Second Week of March

March 8 was International Women's Day and National Oregon Day. I wore my Slugs Need Hugs shirt.

That night, Nichole and I went to watch the General Relief Society Broadcast at our stake center with dessert afterward. 

March 9 was Get Over It Day and National Meatball Day so of course we said our traditional "Get over it, you meatball" phrase that day. It was also Popcorn Lover's Day so Joshua made popcorn I think.

 

March 10 was Mario Day (MAR10). I woke up to one child whistling music from a Mario game. I wore my Mario shirt and a couple of the kids watch The Super Mario Bros. Movie. 

I had some fun with the menu plan for that holiday. I took the scene toward the beginning of the movie where Mario and Luigi are sitting down to dinner with their family and tried to recreate what their dinner looked like. We had spaghetti with alfredo sauce and mushrooms of course. We had salad, dinner rolls, green olives. What didn't fit in with their dinner table but we had to have were peaches, singing a certain song while dishing them out.

On World Plumbing Day, March 11, I wore my Mario shirt again and some of us played MarioKart.

Since March 11 was also Oatmeal Nut Waffles Day, for dinner we had oatmeal, nuts, and waffles.

 

The next day, Lucky, Nichole, and I went to a Utah County Birders movie night. We watched The Big Year and played BINGO while watching it. It was fun and interesting to do something a little different than our normal birding meetings.

March 13 was Friday the 13th and Open an Umbrella Indoors Day but we didn't do anything special to celebrate- just mentioned it. I did reminisce how 2020 had Friday the 13th on that same day (and that year was a big deal) and 2015 we celebrated it with a fun video.  

Jet wanted me to get him a board game from the library so I did- Pictureka- and several of us played it after school. 

 

The next day, Lucky and I stopped by the other library to pick up some things and we said Hi to Libby the Librantula who was out for us to see. March 14 was Save a Spider Day.

March 14 was Pi Day. I baked an apple pie in our Pi plate. We also had pizza pie.

Nichole went down to BYU the day before to celebrate Pi Day with a free piece of pie and a t-shirt.

I forgot to get out the potato chips for Potato Chip Day on March 14 so we celebrated that observed a few days later.

I'm a Helper

Saturday, February 7, had nice weather. I'm glad of it because I walked over to someone's house in the neighborhood to help paint platforms for the school play... twice. Base coat in the morning, texturing in the afternoon.

It was Play Outside Day. It was nice to get out for that short walk (four times because of back and forth) because I have just gotten over a cold so I haven't been out for walks much lately.

Between trips to do that service I made sure to eat ice cream. It was Ice Cream for Breakfast Day. Several people in the family celebrated.

Sadly I was too tired to take anyone to the library for Take Your Child to the Library Day. Oh well. 

It was National Fettuccine Alfredo Day but we didn't have any fettuccine so we had rotini alfredo. Mmmm. I love the homemade alfredo sauce we always use. It's from ourbestbites.com and it uses ingredients I always have on hand. Guiltless Alfredo Sauce.

Saturday was a good day.

Bonding Time

Bonding Time! You know I love it.

Sometimes it's important to stop and give someone the time they need. So one day when my son wanted to play board games, that's what we did.

Another day when my daughter needed to go to the library, that's what we did (we ended up going to both Provo and Orem Libraries). We had great conversations on the drive. We had great conversations in the libraries. She even gave me a book recommendation which would fit one of a number of categories for this year's Adult Reading Challenge.

The Timing

 

The timing. 

 

I wanted to get a picture of me reading to Jet. He came home from school one day so excited for the Read-a-thon at the elementary school. They need to read enough minutes to trap the Book Bandit that escaped and is causing chaos at their school.

I checked out several books from the library and he picked this book for me to read to him. "Just Me and My Mom" by Mercer Mayer. 

 

So it was funny that this was the book we were getting a picture of when my husband was leaving and stopped to be in the picture. Just me and my mom, huh?

A Winter Poem

Poetry's not really my strong suit... at all. But I want free hot cocoa from the library so I will attempt to write a poem about the wintertime.

