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First half of 2019

June 22, 2019
This week began the weeks of irregularity for us as I left to the Phillippines on Tuesday morning and Kassie and the kids (with Kassie's mom) left for Colorado on Friday. Hinckley finished his week-long art camp and did lots of cool projects, and both he and Addie finished swimming lessons and were sad about being done. Greyson stayed lively and withstood a shopping cart tipping over event which was scary for him and Addie (the instigator) and Kassie too. He is enjoying his new abilities of opening doors and sharing his opinion vocally.

Boy with a hair cut and minor injury from shopping cart


A picture with one of the patient agents I got to observe
I've been meeting with our partner site here in Manila this week and really appreciate being able to see them in person and just communicate! It can be so difficult to share things via conference calls, especially with poor connections that we have sometimes. So it has been great. On Tuesday morning I will head to Cebu for a few more days before flying back to Arizona on Saturday. I've got lots of quiet time and am trying to make the most of it by studying for that PMP (Project Management Practitioner) exam which I have yet to schedule. I probably should be out seeing the people and sites of a foreign land...but I think I'll limit it to going to church here in an hour or so.

Hiking Date on Tucson Summer night
June 16, 2019
We've had a fun-filled couple of weeks here in Sahuarita. The summer routine has finally been established with swimming lessons in the morning, lots of library trips and special time with Mom. We had another day trip up Madera Canyon and there was still a little water in the stream so Hinckley and Addie had a blast dipping their feet and exploring the rocks. Kassie's brother Dan and his wife and daughter came down from PHX with us and we had a fun time and enjoyed a picnic as well. 

Madera Canyon with Lilah




Greyson's vocabulary continues to evolve and he loves mimicking all the sounds and tones he hears. He still isn't super eager to walk, but gets very proud of himself when he stands (beaming at us and clapping his hands). He has started folding his arms during some prayers and makes a little "amen" tone afterward. His passion for dumpster diving might have been completely replaced by his love of toilet splashing, so hopefully, we can redirect his alarming trend of hobby choices soon! His hair is very long and would look great on a young princess, the clippers are coming out this week (see video above)

Addie has been drawing and creating much more lately and it is so fun to see her work evolve from little circle blobs to identifiable things, usually our family members with an occasional pony or even a banana man (inspired by Hinckley no doubt). She lives about 95% of her day in some imaginary world and changes clothes what feels like every 15-20 minutes some times. She and I had a wonderful date going to a Daddy Daughter dance at the local recreation center. We had a blast dancing on the floor, eating brownies and chips, and doing the bunny hop and limbo. We were both in heaven! 

Daddy Daughter Dance photo shoot
We've been working with Hinckley on his bike and it will take a few more days/weeks of practice before he can go at it alone but his attitude has really improved so that is promising. He continues to read a ton and is really interested in Harry Potter, so we started reading the first one with him at night. He creates wonderful pictures in his "summer journal" and writes out hilarious statements. He and Kassie had a fun date at Peter Piper Pizza but he was very jealous of Addie's glowsticks she returned from the dance with. There is a lot of seeking justice and "fairness for all" in our house which can be challenging at times.

June 2, 2019
Greyson continues to enjoy his “scoot off the stairs face forward” game which is a bit like chicken I think, to see whether we will lunge after him or not and whether he will fall on his face…or not. He now regularly is saying words like “Dada”, “Mama”, “Baf” (indicates "bath", and a million other things), “Vroom” (for all cars and such) and he tones a high and low pitch in the same way we say “Thank you” and “Got it”. His favorite things in the universe right now include cars, watermelon, garbage, any sort of music, dangerous looking things, going outside, his family members, his stuffed elephant, and books - especially the transportation book Grandpa helped him find at the library last week. His mullet is offensively long, with glorious gorgeous curls. He charms all. He also has mastered the art of throwing fits on cue, especially when it is time to change his diaper and clothes. 



Addie continues to explore her imagination and push the envelope for how she can enrage her older brother and win over everyone else. She has developed quite the storytelling capability, and she told stories all the way back from the hike into Sabino Canyon (about 1 mile) and managed to forget her tired feet and wet socks. She loves to dance and sing and also has developed a unique artistic style that consists of hulking blobs with long tentacle-like legs and glaring eyes. She is missing school badly and asks at least 15 times a day when she gets to go back to school and see all her friends. The other day at the swimming pool we overheard her speaking to a girl there. "Hi I'm Addie, I had frog in a hole for breakfast today." Kassie and I joked about how that would be if we introduced our selves in similar ways. She is very sweet. 

