2017 :: week 17

April 23

Our azalea blossoms only last about 2 weeks, and that is if the weather cooperates. I look forward to this each year and take as many pictures with them as possible during that short window. I tried to get a picture of the kids before church when the lighting was nice, but time got away from us. We had to settle for a picture after Elliott's nap when there were lots of shadows. I love these silly kids and the simple beauty of our home.

April 24

Lauren is usually quite a chatterbox on the way home from preschool. She wants me to guess which of her classmates was the sharing friend, what songs they sang and what areas she visited during playtime. We were singing along to a song from the new Beauty and the Beast soundtrack when I noticed she was quieter than usual. She fell asleep! It was the first time she has done that all year. Lauren should probably take a nap, but she resists sleeping any more than she absolutely has to. I unbuckled her and let her rest for a few minutes before waking her up to pick up Will.

April 25

Will came home from school Tuesday afternoon frustrated that due to widespread misbehavior in the classroom his class lost six minutes of recess. He marched inside, came out with a book and climbed our little Japanese Maple. It's not a big tree and not really meant for climbing, luckily his 45 lbs. didn't stretch it too much. That evening Will and Lauren joined Anthony in attending the YM service project for mutual. The kids love going to mutual with Anthony when appropriate.

April 26

Wednesday evening we took a walk after dinner. It rained off and on all day and we were able to sneak in a half hour stroll/playground session before getting ready for bed. Will has been using my sister Laura's old Razor scooter to get around the neighborhood. He stopped at all the corners to wait for us pedestrians to catch up and kept himself busy pretending to shoot down everything in sight. What is it with little boys and sticks?!

April 27

Thursday is favorite day of the year, Take Your Child to Work Day. Anthony's OPM office puts on a fantastic program for the children of employees each year and Will and Lauren really look forward to it. They were up and ready to go before 7am! Anthony planned to take a later bus since he was going to be taking the kids not realizing the excitement level was through the roof. Elliott and I joined the crew for a pizza lunch.

April 28

Friday evening was the OP-C Carnival. We waited in line for 20 minutes for Will to get his hair spray painted blue and Lauren to get her face painted like a cat. Anthony and I each volunteered to help for an hour and the other parent took the kids around. Anthony helped bag and sell kettle corn, then I ran the leapfrog game. The kids had fun, we got to visit with a few friends and I only was out $10 for the night. I feared worse. The school community is really great.

April 29

Our microwave stopped working Monday afternoon and our dishwasher is old and on the fritz. We spent part of this rainy Saturday shopping for appliances. The kids were excited about the comparative "wide open spaces" of the store. They climbed on this expensive yard equipment and asked me to take a picture.

2017 :: week 16

April 16

We were lucky and got to celebrate Easter with Nana this year! Coincidentally Nana has celebrated a few holidays with us over the past few years (4th of July in 2014 and Halloween in 2015). Anthony cancelled his early meetings, but planned on arriving at church about half and hour early. I took some pictures before we left but everyone looks quite tired (because we were!). After church we had an egg hunt in our backyard. My parents had us and the Pridays over for dinner. The kids humored me for a post dinner Easter picture with both grandmothers.

April 17

I pulled Will out of school a few hours early and we went to the zoo Monday afternoon. There was a lot of security as we were walking in and then I saw a guy I thought I knew. Turns out it was Lorenzo Cain and though I know who he is, I don't really know him. The kids wanted to show Nana the Sky Safari so we quickly headed towards Africa. We did the same loops we did with Nana the first time we came to the zoo with her 17 months before when we went to the zoo for the first time after Elliott was born. We observed some fun gorilla movements and had a great time in general.

April 18

Tuesday evening Anthony and I got to take Lauren up to the school for Kindergarten Round-Up. Lauren had been looking forward to this for weeks! The kids got to do some fun activities around the school while the adults did boring things like paperwork and listen to lectures about various school policies. I am excited to see what kindergarten has in store for my Lojo. She is sensitive, smart and social. She enjoys learning about new things and has an amazing memory.

April 19

The 7-10 days when my azalea bushes are in full bloom and some of my favorite days of the year. As soon as they bloom I dread a heavy rain because that is what always gets them.

April 20

It was a busy week with lots of going back to the school after hours. Thursday as the spring Open House. We went to Will's classroom to see what he has been working on this semester. About a month ago the students worked on these name rainbows. You had to come up with a positive descriptive adjective for each letter. After much discussion Will settled on: W-Wonderful I-Inquisitive L-Lovable L-Logial I-Interesting A-Athletic M-Mighty

April 21

I met up with Bethany, Emilee and Elena for a playdate at the park Friday morning. It was chilly, but it felt good to get out of the house and visit with friends. The park was re-mulching their playground and there were several LARGE piles of mulch on the premises.

