November 15, 2020
This week, Addie not only talked all about her crush (a boy named Grey...ironic right?), but came home from school talking about how she saw Grandpa Halvorsen in a video at school for Veterans day. Hinckley did too! Addie talked very humbly and sweetly about veterans in the military and it was clear that she was thinking about it all day. Her prayers lately have been very sweet as she thanks Heavenly Father and Jesus for being nice and expressing her love for them. Those are precious moments to hear her chirping out these things.There have been some adjustments this week with the tighter constrictions with COVID. Hinckley had some difficulty going to school one day, it may be he is dealing with some anxiety and stress about COVID and restrictions on "everything fun" such as playing tag. We are just glad they can go to school! Hinckley has been doing lots of drawing lately and just finished The Book of Three this week as well. He loves talking about Minecraft and he'll often say, "Hey Dad, can we just talk?" which means, him telling me all about his latest exploits in the game. I hope he'll keep talking to me!
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| Bathtime with planes, trains, and automobiles |
Greyson has been randomly quoting the Berenstain bears at interesting times. His favorite is, "It is a nice day in the country!" which he said during our at-church Sacrament meeting (shortly after yelling out how he wants to be mean to the bench which he was kicking, and that Hinckley was stupid...). He also pronounced this week that "my feet are getting so big!" He constantly affirms he is a "big boy" and is quite proud of that. I had fun with him and Hinckley "playing" pickleball while Addie was at music. The boys had a ton of fun and I enjoyed seeing them swing around and whack things. The white mountains were brilliant against the blue and pink sky, so glorious.
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| Pickleball |
I took all three kids to the Springville Art Museum on Saturday. They actually loved it! Greyson was both mesmerized and terrified of a huge metal fountain in the main atrium area, constantly dragging me back to "the machine". He continues to talk sweetly to his trucks and stuffed animals. I put up some stuffed animal "hammocks" (nets to hold them off the ground) in H and A's room and Greyson is excited to get his own in the next month or so. He will ask "to cuddle" occasionally which we savor!
November 8, 2020
Hard to believe we are moving into November, and it is starting to feel like Fall. We raked up lots of leaves and trimmed down a bunch of bushes and so forth. I faced the great test of manhood this week: Christmas lights. So far things are looking good and only have a slightly broken one screen window. I'm not done due to a shipping error so we'll see how things progress.
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| McDonalds in Room Picnic Date |
Addie got a little sick this week but it looked like it was just a minor thing that appears to be resolved. She missed two days of school and his hopefully fully mended. Hinckley also claimed sickness on one of the days and was fully recovered for the rest of the week. He is proud (and eager for me to report) that he found "the end" in Minecraft. He and I drew some pictures from the game and he continues to love everything Minecraft. Hinckley declared this week that he wants to get buff, this will allow him to move to the next level of gymnastics. However, he also plans to lose muscle in advance of future flu shots given the need for the nurse to insert it through thick muscles...He's created a pushup zone in his room that is taped off and has a daily check box to remind him. Greyson is enjoying throwing things around the house and laughing at the cute chaos he administers. We played some more "hoop it in the hoop" this week in the remaining warm days before the cold front hits. He and I also had a date having a picnic in his room eating McDonalds.
November 1, 2020
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| Ready for Trick-or-Treating |
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| Preppin the Pumpkins |
October 25, 2020
With the help of our neighbor, we got our sprinkler system winterized, and it appears to be just in the nick of time as the first frosts have started. Kassie took Greyson and Hinckley separately on dates to Cornbellies and I know they all enjoyed that tremendously. On Monday we went swimming at the Lehi Rec center, home of Greyson's ultimate terror "The BIG Bucket". He held his hands to his ears the whole time and was shaking and crying for 75% of our visit, poor kid. He comes by his sound sensitively honestly, based on my own reflections of how I react to screaming and crying babies and yelling.We also had lots of fun with Grandma and Grandpa who were here for the weekend. The leaves were glorious up AF canyon!
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| Hanging Bridge picnic area |
Hinckley and Addie enjoyed returning to school after a good fall break. They've been doing fun fall/Halloween-related activities and their excitement for the 31st is palpable. Hinckley’s obsession with Minecraft and how to build a Wither Storm were only slightly curbed today by a new interest in creating his own YouTube channel. We’ll see where that takes him...
We went and got family photos which turned out to be a bigger struggle than I had anticipated. Greyson refused to smile or really be in many photos, and luckily we got a couple with him in there. Addie loved getting her picture taken and continued to ask about getting a shot with various backgrounds. Kassie said, "Funny who some kids love having their photos taken and others do not." Then Greyson repeated, "others do not!". Kas and I had a fun date playing pickleball and getting Thai food, it was very enjoyable, it has been quite a long time since we've had a date out of the house.