Addie's fashion design for Greyson's stuffed elephants


Hinckley creations

Hinckley has had some remarkable bursts of creativity this week including making his own Eye Spy book, multiple epic creations from his space connector toys, chalk murals on the back porch, and a book about a dot being changed into a new form by a wizard on the moon. He is sleeping in much later now that we don’t have to get him up super early for the bus, and that is really good. He loves the water, and continues to thrive in the swimming pool and in any natural water sources we can find (Sabino Canyon on Monday, Madera Canyon on Sunday) - especially if he can wear is new waterproof sandals!

May 26, 2019
School has ended and summer officially begins! Hinckley had some fun last day activities and parties and Addie had a fun preschool Peter Piper Pizza party as well. They both had great experiences and we are grateful. Kassie has set up a small reading program with the kids for which they can earn tickets for a number of pages/books read and Hinckley has really gotten fired up about that. On Saturday I took him to do a trail of a jiu-jitsu class and he really enjoyed it. It was interesting to watch and fun to see how much he was liking it. He also agreed to a 10 minutes bike riding practice session with me (no training wheels) which didn't go too great. 

Greyson hunts for gold (and refuses clothes)

Family scripture time

Dreaming of the spa

We have Mom and Dad with us for a few days! Fun to see them and the kids were so excited to show them all sorts of things as soon as they were through the door. Greyson was a bit shy but warmed up fairly quickly and was chirping and mumbling sweet nothings before going to bed.

Reading time with Nana and Grandpa


Desert Museum with Nana and Grandpa

Visiting Dad's work


May 20, 2019
The week flew by and ended with Hinckley’s Kindergarten “graduation” celebration and him and I going out on a fathers and sons outing. He’s been extra “Stinckley” lately, lots of violent fits and acting out and it is all troubling…but maybe somewhat normal? He has really loved Kindergarten and maybe part of it is dealing with the coming change of being done with that. He and I made a pit stop at Subway and McDonalds (the best camp food in town) before heading down near the border for the stake campout. He had a blast running around thorny bushes and dirt with other kids, and eating snow cones (the best camp food desert I’ve never thought of but the Stake leaders did). After a ruthless night of rocks massaging my back, haunting echos of deacons heckling each other, and temperatures far lower than anticipated, we woke up to a delicious breakfast of Costco muffins and tacos. All in all, it was a success, and I appreciated my bed even more. Count your blessings! 

In the tent with Hinckley, Dad, and Pumpkee

Girls night

Kindergarten "graduation" with Mrs. Hamden
Addie and Kassie had fun when H and I were out by doing “masks” (that green stuff women put on their face) and watching the rest of Addie’s Barbie movie. Addie continues to love imaginative play where we always have to be a Ninja character from “Ninjago” TV show, though she is often a blend of a Ninja, princess, and pony. Indeed she stated this week that when she grows up she’d like to be a Pony... more specifically a unicorn. So, you know what they say, with the American dream - you can be anything you want!

Greyson continues his favorite hobby of dumpster diving, making quick jumps when we aren’t looking and surfacing with all sorts of treasures he can trail around the house with. He is also developing the remarkably picky diet our two others have pledged to, and so we’ve begun being very strategic when choosing to bring out fruit by doing so only after we are sure he’s eaten everything he actually will try. Once the fruit is out of the bag, the child goes into some sort of obsessive trance and only physically removing him from the premises will break the spell that gets him to quit eating. Another (and less destructive) hobby he has picked up is sitting on the first step of the stairs and then launching himself forward to land on the ground on his bum. He gets a huge kick out of it!

Happy on the back porch

Posing like a Rennaisance poster-baby

May 12, 2019
Hinckley and Addie had “payday” on Saturday (for their extra chores) and had enough to get the toys they’ve been saving up for. So I took all the kids down to Walmart and we got Hinckley’s Lego set and Addie got an Elsa doll she has been very carefully managing and caring for. It is really cute! Hinckley built his whole set in less than 24 hours, hardly taking breaks to eat or do much anything else. It made for a very peaceful weekend!!! He has also been reading a ton and gets so engrossed in his book it is common to find him mid-task (getting dressed, eating, anything really) stopped in his tracks with his nose in a bok. 

3D Lego art

Addie is "jealous" of Hinckley's legos, and they tend to share the feeling frequently. But we are working through it ok I think/hope. She really wants attention and validation 100% of the day long and we are all learning to give her what we can and live with the consequences when we can't. 

