Bonding Time: Hiking

Since it has been a mild Winter, I wanted to take my nature loving boy out hiking one day in the hills.

Jr. Jr. and I took the afternoon on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, January 19, since he didn't have school, and we hiked up to Battle Creek Falls. We took binoculars and the birding camera with us.

Just up from the parking area, we heard scritch-scratching in the underbrush, which I would have assumed was a spotted towhee but I could see robins, so not a spotted towhee (be careful about assuming). Jr. Jr. has really good eyes when it comes to spotting things so he helped me notice the bird that was not a robin. I got a look at it in the underbrush with binoculars and this is how things come out of my mouth since I'm a birder-

Me: You're right. That's not a robin. That's a thrush! Robins are actually thrushes but this one... if it has a reddish tail, it's a hermit thrush. Do you see the tail?

Jr. Jr. confirmed the reddish tail (I would use the term "rufous"). 

I love birding.

Besides the birds, we also enjoyed the hike together. We had plenty to talk about, including the ice we kept seeing in the stream and the water flowing under the ice. 

Nature's cool, man.

 

We made it all the way up to the falls and a little above the falls before turning around. I only slipped twice, once on the way up, once on the way down, both in the same location. Ha. Nothing scary. 

When we got back down to where we saw the hermit thrush on the way up, we saw it again with the robins. It decided it would be a good sport and posed in a tree so I could get some good pictures of it. I was very pleased with it sitting there for so long.

Jr. Jr. and I enjoyed that time together. I love that we have that love of nature in common.

  

I love bonding time! 

 

Earlier that day, I got out for my morning walk at the park with the Christmas lights. The city says they're going to leave them up until Valentine's Day like they did last year.

Lucky, Nichole, and I made cheese ball that day, too. Nichole shaped it into a witch's hat. It didn't last long. Mmmmm, cheese ball. 

 

January 19 was also Whisper "I Love You" Day. There was plenty of that going around. It was National Popcorn Day. The kids had popcorn. It was also Brew a Potion Day. We had hot chocolate and I told everyone to put whatever they wanted into or on it.

 

The next day, January 20, was Penguin Awareness Day. Jet and I watched "Surf's Up" together. I haven't watched that in a while. It was fun.

  

Back to Hogwarts Night

I took the kids to the Orem Library for Back to Hogwarts Night they held toward the beginning of September. Timing was good because Jr. Jr. had been reading Harry Potter books and discussing them with friends and family members.

They had quizzes (O.W.L. or N.E.W.T. Official Exams), crafts and activities, and even a "potions class." 

Our favorite part was going to see live owls.

You know we like birds. Birds are awesome.

When we got home, we got out a non live owl for Jet to play with because... owls are cool and he could continue on the Hogwarts fun. 

 Another nice evening at the Orem Public Library. 

Catching Up January 2025 Part 3

January 19 was Brew a Potion Day and National Popcorn Day and Whisper "I Love You" Day. There were definitely whispers of "I love you" that day. Somebody made popcorn. 

I'm not sure what this is. It definitely looks like some sort of potion. It's possible it is Chicken Tortilla Soup since that was what was on the menu plan for that day. Catching up isn't always easy when I'm making assumptions months later.

 

January 20 was Penguin Awareness Day. We ate fish sticks and started watching some penguin movie.

 

January 21 was National Hug/Hugging Day and Granola Bar Day. Some of us ate granola bars. Some of us also got some good hugging in.

January 22 was Hot Sauce Day. Lucky loves hot sauce and puts it on a lot of things.

Speaking of Lucky and his love of hot sauce, for Christmas he got a bunch of little bottles of hot sauce so one evening, we had a taste test, starting with what was supposed to be the mildest and working our way to the hottest. We dipped chicken nuggets in them to try them out. I'll be honest, that was fun.

January 23 was Pie Day. I made a pudding pie using a homemade graham cracker crust that had been sitting in our freezer for a long time.

I also had a Relief Society activity that night.

 

January 25 was A Room of One's Own Day. 

January 28 was Blueberry Pancake Day. I think we had blueberry pancakes. I think. But I don't see pictures so... who knows?

That day, Lucky went to an event at the Orem Library: Winter in Narnia. He made a shield and a dragon and did other activities. 

While he was at his event, I was left unsupervised. I only had two items on my list to check out but... I ended up with a lot more. After I took this picture, I picked up even more to check out. Tee Hee. I love the library.

