A Little of This and That in February

February went by in a quick blink. That's always the hope with this month, right? The boys were busy with school, Mike and I went on a quick little trip, and there was lots more snow. That's February in a nutshell, but some of the other happenings included . . . 

Moving . . . Silas to Bradley's room. After more than a year of having a baby in our room, he finally got the boot. It's not that we couldn't have moved him months ago; we just couldn't figure out room arrangements. I really wanted to move Bradley to a different bedroom (he currently occupies the smallest room in the house), but he said he'd rather stay where he was and just have Silas with him. So that's what we did. So far, it's working surprisingly well. 

Going . . . to a Disney-themed birthday party. Our good friend, James, turned forty and celebrated in style with a Disney-themed party. Costumes were encouraged, so Mike and I pulled out our Emperor's New Groove costumes from a couple of years ago and went as the llama and Kronk. (Mike took his character up to the next level by bringing homemade spinach puffs.) It was a fun evening with Disney food, a trivia game, drawing activity, and virtual firework show. 

Participating . . . in the chapter Mathcounts competition. Max has been participating in Mathcounts every week at school. He and a couple of his friends qualified for the chapter competition and spent most of a Saturday working out various math problems and puzzles. It didn't sound like a whole lot of fun to me, but he had a blast and did very well. 

Preferring . . . Mike. Following in his brothers' footsteps, as soon as Silas turned one, he started to prefer Mike over me. Before then, he liked Mike a lot, but if I reached out my arms, he would still come to me. Now if I do the same, he just shakes his head and bats my hands away. However, the other night, he rejected both of us in favor of Aaron who was playing music and dancing around in the kitchen. He knows what he wants, which is both good and bad. 

Advancing . . .  to the district level of the stem fair. Remember the project from last month that Bradley completed in the dark because of procrastination? It did well enough to move on from the school level to the district. He got to go on a Friday morning with several of his classmates who also advanced and present his project to a new set of judges. Sadly, it didn't advance any further (last-minute experiments can only take you so far), but it was still a good experience. 

Beginning . . . guitar lessons. I forgot to mention this in January, but Aaron started taking guitar lessons. We gave him a guitar for his birthday last summer; he had been wanting one, and I thought he would just teach himself with YouTube videos. But after several months of only minimal tinkering around, we decided he would benefit from actual lessons. It has been great so far. From the very first lesson, his teacher had him working on real songs that Aaron loves. It's so fun to walk past him room and hear him playing along to Don't Panic by Coldplay or Island in the Sun by Weezer. (The only problem with these lessons is now Aaron is convinced he also needs an electric guitar.) 

Making . . . Valentine boxes. Valentine boxes are one of those things I feel completely fine giving my kids full ownership over. I don't have any temptation to micromanage or take over, and they always do an awesome job with their own skills and creativity. Bradley made a castle, Clark made a boat on an ocean, and Ian made a truck (although he ended up not using his because they made Valentine bags in his class). 

Celebrating . . . Valentine's Day with books and breakfast (for dinner). As is tradition, everyone received a new book (actually, two because I got carried away). We had waffles and berries for dinner. Mike didn't get the book memo and instead gave me a tray of vegetables (to help me with my 1000 vegetables goal) and a poem. 

Relaxing . . . with the bunnies. Anytime we are watching a movie or reading, the kids like to bring the bunnies inside and hold them on their laps. It is so relaxing for them to have a snuggly bunny to pet and hold. It makes me happy because this is exactly what I hoped would happen when we decided to get bunnies. 

Savoring . . . medicine. Poor Silas had an ingrown toenail that led to an infection, so he was on an antibiotic for a week to help clear it up. I have never seen a kid love medicine so much. He always got so excited when we pulled it out in the morning and evening, and he was upset every time the dose was gone. Having had to beg and plead with some kids to take medicine before, this was such a piece of cake. 

Earning . . . a new nickname. We call him: Silas the helpful destroyer. Every day, he does his "jobs": pulling things out of cupboards, transferring items to random places, mixing up card games and puzzle pieces. In the process of all this helpfulness, things often get broken. For example, he pulled a jar of salsa off the table, knocked down a vase, and stretched out one of my tape measures so that it would no longer retract. It is a very busy stage. 