Ade"lady"

Dressing up with Mom's stuff

Greyson says “Uh oh!” a lot now, and is always smacking his lips and blowing kisses. It is really something! He also can manage something close to “Bye Bye” and he loves waving goodbye when he senses he or others will be leaving soon. He yearns to be outside all the time, and is eager to be out whenever possible. He loves going up and down the stairs and entertaining his doting siblings.

On Saturday night we had the Sister missionaries over and our neighbor also came for dinner, so we were grateful for the small missionary moment that happened without any big engineering or planning. And the kids listened to the spiritual thought too, so that was a huge plus.

Sunday Devotional activities
May 5, 2019
On Monday we went to Hinckleys "Lets Play Music" recital where he played a set on his bells. He did a good job, and then got psyched out and "made a mistake" (nothing we noticed at first) which resulted in a huge fit and exuberant sadness on stage. There was lots of tears and nose picking/eating and while it was hard we restrained ourselves from going up on stage and taking him off. Hopefully, it was the right decision - and it seemed to be. He stuck with staying on till the end but was very upset about his "mistake" and how it was all ruined. He comes by his perfectionism honestly, but we hope more experiences like this will help him learn to see mistakes and "failure" as learning rather than the end of all things. It isn't easy! 

Let's Play Music teacher with Hinckley

The Concert
Addie and Greyson have been a little sick this week, and Greyson was teething in addition to the sickness. Poor baby hasn't been quite himself and has just wanted to be held most the day as he either cuddles, dozes, or screams. Hoping that gets better soon. On Saturday Hinckley went to 2 birthday parties while Addie went to one, as well as a date swimming with Kassie. I did some work at the car dealership where they checked on some recall issues with the van and then later Held Greyson for a spell as he is still recovering from some sickness.

April 28, 2019
With Kassie out for some of this week in Provo for her sister Rochelle’s graduation, I had time with the kids as I took Thursday/Friday off of work. We went to library story time, a doctor appointment for Greyson, painted, went on lots of walks and park trips, read books, ate lots of snacks, finished Mary Poppins, drew pictures, played Ninjas, and more. Good times!

Here are some highlights from the week:
  • Listening to "Blue, ba da di ba da do" while doing dishes and dancing like crazy as Hinckley and Addie do handstands and laugh. Teaching them the hands moving on the knees trick.
  • Pretending to be "Red Ninja" from Ninjagos to convince Addie to help clean up and not throw a fit.
  • Hinckley finds a jelly bean in the dirt outside, "Can we bury it and water it so we can have a jelly bean tree?"
  • Me - "Mommy comes home tomorrow Addie!" Addie - "Yes, then we won't have to take care of you any more Dad."
  • Sitting with Addie and Hinckley watching Mary Poppins Returns and seeing them totally entranced. Hinckley couldn't really sit still and would get up to dance and stare, he took 30 minutes to eat 2 slices of pizza.
  • Hinckley's pure delight in seeing an aphid on the tree at the park, and then carrying on a long conversation. After talking for a long time at the park (while Addie and Greyson played) he said, "This is a good conversation. Your turn dad!" Me: "What should I talk about?" H: "Whatever you want Dad."
Creating

Bath time

April 21, 2019
This past week has been really good for reflecting on what matters most. It being Easter week, Kassie has led out some good discussions each evening on things from the last week of Christ’s life. The funeral for her grandpa went really well and it was really thoughtful and good service. The kids did really great, and Greyson even took a nap at a member of the ward’s home while I visited with them in their living room for over an hour. The kids loved the two hotels we stayed at, and we all got more sleep than I could have hoped for. All in all, it was a success.

Greyson's Easter Picture with Loving Mother

Easter Picture with stuffed animals and feelings

Playing outside after the funeral services for Grandpa Dally 

Eating "the best breakfast ever" in Sholo Arizona (enroute to the funeral)

April 14, 2019
Kassie and I had a fun date to one of our favorite Mediterranean restaurants in Tucson, followed by a fun improv comedy show. Saturday we went to an Easter egg "hunt" and in the afternoon enjoyed a really cool event at the Tucson Astronomy festival. The kids got to look through telescopes and see a hydrogen storm on the surface of the sun as well as the craters on the surface of the moon! Also, we saw the first ever picture of the black hole which came out on Wednesday, it took 2 years and 8 telescopes around the world to shoot and process the image. The kids loved the crafts we did there and Greyson loved playing in the dirt the whole time. Win win. 

Looking at the moon
 Hinckley has been reading like mad and is really enjoying the Super Rabbit Boy series. He loves wearing his new Lego-themed hat which makes him look so much older. Both him and Addie got haircuts which makes them both older looking too. He was really excited about the astronomy experience and has been drawing pictures of black holes eating cake and the sun with storms and spots.

