Month: January 2017

Dinner with the Crofts

We had the Crofts over for dinner tonight. Betsy made darnitsky bread and it was delicious. We had such a great time with them.

While I was getting ready for dinner, starting at 3pm, I mentally swore off dinner parties ever again. It’s just so stressful trying to get everything done with three kids. But thanks to my amazing mom who entertained the kids, cleaned the house, and did innumerable dishes, tonight came off.

While my mom was vacuuming Ammon completely lit up. He followed the vacuum around babbling, calling, and pointing enthusiastically to it. He also kept going up to my mom and hugging her leg. At dinner he wanted cuddles from her. It warms my heart to see how much my kids love my mom.

I don’t have any pictures from today. Oh, and let it be known that Lydia had a full day of home schooling today.

Ice skating lessons

Today was the girls’ first ice skating lesson. Lydia endearingly tried over and over to skate, undeterred by her many falls. She eventually made it some fair distances hobbling around the rink. I was so proud of her grit! Every time I looked at her I felt full of love.

Mary hung on to the teacher almost the whole time. With both hands. Whenever the teacher suggested she try some movement on her own, Mary said, “I don’t think that’s a good idea.” But afterward Mary exclaimed that she LOVED ice skating. I was proud of, hmmm, her cuteness? Definitely her cuteness.

My mom made the experience possible by watching Ammon at home. I got lost trying to find the ice arena and it was pure chaos trying to get the girls on the rink. I don’t think we could have done it with Ammon.

This evening she helped again by babysitting our technology-anesthetized children while Abe and I attended a real estate presentation. We were wowed.

Here are some pictures from the ice skating:

I was concerned that, because we were late, the girls would be physically incapable of reaching their teacher. These lovely women escorted them to their teacher.
I was concerned that, because we were late, the girls would be physically incapable of reaching their teacher. These lovely women escorted them to their teacher.

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Snow Day

Lydia’s school had a snow day, and when we came home all she wanted to do was play in the snow. I wish I had gotten a picture of her tremendous efforts at making a snowman. At one point, she was lying on her back pushing an enormous snowball with both boots trying so hard to make it even bigger. When Abe came home almost an hour early just to play in the snow with the kids, he had to use a ramp to get the second snowball on top of Lydia’s behemoth.

Abe played with the kids and neighborhood kids for hours. He pulled the girls on a sled at top speed all around the yard for an eternity. The girls had never had so much fun in their little lives.

When it was all over, they came inside for cocoa and tuna melts.

I continue to be the un-fun, pregnant blob in the family. Mainly I spent the day on the couch and in bed.

Here are some pictures of everyone else who lived with more enthusiasm than I did today!

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Ammon came inside after he pulled off his gloves for the umpteenth time. He loved watching the activities from his cozy inside perch.
Ammon came inside after he pulled off his gloves for the umpteenth time. He loved watching the activities from his cozy inside perch.
Oooh, I have proof that sometimes I am not the only occupant of the couch. This picture is from break when Abe was taking a well deserved rest and Mary was passed out after a tantrum, but still. I share the couch.
Oooh, I have proof that sometimes I am not the only occupant of the couch. This picture is from break when Abe was taking a well deserved rest and Mary was passed out after a tantrum, but still. I share the couch.

Back to work and school

Today was Abe’s first day back at work since before Christmas. Qualtrics shuts down between Christmas and New Year’s, and we got spoiled with him home. Ammon asked for Abe all morning long, saying, ” Dadadadadadada????” He was inconsolable when we handed him to a babysitter to visit with some neighbors this evening. My mom rescued him from tearful despair.

This was our first day of our new homeschooling semester. We started with an early morning harp practice, a super long devotional (at the girls’ request!), and educational games. I thought I would ease into the rigor and try to make things a little more fun today.

Mary threw tantrums at multiple points during the day. My mom again fixed the problem by playing a game solely with her and made sure to let her win. Abe often sighs that Mary is a disaster, and it’s kindofsortofINAMAJORWAY true. We literally don’t know what to do except ride this phase out.

Lydia is entering a very lovely phase and gives us hope for Mary. Lydia used to scream all day long for days on end, and right now she is mostly a delight. Maybe this can happen for Mary too???? Here are Valentine’s Lydia made for all of us just because she loves us:

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Hodge podge picture post

Aside from yoga and a grocery run, I stayed home all day. It has been snowing almost nonstop, and supposedly it is going to do this for the next ten days. On Friday Abe is going to Sundance for a ski day with his team, and I am starting my prayers for his safety right about…now.

It turns out I have a lot of pictures! Abe and my mom sent me a lot from the past couple days, so here goes:

My mom was on the phone on Sunday and felt like there was a spirit presence in the room. She looked around and saw that Lydia has slipped in quietly. My mom said Lydia looked just like an angel and took a picture of her to document the experience.
My mom was on the phone on Sunday and felt like there was a spirit presence in the room. She looked around and saw that Lydia has slipped in quietly. My mom said Lydia looked just like an angel and took a picture of her to document the experience.
Here is Lydia in my mom's room. She told me that she goes into Nana's room because Nana always has coloring books or games to play. Nana also has band-aids and Boo-boo Bear. The girls visit whenever they have bruises, imagined and real.
Here is Lydia in my mom’s room. She told me that she goes into Nana’s room because Nana always has coloring books or games to play. Nana also has band-aids and Boo-boo Bear. The girls visit whenever they have bruises, imagined and real.

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Tonight at FHE we did a book obstacle course. Each book had a challenge, and of course the final challenges ended up with the girls climbing into bed. (Not that it helped Mary, who is still wide awake and scurrying all around...)
Tonight at FHE we did a book obstacle course. Each book had a challenge, and of course the final challenges ended up with the girls climbing into bed. (Not that it helped Mary, who is still wide awake and scurrying all around…)
Abe sent me these pictures of Ammon. I know I posted one before, but these are so cute.
Abe sent me these pictures of Ammon. I know I posted one before, but these are so cute.

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On New Year's Eve we tried to take the kids to a museum, but everything was closed. We ended up at Brick Oven for lunch instead.
On New Year’s Eve we tried to take the kids to a museum, but everything was closed. We ended up at Brick Oven for lunch instead.
Before yoga, the kids played outside while Abe shoveled.
Before yoga, the kids played outside while Abe shoveled.
Lydia made "pies" out of snow and distributed them via this bucket.
Lydia made “pies” out of snow and distributed them via this bucket.

Happy New Year!

I had forgotten how tired I get when I am pregnant. Today after church I just moved from the bed to the couch to the table to the couch…and stayed on the couch for a loooong time.

I did make it outside a bit with the kids and Abe. It was fun to see Ammon, swathed in layers of snow gear, tottering about in the snow. We didn’t realize we had overdressed him until we came in. He was bathed in sweat! I had never seen him so drenched.

Yesterday Abe and I went to see Fantastic Beasts, and we really enjoyed that. The day before we went to the Provo City Center temple in the morning. It was soooo busy! I guess that’s a good thing. In the afternoon my mom and I took the girls and Eli, the neighbor, to Moana. I didn’t really like it, but the kids seemed to. Well, Mary spent the movie curled up in a frightened ball on my mom’s lap, but Lydia can quote the movie by heart (and did just that the next morning for Abe). So one of us liked it. 🙂

For the first time in my life, I have done absolutely nothing in terms of New Year’s Resolutions. In general, I suppose I would like to move forward this year with more forgiveness and love in my heart. Beyond that, I don’t aspire to anything more than keeping all of the kids alive and relatively healthy and happy. If I can do those things, 2017 will be a smashing success.