New Year - new list to procrastinate
The blog being the top of that procrastination list!
Most of what's on my list is not essential to get done, so while I'm keeping up with everything from diapers to youth activities, I'm letting that list just simmer for a while.
We'll just fly through everything from Thanksgiving to New year's day and then some to catch you up!
Rob finished his first semester in grad school with an A in his first class. This semester he's taking 2 classes (maybe a 3rd quasi-class). Gideon, like Seth in his baby years, is getting a little college in early!
Thanksgiving was great and simple. We went out to eat this year with Rob's family. We only made desserts. (Natalie helped with the lattice work on the pie.)
Then we decorated for Christmas (before the weekend was over - it was the only way it was getting done, and I'm glad that goal happened.)
Next year task: check ALL the lights before stringing the tree. (We did buy more for the bottom section.)
GIDEON BREAK
(Life sometimes pauses when you have a toddler - either because he has destroyed something or because you want to savor the moment, so the blog will also pause in our stories to show his crazy moments and the little things I don't want to forget.
The first one is probably weird, but I love seeing his little wet footprints on the rug after bath time.
(Those are size 6 little foot prints by the way!)
Lampshade head! (He actually did get that stuck, so I had to remove it and put it away.)
Oh, sigh....If the school year doesn't break a little, it might break me. The twins have great teachers that are organized, good communicators, and have awesome ideas. But the work load is just about to drive me crazy! Despite being annoyed at all the homework, I am proud of the girls' work eithic. These are projects for the "Chinese Artifact Museum" project on Chinese Dynasties.
Gideon Break: First Ice Cream Cone, unassisted.
Oh, sigh....I think I deserve the extra credit with Seth!
As extra credit for biology, Seth was given the choice to make yeast bread or make yogurt (or something like that...cheese? Whatever - something I didn't know how to make). Please, choose the yeast bread Seth! He did. So we made cinnamon rolls.
And Seth has become social, so he wanted to invite over a friend to do this with him. They had to do the work, and I talked them through the steps and took videos (the teacher needed video of students doing the work for the credit).
His friend pays attention to his family as they made Indian breads, so he was actually pretty adept in the kitchen. His kneading style was different than mine, but he didn't have dough hands like Seth did after 2 minutes. Seth, on the other hand, was the comic relief. I think he will be buying his bread products in the future. They turned out ok, but I have never had so much trouble with directions in the kitchen!
Our Christmas card picture
Gideon Break: just some cute pictures
This time it was science fair projects. In DECEMBER. (What is wrong with our district?? This was a district mandated thing and teachers had to comply.)
Natalie made a hand thing with a partner and Kaitlyn did an absorption experiment using oil with her partner. Thankfully, both live within minutes of our house and I know both moms. But still...during Christmas season!?!
Kaitlyn's band concert. Middle School gym. Limited seating. Bad Acoustics. But good band director and good job playing the music. We watched from the "balcony" around the gym where the music classrooms are located.
Kaitlyn is in beginner band. She was chosen to direct one of their songs. Go Kaitlyn! (They had to audition for this.) See her in the black flowery shirt? She now owns a conducting wand.
She plays the clarinet. (Second chair in this picture. She and her friend tend to hop between first and second chair.)
Taken at the ward Christmas party at church. It's not a Christmas-card picture, but I think it's funny. Check out the varying levels of happiness, dress, and cooperation. :)
(Note on Seth: That shirt survived trek last summer.)
Seth got a pea coat for Christmas. He loved it so much, he wore it for about 3 days straight. (He got it before Christmas because he already knew it was coming and it was so cold the weekend we got it.)
We ended our self-reliance class we took at church. (12-week personal finance course)
We enjoyed it and highly recommend it to others, even if you think you don't need it!
We do a piano recital every year (Spring and Christmas), and this was my first with additional students.
I set up the den for our YouTube broadcast so it was "picture perfect".
Mom suggested I get a picture with all the kids I teach.
