December 2021

We had a busy but wonderful December.

When we arrived home from our trip to the Polar Express we discovered that an elf on the shelf had made itself at home on our kitchen table.  The boys decided to name him Buddy.  He wasn't very naughty or exciting (and he did disappear once for a day or two) but we did have some fun with him.

A couple days later we started December off with an epic birthday party for Atticus.  While it was crazy (I think we had 17 kids there?!) we think that it was a success by most standards.

He had a mountain of presents afterward and he actually admitted to us that he felt like he got too many presents.  That didn't stop him from buying two more nerf guns afterward with his birthday money.  (All I can do is shake my head!)  Still, we were very proud of him.  He was not a birthday brat in any shape or form on the day of his birthday party or his actual birthday the next day.  Hooray!

Two days later, Atticus sold Advent Candles at a homeschool student expo.  I wasn't sure how it would go but he ended up selling all 18 of his candles!  He didn't love sitting and waiting for customers (he probably spent 2/3rds of his time perusing the other vendors' shops, where he spent more than $20) but he did enjoy himself, overall.  While we used a calculator to give someone correct change he looked at me excitedly and said, "Mom!  I'm learning math!"   

I liked the candles so much that I ended up making a bunch more for our friends.  We kept one for our family and had so much fun lighting it each night. 

That evening was our new ward's first Christmas Party.  Santa couldn't make it but Mrs. Clause did.

The next day was Sunday and it was just crazy in Primary.  None of the teachers we had requested had been contacted so we kept all the children in the same room and it was absolute mayhem.  I was beyond discouraged and could tell the children and adults were all put off by the experience.  My presidency and I determined that the next week would be better. (I am happy to report that they were!)

As if that wasn't enough, that same evening our dog managed to find a bag of M&Ms and ate roughly 4 ounces of them.  Dane and I thought he was a goner, for sure.  He stayed up until 2:30 drinking water and peeing.  Around that time his breathing slowed and I went from being furious with him to feeling downright sorry for him.  

Thinking this was the end, I got down on the ground with a lump in my throat and called to him.  I had scenes from Old Yeller and Where the Red Fern Grows in my head and thought that if he was going to die he could die with his head in my lap.  He approached me slowly and then darted to a dog toy and ran at me, hoping that I would play tug-of-war with him.  That darn dog wasn't going to die, after all!  You can imagine my relief (and anger!)

As stressful as the first week was, things did calm down for a couple weeks.  We were fortunate enough to go the Giving Machine located a half hour away.

Our experience wasn't perfect (it rarely is with young children!) but it was such a privilege to be able to give in such a unique, memorable way.  And it was the perfect, late start for our Christmas Season. 

We decorated the house, made lots of crafts and ornaments, sang and memorized a couple of Christmas carols, watched dozens of Christmas movies, went searching for Christmas lights, read almost every Christmas book in the house, delivered presents, made gingerbread houses and wrote letters to Santa.  Santa wrote them back, by the way!  I actually got chills when I saw the letters in the mail.  Christmas is so magical!  (And we might have the best mail lady in the world.)

Atticusisms:

• "He was elbowing me and then he punched me!  I think we're going to be friends." (About a boy he met in his Sunday School class.)
• "I was having a nerf war in my mind." (When asked what he was whispering about when we were all in the same hotel room.)
• "I hate your calling." (After waiting for me to end a phone call.)

Hinckley was at such a magical age for Christmas.  He knew it was coming and was absolutely enthralled with every tradition, craft and story.  Unfortunately, he was also fairly naughty through the month (it nearly broke my heart every time we'd tell him he might get coal because he would just look so terribly sad and cry.)  Even the night before he was asking us if he'd get coal (and there were days I really thought he might get some!)  But Christmas is about our Savior and the second chances and forgiveness that His Atonement brings to us all.  Hinckley never stopped trying and Santa did come!

Here he is at Joy School earlier in the month.  You can see one of his Joy School crafts below:

One naughty thing that he has done more than once is wander.  It has happened at stores and it even happened back in October at the pumpkin patch.  

