Spouses Day (Observed)

We learned another new holiday from the national days calendar. Spouses Day was January 26. Jeremy and I planned to play a game that night since we haven't been able to do any activities like that together for a while (It's a good thing we went on so many dates last year before the baby arrived). I got tired and fell asleep and Jeremy let me... because he's a great spouse.
So the day after Spouse's Day we celebrated it. We watched a movie and ate popcorn together (we haven't done that for a while, either). Jet was there for part of the time but I made it through the whole movie without falling asleep.
I don't have any pictures from that holiday or holiday observed. But speaking of spouses, when Lucky was born, at the hospital they told us we could get a complimentary meal for Jeremy so he and I could have a meal together, a little date before the baby and I went home. Unfortunately, two of our children got sick so Jeremy spent most of his time at home taking care of sick kids while Lucky and I were in the hospital. We never got our meal together.
When Jet and I were at the hospital, none of the kids at home were sick so Jeremy and I got our meal together since that hospital had the same thing with the complimentary meal.

Woohoo. Love time with my husband.

Perhaps You'd Like to Chew... On Your Fist

We celebrated Chinese New Year on January 25. It's the year of the rat, the metal rat.
I love how "helpful" our children are. I wanted to get a picture of the Chinese food we made (Jeremy made most of it, I wrapped the egg rolls). I had my arms full of baby again so Lucky offered to take a picture of the food. What a sweetie. Of course even standing on a chair he was too short to get all the food in the picture from the angle he was at but it's the thought that counts.

Jeremy was also a sweetie and held Jet while I ate.

There have been times in the past where we have watched Kung Fu Panda for Chinese New Year. Fun movie. There is a line toward the beginning of the movie where a character says, "I see you like to chew. Perhaps you'd like to chew... on my fist." Jet has gotten into chewing on his fist lately, including on Chinese New Year so we've been going around saying, "Perhaps you'd like to chew... on your fist." It's the small things, I tell you.

After dinner and fortune cookies, Jeremy took the four kids (as compared to the one baby) to the mall for the Chinese New Year celebration over there.

Apparently it was very foggy that night so instead of coming home when they were done, they hung out in the van until it was time for fireworks. We can normally watch the mall fireworks from our house, but not in that kind of fog.

While they were gone, I celebrated a little of A Room of One's Own Day, also January 25. I often spend quite a bit of time in my room anyway with this new baby in cold/flu season (I look forward to Spring but I'm glad I'm not stir crazy). While Jet slept, I got out my new foot spa I got for Christmas and was using it while wearing my comfy new bathrobe when Jeremy and the kids got back.

Earlier in the day I did get the room to myself to take a nap while Jeremy took care of Jet. Thanks, Jeremy. And thanks, Jet, for being content while I got some rest.

Don't Forget the Peanut Butter

January 24 was National Peanut Butter Day. For dinner I made pancakes upon which we could put peanut butter and raspberry syrup. I may have been the only one who actually used peanut butter. Sigh.

Earlier in the day, I finally made a smoothie because I finally found the time. It's been a while but I really wanted one. I got the blender out and started putting in ingredients. I got the frozen berries in there. I got the bananas in there. I got yogurt and milk in there. I blended it all up and tasted it but I couldn't figure out why it didn't taste how I wanted it to taste. I explained it to Jeremy and he asked, "Don't you usually put a little peanut butter in there?" Oh ho ho. On Peanut Butter Day, too. Silly me. I put the peanut butter in and all was well.

Handwriting Day

January 23 was Pie Day. I had ideas. Originally I was going to make an impossible cheeseburger pie for dinner and apple pie (if I felt up to it) or chocolate pudding pie for dessert. Unfortunately, I caught another cold and wasn't feeling so well that day. Fortunately I had casseroles in the fridge so dinner just had to be put in the oven. So I thought we'd just have a dessert pie. I knew I didn't feel like making an apple pie but I could ask one of the kids to make a pudding pie. We never got around to it. Oh well.

January 23 was also National Handwriting Day. Nichole got a calligraphy set for Christmas so she decided to celebrate with that. Good excuse to practice for a beginner.

Polka Dot Day

January 22 was Polka Dot Day. I covered something with a polka dot piece of cloth. I'd been meaning to for a long time but this holiday really motivated me to finally do it.