("Teach" is a loose description for my older kids who are more being guided and allowed to move themselves through their books as they are past beginner levels.)
I am really enjoying teaching piano. I'm working on experience now; hoping to teach more later.
We fit in a trip to the lights at the zoo (included with our membership).
Carolyn was "too tired" to go, so we let her teenage self stay home (with the expectation of a shower and early bed, which she followed through on). Turns out she really was too tired...she ended up being sick. I never was sure what, but she ran a fever for 2 days and just couldn't pull herself out of bed without getting dizzy. So she's in none of these pics.
He left on the hat!
Gideon got a car for Christmas (also given early since we had no way to get this to my parents and back easily).
Gideon Break!
He learned to climb up the stool (and could have gotten onto the counter if I hadn't pulled him down after the photo). He is becoming a climber.
We did Rob's parents house before Christmas - bowling was the main outing. (Unfortunately, I didn't take many other pictures...just lots and lots of bowling pictures and a few of my niece's birthday party that same weekend.)
In case you're wondering, I still am so bad at bowling that most of the kids beat my score!
Gideon Break! "EAR"
We were riding in the van with Seth chatting away to a friend and Gideon starts yelling. I realized he was yelling "Ear! Ear!" I told him: Seth, he wants your ear. So, Seth gave it to him.
The kids are starting to really find fun in playing around with music lately. It makes me happy; music should be fun!
Christmas presents, downtime, and fun
Gideon Break:
Matching cousins. (His face is half covered with his toy but he's adorable. And putting Gideon to shame with hair growth! He's a year younger.)
We went to get an oil change; Gideon dragged that toy from the play area all the way over to where Rob and I were sitting.
Time to un-decorate! Gideon has been working on that for weeks! The tree has had enough! (And so have I. I'm done with decorations on Dec. 26. We took them down on the 28th, and I'm still finding little green tree bits every time I sweep and vacuum!)
More cousin time at New Year's eve. This one's a few months older than Gideon (he's got her beat in weight and language, but I believe she's winning in cooperation and friendliness.)
Car! (Sorry for the blurry face.) He wanted to sit in the block wagon constantly.
Kaitlyn was trying to eat dessert and was cornered by the monsters!
(I went and got them a bowl to share.)
Happy New Year!
2019
This was kind of Gideon's first park play time where he was actually old enough to play.
And then we got our ice cream treats from Sonic (a Christmas gift-card gift)
Back to School. sigh.
It's dark and early (it's winter), but Alee went back in curls and cat ears to face another few months of 3rd grade aggravation.
Gideon Break:
Gideon is VERY jealous when either of us holds another baby.
First Zoo trip just for Gideon (and not as a tag-a-long baby in the stroller unaware of where we are).
Favorite animals, in order: flamingos, penguins, elephants.
He learned to throw/catch a ball (at very short range).
He also loves music, and claps at all music (whether it's a hymn in church we just sang or a one-note song he played on the piano). Today he was banging a metal bowl on the toy kitchen and then clapping for himself (apparently, it sounded musical to him). I probably should have gone with it, but it was ear-crashing! He learned the word "noise" as I explained that this was not music; that is noise.
Good news/bad news - the twins BOTH made it into the science fair, so we had to get together with partners Saturday afternoon so they could do project boards. Thankfully, I had housekeeping things planned for Saturday anyways, so it wasn't too crunched, just one more thing to get done (and less time for something non-school related).
I mostly just cleaned up, but Rob and Seth took down the awful bi-fold doors of the playroom closet and replaced them with normal double doors that have hinges and door knobs and open.
(We also used some Lowe's gift cards we've acquired recently to change all the interior door knobs. All of them look nice, match, lock, turn, and function. It's great. It's the detail changes that make so much difference sometimes.)
And we've been doing our new scripture study book "Come, Follow Me" of the New Testament. Gideon mostly runs around the room and makes noise, but we have these that he got for Christmas. I call them his "Jesus Blocks" that he gets while we study the scriptures.