October 11, 2020
We participated in the festivities (G-Pa 100th birthday) and had a good full Saturday reflecting on Grandpa Halvorsen and his example and light. The kids have reveled in all the cousin time and it has been special for us all. |
| Grandpa H turns 100 |
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| With the whole Williams clan (minus Spencers) |
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| Local parade for Grandpa H |
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| Addie and cousin Kate Dancing |
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| Greyson's Second Full Candy Bar |
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| Parachute Treats |
October 4, 2020
It's been a fun week welcoming Honey Bee into our home. She's quite well trained already and has been a pretty smooth transition so far. We've had some great autumn moments this week with playing in the back yard, trips to the park across the street, and a bike ride with the two older kids and me to the lake. Greyson has been having lots of bloody noses at night so we are trying to make a habit of putting vaseline in his nose and running the humidifier. We had some virtual parent-teacher conferences and the teachers are very happy with how they are doing. Hinckley had a flash of inspiration and love of writing this week, and with his friend, he worked on writing a story about his blob fishes during recess, and then he resumed when he came home. It was epic! His teacher let him read it to the class the next day and he really enjoyed that. I got to attend music class with Hinckley and he seems to be doing much better in there though I wouldn't go so far as to say he loves it at the level Addie does. Her music classes are always one of the top highlights of the week! |
| General Conference |
We've been enjoying the conference and Kassie has created and implemented a "store" concept with tickets to earn treats and crafts and so on to help keep the kids quiet and hopefully develop positive experiences with conference. It was pretty successful, especially for Hinckley. Every October conference I attempt a video interview with the kids like Dad used to do and they were actually pretty excited about it this year. We watched some of their past interviews and it was really cute.
| First family walk with Honey Bee |
September 27, 2020
As a family, we went to Cornbellies on Saturday (the Thanksgiving Point mega pumpkin patch thing) and had fun. If we don't get COVID-19 from that then maybe we'll never get it. We had masks and sanitized about every 10 minutes but still. Greyson loved all the huge tractors there and climbed up into many of them. There was something for each kid that they could really enjoy, and we are looking forward to going back. We also had the second "Monthly Movies with Dad" event and watched My Neighbor Totoro which the kids loved! It is so fun to see them laughing.
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| Picking pumpkins |
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| Dad and Addie date to Cornbellies |
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| Cornbellies with Grandma and Grandad |
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| Tractor obsession |
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| Cow train at Cornbellies |
Hinckley is really into Minecraft these days and met Logan online a few times this week to play. He is doing well keeping his screen limits and usually goes from playing on the computer straight to drawing pictures of everything he saw. He continues to read a bunch too and is enjoying music and gymnastics lessons. He is SO excited for Halloween and has begun creating his own decorations. He is constantly pleading for us to buy tons of blow-up decorations.
This week I got to take Addie to her dance lessons and it was fun to see where she does that. She loves her music class and is always going on about that on Thursdays. She has really been into drawing lately, watching Art Hub For Kids on YouTube which is a great resource.
Greyson vacillates from needing a parent at his elbow for every moment to having the occasional long spell of playing happily by himself. He delights in the extreme power of his scream, a phenomenon that still astonishes me in the level of pure anger and emotion such a loud noise can produce in me in so little time. He continues to fear having "bloody noses" and is also quite cute with his stuffed animals.
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| Hooping in the Hoop |
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| Rough Rider |
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| Off-Roading |
Kassie and I painted the bathroom in our room this weekend and decided we're done painting for the next year or two. It is a lot of work!
September 20, 2020
We went and got family flu shots with a visit to Arctic Circle afterward. We all agreed this was the most peaceful flu shot experience in our family’s short history and we are hopeful it will continue that way in years to come. Hinckley was the only one who was very reluctant and kept asking “but will it hurt?” Greyson seemed to hardly notice, and it helped to have his little stuffed Owl there. Addie had brought her Elsa. Kassie agreed that this was the most successful flu shot adventure in our family yet!Minecraft has been the big thing this week and Hinckely can’t stop thinking or talking about it. Luckily he still seems to be holding to the constraints of time we’ve given him on it. It consumes his thinking. He drafted a picture for this year's Reflections contest with the theme "I matter because ...." and it brought back a lot of memories of my own entries. We finished reading Indian In The Cupboard this week and he is moving on to other books. On Saturday, he and Addie helped Kassie make some apple sauce from a box of Allred apples she bought in Provo this week. And right after that, she made another big batch of Tomatillo salsa. SO HEAVENLY, those smells permeating the house was simply divine. I love it so much.
