2023 :: week 7

February 12

I took this photo when the Super Bowl was over and Chiefs were *officially* Super Bowl champions again. Will was screaming into the bean bag and Elliott was jumping for joy. It was a very happy moment in the John house.

February 13

I got an unexpected call from the nurse Monday afternoon. I assumed it would be about Lauren, who had been sniffling the night before, but it was about Elliott. During recess he had been playing a hide and seek type game and hit his head on a bolt holding the playground equipment together when he was "found." There was clearly a lot of blood even though he was pretty cleaned up by the time I came to get him. Apparently the teachers made everyone vacate that section of the playground while they waited for the janitor to come clean the area and Lauren said she heard from her classmates who went to the nurses office after lunch for their afternoon pills that the nurses office was temporarily closed because there was so much blood. When I washed out Elliott's red shirt in the sink the water turned very red. That afternoon evening I got several texts from concerned parents of Elliott's friends, wishing him well. Rumor spread that he had been sent straight to the hospital. Elliott loved his 15 minutes of 1st grade fame. Thankfully he had no signs of a concussion and didn't need stitches. The wound healed relatively quickly, but we didn't let him play any contact sports for the rest of the week to make sure it healed. 

February 14

Miles was super jazzed about his Valentines bounty, and I felt a little like a cheapskate, after preschool on Valentine's Day. I feel like every year the Valentine's candy and toys get bigger and bigger. 

February 15

Wednesday was a "Red Snow Day," or the day they cancelled school because so many people would be at the Chiefs parade. Because we elected not to go this year, we felt like we needed to let the kids do something fun instead. Will invited Jude, Adrian and Elliott W over for smash burgers and sauna. Anthony made smash burgers, then the boys used the sauna and ran outside in the cold go cool off. After they finished using the sauna they watched sauna competitions on YouTube until their parents came to pick them up. I think they played video games too. 

February 16

We haven't gotten much snow this  year. Miles was jumping for joy that he could "make footsteps" aka footprints in the snow.

February 17

One of the ways our new ward is fostering friendship and unity is facilitating optional dinner groups. Anthony and I met with Greg & Barbara and Greg & Andrea for dinner at Texas Roadhouse Friday night. We had a fun time, even though we got paired up with two couples we know rather well. The Githins live in our neighborhood and Greg served with Anthony in the bishopric. Will has become fast friends with the Benson twins and we've gotten to know their parents pretty well through that association.

February 18

Saturday was the end of the Stake YM basketball season. Will's team was the lowest seed and we expected them to play one game and then be done. However, their first opponent forfeited. No one from that ward even showed up. They just scrimmaged and waited to play a game in the second round. The team they played in the second round had beat them handily during the regular season. However this time a kid from our ward hadn't been able to play in the early season games was there and with his defensive work was able to keep the game competitive. At the end of the game our ward team was up by two point and the other team quickly fouled Will to get the ball back. Will--the youngest and shortest player on the court--sank both of his free throws, ensuring that his team would win. He was super excited, but I don't know if I have ever seen Anthony so proud. The Oak Park Ward boys went on to the win the championship game that afternoon.