February 2020

February was a much better month for our family than January.
    
We started the month off with a photo shoot at the Las Vegas Temple.  It was a gorgeous day at a beautiful location. 
    
Valentine's Day was so wonderful.  We tried a few simple traditions and we loved them!  We started by reading and discussing Moroni 7:45-47 (all about Charity.)   The boys had hearts on their doors with things written on them that we love about them.  That evening, we had a heart-shaped pizza, a candlelit dinner and drank Martinelli's in our plastic stemware.  We went around the table and said things we loved about each person.  The boys loved it!  In my opinion, it is such a better holiday when you focus on familial love!
      

While our "honeymoon period" with the angelic Atticus did come to an end, we still love our 5-year-old.  He asks almost every day if he can do his homework (although, truth be told, it's because he is trying to earn a show.)  He is still more willing to help around the house and he started reading the "See Sam" readers!  He is flying through them.  We couldn't be more proud.

  

We tried having him go without a pull-up at night.  It worked for a couple nights...but... he's just not ready.  So we're scrapping it for now.  But we have had the boys sleep in the same room, successfully, two nights in a row!  So we seem to have hit one of the milestones we were shooting for.  

One milestone we were not expecting to even talk about this month was tying his shoes.  We watched a video that had a cute song about tying shoes a month ago or more.  Atticus got very frustrated and wouldn't let me show him... or say anything, for that matter (this is very often the case when I try to help/teach/coach him.)  Then, just a week ago or so, he grabbed his shoes and tied them, again and again.  His first several times were slow and halting, but he has gotten pretty confident.  He's even attempted to teach some friends already.  I honestly don't understand how he masters things so suddenly.  It's like he completely rejects all instruction and then his subconcsious absorbs anything that was said/shown... and it works its way through...?  All I know is that he and I learn very differently.
    
Speaking of thinking differently, he had another "Buddy Bear" assignment that did not go the way that Dane and I expected.  It was hilarious.  (Instead of Buddy Bear saving the day the T-Rex was "faking to be dead" and "killded" Buddy!)
    
His reading and writing have come along so far!  I can totally write him simple notes in church and he can read them!  He writes back the sweetest messages.
  

Atticusisms:

• "Quick! Drink some lemon water!" (When I was feeling especially sick at the beginning of the month.)
• "My mommy has a baby in her mouth."
• "Skinny people are fast!...and strong!"
• ("Come on boys, let's get clean.")  “But it feels so good not to move in the water.”
• (Playing battleship- Dane, “are you moving your ships?”)  “Yeah, they’re drifting!”
• "Why wouldn't I ________?" (fill in the blank with a friendly act- "share my food," "give you a turn," etc.)

    

Hinckley is still really hard but we are finding that our methods are working (slowly.)  He is hitting and getting violent with us far less often (although once he knows he's in trouble he then feels like he has nothing left to lose and can get pretty crazy.)  He really does try to apologize and/or change his behavior pretty quickly when we start to give a warning.
      
We still have rough days.  Just the day before yesterday we had an early, rough, scream-filled morning and yes, poop was on our kitchen floor.  Dane and I were exhausted and bewildered.  I'm sure I'll have more to report on this new development next month.

Still, there have been some really sweet moments.

Early in the month we all got sick (the whole street got a yucky stomach virus) and Dane gave all three of us blessings (such a comfort, by the way!)  It really must have made an impression on Hinckley.  Afterward, he kept giving me "bwessings” before going to bed.  The next day I walked into the room and Atticus and Hinckley were taking turns giving each other "blessings."  Even though we needed to talk about when, how and by whom such things are to be done, it was cool to see them trying to follow in their dad's footsteps.  They are listening and watching.  It makes me nervous sometimes but it also gives me a lot of hope.

We love that he's starting to dress up (so far, Spiderman has been his favorite and, yes, he totally insisted on keeping the mask on for almost an entire day.)

We love his newest favorite songs.  The majority of the month it was "I feel my Savior’s love."  He sings it beautifully.  For the last week it's been the "Ghostbusters" theme song.  I try to oblige him but man does it make for an awkward lullaby!

My last favorite moment of the month was at a friendly scrimmage we held several days ago.  After the game ended I asked all of the kids to bring in the cones.  Hinckley was there, wearing his soccer jersey, thrilled to be allowed to be on the "socco' team," as he saw it.  I asked him to grab a cone that was near him and he didn't miss a beat.  He ran right over, grabbed a pine cone and brought it to me.

Hinckley speaks:

• "No! No scwiptures!"
• "Mommy/Daddy I sleep well!"  (Even if he hasn't slept at all during nap time.)
• "Addiss, sleep well?" (Every morning after singing our good morning song.)
• "I on socco team."

Last, I wanted to share a cool experience I had, just for myself.

A dear friend of mine posted a 10 year overview for all of the things she had accomplished in the last decade.  It was amazing.  It came as no surprise that she'd lived such a full life- she's an amazing, one of a kind person!- but I must admit, I found myself feeling jealous.  So I decided to go over my last 10 years of travel, work, and accomplishments.  I've led a very different life but it really made me feel better.  I went to bed feeling grateful for the opportunities I have had, even if I still felt a little glum about our current and upcoming travel plans.

The next morning I got a phone call from a travel company that I haven't heard from in 6 years.  I had organized a tour for them while I was teaching and we had loved it.  The associate proceeded to tell me about several options I could do right now or even in the next couple years.

It was the sweetest little pick-me-up.  I felt like I had received a little love note from the Lord, letting me know that there will be time for some of the passions I've laid aside.  I just need to be patient and it'll fall into place.  There are seasons of life and I LOVE where I am.  Sure, there are plenty of things I am looking forward to but I would not change where I'm at for the world.