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| Blobbies Halloween Costumes |
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| Greyson Exploring with Grandpa |
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| Walk Near Utah Lake |
Addie had her date with Kassie this week, they went swimming and got cookies. Addie kept commenting in her way how wonderful it all was. She and I played a game the other night during a hard moment, counting everything pink in her room! I think we got to nearly 50, hahaha. Addie is enjoying school and dance, and she has really started enjoying trying to mother and direct Greyson's life. I had some moments of losing patience with her this week but we are all learning and hopefully improving each day.
Greyson and I had our first date, and we went for gelato. They didn’t have any chairs in the shop so we went out to a curb to sit down and eat our treats. I should have grabbed a napkin! He loved it though. He was very chatty and eager to explore the other stores nearby when we finished eating, (including the smoke shop for 21+-year-olds which he kept opening the door to). He has started using many words and phrases that he hears which is usually pretty funny and sometimes sobering. He continues to have an ocassional bloody nose at night and is entering the dreaded "cover me!" phase which involves 1-3 middle of the night pleas to be covered. He is so full of life, joy, and energy most of the time.
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| First Dad/Greyson Date...Gelato on the Curb |
I’ve been fascinated by the book I’m listening to about moral foundations theory called The Righteous Mind, contesting there are essentially 6 key areas. The author is not a person of faith so it is a very secular perspective on morality, but has given me a lot to reflect on as to why people are so divided in our current climate as to politics, religion, and other things. It has been extremely thought-provoking and actually has helped me feel more understanding for others, including extremists. I'm coming up on 50 episodes of my podcast and am re-evaluating the format and cadence of that, I'm thinking I'll take a break for a bit as I figure that out starting in November. My boss has transitioned to another team at Weave so our team is currently figuring out what our new normal looks like and how that will change (or not) what we do. Good times!
September 13, 2020
We had a great trip to Bryce Canyon, the most spontaneous getaway we’ve ever done though we still had about 2 days to plan it. The kids did pretty well, and seem to enjoy seeing all the amazing beauty of the park. They loved the water at Mossy Cave and the pool at the motel. Greyson had a moment of going under the water at the pool which was very scary, but luckily I turned and saw him (exact same moment Kassie) before anything seriously wrong happened. He chatted about it a lot after saying “I drained at the pool” (drowned) and “I did bobs at the pool!” The evening/bedtime was the disaster I had anticipated, and my low expectations actually helped me smile as we dealt with the difficulty. It is such a beautiful place and I'm glad we could go! |
| Bryce Canyon Shuttle |
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| Happy camper |
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| Bryce Canyon Family Picture |
Hinckley has bee learning about maps at school, and after our trip, he drew some pretty detailed maps of Bryce and later his own Dreamland. He is reading like crazy and it is hard to keep him satiated with enough books. He had a playdate with a new friend, the family moved into a close neighborhood just a few months ago so that was fun.
Addie really enjoyed our "trash walk" we took on Saturday, walking near the lake to pick up garbage. She loves to be a helper and abide by rules if she is in a good mood and had enough sleep. She continues to develop a great relationship with Cathy (our next-door neighbor) who loves giving Addie and the boys ice cream, candy, and even toys.
Greyson is full of energy, he doesn't even pretend to nap any more which has led to a few more breath-holding spells in the evening when he is so exhausted. He loves singing the ABCs, playing in the sink, and getting Addie's attention (usually via teasing).
Kassie attended the first gathering of a local flute choir, held right at the park nearby! She had a blast playing music with other women and is looking forward to more practices and performances in the future. What a great resource. She and I had a fun date to go to an actual movie (Tenet) and get food as Mom had volunteered to come and watch the kids. The kids had a really great time and for a night it almost felt like we were back to some kind of new normal (despite the fact that we work masks for the 2.5 hour long movie!). It was quite a treat and we were very grateful. Kassie speaks in church today and we are off to another week.
September 6, 2020
On Saturday Hinckley and I had a great date hiking the Y, he did really well and I admired his constant curiosity about small side paths, some plants and rocks, and things off the trail. It is easy to get caught up “making it to the top” but some of the most joy comes from the trip itself. When at the top a guy literally flew right by us, having must have jumped from the cliffs above or something and using a glider of some kind. It was remarkable! We went to Crumbl cookie (it hurts so good) and got our tummies wrecked by a giant snickerdoodle with icing and a chocolate chip. |
| On the Y |
We were nearly home, stopped at the left-hand turn light on Pioneer Crossing when there was a huge crash directly in front of us in the intersection. In the adjacent lane to us, a car was coming across the intersection in the incoming traffic, when a truck kitty-corner to us came out into the intersection (not sure if he was going straight or trying to do a right-hand turn and didn’t see the incoming blue car) and the impact was huge and loud. As the car came careening towards us I closed my eyes and put my hands up reflexively and braced for impact. But we were largely unscathed. I think the median directly to the left of us helped us. The car directly behind was basically totaled and the guy had some cuts and blood but was ok. The blue car was many yards down the road and we think it may have flipped. Hinckley seemed to take it all pretty well, he wasn’t shaken up or anything, and all in all, we really lucked out. I thank God we were ok.