Addie is into watching Spirit now, and we've played a few imaginary games on that theme. She loves her haircut and is ok with the fact that we can't braid her hair like Elsa for now. She has started saying lots of cute phrases such as "How could you!?" and "How DARE you!" She still delights in teasing Hinckley and loves to care for Greyson. The kids have been hanging up all sorts of things in their rooms such as their artwork and little treasures - including “punching bags” which are pieces of paper taped to a string which hangs down from the ceiling - their room has become its own sort of magical kingdom.

Greyson can stand on his own now, though he doesn’t really know it yet! He continues to exhibit an extremely cute and pathetic sad face so it is hard to get too frustrated with that kid. He has been a little sick and has had some rough nights, but the last few have been much better. He loves exploring. His favorite areas are inside our shower, on top of the bed or any raised surface, and in the trash (if he can get there without anyone spotting him). He's started saying "Uh oh!" and "Hot!"

Super reading boy with his new book, as post-bath routine ensues in the background

April 8, 2019
We had a fun and quick week, and for the second week in a row had a game night with couples from the ward - this time we were invited to go! We are feeling quite social. Conference weekend was wonderful and we felt like there were all sorts of great messages for us. The kids did relatively well, and thanks to Kassie's preparation they had some good activities and distractions to keep them busy. We drove up to the temple after the final session and it was very peaceful to walk around the grounds there.

Temple grounds

Conference time

Easter egg "hunt" and bunny creature
March 30, 2019
We went to the Fiesta Sahuarita, a yearly community celebration, yesterday in which our standing in long lines paid off. The kids jumped in jump houses, lathered themselves up with bubbles from a random bubble machine, and a few other fun events. This was after Hinckley's final soccer game of the season with the "Slime Blobs" (our official team name) and a Daddy/Addie date to Micheal's craft and Chik-Fil-A. Kassie and I topped off the packed day with having some couples over for some games and such and it all turned out pretty well.



Slimeblobs: final game
Greyson has really started gaining awareness of the world around him. If he isn't moving at lightning speed for some life-threatening object, he is pointing and oogling at something else. He loves getting on top of things such as large pillows and containers of toys and will often spend many minutes getting on and off at regular intervals. He's still very much sensitive to music and as soon as he hears a tune he almost always starts moving to it regardless of the volume or beat. Greyson also has started speaking in tongues. While pointing at things he babbles adorable little squeaky noises mixed with "blubs" and cooing words, and then often punctuates his main point with glass-shattering screeches. He's extremely persuasive.

Addie is loving school and she's now in a place of uncertainty when it comes to which imaginary world to live in the most. The latest movie from the library is Sweetpea Beauty (Veggie Tales) and so she likes to bounce between being Sweetpea to Elsa to WildStyle (Lego Movie) to any one of My Little Ponies. She loves following after her brothers and making them both laugh (or the opposite) and she continues to have outbursts of love (e.g. I love you so much Daddie!). She and Hinckley had a "sleep out" on Friday night in which they slept in their sleeping bags on the floor of the room. Her favorite word to express 95% of any less than happy emotion she is experiencing is "POOPY!!" Often the conversation is carried on with that being her only response to all questions or opportunity to express her point of view.

Hinckley has developed a love for jump roping and this week he has been going out to the back patio to jump rope his ABCs and numbers to 100 etc. He's also loved to take his ability to read into new areas such as reading billboards, instructions, and more. A new world is opening to him! With his expanded literary abilities have come stronger points of views and complicated feelings and emotions that are often mystifying. Overall he seemed to enjoy soccer but I think we are all happy the season is over for now.

March 24, 2019
Kassie's parents are here for a couple of days and we've had fun going swimming, watching Hinckley play soccer, bowling, and lots of playing around the house. Kas and I enjoyed some amazing Thai food based on recommendations from Zach and Kylie Halvorsen, and then went to the temple...which was closed. In all our planning we somehow missed that fact. Argg. 

Fun with Grandma and Granddad

At the Zoo with Kindergarten class

Everybody loves Momma

Hinckley read one of his school journals for me and it was so cool. From pictures of him and me sledding together, to a mechanical mouse eating our house before exploding into fireworks…it was a wonderful collection of pictures and writing. His teacher sent him home with many journals from the beginning of school till now and they are really remarkable. He is become really excited about reading and will often go off and read to himself for a long time...its amazing! We hope to keep that fire alive. 

