2021 :: week 13

March 21

Miles is extremely independent. He does not like to be carried when he can walk, but he is still hesitant about steps. The big kids are doing pretty well with our transition to weekly in-person church attendance and limited second hour classes. Miles is having the hardest time. I try to pack a big bag of tricks to keep him occupied, but he struggles with sitting still and being quiet. I spent a lot of time with him in the hallway during Sacrament Meeting because he was so loud.

March 22

Lauren has a real entrepreneurial drive. She wants to buy a suitcase for our upcoming Spring Break trip to Florida. She decided she wanted to make Easter decorations that she could sell to her friends and extended family members. Lauren and I spent some time brainstorming what product she could make that people would want, how long it would take her to make each item, how much her supplies cost and what was a fair price to charge. We landed on these customizable Easter bunnies made out of felt, embroidery floss, stuffing and buttons. I helped her create a pattern and did most of the cutting for her. She did all of the stitching, stuffing and advertising herself. She used her own money to buy supplies at Hobby Lobby. She has been working on these bunnies for most of the past month in the evenings while I read to her. It has been a fun bonding experience for both of us, but it was not without a few tears and exasperated moments.

March 23

The big kids had their spring teeth cleaning on Tuesday morning. Everything looked great so I treated them to Chick-fil-A breakfast sandwiches before taking them to school. 

March 24

On Tuesday the newest Maisie Dobbs book was released! I am not kidding when I say I have been looking forward to this day for years. I read the first novel in 2014 while I was recovering from a D&C and read the next nine books over the rest of that year. Since then I have been excited every March when the newest title is released. The author did not release a new book in 2020, so I listened to all fifteen audiobooks last year during the quarantine and stay-at-home order phases of the pandemic. Escaping into Maisie's world helped me deal with the uncertainty and stress of life. I love the history that is mixed in with the cases Maisie works on and the growth of Maisie as a person over the course of the series. Maise is about the same age as my great-grandma and so it makes me think about what life was like for her as she came of age during the Great War, then was raising several children during World War II. 

March 25

The Rock Store is back in business! Elliott and Blasie search for rocks around the neighborhood and then display them on the side of our house. They are quite the salesmen, hawking their wares and trying to get people to pay for rocks that were most likely scavenged from their landscaping. 

March 26

For the second year in a row, Will has joined a Fantasy Baseball League hosted by Anthony's friend, Darren. It makes me smile every time I get on the family computer and see his team name--"WillJDaMan"--pop up on the screen. The draft was set for 9pm Friday night and Tony went to McD's for Dr. Peppers to help them stay energized. When mom isn't home things get wild!

March 27

Early Friday morning I flew to Utah to spend a weekend with the John ladies. We spent the weekend in an nice Airbnb doing almost nothing but talking and eating. We got take out from Costa Vida, Tonyburger, Tradition, Penguin Brothers and Chip. We talked all day and into the night, took no naps and barely slept. It was great fun, but I came home sooo tired. On Saturday evening we Facetimed before the kids went to bed and it made me happy to see the faces of my favorite people.