I really enjoyed taking Addie and Greyson to the Lehi splash pad. The water and playground was a lot of fun. We had a couple over for games on Friday night which went well. Garden salsa is amazing, and that is about it!
August 30, 2020
Greyson has really gained an interest in playing with water in the sink and getting into everything he can and laughing loudly as chaos follows in his wake. He is refusing to sit in his booster chair at the table lately, insisting on standing on a chair at the table (including putting his legs up on the back of it) which leads to lots of spillage and sometimes minor falls and scares. Confound his desire to grow up! He pretty much doesn't nap anymore, unless we drive anywhere for more than 5 minutes. Clearly he could still use it.A big part of this week was painting Hinckley's room, the last of the bedrooms to receive a new coat since we moved in. The job began with a full excavation of his artifacts which we rightfully set aside a full day for. Then we got a sander from Home Depot to smooth out one of his walls that the previous owners had painted lime green with strong lines that stuck out of the wall. The kids enjoyed putting on their sunglasses (safety glasses) and wearing masks and watching me sand and get a fine green powder all over ourselves and the room. Kassie taped up the whole place and together she and I did the first coat on Friday night. She finished it up Saturday morning while I took the kids out. Kassie has become quite the skilled painting craftswoman! While out with the Kids I took them up to Squaw Peak where we walked for some time, but Hinckley then got stung on his hand by a wasp. We took refuge at 1220 were playing with the Kays and Dominos Pizza soothed all the pain away.
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| Pondering Life in a Laundry Basket |
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| Climbing Trees |
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| Squaw Peak |
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| Grapes with Grandpa |
Hinckley is enjoying the Oragami Yoda book series which cleverly blends his love of Star Wars and creative energy (folding paper) and he reads like a boy with a mission. He seems to be enjoying school as well and there hasn't been any big scares yet about the schools closing anytime soon. Let's hope it stays that way.
Addie finished soccer this week, the small season came and went really fast! Overall it was a good experience and I'm glad we did it. She is eager to go back to dance, but as she and I went back to the car after the last game she said she wants to do soccer next year. She also completed her first week of kindergarten, which was successful! She was markedly more tired each day, but she looks forward to school every day. The only hard thing it seems is wearing her mask which she complains about a bit. Even more than school, she loves music class and had a wonderful second class this week. She really thrives in rule-based environments where praise is distributed liberally for those kids who can sit still and say nothing.
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| The Big Dogs |
I finished reading Middlemarch this week which I really enjoyed. Works is going pretty well, nothing crazy happening, though I did talk to a friend who is still at Intuit and I'm feeling even more grateful I left when I did as things are much as they were for most the time I was there (which wasn't always peachy). I had a really interesting conversation with a Purdue professor for my podcast that will come out this Tuesday all about ethics and instructional design so it is good that that side project continues to be fulfilling.
August 23, 2020
We had a big week with Hinckley returning to school and some milestones for Addie. We aren't sure how long the kids will be able to go to school before they close it down, and perhaps we'll be lucky enough that they don't close them this year? Could be wishful thinking, but we are taking it as long as possible. |
| First Time Bike Rider |
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| First Lost Tooth + Big Brother Watching |
Addie lost her first tooth this week, learned to ride her bike on her own, and had her first day of Let's Play Music. It was a big week and she is excited for her first day of Kindergarten on Tuesday. She had a blast going to the school to be tested (she really feeds off the positive reinforcement and nice teachers) and she is really excited about all these things she can do now just like Hinckley. She loved her music class and it seems like that will be a really positive thing for her. We had her second to last soccer game Saturday and that was a bit of a trial for all involved, the season ends this week and it has been a good experiment that is ready to be over. Addie is also developing quite a good relationship with our elderly neighbors, Dick and Kathy Carter. Kathy loves having Addie over to help walk their dog and invited her over earlier this week to look at fairy books and just “hang out” (as Addie says). I think that is so good, and I’m grateful to have them for neighbors. It also helps that every interaction with the Carters involves them offering a treat of some kind.
Hinckley is enjoying school and comes home much more eager to share and play with his siblings for the most part. He was a little nervous the first day and didn't know most of the kids in his class. But he seems like he is getting to know kids more, including a young girl who sits near him (he had a little heart-shaped rock in his backpack with some youthful handwriting "I Love You" on it haha). The feeling of our home has been much different during the week, and it is GOOD. Let's hope that continues. He continues to read like crazy, currently digesting the Origami Yoda series in addition to Captain Underpants. He loves harvesting the garden and it is one of the few things that really calms his spirit when he is frustrated over overwhelmed.