I need to see if we have a board book of bible stories from the other kids, or get him one.
Gideon Break: I need TWO pacies (how do you spell paci plural??)
One thing that is a little frustrating sometimes is he seems to have a easy to upset stomach. If he gets too wild after eating, he spits up (or throws up...it looks like spit up usually, but sometimes it's more gross.)
After trying to get him to eat supper (which was breakfast) last week, he wanted none of it (my first kid that doesn't like eggs!), but the hashbrown casserole was his least favorite. Rob tried to trick him into eating it with his favorite condiment (or food...yes, sometimes he eats ketchup by licking it off the thing he's supposed to be eating). No go. He gagged on the hashbrown casserole and after revisiting his last bites, we decided he could eat whatever he wanted that night so we could eat in peace.
Today was his first day of nursery. He went in so fast and happily that Rob didn't get a picture before he was excused to go to class, and Seth picked him up (so obviously, no picture then either). All we've got is this little picture through the peephole on the door window! He's the one in plaid (bald kid) in the middle of the room.
He was great! Went in and stayed the whole time (granted, it's now 50 minutes with the new 2-hour schedule instead of the hour and 50 minutes the others stayed for nursery), and he was happy for them!
I hope it wasn't just beginner's luck and that he continues to enjoy his little class and makes friends.
I found these in my notes and can't remember if I posted them before. They're worth reposting, even if they are months old.
The kids were having a funny conversation among themselves in the backseat of the van.
Kaitlyn made a comment that we overheard and Rob stopped them to tell them that what Kaitlyn had started saying reminded him of this old guy in a movie and what he said. He went on to quote the movie.
Natalie said, "Hey, dad said you reminded him of an old guy! She does have the glasses chain...."
Kaitlyn reading a letter from her second cousin: "Her great aunt Rachel broke her leg. That's sad." (We told her, That's Memere to you!) "Oh!"
Midnight...I am going to be non-functional in the morning. Thank goodness Monday is lunchables day!
Most of what's on my list is not essential to get done, so while I'm keeping up with everything from diapers to youth activities, I'm letting that list just simmer for a while.
We'll just fly through everything from Thanksgiving to New year's day and then some to catch you up!
Rob finished his first semester in grad school with an A in his first class. This semester he's taking 2 classes (maybe a 3rd quasi-class). Gideon, like Seth in his baby years, is getting a little college in early!
Thanksgiving was great and simple. We went out to eat this year with Rob's family. We only made desserts. (Natalie helped with the lattice work on the pie.)
Then we decorated for Christmas (before the weekend was over - it was the only way it was getting done, and I'm glad that goal happened.)
Next year task: check ALL the lights before stringing the tree. (We did buy more for the bottom section.)
GIDEON BREAK
(Life sometimes pauses when you have a toddler - either because he has destroyed something or because you want to savor the moment, so the blog will also pause in our stories to show his crazy moments and the little things I don't want to forget.
The first one is probably weird, but I love seeing his little wet footprints on the rug after bath time.
(Those are size 6 little foot prints by the way!)
Oh, sigh....If the school year doesn't break a little, it might break me. The twins have great teachers that are organized, good communicators, and have awesome ideas. But the work load is just about to drive me crazy! Despite being annoyed at all the homework, I am proud of the girls' work eithic. These are projects for the "Chinese Artifact Museum" project on Chinese Dynasties.
Gideon Break: First Ice Cream Cone, unassisted.
Oh, sigh....I think I deserve the extra credit with Seth!
As extra credit for biology, Seth was given the choice to make yeast bread or make yogurt (or something like that...cheese? Whatever - something I didn't know how to make). Please, choose the yeast bread Seth! He did. So we made cinnamon rolls.
And Seth has become social, so he wanted to invite over a friend to do this with him. They had to do the work, and I talked them through the steps and took videos (the teacher needed video of students doing the work for the credit).