Aging . . . through the first 100 days of school. Ian became an old man, seemingly overnight. So did the rest of his class. School must really be working him hard. 

Making . . . an epic trip to Costco. It is not a good thing when we let too much time elapse between Costco trips. Usually Mike does the shopping alone, but I went with him this time, and we completely filled up two carts. There was much rejoicing when we got home because we have adolescent boys, and a fully stocked pantry makes them happy. 

Traveling . . . to Austin, Texas. Mike and I (and tagalong, Silas) traded in the Utah cold for the Texas cold for a few days. We were hoping for warm weather, but it didn't work out that way. Still, it was warmer than Utah, and the food made up for anything the weather lacked. I'll share more details in another post soon.

Staying . . . home from school due to a giant snowstorm. We got hammered by snow at the end of the month. Most of it arrived in the middle of the night, so we awoke to a foot of snow and notifications that school was moved to distance learning for the day. The boys were thrilled. However, I can tell that the excitement of snow has worn off because none of them had any desire to go out in it. To be honest, I found the snow a bit discouraging; all of the old snow had finally melted enough that we could see grass, and now it feels like we've started over and somehow have to melt all of this new stuff. By the next morning, the roads were clear, and we assumed everyone would go back to school. But the district called a second snow day. I guess the cities in the west part of the district got even more snow than we did, and the snowplows hadn't been able to keep up, so many roads were still unplowed and the school busses were trapped by snow. Our second snow day was much less magical than the first. Clark, especially, had so much virtual school work that by the end of the second day, he said, "If school is cancelled tomorrow, I'm going to be so annoyed." Thankfully, it wasn't. 

Continuing . . . my reading streak. My reading has not slowed down this month. I am so happy that I finally seem to have found a system that works for me right now. Here are the books I read this month: 

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J.K. Rowling (finally finished reading this one to Clark and Ian)

The Dead Romantics by Ashley Poston (book club choice for February; fun idea, but not my favorite)

Kid Gloves: Nine Months of Careful Chaos by Lucy Knisley (loved this graphic novel memoir about pregnancy and birth)

The Day the World Came to Town: 9/11 in Gander, Newfoundland by Jim DeFede (so inspiring; now I want to go to NYC and see the musical that is based on this same story)

Goldenrod by Maggie Smith (poetry collection; more cynical than I was expecting; still found some favorites)

Textbook Amy Krouse Rosenthal by Amy Krouse Rosenthal (a reread; loved every word)

Sideways Stories from Wayside School by Louis Sachar (a readaloud to Ian and Clark that all of the big kids joined in on, too)

Finishing . . . a cardigan and a pair of socks. I started the cardigan back in the fall, but I always seem to stall out on sweaters that are knit from the bottom up because I get stressed that they're not going to end up fitting. However, I finally ran out of other projects to distract myself with and buckled down and finished it. And I loooooove it. 

Attending . . . a marriage date night. Mike's cousin's wife teaches marriage and family classes at BYU, and she put together a fun evening focused on strengthening marriage. We attended with some friends in our neighborhood and were so happy to see a couple of Mike's other cousins there as well. We ate dinner first, and then Jen spent the rest of the evening sharing so much good information. We were completely filled up with new ideas and motivated to improve things in our own marriage. It was such a good night. 

Hanging . . . out with a little cousin. My brother and his wife recently moved about fifteen minutes away from us. We are hoping this means we'll get to see more of Calvin who is just a month younger than Silas (and more of my brother and sister-in-law, too, of course). 

That's it for February. Hoping for sunny skies and warmer temps in the weeks ahead!

A Little of This and That in January

Is it bad that I often end the month of January by thinking, "Whew, we made it"? This January honestly wasn't too terrible, but it still felt suuuuuuper long. We got a lot of snow, which actually helped it not feel as gloomy as it sometimes does. Anyway, this is what we were up to: 

Receiving . . . a huge dumping of snow on New Year's Day. It snowed and snowed and snowed, and by afternoon, Aaron and Clark decided to bundle up and go out in it. They started to build an igloo, and after awhile, Bradley and Maxwell joined them, too. Their dedication to the project waxed and waned, except for Aaron, who stayed outside the entire time. The sun set, and they kept on working, all four of them putting on the final touches in the dark. 

