Leap Year Post?

How appropriate that I posted that picture of Majora's Mask yesterday because Jet and I spent a lot of time today lying down looking at that decoration.

Normally on February 29, I like to blog about what big changes have happened in the last four years. Today, however, I'm not feeling well so... you don't get that this Leap Day.
Happy Leap Year anyway.

Baby's Eye View

This is something Jet sees quite often when I'm lying down and he's sitting on my belly. He's really interested in that Majora's Mask Jeremy made for Halloween two years ago.

Hairstyle

When you're going for this look

And you get this

 Tee Hee

Book Report

It's National Rationalization Day today, February 23. I don't want to put the effort into talking about what we've done today. I'm rationalizing that I already have a blog post ready to go so I'm just going to post this:

On November 20, I blogged about a book report Jr. Jr. did on a Brandon Mull book.
For another book report, he picked another Brandon Mull book. This time it was Fablehaven: Secrets of the Dragon Sanctuary. He chose to draw a classroom mural showing a scene from the book. He chose a scene where the characters come up against a hydra. Jr. Jr. made sure to use the scene in the book to get the details on his mural. One of the heads was bigger than the other, one was missing an eye, three of them just had stumps instead of heads, etc. etc.

He again did such a great job and we're proud of him for working so hard.

Random Acts of Kindness Day

February 17 was Random Acts of Kindness Day. It was a chance to look back on some random acts of kindness I've experienced over the last few months.
One evening, there was a knock on our door. When we answered it, there was a group of young women from the ward with a baby blanket in their hands for our little baby (they also gave Nichole a ride home). One side of the blanket has green owls on a blue background. On the other side it has blue owls on a green background. It's a nice big size and so soft. Thanks, young women.

Our kids have been great at entertaining Jet from time to time so I can do things like make dinner. I don't always have to ask them. They just do it.

Jr. is even able to get Jet to sleep sometimes. Bounce baby with foot while reading book. Talent.

On Random Acts of Kindness Day, we watched an episode of Random Acts on BYU TV.
After the boys went to bed, I found Nichole starting to sketch a picture of Jet.

I guess random acts of kindness revolve around baby this year.

Valentine's Day 2020

February 14 was Valentine's Day again this year.
My sweetheart, Jeremy, brought me breakfast in bed. I love him.
For dinner, I attempted to make heart-shaped chocolate chip pancakes. After I finally got one that looked like a heart, I gave up and made regular shaped pancakes. The kids didn't complain about the shape.

Lucky shared candy with everyone. The week before at school, Jr. Jr. and Lucky received candy-grams, a sucker on a card from Mom and Dad. They liked that.

February 14 was also Organ Donor Day, since we're talking about hearts. I talked to my kids about a good friend of mine from high school who had cystic fibrosis. Wonderful girl. We did theatre together. She could juggle better than me in high school. As an adult, she was blessed with new lungs because someone was an organ donor. She lived to be in her thirties, had a good life, a good husband, cats, she knitted, and did a lot of wonderful things for others. When she finally did pass away, it happened in such a way that some of her organs were able to be used for others. I will always remember my friend with fondness and recognize her as a very loving person (which is appropriate for Valentine's Day). Thank you, friend, for your amazing life and example.

Peppermint Patty Day

February 11 was Peppermint Patty Day. Jeremy and I each ate one. 

I saved them from Christmas for this specific purpose. Well, they were leftover from Christmas and before I got to eating them, I found out about Peppermint Patty Day, so then I saved them.
I believe Nichole also had some left over so I told her about the holiday.
That day was also National White Shirt Day. I washed two.

Influences From the Past

I mentioned before how some ways we've been celebrating in 2020 are similar to how we celebrated in 2014. I noticed that by looking back at my blog from 2014. Lately I've been looking back at 2014, not just to see the similarities, but to get ideas for 2020.
I had the idea to make astronaut sandwiches for the anniversary of when Alan Shepard hit golf balls on the moon on February 6.

Then looking at the blog from 2014, I saw that one of the ways we celebrated was by watching a NASA YouTube video of Alan Shepard hitting those golf balls. So guess what we did this year. Jr. Jr., Lucky, and I watched that video after I read about us doing it in 2014.

I See Me

Sick season is no fun. It just seems like one thing after another. Yuck.

But you know what is fun? Sitting on Mom's lap while she's recovering, looking at yourself on her cell phone camera.

Thank you, Jet. You were very helpful. And I'm glad we're over that trouble for now.

The KAT's Meow

Jeremy: Learn from your mistakes.
Jr. Jr.: And eat some apple pie.