His friend pays attention to his family as they made Indian breads, so he was actually pretty adept in the kitchen. His kneading style was different than mine, but he didn't have dough hands like Seth did after 2 minutes. Seth, on the other hand, was the comic relief. I think he will be buying his bread products in the future. They turned out ok, but I have never had so much trouble with directions in the kitchen!
Our Christmas card picture
Gideon Break: just some cute pictures
This time it was science fair projects. In DECEMBER. (What is wrong with our district?? This was a district mandated thing and teachers had to comply.)
Natalie made a hand thing with a partner and Kaitlyn did an absorption experiment using oil with her partner. Thankfully, both live within minutes of our house and I know both moms. But still...during Christmas season!?!
Kaitlyn's band concert. Middle School gym. Limited seating. Bad Acoustics. But good band director and good job playing the music. We watched from the "balcony" around the gym where the music classrooms are located.
Kaitlyn is in beginner band. She was chosen to direct one of their songs. Go Kaitlyn! (They had to audition for this.) See her in the black flowery shirt? She now owns a conducting wand.
She plays the clarinet. (Second chair in this picture. She and her friend tend to hop between first and second chair.)
Taken at the ward Christmas party at church. It's not a Christmas-card picture, but I think it's funny. Check out the varying levels of happiness, dress, and cooperation. :)
Seth got a pea coat for Christmas. He loved it so much, he wore it for about 3 days straight. (He got it before Christmas because he already knew it was coming and it was so cold the weekend we got it.)
We ended our self-reliance class we took at church. (12-week personal finance course)
We enjoyed it and highly recommend it to others, even if you think you don't need it!
We do a piano recital every year (Spring and Christmas), and this was my first with additional students.
I set up the den for our YouTube broadcast so it was "picture perfect".
Mom suggested I get a picture with all the kids I teach.
("Teach" is a loose description for my older kids who are more being guided and allowed to move themselves through their books as they are past beginner levels.)
We fit in a trip to the lights at the zoo (included with our membership).
Carolyn was "too tired" to go, so we let her teenage self stay home (with the expectation of a shower and early bed, which she followed through on). Turns out she really was too tired...she ended up being sick. I never was sure what, but she ran a fever for 2 days and just couldn't pull herself out of bed without getting dizzy. So she's in none of these pics.
Gideon got a car for Christmas (also given early since we had no way to get this to my parents and back easily).
Gideon Break!
He learned to climb up the stool (and could have gotten onto the counter if I hadn't pulled him down after the photo). He is becoming a climber.
We did Rob's parents house before Christmas - bowling was the main outing. (Unfortunately, I didn't take many other pictures...just lots and lots of bowling pictures and a few of my niece's birthday party that same weekend.)
In case you're wondering, I still am so bad at bowling that most of the kids beat my score!
Gideon Break! "EAR"
We were riding in the van with Seth chatting away to a friend and Gideon starts yelling. I realized he was yelling "Ear! Ear!" I told him: Seth, he wants your ear. So, Seth gave it to him.
The kids are starting to really find fun in playing around with music lately. It makes me happy; music should be fun!
Christmas presents, downtime, and fun
Gideon Break:
Matching cousins. (His face is half covered with his toy but he's adorable. And putting Gideon to shame with hair growth! He's a year younger.)
We went to get an oil change; Gideon dragged that toy from the play area all the way over to where Rob and I were sitting.
Time to un-decorate! Gideon has been working on that for weeks! The tree has had enough! (And so have I. I'm done with decorations on Dec. 26. We took them down on the 28th, and I'm still finding little green tree bits every time I sweep and vacuum!)
More cousin time at New Year's eve. This one's a few months older than Gideon (he's got her beat in weight and language, but I believe she's winning in cooperation and friendliness.)
Car! (Sorry for the blurry face.) He wanted to sit in the block wagon constantly.
Kaitlyn was trying to eat dessert and was cornered by the monsters!
(I went and got them a bowl to share.)
