A Winter Getaway to Florida

We tried something new this Christmas and gave Aaron, Maxwell, and Bradley a vacation as their main (and pretty much only) present. 

When Mike and I decided to gift them a vacation, we didn't have anywhere specific in mind. Ideally, it was going to be somewhere warm and sunny that we hadn't been to before. Mike watched for cheap flights, and when some came up for Orlando, we jumped on them. 

I'm very fortunate that Mike enjoys vacation-planning since I find it pretty stressful. I let him fully take the lead and just chimed in occasionally if he asked my opinion about something. 

By the time the boys opened up the clues on Christmas morning, Mike had all of the big parts of the trip scheduled but spent the next two weeks working out the remaining kinks and logistics. With the vacation on the horizon, we didn't even get the post-Christmas blues, even when the boys had to go back to school for a few days. 

Our itinerary was as follows:

Monday, January 8th: fly to Orlando, Florida

Tuesday, January 9th: Disney World

Wednesday, January 10th: Disney World

Thursday: Rest day and air boat tour

Friday: Harry Potter at Universal Studios

Saturday: Kennedy Space Center; fly home

I can't resist doing a vacation recap, so I'll break down the highlights from each day as well as the food we ate (of course) and share a few wrap up thoughts at the end. 

Disney World

I would not consider us big Disney people. We've only ever been to Disneyland once and never Disney World. We don't get matching T-shirts or wear Mickey Mouse ears or have any other Disney paraphernalia. In spite of having a truly amazing time at Disneyland five years ago and feeling the magic, I've always kind of thought of that as a once-in-a-million trip. Like, somehow all the stars aligned to create low crowds, a perfect ride schedule, good weather, the right age of kids, and blissful ignorance for the most perfect experience that would never ever be able to be recreated.

So my expectations were low, especially since we were only going to have two days to do four parks instead of the five days we had when we did Disneyland. Plus, it always seems like there's this secret Disney formula you have to follow that only the true Disney people know about in order to get to do all the things and not just get lost in the crowds. 

Can you tell I was a little cynical?

But somehow, just like last time, I only had to step foot onto the pavement before I was totally won over.

Our first stop was Epcot, and, after it was all said and done, it was my personal favorite. We stayed at the Caribbean Resort, so all we had to do was hop onto the Skyliner and we were at the back entrance in a matter of minutes. 

(Side note: this turned out to be quite the trip for modes of transportation: shuttle, jet, car, skyliner, river boat, monorail, train, air boat, jungle jeep, and bus.)

We tried to take full advantage of anything that would streamline our experience. Because we were staying at a Disney resort, we had early entrance to the parks. We also paid for some Lightning Lanes and used a Genie Pass on the second day. Disney has all the tools you need in order to have a relaxed, easy time . . . for a fee. 

I know everyone has different things they love at Disney World, but our main interests were rides and food. We started our time at Epcot with Test Track and Mars Mission (our minds were kind of blown with the G-forces; I had a hard time even lifting my hand to push a button). 

I don't have the time and space to give a play-by-play from each park, so I'll just share the highlights:

Our favorite Epcot rides were Gaurdians of the Galaxy (what I liked to call the "party roller coaster") and Remy's Ratatouille Adventure (one of the best 4-D rides, for sure). 

But what really made Epcot for me was the cultural experience. I loved wandering down the streets and watching the landscape and architecture change from Norway to Germany to France to China, etc. It was a feast for the eyes (and the stomach). 

After a half day at Epcot, we headed over to Magic Kingdom. There's just nothing like the feeling of walking onto Main Street. Highlights from this park included all the classic Disney rides, the Dapper Dans, Monster's Inc. Laugh Lab, and the fireworks. 

It ended up pouring rain for a couple of hours in the early evening. This was accompanied by thunder and lightning. We had a Lightning Lane reserved for the Seven Dwarfs Mine Train and had just scanned in when they shut down the ride. We waited for over an hour before they finally (finally!) put the pass back on our tickets so we could ride it later. Disney does many things well, but shutting down rides is not one of them. I don't mean that they should never have delays or stops, but when they do, it would be so nice if they would have employees explain to everyone what is going on, inform how long the expected wait time is, provide some entertainment (like showing a Disney movie), and provide a pass for later. 

Anyway, once we had our pass returned to us, we went to dinner. Mike had made reservations at the Jungle Skipper Canteen, and this was for sure a highlight of the day. We were all so hungry and it was still raining, and it was so nice to have a place that had our name on it where we could sit down and enjoy some yummy food.