We made a new word.
Geursmflot- the result of falling down
Example: I'm afraid you'll fall off the chair and geursmflot.



Jr. Jr.: Can I eat you (dad) for breakfast?
Dad: No.
Jr.: Why not?
Dad: Because you shouldn't have "Pop" for breakfast.

Valentine Dance

The kindergarteners at the school had a Valentine Dance. They were to bring a parent, preferably Mom for the boys and Dad for the girls.

Lucky expected Dad to come with him since I don't go anywhere without Jet and siblings weren't allowed at this dance. He was surprised then when it was almost time to go and he found Mom dressed up and planning to attend this dance. It was only an hour long event and we had a blast.

We got our picture taken,

we had refreshments,

there was a presentation in the middle where the kindergarteners sang a few songs to the parents,

and we danced 

and danced

and danced.

I am so glad it worked out that I was able to go. I really enjoyed that bonding time with Lucky and I want to thank my sweetheart, Jeremy, for making it possible and for taking such good care of our baby while I was away from him.

Catch of the Day

 

I wanted this one because of a picture of Lucky I posted on December 26, 2013 when he was an infant. Jet is older in his picture but they are both wearing the same outfit. So cute.

Joy Is...

Listening to your children play a duet together on their stringed instruments.

Another Grand Lunch

Back in October, Jeremy, Lucky, and I went to lunch at the elementary school with Jr. Jr. Recently, Jeremy and Lucky went to lunch again with Jr. Jr. for the "Grand Lunch." They again had fun and enjoyed their bonding time together.

I absolutely love my family.

Homemade Soup Day 2020

February 4 was Homemade Soup Day. Great excuse for making chicken noodle soup. Very helpful for all the sickness that's been going around.

 And this is just a cute picture to put on here even if these two were not sick when I took it.

Snow Day!

My children's first ever snow day- school being canceled because of the weather. The weather wasn't actually that bad around here so Jeremy took Nichole and Jr. birding.

The other two school age boys might have missed school that day anyway due to illness but because school was canceled, they didn't miss anything. They were feeling much better by the next day.
In fact, while Jeremy and the older two were gone, the boys already felt up to setting up and knocking down dominoes.

I felt up to making carrot cake for National Carrot Cake Day on February 3. I love carrot cake.

Groundhog Day and Groundhog Day Observed

I realized something recently. January and February this year have the same dates on the same days of the week as back in 2014. It of course will change in March since there is an extra day in February this year. In the meantime, some of our celebrating in January and February of 2020 parallels that of 2014.
For example Groundhog Day. As in 2014 we celebrated Groundhog Day Observed the day before since February 2 was on a Sunday.
Jeremy made imitation groundhog burgers again. This time he made salmon burgers.

The boys watched the movie.
In 2014, Nichole brought home a groundhog puppet from school. In 2020, Lucky brought one home.

And like 2014, we have a new baby in the home. What a joy. (comparison- first picture Lucky, second picture, Jet)

One thing that is different is that this year the date was a palindrome date. 02-02-2020. Those types of things are always fun.
And since we did imitation groundhog burgers the day before, on the 2nd, I tried out a new recipe to go along with dinner- sweet and sour chicken. It was from a Relief Society cookbook I got years ago in our old ward. There are some recipes in there that are our favorites. And this sweet and sour chicken?- Craveworthy! At least for me. Mmmmmmmmmm. Jeremy can't stand pineapple. More for me! I love pineapple!

Ice Cream for Breakfast

February 1 was Eat Ice Cream for Breakfast Day. It's not on our calendar because it's every first Saturday in February, not the same date every year.
I enjoyed some ice cream in a mug of hot chocolate for breakfast. Yumm.

I don't feel bad at all about having ice cream for breakfast. I also don't feel bad about letting Jr. Jr. and Lucky both veg in front of the TV. They both had coughs so TV is a distraction when people are sick.
Sweet little Lucky, when I went to set up the humidifier for him in the early hours of the morning, he told me not to get too close because he didn't want to get me or Jet sick. Awww. I love my children and I will be grateful when cold/flu season is over.

The weather was good that day and Jeremy and the two oldest went to a gull identification clinic like Nichole and I went to last year. Yay for birding.

While they were looking at gulls, they ran into some friends who were out looking for bald eagles. Birding is fun for the whole family.

It's a good thing Nichole didn't have the boys' cough because that evening she went to a girls' night at a friend's house. She had dinner and watched a movie and took brownies to share. She had a great time. The boys were happy that she had leftover brownies to bring home. Yumm. We like brownies.