2016 :: week 53

December 25

The big kids were up, ready to open presents at 7am. Elliott did not want to sit still for a picture. We had a relaxing Christmas morning, opening presents and enjoying our new things. Elliott only had eyes for the Belvita Crackers in his stocking, which made it VERY hard to get a good picture of the kids in their Christmas pajamas. Our ward meets at 11am, so we had plenty of time to get ready. When I was younger I remember feeling disappointed whenever Christmas fell on a Sunday, but I loved it this year. It helped me re-focus on why we celebrate. In the afternoon the missionaries serving from our ward came over and called their families.

December 26

Lauren got four new Lego sets for Christmas and she loves all of them. I would estimate that she has spent a good 50% of her waking hours this week playing with them.

December 27

Elliott loves the soft black and white blanket Carly gave us when he was born. It's his favorite and he struggles to fall asleep without it. His blue blanket will do in a pinch. For Christmas Nana and Papa gave him another sofite and when I was getting him ready for his nap Tuesday afternoon it looked like he was in paradise snuggled in amongst his favorite blankets.

December 28

After tithing settlement Wednesday evening Anthony went to his first game of pickup basketball in...several months. Within minutes he got a minor avulsion fracture when he dislocated it while catching a pass on the baseline. He went to the ER and got it set and has been wearing a splint ever since. He'll see a specialist next week. A few years ago he hurt his finger playing church ball and didn't do anything for several weeks and now it won't straighten (mallet finger). Getting old is rough.

December 29

Speaking of getting old...Thursday was Anthony's birthday! My Dad surprised us and came over to chop down our "Whomping Willow" tree. Anthony hates this tree. It is partially hollow and has lost a few limbs over the years due to wind and ice storms. We call it the Whomping Willow (after the tree on the grounds of Hogwarts in the Harry Potter series) because it has become progressively more bent over the five years we've lived here and has branches growing in every direction. It ended up being a two day job and I also spent several hours helping my dad cut up the tree, move the pieces and rake up the leaves. The present ended up being especially nice after Anthony's injury and the doctor's admonishon to avoid hard labor with his hand until he sees the specialist. Also, I learned that I don't mind doing hard work when I am working with someone. Raking by myself makes me grumpy. Raking along side my dad was almost fun.

December 30

Happy birthday, Memaw! On Friday we celebrated my mom's birthday. Late December birthdays are tough. After spending the month gearing up for and then celebrating Christmas, there's not much energy for celebrations left. It has been such a blessing to live so close to my parents.

December 31

Saturday was a work day. We took down our tree and finally painted our dining room! When Anthony arrived home from running an errand his birthday present from his parent's was on the porch--a NES Classic! He has enjoyed playing with it this evening.

2016 :: week 52

December 18

Sunday was a cold day. Some of us were hoping church would be cancelled (🙋), but once we got to church we were glad it wasn't. Sacrament meeting was particularly moving. The music was especially good. The Sacrament Hymn was "As Now We Take the Sacrament," and the third verse really touched me.

As now we praise thy name with song, The blessings of this day Will linger in our thankful hearts, And silently we pray For courage to accept thy will, To listen and obey. We love thee, Lord; our hearts are full. We'll walk thy chosen way.

I needed the reminder that going to church helps sustain me as I go about the business of my life during the week. We arrived at church at the same time as my dad and he helped the big kids walk in while I carried Elliott and our church bag.

December 19

Elliott had a case of the Mondays. He has cut seven teeth in the past three months, with an eighth about to cut through any day now. So pretty much any time he is grumpy I blame his teeth.

December 20

Tuesday afternoon the classrooms at OP-C had their Winter Parties. I went to help out at Will's. It was Polar Express Day and the kids got to wear their pajamas.

December 21

Lauren didn't have preschool starting Wednesday and Will only had a half day. By bedtime they were getting a little stir-crazy and I was getting a little worried about the next fourteen days.

December 22

Thursday night we went to IKEA to pick up a few things. I've been wanting to go for awhile but wanted Anthony to come with me. It has been great having Anthony back in town again this week!