Our favorite ride in Magic Kingdom was Tron, although I have to say that this ride also gave me the most anxiety. I didn't realize until we were nearly to the front of the line that this ride would involve straddling a motorcycle, facing forward, and being strapped in on my chest. It ended up being so fun, but I wish I'd had a bit more of a heads up that it was going to be a little different than a traditional roller coaster.

We started our second day at Hollywood Studios. We rode the Slinky Dog coaster first thing. The attention to detail in Toy Story Land was pretty amazing with all of the larger-than-life objects and toys.

But the real highlight of the day, and the thing the boys had been waiting for, was Star Wars. I wish I could say the same for myself. I definitely enjoyed watching them love it, but it's too bad I'm the one writing this little recap because I just can't gush about it the way they would want me to. 

We rode the Millennium Falcon first. Six people ride this at one time, and each person has a job: two pilots, two gunners, and two engineers. We should have asked someone which was the job with the least amount of pressure because that's the job I wanted. Instead, I was one of the pilots, which was not low-stress at all. We decided to wait in line and ride it again so that Aaron and Bradley could be pilots and I could happily push buttons as an engineer. (Although Lightning Lanes are nice, sometimes the line is half the fun because you get to wind your way through cool scenes and storytelling--this was one of those lines.) 

After our second time on the Millennium Falcon, we rode Rise of the Resistance. This was Aaron's favorite ride of the entire vacation. I can't think of another ride like it. It's completely original and unique. You feel like you're a part of the story as you get shuffled from room to orderly room in the Empire with employees who are cold and strict. It's actually a little frightening. Then suddenly, a door opens up and members of the Resistance hurry you into vehicles and you make your escape. Pretty thrilling even for a non-Star Wars fan. 

We saved Animal Kingdom for last, thinking that if we ran out of time, it would be the park we'd skip. But you can cover a lot of ground with three teenagers, and by mid-afternoon, we felt ready to leave Hollywood Studios. We knew we'd only have a few hours at Animal Kingdom, but that would still give us a good sense of the vibe and let us do a couple of attractions.

Unfortunately, poor Bradley came down with a cold and was really feeling it by this point in the day. He was such a trooper and kept going, but it was not as much fun for him. 

After we were in Animal Kingdom, I was so glad we hadn't skipped it. It felt more chill than the other parks, and it was so gorgeous with its big centerpiece Tree of Life and tons of foliage and greenery. We went on the safari (which felt way more real than I was expecting) and walked on the Gorilla Exploration Trail. Mike, Aaron, and Max rode Everest. Bradley decided to skip it since he wasn't feeling well, but when they came back, they all gushed about it so much that Bradley and I decided to ride it, too. It was actually just exactly what Bradley needed to give him a little boost of adrenaline for the rest of the evening. 

After Animal Kingdom, we all agreed we wanted to end our Disney experience with Epcot. We did a bunch of rides with no wait times (including the Earth one in the giant globe) but most of them were a bit lame (although I have to say I was absolutely fascinated by the Living With the Land ride). We really wished we had just waited in line to ride Guardians a second time. We had missed getting ice cream the day before, so we remedied that and ate it while listening to, of all things, a Canadian rock band. We found a place to watch the fireworks but dashed off during the final sequence so we could beat the rush to get back to the hotel. 

Disney World was a major win. I was amazed by all that we were able to pack in with only two days while still enjoying pretty much every minute of it. 

Airboat tour in Kissimmee, Florida

We knew we wanted a rest day in between theme parks. We also really wanted to see more of Florida itself. We didn't have time to travel all the way down to the Keys, so we did the next best thing and booked an airboat tour of some swamplands just south of Orlando.

I don't have anything else to compare this to, but I don't know how it could have been any better. None of us had ever been on an airboat before. Even if we hadn't seen a single interesting thing, just the thrill of skimming over the water and through grass and plants would have been enough. We all wore headsets so we could chat with each other even with the loud noise of the fan. Our guide's name was Shane, and he knew the waterways like the back of his hand. He had us practically flying one minute, only to make a sharp turn, cut the engine, and point out something interesting.

