2021 :: week 39

September 19

Sunday we did a lot of walking. We successfully made our way to church in the morning, which was more difficult than we anticipated with various lines not running on Sunday. We left plenty early though, so made it with time to spare. Afterwards we headed back to our room to change into walking clothes. Anthony heard about Big Onion Walking Tours from a co-worker and signed us up for the Immigrant New York tour that took us through the Five Points area, Little Italy and Chinatown. The tours are run by graduate students so they are primarily available on the weekend. We learned about the tenements the immigrants lived in, and the various ways they were exploited. The Feast of San Gennero was being celebrated in Little Italy and we happened upon the parade and festival during and after the tour. We wandered through the festival and then headed to the Brooklyn Bridge. We made a pit stop at our apartment and then headed out to explore. We walked through SoHo and Greenwich Village, stopped at Washington Square Park, then continued on toward the Highline through Chelsea. We picked up some cookies along the way and ate them on the Highline while we facetimed our kids. Technology is pretty amazing. According to my phone we walked 9.8 miles! I sure felt it when we got in bed that night. 

 

September 20

Monday was our final day in NYC. The main item on our agenda was visiting the Top of the Rock at Rockefeller Plaza. Back in 2008 we went to the top of the Empire State Building, so we decided to pay a different skyscraper for the pleasure of ascending to the top on this trip. The view was magnificent and I was struck by all we could see. Afterwards we walked to Central Park and picked up a pretzel and knish on the way (thumbs down for both). Of all the many movies and events that have taken place in Central Park, I was most excited to see the sites of Home Alone 2. After we walked through Columbus Circle, across the Gapstow Bridge and took a picture with the Plaza Hotel ("New York's most exciting hotel experience!") we stopped for lunch. We took the metro to the Upper East Side and walked along 5th Avenue and through the center of the park. At this point we were feeling pretty tired, collected our bags and headed to the airport. Our flight home was uneventful and we were happy to see all of our kids--ready for bed, but not asleep--when we arrived at home.

September 21

Happy Fall! We were greeted with beautiful weather when we returned home. Apparently it rained for about 20 minutes in the evening before we arrived home and the storm left cooler temperatures in its wake. At the park after school Miles and Gabriel were hanging out next to the monkey bars, watching the older kids swing. Miles likes to put his shoes on by himself, more often than not on the wrong foot.

September 22

I made tomato basil soup and grilled cheese for dinner Wednesday night. My dad shared tomatoes with us and combined with our harvest I was able to make a decent batch of soup. I roasted the tomatoes, then added some basil (also grown in our garden), onion, garlic, salt, pepper, chicken broth and cream. A few of the kids tried to tell me that tomato soup and grilled cheese was a weird combination, but they just don't know what they don't know. 

September 23

A breakfast scene. Some mornings go more smoothly than others, but a month into the school year and we are doing pretty well. Thursday Anthony left for a conference in Nashville. 

September 24

Will and Curran decided to harvest some of their pumpkins Friday. Will put his on the porch with our other pumpkins. I put cayenne pepper around them because the squirrels have been eating the pumpkin Lauren got at the Cider Mill. 

September 25

I finally got to see one of Will's baseball games! Will and Elliott's games and practices this year have had a lot of overlap. Usually we divide and conquer and I take Elliott to his baseball stuff and Tony takes Will since he helps coach the team. With Anthony being out of town I got to take him and I had a lot of fun watching him play. I know I am biased, but I thought he did a really good job. His team was playing with only eight players, but they held their own. It was their best offensive showing of the season. After walking in the first inning, Will roped a line drive into right field and stole a base in the second. He struck out in the third, but the final pitch looked like a ball to me. It is rewarding to see your kids stick with something, work hard and excel. 

2021 :: week 38

September 12

Sunday evening we had a group of people from the ward over for dessert. The kids had so much fun last time we had people over we decided to do it again. We have had a lot of young couples move into our ward this summer, so we invited some of them too. I am getting so excited by the glimpses of fall we have had this past week. 

September 13

We trekked out to the sunflower farm with the Allreds Monday night to get a few "sunflower pictures," and were pleasantly surprised by the lack of crowds. I felt quite stressed for about 90 seconds when we couldn't locate him Elliott, though he was totally unconcerned. I guess when you can hear people calling your name you don't feel "lost," though for the people that can't see you it's a different story. I really enjoyed our drive home, listening to songs that are family favorites and enjoying the beautiful scenery at sunset.