Crazy hair day

Addie continues to bounce between her love of ponies to princesses and to lego characters and is always conjuring up some kind of imaginary situation or game. She often addresses us all by our current character (I'm usually Batman) and it is really funny. She hosted a tea party for her teddy bear in her bed the other day and she's constantly getting her Ana dress on and off depending on the task at hand. She was happy to have school start up again, there was a long period in which she didn't have it for a variety of reasons, and she really loves that.

Tea party by the window

Greyson has truly entered the "search and uncover" phase. Like a wind-up toy, if he gets on the ground he almost immediately starts moving - usually to some vulnerable area we've not barricaded or anticipated (though after so many trial runs we've become pretty good about preventative measures). He is starting to push himself up and stand at times with support. He loves making his siblings laugh and will often roll around like a potato bug giggling loudly. 

Kitchen Spelunker 
I finished the unabridged Les Mis on Saturday! I've been reading a couple of pages to help me unwind each night for the last forever and I really enjoyed it. It is starting to feel like summer is here, with many of the buds and blossoms coming out and the allergies and heat filling our lungs and noses.


March 17, 2019
We had a great visit to PHX despite Greyson going completely nuts on our second night as he just wouldn't sleep. Instead he screams like someone is slowly choking him to death. It was so great to spend time with Granny and Grandpa, and got to visit with Karen, Sean, Casey, Ruth, and a few minutes with Charles too. Such wonderful family and good folks! Was great to hear Addie say “when can we visit Granny’s again” as we pulled out from the curb with the classic hands out the window Williams farewell.

While in PHX, we met some of Kassie’s family at a jumping gym in Chandler on the way up, and the next day went to a cookie dough bar (yes its a thing) and the Arizona Science Center with a visit to a Chines Buffett place where Molly, one of Kassie’s old Freshman friends met us. Hinckley loved the Buffett, amazed that he could go back and get more without us haggling with him about prices and everything. He was just so happy and I was reminded of my own love affair with buffets and the whole concept. It was really cute and he was literally jumping up and down saying "this is the best Chinese restaurant I've ever been to!" Probably the french fries and ice cream helped. We hit Hole in the Rock hike on our way home to Tucson before a brief scare that the Kindle Fires were unable to pull up Netflix...but it all worked out (Phew!). 

Cookie Dough Bar with Aunt Sam and Lilah

Climbing Jungle place in Chandler

Animals near Granny and Grandpa's


Hole in the Rock, PHX

Here are some moments over the last week that stuck with me:
  • Greyson trying to brush Hinckley's teeth by stretching off the ground with his own brush, and Hinckley giggling like mad. Addie trying to say "I love you" as I'm flossing her.
  • Feeling overwhelmed and stressed out the first day back on the job after Spring break, and turning to see the fun drawings Hinckley and Addie left on my whiteboard from the previous week when they visited Intuit.
  • Hinckley moping and hiding in the closet. "I broke your smile...I hate breaking your smile Dad!" Something he said to me at soccer practice apparently in which I stopped smiling. He's very sweet.
  • laughing with Sean, Casey, granny and Grandpa, Ruth and Charles and Grace. sitting at the table and feeling like this place and these people don't change (in a good way)
  • Hinckley pushing Greyson inside the laundry basket and both of them laughing their lungs out.
  • walking with Greyson's on a dirt road in the desert. looking up at the cactus, listening to Elder Holland, and enjoying squeezing Greyson's small legs as he wiggled in the carrier.
  • In the middle of coaching Hinckley's soccer game he comes over to me and says "I am having so much fun playing soccer!" and being glad I put in the time and effort. Also watching the kids play in the Intuit breakroom, watching Hinckley's face when we told him the "micro manager" lego toy was already here after he did enough chores for the money.

March 10, 2019
This week Hinckley went berserk with joy over the new clay that came in the mail. It allows him to make all sorts of things (a homemade "Bop It", viruses, and even a strand or two of DNA) all without a very big mess. He and Addie were very excited and they also made their own “micro managers” (from lego movie) and a doughnut too. Hinckley earned enough money by the end of the week to buy an actual Mirco Manager lego kit and has been obsessively playing with it ever since.

Hinckley had his first cavity fillings this week as well and actually liked it (thank you laughing gas). So that is a good and a bad thing I’d say as not sure that was much of a deterrent for future cavities, but on the other hand, I’m glad he didn’t feel terrorized or anything.

Addie was very excited about wearing her shorts this week. Kassie braved another trip to the pool, unfortunately, friends couldn’t come due to a sick kid. I’d say that is a pretty good accomplishment - taking three young kids to the pool and back without major injury.