One of those interesting somethings? Alligators. Even though it was a chilly, overcast day, Shane knew where we would be most likely to see some. He slowed down the boat as we approached a shallow area, and there was the biggest alligator we've ever seen, mere feet away from the boat. Jimmy Buffett was his name, and he had to be at least thirteen feet long. We sat in almost reverent awe, hardly daring to breathe as we watched him turn around, his enormous tail swinging out behind him. 

Besides that legend, we also saw a mama alligator and several babies, a water snake, a raccoon, some cows, a bald eagle, another male alligator, and many other types of birds. 

We went over patches of lily pads, navigated through tall grass, and passed under giant cypress trees. At the end, we jetted down a canal back to the dock. 

Aaron was so quiet during the entire tour, giving a wide smile when we came upon Jimmy Buffett but not saying a word over the headsets. But as soon as we got off the boat and headed back to our car, he exploded with enthusiasm. It was one of my favorite moments of the trip. 

That night we lounged around our hotel room and watched Money Ball, and even though it wasn't as exciting as alligators or rollercoasters, it was quite a nice end to the day. 

The Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Studios

We started our day by immediately going to Hagrid's Motorbike ride. Because of some issues with the lockers, we still ended up waiting in line for quite a bit. It was well worth the wait though because this ended up being our favorite ride of the entire trip. It just had everything: a fun story, awesome acceleration, surprising twists and drops. In fact, at the end of the day, we decided we all were willing to stand in line just so we could ride it again (and then, as it turned out, the wait time ended up being half what it said it would be, so that made it even better). 

Harry Potter World was an immersive experience. The attention to detail was amazing. It felt like we were in Hogsmeade and Diagon Alley and King's Cross station. We could hear Moaning Myrtle in the bathrooms; we felt the heat of the Gringott's dragon breathing fire on the hour; we marveled when we saw ourselves disappear at Platform 9 3/4. 

Occasionally, like when we were on the bridge, we could catch a glimpse of the rest of Universal Studios, and it was a bit jarring. We were so completely invested in Hogwarts that anything else felt out of place.

We enjoyed the other rides (Hogwarts, Gringotts, and the Hippogriff). I thought it was so clever the way they melded virtual and realistic pieces in the Hogwarts ride, seamlessly taking you between one and another. We rode that ride twice as well.

One of the highlights for us was at Ollivander's. We were planning to purchase a wand no matter what, but imagine our delight when Bradley was chosen by Ollivander himself to have the wand experience. It made the wand feel that much more special, knowing that Ollivander had given such careful consideration to what would work best for Bradley (wink, wink). And, as crazy as it sounds, the wand truly did seem to work better for Bradley than any of the rest of us. We had great fun finding the different spell spots and making magical things happen. We even found a hidden one that was not on the map.

We also enjoyed several different forms of butterbeer, but I'll share more about the food a little later.

We ventured out of Hogsmeade to explore the rest of Universal for a short while. Bradley, Mike, and Aaron rode the Velocicoaster, but honestly, we all just wanted to get back to Harry Potter. Everything else felt kind of fake and overdone. All we wanted were the cobblestone streets and crooked buildings and the feeling of magic all around us.  

Kennedy Space Center

On our final day, we didn't have to be at the airport until late afternoon, so we had most of the day to do what we wanted. We had considered the Kennedy Space Center but didn't know if it would be worth the cost if we could only spend a few hours there. But in the end, we decided to just go for it, and I'm so glad we did. It's true that four hours wasn't long enough, but we prioritized the things that were important, and I think we were able to hit most of the big ones.

One of the things the Kennedy Space Center did really well was to guide you through the experience, teaching you along the way and building up to cool things. 

For example, we went on a bus tour to see the Vehicle Assembly Building and get close to the launch sites (and, as an added perk, we spotted alligators in the ditch as we drove along). Immediately upon returning, we went into a theater. It took us through a series of rooms, each one focused on the development of the Atlantis Space Shuttle. In the final room, a wall moved out of the way, and through a screen, we could see the actual Atlantis Space Shuttle. The screen lifted, and we walked out to look at the shuttle up close and personal. It was so much more impactful to experience it this way than to just walk in and find it there.

Same thing with the Saturn V Rocket. We went into a theater that looked like a control center and watched a short film about the moon landings. This was followed by walking under a full size Saturn V rocket (massive!). 

On our flight, we watched A Million Miles Away, and when we got home, we watched Apollo 13, and it was crazy how much the events in those movies meant to us once we had actually seen some of these objects and places in real life. 

