Spring Break 2023

We didn't really have Spring for Spring Break. Our Winter went into April this year so we did mostly indoor things during Spring Break.

 

The kids learned how to play Phase 10.

We had some library time.

We did drive around one day and when we got home there was a spotted towhee in our front yard. Nichole got pictures.

Jr. found a recipe in my Shelf Cooking 101 book and wanted to try it out so we used ingredients we found around the house to make it. Yummm. I want them again.

April 3 was Fish Fingers and Custard Day.

April 6 was National Burrito Day and National Carbonara Day.

April 8 was Draw a Picture of a Bird Day. 

Have I Mentioned My Kids Are Awesome?

Back in March, Lucky participated in Battle of the Books and won 2nd place.

 

Jr. Jr. also competed in March, not in Battle of the Books, but in a coding competition. He created a game and worked on it for a long time. It was due the end of March and after Spring Break he found out that he won 1st place in the competition for the school. Way to go, Jr. Jr. It was quite impressive.

He brought home prizes later on.

The big prize he got was a robotic spider that crawls around and lights up and blows steam and makes sound and music. He was quite excited about that prize.

Lucky continued with his reading and got in the Reading Hall of Fame again this year at his school. He got a poster and yet another book.

He also got a gold medal for Reading Olympics in his class. Lots of reading for that kid.

It looks like I never blogged about the two times Nichole got published in UVU's Warp & Weave journal. Back at the beginning of December, she went to a event and got to pick up a free copy because one of her short stories was picked to be in it. I was sick so I had to drop her off and didn't get to go with her.

In April, I wasn't sick and got to go with her to another event where she got a copy of another issue of Warp & Weave because one of her art projects was picked to be in it.

 

General Conference, Etc.

Let's get started catching up on April.

 

General Conference of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was the beginning of April. We had our traditional nachos, took notes, had bonding time while watching the sessions together. 

The Saturday evening session was a combined general session. We made brownies for everyone to share and as is the tradition for General Conference, we started eating them from the middle first. As it was also April Fool's Day, we made two batches of brownies. One was normal and one used lemon extract and olive oil instead of the usual vanilla extract and canola/vegetable oil. Then I put them in the oven and couldn't remember which pan was which so we had to eat them to find out.

Some other things that happened during General Conference. Jr. put a water bottle on my head while I was watching and texted a picture to Jeremy. Jeremy's response? "Working on your poise?" That is in reference to one of the talks from the Saturday evening session, "Christlike Poise," by Elder Mark A. Bragg.

President Nelson gave a talk during the Sunday morning session called, "Peacemakers Needed."

Jr. Jr. had this to say: Jet is the biggest peacemaker of all of us because when he's all cute and stuff, he helps us to calm down and when he's mad, he makes things into pieces.

 

Jeremy was a peacemaker and shared his drink with Jet. 

He also read to him because the second day of General Conference was April 2, International Children's Book Day.

March Went Out Like a Ferocious Lamb

The last day of March we had a little bit of snow but my sister farther North had many many inches of snow. She was still able to make it down to UVU for a concert my niece was in. You know that niece.

Great performances by all the students. I also got to see both my sisters and we got a picture together. The last time we got a sisters picture with all three of us was right before my nephew left for his mission February of 2020.

I've gotten pictures with each of my sisters since but it was so nice that we were all together again that night.

I love my sisters.

Celebrating Other Than Holidays in March

There were opportunities to support and cheer on family members in March.

Lucky had a 3rd grade concert at school and he did a great job.

 

The elementary school had a read-a-thon that was Harry Potter themed. The students tried to read the most minutes possible. Jr. Jr.'s "house" got the most minutes of the school and won the "house cup."

Lucky got one of the highest amounts of minutes in his grade.

Jeremy, Jet, and I went to school with Jr. Jr. and Lucky one morning for "Parents and Pastries" to listen to a storyteller and have breakfast.

Lucky participated in Battle of the Books. His team made it to the final battles and got second place overall. He got his first trophy! He also got a book for being in the finals. For reading all 20 books, he got a box of candy and another book. And earlier, all the students who participated got a box of candy. 

I know he worked hard on this and it paid off. I got to go to four of his five original battles and Jet and I went to his final battle.

I was going to support Nichole by going to see her get an outstanding student award at school but I ended up sick that day so I couldn't go. She was understanding. She is such a sweet girl. Her orchestra teacher nominated her and had this to say, that she "has been a consistent example of hard work, dedication, and quiet service through her three years at Orem High. She notices things that need to be done and goes about making a difference without any request or expectation of acknowledgement." Way to go, Nichole.

