Tick Tock Tick Tock- Time to Talk about Christmas

Since it's Tick Tock Day (December 29), I might as well catch up on the last few days. I said the days around Christmas Eve/Christmas Day were pretty big days so I didn't really blog much because of the busyness then the next few days were kind of chill so I didn't blog then either because I wasn't doing much productive. Today I'm being productive, including blogging so here we go.

 

Jet: My turn!

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Christmas Eve, I got my morning walk in and Jeremy and I spent a lot of time in the kitchen and spent a lot of time trying to catch up on last minute things. I didn't get everything done I wanted to both with food and other stuff so we ate late and I just had to scrap some of my ideas.

Jet: My turn! 

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Jr. Jr. and I did manage to finish and wrap juggling balls for everybody in the family so we all got to open those on Christmas morning.

 

Jet: My turn!

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Before bed Christmas Eve, Jet set out cookies for Santa.

We hung our stockings by the fire- the Darth Vader Yule Log this year. 

I got out for a walk Christmas morning because Jeremy needed some sleep that morning so we got a late start with everyone coming out to the living room. 

Some year's past, Jet has been still asleep when it was time to go out or just slow going. This year, though, he was so excited and was the first person to run out to the living room when it was time. He was very excited about everything. He is so cute.

The week before Christmas, Jet came home from school one day after Santa visited and let us know Santa was going to bring him a scooter for Christmas. That's what he told Santa he wanted and wow, that was the first we'd heard about it.

Apparently Santa delivered and he got that scooter for Christmas with a Spider-man helmet. That little boy got several Spider-man things for Christmas or around Christmas. Christmas Eve the kids opened up pajamas from grandparents (Jet's were Spider-man pjs). 

A few days before Christmas, each family member came to Mom and Dad and we talked about spiritual gifts and let them know what gifts we saw in them. Then they opened up a present from grandparents- this time, a blanket (Jet's was Spidey and His Amazing Friends, of course).

The day after Christmas, December 26, was Wren Day and it was National Candy Cane Day. Jeremy, Nichole, and I took Jet to the Provo River Delta so he could try out his new scooter on the trail and we could look at birds. I thought Jet would be slow but apparently he picked up on riding a scooter really quick and zoomed along the trail.

I did take a moment to capture a picture that celebrated both holidays. Birding on Wren Day with a candy cane.

Jet was content to go home when it was time. He got hot chocolate with a candy cane in it. 

Saturday was a lazy day and it was so nice. I didn't even go out for a walk.

 

Sunday, December 28, was Stan Lee's Birthday so I wore my bow earrings. It was also National Chocolate Candy Day. We definitely ate chocolate candy. It was also Card Playing Day. Jeremy and I played a card game. 

This morning, I went for a walk in the park again with the lights. It was cold.

And since it's Tick Tock Day, I'll also mention that we celebrated Lucky's birthday earlier in December.

For the balloons for Lucky's class, he decided on penguins, narwhals, but couldn't figure out the last design. Jeremy made his suggestion. Everyone was confused (a rocket?) until he called me over.

Ohhhhh. Missile-toe! Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha!

It was finally decided that the last design would be a mouse with a Santa hat (not the missile-toe). It was a popular design.

 O.K. Enough of blogging.

Walk in a Cold Park

March 30 was Take a Walk in a Park Day. The kids and I discussed that if we got enough homework and chores done soon enough, we could take bikes and scooters to a park and also have dinner as a picnic in the park.

We got out later than expected. We're still learning about time management when it comes to homework and chores. That and Mom got a phone call she needed to take.

It was not the warmest day anyway but because we got out as late as we did, it was cold at the park. Still love that view, though.

We scarfed down some food, then Jet and Nichole went to play in the van while I got pictures of the boys riding around the park.

Then I used the excuse that we had to get home to make cookies to try to get the boys to come. It took a while and I was not very happy by the time we finally all got in the van. Jeremy joined us just as we were about to leave so he said he'd follow us home. The kids got the idea that we should try to lose Dad so they directed me to make different turns but Dad always kept track of us. Then at one point he passed us so then the kids told me we should take the next turn. We did and the kids were so happy we finally "lost Dad." At one point our routes combined and we ended up two cars behind him. The kids thought that was hilarious. Another point toward the end, Jeremy took a turn and we went straight and we met up again while we had a stop sign and he didn't so we ended up right behind him. So when Dad made an unexpected turn, I asked the kids if we should follow and they enthusiastically said, "Yes!" so we followed him around the neighborhood before we eventually ended up home and in a much better mood. Then everyone helped make cookies.

Another funny thing is that March 30 was also I am in Control Day. Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha. I wish.

Bonding-ish Time

I love my family. I love doing things with my family as a whole or with individual members. Hence bonding time and family activities. 

