Girls' Night Out?

October 4 was Buster Keaton's birthday so I wore my bow earrings while Nichole and I had bonding time.

We found out an event we were going to go to was canceled so we went to the grocery store to pick up some snacks for us. Since it was National Taco Day, we thought about buying taquitos then realized taquitos are easy to make and we had all the ingredients already at home. Shelftember was still having its effect on us. Yay for shelf cooking!

So we went home and had bonding time making taquitos together while watching a movie (besides all the chatting while driving and shopping together). Of course we ate some of the snacks we got from the store.

We wanted to watch In the Good Old Summertime because it had Buster Keaton in it but we didn't have access to it, so we started watching You've Got Mail.

Back to talking about National Taco Day- before we left for our girls' night we tried taco flavored potato chips to go along with our Italian Baked Sliders from A Season of Family Meal Plans, volume 3, by Jordan Page.

Nobody in the family was impressed by the chips but the sliders were so good.

I am getting so much use out of these cookbooks.

It turned out to be good mother-daughter bonding time. Simple but quality.

P.S. It was also World Smile Day. There were definitely things to smile about.

Bonding Week

It's been a while since I've been able to do the one on one bonding time/Mommy-child dates with the four oldest kids. And some of them (and I) were really needing it. So I planned Bonding Week where I could make sure I had that time for each of them. Unfortunately one of the kids wasn't feeling well (there's been plenty of that with the heat we've had recently) so we still need to have our time.

Here's what I did with the other kids:

 

Jr. Jr. and I went out to Bicentennial Park where he made up his own versions of Fairy Tales and other stories as we walked around the woods. He spent the most time on "The Wizard of Oz." I love that kid's creativity. 

We did have some breaks to look at birds, including three Cooper's hawks. 

We also watched turtles in and around the pond and other critters.

 

Lucky and I played MarioKart together. He likes to do that every time we have our bonding time together. It's fun.

 

Nichole and I watched a girly movie and ate popcorn.

 

Still waiting to do something with Jr.

International Women's Day 2021

International Women's Day was March 8. That day is also Kenneth Grahame's birthday. There was potential for a really fun picture but we just didn't have the time. So here's what you get.

My amazing daughter and I celebrating the awesome women we are by reading Kenneth Grahame books together.

What could have added to this photo? Eating "graham" crackers. Somehow I can't find a blog post of us eating graham crackers while reading Kenneth Grahame books. I honestly thought we'd done that in the past. Wearing berets or other clothing from other countries as "international" women. Jeremy's still got some Hungarian stuff. Since it was also National Oregon Day, I could have added items from Oregon in the picture. We could have had Nichole's writing with a pencil in front of us for National Proofreading Day, also that same day. There are so many ideas. Oh, and we could have had Nichole's dragon on one of our shoulders or trying to climb off our shoulders as a "reluctant" dragon. So much missed potential. But that's the way the cookie crumbles. Or the way the peanut cluster crumbles as March 8 was also National Peanut Cluster Day.

What would you suggest adding to this photo?

Celebrations Without Pictures

September 23 was Great American Pot Pie Day. I made chicken pot pie for dinner. I didn't take pictures.

September 25 was Daughters Day. I didn't realize it until my sister posted something about it. Luckily Nichole and I celebrated without realizing. She had a day off school since her school is transitioning to a hybrid schedule (part in class, part online) but the boys were at their schools.

We had some mother-daughter bonding time (with baby boy) and watched a movie together after she happily got to sleep in.

I also didn't take pictures but enjoyed my time with my daughter.

One on One Time

Jeremy and I have been talking about how we haven't had Daddy-daughter or Mommy-daughter or Daddy-son or Mommy-son dates in a while.  It's hard to schedule that kind of one on one time when you have so much going on- work, school, extra-curricular activities, scouts, mutual, Relief Society activities, homework, chores, errands to run, etc. etc. etc.  The list goes on and on and on.  We decided to do something about it this week.  Monday there was no school.  Instead of dragging the kids around birding as we sometimes do when there's no school we decided to have some one on one time away from home. 
First thing in the morning, Jr. and Daddy went to get an oil change in the car together.  It may not sound that exciting but it's kind of their thing.  Jeremy never takes any of the other kids.  It's always Jr. (when he can do it on a day Jr.'s around).  They sit together playing games or watching shows while they wait.  Sometimes they have snacks.  It's their bonding time.