September 14

Miles and Dad relaxed on the beanbag Tuesday. All the John boys rest with their arms behind their heads. It makes me smile when I see them do it. Miles has taken a liking to Super Why! and requests episodes daily. His ability to recognize letters and numbers has really taken off since watching. We have foam letters for the kids to play with in the bathtub, and he has started calling them his "superletters" as he scatters them around the house. I found a few letters stashed under my pillow this week.

September 15

Elliott has a wonderful kindergarten teacher this year, Mrs. Phipps. On Wednesday she came to his baseball game. Here she is with her students on the team--Elliott, McKenna and Meadow. Elliott decided he needed to start wearing eye black to his games, and he did get some great hits this night, so...it must bring good luck.

September 16

Lauren and Daphne are gearing up for a fall craft sale. Lauren has been working on ghosts, pumpkins and bats in her downtime. It is an enterprising lady and it is fun too see her creative juices flow and entrepreneurial spirit come out. She is very organized and cleans up shop every night before she gets in bed. No needles, buttons or thread are ever left out.

September 17

Friday morning Anthony and I flew to New York City! My parents said they would watch our kids for a long weekend so we could take a trip together to mark our 15th anniversary. We had such a fun time! We have both been to New York before but it had been years. The first item on our itinerary--after buying metro passes and storing our luggage--was the 9/11 Museum. Tony lived in Finland when the attacks happened, so he doesn't feel connected to it the way people who were living in the US do. I was a brand new freshman at BYU when it happened, so it is truly the first major event of my "adulthood.: The museum was very well done and helped me to put together the sequence of events and their aftermath around the country that day. We stopped at the memorials too, which are beautiful and very large. On the birthday of a victim they put a rose on their name. It was humbling to see a few roses and remember that for each person lost there is a community of people who feel their loss every day.

September 18

Saturday morning we headed to Battery Park to catch a ferry to visit the Statue of Liberty. I have wanted to visit the Statue of Liberty since I read about it in our blue Golden Book Encyclopedias as an elementary schooler in College Station, Texas. We made a quick visit to Liberty Island, then took the next ferry to Ellis Island where we spent a few hours. Neither one of us have family members that were processed through Ellis Island, but it was a fascinating tour nonetheless. We then took the ferry back to Manhattan and walked to the subway which we took to the Bronx for a Yankees game. This was our longest ride on the subway. Tony was pleased that he brought bad luck to the Yankees, they lost 11-3. That evening we got Greek food, then walked around Times Square and down Fifth Avenue via Bryant Park. The New York Public Library looked beautiful--it was set up for a wedding. I looked it up and weddings there start at $60K. Broadway reopened earlier that week and they had Broadway performers  singing at various spots along 7th Avenue and Broadway in an event called Curtains Up! We walked a lot that day, but it was nothing compared to Sunday. Meanwhile at home my parents took the kids to the Louisburg Cider Mill and they had a great time.

2021 :: week 37

September 5

Due to Stake Conference and a 5th Sunday it had been a month since I last taught Sunday School. I am enjoying teaching gospel doctrine much more than I anticipated I would. I've always been interested in church history and am really enjoying the deeper dives I do in preparation for each lesson. No matter how early I start preparing I always start to feel very stressed Friday night and most of Saturday. 

September 6

We made our annual Labor Day visit to the pool. Several good friends from school and church were there as well and Tony made a big pizza run to feed everyone dinner. At least six of Lauren's good friends were at the pool. Knox came and played with Will, (and Elliott too). An hour before the pool closed they turned the water fixtures on full blast. The kids had fun running through the sprinklers. It was pretty disappointing that Bluejacket was closed this year, but after a summer with no pools, each visit to the public pools felt like a gift. 

September 7

Miles looks forward to meeting the big kids after school. At the beginning of the year he wanted to stay and play at the park, but this past week he has wanted to walk with Will when he leaves. Will is a very patient and gentle older brother. I often stay at the park for a bit so Elliott can play. I trust Lauren to play at the park without an adult, but Elliott still needs adult supervision. This means that Will spends the first half hour of his post-school time looking after his 2 year old brother. Miles loves going up to Will's room with him to check on George or heading to the kitchen and getting a snack mom probably wouldn't have given him.

