Long Weekend

Two weeks after coming back from Christmas vacation, the kids had four days off because of the end of term and then Martin Luther King, Jr Day.  We had to stay in town because of work and basketball and church, so we did some art and then went to The Rush.  Usually I don't love taking the kids there because they all go different directions and tell me they are bored and just want to do the arcade, which is not included in the pass. 

But this time, it was like all the stars aligned and we all had a great time.  Davis had a friend come along, Koda, and they were able to do their own thing, with Noah tagging along most the time.  I stayed with Eva and she jumped and swung and climbed and drove.  I was most impressed watching her trying the climbing wall.  I think she tried at least 25 times.  She would fall and get back up and try again.  Noah also climbed, and at one point, I heard him yelp behind me and turned to see him falling head first.  Good thing we had the attendant tighten his harness before he started climbing.  He was a little shaken up, but he also got up and climbed again.

Davis Gets the Priesthood

My oldest now has the priesthood.  What a blessing to have him in our home.  He is such a great person - he has a kind heart and finds it hard to express that.  He asked for a suit for Christmas so he would look good when passing the sacrament.  He was very nervous for the first time, but did a great job. 

Hockey!?

If an effort to expose the kids to all sorts of things - places, people, museums, food (this never goes well), and activities, we decided to take them to a Grizzlies hockey game (which was conveniently held in the afternoon on President's Day when they had no school). 

Davis loved it.  He loved the aggressiveness of the players, the slamming against the walls, the possibility of a fight.  Noah tolerated it.  His favorite was dancing during the breaks and trying to get on the jumbotron, which he and Davis did twice.  And Eva like the cotton candy. 

Basketball and Davis

There are few things I love more than watching my kids play sports.  I like the stage when they are just starting and doing the funniest things (Noah, I'm looking at you when you were laying down making grass angels in baseball).  But I really like when they start to get better and everyone starts to care if they win or lose and you can start yelling things like "Take the ball from him!  Be aggressive!"  You know, the types of things that, if they did at home, they would get in trouble for.

This season in basketball, Davis and his team have really improved and they were really fun to watch.  By the end of the season, Davis was on fire, making shots, getting rebounds, fighting for jump balls, and hustlin'.

Reading!

Eva has been learning her alphabet at preschool.  Some letters are still a little tricky for her, but she has moved on to learning words.  So I pulled out our BOB books to see if she was interested in reading them.  She is so good at sounding out the words.  While I was sick, I would sit in the red chair down by the fireplace and she pulled over her big orange bean bag next to the chair.

She reads each book over and over for a few days and then asks for the next one.  I love seeing her work out the harder words.  Just today, while we were out and about she asked "Mom, does o-n spell on?"  Wouldn't it be interesting to know what her brain was working on to need to know that?  I love seeing my kids go from not caring or struggling with the alphabet to really becoming curious about words and reading.

Flu!!

Somehow, I caught the flu.  The actual flu, that they diagnose and give you a prescription for it and you feel like death.  The prescription was supposed to take a few days off the length of sickness.  It did not.  It was also supposed to reduce how contagious it was and it must have worked, because no one else got sick.  But I was in bed for a week and barely functioning the second week.  Now, with a few advil, a cough suppressant, and a humidifier, I feel decent.

One day while I was sick, Eva came into my bedroom and asked if she could make lunch.  I usually don't let her because she would include her three favorite foods (and only those foods); graham crackers, chocolate chips, and craisins.  But today I figured it couldn't be any worse than what I would manage to put out, so I said yes. 

After a  few minutes, she came back in and asked, "Mom, do you want regular lunch or restaurant lunch, like where you get to choose what you want."  I told her regular and she replied, "Well, if you choose restaurant, it's ready right now."  So, I chose restaurant and headed into the kitchen.  Eva had gotten out a good assortment of food, buffet style, with our plates at one end.  She was so proud of making lunch!  And I have to admit, blueberries, toast, and ice cream were a really tasty lunch!

Hogle Zoo in the Winter

I am not a lover of the cold (gasp!).  Not a surprise to anyone who knows me.  But it was a free day at Hogle Zoo, the sun was shining, and the kids got out of school early, so we headed down.  I bundled myself up, offered extra layers to the kids (which they did not take advantage of), and we got there for the last two hours of the day.  We loved seeing the sea lions active and the otters playing.  As we were leaving we heard one of the lions roar and it was so cool.

I am still surprised to find myself out and about without a stroller or big bag with "kid" supplies.  Everyone walked by themselves and I carried a small backpack with my wallet, a water bottle to share, and 4 granola bars.  Livin' the dream!