Greyson continues to not nap and he loves getting into things as much as he can, which always keeps things interesting. He is very cute and very stubborn! Hinckley let Greyson sleep with his "Blobbies" one night this week which he loved very much, and we've had many adventures looking for G's stuffed animal Owl who seems to get lost at least once a day. His vocabulary continues to grow as he expresses his feelings and strives to do everything his older siblings are doing. He is in the major questioning stage which is a good reminder to cultivate curiosity in oneself. "What's that?" and "Why?" are the two most common questions he poses to use about everything he is taking in.
August 16, 2020
Addie had her 5th birthday last Sunday, and it was quite the event. We had the Burnsides here (including Dan and his family), the Kays, M&D too. The kids had a great time and Addie seemed to really enjoy everything. Her room looks like it was decorated by a Disney designer as it is covered in Frozen 2 images and graphics. Hinckley helped her build a lego jewelry box she got and all in all it was great. Thanks for all the well wishes both for that and our 9 year anniversary! |
| Celebrating 9 Years |
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| Birthday Cake with Mom |
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| Imagination |
Kassie and I had a really great date hiking up on the Big Springs trail behind Squaw Peak. It was beautiful and nice to have some time together, the heat wasn't too terrible either. Greyson and Hinckley are doing well this week too, and we are gearing up for Hinckley to start school on Tuesday with Addie soon following. Exciting to see a change of pace coming very soon!
August 9, 2020
We enjoyed a one-night campout with M&D at Timp campground this week on Thursday night. They set up their RV for us and everything so it was very low maintenance for us. That was really nice! Greyson was most excited about the dumpster and the bathrooms. He was constantly begging us to go over and look in the bathroom...not sure what it was that intrigued him so much about it. Hinckley had the most fun with the fire, it made the whole trip worth it for him. He especially delighted in experimenting with how different things burned, including green leaves and hearing them sizzle. Addie enjoyed some treasure hunts with H and Nana and we all had some good times making DoughBoys and such. We hiked in the morning to Stewart falls, Hinckley Kas and I made it all the way and M&D turning back early with the two youngers. It was H’s longest hike and he did great! |
| Timpanogos Campground |
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| RV Reading with Grandpa |
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| Campfire Reading with Nana |
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| Soccer Girl |
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| Blob Fish Frowns |
Saturday brought another soccer game which was fun. Coaching soccer brings me back to a lot of thoughts about how the pack of 4-5 year olds kicking at the ball has many similarities to our own lives at different times. When we lack the skill and experience to both spread out and play the field, the default is everyone swinging and kicking somewhat aimlessly with little result. It is only when, by chance it seems, the ball shoots out of the pack and someone gets to it first can much progress be made. I’m curious at what point does the game evolves from the mob into a strategic game? What key skill is learned that makes the shift? My guess is that it is passing. In order to pass the ball, you must have the ability to control it, to guide it to another person, and your awareness of the field must be such to look for a teammate and actually choose to send it to them. This combination of skills opens up the field and changes the whole strategy. I think I’ve spent a larger portion of my life with my head down and my feet kicking, and the few times I’ve made passes it seems I’ve made exponential growth.
The kids had a blast at the Provo jump park place where we went to celebrate Sadie's 8th birthday. She is such a sweet friendly girl, and I'm grateful for her influence on Addie and our other children. Today is Addie's 5th birthday which is hard to believe! We've got Kassie's parents in town and brother's family too, along with M&D and the Kays coming so we'll have a full house this evening.
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| Provo Jump Park with Sadie |
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| Hinckley and Logan at Provo Jump Park |
August 2, 2020
This week Addie started soccer with a practice on Wednesday and the first game on Saturday. She enjoyed the practice a ton and kept commenting on how much fun she was having. The game she said was sort of fun, but by the end she said, "Ok I'm ready to go back to Dance!" We explained that she still had a whole month left and yes she would have another game...so we'll see how that goes. We decided to call the team "The Big Dogs" as one girl suggested it to her parents and no else could think of any names. The girls started to woof a bit during the game in between getting scored on an uncountable amount of times. Overall it was a success! And coaching kids soccer here in the Lehi rec league is SO much easier than in AZ. There are clearly communicated rules and expectations, and parents actually stick around during the practice. Also, the team is made up of all girls and that has been different. I think I heard a girl apologize to another when she accidentally touched her during the game!Hinckley came to the game to watch and was a pretty good sport, though disappointed he couldn't name the team for the girls as they weren't suggested many ideas. His idea was "Skywalker". The force of StarWars obsession is strong with this one. He is taking good care of Darth Vader and really getting into Captain Underpants books and TV shows. He spreads his love of that with his example and Addie is into the show too. I was listening to a peaceful track from The Empire of the Sun music while making breakfast one morning and Addie started going nuts with the desire I play the theme song from Captain Underpants. I think that shift (from Suo Gân to Captain Underpants) is a really great analogy of parenting and how we can all be rough stones rolling. Hinckley is also loving his cookbook he got for his birthday and is constantly begging to make cakes, cookies, and other baked goods.