Working . . . on stem fair projects in the dark. This is what happens when you leave the experiment to the last minute. (In spite of this procrastination, Bradley's project still moved onto district, which maybe didn't teach him the best lesson...)

Enjoying . . . vegetable soup. Knowing about my goal to eat 1000 vegetables this year (that's 1000 servings, not 1000 different varieties), Mike decided to give me a little boost by making a big pot of vegetable soup on my birthday. He divided it into portions of two servings each, and it has been the perfect thing to eat on these cold January days. It's the birthday gift that keeps on giving.

Observing . . . my birthday by going out for brunch with another couple. We tried a new-to-us place, Sunday's Best, and the atmosphere felt a little too hip for our middle-aged selves, but the food was top notch. I actually had thrown out my back a couple of days before, so I spent quite a bit of my birthday flat  on the couch (woohoo, looks like 38 is going to be a party), but I did manage to soak up the rare sunshine on a walk.  Mike spoiled me with breakfast in bed, the aforementioned vegetable soup, pork loin for dinner, and a delectable pumpkin cake for dessert. Birthdays tend to depress me a bit, but I made it through this one mostly unscathed thanks to my nice boys. 

Compiling . . . a winter playlist. It's one of my favorite things to do as the seasons change. I don't always remember to share the playlists, but here is the one for this winter. My kids are also very aware of my love of these seasonal playlists and are always telling me about songs that would be particularly good for a certain season. I'm always keeping a running list of potential songs, so I'm grateful for their suggestions.

Sledding . . . in Neff's Canyon. This is a must every winter. Mike took most of our boys (not Ian or Silas) and met up with Sonja and her kids. The hike up the mountain makes the ride down all the sweeter.

Recognizing . . . the symptoms of strep. It has been like a constantly revolving door of illness at our house this month. I lost track of who had what and when. Every couple of days, it seemed like another person went down with . . . something . . . not sure if it was the same three symptoms as another person had a few days before or if a new symptom was added this time making it an entirely new illness that everyone would now get. Anyway, for the most part I just let this plethora of malaises run their course. However, at one point in this cycle, Mike and I were having dinner with our friends, and they mentioned that a couple of their kids had had strep. Kathy said something like, "I recognized the telltale signs of it: sore throat, headache, nausea." I perked up because at that very moment, Max was in bed with those exact symptoms. I probably should have recognized it myself except that I don't think I've ever had strep myself. When Bradley came down with the same symptoms the next day, Mike took them both to the instacare, and sure enough, that's what it was. So we were able to get them both on antibiotics, and it cleared up much more quickly than it would have on its own. Now can we be done with sickness for awhile?

Receiving . . . the Aaronic Priesthood, being ordained a deacon, and going to the temple for the first time. It was a big month for Bradley with several important milestones and new responsibilities. (Also of note: registering for junior high and touring the school during the open house.)

Playing . . . basketball. Clark had never really played basketball (aside from participating in a basketball clinic last fall, which he strongly disliked), but when the opportunity to play with a bunch of neighborhood and school friends presented itself, he couldn't pass it up. And he ended up loving it. His coaches were great, and he improved quite a bit throughout the season. (Also, they ended up winning the majority of their games, which always helps you like something more.)

Joining . . . choir. The first half of the school year wrapped up, so Aaron decided to add choir to his schedule. So far, he loves it. After the first day, he said, "Even though a lot of my friends are doing it, even if they weren't, I can tell I'd make friends easily with this group." He liked the choir vibe, and I know exactly what he's talking about because it's the reason why I liked choir so much, too. 

Learning . . . the art of climbing. Silas figured out how to climb up on the hearth and Clark's bed, and he was very proud of himself for both accomplishments. Other noteworthy items from the month: a call to poison control after he got into the dishwasher detergent; finally understanding how to go down the stairs (we all rejoiced); shaking his head when he doesn't want to do something.

