January 2022

January felt a lot less frantic than December did.  I still have busy days but the second half of the month I finally felt like I was able to breathe.  All of our callings were filled in Primary and homeschool started feeling like it had back in September and October.  Thank goodness!

I even got to hang out with some dear friends from the old ward.  It was so fun.  We'll try to make it happen again soon.

Lucy is saying more and more each day.  She makes us laugh with her fancy dress and accouterments. She wants to wear ALL the necklaces, she asks for a bow and wants the fancy shoes- don't bother her with sneakers or moccasins!  She steals the boys' watches and dog tags to wear them.  She enjoys wearing hats (what toddler lets you leave a hat on them?!) and wants to wear swim goggles whenever she goes in the backyard.  She even turned two plastic hair ties of mine into bracelets!

I love watching her mimic me and others, especially with chores.  She is putting clothes in the washer and dryer (and she also loves to "sort" clothes- we're finding all sorts of things in the boys' laundry basket and in their drawers!)  She tries to throw things away (we have to be really vigilant about this!)  She is trying to sweep with our brooms and just yesterday she opened up the dishwasher, grabbed the correct dish soap and tried to fill it with soap- in just the right spot.  She loves to grab books and come and sit down on my lap... and then get up three seconds later and grab another book.  Still, we can tell she loves "buhs" already, which makes me happy.

She has been running all month.  It is the cutest little toddler run and she gets a little faster and steadier each day.  It's almost impossible to resist chasing someone so cute, especially because she loves being chased and lets out her little, high pitched squirrel laugh when we do.

She also has started using a fork this month and she is a pro.  I'm not joking- I can't believe how steady and accurate she is already.  

She started going to nursery a couple months early at the nursery leaders' insistence.  We are so grateful to them because it has been tricky to fulfill our callings.  It's been a mixed bag so far for her in there.  She was just fine the first two weeks but had some meltdowns the second two weeks.  The last week she seemed to do just fine, again.  She seems to be going through some stranger anxiety again.  Hopefully it doesn't last too long.  

Listen to Lucy:

• "Hot!" (Usually whispered but it's the first word she's said completely and correctly as of Jan. 3.)
• "Boo" (Boot/s)
• "Bah" (Ball)
• "Buh" (Book)
• "Shoe" (Whispered her first time while looking at her beloved fancy shoes on her feet.)
• "Bow" 
• "Bop-boor" (Popcorn- oh boy, does she ever love Popcorn!)
• "MMMM!" (Yelled when she sees something she wants or while she's eating something yummy.)
• "Yum-yum-yum-yum" (Said with her tongue touching her top lip so it sounds a little like "Yummy-yummy-yummy.")

Oh, our sweet Hinckley.  This has been a better month for him and our relationship.

The things that have stood out have been the heartbreaking times he has expressed loneliness or a dislike for himself.     One day he was acting out and obsessed with the idea of asking a 13-year-old neighbor to come and play with him.  No amount of explanation sufficed so I got him ready for bed extra early.  As I was at his bedside and he brought up this neighbor again, I asked him if he was lonely.  He began to cry as he told me what was on his heart, "No one wants to be my friend."  

While it boggles my mind that someone so adorable and beloved by everyone could think that about himself, I began thinking about his behavior of late and it is starting to make more sense.  He almost always tries to find something special to take outside with him- a costume or toy.  He is trying to get attention.  His favorite friend moved to Japan back in December and since then I think he just doesn't feel special.  At least, not on our street.  Church and Joy School is a different story.  We haven't figured out a solution yet but at Joy School the next day my dear friend Kate was inspired and had a lesson that included positive affirmations, which is just what the doctor ordered.   

Hinckley Speaks:

• "Dad, do you know what six times six times six times is?"  ("No, I don't.") "You don't know numbers!"
• "Can I poop here?"  ("Yes, you can poop here.") "No I can't!  It's da house of da Lord!" 
• "Can you call Michael Jowadan and ask him to come play basketball at our house?"
• "I'm sending this to Michael Jowadan.  I think when he gets it he'll send me another one and write my name on it..."
• "I made pee mud!" (While climbing at Red Rock Canyon)
• "Can you throw this ball to heaven?  And Jesus will catch it and throw it back down."
• "What about Donald Twumpet?"
• "I'm Hinckley Howatio Hornblower Maes!"
• "I'm a teenager!" or "I'm the boss!" 
• "When I'm a teenager..." (Talks about this all the time.)
• "When I'm a teenager I'm going to pway basketball and when I'm a gwonup I'm going to live by myself and make popcorn." ("I thought you were going to live with Atticus!") "No!  Atticus is going in the army and he's gonna die.  I don't want to die.  But then he'll go to heaven."
• "Don't break my watch." (Said as I knelt by his bed to kiss him goodnight.)
• "Why does she say, 'Thanks for your feed bag?'" (About Alexa)
• "Is he dead?" (When I told the boys about Daddy's accident)
• "Dad, you should wear my helmet!" 