The Food

One of the reasons we travel is for the food, and so this trip recap would not be complete without sharing all of the delicious things we ate. The boys were all adventurous, and it was so fun to try new things and savor the flavors that were a unique part of this trip. I originally wrote out an entire list of everything we ate, but it was a bit overkill (and boring), so instead I'll just share the top ten. (Also, I think it's kind of hilarious that I took photos of a lot of the food from our trip, but not most of the food that made it onto this top ten. I guess we were too busy enjoying it.) 

#1--Fish sandwiches from Fish on Fire. 

This was our first taste of Florida, and it was a good one. We tried the grouper, snapper, and mahi mahi, and all three were just what you want fish to be: Tender, melt-in-your-mouth, and a mild but distinct taste. I think the grouper might have been my favorite. (And, although not included on this list, Max would also want me to mention that he loved the fish and chips he had at The Leaky Cauldron in Diagon Alley.)

#2--Tropical Colada from the Centertown Market (at the Caribbean Resort at Disney World)

My family might not agree with me, but this was in my top ten for sure. On our first night, I wasn't super hungry and really just wanted something cold to drink. You know how sometimes something just hits the spot? That's what happened when I drank this. It was exactly right: cold and slushy and the perfect blend of mango, coconut, and pineapple.

#3--Caramel popcorn from Karamell-Küche (in Epcot)

It was the smell that got us. We walked past this little German caramel shop, caught a whiff of caramel, and stopped in our tracks. It tasted as good as it smelled, and we still dream about this one. 

#4--Baguette from Les Halles Boulangerie-Patisserie (in Epcot)

We tried many things from this little French bakery (all good!), but the plain and simple baguette was our favorite.

#5--Dr. Falls' Grilled Steak from Jungle Navigation Co. Skipper Canteen (in Magic Kingdom)

Maybe it was just because it was a cold, rainy night, and it just felt so good to sit down and eat warm food, but Aaron claims this was some of the best steak he'd ever had. I had the fried rice and the carrot ginger soup, and I'd have to say the same: quite memorable and tasty. 

#6--Honey Sesame Chicken and Rib Tips from Yak and Yeti (in Animal Kingdom)

Mike found a bunch of Disney World recommendations on a food blog, and this was one of them. We were only in Animal Kingdom for a couple of hours, and this meal was one of the highlights. We sat at an outdoor table overlooking the water and scarfed it down because it was so yummy.

#7 Caramelized pecan ice cream from L'Artisan des Glaces (in Epcot)

We each tried a different flavor of ice cream and they were all delicious, but caramelized pecan was the one I chose, and I didn't regret it.

#8--Cookes of Dublin (Disney Springs)

We got a quick, takeout order of the Dubliner Irish Cheese and Bacon Dip with french fries to serve as an appetizer before getting pizza at Pizza Ponte (also worth a mention). This dip was so rich and good. It's probably good we stopped at just one order because it might have turned into too much of a good thing, but what we had was perfect.

#9--Butterbeer at The Wizarding World of Harry Potter

We tried frozen butterbeer, cold butterbeer, and hot butterbeer. We loved all of them, but it was the hot butterbeer that surprised me. It probably helped that it was a cooler, rainy day, but it was perfectly warm and comforting and not too icky sweet. 

#10--Cuban sandwich from Cubans on Wheels

We desperately wanted to try some Cuban food before going home, so we stopped at a food truck on our way to the airport. The service was not fast, but the food was amazing. I got the brisket fries, which I liked, but the cuban sandwiches were the real winners. 

When you have six kids, it is a constant balancing act. There are a lot of needs but only so much time in the day and finite physical capacity from two parents. As they grow up, they become more independent and can take care of many of their needs on their own. They need less of us physically but maybe more of us emotionally. 

And that is why this vacation felt like an absolute dream. Not only could they all carry their own luggage, get in and out of vehicles by themselves, and be patient if food didn't miraculously appear right when they wanted it, but we could have meaningful conversations, enjoy all the sights with a certain level of maturity, and soak up every detail. Mike and I could be fully present with them in a way we don't often get to be with the many demands when we're at home. 

Of course we missed the three younger boys and were sad that there were things they didn't get to do that we know they would have loved, but it wouldn't have been the same trip if they'd been along for it. This felt like the right choice for this time of our lives and the stage of parenting we're in, and I'm so glad we will have these memories with our big boys forever. 