When they got back, Nichole and I headed to the Orem Library.  We had a nice talk on the drive there.  We talked books and things while at the library (she even suggested a book I haven't yet read so I checked it out), chatted with a librarian, checked out some books and movies to celebrate some upcoming holidays, and we sat for a while coloring on one of those mandalas they print out for people to color. 

When Nichole and I got back, Jeremy took Jr. Jr. to Farm Country at Thanksgiving Point.  He didn't ride on the camel at Vernal Holly Days so Jeremy took him to ride the ponies at Farm Country.  Jr. Jr. also got to feed the ducks.

When they got back, I took Lucky to University Place (I still call it University Mall) to ride on the escalators.  He thought it was so neat when we rode the escalators at the Conference Center on Saturday that he was very much in favor of riding others.  Unfortunately I could only find one set in one store, though it did go up three floors.  We did ride some elevators, though, including one where you could see out as it went up and down.  After walking around the mall for a while, I decided to take Lucky down to the other mall- Provo Towne Center.  It has many more escalators (not just inside stores).  We also rode in an elevator that had mirrors all around inside. 

So we all had fun with our one on one time/parent-child dates.  It was a good use of the kids' day off of school.  No birding, though I kept mentioning birds I saw as Nichole and I were driving and walking to the library.
It was good family time, though divided up between family members.

Bunting Hunting

And then there are those days where you have so much going on in just one day.  Yesterday was one of those days.
Yesterday morning we took the kids to the Orem Library's Teddy Bear Picnic which kicks off the Summer Reading Program.  It was fun... as usual.  Again the kids LOVED the puppet show portion.  They enjoyed the rest of the show as well.

This year's theme for the reading program is "Make it Work," and the Teddy Bear Picnic had a S.T.E.A.M. Punk theme.  S.T.E.A.M.= Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math.

Of course I got pictures of the kids in front of the balloon robot Jeremy built.  It took a while to get the kids to all smile and look at the camera.  I'd think I'd get a good picture then look at it to realize that one child was looking in a different direction or one was making a goofy face or I was concentrating so much on the kids I cut off part of the robot's head.  Sigh.  But I finally got one.

After the Teddy Bear Picnic, we headed up to a park in Murray where we were told there was an indigo bunting hanging out.  Several people saw it the day before and were able to tell us where to find it.  Good thing because that park is huge.  The boys were more excited to get wet by the sprinklers but Nichole helped us finally spot the bird.  We kept hearing it and would get glimpses of it and finally we were able to get some pictures.  Hey, two life birds which are blue in two days?  Not bad.

Lucky: How dare you, sprinklers.  How dare you.

We had snacks at the Teddy Bear Picnic and ate lunch on the way home from "bunting hunting" so we didn't hear a lot of complaining about being hungry.  That's good.
When we got home, I couldn't help it, I fell asleep for a while before taking Nichole to activity days... sort of.  One of the leaders just got released so the other one forgot to give a reminder to the girls.  Oh well.  So the leader was sweet and gave Nichole and I each a popsicle when no other girls showed up and we went back home.
Then we had dinner and it was time for Mommy-Daughter Date.  The boys watched a movie in their room while Nichole and I watched a movie in the living room and ate snacks.  Good time together.  We had ice cream and popcorn and Nichole had gummy bears.

So it was a busy busy day, very full. 

Girls' Night

While Jeremy took Jr. and Jr. Jr. to a Father's-Son's camp-out, Nichole, Lucky, and I had a girls' plus adorable two-year old boy night.

We ate pizza, gummi bears, and brownies while watching a movie.
Good times.

The Campout That Wasn't

Jeremy was going to take the older boys to a father-son campout this weekend.  The weather looked like it was going to rain a lot so he convinced them to do something else instead.
So after we all ate hot dogs and chips like they would have done on the campout, Jeremy took Jr. and Jr. Jr. out to see a movie. 

While they were gone, Nichole and I got to have some bonding time and watch a movie together here.

Once the boys got back, we all had s'mores (heated in the microwave), which they would also have had at the campout.

Lucky helped himself.

The kids were happy with the bonding time and so were we parents.
And since this year today is also National Pizza Party Day, I made a pizza for Nichole, Lucky, and I to enjoy during the movie.