The other evening I gave Hinckley and Addie some junk from the freecycle table at work (little odds and ends), and they were ELATED. Stoking my children’s interests and talents is - I’m quickly coming to realize - one of my favorite things in the world. It is so fun to see what creations they come up with out of raw materials, and despite the messes and madness they create, it is all very wonderful too.

Kassie and I went to the first Marriage and family class put on by the ward on Friday nights, this first one was taught by Sister Dixon, the bishop’s wife. Not sure we will make it to all, but find it good to get to know other members of the ward on a non-Sunday activity like that and good to explore ways to enrich our marriage even more. We had fun playing tennis afterward before heading home for the night.

Greyson is nearly weaned and is getting quite agile on his hands and knees. If you aren't watching he zooms off to dip his hands in the toilet or get into some incredibly dangerous looking situation one couldn't imagine. He continues to have breath-holding spells, often when he is too tired or gets really angry. For him, he literally "can't take it anymore" in some circumstances and he just passes out. While it isn't pleasant to behold, we've become remarkably used to it.

Clay model of a molecule (including letters from the periodic table!) 

March 3, 2019
Hard to believe we are into March already, wow! It is starting to warm up a bit and the kids went with Kassie to the swimming pool this week and had a blast. Hinckley's soccer game was fun despite lots of missing kids, and I got my first solid sunburn too. It is supposed to get into the high 80s this week...so the wonderful spring we are feeling now will likely be brief - but we are enjoying it to the fullest.

We had a packed Saturday, from Home Depot kid craft to soccer game and park playing, to Tucson Monster Jam truck show with Hinckley to running errands and getting Mod Pizza for dinner with Addie. It was great!

I was a little worried as the Monster Jam started and halfway through the first competition Hinckley said to me “I don’t really like this.” But as time went on, he stuck through and I think really enjoyed some of the events as we watched Gravedigger, Scooby Doo, and the other trucks and ATVs do some pretty awesome things. His favorite was when a truck briefly caught fire after it had flipped over during the freestyle event. 

At Monster Jam show
We got a child’s Book of Mormon from a family in the neighborhood, and since then Hinckley has sat and read from it for many minutes on end. It fills me with joy to see him not only working so hard to read but also reading the stories of the Book of Mormon! We are so impressed with his ability to read and hope he keeps going!

February 24, 2019
The kids came back from the dentist and Hinckley literally has holes in his teeth visible to any human eye that actually looks closely (which I have not). Addie has cavities developing under her gum and needs special pills every night now. We feel terrible and a bit confused as we brush teeth daily…but apparently not good enough. The dentist was liberal with suggestions. So, if we didn’t feel like slaves to our children before with waiting on their whims and wishes for meals, toys, and books, we certainly do now in carefully brushing their teeth for exactly 2 minutes morning and night. But it is a new family activity we share every day.

The weekend days have been family filled, and with a random snow storm Hinckley’s soccer game was canceled we had to get creative on other things to do. We made a movie, visited the Children’s Museum, watched movies from the library, had a family game night (War is a big hit) and more. 

Snow in Sahuarita!!??!

Adventures above and below the table

Working to destroy the TV and more
Greyson has developed an eardrum-crushing scream that rivals his siblings when they were this age. He is learning to wield this power to his gain by conducting simple trial and error experiments which tend to wreak havoc on the rest of us and usually result in his obtaining some increased level of comfort or possession of the desired object and/or state. It's hard to get too upset with him though as he is also adept at making full use of his charming chubby smile, revealing his little teeth and rosy round cheeks. And of course his royal "Google!" he spouts out throughout the day.

Last night Hinckley, Addie, and I slept in sleeping bags downstairs as a sort of sleepover. They slept better than I expected, and aside from my hips feeling like they were slowly pressed into fractured shards we all had a good night. We watched The Lego Movie and now Addie refers to me as Batman, she is Wild Style, Hinckley is Emmit, Kassie is Lucy, and Greyson is President Business. Haha.

February 17, 2019

We had a fun valentine's day, despite a stressful event in which Kassie led the parents of Hinckley's class to organize Valentine's day party for the kids. Addie had a blast getting a massive bag of candy from preschool and we realized Valentine's is the new Halloween...or maybe Easter is? Dunno, but it seems like every month the kids come home with a huge sack full of candy that generates buzz in our children that must have at least some connection to the effects of hard drugs (mood swings, insane behavior, seemingly limitless energy followed by a royal fit and an equally epic crash).