We also celebrated my brother's birthday with the kids eating ice cream and watching "Paco videos."

And... Lucky's first loose tooth came out. He was very excited and Jr. Jr. was excited to share an older child's wisdom about rinsing the tooth and putting it under his pillow.

Lucky very carefully put it under the side of the pillow he doesn't sleep on so he wouldn't accidentally crush the tooth fairy. What a thoughtful boy.

Granola Bar Day

January 21 is Squirrel Appreciation Day. We didn't do anything to celebrate that. January 21 is also National Hug Day. There were hugs going around in our home. That might be why I've picked up another cold. Sigh.

According to the new "national days" calendar our friends gave us, January 21 is also Granola Bar Day. The kids were happy when I told them they could have granola bars and hot chocolate for after school snack.

It's fun to try out a new holiday.

Penguin Awareness Day 2020

January 20 was Penguin Awareness Day. Since the kids had that day off school, Jeremy took the two oldest on a birding field trip to look for gulls. 

At home, Lucky helped out by doing laundry without complaining so I let him watch Penguins Spy in the Huddle. He had so much fun making me aware of things he was learning while watching the video. I love it.

Jr. Jr. made a penguin out of play-doh. Lucky helped take pictures of it.

Later on, we ate our traditional fish sticks since penguins eat fish.

On a different note, that evening we went over to have Family Home Evening with the couple who were helping us get ready for the Book of Mormon in 2020. We talked about Lehi and Nephi and their family. They sent us home with some scripture figures that we can use in our scripture study and Family Home Evenings.

One of the things that happened in Lehi's family was that Nephi was commanded by the Lord to build a boat so they could cross the ocean. His brothers Laman and Lemuel murmured and told him it was a bad idea. There's a great Primary song about this called "Nephi's Courage." You can find the account of Nephi building the boat in 1 Nephi Chapter 17 of the Book of Mormon, which can be found in the scriptures section of churchofjesuschrist.org (it used to be known as lds.org, which I have mentioned that name in previous blog posts).

Anyway, at one point Nephi showed his brothers that he was filled with the power of God by reaching out and shocking them- enough so they wouldn't continue doubting who the command came from about building the boat.
We had our own shocking activity. The boys took turns sliding down the stairs on mattresses that were set up. As they slid, they built up a static charge so that they could shock whoever was at the bottom waiting. Later, they were able to send balls down as well. They had a blast and I of course enjoyed the social time chatting while they were playing.

It was a pretty good day I'd say.

National Popcorn Day 2020

Sunday, January 19 was National Popcorn Day. Popcorn is often eaten while watching movies. We decide not to watch movies on Sundays in our home (when someone is sick is the exception- distraction is needed). We do consider Bible videos and Book of Mormon videos appropriate since they support the scriptures. So on Sunday, Jeremy was a sweetheart and made popcorn for the kids to eat while watching Book of Mormon videos (he gave up the last of the unpopped popcorn for this). My hero.

January 19 was also Brew a Potion Day but we've had mixed results with that one in the past. We've had good experiences such as having a hot chocolate bar in 2016. We've had not so good experiences such as the food coloring incident of 2013. This year we were going to do the hot chocolate bar again but we didn't get around to it. Oh well. The kids were happy with popcorn.

Winnie-the-Pooh Day 2020

January 18 was Winnie-the-Pooh Day. The kids earned watching The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh by picking up the living room and moving their boxes of Christmas stuff out of the living room finally.

The Christmas KAT's Meow

Jeremy: Name a prophet who told about Jesus before He was born.
Lucky:
Jeremy: Hint- We just read from one in scripture study.
Other kids whisper.
Lucky: Amuel?
Lucky: Salma?
Finally he figured out that Alma and Samuel were both prophets who fit the description.

Other Things That Happened in January

Jeremy, Nichole, and Jr. went on a birding field trip the first day of the year. All three of them are participating in the birding challenge this year so they want to get out there among the birds. It also helps Nichole with a biology assignment.

Yep. Real birders go out in weather like this.

The three of them also went to the annual UCB dinner at the Golden Corral. Since I wasn't able to go, Jeremy made a sign of me holding Jet. It said, "Hi. My name is" then had my name with an arrow pointing to my face and Jet's name with an arrow pointing to his face. The sign was based on my Catch of the Day picture from December 11.
Also at that dinner, Jeremy and I were introduced as new officers in the group's leadership. We get to collect bird of the month articles for the monthly newsletter. It was so nice of them to think of us and ask us to help out in that way.