September 8

Guess who's back? Back again? Pokemon's back, tell a friend. Blaise and Luke got some new Pokemon cards and the boys have dusted off the binders and started trading again this week. Elliott and Blaise made a few trades this week that then had to involve parents and trade-backs so now all trades are off limits. Miles has been the excited recipient of all the "trash" cards the older boys no longer want that were cluttering up space in their binders. Never before have such useless cards brought so much joy to a little boy.

September 9

The OPC Huskies played two games this week and Elliott did great in both of them! On Tuesday night the entire family was able to go, as well and Memaw and Pepaw and the Allreds. He is a lucky boy to have so many people to support him. Thursday night just Lauren, Miles and I were in attendance, but Elliott still had fun. Thursday he got to play catcher, which is the position that his Papa played so he was very pleased with himself. At this point he might have the best throwing arm on the team. Elliott continues to keep us entertained while he plays with his MLB-highlight-reel style of celebration when anything positive happens to his team.

September 10

Friday morning Miles and I went with Emily to walk around the World War I Museum. Emily is going to take our family pictures at the end of the month and we were scoping out venues that might work. Miles enjoyed walking around and "jumping" on the many steps. We saw a few firefighters climbing the many steps around the memorial in remembrance of the 110 flights of stairs in the World Trade Center. It was so humbling when we realized what they were doing and why they were doing it. Friday was an exciting day for Anthony because BYU officially became part of the Big 12. 

September 11

Saturday afternoon I took Elliott to a birthday party for his new friend, Camille, at Meadowbrook Park. Elliott has made a lot of new friends since school started and it is getting harder for me to keep track of all of our kids, their friends and their desired social engagements. We are trying to savor all the outdoor social time we can while we can before it gets cold. Who knows what the upcoming winter has in store? I have everyone but Tony scheduled for a flu shot within the next month. 

2021 :: week 36

August 29

Everyone was understandably obsessed with George on Sunday. It was his first full day as member of our family and the kids--especially Will and Lauren--were anxious to interact with him. The pet store clerks advised us to avoid picking him up for at least a week so he can adjust to his new home. Will and Lauren took turns feeding him sunflower seeds. It was surprisingly cute watching him grab the seeds, then crack it open and eat the meat. Usually Will and I read together downstairs, but on Sunday we read up in his room to be close to George. Will is a doting and proud hamster dad.

August 30

My extroverted children have been loving all the social time they get during the school day and at the park afterwards. I find myself spending Miles' nap time prepping for or preparing dinner so I am able to better accommodate their social needs. After dinner the kids cuddled together and watched a little TV. Lately they have been into watching the Super Why! (Miles), msmojo's Disney Top Ten lists (Elliott) and Family Reunion (Lauren).

August 31

We met up with the Wilsons at Matt Ross and went for a quick swim after school Tuesday afternoon. This is the last week our summer pool pass is valid and the kids wanted to go one last time. I took this picture as we were riding the elevator upstairs post-swim.

September 1

Elliott made his youth recreation league debut Wednesday evening! He played "pitcher," short stop, first base and left outfield, got hits 3 of the 4 times he was up to bat and crossed himself, then pointed to the sky when he crossed home plate. If this is what watching Elliott play baseball is going to be like I am here for it.

September 2

Miles and I are enjoying getting out together in the morning before it gets too hot. We met up with Em and Mikey and played a the park for awhile Thursday morning. I helped Miles troubleshoot where to place his feet and he climbed up this tower over and over. He would walk down the steps, the run around and climb back up over and over again. 

September 3

I spent a few hours on Friday cleaning out my gmail account. After ignoring several "your gmail storage is an insane% full" emails for weeks, on Thursday I was no longer able to send emails or use my google documents. Miles copied me and got out his computer and punched buttons for a bit. He has been very particular about his clothing and accessories lately. He added the winter hat himself, and chose the croc/sock combo himself. 

September 4

Tony took the kids up to the park to practice hitting and catching, but the field was muddy from rain. They went to the field and had batting practice for close to two hours. Curran and Bennett joined in on the fun too. 

