2021 :: week 22

May 23

Fifth graders at OPC do a "Heroes Project" where they study an American Hero. The kids have to read a biography and then write a report and prepare a poster about their hero. In previous years the kids would then do a "wax musuem," at the school's spring open house. The fifth graders would dress up as their hero and memorize a 60 second speech they would give about their hero to all who stopped to listen. This year the school opted to not do an open house, so the kids recorded their speeches. Will did his report on his great-great grandfather Harvey Fletcher. 

May 24

Will had a baseball game Monday night and the whole family attended. Memaw, the Allreds and the Wilsons all came out to watch Will pitch. He pitched pretty well and enjoyed his "fan club."

May 25

We met some friends at Thompson Park on Tuesday morning. The park was recently revamped as is really nice. Elliott enjoyed swinging very high. He also had fun running through the splash pad, hence the lack of shirt and shoes in the above photo. 

May 26

The Pink Thunder had their final game of the season on Wednesday night. They typically have games on the weekend, but this was a make-up game. After their game we stopped at an candy and ice cream shop called Sweet Caroline's. I felt like it was apropos given the name and timing (my birthday is the next day).

May 27

Thursday was the last day of school for the kids. As seems to be tradition, it was rainy and gray. Will and Lauren had great 3rd and 5th grade years. It started off a little rough with distance learning, but the kids and teachers really excelled in that tough situation. When they went back to in person learning at the end of October things really started to look up and they ended up having a very good year. We will miss Mrs. Dearing and Mrs. Breckenridge next year. Daphne and Nicholas came over to play for a few hours, which cheered things up. 

May 28

Jake, Matt and I all have birthdays at the end of May. My parents treated us to ice cream at the Golden Spoon Friday evening to celebrate. 

May 29

The Hinton family stayed with us on their way to Mississippi. The kids had a lot of fun together playing. In the morning I took Lauren and Will to my friend Sarah's home to pick the rocks out of her garden. It was hot, tedious work, but they were paid well. Jill became very good friends with Darren in Provo after Tony and I left and so at dinnertime the Allreds came over for a smashburger dinner. It was a very fun Saturday.

2021 :: week 21

May 16

It was a very rainy day. Tina and I drove to church in our KIA and as we rounded the bend on 4-35 I lost almost all visibility for a few seconds because the rain was coming down so hard. I taught Sunday School (my new calling) and was a little nervous to teach with my in-laws in the audience, even though they are gracious. It went well and I feel relieved it is only every other week. Lauren and Nana played several rounds of mancala after church on Sunday. The Maxfield cousins want to have a mancala tournament at the family reunion in June, and the John kids want to be ready! Doug and Tina watched the little boys while the rest of us stopped by Ipo's graduation luau. That evening we watched the Muppet Movie and made chocolate chip cookies. It was a very cozy Sunday. 

May 17

Monday was Elliott's final day of preschool. It was a weird year, but we were extremely grateful he was able to attend in person with very few hiccups. In fact, the only hiccup was when we inadvertently exposed his teacher and classmates to Covid in January. Miss Tracy was a fun teacher and Elliott loved his class. I didn't get to meet any of his classmates because parents were never allowed in the building, but we heard great things. That night we got dinner at the original Joe's KC, located in a gas station in Kansas City. We went to the Nelson Atkins to walk around, but a few minutes after we arrived it started to pour! We headed back home and the kids said their goodbyes to Nana and Papa. They would be leaving for their flight around 6am the next morning.

May 18

We met up with Elliott's friend Eliza at the Lenexa Rec Center on Tuesday. Elliott splashed and swam with the other kids and I followed Miles around and made sure he stayed safe. After we swam we got pizza at the Lenexa Public Market. 

 

May 19

The flowers in our yard have really bloomed this week. I get excited every time I go outside. Our flowers make me happy.

May 20

We met up with several friends at Roe Park on Thursday morning. It is fun to play outside after so much rain. Elliott had a blast swinging with Eliza and Mikey.

May 21

Lauren finished her husky stuffed animal and took it to school for the auction. She was very pleased that it was the most expensive item at the auction. Lauren has had such a great school year. Mrs. Dearing was such a great fit for Lauren, and has done a great job creating a close community in the classroom. Lauren has loved her classmates this year.