Friday I had a great day off of work and enjoyed a beautiful run in the overcast morning with Addie in the stroller (she commented that she thought the cactuses were viruses…) and then I got to go to Hinckley’s school and eat lunch with him before doing a dry ice activity with his class. It was awesome Intuit gives employees a day off for their birthday! (within two weeks of your actual day) so I felt like I made the most of it. 

Kassie

Kassie's Cheesecake desert

Saturday was Kassie’s birthday and we had french toast in the morning and special lasagna for dinner (topped off with some cheesecake). Hinckley had a windy soccer game in the morning that was quite miserable for Kassie and Addie and Greyson, but I was very proud of Hinckley when he fell down and was tired and angry and crying that he got up and kept playing and even got some kicks on the ball. He was elated about it too and that gives me hope that he will continue to learn how to push through challenges.

Addie’s started to catch the drawing bug and has begun drawing shapes with legs and arms and simplistic faces. It is really neat to see her spending more time creating and drafting new pieces. Hinckley is getting more confident with his reading as well and the other night wanted to just read his own book while I was reading to Addie…not sure if that is a new normal but makes me sort of sad if I can’t get him to read stories with us! I think it is close to the time for us to adapt our end of day ritual a bit so I can start reading some more advanced books with him. I don’t know though, maybe I’m jumping the gun.

Addie art

February 10, 2019
This week was a bit abnormal with my quick trip to Boise ID for a work offsite, and my 30th Birthday to boot! I felt very blessed and loved. Kas and I had a fun date Friday night getting our first Sanoran hot dogs at the most famous place in Tucson for the delicacy (a tiny shack in South Tucson where everything is in Spanish - like a “Little Mexico” of sorts. After which we went and saw The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part which was hilarious and genius as expected. I really enjoyed it and was grateful to Kassie for putting it together.

Hinckley declared that eclair cake is the best cake and wants it on his birthday now. They kids were eager to eat the candy they gave me, and open the presents Kassie had ready for me. Fun to share special days with exuberant souls. 

Sanoran dogs

Dad's 30th Birthday
On Saturday Hinckley had is soccer game but was overcome with interest regarding his "first scab" - peppering me with questions about why the body creates scabs and so forth. He asked that I keep him out of the game for some time so he could give his scab a break and not risk ripping it off. Later that day we found a section on scabs in his "Ick" book which he was delighted about. I took the three kids to hike on the A Mountain while Kassie went to the temple and we had a fun time walking around up there despite the overcast clouds and a strong breeze - still a nice 65 degrees though so I can't complain. 



February 3, 2019

Hinckley made a model virus out of clay and other crafts that he read about in his “Ick” body book, and then he spent a ton of time this morning drawing pictures of germs that I pulled up on Google images. It is so funny how much interest he has in all that. He is also excited for the Tucson Gem show which is a big deal each year, and this time he is determined to have some coin ready. 

Gem show rewards
Addie earned herself an "Ana dress" after a few weeks of filling up the sticker chart so she is reveling in her new wardrobe. Each morning she wants to "fly" with me and we spend about 10-15 minutes running from their room and our room and back, jumping over lava and other items in the way. Lately we've been pretending to be "small foot" and "big foot" from the movie Small Foot, but we still are required to have capes on and no shoes. This afternoon the kids and I made their first movie ever which Hinckley named The Ghost and the Marble - which I don't fully understand. Enjoy!

Greyson has some kind of stomach bug it seems, but besides that, he has lots of energy and opinions. The kids love to make him laugh and he enjoys making a break for chemicals, cords, and toilets when we aren't looking. 

Imagination in action

Hinckley's sleep time kingdom

Slimeblobs practice
January 27, 2019

We were able to have a great MLK day on Monday. In the morning we went to the clubhouse and played tennis. Kassie and I were even able to play for about 10 minutes while the two oldest played around on the playground and Greyson sat in his stroller and giggled at us. Then I took H and A to the community garden in Tucson and we weeded and fed the weeds to the chickens (I had no clue Chickens ate weeds...). They got to pet a chicken, collect an egg, and also pet a horse and wave at goats. Hinckley seemed especially happy and said with a bit of shock, “This was way more fun than I was expecting Dad! I never have touched a chicken!” It filled me with lots of joy. Serving with my kids is a blast…most of the time. We ended the day with a hike in Madera canyon where we saw some turkeys and the kids enjoyed feeling the cold mountain runoff and walking among the plants (even the pokey ones). 