A Little of This and That in January

January zipped by in a blink. Wait, did I actually just say that?! Somehow I made it through January without even feeling like I was "making it through." I blame nice, clear air, the returning light, and a warm escape. Here's what the month looked like:

Celebrating . . . Christmas on New Year's Day. We had to postpone my family's piano Christmas party due to illness, so we didn't get together until New Year's Day. Most of us performed a Christmas song on the piano, and there were even a couple of numbers on the ukulele and trombone/baritone. The little grandkids played "pass the present." We had a soup bar and ate Christmas treats. And there were even a few presents exchanged. My sister-in-law, Meagan, gave me such a thoughtful gift: she knew that I'd read (and loved) Gretchen Rubin's Life in Five Senses, so she gave me a collection of small gifts based on the senses. It was really sweet. I gave my mom a pair of socks I'd knitted and also the little embroidered cardinal ornament (see last month). I gave my dad a box full of yarn that I'm going to turn into a cardigan for him. And Mike made my brother a beautiful frame from the wood he got from my grandpa. We were lucky to have all of my family at the party, and it was such a nice way to wrap up the holiday season.

Introducing . . . the children in our neighborhood to their new teachers at church. At the beginning of the year, all of the kids in our ward move up to the next class in primary. Teachers usually get shuffled around a bit as well. So we had a breakfast on the first Saturday of the new year, so that everyone could get to know each other in a more casual way before church on Sunday. We had a cereal bar, muffins, and juice, and then each class acted out a story from The Book of Mormon. It was a fun morning.

Advancing . . . in the offices of the priesthood. Aaron was ordained a priest and Maxwell was ordained a teacher. This means we now have an elder, priest, teacher, and deacon in our home, which is kind of amazing. 

Turning . . . another year older. The official countdown to 40 has begun! That exclamation point is maybe a slight exaggeration of how I actually feel, but I do have some fun ideas for how to mark this last year in my 30's, which I'll share in a future post. As to the actual day, it happened to fall on a Fast Sunday, which ended up being kind of miserable for me (sadly, I did not have the best attitude). But that meant that dinner tasted all the sweeter; Mike made clam chowder and biscuits and a yummy cheese sauce and roasted butternut squash and then a rich, dense, fudgy chocolate cake for dessert.

Making . . . memories in Florida. We took Aaron, Maxwell, and Bradley to Orlando, Florida, and we had the time of our lives. We went to Disney World, Universal Studios (Harry Potter), the Kennedy Space Center, and on an airboat tour. I am working on a whole post to really capture all the details, but it truly was a near-perfect vacation, and we loved every minute of it. 

Missing . . . his family something fierce. Silas had a really hard time while we were gone to Florida. He has always been extremely partial to his immediate family, and so I anticipated some hard times. Mike's mom watched the kids for the first three days, and my mom watched them for the last three. Luckily, Silas slept fine at night, and he was okay during the day when Clark was home. But when Clark left for school, he cried and cried. He often hid in a cupboard or under a desk or just wanted to be in his bed. It was so sad, and I felt quite guilty for leaving him (but I also was so grateful for the time with my big boys, so it was a tradeoff for sure). We got home at midnight, so he was already in bed, and the next morning, Mike got him when he woke up and brought him to me. He curled up next to my side and laid perfectly still. He took big, shaky breaths. He seemed to be between sleep and awake, and it was as if he was scared to fully wake up in case it was all a dream. For the rest of the day, he kept counting heads: Mommy, Daddy, Aaron, Max, Bradley, making sure we hadn't gone anywhere. Sweet little guy. (And sweet grandmas for taking care of him.)

Getting . . . to be an engineer (again). For the past three years, Mike has been a manager at the company he works for. As the months went by, he became more and more tired of the endless meetings and missed the hands-on work and problem solving of engineering. When he was approached by a different company last summer and offered a job as a research engineer, he realized that if he could just have that position but at his current company, that would basically be his dream job. So he went to his bosses, told them about the offer, and asked if he could leave management and be a research engineer instead. They agreed but said it would take time before things could be rearranged. That was six months ago. So imagine Mike's surprise when he walked into work the week after we got back from our vacation, and there was a  contract for him to sign to go back to being an engineer. It has been the happiest change for him. It is like the light is back in his eyes. He no longer dreads going to work, and he is spending his days doing things he loves. 