The kids supported me a few times by coming on drives with me. The boys were content if they got to bring devices. Nichole and I got to chat. One day she and Jet and I went for a walk while the boys hung out in the van.

Another day we drove into Provo Canyon and were able to see where avalanches were.

That second picture is Bridal Veil Falls. There was an avalanche back in January. This picture was taken while driving by in March. I'll talk more about it and share more pictures when I catch up on May. Stay tuned... for a while. Let's just say it's now June and the road down by Bridal Veil Falls is still closed (it usually opens the beginning of May).

Jeremy got me a present. The kids wanted me to open it so Lucky tried to hurry me through eating my food so I would open it sooner. 

It was a comfy hoodie. Jeremy has a matching one but in a different color (and size). They are so comfortable.

 

March was busy and chaos and exhausting. But we made it through. Go, Telfords!

Celebrating Holidays in March

Started this post back in April but you know... chaos... then Jr. Jr. and Lucky like to "help" with my blog posts.

 

Bear with me as I have a whole month of holidays to talk about so I won't remember all of them especially if I didn't take pictures.

March 1: Share a Smile Day. I already posted the picture I took that day of Jet, Lucky, and I sharing a smile. I posted it on March 26, 2023.

March 2: Dr. Seuss' Birthday. We had green shelled eggs from neighbors' chickens. We also had ham. We ate breakfast burritos.

March 3: I Want You To Be Happy Day. Going to the library makes Nichole happy. Running around the library makes Jet happy.

March 6: Birthday of the Oreo cookie.

March 7: National Cereal Day. Some of us had cereal. Some of us had cheese and pickle sandwiches.

March 8: Kenneth Grahame's Birthday. We had The Reluctant Dragon checked out of the library for this.

Also National Proofreading Day. Nichole wrote.

March 9: Popcorn Lover's Day.

March 14: Pi Day and National Potato Chip Day and Learn About Butterflies Day.

March 15: Ides of March. Lucky was quite happy we had Chicken Caesar Salad Wraps.

March 16: National Panda Day. "Panda Bear, Panda Bear, What Do You See?"

Also Artichoke Hearts Day. We may or may not have had alfredo pizza with artichoke hearts. I'm leaning toward we did.

March 17: St. Patrick's Day. We wore green.

March 18: Sloppy Joe Day. Jeremy made us sloppy joes and onion roasted potatoes while the kids and I were out. I tried to get a picture of all of us. It wasn't easy so I made the comment that the picture was horrible so I needed to try again. Lucky commented, "Why is the picture horrible? Oh, because of your face?" Don't exactly know how to take that.

March 19: Poultry Day. Cooked chicken drumsticks and made some Indian food to go with them because we had ingredients we needed to use up.

Also Chocolate Caramel Day. 

Also Let's Laugh Day. Have you met my family? Of course there was laughing.

March 20: Vernal Equinox/First Day of Spring and National Snowman Burning Day. Jr. Jr.'s Family Home Evening activity- making paper snowmen and burning them. We started with a jar and ended on a pie plate which worked better. 

I was going to make snowman sandwiches for dinner. Grilled cheese snowman sandwiches. We had had grilled cheese and grilled pb&j but forgot the raisins so they weren't snowman sandwiches.

March 21: French Bread Day. These loaves turned out gorgeous if I do say so myself.

March 24: National Cheesesteak Day. We made Chilly Pheesesteaks. 

March 28: Something on a Stick Day. I made pizza muffins and ham and cheese muffins and we ate them on toothpicks. 

March 29: Manatee Appreciation Day. I went around singing "Barbara Manatee" most of the day.

There. I did it. Blogged about holidays in March. Phew.

Hey, Look. It's the Sky

To say things have been crazy lately is an understatement. At least one person has used the appropriate word- chaos.

So here is a picture of the sky from a family outing one night to walk along a trail by the lake. Lots of birds and bugs. We didn't think to bring bug spray. It's been a while... 

 

since we last walked. 

 

Please send lots of money so we can rebuild the destruction Jet made at our home and the doctor said my leg would be fine. I hope Jet doesn't go crazy again. Jet right now is stuck in a playpen so he doesn't bite one of us again. I hope he can't get out. Oh no he got out help us all!!! I shall lock myself in my bedroom like last time but there is twenty five locks instead of one. He is hitting the door what if he gets in! He's broken nine of the locks no I mean ten. Wait... he broke ten more only five more to go. How about I hide in my closet. I think he broke all of the locks and is in it won't be long before he finds me I hope he doesn't bite off my arm so I can keep typing. Help!!! He got my other leg I must escape I must run. I got away I will lock him in the house. It worked! He's now stuck in my house. Until next time.