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.

2016 :: week 45

October 30

Sunday afternoon the kids got to work with the perler beads. Will created this cool jack-o-lantern. We didn't get around to carving a pumpkin this year so this will have to do. We went for a family walk in the evening. I love the warm weather we've been having this fall.

October 31

We had our most successful Halloween haul ever this year. Both kids had a lot of enthusiasm for trick-or-treating this year and the weather was nice and warm so we were able to go for quite awhile. I let each kid pick 10 pieces they could keep for themselves and then we put the rest into a family pot.

November 1

Tuesday we regrouped from Halloween and got ready for our trip to Utah. I cut Will and Elliott's hair in the afternoon. I kept Will home from school because he threw up right before Anthony and I went to bed Monday night. He was fine all day. I understand and follow the 24 hour rule, it's just annoying sometimes because it seems like you are often more contagious BEFORE you throw up. It also put a damper on all the errands I wanted to run during the day.

November 2

Wednesday we flew to Utah for Laura's wedding. Getting through the airport was a team effort. The big kids really stepped up and helped push Elliott's stroller and carry their backpacks and boosters. It took us 7 hours to get from our house to Carly's house. I spent a lot of time trying to figure out if I prefer traveling by air or car. I'm still trying to decide. It's hard to beat the speed of flying, especially when everything goes as planned and there are no delays. The cost though...

November 3

Will and Lauren visited Sadie's class for "Show and Tell." Will was a little nervous to visit her second grade classroom, but Lauren was very eager and pleased to be invited. Millie came too and was the real star of the show.

November 4

Laura and Trevor got married in the Mount Timpanogas Temple. It was a beautiful day and touching ceremony. Their wedding reception and ring ceremony were that evening in Cedar Hills. The Nielson's live right in between the Mount Timpanogas Temple and Cedar Hills so it was very close and convenient for us.

November 5

Tony and Elise got sick in the night Friday, which put a damper on our Saturday plans. One thing I wanted to get during our trip to Utah was a journal. My mom got us these journals when I was growing up and I like their size and college-ruled lines. Carly came with me and as we were driving to Desert Book we got hit! The more I think about it the more relieved I am we weren't hurt, especially Carly who was in the passenger seat. The teenager driving the other car hit us after he missed his turn into the church parking lot. As I was driving to Desert Book to buy a journal I got hit by a teenager going to a baptism. How Mormon is that?!

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