pushing her around. TJ and I have really enjoyed watching the two of them have fun together, especially because they are working together. They are still figuring out how how to get Lauren off. Will isn't quite strong enough to lift her and as I mentioned before, her legs are a little short.

 

2012 decided to go out in style, and say goodbye with some snow. Anthony helped Will build snowmen. Here Will is standing between the mommy and baby, which they named "Snowjo" after Lojo. 

Will couldn't get enough of the snow, so Anthony took him out again Wednesday. They spent quite a long time outside throwing snowballs at each other. I think that is pretty much the only thing they did. Make and throw snowballs.
 

 I decided to start the year off my making a complete mess of Lauren's closet and room by sorting through our kid clothes. Her room couldn't contain my piles, so now our upstairs hallway is filled with tubs and (organized) piles of clothes. It is quite a process, sorting, washing and then folding the clothes and (as usual) is taking me longer than anticipated. We are very blessed to have lots of clothes for our kids, but I need to get organized so it doesn't go to waste.

 

Thanks to my efforts in organizing the kid's clothes, I was able to figure out what stuff were in need of for the coming year and was able to snag some sweet deals at Old Navy.  Anthony and I disagree about children's clothing. I think our kids are cute so they should wear cute clothes to showcase their cuteness. He thinks their cuteness should speak for itself and we have too many clothes and spend too much on them. I feel justified in buying them clothes when I can get good deals.

Friday morning my friend Stephanie invited us to meet her and another friend at a local indoor gym. I was grateful for the invitation because we have been fairly reclusive since Christmas. Bailey was a champ and pushed all the little kids around on this toy firetruck. Lauren loved it. Will had a hard time with the fact that there was no "Jim" at the gym. He kept crying, saying it was too loud and that he wanted to see Jim. We don't even know anyone named Jim. His relentless pouting is just more evidence that he needs more sleep than he is getting.

Saturday afternoon Anthony introduced Will to the deliciousness that is graham crackers and milk. This probably won't be the last Saturday the boys spend watching football and dunking grahams.