2021 :: week 35

August 22

Memaw had desserts for the August birthdays at dinner Sunday night. Elliott was willing to spread out the birthday festivities as long as possible. He has an infectious enjoyment of life. 

August 23

Will and I finished reading the New Testament together on Monday night! After we finished reading the Book of Mormon together last fall we decided we'd tackle the New Testament next. Now we are on to the Doctrine and Covenants. I have really loved reading the scriptures with Will and hope I am able to read with my other kids too.

 

August 24

Miles is so happy to greet the big kids after school. Thankfully he has stopped asking to go get the big kids all morning. He will look at me with his big eyes, tilt his head and say, "Miles go park. Get big kids!" And then he jumps and attempts to put his shoes on, usually on the wrong feet, and will stand at the door and beg. Seven hours is a long time when you're two.

August 25

I cut Miles' and Elliott's hair after dinner and wanted to get a picture of my handsome boys. If Miles isn't looking at the camera when I request a photo and Elliott is in the picture too he grabs Miles' face and tilts his chin towards the camera. It makes me laugh, but I know it confuses Miles. Elliott is Miles' hero and best friend.

August 26

Anthony and I celebrated 15(!?)  years of marriage with a lunch date at Louie's Wine Dive and Kitchen. Anthony's foodie co-workers recommended it and it did not disappoint. They have this really yummy "SCB Burger" that has serrano cream and bacon jam on it. Super good! Miles came along for the occasion and did not understand why I would try to take a picture without him in it. Every time I got my phone out to take a pic he leaned in. Anthony got there a few minutes before Miles and I did and mentioned he was meeting his wife to celebrate our anniversary. Another couple decided to pay for our meal and insisted we order dessert when they saw we didn't order wine. 

August 27

The weather this week has been so hot and humid and I have had trouble sleeping. I wasn't feeling well Friday evening, so Tony took the kids to meet up with some ward friends at Shawnee Mission Park. They roasted smore's and took turns taking the McCall's kayak on the lake. The kids came home filthy and happy, a sure sign of a good time. 

August 28

Will has wanted to get a pet for years. About a month ago his friend Holden got a hamster. Ever since then Will has been lobbying to get one too. He researched what it was like to have a hamster, the best breeds, cages, food, etc. Because he is so responsible we decided to let him get one. He paid for the cage, hamster, food and care supplies himself with money he earned doing odd jobs over the summer. He ordered the cage and it said it would take 7-10 days to arrive. I told Will I would take him to the pet store to buy the hamster as soon as it came. We estimated it would come by Labor Day. Will was ecstatic when it arrived three days after he ordered it! We were all feeling tired as we arrived home from an afternoon of baseball and soccer games. The kids spotted the box on the front porch and suddenly the kids were full of energy and excitement! Lauren and Elliott loved to be a part of the acquisition process.  

2021 :: week 34

 

August 15

We decided to take advantage of the nice weather and invite some new church friends over for dessert. It has been 18 months since we had anyone besides family over socially, and with fall/winter on the horizon and Delta going crazy we decided we want to take advantage of being able to socialize outside while we can. I made a blueberry pie, and Will and Lauren made a batch of cookies. They made a video tutorial of their cookie baking for their youtube channel too.

August 16

Monday was Elliott's first day of school. This is our one and only year with all the kids going to school in the same building. Next year Will starts middle school and Miles will probably do preschool, so I am going to cherish this relatively "simpler" time while I can. I was a little sad when I waved goodbye to the three big kids, but also excited for them and their adventures. We decided to have Elliott wait until this year to start kindergarten, so Miles and I got a bonus year to spend with him, and he is more than ready to start this year. After school I asked him if he learned anything new and he told me all they did was talk about schedules and rules. When told him that understanding how  things work in his classroom and at the school was important he responded incredulously, "more important than math?!" Touché, Elliott. 

August 17

Anthony went on his first work trip in...quite a while to Chicago this week. I am out of practice for this! I am used to him being busy, but not totally unavailable to help for three days! We talked to him over the computer before bed Tuesday night. We had planned on going to Tomahawk pool with the Hagmans and Ules that afternoon, but right as we got in the pool lightening was spotted on the radar and they closed the pool. The moms decided to salvage the situation by going to the indoor pool instead. The kids had a lot of fun! The storm was small and passed rather quickly. Will was able to go to the youth pool party that evening as planned. 