A Celebration-Filled Rough Week

It's been a rough week.  A celebration-filled rough week.
Yes, we've celebrated.  No, I haven't blogged.  I've been taking care of a sick baby all week and I'm exhausted and haven't felt up to blogging. 
I'm also feeling over-emotional, so much so that I broke down in tears in the middle of teaching Sharing Time in Primary today.  Yeah, those poor kids.  I certainly got their attention, though, even from the ones who weren't paying attention before.
It's been a rough week.
On the happy side, after we celebrated International Waffle Day, Thursday, March 26 was Make Up Your Own Holiday Day.  The kids made up holidays, but we didn't have time to celebrate much.  Nichole's was "Make a YouTube Video Day."  Sorry we didn't get to that, Nichole.  We'll try another time.
Jr.'s was "Minecraft Day."  They did play that.
I don't remember what Jr. Jr.'s was or if he really had one.
Mine was "Celebration of the Baby Not Throwing Up The Whole Day."  I picked that one in the morning and was really hoping I'd get to celebrate it.  Fortunately I did.  Unfortunately he had other troubles instead of throwing up that day.
Friday, March 27, was the anniversary of when Singin' in the Rain premiered.  I thought that after the again rough day, we'd all get to sit down and relax watching that movie together.  The kids watched it but I didn't get a chance to relax and watch it.  I listened to it in the other room as I made dinner.  Sigh.  I'm glad the kids enjoyed it, though.
Saturday, March 28, was Something on a Stick Day.  Skipping our traditional homemade corn dogs because I had a baptism to go to, we had different food when I got home because the family of the girl who was baptized sent me home with a bunch.  They knew I had sick kids at home and that my husband was home taking care of them.  Such sweet people. 
Then Nichole and I went to the church building to watch the General Women's Meeting of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.  It was the first time that Nichole and I were able to go together.  Last time we watched on the computer at home and the time before that, Nichole had a dance show the same evening.  There's something special about that mother-daughter time watching an important broadcast together at the church building away from the distractions of home.  The theme of this broadcast was all about family.  I loved it.

Since I also didn't get around to making a treat for when we got home, Nichole and I stopped by the grocery store (it was fun to see so many women at the grocery store wearing dresses or skirts).  Nichole got to pick out our treat, something on a stick.  She picked orange dream bars and there were enough in the box to share with the family when we got home.

I'm so grateful for so many things.  I'm grateful for that one on one time with my daughter.  I'm grateful that Lucky is feeling better today.  I'm grateful for my testimony of family.  I'm grateful for my calling in Church.  I'm grateful that through all the trouble this week, I have a Savior who knows what I'm going through, and who can give the comfort I need through the Holy Ghost and other people.  I'm grateful for the 11-year old girl who came up to me after my meltdown on her way to class this morning and told me that she appreciated my testimony.  I'm grateful that our family was able to do some celebrating this week.  I'm grateful that the weather wasn't cold, so the baby could get away with just wearing a diaper for four days straight (a tiny bit less laundry that way).  And I'm grateful that Lucky, who was sick all week, still kept his sense of humor.

I am grateful for so much more that I'm thinking about but not listing right now. 
I have so much to be grateful for and I am grateful.

Quite a Date

We needed a date.  Jeremy and I needed a date.  Jeremy and Nichole needed a Daddy-daughter date.  Jeremy and Jr. needed a Daddy-son date.  Jeremy and Jr. Jr. needed a Daddy-son date.  Nichole and I needed a Mommy-daughter date.  Jr. and I needed a Mommy-son date.  Jr. Jr. and I needed a Mommy-son date.
So we had them.  This evening we had a special Daddy-daughter, Daddy-son, Daddy-son, Daddy-son, Mommy-daughter, Mommy-son, Mommy-son, Mommy-son date (and Mommy-Daddy date).  Lucky wasn't to be left out, even if he wasn't particularly needing a date.
We went to Brick Oven Pizza in Provo.  Haven't been there in years.  We hadn't been there since Jeremy was doing balloons there- way before I was even pregnant with Lucky.  He hasn't done restaurant work in a while.
So we went this evening.  And had pizza.  And root beer.  And a great time.  But no balloons.

It was made so much better by everyone talking about it being a Daddy-daughter, Daddy-son, Daddy-son, Daddy-son, Mommy-daughter, Mommy-son, Mommy-son, Mommy-son date.  Don't you agree that that's just fun?  Try it some time.  Don't go out for a family outing.  Go on a date.  That includes the whole family.  And call it something fun that includes everyone.


It was a fun family date.