Screen Free Week

I'm so proud of myself. Screen Free Week was May 5-11 this year. I prepared early and had blog posts scheduled for while I wasn't on. Yay. 

Of course, there was a lot of screen time because everything with school is screens nowadays, assignments, emails (including me having to check emails), texts, etc. Sigh.

Back in my day (insert old person speak), we didn't send all our homework assignments over the internet. We didn't even have the internet when I was in elementary school and middle school. Why, I remember having to pull the encyclopedias off my dad's bookshelf to look up information for my report on cats. That's right. I did a report about cats- domestic cats. You know the reason cats always land on their feet? Well, I do. I had it in my report, my handwritten report that I turned into my teacher in class. These kids nowadays... they write a report and the teacher can instantly see it. All this newfangled technology. It's everywhere.

O.K. That's enough of that. This newfangled technology is actually very handy with family history. I was able to have blog posts scheduled and get caught up even when I wasn't on the computer myself. Nice.

 

So... about Screen Free Week.

 

Monday, May 5, was Cinco de Mayo. We had pork salad bowls (kind of like at Cafe Rio). Yummmmmm. I made tortilla bowls to put them in, had rice, beans, lettuce, pork, cilantro lime dressing, and whatever else. We didn't all have the same in our bowls. 

That day was also a rainy day (we've had several rainy days in the last couple weeks) so the snails were out. I actually found one crawling down the van door. That means it had to somehow get up for it to be crawling down. I moved it off before driving as I didn't know what would happen to it otherwise.

I went for a brief walk at the lake. Definitely stormy with all the choppy water. 

After dinner, we had Family Home Evening. Our activity since it was Screen Free Week was going to the Orem Library and picking out a book each (and some of the kids picked out a board game as well). 

Libby the Librantula was out so I said, "Hi," to her while we were there.

 

Apparently nothing of significance happened on Tuesday, May 6. The lake was still choppy. 

Wednesday, May 7, was a busy day. Both Lucky and Jr. had performances that day. 

Lucky joined a whole bunch of 5th graders to do "Hope of America." See him in this picture? Right there. Right there in the red shirt. 

Actually Jeremy could point out which one he was because they were there early enough he could see him before all the seats got filled and memorized which row and how far in he was. The students made an American flag.

And here they are all shining. 

 

Jr. had his last orchestra concert that same night. I went to watch him in that.

He also got a couple awards. One for being "Most Consistent Cellist" and a paper plate award for being "the beautiful newsboy" since he played in the pit orchestra for both Beauty and the Beast (twice) and Newsies.

 

Ha Ha Ha. Now that Screen Free Week is over, I haven't had as much time on the computer for blogging. This is all I'm able to blog about for now. I'll talk about the rest of Screen Free Week later.

 

Jet: Can I write for a little bit?

This is his typing (abbreviated by me).

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It's May!!!

We reached May 1. You know what that means? 

Bridal Veil Falls is open! I made a quick stop that morning to check that the road really was open then three of my children went on a walk with me in the evening. We walked by the falls and all the way to Bridal Veil Park and back. I thought it would tucker out my youngest but he still had a lot of energy when we got home. Sigh.

 

May 2 was Baby Day. Lucky made "baby" pasta (small shells) and I have to share more cuteness from my youngest.

For dinner we had baby hot dogs (li'l smokies), baby muffins, baby carrots, and mini jalapeno popper egg rolls. Jet called the egg rolls "baby poppers" and decided since they were babies, to make up a lullaby to sing to them. He even cradled one in his hand to rock it while singing. He's so stinkin' adorable.

 

May 4 was International Respect for Chickens Day, World Laughter Day, National Orange Juice Day, and Star Wars Day. May the Fourth be with you.

You know you live in a cool ward when the bishopric member who is conducting Sacrament Meeting mentions Star Wars Day over the pulpit and the sister sitting next to you in choir is wearing tie fighter earrings.

We drank orange juice.
Jr. Jr. gave me this piece of advice on International Respect for Chickens Day: Remember, Mom. Whenever you see a dancing chicken, make sure it doesn't have any carrots.

 

Tell me, please. Do you have a child as random or as awesome? Yes. He makes me laugh.

 

I made sweet and sour sauce from Shelf Cooking 101 by Jordan Page and put it on chicken with rice and pineapple and green bell pepper. It reminded me of when I was in college and there was this eating place called Teriyaki Stix and I would sometimes get their sweet and sour bowl with rice, chicken, pineapple, and green bell pepper. Yumm.