August 18

I'm really hoping to avoid putting child locks on our new cabinetry. Miles is really enjoying the easy access to our food. Most of the "good stuff" aka snacks, are up too high for him to reach. "Not today," is a phrase Miles says a lot lately, especially when he means no. For example, I will tell Miles it is time to brush his teeth and he will reply, "not today." Or when I tell him it is time to take a nap he will say, "not today" and run away from me.

August 19

Thursday nights are baseball nights because both Elliott and Will have 90 minute practices that overlap for 30 minutes. From 5-7:30 someone is at practice, not including driving time. Elliott loves being part of a team and practice is a highlight of his week. I have had to make a pared down dinner meus and "Aldi pizza and salad" is becoming a Thursday night staple. I bake a cheese pizza from Aldi and then prep a bunch of salad fixings--lettuce, tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, bacon bits, carrots, ham, etc. It works well because people can eat what they want when they are able. 

August 20

The Pink Thunder kicked off their season with a Friday night game at the Garmin Fields in Olathe. Lauren's team joined the Sporting Blue Valley League this fall, which is bit more competitive than the rec league she has been in since kindergarten. It was a hot and humid night and the girls held their own, though they ended up losing. The field is larger and they are playing 9v9 instead of 7v7. Lauren is turning into a pretty good forward. 

August 21

Lauren and Daphne decided months ago that they wanted to have a craft sale. The two girls have been busy crafting their hearts out over this past year, but especially this summer. Their inventory included  pillows of various shapes, bracelets, bookmarks and felt flowers. The girls hawked their wares in front of Daphne's house for 3 hours midday Saturday and made $13 each! I was proud of them for working hard and putting themselves out there. They made signs advertising their booth they hung around the neighborhood as well. Lauren has a strong entrepreneurial spirit. 

2021 :: week 33

August 8

Sunday evening we went to the Allred's house for dinner to celebrate Arthur's birthday. Emily's birthday was last week and Lauren stitched her a sampler that said, "I'd rather be watching K-Dramas," because we don't know anyone who loves K-Dramas as much as she does. 

August 9

I decided to be a fun mom and buy the kids Chick-fil-A for breakfast to celebrate the last week of summer. Miles' SLP came for a visit mid-morning and told us that Miles has made so much progress over the past six months that he will probably not qualify for services by the end of the year. Yay, Miles! Miles has started repeating most everything we say and often gives two word answers to questions. He is counting a bit and saying my favorite little kid phrase, "hold you" when he wants to be held. 

August 10

On Tuesday evening we got to go up the school for "Meet the Teacher" night. Originally the event was going to be held indoors, but when the district updated the masking rules for the upcoming school year (all students and staff must wear masks regardless of vaccination status) our principal decided to move the event outside. It was a good idea in theory, unfortunately it was 97 degrees and humid. We waited in line to meet each of the teachers, then left early and went to the pool. This year Will has Mrs. Rockey Lauren has Ms. Boresow and Elliott has Mrs. Phipps. Fun facts: Will's teacher taught my sister Melanie when she was in 6th grade and Lauren's teacher was born the year Anthony graduated from high school. 

August 11

Wednesday was Elliott's 6th birthday and the last day of summer vacation. This picture makes me smile, because when I asked him to hold up six fingers because he turned six he held up four and two "because a thumb is not a finger." It is hard to describe Elliott because he is such a character. Elliott is smart and loves to surprise people with the things he knows. A few weeks ago a young couple from our church was impressed by his up-to-the-minute knowledge of everything that was going on at the MLB trade deadline (we have Will to thank for that). Speaking of baseball, at any given moment he is in the middle of an imaginary game. We often catch him swinging for the fences and then "watching" his hit sail away. We have literally had to hold his arms down to keep him from "hitting" while we are saying family prayers. He lives in the moment, and is willing to share his bag of Reece's peanut butter cups with any and everyone, while eating several himself. He decided he was okay with water this year, which I am still processing. In April he was crying about getting water in his ears when he washed his hair, and now he regularly jumps off the high dive and challenges himself to "treadmill" in the water for as long as he can. He has an eclectic taste in music--requesting everything from Hall & Oats to Post Malone to Jason Derulo. Most of all Elliott brings light and energy into our home. He is a man of passion and wears his heart on his sleeve and we couldn't love him any more.