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| Truck Playing |
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| Off to Soccer |
Greyson's week of no pacifier during the day (minus nap) has gone remarkably well. Indeed it has surpassed all our expectations, which were admittedly very low. Tonight we begin no pacifier at night...and will likely be the true test of character we need to evaluate where our christlike attribute development. Without his pacifier, he has grown more fond of cuddling with and caring for his stuffed animals. He responds very well when we use playful voices as if they were coming from his creatures. He still insists his closet is actually "Mr. McGregor's house" and is quite scared of it. I'm not quite sure how that idea got its roots, but it is pretty pitiful, if not hilarious. We always have to close Mr. McGregor's house door before Greyson will go to sleep. I recall from my rosy youth being terrified of Mr. McGregor, and admit to feeling even a bit of shame of sharing part of my name with that uncompromising farmer.
We had a fun time swimming at the Lehi outdoor pool which allows you to reserve a slot to be a part of a lucky 100 people per 2 hour time window. That meant lots of room to swim and tons of rounds on the slides they have there with Hinckley. This week I began experimenting with watercolor which is such fun! I've not done a watercolor since maybe...3rd grade? Also I finished David Copperfield and really enjoyed it. I'm realizing the key to Dickens for me is audiobooks. If it was written text I fear I would get lost, or fall asleep. But with the help of audio, I am able to enjoy the thing and really get connected to his amazing characters. Kassie put up some really good looking wallpaper in the bathroom to offset the blue paint (she did that a few weeks ago) and is feeling good about that. She's done a remarkable job basically remodeling the house with all the paint jobs and such.
July 26, 2020
We finished up a great visit to CO Springs on Monday and Tuesday. We did a family game of laser tag which was so much fun! The kids went out fishing with their GrandDad but didn't get any bites. They had fun swimming and floating in a lake and doing "doughboys" (a special treat that involves cooking dough over the fire and putting sugary mix inside when it is done) and Sm'ores. On Wednesday we departed and made it home safely. Remarkably on both our drive there and back we only stopped once! As soon as we got home we all rushed out to behold the garden and were excited to see lots of growth. Everyone was happy to see familiar toys and beds and such, and Greyson kept commenting on how much he loved all his "new" stuff. The remainder of the week we got back into the swing of things at home, some elements easier than others. We found a really beautiful nature trail in AF canyon and hope to return there soon. |
| Alice in Wonderland Park in CO |
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| Doughboys with Aunt Liana in CO |
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| H's Weapon Creations |
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| Hot Tubbing in CO |
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| Dance Dance Revolution |
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| Battleship with Grandma |
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| Baking with Grandma |
Perhaps the biggest news this week is our family has grown to now include Darth Vader. This creature of the force is a darkly clad and popular in our home like his namesake, but unlike the evil leader of the Empire - is a fish that spends its new existence being admired and ogled at by young eyes as he swims around a color-shifting tank. Hinckley was overjoyed to buy the fish with his own money he's been saving up, and the last few days he has carefully fed him, watched TV with him, and more. Greyson is a bit fearful of the "scary creature" due to Hinckley's telling him it will bite or eat Greyson if he tries to touch him - H's way of deterring Greyson from messing with the fish.
Addie is excited to start soccer this coming week and we went and picked up the coach packet and materials for that. I'm excited it is for August only! It will be a good introduction to the game without too much commitment I hope. We set up a Frozen 2 tent thing that hangs from the ceiling that she got from her Burnside grandparents. She was overjoyed. She continues to enjoy imaginative play and even set up all her dolls for "church" last week inside the Frozen dollhouse, complete with a podium.
Greyson faces one of his greatest struggles and vices of his life this week: pacifier extraction. We began by giving him warnings over the last few days that "On Sunday, no more pacifier during the day". He will still have it at night and for naps for 1 week, then we go all the way after that. We'll see how it goes. We had a bit of a family council to prepare ourselves for the inevitable rage and distress, and so far (Sunday around noon) things are going pretty well! He has an incredibly persuasive screech and an equally compelling smile.