 

The Story Behind the Photo

Sometimes it is fun to stage a photo for celebrating holidays.

Last year for March 8th's holidays for example, Nichole and I were in a picture with a bunch of things that represented International Women's Day, National Oregon Day, Kenneth Grahame's birthday, and National Proofreading Day.

 

This year January 19 was National Popcorn Day, Brew a Potion Day, Edgar Allen Poe's Birthday, and Whisper "I Love You" Day. We took a photo to celebrate.

This photo kind of evolved. We talked about taking a picture with popcorn and hot chocolate. Eventually we figured out Jr. would have the bowl of popcorn, would be reading an Edgar Allen Poe book, and Lucky would have hot chocolate in a cup that read, "Demented Potion." At the last second, Jr. Jr. photobombed the picture just perfectly by sliding in the back while whispering, "I love you." It was awesome. And his face. Love it.

So that is the story behind this photo.

Ladies' Night

It's been a few years since Girls' Night with my group of friends from my old ward/neighborhood. Some I've seen since then for different reasons. Jeremy and Jet recently ran into one with her daughter at Farm Country at Thanksgiving Point. But it's been a while since we ladies gathered as a group to spend time together.

Recently one friend invited us to Ladies' Night at her house to decorate potion bottles for Halloween decorations.

That was fun. 

We had fun creating but we also had fun socializing. So much socializing

When I got home, Jr. Jr. was still up (too late), and when he saw what I brought home, he started analyzing my "potions" and going into detail about the differences between potions and elixirs and what different materials would make different things look like. That kid is quite a thinker.

Now let me share two of the things I love about Girls' Night with these friends:

1. It's not always the same group. A few of us have been there from the beginning going to most of the activities. Some friends have moved away too far to just drive back for a night. Some people have joined and have become a permanent part of the "group." I love that whether someone comes for one night or for ten, they are welcome. 

2. It's a safe space. We've had some discussions that have gotten pretty deep. There's been vulnerability shown. Honestly, there's also a lot of light discussions. There is definitely a lot of laughing. But it's not a place to start gossip or continue gossip. We can talk about things without worrying about it being blabbed elsewhere. I love that it can be comfortable with these friends even if I haven't seen them in a few years.

I LOVE GIRLS' NIGHT/LADIES' NIGHT!

Brew a Potion Day 2022

Wednesday, January 19, was Brew a Potion Day. We decided to do Family Home Evening that day since again we were so busy on Monday. Jr. Jr. was in charge of the treat so he wanted to make chocolate frogs. Then he and Lucky got really excited with the idea of making them the colors of poisonous frogs. I couldn't tell them No, not with that creativity.

I was a little concerned with the idea of them using food coloring on that particular holiday. See my blog post from January 19, 2013, to see why. I'm not actually superstitious and they did a good job making the chocolate frogs with the poisonous colors.

Jet did get a hold of the red food coloring while it was on the table. He is getting really good at getting things open. Luckily he only got a tiny bit on his hands and the floor... this time. Just Monday he found blue food coloring and got it on his hands and face. Talented kid.

When it was time to eat the frogs, there were some interesting things said.

Nichole: Pass me a paper towel and a frog.

Jr.: That's a scentence you don't hear everyday. "Pass me a paper towel and a frog."

The kids also got into a discussion about whether to eat the head or the feet first. If you eat the feet first, it can't run away. Potions call for eye of newt and toe of frog. Maybe you eat the head and leave the toes. This is not the first time we've had a discussion about what part of a chocolate animal to eat first. Remember those chocolate bunnies from my blog post on April 10, 2012?

Apparently Jr. Jr. and Lucky made a good choice in coloring these frogs they way they did. Lots of fun conversation.

Jr.: The legs are red and the body is blue and it's filled with a sort of whiteyish goo.

I did something else to celebrate Brew a Potion Day as well. I made instant pot caramel apple cider from Six Sisters' Stuff.

January 19 was also National Popcorn Day (the kids had some) and Jeremy informed me that it was Whisper "I Love You" Day. I hadn't heard of that one. He informed me right after he whispered, "I love you," to me. Then Jr. Jr. came up and whispered in my ear, "I love you, my precious." What is he? Gollum? And I'm the one ring?

We had some fun. And I'll have to remember Whisper "I Love You" Day for the future.