Other April thins

Because of the laugh I got with "Other Narch thins," I now present "Other April thins," in no particular order:

My soon to be sister-in-law (more on that later) had a birthday in April so Jet had a pretend birthday cake. He blew out the candles and "ate" it. So cute. She got a kick out of it when I told her. He's been on a birthday cake kick lately.

 

Cuteness.

Haircuts before and after. Wow, that haircut took a lot of years off. 

It kind of reminds me how when my brother-in-law was a young teacher, he had to keep facial hair so he wouldn't be mistaken for a high school student.

 

Jet likes to help me spin lettuce. Well... he likes to use the lettuce spinner. He's learned something new he can do with it. He takes a toy helicopter, puts it on the top and pushes the top down and locks it. Then he releases the top and makes the helicopter fly. Tee Hee. I love it.

 

We've been eating yummy food. Some obviously came from A Season of Family Meal Plans by Jordan Page, some from other sources. I really enjoyed those red beans and rice with hush puppies last year and looked forward to it this year. I was not disappointed. 

The baby doll head is making an appearance again.

 

You know who is getting into placing it now? Jet. That's who. He climbed up so he could put it in the cupboard. Sigh.

Jet's Turn

Jet is a cutie. He definitely learns by example. He sees me type on the keyboard and wants to do it, too. So what does he do? He types on the number pad. So cute! 

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Catching Up April 2025 part 4

April 27 was Tell a Story Day. I told the kids a story. I don't remember what story I told them but I did. It was probably another family history story. 

Wait. I remember. We started looking through pictures to find a baby picture of Jr. for seminary graduation. We found some pictures of Jeremy and me from when we were dating and told the kids some stories about hiking up Rock Canyon in the snow with my brother to get pictures.

Oh, good memories. And silly memories. You see where our kids get it?

I love that I've had Jeremy in my life longer than I haven't. I look forward to the time that I've been married to him longer than I haven't. It won't be long.

Jeremy also told the kids the story behind this photo he got of a black gibbon (at the Hogle Zoo while we were dating).

It was yawning.

 

April 28 was Terry Pratchett's Birthday. I continued to read Wyrd Sisters. The kids watched Going Postal.

It was also Blueberry Pie Day so I made Thronis's Blueberry Pie from The Fablehaven Cookbook. Yumm.

It was also Great Poetry Reading Day. I read a little bit of poetry.

Another Busy Day

Saturday, April 26, was a busy day. Nichole and I got some bonding time in when we went to a Page Company Warehouse Sale together. We got some planners and I got my hug from Jordan Page. As usual she had to bend down to my level and I stood on my toes for a picture. 

You know I love her cookbooks. I've gotten some good advice from her as well. We're all just trying to make it through. I told my husband when I got home that Jordan is going through some struggles that I'm not going through and I'm going through some struggles that she's not going through but we're sisters. As sisters we support each other how we can. We can cheer each other on, give each other hugs, pray for each other.

It was nice to be able to chat with her for a bit at the warehouse sale. It was also nice to get a free gift because we got there before it opened. Tee hee.

After we got home, and after some stuff we had to deal with, Jeremy took Nichole and Lucky with him to see the play, Newsies. Jr. was in the pit orchestra for it. I'm glad he's having these experiences.

I started making Muriel's Pretzel Knots from The Fablehaven Cookbook for National Pretzel Day. When Jeremy and posse got home, Nichole made taquitos. I was not able to finish the pretzel knots before Jr. Jr. and I headed out to have our bonding time watching the play so my sweet family finished them for me. 

I enjoyed the play, loved the music, and am proud of Jr. again.

When we got home I got my taquitos and pretzel knots. Yumm.

April 26 was also National Audubon Day. Nichole and I saw a robin while waiting to go into the warehouse sale but it was too busy of a day to go birding.

Perfect Date

April 25 was Arbor Day. I went for a walk in a place with trees... and birds. I got to see a couple of spotted sandpipers and killdeer. So many killdeer. 

It was a beautiful birding morning. 

 

April 25 was also Perfect Date Day because, "it's not too hot, not too cold. All you need is a light jacket." Jeremy and I went on a date. We stopped by the library to pick up Miss Congeniality (which we never got around to watching) and went to Deer Creek Reservoir to eat dinner in the van and look for loons.

We found one that Jeremy named Claire. Think about that for a moment? Classical music fans? 

Claire the Loon. 

The weather was just right for wearing our light jackets.

 

At home the kids ate fish sticks and watched The Super Mario Bros. Movie for National Plumbers Day, World Penguin Day, and National Telephone Day, all on April 25.