August 12

Thursday was the first (half) day of school! The kids got up without any problems and I was up at 5am because I've been having trouble sleeping through the night this week. Since I was up I was easily able to make the kids scrambled eggs for Breakfast, take a few first day photos and leisurely walk the kids up to school. The morning went by fast because Elliott and I got to go up to the school and visit his classroom together and drop off his supplies. In the afternoon each of the kids was able to have a play with a friend while Miles napped. It was a great first day and made starting school so early feel less abrupt. That evening the boys were supposed to have baseball practice, but while Elliott and I were driving it started to downpour. We got hailed on and saw over a dozen flashes of lightening. I read that we got about 5 inches of rain overnight.

August 13

Friday evening the Olsen's invited us over for ice cream sundaes. The timing was great because after the big rainstorm the temperature dropped about 15 degrees. It was a very pleasant evening eating ice cream, visiting and watching the kids play outside. 

August 14

The random pumpkin plant Will and Curran planted as an afterthought and has already been thriving, seemed to respond really well to the rainstorm. I think it has grown half a foot wider since the start of the week! They have two pumpkins on the vines, and a few other blossoms that will hopefully be pollinated by the bees. I have seen several bees on the pumpkin plant this summer, so we will keep our fingers crossed. I hired the boys to do some weeding for me and they did such a great job. It is nice having a kid that is old enough to do a task well. 

2021 :: week 32

August 1

Laura and Trevor are in town! They taught the kids how to play "Bang!"(a shooting game similar to Rock, Paper, Scissors). It is mainly to played while trying to pass time, like when you are in line at an amusement park or driving in the car. Laura and Trevor are young at heart and do a great job of connecting with their nieces and nephews. 

August 2

We had dessert at my parents' house and said spent some Toms for the last time Monday evening. It was fun to get to see them in person, especially sweet Hannah. Girl cousins are few and far between on the Crane side so Lauren was especially grateful to spend some time with her.

August 3

The end of summer has me feeling all maudlin about how fast the kids are growing up. I snapped this picture of the four of them brushing teeth together. Bedtime is frequently a time when my patience is frayed and more often than not the kids try to push their luck with staying up late. But my heart felt full seeing them all together, compliant but goofy.

August 4

Blueberry picking is something I look forward to each year. This summer has been a different kind of busy for us. In the past we were all on the same schedule, the kids were in the same activities or at least overlapped. This year most weeks just one of the three older kids has something going on, while the others did not. I haven't wanted to go blueberry picking and not take all the kids because I like us all going together. I'm going to have to get used to doing things without everyone in the coming years, but I am very glad we got to go together again this year. We got lucky that the weather was gorgeous AND we had week free of daytime camps or lessons. We had a great time picking berries then snacking on the yummy blueberry muffins sold in the bakery. Emily, Tyler and Mikey joined us as well.

August 5

Elliott made his baseball "debut" Thursday evening, attending his first "official" practice. He had to wait an extra week because last Thursday we were under a heat advisory. He is on a co-ed team that is made up of ten kids in his grade from OPC. If you have spent more than five minutes with Elliott this summer you know just how obsessed with baseball he is right now. This is hands down the most exciting thing to happen to him all year.

August 6

Lauren wrote and original novel and she read it to me before bed Friday evening. I love most everything about Lauren at this age (9.5). She has so many ideas and is always creating something. This past week she wrote a graphic novel, wrote letters to a few cousins, made several original designs with her perler beads--including a monster truck for Arthur's birthday, and a felt baseball for Elliott's birthday.

August 7

Jill organized a tour at the Lenexa Fire Station for Arthur's 3rd birthday. It was interesting learning about the different trucks and all the useful tools the firemen use. In our area the firemen spend much more time backing up medical assist calls or helping with car crashes than putting out fires. The fireman pictured showed us all of his equipment and how each item would protect him if he was responding to a fire. It turns out that he was fresh out of the academy and we were his first tour. Miles wasn't sure what to think of his Darth-Vader-sounding oxygen mask. Anthony had to work from 9-1pm and then 5-8pm facilitating item refining, so he wasn't able to join us.