Happy New Year!
2019
To finish her Faith in God booklet for the childrens' program at church (which she graduates from this month), Natalie needed to plan a parent-child activity, so she planned a trip to the park where we walked/biked there and back. (Good exercise for the new year.)
This was kind of Gideon's first park play time where he was actually old enough to play.
And then we got our ice cream treats from Sonic (a Christmas gift-card gift)
Back to School. sigh.
It's dark and early (it's winter), but Alee went back in curls and cat ears to face another few months of 3rd grade aggravation.
Gideon Break:
Gideon is VERY jealous when either of us holds another baby.
First Zoo trip just for Gideon (and not as a tag-a-long baby in the stroller unaware of where we are).
Favorite animals, in order: flamingos, penguins, elephants.
18 month well child check up. He hated everything (except when the nurse/doctor left us alone - he was ok with that). I even had to get on the scale with him and without him so they could get his weight. We had to hold him down for height measurement, and his eye check (a cool technology photo scan) was all sad teary eyes. But we survived, and with 2 shots. (He wasn't even happy about the truck bandaids and fought me about leaving them on.)
Height: 32 3/4"
Weight: 27 lb
He also loves music, and claps at all music (whether it's a hymn in church we just sang or a one-note song he played on the piano). Today he was banging a metal bowl on the toy kitchen and then clapping for himself (apparently, it sounded musical to him). I probably should have gone with it, but it was ear-crashing! He learned the word "noise" as I explained that this was not music; that is noise.
Good news/bad news - the twins BOTH made it into the science fair, so we had to get together with partners Saturday afternoon so they could do project boards. Thankfully, I had housekeeping things planned for Saturday anyways, so it wasn't too crunched, just one more thing to get done (and less time for something non-school related).
And we've been doing our new scripture study book "Come, Follow Me" of the New Testament. Gideon mostly runs around the room and makes noise, but we have these that he got for Christmas. I call them his "Jesus Blocks" that he gets while we study the scriptures.
I need to see if we have a board book of bible stories from the other kids, or get him one.
Gideon Break: I need TWO pacies (how do you spell paci plural??)
One thing that is a little frustrating sometimes is he seems to have a easy to upset stomach. If he gets too wild after eating, he spits up (or throws up...it looks like spit up usually, but sometimes it's more gross.)
After trying to get him to eat supper (which was breakfast) last week, he wanted none of it (my first kid that doesn't like eggs!), but the hashbrown casserole was his least favorite. Rob tried to trick him into eating it with his favorite condiment (or food...yes, sometimes he eats ketchup by licking it off the thing he's supposed to be eating). No go. He gagged on the hashbrown casserole and after revisiting his last bites, we decided he could eat whatever he wanted that night so we could eat in peace.
Today was his first day of nursery. He went in so fast and happily that Rob didn't get a picture before he was excused to go to class, and Seth picked him up (so obviously, no picture then either). All we've got is this little picture through the peephole on the door window! He's the one in plaid (bald kid) in the middle of the room.
He was great! Went in and stayed the whole time (granted, it's now 50 minutes with the new 2-hour schedule instead of the hour and 50 minutes the others stayed for nursery), and he was happy for them!
I hope it wasn't just beginner's luck and that he continues to enjoy his little class and makes friends.
I found these in my notes and can't remember if I posted them before. They're worth reposting, even if they are months old.
The kids were having a funny conversation among themselves in the backseat of the van.
Kaitlyn made a comment that we overheard and Rob stopped them to tell them that what Kaitlyn had started saying reminded him of this old guy in a movie and what he said. He went on to quote the movie.
Natalie said, "Hey, dad said you reminded him of an old guy! She does have the glasses chain...."
Kaitlyn reading a letter from her second cousin: "Her great aunt Rachel broke her leg. That's sad." (We told her, That's Memere to you!) "Oh!"
Midnight...I am going to be non-functional in the morning. Thank goodness Monday is lunchables day!
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