There's actually been quite a bit of birding already this month for these three.

In 2019 we studied the New Testament for our scripture study. In 2020 we are studying The Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ.
We've challenged everyone to read and finish the Book of Mormon by the end of the year for their personal scripture study, besides us studying it together as a family. Lucky is using a chart from The Friend Magazine for January 2020. He is excited to be reading so many verses (not every single verse of every single chapter for a 6 year old, there's a list). I am amazed at his reading. He was not reading much when he started kindergarten. Now he's reading words like "commandments" and "accomplish." Those are not kindergarten words.

The Friend Magazine has lots of great ideas for studying the Book of Mormon. It also has other fun things. For Family Home Evening treat one night we had cookie dough dip which we dipped graham crackers in. That came from the January 2020 Friend.

A friend gave us a cheese, sausage, crackers set. Jeremy found several kinds of cheese on sale at the store and we had some crackers in the pantry and ham and pepperoni in the freezer. So we had a cheese, meat, and crackers night. The kids had fun trying out the different kinds. The hit of the show, though- the sweet hot mustard that came with the set. Lucky especially loved spreading it on his crackers. It's fun to try something new when the kids are up for it.

Some Celebrations in January

December 31 and January 1- New Year's Eve and Day
We had nachos. Our friend gave us individual sized sparkling cider bottles so we each got one to toast the new year.

At midnight, Jeremy again had the kids starting the year off on the right foot or left in Jr.'s case.

January 4- National Trivia Day
The younger boys and I told each other bits of trivia that day.

With my time (and arms) filled up with baby, I realized I could celebrate some of the same ways I celebrated when Lucky was a baby- watching movies based on the holidays.

January 6- Sherlock Holmes' Birthday
I watched the Sherlock Holmes movie with Robert Downey Jr.

January 8- Elvis' Birthday
I watched an Elvis movie, "Fun in Acapulco."

January 11- National Step in the Puddle and Splash Your Friends Day 
Jeremy was out birding with the older kids that day so they got a picture for me.

January 13- National Rubber Ducky Day
I watched a YouTube video of Ernie singing that song.

January 14- National Hot Pastrami Sandwich Day
We had hot pastrami sandwiches for dinner.

I already blogged about Appreciate a Dragon Day on January 16. 

We didn't celebrate Popeye's birthday on January 17 like we sometimes do. Recently, friends of ours gave us a calendar that lists national holidays. Woohoo. On the calendar are some we already celebrate and some that we don't... yet. One of the holidays listed for January 17 is Hot Buttered Rum Day. Now we're not going to celebrate anything with alcohol but Nichole pointed out that some of the candies we got for Christmas were toffees and some of those toffees had the flavor of butter rum. Ha Ha. Victory. So I handed out butter rum flavored toffees so we could celebrate this holiday that was on the calendar.

Other Things That Happened in December

Jeremy took the kids to our friends' Christmas village again. This time they had a large dancing Santa. The kids took the time to dance along.

Lucky's Christmas party at school was a Polar Express party. Jeremy built his class a balloon train engine like he did for Nichole's kindergarten class back in 2010.

We also had our annual family Polar Express party. Nichole and Jr. provided background music and sound effects as Jeremy read to us.

We tried some new hot chocolate flavors (cookies and cream, malt) and I fell asleep while watching the movie again.

We put Jet in a cute Christmas outfit and he also fell asleep during the party.

Star Wars episode IX The Rise of Skywalker came out in December. For obvious reasons, I didn't go to the showing with friends this time like I did for episodes VII and VIII and Rogue One. This time Jeremy took Nichole. She'd watched all the other movies at school and at home so she was ready. Good bonding time for the two of them. I'll just wait until the movie comes on DVD.
Speaking of bonding time, Jeremy and Jr. got some bonding time in when they went to get an oil change for the van. It's become their thing.
Nichole and Jr. got together with other youth and went caroling to homes in our ward. It was pleasant to hear our neighbors being caroled to then hearing a knock on our door and opening it to see a group of young men singing to us. Way to LightTheWorld, youth.

The kids and Jeremy took some time to demolish the balloon Christmas tree. They had fun with it.