Here we go. Ahem. (Clear's throat)

 

Snow Falls and Melts by Kristin Telford

Snow falls

Creates stillness

In a chaotic world

For a moment

There is peace

Snow melts

Creates chaos

In a peaceful world 

No longer

Is it still 

Gingerbread!

I am thankful for finding reasons to celebrate. 

November 21 we had fun celebrating National Gingerbread Cookie Day.

Jet and I were telling each other the story of "The Gingerbread Man" before school. He was even running around calling out, "You can't catch me. I'm the gingerbread man!"

We made gingerbread men after dinner. Jet devoured them.

That night my husband ready Jet a bedtime book of "The Gingerbread Man" that I checked out from the library for them.

 

Also before school, my other elementary schooler got to be a greeter and said, "Hello," to a lot of people for World Hello Day. 

For dinner we had bruschetta bake to celebrate National Stuffing Day. I couldn't help myself from telling the kids, "I'm putting bruschetta togetta."

I love finding reasons to celebrate.

Fall Break 2025

When Jeremy is on trips (quite a few this year), he misses a lot (including us and we miss him, too). One thing we've made sure to do as a family, though, is when Jeremy is traveling, he calls in the morning and night for family prayer over the phone. Sometimes he joins in for family scripture study as well. It's important to keep that gospel foundation strong for our family even when we're separated.

 

Since Jeremy was gone so long on this last trip to South Carolina, he also missed Fall Break.

 

Slumber Party!

When our older children were little we had a tradition of having a slumber party the night before Fall Break or Spring Break. We'd watch movies or play video games then all sleep out in the living room together. Over time, we had less people sleep in the living room after our "party" and eventually the tradition kind of fizzled out.

After many years we brought it back this Fall Break with watching a movie and playing MarioKart while eating muffins. Only a few opted to sleep out in the living room but we did have good bonding time while we were up.

October 15 was National Mushroom Day so I wore my pajamas that have mushrooms on them and Jr. Jr. commented: That's why Jet didn't want me to have mush room on the couch. 

P.S. For dinner earlier we made shawarma for Shawarma Day.

 

The next day, we had leftovers for dinner for World Food Day on October 16.

We got some snuggles in before Nichole and I went to a Relief Society activity to paint pumpkins. 

Normally I'm hands on involved in the activities (remember the sourdough?) but this time I was content to just sit and socialize. I also was able to praise Nichole's pumpkin painting. 

 

I got Kiki's Delivery Service vibes from it and not necessarily the movie. Isn't it so cute?

 

Fall Break Fun!

I hiked up Big Springs area with the kiddos. We'd been wanting to for a while and finally got the chance. We even had sun that day. 

A couple times, Jet and I took pictures of each other. This is how they turned out. 

Jr. Jr. pointed out to me how in Jet's picture the first time, Jr. Jr. was standing by me. In the other picture that I took, Jr. Jr. was standing by Jet. Ha Ha. Clever noticing. 

When we got home we had pasta to celebrate... National Pasta Day.

The mountains were gorgeous at sunset.

I love nature and I love living here and I especially love my children. 

 

The two oldest and I had some bonding time watching a movie one evening. While we watched, Jet watched Kiki's Delivery Service in a different room. I think he heard our conversation about Nichole's pumpkin.

 

Jet requested going to the library during Fall Break so on October 20, he and I went together. He was so well behaved. He followed directions. He stayed with me. We did a children's activity in the children's wing with pumpkin emotions. He got to play in the children's area and when it was time to move on to gather books on my list, he didn't put up a stink about it. He was quiet in the quiet areas, even when we had to get a book from the quietest area in the library. He was very good at whispering. We watched construction on the new courtyard/greenhouse area. He helped me check out our books and did a good job. I am so proud of him.

He did not yell, "Tractor!" in the middle of the library. Once we got out to the van, he was able to. "Tractor! Burninating the countryside..." For those that get the reference, he yells, "Trogdor!" but thinks it's "Tractor!" If you listen to Strong Bad from Homestar Runner, it does kind of sound like "Tractor."

Since October 20 was International Sloth Day, Jet requested a book about koalas. Why not?

I love bonding time with my children. And I love how this Fall Break went.