December 23

Friday Anthony got off work a few hours early and we made our annual trek to Crown Center and Union Station. After the cold weather we had over the weekend and at the beginning of the week it felt almost warm at 48 degrees. The kids climbed on the toys next to the Mayor's Christmas Tree, then we walked on the Link to Union Station. We checked out the trains and had fun walking around. Elliott loved the lights. We walked back to Crown Center and got Peppermint Potholes at Sheridan's. We ran into a few friends and even gave a ride home to a member of our ward who had been waiting over half an hour.

December 24

We spent Christmas Eve morning tidying up and putting the finishing touches on our neighbor gifts. After lunch we delivered them and had a little free time. We decided to make a quick visit to the zoo. Our zoo membership is a combined Christmas gift for Will and Lauren from Nana and Papa, so it seemed appropriate. We didn't see as many animals as usual (surprise, surprise), but still had a fun time. For the first time ever we saw the Gigi the cheetah roaming around--usually she's just lounging in the sun.

2016 :: week 51

December 11

Elliott usually takes a nice, long nap after church. He was in a particularly good mood when we woke up from his nap because Dad was home and we were snacking on some yummy chocolate mint cookies from Trader Joe's. We are all pretty excited by the time Anthony gets home from church.

December 12

We are working on the leaf situation in our yard, but it is a slow-going process. I try to spend an hour or two a few days a week. Elliott likes to watch me work. I love seeing him all bundled up in his winter wear.

December 13

Lauren loves to build. She has taken to building elaborate structures around our Little People Nativity. In her version there is room for everyone in the inn. And a lot more animals.

December 14

Sometimes it seems like I spend more time keeping my kids fed than anything else. I took this picture to text Anthony while he was in North Carolina. All three of them lined up next to our pantry and were begging for snacks about fifteen minutes after we'd had our afternoon snack.

December 15

Thursday evening was our Relief Society's annual progressive dinner. As second counselor it is my responsibility to coordinate this event. There is a fair amount of planning and coordinating that goes into this evening, but once everything is in place it is a lot of fun. It was very cold night and I tempered my expectations, but we had about forty people attend! Not everyone was present when I took this photo. I was very pleased with the turnout and appreciative of the efforts of the many people who contributed to make the night a success.

December 16

The OP-C first graders gathered in the cafeteria for a fun afternoon of gingerbread (graham cracker) house decorating. The room smelled so sweet with all the candy. I enjoyed getting to know some of Will's classmates better and seeing Will interact with them. It was fun seeing the different styles the kids had in decorating. Will was more methodical and deliberate than some of his friends, and used way less candy.

December 17

Will's birthday ended up being absolutely freezing. It snowed and the roads were very slick. Sane people avoided going out. I ended up running errands most of the morning. Will's basketball game got cancelled, but we wanted to do something fun for Will's birthday. We got a babysitter for Elliott and saw the new Star Wars movie, Rouge One. I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed it. It reignited the kids' interest in Star Wars and they have been adding Star Wars related play into their play. 

2016 :: week 50

December 4

Elliott is in the thick of that really obnoxious pre-nursery stage. Combine that with our 11-2pm church schedule and you've got a pretty grumpy kid by the time the third hour rolls around. It's hard to fit a good nap in before church.Sunday School is rough because the RS room is pretty crowded and our teacher speaks quietly, so Elliott is pretty distracting if I let him walk around. We often end up in the hallway. Relief Society is a little better because it's not quite as crowded and there are a few other similar aged kids in there. Regardless, we are looking forward to the 9am-noon schedule in 2017 and Elliott's admittance to nursery in February.

December 5

Monday night we bought a large Chick-fil-A peppermint milk shake and split it up for our FHE treat. Anthony spent the week working in North Carolina so it was just me and the kids for a week.

December 6

At the beginning of the school year I wanted to get into a routine of exercising in the morning. I bought a gym membership to help motivate me. Elliott was pretty upset the first few times I left him at the child watch, but now he goes fairly easily. We really like the attendant Huberdine, who works Monday through Thursday mornings.

December 7

We got our first snowfall Wednesday morning. It was really just a light dusting, but it was the first time there was any accumulation of "white stuff" this year so it had to be documented.

December 8

Thursday night it was my turn to host book club. We read and discussed The Martian by Andy Weir.  Pictured (L-R, back row: Emilee, Elena, Lauren, Sarah, front row: me, Holly) I really look forward meeting with these friends each month.

December 9

I love looking at our Christmas tree. Looking at it makes me feel cozy and warm.