April 22

Lauren and I made a quick trip to the library Saturday afternoon so I could pick up the latest Maisie Dobbs novel. I started reading this series about three years ago. At the time there were ten novels and I devoured them pretty quickly. Each spring a new novel comes out and this is the third year I had to wait in line at the library to read it. I liked it! Maisie drives me a little crazy, but I love the setting and am keenly interested in the time period (post WWI London). Though this novel takes place in the opening days of WWII.

2017 :: week 15

April 9

Will and I finished putting together his diorama project for school Sunday afternoon. Every first grader selected an animal, researched their animal and put together a diorama of its habitat. Will opted to study the lion. I guided him, but Will did most of the work on this project. Projects like this are funny. There were several dioramas that clearly had a lot of adult input and used expensive materials.

April 10

Dad's home! Horray! He carried both Will and Lauren up the stairs at bedtime after our special Easter FHE. We all prefer "real dad," as opposed to the dad we see on google hangouts or facetime when he's traveling. Lauren started refusing to talk to Anthony when he would call, insisting that she wanted "real daddy." Way to make your parents feel guilty, Lojo!

April 11

Elliott enjoys stacking, then knocking these blocks down. He'll do it over and over. He needs a little help to get the middle blocks in the correct order (he's memorized the pictures on the top 3 so he can do those himself).

April 12

Elliott had a CONSTANT stream of drool this week. Three of his four incisors have finally pushed through his gums, but we are waiting on the last one. Due to the drool and warmer weather Elliott has gone without a shirt much more than usual. I took advantage of the pleasant temperatures and did a lot of yard work this week. Elliott got out his lawnmower to "help." Once he hits the sidewalk you have to chase him down to get him to come back. I watched him to see how far he'd go and after he was a full three houses down without looking back or slowing down I ran to catch up with him and steer him towards home.

April 13

Sometimes things just work out. Wednesday evening Anthony mentioned that we should look into getting Will and pitchback/rebounder thing so he can play catch outside by himself. If no one is available to play he throws the balls against our garage door Heber J. Grant style, which is both loud and hazardous. I looked up how much a rebounder would cost new and prices ranged from $25 to well over $100. That evening while I was checking facebook I saw on the neighborhood swap page that a woman I had met a few times before was selling a sports rebounder for $15! I picked it up Thursday afternoon and Will started using it as soon as he arrived home fro school.
 

April 14

The kids were off school on Good Friday so we made plans with the Terrys to meet at a park. Life intervened and it rained off and on all day. We still wanted to get together and get out of the house so we met them at Scheel's. Lauren watched Elliott for me so I could ride the Ferris Wheel with the big kids. It was fun, but I felt a little anxious when the ride stopped while we were at the top. Nana flew in from Boston after the big kids went to bed that night.

April 15

After a morning of exercise, stake meetings and science experiments, we spent the afternoon at Science City with Nana. It was our second visit and much less crowded than our last. The kids stopped to play on the playground for a few minutes and the adults chatted.

2017 :: week 14

April 2

 The week started out quietly. We watched conference and went for a few walks between sessions. Anthony picked up the rental car he would drive to Omaha for work. On Tuesday he would fly from Omaha to DC to lead more work training.

April 3

Will has had this loose tooth for a couple of weeks. All weekend he complained about how much pain he was in when he ate. I tried to convince him to let me pull it out at bedtime Sunday night, but he wasn't quite ready. On the way back to his classroom after PE Monday afternoon he was wiggling his tooth and it came right out! He was pretty excited to lose a tooth at school. This is the second tooth Will has lost. I can't help but feel a little nostalgic when I think back to him growing those teeth, and that it doesn't feel like it was that long ago.

April 4

I watched Kendall for an hour Tuesday morning. Though neither Kendall or Elliott talk much, when they heard Lauren say she wanted to go "outside" to ride her scooter they both started gesturing towards the door and were very cooperative while I put their shoes on their feet. We've had a lot of gray skies and intermittent rain so we've been escaping outside every dry chance we get.

April 5

Elliott goes through phases with books. He is currently in a Clifford phase. We read Clifford the Big Red Dog and Clifford's Family multiple times every day. Elliott loves dogs, which is new for us. Both Will and Lauren were scared of dogs when they were Elliott's age.