  

This month Atticus has been practicing basketball as part of his homeschooling and it as definitely been a love-hate relationship.  He enjoys himself at practice but gets very frustrated when he misses (just as he used to do all the time in soccer- now it's just occasional.)  He has improved so much but his perfectionism makes it difficult to appreciate his improvement.  His first game is this Saturday, Feb. 5.  We hope he's able to relax a little more and enjoy himself.

He has also gotten more into climbing!  It's a love of mine so this makes me very happy.

The main development we have to report this month is that Atticus now admits that he likes girls.  If you had told me a month or two ago that this would happen I would have been very skeptical.  He was adamant that he would never get married "because it involves 'kissy-kissy'" and so he and Hinckley were going to live off on their own together (I should mention that their bachelor pad sounded like a lot of fun- they said they were going to eat popcorn and watch movies all day, every day but that somehow they would be rich...)

How this change came about, I'm not totally certain.  I guess I did see it coming because in December both boys told me they wanted me to wear my hair down (Atticus said, "I like hair flat and smooth" which is, of course, the opposite of my hair) and on the same day Atticus had told me separately that I should wear makeup more, "I'll watch the kids so you can have time!" he had told me when I had made excuses.

He has the sweetest little friend who had been living at her grandma's house (right behind us, so they could talk over the fence) up until a couple weeks ago.  I could tell that she was special to him because Atticus was far more attentive to her needs and wants than other friends (let's be honest, the kid can be a bit oblivious to people around him- it's a work in progress!)  

Earlier in the month, as Dane was talking to the boys about Valentine's Day he asked them if they wanted to do anything for their friends.  Atticus shyly told him he wanted to get something for this friend.  Then, unexpectedly, he told Dane, "I don't like her, I love her.  And I don't just love her, I love-love her, Dad."  Wow!  Then he told me and had us both promise to say nothing.  Which we did... but then he told her little brother... and then, after attending her birthday party he told her!- In his words he told her that she was his "true girlfriend."  He was disappointed by her response which was just what it should be, "I'm not old enough to have a boyfriend!" but he still maintains that when he's old enough he's going to marry her when they're older.  

I didn't expect him to get his heart broken so soon in life.  Nor did I expect him to bounce back so quickly.  You can't help but admire his resilience. 

Atticusisms:

"Let's play Airbnb." ("Do you mean Top Gun?") "Yup!"

"If Satan had a body would you let me punch him?"

"Why do little boys not like girls?...Well, I'm a big kid."

Oh man, these boys.  When asked to share their testimonies they were so quick and confident in their replies.  I hope they can look back on some of these memories and remember their feelings and convictions.  It's a crazy, confusing world out there.

Speaking of crazy, at the end of the month Dane gave us a bit of a scare.  After hot tubbing one evening he jumped into the icy cold pool and it made him so light-headed that when he got out he passed out... and fell.  It could have been much worse but the poor guy had a headache all weekend.  And I definitely got some suspicious looks when we went to the temple the next evening and at church.  

Thankfully, it has healed up very quickly.  We like to joke that he is a bit like Wolverine from the X-men.

Homeschool-

I began this month by asking Atticus a few questions about home school.  His replies surprised me:

• What is working well?  "My attitude is getting better."
• What has been your favorite part?  "That I get to stay with you."
• What isn't working well?  "When we do school."
• How can we improve that? "Wake up earlier so it's done before the other kids (his siblings) wake up." 
• Later that evening he added that he wanted to work out as a part of school.

While we haven't been perfect at implementing these new ideas, we are trying and home school is often very enjoyable. 

We learned about George Washington the first week of the month and studied the Revolutionary War for the rest of the month with a book I highly recommend: Unlikely Heroes by Ron Carter.  

We watched numerous episodes of Liberty's Kids, and made cannons with toilet paper rolls that shot cotton balls as cannon balls.

We read The Secret Garden and watched the movie, drew our dream gardens and then got started planting some tomato seeds, with plans to plant cilantro and some honeysuckle as soon as it warms up.

We studied France and listened to some of my very favorite musicals: Les Miserables, The Phantom of the Opera and The Scarlet Pimpernel.  We even watched The Scarlet Pimpernel with Jane Seymour.  We also watched Horatio Hornblower with Gregory Peck and Heidi with Shirley Temple.  The boys loved it all.

We loved all of the French food we tried.  We made crepes, ratatouille, cassoulet and bought croissants and  baguettes.  It was all tres deliciuex.

We also studied Switzerland.  While we LOVED the story of William Tell so much that we decided to retell it (see the Youtube video below) we did not love the muesli that we tried.  Hinckley, whose favorite breakfast is still oatmeal, almost shouted, "This oitmul is bad!" while Atticus spat his out in the sink.  I don't blame them.  It wasn't my favorite, either.

That's all for now, folks!

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.