May 22

Haircuts all around for the John boys this Saturday. I try to cut Tony, Will and Elliott's hair every 4-6 weeks. Miles isn't part of the rotation yet. This was only his second haircut if I am remembering correctly. 

2021 :: week 20

 

May 9

Mother's Day was a quiet affair this year. I am grateful for the opportunity I have to be a mom, for my own mother, and for the women who have mothered and mentored me throughout my life. I often find myself in awe of my children. They are bright and full of energy and help me see the beauty in the things around me.

May 10

Lauren's class is having an auction at the end of the month. Each student is supposed to bring in a gently used item from home that they think a classmate could use. Mrs. Dearing informed the students and parents about this awhile ago so we could be thinking ahead about what to bring. Throughout the year they earn "Dearing Dollars" and then cash them in to buy various privileges and toys. The auction is to use all their extra money. Lauren decided she wanted to make a Husky stuffed animal for the auction. I helped her design the pattern and she started cutting working on it this week.

May 11

Thanks to the miracle of vaccines and Hillary and Ben helping with Bobpa, Papa and Nana were able to come and visit for the first time since Lauren's baptism in 2019. The forecast for their visit was full of rainclouds, and our weekend schedule full of youth sports, so we hit the ground running once they arrived. After school we boarded the streetcar to the City Market. We walked along the Missouri River and then picked up dinner at Pigwich (very good!). 

May 12

While the big kids were at school and Tony was at work, Papa, Nana, Elliott, Miles and I took advantage of the nice weather and went to Deanna Rose. It was essentially Miles' first visit, and he had a ball. It was a busy afternoon/evening with piano, soccer practice and a meeting for Anthony. Tony made smashburgers for dinner while I drove the kids to their activities. After dinner Papa and Nana played a lot of games with the kids while they were here. Papa was a good sport to keep playing Sleeping Queens with Elliott after Elliott told him he was going to make him "feel the pain." Talking trash is an art in the John household. 

May 13

Thursday was a quieter day. Elliott didn't have preschool, so we went to the park in the morning. It was quiet at first, but then an entire preschool class and their parents descended upon us for an end-of-the-year picnic. We didn't stay long after that. Elliott and Miles were happy to spend time with Papa and Nana at home. Miles loves "singing" along when Anthony plays the piano, and he enjoyed singing with Nana too. That evening I took Lauren to softball practice and Papa and Nana went to Will's baseball game. Will was starting pitcher and it did not go well. He was frustrated and embarrassed, and the team was not fielding well. It was a tough outing for Will.

May 14

Friday was a fun day. We picked the kids up at lunchtime and headed to the zoo. We were able to do a lot because it wasn't very crowded. We rode the train, sky safari, shuttle and carousel. We saw a lot of fun animals--koalas, elephants, gorillas, crocodiles and rhinos to name a few. When we returned home we ate some delicious Chick-fil-A and then used the sauna. Miles and Elliott are only in briefly--children under six can use the sauna for a limited amount of time. 

May 15

We lucked out with the weather and were able to have a full day of sports. Lauren had a soccer game around lunchtime, and then Will and Lauren had baseball and softball games at adjoining fields that started 45 minutes apart. Lauren played great in both her games, and Will pitched very well in his baseball game. He was feeling pretty good, especially after his previous game. We recently made the connection that one of the young men Doug worked with in the Linn Asian Branch in the 90s is in our stake. They invited us over for lunch, so everyone but Lauren and I went over and was able to spend time catching up. 

2021 :: week 19

May 2

Miles loves sitting on the piano and "singing" along with Tony. It is clear that Miles' loves music. A funny quirk is that he only will sing along with the final note. During the day when Dad is not home he will climb up to the piano and "sing" and occasionally attempt to play himself. He does not like it if I sit down and try to play. Apparently he only likes to sing with Dad.

May 3

Elliott and Blaise have spent hours over the past few weeks swinging on the Mansingh's playset. It is easy to keep an eye on them while they were swinging because I can hear them singing and laughing from our back porch. I can also see their little heads pop up over the edge of the fence when they really get going--Elliott has gotten really good at pumping.