December 10

Saturday was our ward Christmas party. Both Elliott and Lauren were a bit apprehensive about seeing Santa. The candy cane helped ease Lauren's woes. I was impressed with the party and our ward's party planning committee and their attention to detail. It was a nice evening.

2016 :: week 49

November 27

Sunday morning the Maxfields headed back to Minnesota. As usual, the time passed too quickly and we were sad to see them go. Will loves taking selifes, and had to get one with his buddy Wes before they hit the road. Anthony started doing tithing settlement for a few hours after church so we didn't see as much of him that day.

November 28

Both boys threw up between dinnertime Sunday and breakfast Monday morning. I had planned to get a lot of work done that day, so it was a bit of a setback. Luckily they both were back to their normal selves about 3 hours after the throwing up started. We've had a lot of stomach bugs lately and it is starting to drive me crazy. I am grateful that the bugs my kids have picked up don't last long. And that they like to snuggle with me while they convalesce.

November 29

 Will has been plucking out a lot of new songs on the piano lately. He surprises me with the songs he selects. I could hardly believe it when he started playing Secret Prayer this week.

November 30

Tuesday evening we had the missionaries over for dinner. It's hard to tell in this picture but Will and Elder Childress are playing catch. We've had a great run of missionaries lately. The other missionary serving in our ward is Elder Conley. He lived in Belmont for awhile and Anthony was good friends with his oldest brother his senior year of high school and at BYU. Small world!

December 1

Thursday evening was the First Grade Music Concert at OP-C. The first graders were pretty entertaining as they sang half a dozen songs. From start to finish the concert was about 15 minutes, which was just about right. Lauren knew several of the songs and couldn't help but sing along. It was fun watching the kids file in. They lined up according to height in their respective classrooms. Will has our short genes and was the second shortest kid in his class.

December 2

December 3

Will had his first preseason basketball game Saturday. He described it as "epic," though that wouldn't be the word I would choose. 😉 Saturday was a crazy-busy day for me. I had something going from 7:30am until 9pm.

2016 :: week 48

November 20

When I got in the van after church Sunday I noticed a piece of paper stuck under a windshield wiper. I got out of the car and grabbed it and I'm glad I did. It was a note telling me that my rear tire didn't look good. They were right. It was flat. Luckily I was at church and had a lot of friends and family still around so my mom was able to give us a ride home. My dad drove Anthony back later and they used a portable pump to make it drivable again. On Monday afternoon I took it to get patched and it has been as good as new ever since.

November 21

We've learned the hard way that the Bass Pro Santa's Wonderland gets busier the closer you get to Christmas. In years past we've sweated it out, waiting in long lines  for what seems like hours, but this year we decided to try going early. The stars aligned and Anthony was home early enough for us to go right at 5pm Monday night. Elliott wasn't a fan of Santa, though he fared better in the family picture we got when I was holding him. Lauren brought along her pictorial Christmas list to show Santa.

November 22

We went to the Dollar Tree Tuesday evening to pick out Christmas gifts for our Maxfield cousins. Meredith had the idea that we go to a dollar store and let the kids pick out gifts for each other themselves. Then we could exchange them while they were in town for Thanksgiving. The kids found a lot of good stuff, we had a hard time narrowing things down. Will wanted one of these emoji balls for himself.

November 23

The Maxfields arrived early Wednesday afternoon. The kids played and adults visited most of the afternoon. That evening we exchanged gifts. The kids were pleased with the gifts they received as well as how well the gifts they gave were received.

November 24

One of the presents Will got in the cousin-gift-exchange was a set of field markings for baseball or kickball. Anthony and Steven took some of the boys out back for a little batting practice. That afternoon we went to my parents house and had Thanksgiving dinner with them, my sister Laura and her husband Trevor, and our friends the Baldens.

November 25

Friday evening was Laura and Trevor's Kansas Open House. Lauren was very excited to go and insisted on wearing the dress she wore on Laura's wedding day. She calls it her wedding dress. Laura is such a great aunt to my kids. While we were over Thursday she painted Lauren's nails in "Thanksgiving colors."