Falling . . . in love with skiing. Clark's fourth grade class went on a ski trip. Clark had never been skiing before, but he was excited to try. After we picked up his rental skis the night before, he strapped them on and tried them out on the snow in the front yard. He said, "I loved it so much, so I know I'm going to have fun tomorrow!" And he did. It snowed all day, but it didn't seem to dampen the enthusiasm. They divided the kids by ability, so he was in the lowest group, and it was great for him to get very basic instruction. He did get to do one actual run at the end, which he was thrilled about. And now I have to figure out what we're going to do (if anything) with this newfound love.

Weaning . . . Silas. We went to Florida two weeks before Silas' second birthday. I knew that this break would be the end of nursing him, and it broke my heart. I wasn't ready, but I also knew it was time, if that makes sense. Silas was definitely my hardest child to breastfeed. Between laryngomalacia, a tongue tie and lip tie, and mastitis, it was a rough beginning. And even after those things were resolved, he still rarely nursed for longer than two minutes at a time. But he still always wanted to do it, and I loved the time to hold him. Luckily, he is my best snuggler and cuddler, and that hasn't changed even now that he is no longer nursing. He asked for milk for about four days after we got back, but I told him it was all gone. Nursing has been one of my favorite things with each of my boys, and weaning each of them has been one of the saddest, hardest things. What a privilege it's been to get to do it at all. 

Learning . . . how to play the ukulele. My dad taught Aaron and Bradley how to play the ukulele several years ago. At the time, Maxwell had little interest in it, but when all the uke players performed a song at the Nielsen Christmas party (see above), he felt left out. Although he has played the piano since he was quite small, his love of music wasn't ignited until sixth grade when he started to play the saxophone, and now music is one of the things that fills his soul. He wanted to learn how to play the ukulele, and my dad was only too happy to oblige. Passing on his love for this instrument is one of his favorite things. They've been having the best time getting together for weekly lessons, and Max has been catching on quickly.

Singing . . . happy birthday. Silas is a big fan of birthdays. He loves singing "Happy Birthday," blowing out candles, unwrapping presents, and eating cake and ice cream. To finally have it be his own turn for the celebrations was a dream come true. He had candy in his birthday bucket, doughnuts for breakfast, french fries for lunch, pizza for dinner, and chocolate cake and ice cream for dessert. That pretty much sums up the kind of food he wants to eat every day, unfortunately. Mike made his cake and used one of Silas' favorite books, Don't Wake Up the Tiger, as inspiration. He nailed it. It was a bit sad to have to cut into it. Silas didn't make it through all of his presents on his actual birthday. Every present was exciting to him, and he totally forgot he even had more presents to open because he was happily distracted with whatever he had just opened. Favorite presents included candy (obviously), playdoh, a ukulele, toy fish that swims around, and two little dogs that look like his cousins' dog, Molly. Because the present opening last over so many days, I never got my traditional photo of him with all his presents. My favorite moment of the day though was when we lit his candles and he started enthusiastically singing "Happy Birthday" to himself before energetically blowing on the candles (without a lot of success until Grandpa Paul covertly helped him out with a focused stream of air). We love this little guy so much. Such a joy to celebrate him. 

Volunteering . . . in Ian's class.One of my goals for the new year was to find a time to regularly volunteer in Ian's class. I just really felt like I needed to have a better idea of his classroom dynamic and get to know the kids he hangs out with. So I contacted his teacher and asked if she could use a weekly volunteer. She had the perfect thing for me: helping with Power Hour on Friday afternoons. I could easily fit it into my week, and I get to work with all of the kids every time I go. First graders are so enthusiastic and eager, and it's just been a delight to spend time with them and to watch Ian in his element.

Testing . . . a knitting pattern. Knitwear designers will typically have several people test their new pattern before it is officially released to make sure everything is as clear and accurate as possible. I have never done a test knit before, but my friend, Emily, is a designer, and when I saw her new scarf pattern (Mill Hollow Scarf), I jumped at the chance to test it. It is a narrow scarf with a beautiful lace panel that runs up the middle of it with panels of garter stitch on either side. It uses just one skein of fingering weight yarn, which is perfect for me since I tend to buy single skeins when I am visiting new yarn stores and then I don't know what to do with them. I don't think there are very many knitters who read this blog, but I highly recommend this pattern if you're one! Besides the scarf, I also made a pair of Valentine socks (this pattern was also by Emily) and a Musselburgh Hat (which had been on my needles for months). I also started knitting a cardigan for my dad. 