May 4

If you are not familiar with pinworm medicine I pray that you never need to familiarize yourself with it. We made an alarming discovery Monday night and after consulting with our pediatrician--and doing a lot of laundry--we each had to take a dose of this disgusting banana-flavored sludge.

May 5

This week both Anthony and I got our second COVID shots. I felt fine the day of (Monday), but struggled to sleep that night and definitely ran a fever on Tuesday. I felt a lot better Wednesday, but was still pretty drained. I spent a few hours relaxing on the couch with Miles while Elliott was at school. Miles had me in a tight hold, like he was afraid I was going to leave. I suppose that isn't a bad assumption being that I usually turn a show on for him when I am going to take a shower or need to get something done without his help and want him distracted. Anthony said he felt a little more tired than normal, but no other side effects. We are now two weeks from "immunity."

May 6

Lauren had another softball game Thursday night and it was awesome! She got the best hit of the night, a solid double hit just past the second basewoman. She is so blessed to be part of a fun, positive team. Her coaches do a great job of building the girls up and creating a culture of growth, and the girls are genuinely excited for each other when they succeed. Elliott and Miles love these weeknight games because they get to spend a few hours playing with their buddies while the big sisters play. Will was at practice during her game, so he wasn't able to watch.

May 7

Elliott came home from preschool with a sweet card he made me for Mother's Day. He was so excited to share it with me that he couldn't wait until Sunday. I made me smile that he knows my exact age and thinks I am special because I am in his family. 😆

May 8

Anthony and I went on a double date with the Throssells Saturday evening for the first time in over a year. We met at Grinders for dinner and then got Andy's for dessert. The weather was gorgeous and we were able to spend a lot of the evening outdoors. We never run out of things to talk about with Stephanie and Spencer and had to cut things off at 3 hours to get back to our baby-sitter. For the first time in years we have an awesome babysitter that lives within walking distance of our house and she is wonderful! We've been able to get out more consistently in the past six months than we have in years. 

2021 :: week 18

 

April 25

The smell of fresh lilacs wafting through the neighborhoods is something I look forward to each spring. No candle or lotion smells as good as the real thing. Anthony and I have started taking long walks at night after the kids are in bed and catching a whiff of lilacs while we are out is always a treat. I enjoy the time Anthony and I spend together, and often make a mental list of topics I want to discuss with him throughout the day. 

April 26

Miles is in a dependently independent phase, where he likes to do his own thing but know exactly where I am at all times. I can be close by in the kitchen but then walk to the bathroom and he will chase me down. When I take out the trash or go the basement I will sometimes find him frantically looking for me, even if I have only been gone about a minute. 

April 27

Lauren took this somewhat unflattering picture while I was reading to her. This week we finished Rump: The (Fairly) True Tale of Rumpelstiltskin. Lauren was pleasantly surprised by how much she enjoyed it. I have always appreciated a good retelling of a familiar story, and this one did not disappoint. Reading a chapter or two out loud to Lauren before bedtime has been a pleasant ritual for the two of us this school year.

April 28

Elliott and Blaise spent every spare moment with each other this week. Their friendship ebbs and flows, and this week it was riding high. A new step for their friendship is Elliott conquering his fear of going to Blaise's house without his siblings. Usually Blaise comes to our house, because Elliott has been nervous to walk to his house and knock on the door. Elliott is now asking me if he can go play with Blaise as soon as we eat breakfast in the morning. 

April 29

Will got to pitch in his first game Thursday night. Lauren had softball practice at the same time, so Anthony reported to me via text that he was playing well, but something seemed off. It turns out his eyes were super itchy and red and he wasn't throwing as hard as he had been at practice. Will has had really bad seasonal allergies this spring. He regularly gets a cold compress to put on his eyes after he has been outside. 

April 30

We met Stephanie and Kendall at the park after school on Friday for a picnic lunch. The weather was gorgeous and it felt nice to do something "normal." 

May 1

Saturday was a busy day of sports for Lauren. She had her first softball game in the morning, followed by a soccer game in the afternoon. She played well in both. In between her games Will had a baseball practice at the opposite end of town, Anthony had a church errand to run and we needed to fit in a Miles nap. I had to write everything down on paper and assign tasks to Anthony and I so we could divide and conquer to get everyone where they needed to be at the right time. As a family of six I fear this is only the beginning of very busy Saturdays.