Mother Nature's Practical Joke

You know how March is supposed to come in like a lion and out like a lamb? Both the beginning of March and end of March this year were kind of meh.

But the beginning of April? Mother Nature decided to play an April Fool's joke on all of us. After such a mild Winter, we got snow the beginning of April. And of course I didn't take pictures. And that's okay.

It cleared up and we've had some sunny days since then. 

I don't have pictures of the weather, but here is a picture of Jr. Jr. learning how to pass juggling balls with me. 

It's a lot more effective when I'm not trying to take the picture and juggle at the same time. Tee Hee.

That was not a sunny day as you can see. 

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.

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.

Catching Up April 2025 part 3

April 22 was Earth Day. I took a quick trip to Powell Slough to appreciate nature.

April 22 was also Jelly Bean Day. I stopped by BYU to bring Nichole some food to help her get through finals and jelly beans, of course.

April 23 was Shakespeare's Birthday. I started reading Terry Pratchett's Wyrd Sisters based on Macbeth.

April 23 was also National Picnic Day. Dinner was make yourselves peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, baby carrots, and apples because Jeremy and I were busy bringing Nichole home from college for the Summer.

 

April 24 was Pigs in a Blanket Day. Kids made pigs in a blanket, Thanks, kids.

Catching Up April 2025 part 2

April 12 was Grilled Cheese Sandwich Day and National Licorice Day. We celebrated by having both. We did have tomato soup with our sandwiches.

April 13 was National Peach Cobbler Day. Yes, I made some. I tried a different recipe that didn't use as much sugar. My peach cobbler loving child said he liked it so yay. Less sugar.

We had an at home potluck that evening. We haven't had one of those in while. Here are everyone's contributions from oldest to youngest: cookies, peach cobbler, pizza, pickles and cheese cubes, sparkling apple-grape, lemonade.

That day was also Palm Sunday. This year I tried to do a better job with celebrating Holy Week. The Church had some good resources for every day leading up to Easter. It was a good way to focus my scripture study.

 

April 14 was Look Up at the Sky Day. It was National Dolphin Day. It was International Laughter Day.

How did you celebrate?

 

April 15 was World Art Day. I went up Provo Canyon to get a look at a place that I think looks like a piece of art. When I was there on World Water Day, I got that impression so I wanted to enjoy it again.

Nichole sent me several art pieces she had to celebrate World Art Day.

I love that she uses different so many different mediums.

April 16 was Charlie Chaplin's Birthday. Who else puts rolls on their forks and makes them dance to celebrate?

P.S. It was also National Banana Day. 

 

April 17 was, in no particular order, Bat Appreciation Day, National Cheeseball Day, Blah Blah Blah Day, National Haiku Poetry Day, and National High Five Day.

This is what happens when I hand my daughter some seasoned cream cheese on these holidays.

This is what happens when I take seasoned cream cheese and ask my son what I should make.

Son: A penguin!

Me (after "sculpting"): I think it looks like a ghost.

 

Lucky was the one who let me know it was National High Five Day. I gave him a high five for that. Jeremy showed me a haiku or a few.

We had Blah Blah Blah for after school snack. Remember that? Apple slices with peanut butter and honey? Except lately we just use honey peanut butter instead of adding honey to regular peanut butter. 

 

That evening I went to a Relief Society activity and learned a new skill: embroidery. I've done a lot of counted cross-stitching in my past so some of the stitches were similar but there were definitely some things for me to learn.

 

The next morning, I had to wipe snow off my vehicle. Note the snow covered hills across the lake. Ah, that "Spring" weather.

Catching Up April 2025 part 1

April 6 was National Carbonara Day but because we were having our Conference nachos that day, we celebrated "observed" on Monday, the 7th. 

 

Since April 7 was National Coffee Cake Day, I did make carrot cake coffee cake from a recipe from Mel's Kitchen Cafe. I really liked it. Thanks again, Mel.

This was Jeremy's thought about it. "It has that texture of coffee cake but it has that carrot cake flavor in it and it's just a really nice combination. You can quote me on that." 

 

April 8 is Draw a Picture of a Bird Day. Nichole celebrated this of course.

Purple throated mountain gem

 

It was also Library Worker's Day. This is what I said on Instagram and Facebook about the holiday:

I love the library workers at Orem Public Library (both past and present workers because I have many years of interacting with workers at that library and have seen people come and go). From those that are right there when there when you walk in the door to those that help you fin a book to those that invite you to join in on programs to those that feed the tarantula and so many other jobs, I appreciate them.

This is Molly, on of my favorite children's librarians. She always has a bright smile and a friendly "Hello." She's always willing to help whether it's pointing out a book or getting my child started on an activity. Ad I appreciate that she's willing to bend down for a picture with me because I'm so short.

I encourage you to celebrate with me and thank a library worker today. 

Of course right after my picture with Molly, I went up and chatted with another librarian who was able to help me find some books for Lucky for reading challenges at school.

 

April 9 was National Unicorn Day and Name Yourself Day. Jet had a little wand with a unicorn on it. He would wave it and call out, "Magical Unicorn!" then you had to neigh like a unicorn. I got to the point during the day when I was saying, "And I shall call name myself Magical Unicorn."

We also went to the library (said Hi to Molly and thank you to the librarian who suggested books for Lucky who liked what I brought home) and picked up a unicorn book.

 

April 10 was National Siblings Day. I wished Happy Siblings Day to most of my siblings (my mom passed on my wishes to one) and wished my soon to be new sister-in-law Happy Siblings Day. More on that later.

That evening, I took two of my children for a bird walk with Utah County Birders on the West side of the lake. 

Remember what I said about Lucky making silly faces?

 

There weren't as many birds as there could have been because of humans recreating. Oh, well.

Gorgeous evening, though.

 

April 10 was also Encourage a Young Writer Day. You know I do.

 

April 11 was National Submarine Day. I went for a walk along the lake and had this thought: What do you think it would be like to be in a small submarine in a lake?

That afternoon, I helped Jeremy set up Cosmo Cougar that he made out of balloons for BYU's Grad Bash.

We work well together.

 

That night, Nichole and I went to a girls' night. We went to our friend's home theater to watch Sense and Sensibility. Since I read the book this year, I wanted to watch the movie again so we got together with several ladies to watch it. I love the Emma Thompson version. 

Wow. April 11 was busy.