April 6

We brought Arby's to the school and ate lunch with Will Thursday morning. It didn't end up being the idyllic lunch I anticipated, but it is always to see Will in the school environment. Elliott is a mini-celebrity amongst his classmates. Many of them have siblings Lauren's age, but few have a sibling 5 years younger. While the kids lined up to go back to the classroom after lunch Elliott walked around giving fives and pounds. Anthony was slated to get home from DC Thursday evening. Throughout the afternoon Anthony warned me that his flight was likely to get delayed, then did get delayed over and over again, before finally getting cancelled altogether. Originally he was unable to book a flight home until Sunday!?! Friday morning he was able to get a flight home Saturday night, but we were both feeling pretty bummed about the whole thing.

April 7 

I wanted to get out and do something fun Friday evening. We blasted the Moana soundtrack and drove to Plaza for dessert and to take a few pictures of the kids with the Plaza Bunnies. Unfortunately, Elliott was not a fan of the Bunnies. He was quite horrified, to be honest. We picked up some Coldstone and walked over to Mill Creek Park to eat and play. It was a gorgeous evening and the big kids ran over 20 laps around the Nichols Memorial Fountain.

April 8

Our Relief Society presidency set a goal to attend the temple together before our Visiting Teaching Conference in May. We picked this date a few months ago, and even though Anthony was out of town I felt like it was important that I make an effort to go. I was able to find a last-minute sitter and we were able to attend together as planned. We tried to get a group picture, but the wind started to blow so hard right as we were leaving. I snapped this selfie on the way to the car, but struggled to keep my eyes open in the bright sunlight. I was also really, really tired at this point.

2017 :: week 13

March 26

We were running ahead of schedule before church, something we have really struggled with this year, so I snapped a few pictures of the kids all dressed up before we loaded up the van. I took several pictures, but in each one a different kid just wasn't feeling it. I feel a little guilty that I have a hard time getting to the church by 9am, when Tony gets there by 6am.

March 27

Will was supposed to have baseball practice, but it rained off and on all day. The field was wet and muddy so practice was postponed until Saturday. Anthony had driven to OKC for work, so the kids and I walked over to kill some time before bed. The kids piled on the wheelchair swing AKA "the magic carpet" and swung together. It was while we were here that Lauren's dominance in the pumping department was made obvious. Will was pretty upset that she could swing so much higher than him. We talked about how she spends time nearly every day swinging and perfecting her pumping skills. Once Will realized he could play kickball or basketball at recess he stopped using the playground equipment. Practice makes perfect.

March 28

Lauren has started to "read" to Elliott. She isn't really reading, but telling the story based off her memory and the pictures in the book. Elliott looks like such a big boy when he makes himself cozy in the big bed.

March 29

Will and Lauren told me they were going to play in the front yard while I was finishing up dinner (tomato pasta skillet). They hadn't been outside more than two minutes before Lauren ran back in and said it was raining. She wasn't kidding! It had started to pour! They abandoned their ball and bike and started running and splashing around the driveway in their rain boots and water shoes.

March 30

I started to come down with a headache Thursday afternoon. I tried to get Elliott to lay down with me before we had to pick the big kids up from school. He kept trying to slide off the bed, only to grab at me and try to get back up. It was frustrating. Elliott is a pretty good snuggler, but was clearly not excited about the possibility of an extra nap with me.

March 31

Lauren has quite the collection of Legos (this isn't even the tip of the iceberg). She will spend hours building stores, homes, parks, etc. The biggest issue is she doesn't like to take them apart. The next biggest issue is she sometimes "borrows" pieces from Will's collection while he is at school. I love seeing what she comes up with while playing.

April 1

I gave Anthony a Roku for Christmas so we were finally able to watch conference over our TV. For previous sessions we would hook speakers up to a computer and listen. I feel like I was able to focus more because I could see what was going on. Hooray for the upsides of technology!

2017 :: week 10

March 5

 Elliott has funny food habits. On Sunday he lined up his fruit before eating it. He is a big fan of fruit, especially berries (especially blueberries, raspberries and blackberries) and mandarin oranges.

March 6

Lauren channeled both her brothers Monday afternoon. It's funny how much she does look like each of them when she adopts some of their signature accessories.

March 7

Elliott is always running away from me when we're outside. Will and Lauren weren't runners, but Elliott most definitely is. He likes to know where I am, but doesn't appear to be concerned with making sure I know where he is. His friend Blaise (born 3 weeks before him) lives two houses down. Elliott especially likes to walk over to his yard.

March 8

My smiley boy. Elliott is getting to be more independent which is trying at times. The two of us spend a lot of time together and I'm grateful that for the most part he is such a happy-go-lucky little guy. Now if only those dang teeth would cut!