November 26

Saturday we went to the KC Zoo. We had an okay time. Not our best zoo trip. The kids (and grown-ups) were tired and there was a lot of whining. It was good to get out of the house though and feel the sunshine on our faces. It is hard to get enough sleep when visiting family. One of my favorite parts of these visits is the late night chats after the kids have gone to bed. The kids favorite thing to do is wake up as early as possible to get in as much play time as they can. Doesn't always mix well. 😉

2016 :: week 47

November 13

Will has started taking selfies with my phone. Lots of selfies. Selfies with a variety of expressions on his face. This was just one of many he took Sunday as we were getting ready for church. He gets ready very quickly and has a lot of downtime while I help Lauren and Elliott get ready etc. Sunday mornings can be a grind. This Sunday was our primary program. The kids did a great job. Lauren was very anxious during the program practice Saturday afternoon, but really delivered in Sacrament Meeting. Will did a great job on his parts too.

November 14

Will had his first basketball practice Monday night. It was the team's third practice, but he managed to miss two while we were in Utah. He's playing with a group of ten boys from his elementary school and a few of their dads are the coaches. 🏀

November 15

The meteorologist said the unseasonably warm weather we have been enjoying would come to an end this week so we spent a lot of time playing in the front yard after school this week. Will practiced his dribbling and passing and Elliott pushed around the Little Tykes car.

November 16

We walked to the library Wednesday after school. It gets dark so early we weren't able to stay as long as we would have liked. We left just after 5pm and the sun had already set. I enjoyed watching the kids run and climb and explore as we walked to and from the library.

November 17

How many first graders can fit in a tree? In this picture there are four, though I've seen as many as six. Will and several of his buddies run straight to this tree in the park as soon as school gets out. It is a good climbing tree. Will is in a "climbing phase." He loves to climb and tries to climb wherever he's at. He wasn't much of a climber as a toddler, but he is making up for it now!

November 18

Friday evening was the OP-C movie night. The movie ELF was showing and there was a concession stand with a variety of treats, including hot chocolate. It was a full house! I'm on the PTA committee that puts these together, so it was exciting to have it be such a success. We traded babysitting with the Cooks this weekend and it was our turn to watch the kids Friday night so we brought them along.

November 19

Saturday was a busy day. Cleaning, running errands, getting stuff done. I got a coupon to DSW so I stopped there to look at boots. 👢

2016 :: week 46

November 6

Sunday we went to church in West Jordan so we could hear Matt bless baby Mikey. He gave a beautiful blessing and it was a nice meeting. In the past three months three new boys have joined the family (two through marriage and one through birth). We've always been a "girl" family, so it is strange that the boys now outnumber the girls 10 - 8. Anthony stayed home at the Nielson's to avoid spreading our plague further. He was feeling better by late afternoon, but Millie got sick late Sunday night.

November 7

Though we didn't plan it, we ended up on the same flight back to KC as my parents. Will and Lauren took turns being the middle seat between Memaw and Pepaw, as we had one stop in Denver to change plans. My Dad told me that Lauren sang almost the entire flight. Yep, that's Lauren.

November 8

We came home just in time to vote. And also have a mailbox full of political mailers. I wasn't very excited about the races this election as there was no candidate that really excited me. Maybe next cycle I'll vote for whomever does NOT fill our mailbox with this garbage. #savethetrees

November 9

Wednesday evening Anthony went to the temple with some of the YM from our ward.

November 10

Elliott is proficient in going up the stairs now and pretty good at getting back down. He honed some of these skills in Utah. One night I went to look for him and he had climbed up the stairs into Sadie and Elise's bedroom. He's still a little nervous when he's climbing backwards. His legs are a little short and he has to really extend when going down. He often will go 3-4 steps, then stop and yell until I come and either carry him down or help him get going again.

November 11

In honor of Veteran's Day the kids had no school and Anthony had the day off work. In the afternoon we drove downtown, rode the streetcar to the City Market, then walked over to and along the KC Riverfront. It was windier than I expected. We've had such unseasonably warm weather, I wasn't prepared for how chilly it was! When the kids were tired of walking the trail we headed back to the City Market and bought beinget's. They were delicious!

November 12

Members of the Civic Orchestra visited Lauren's preschool last month and invited the preschoolers and their families to an instrument petting zoo before their concert today. I took Will and Lauren and they had a blast. They got to "play" several insturments, including a violin, cello, drum, trombone, trumpet, xylophone and flute. When we got home they insisted on trying to play Anthony's trumpet too. Music is fun and it makes me happy that my kids enjoy creating it too.