On Thursday it was fun to go from work to meet the family at Hinckley’s school movie night. We gathered in the gym and laid out on blankets and watched Small Foot. Greyson loved the music and we’ve come to the conclusion that music is what he thinks “Google” actually is. He bobs his head with a big smile and often waves his arms when he hears a tune while babbling "Googa!"

Saturday marked 1 year Greyson has been with us! Hard to believe it. He is such a jolly guy, with a big toothy grin. He has a quick temper and knows what he wants and when he wants it. He is a fairly calm complexion otherwise, and is very responsive to music and movement. He seems to be quite picky already and loved his banana cake which he ate with zeal and thoroughness. He is a blessing and a joy, even when he goes for the cords and all the other things we have. Hinckley and Addie enjoyed Greyson's birthday as much as siblings might. In addition to making his own space rockets from cardboard boxes and a pulley system to hang his stuffed animals from the second floor to the first, Hinckley spent time making some creations for his baby brother and Addie was very affectionate and supportive in helping him open presents. 

1 year old!

1 year old with loving siblings

Balloon boy

1 year old electrician...

We capped off the week with Hinckley throwing up in his bed and in the sink. The good news is he was totally fine by Sunday morning and avoided the carpet and all his covers. Hopefully it was a tiny bug and shared with no one. He is scared of cake now as he attributes it all to Greyson's birthday cake.

January 20, 2019
This week we had cousin Lilah over for a couple days as our Sister-in-law Sam is extremely sick with her second pregnancy. Greyson slept remarkably well in a pak n play in our closet and Lilah did great in his crib. It was an undertaking for sure, but it all worked out I think. A good reminder how remarkable anyone who has twins really must be. Addie and I went to Disney on Ice in PHX on Saturday and had a truly magical time. She wore one of the princess dresses that she often runs around the house with and fortunately we brought her My Little Pony jacket too as it got pretty cold in the ice arena. She loved it all for the full 2 hours! 

On the way to Disney on Ice - Dowtown PHX

Where dreams come true

Super cousins
We had our first soccer practice this week for Hinckley's team and me as coach. It went pretty well despite my being in the midst of sickness and not having much of a voice. The team is made up of kids from the ward so it is nice to already know the parents and the names of all the kids. I think it will be a good experience for all. Hinckley had 100 day at school on Friday and I got to go in for an hour or so and help out with some of the 100 day activities. He was very cute with his classmates and they got to make special paper crowns with 100 star stickers and get pictures with their 100 day posters. Hinckley created a poster with 100 eyes on it and drew a monster called "The Crumb Snatcher". 

100 day king

Greyson is basically crawling at this point. His eyes light up at the possibility of getting something small and sharp down his windpipe and he scoots with remarkable stealth to areas unpredicted (under your feat, toward fragile dish-ware, dangerous cords, etc.) Hard to believe that guy is going to hit 1 year this week! He had a bit of a jealous time seeing Lilah get held and cared for, but he managed.

Greyson said his first word this week: "Google". You might think, as we did, that he probably is just babbling innocently as most children. But when we say, "Where is Google?" He points towards our recently installed Google Home...so it turns out my fears of robotic overlords are very well founded, and my confidence that I was teaching myself and my children to control digital temptation is built on a sandy foundation! haha



January 13, 2019

Both kids were overjoyed to be back in school, which is a blessing. Hinckley got his report card back and is doing well in school. He has burned through his treasure digging kits he got for Christmas. Addie still loves school and is really getting into the imaginative play stage of life which is so fun. She is always wearing a crown or dress or fairy wings or a cape - and often does a small twirl or dance move. I love the few minutes I have in the morning with Addie before I go and as Kassie is showering. Hinckley is on the bus at that point and Greyson is usually sleeping so it is just us. We play legos, PJ Masks flying around, or other games like Feed the Woozle. She is always in a great mood and we have a fun time. And Greyson is really moving around, so close to crawling and doing those black magic tricks of finding cords and other dangerous items that don’t seem to be near him at all till they are in his mouth. He is discovering everything he shouldn’t and ignoring everything he should play with. He gets a big toothy grin on his face whenever he reaches for something like an Internet wire or the finally installed baby gate, and flails his arms about with desire. He is also really excited about the idea of putting toys into containers which really makes the other kids laugh.

Saturday night Kassie and I were social and had two extroverted couples over for game night after the kids were put to sleep. Our main worry was that they’d stay for many hours and we wouldn’t get to bed till midnight (what could be worse?!?), but it all worked out and we had a good time.

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Greyson's never ending hunt for things to grab

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Hinckley's Gift
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Happy Princess Fairy

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