March 9

Our flowers bloomed extra early this year. They are usually a signal that spring has sprung and the warmer weather is here to stay. Unfortunately it looks like it is going to snow in a few days and spring break (next week!) is going to be cold and wet.

March 10

We spent several hours Friday afternoon preparing for our Spring Break trip to Omaha. We got the oil changed, did some grocery shopping and then cleaned the van inside and out. I hate how messy vehicles can get on a road trip and I've found that it is easier to keep it clean when it starts out clean. The back row of our van is Will's lair. The only time anyone besides him goes back there is if we give someone a ride. Will had a pair of socks on the seat (?!) and accidentally sucked one up with the super strong vacuum at the car wash.

March 11

Early in the week Anthony was asked to officiate a wedding when the original officiant was unable to do so. The wedding was held at the Loose Mansion in KC (kind of in between the Plaza and Children's Mercy Broadway Clinic). It was a cold and snowy night and the mansion was both cozy and beautiful. It was a heartfelt ceremony joining two families together.

2017 :: week 9

February 26

The kids have been playing a lot with Legos lately. It is fun to watch them work together and see what they decide to build. With 9am church we have A LOT of time to fill up in the afternoon.

February 27

Monday evening we ate dinner at Red Robin with the families of Will's basketball teammates. There was a short end of the season program and the boys each received a participation medal. The OP-C Raiders ended up with an 8-8 record. Will's first basketball season will be remembered as a season of growth, for both Will and his parents. Will learned a lot about the rules of basketball and being aggressive. Anthony and I learned to navigate parental relationships and be patient.

February 28

We had a crazy lightening storm Tuesday evening. My phone camera couldn't quite capture how cool it looked.

March 1

Tuesday evening as I tried to "close the books" on our February budget I bragged to Anthony that we had come in $17 under budget in February. On the first day of March my hair dryer started shooting out sparks when I went to dry my hair. Later that day Will came home from school with a broken pair of glasses that we no longer under warranty. Good thing we were under budget for February! It cost over $100 to replace the glasses and hairdryer.

March 2

Papa flew to KC and stayed with us Wednesday night. On Thursday afternoon Anthony and Papa flew to Las Vegas to attend the West Coast Conference Tournament in Las Vegas. Before they left they brought a bunch of Arby's sliders to OP-C for a lunch date with Will. Elliott loved hanging out with Papa. "Papa" is one of the few words he can clearly articulate and he likes to point him out in the pictures on our fridge.

March 3

Anthony and Doug met up with Matt, Alicia and the Nielson family in Las Vegas. Members of the John family gathered in Vegas to celebrate Doug's 60th birthday at the WCC tournament. They were able to see both the BYU men's and women's basketball teams win a game, as well as take in a few other tournament games as well.

March 4

Saturday afternoon Will attended his friend Ben's birthday party at the Ernie Miller Nature Center. After the party we walked the trails behind the center for awhile. The kids really enjoyed it and I left feeling motivated to get out and do more walking/exploring/hiking/adventuring with the kids on the weekend.

2017 :: week 8

February 19

My mom saved a bunch of our old toys. Lauren loves my younger sisters' dollhouse. She will spend hours playing with it. My mom took Will and Lauren home with her after church Sunday so I could rest. It has been at least 10 years since I've had strep and the recovery was so much worse than I remember. Getting old is hard!

February 20

We took a trip to the zoo Monday afternoon. Anthony scheduled two doctor appointments in the morning because he had the day off for President's Day. It was a great visit. The weather was pleasant and it wasn't terribly crowded. We did not go the Africa, but stuck to the Asia and Australia areas. Elliott enjoys animals and it was fun to watch him attempt to interact with them.

February 21

We took a walk after dinner and it got dark faster than I expected. I promised the kids we would play at the park and by the time we got there we could hardly see! That didn't stop Will from doing a little climbing.

February 22

Elliott has recently decided he likes baths again. Hallelujah! We often have Lauren and Elliott bathe together while Will takes a shower in our bathroom. It seems to be the most efficient way to get all three kids clean.

February 23

At the park after school the kids played with a classmates' dog for quite awhile. Then Knox walked home with Will and played basketball for an hour.

February 24

Friday night the OP-C PTA showed Gnomeo and Juliet and I helped sell concessions. The movie was a little weird, but I really enjoyed talking to all the kids when they bought their treats.  It was fun seeing the different personality traits come out in kids as they tried to decide what to spend their money on.

February 25

Anthony used math in the real world today! We took our mirror down to paint the dining room and finally got it put back up this afternoon. Anthony took some measurements and did some math to make sure we placed it properly.