Greyson has a reverent fear for the UTVs (like fire), and while he was very interested in looking at it he refused to ride in it. Hinckley created all sorts of stick creations while we were up there, including an ax, a hammer, a hut for water bottle storage and . . . a bathroom (complete with an empty bottle to relieve yourself in, which he did a couple of times ).
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| Welcoming in Darth Vadar to the family |
Greyson faces one of his greatest struggles and vices of his life this week: pacifier extraction. We began by giving him warnings over the last few days that "On Sunday, no more pacifier during the day". He will still have it at night and for naps for 1 week, then we go all the way after that. We'll see how it goes. We had a bit of a family council to prepare ourselves for the inevitable rage and distress, and so far (Sunday around noon) things are going pretty well! He has an incredibly persuasive screech and an equally compelling smile.
July 19, 2020
We've had a fun week in Colorado Springs this week. We left Monday morning and only stopped once! The kids did a good job and all went pretty well with the trip. The kids have had fun days here with things like kayaking, hikes, a trip to the zoo, crafts, and more. Addie has enjoyed discovering dolls and dress ups with makeup, and Hinckley has discovered a Garfield Book and a variety of treats in the pantry as well as a really cool Lord of the Rings version of Chess. Greyson's dream of playing with cars has been fulfilled and he enjoys chasing Schnitzel (the dog) around saying "He loves me!". He was totally distraught when he threw his roll in anger during dinner and Schnitzel immediately gobbled it up. On Saturday we all went up high in the mountains and rode the Burnside's Utility Vehicle (UTV). Hinckley and Addie both wanted to go and loved it. Addie even fell asleep while driving in it!Greyson has a reverent fear for the UTVs (like fire), and while he was very interested in looking at it he refused to ride in it. Hinckley created all sorts of stick creations while we were up there, including an ax, a hammer, a hut for water bottle storage and . . . a bathroom (complete with an empty bottle to relieve yourself in, which he did a couple of times ).
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| UTV with Addie |
We enjoyed going to the sacrament meeting here and were astonished at the level of cleanliness they had in this ward (double rubber gloves and more). It was good to help the kids remember what church is as it relates to the idea of going to a building with others to worship!
July 12, 2020
This week started out with a wonderful Sunday with the Tiecherts and M&D at 1220. It was wonderful to be able to have that all together! And the kids did really well. We visited the Provo temple afterward and Greyson kept begging us to open the temple up ... its how we all feel I suppose! He has been extra clingy this week for whatever reason and is experimenting with saying different words to get reactions. For example, out of the blue, he might say "Stupid person!" OR "You're a nice Daddy". He's lately taken to going out in the backyard to sit in the little hammock that hangs under the play structure and that is pretty cute to watch. At night he asks for multiple prayers, songs, stories, and "magic" (a small tickling ritual we started a long time back) but we ask him to do it for his suffices. HIs small voice begins chirping out stories about diggers and very sweet versions of "I am a Child of God". He has been extra interested in potty training, sometimes pulling his pants down and laughing at any kind of reaction he can get. His potty chair arrived this week and he took great delight sitting on it in style. |
| Potty Chair Practice |
We signed Addie up for the 1 month soccer program in August, it looks like that is still going to happen despite the increasing case count here in Utah. Look like I'm going to be the coach...so I'm hopeful there will be some other parents around to help! She is very excited about it. Each day we have "special time" after I emerge from the closet, and that usually involves time on the tramp together. She loves to play "Dead Man" (or Woman) as well as "Mother Says" (Simon Says). She had some very sweet moments in holding Greyson's hand and playing legos with Hinckley, and many less than sweet moments where she sought out the destruction of everyone and everything. Lots of learning each day! Her dinner chore this month is helping load the dishwasher. On the first night of her responsibility this past week, she discovered that if she pushes my belly button then Sean Connery will speak to her, addressing her as the Fairy Queen. She loves it! And I've found that throughout this week "Seanie" can be very useful in coaxing Addie along to do things such as come with us to the Garden Conservation Park in West Jordan (beautiful and educational place!) and helping to clean up toys.
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| Garden Conservation Park |
Hinckley is overjoyed as he is 7 years old today! Leading up to the events he planned and carried out a birthday party for his Blobbies (those pink Blobfish slippers) which occurred on Friday. He built them a lego cake and everything. He had a summer camp at the Lehi rec center this week which he loved very much! There were many games and themed activities and it was just perfect for him, including a Star Wars Day, Super Hero day, and Harry Potter day. He certainly got his fill of pop culture. On Saturday I took him, Addie, and his friend Carson to Laser tag and for ice cream after. It was fun! The place was a ghost town and I got a bit carried away when we were playing, but luckily everyone still seemed to have a good time. about 5 months ago we told him he could watch The Empire Strikes Back on his birthday, so we did that Saturday night and he was entranced. It is pretty fun to watch movies with him.
