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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Catching Up March 2025 part 3

March 16 was Artichoke Hearts Day. We used it as an excuse to make a yummy alfredo pizza.

March 17 was St. Patrick's Day. I made two recipes from Sarah M. Eden from The Fiction Kitchen Trio Cookbook. Dublin Coddle and Katie's Irish Soda Bread. 

For dessert we had Oreo Mint Truffles.

 

March 18 was Sloppy Joe Day. We had open faced sloppy joes. It was also Forgive Mom and Dad Day. I kept asking the kids to forgive me for silly reasons. 

Lucky, Jeremy, and I went to see one of Jr.'s orchestra concerts that day. I love that he enjoys orchestra so much because music is very important to me.

See Lucky hiding behind that book? The elementary school read-a-thon was going on during that time so Lucky wanted to get as many minutes in as possible. He ended up being one of the top readers in the school and got a prize for it. The read-a-thon was Roald Dahl themed this year. One morning, Jeremy, Jet, and I were able to go to Parents and Pastries with Lucky.

March 19 was Poultry Day. We ate chicken that day. 

It was also Chocolate Caramel Day. I may have celebrated that observed the next day by making Olloch the Glutton's Caramel Biscuit Bars to go with our Vernal Equinox (March 20) food, Easy Fairy Folk Tortilla Pizzas, both from The Fablehaven Cookbook.

 

March 21 was Fragrance Day and French Bread Day. We took some of those artichoke hearts and made Cheesy Artichoke Bread from the Six Sisters' Stuff cookbook, A Year With Six Sisters' Stuff.

March 22 was World Water Day. It rained. 

I got a little break from the rain when I went out to the water of the lake. I was just going to take a quick jaunt out to look at the pelicans on the lake then I kept going and going and going. There were plenty of birds to see. What else was I supposed to do? I ended up making a complete loop around the Geneva Ponds between Vineyard Beach and Lindon Boat Harbor.

I finally got some sun... but it was in my eyes. Did I mention that March 22 was also National Goof Off Day?

After my morning off, my ministering sister invited me to her house for lunch with my other ministering sister to celebrate Nauryz, a celebration of the new year and Spring and a renewal of nature. We enjoyed some traditional foods from Kazakhstan. 

What a wonderful day for that.

Later I went for a nice little drive up the canyon. Beautiful on that rainy day.

A Night at the Movies

Jr.'s orchestra concert in October was themed "A Night at the Movies." He got to play music from The Lord of the Rings, Howl's Moving Castle, and the song, "Storybook Love" from The Princess Bride.

The audience got free popcorn to eat while watching, just as if they were at the cinema. They could also buy other movie theater concessions. It was fun.

I appreciate how musical Jr. is and love to see his concerts. Way to go, son.

Dinosaur Day 2024

You've heard me mention it before. Dinosaurs are everywhere.

On the kitchen table. In my bed. Where I'm stepping on the floor. In Jet's hands... obviously. In my bag... all the time. They're everywhere.

Sometimes I embrace the dinosaurs. Sometimes I forget about them even when it's Dinosaur Day, May 15, and I remember them almost last minute.

I should have worn my Jurassic Park shirt that day but I didn't think about it. Silly me. I did have other things on my mind. Jr.'s last orchestra concert was that evening for example. Earlier in the day, he had his guitar recital. Jeremy and Nichole went to that since Jet and I had an appointment. Most of us went to Jr.'s orchestra concert. My sister, her husband, and her son went to that concert as well... because I finally told her when his concert was. For the past few years I keep forgetting to tell her when the kids' concerts are even though they live in the same city. Sigh.

After the concert, they had some food and gave out paper plate awards. Jr. got the "Silent Ninja" award. He's quiet but does a good job.

Jet and I made sure to grab a couple of chocolate chip cookies since May 15 was also National Chocolate Chip Day.

After the concert, Jr. came home and immediately started playing his guitar again. I love that our kids are so musical.

Supporting Family Again

My sweet niece graduated from college. I went to her senior concert to listen to her and her band perform music that she wrote. She is so talented. I am excited to see what she does with her degree.

I had a good time chatting with other nieces and a nephew and of course with my sister.

My brother-in-law was going to take a picture of my sister and me. At the last moment my niece came up and joined in the picture and I didn't realize until looking at the pictures afterward that the other nieces came up behind us for the picture. That made it even better.

I love my family.

What Jr. Missed

Jr. was so busy with the play, but a couple days after it closed, he went on tour to California with the orchestras from his and that other high school.

I made sure to get a picture before he left and one after he got back. I missed the going picture when Nichole went two years ago.

We had a few celebrations while Jr. was gone. March 14 (3/14) was Pi Day. It was also National Potato Chip Day. We had chicken enchiladas and verde rice with potato chips and apple pie (made in our pi plate) for dessert. I used some substitutions in the dinner.

 

March 15 was the Ides of March. Beware the Ides of March. Beware too many dishes. I had planned on making certain food for dinner that day but was overwhelmed with dishes so... I washed dishes but still managed to make Caesar Salad and Orange Juliuses for dinner. (Julius... Caesar...). So better than I thought at the beginning of the day but not what I was originally planning. Oh well.

March 15 was also Everything You Think is Wrong Day. I had kids trying to convince me to let them do things by pointing out what I thought was wrong when I said No.

March 16 we went to Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge. 

That evening we had corn dog muffins for National Corn Dog Day.

 

March 17 was St. Patrick's Day, of course. Earlier in the week, Lucky, Jet, and I watched a concert at the Orem Library.

"A Season of Family Meal Plans" has suggestions for meals for certain major holidays. Fits me, doesn't it? You know I like to celebrate with food.

According to their St. Patrick's Day suggestions, I made Irish Stew, Irish Soda Bread, and Lucky Buddies.

After dinner, I went to a Relief Society Devotional and Testimony Meeting with a group of women from my ward. We kept adding sisters from our ward to the pew we were sitting in. We filled it up. Afterward there were green donuts for refreshments.

Jeremy texted me that evening. "March 17th is not only St. Patrick's Day. It is also the feast day of St. Gertrude of Nevelles. She is the patron saint of cats and those who love them. I love my KAT!" Tee Hee.

So that's what Jr. missed. I picked him up late that night and made him go to school the next morning. I'm that mom.