Finishing . . .  a couple of knitting projects: a cardigan for me and a jacket for Silas. The cardigan was one of those things I longed for all the time before it was finished. Every time I was cold, I would think, "Man, it would be so nice to just be able to slip into that cardigan right now." So I was very happy when I finished sewing on the buttons on my birthday (a birthday gift to myself!). I had been wanting to make a jacket for Silas for a long time, and even though the zipper was a beast to put in, it has made this jacket so easy to put on Silas, which was the goal. 

Tracking . . . the daylight. I've mentioned before that the hardest thing about winter for me is not the cold, but the lack of light. I decided to start recording the sunrise and sunset once every week so that I could look back after a week's time and see how much daylight we gained. It has been oddly thrilling to notice that, for example, the sun set seven minutes later, or the sun rose three minutes earlier, this week than last! It has been an unexpected source for boosting my mood, and I just feel so grateful for every extra minute the sun is up. And I've started to actually notice it in real life too (not just what the weather app is telling me). For example, it used to be dark when I picked up Ian from his music class, and now it isn't!

Saying . . . goodbye to a favorite cousin. Andrew is headed to Côit d'Ivoire (Ivory Coast) on his mission. 

Feasting . . . on yummy Tex-Mex, courtesy of the boys who made dinner using the recipes from the cooking subscription box they got for Christmas. Mike was present to help as needed, but they were pretty much able to do everything on their own. 

Falling . . . back in love with reading. Not that I ever fell out of love with it, exactly. But I definitely wasn't choosing to read as often as I used to. I started doing a few things that really helped me rediscover the joy and fun of reading. First, I decided I always wanted to listen to a half hour of an audiobook before I watched any knitting videos. This was huge for me. Over the last couple of years, I've enjoyed watching knitting YouTube channels where people discuss their projects or teach new skills. I found myself choosing this more and more often because it didn't require my full attention in the same way as a book, but I wanted to change that. By listening to thirty minutes every day, I no longer had to reacquaint myself with the story every time I turned it on. Plus, since I listened at double speed, I actually was getting through an hour of my audiobook each day. (And also, as I knew would happen, once I was into a story, I tended to listen to more anyway just because I wanted to find out what happened.) Second, I charged my kindle back up. As much as I love reading physical books, it just wasn't working with my current life for a variety of reasons. I'm glad I have this as an option. Third, I started reading a few pages along with my daily scripture study in the mornings. This isn't always from a religious text, but I try to choose something that will at least be motivating, thought provoking, or inspiring. And finally, I let myself choose whatever book I wanted, not necessarily what I "should" be reading. This meant that I actually read quite a bit of fluff during the month of January, and it was so much fun, and I loved it so much. These are the books I finished: Faking Christmas by Cindy Steel, Happier Hour by Cassie Holmes, Things You Save in a Fire by Katherine Center, What You Wish For by Katherine Center, I'll Show Myself Out by Jessi Klein, and Talking as Fast as I Can by Lauren Graham. 

Attending . . . play rehearsals. Ian decided to be in the elementary school play, so he has been going to rehearsals before school once or twice a week. I'm excited to see the end result come April!

Celebrating . . . the first birthday of our sweet Silas. I'm in denial that he is actually one, and I have to admit I felt a bit melancholy on the evening of his birthday just because I was so sad with how quickly this year zipped by. However, his birthday truly felt like a celebration because we are all just so happy he is in our family. He makes everything better. We invited a few family members over for dinner and cake. The "cake" ended up being entirely sculpted from ice cream since ice cream was Silas' first favorite food (and has continued to be so). He wore his party hat around all day and loved ripping the wrapping paper off his presents. What a delight. 

Being . . . in the audience at the recent Face-to-Face. Our stake was invited to be at the recording of the youth devotional in the Conference Center with Elder Gong. Most of the youth in our neighborhood went, and it was an inspiring event to be a part of. 

There you go: January in a nutshell. Grateful to be moving onto February.

(*not our snowman)