Crashing . . . on the way to school. My kids ride the bus to school. They get on the bus at the last stop, cross one busy road, and are at school within five minutes. But one morning, just as they turned off the busy road, the back end of the bus skimmed a parked car. Another bus had to be called to pick up all the kids (even though they could have literally walked to school at that point), and they made it to school a bit late, but saying they "crashed" on the way to school is a bit of an exaggeration. 

Kicking . . . off 2024 with a few good books: 

Skyward by Brandon Sanderson (Max and I struck a deal, and reading this book was my payment to him. I ended up liking it quite a bit and will hopefully get to the other ones in the series.)

Fantastic Mr. Fox by Roald Dahl (I forgot how much I liked this one; fun readaloud with Clark and Ian)

Atomic Habits by James Clear (I've been meaning to read this one for forever; totally my kind of book)

I Have Some Questions for You by Rebecca Makkai (I really liked the way the plot developed with this one, but ultimately, I did not like the book, and I found our book club discussion profoundly depressing)

Mexikid by Pedro Martín (This won a Newbery Honor this month, and it gets my hearty stamp of approval. A multi-generational road trip memoir that made me laugh out loud many times.)

Receiving . . . some much needed snow. The snow finally arrived this winter, and we all rejoiced. I'm not a huge fan of snow, but this is how Utah gets most of its moisture for the year, so the more snow pack, the better. Lucky for me, a lot of this month's snow came while we were in Florida, so I got to miss a bunch of it. Bradley is also not a winter lover. He insists on wearing his crocs (maybe in protest?) even when it's snowing, and I had to laugh when he got home one day and took off his snow-laden crocs. Kids are funny.

Reacclimatizing . . . Silas to my parents. Silas became very distrustful of my parents (my mom in particular) after our Florida trip. So we spent the rest of the month doing our version of exposure therapy. Silas and I went to their house where he got to eat macaroni with Angela and feed their guinea pig. My mom also came to our house and we went on a walk (he was very resistant to this). Hopefully, we can repair this relationship that took quite a hit when Silas was missing us so much.

Watching . . . The Boys in the Boat. Our friends had some free tickets (courtesy of their brother because the company he works for had rented out the entire theater). We had been wanting to see this movie for several weeks, and it was so fun to go with friends. It has been years since I read the book, but the story was just as inspiring as I remembered, and now I want to reread it! 

Listening . . . to Silas singing. This is one of my greatest joys. I have never had a child sing so much and so well at this age. It is truly a treat. He knows so many songs, and will attempt to sing along even on songs he doesn't know. He hums to himself during the day and makes up little ditties. One of the highlights of his week is when we have Family Home Evening and each choose a song to sing. We sing "I am a Child of God" when we're putting him to bed, and he always sings along and can now sing the whole song by himself. I should keep a running list of his favorite songs because it's just so cute. This month, he loved Heigh Ho and High Hopes, which cracked me up: two songs with very similar titles but very different vibes. 

Getting . . . started on my 2024 goal. As I already alluded to earlier in this post, I am doing a little countdown to my fortieth birthday, which involves doing forty things with forty different people. I'll share more about this later, but I've already started planning and executing various activities, and it's been such fun. My first official outing was with my friend, Beth (one of my oldest and dearest friends). Our birthdays are a mere three days apart, and we celebrated by going out to dinner at a gluten-free restaurant  (SpudToddos). Beth has celiacs, so this was the perfect place to eat out, and we all enjoyed it very much. If you have something you'd like to do with me during this year of 40, let me know! It can be in person or virtual. 

Finishing . . . out a great season of basketball. Clark played with a whole team of friends, which is basically a dream come true for him. He had so much fun, played with so much energy, and even got brave and took a few shots.

Being . . . chosen for student of the month. Maxwell's science teacher nominated him for this award. Several kids in each grade get it every month, so it isn't terribly exclusive, but it was still a nice  acknowledgment of Max's hard work. Both his science teacher and his math teacher said really nice things about him. There was a little breakfast before school to honor the students of the month. 

Seeing . . . crystal clear. Max mentioned that he hadn't been able to see as well lately, so we got him an eye appointment, and sure enough, he needed glasses. The first time he put them on, he was so amazed with how sharp everything was. He looks quite scholarly in his glasses.

Ending . . . the month with some amazing spring-like weather. All the kids in the neighborhood were out playing together, and it was so nice. We know it's just a little teaser, but we liked it just the same.