Sometimes it is absolutely amazing.

Sometimes... not so much.

Here's how bonding time sometimes goes:

Schedule it in advance. We're going to do it on a Friday afternoon. The other kids will take care of the baby and we will do something just us together. 

Mom: O.K. March 19 is Chocolate Caramel Day. Let's make hot chocolate and put caramel syrup in it then drink it while doing something. 

Child: Yeah. I'll play a video game while you're making the hot chocolate.

Mom: O.K. But you won't be able to play very long. Be aware of that.

Time passes.

Mom: The hot chocolate is done. Time to get off the game.

Time passes. 

Time passes.

Mom: You need to turn the game off now.

Time passes.

Time passes.

Other child: Mom, Jet's awake.

Mom: O.K. I'll take him since "Child" and I aren't doing bonding time anyway. You guys can all come out now. We've got to make dinner.

Child: But what about our bonding time?

Sigh. To make a long story short, that child drank his hot chocolate while I got chicken drumsticks prepared (for Poultry Day on March 19) and put in the oven then he and I finally went out for a walk/scooter ride with Jet. 

 

Other things that happened that day. Lucky read to Jet for International Read to Me Day.

Nichole and Lucky were silly and danced around for Let's Laugh Day.

Sometimes You Have "Those" Days

Sometimes you have "those" days. The kids and I had a day, well, an afternoon, or evening. Some stuff was going on. You're familiar with "stuff." Anyway, the weather was nice so the kids and I hopped in the van and headed to a local park for biking, scootering, strollering, and walking. We stayed longer than expected because one child had a hard time because of dogs around and needed to be comforted and another realized as we were about to leave that his mask had fallen out of his pocket. It took some time but we did find it.

One child kept taking off his socks and only dropped one once where I was able to find it quickly.

When we got home, we ate sloppy joes for dinner to celebrate National Sloppy Joe Day on March 18.

It was also Forgive Mom and Dad Day. I hope that child who had his time ruined did forgive me.

Science Fiction Day 2021

It's January 2. That means it's Science Fiction Day. The first one of 2021. Or... the only one of 2021?

Anyway, after our day of Jeremy and Nichole going birding, 

the boys and I dancing to ABBA music while we were supposed to be cleaning (we did some) and going for a walk/bike/scooter/stroller ride to try out Jr. and Jr. Jr.'s new helmets (and because the weather was decent today), 

we ate nachos again and then watched the movie, Artemis Fowl, since it can be considered science fiction. We also ate cookies in a tin we were given for Christmas.

 

Here is what Jet has to say about the day:

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P.S. We didn't blog about this yesterday but besides toasting the New Year and nachos, we got to watch Ballet West's The Nutcracker on KSL-TV. 

Nichole and I have fond memories of going to watch the Nutcracker ballet together a couple of years in a row (not Ballet West but another Utah ballet company). We brought her ballet bear with us each time and so Nichole made sure to have that bear while we watched the movie on TV. It was nice to watch it with the family. Some day it would be nice to go to the actual theatre again to watch the ballet live. It's so awesome.

Fall Break- A Walk in the Wind

The first full day of Fall Break. Nichole and Jr. had a project to work on so Jeremy and I took the rest of the kids for a scooter ride in the canyon. We told the boys to bring coats just in case. I didn't take one myself thinking it would be warm enough with just a long sleeve shirt. I didn't realize it was going to be that cold and windy. We got out early enough to beat the sun to the trail we were walking. That made it colder. Poor little boys. They made it, though- the two-mile trek from Vivian Park to Bridal Veil Falls. 

Jeremy dropped us off at Vivian Park then went to switch vehicles at Bridal Veil Falls so we'd have the van as soon as we finished our walk. While we were waiting for him we went to look at the water. There was a pumpkin in the water. What?

When Jeremy got back we headed out.

Jr. Jr.'s fingers were too numb to scooter a lot of the time. He kept asking for snacks to warm him up so I took the scooters a lot of the time. I'm sure glad I brought snacks.

At least at one point we found a bridge in the sun. That warmed us up a little. Jet wasn't too miserable. He managed to fall asleep in the stroller.

When we got to Bridal Veil Falls there were not that many people there so I was able to get a picture of the boys with the falls before we hurried to warm up in the van.

"We made it!"

When we got in the van, Jeremy got a text showing a drawing Nichole did on the computer.

Beautiful job, Nichole.

 

Later in the day, the kids made mug cake cookies for each other. Jr. Jr. started it when he made one to make Lucky feel better after accidentally knocking him over. Sweet children.

Note: Since we took our walk in the wind, a fire started that went into Provo Canyon and burned a lot of area in there. So please enjoy the pictures on my blog from before the fire.