In mid-December I was at a presidency meeting when Hinckley disappeared.  Dane sent Atticus around the neighborhood to look for him and I got some texts that made me panic- until I saw the earlier texts I had missed from a neighbor.

It turned out that Hinckley had "gone on a run" and met his former Sunbeams teacher, who was also on a run with her daughter.  He got the biggest grin, ran up to them and gave her a big hug.  "I'm on a wun!  You wanna come with me?" he asked her.  She told me that she kept asking him if his parents knew where he was and he told her, "Oh yeah, I do this all da time."  Thankfully, I was able to message Dane and set his mind at ease fairly quickly.  

Man, we love our little muscle man but he sure can give us heart burn.

Hinckley speaks:

• "When I grow up I'm gonna be Santa Clause.  There's going to be two Santa's.  This Santa will go to the nice children and the other Santa will go to the naughty children." (I think he was the first Santa.)
• ("Who did this?!") "I did it, Mom."  ("How many pictures did you take?!") "One at a time." 
• "This one is fo my bwudder because I love him." (While decorating a second cookie at Joy School.)
• "Atticus is bigger than me.  I'm mad about that."
• "It's not a pencil box anymore.  It's a stuff box."  (He has been consistent and called it a stuff box ever since!)
• "I want to get rid of this face.  I want to look like Atticus." (While squishing his perfect, beautiful cheeks and looking in the mirror.  Oh, my heart!  We have some work to do!)

Oh, Lucy.  She is so adorable and can be so sweet... yet is, without a doubt, our meanest toddler yet.  She hits and punches and scratches us so much at even the possibility of having someone stop her from getting what she wants.  

Thank goodness, just at the end of the month she is starting to sign, "Please" more and is saying her version, "Izzzz."

She LOVES cashews and will pick up the big jar from Costco and carry it to me multiple times a day to ask for some.  We have never gone through them so quickly!

She is starting to fold her arms when we pray and has the cutest sense of humor.  She loves to fall on people or on her back on mattresses.  She loves tickles and will ask for them with her baby talk.  Speaking of which, she is at the cutest stage where she thinks she is talking but is actually just wiggling her tongue from side to side. 

She loves necklaces so much that she throws random items over her head, like tights and other articles of clothing.  She asks for bows (by pointing) and wants to wear fancy shoes any time she possibly can (she'll throw a fit when I try to give her casual shoes!)  Speaking of fits, she is now throwing some pretty dramatic ones on the floor.  It's hilarious to watch her as she gets bored on the floor.  It isn't long before you can tell that she's not only forgotten why she's down there but that's starting to get bored and trying to amuse herself.

My least favorite milestone this month has to be climbing.  On New Year's Eve she shocked us all by  climbing up one of our stools for the first time to play with some things on the counter.  This is so, so much sooner than our boys.  I am in so much trouble!

On Dec. 20 we headed up to Utah to spend a week with family.  Almost everyone from my side of teh family was there (we were one family short.)  It was not nearly long enough but so, so needed.  My beautiful sister Laurel had just had surgery to have her Thymus removed, along with a tumor that had grown next to it.  She has been experiencing some distressing symptoms for some time now (it's called Myasthenia Gravis) and it was SO good to be able to hug her and spend some precious time with her.

We also spent some treasured time with Dane's family as well.  

Christmas morning really was magical.

Atticus got the BB gun he asked for and the boys got some boxing gloves, which were used with great enthusiasm.

The boys also got new toothbrushes that are supposed to help them clean more thoroughly.  So far, it seems to be helping and I have the added bonus of getting dozens of pictures like these on my phone each day.  I guess it's a small price to pay to fight the sugar bugs.

And that was our Christmas.  It was a lovely trip but we're always happy to go home and sleep in our own beds.  

Oh yeah!  And we also learned a little about Greece, Ancient Rome and Italy.  Our efforts weren't nearly as concentrated as they usually are but we had some fun.  We ate food from the Great Greek, made the Parthenon out of Popsicle sticks, made Laurel Leaf crowns, read a whole book of Greek Mythology, and had a week of Italian food (including a new dish for me- Polenta.)

Welcome, 2022!  Here's to getting back into a routine and making this coming year the best yet.