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| Laser tag with Addie, Hinckley, and friend Carson |
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| 7 years old! |
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| Kay cousins for Birthday Celebration |
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| A boy with his Blobbies |
We got an electric mower this week, and that had me pretty excited. It works really well! I'm also excited about my discovery that a whiteboard that the previous owners left in our garage could be removed and reinstalled in my closet office. A dream come true! Our garden has produced a few things which have been very exciting, though our broccoli officially lost the battle against the aphids (yuck!). While we are still able to do lots of things as mentioned above, the COVID situation continues to take its toll. We are hopeful that the kids can return to school this fall...even if they have to wear masks as the governor recently announced. We are looking forward to having the Kays and M&D over for H's birthday dinner tonight!
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| Closet Office |
July 5, 2020
We've had a good week with visits earlier this week from Kassie's Mom and then later with the Tiecherts and Ma and Pa. Addie had her dance performance on Monday and she did great! She loved it and we were happy they were still able to host it. Hinckley watched the first Narnia with us on Thursday night and he was very entranced by it all. He's read a few of the books and it was fun to watch him process it all. Greyson has been excited to go play with cars at Nana and Grandpa's house and has been somewhat social with James and Henry being here too. No epic showdown over the cars yet!We had a fun 4th of July despite there being no Provo Freedom Festival this year. They still shot off lots of fireworks that we could see from the lawn, and we were able to light some tanks and sparklers down near Wasatch. Sure fun!
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| Quartine Stacking Fun |
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| Trucks with cousin James |
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| Swinging at 1220 |
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| 4th of July lights from the front lawn |
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| Sparklers |
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| Baking with Nana |
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| Back porch eating with Cousin James |
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| Swinging with Grandpa |
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| More back porch eating |
June 28, 2020
We had a full week of events as it feels summer has truly kicked off. On Monday we went to Splash Summit (the renamed 7 Peaks) with tickets from work. Hinckley was overjoyed when after his height was measured the lifeguard pronounced he could go on "any slide, any ride". He kept saying over and over and over again, "I'm SO happy!" and "This is MEGA fun!". I tried to say it was mega fun too, but then he informed me, "It sounds better when I say that Dad" which I have to agree. He and I just about went on every ride and slide there, including Free Fall and Sky Breaker (the ones that go straight down and are at the very highest point of the park). I was amazed at his ability to just walk right up to the slide that until a few years ago I was terrified to even look at, and just lay down smiling and zoom away! Later he said, "I had caterpillars in my tummy at the top, and butterflies in my tummy at the bottom!" Addie and Kassie spent the bulk of the 2 hours we were there alternating between the lazy river and the wave pool. They walked up once to the tube run slide but after some very audible protestations, Kassie retreated back down the stairs with both the tube and Addie. We agreed next time it might be best to alternate parents with kids in order to get a more balanced experience. Greyson stayed at 1220 and played with cars and had a blast with Nana and the Kays. |
| 4th of July time |
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| Swim Lessons Passed Off |
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| 7 Peaks! (Splash Summit) |
Later in the week we went as a family to the AF pool to swim before H and A's last swimming lessons. They've done well with those, and Addie managed to pass her level despite many dramatic brushes with "Bobs" in the water. Hinckley discovered a remarkable blend of two favorite pastimes, the diving board. He was overjoyed that he could both jump and get wet nearly at the same time. Hinckley and his friend Carson had a small bake sale in which they sold out all the cookies H and helped Kassie make, but they were unsuccessful in selling there "wooden creations" (various combinations of wood they had nailed together and painted). They thought it was a success though and I think learned a few good things, including the importance of advertising and getting out of your comfort zone. Greyson and Addie were very excited to use some coins to purchase a few cookies :)
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| Swim Date with Addie |
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| Addie's first Dance Performance |
I had two big moments with Hinckley and Addie respectively this week. The first was with Hinckley on Friday when he appeared to have a fever. We decided to go get him tested for COVID. After the prescreening, they said I could get tested too which I hoped would help him. It was quite the experience, I'll leave it at that. I was very proud of Hinckley's courage to do something he was afraid of, and that we go through it. He seems to be doing much better now and hasn't had a fever for 2 days...so we'll see how that goes and hope to get the test results back soon. The second moment was my date with Addie. We went to the AF pool (again - lots of swimming this week) and it was quite empty at the time we arrived. She was all laughs and smiles, and we capped it off by visiting a frozen yogurt place.
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| Date Night |
Kassie and I were able to go on a date Saturday night as her mom is briefly in town, we think it was our first date since COVID hit in March! It took us 3 tries to find a restaurant we could order from before going to Improv Broadway in Provo - all with social distancing etc. Thai Ruby is no more! :( At the Improv show the troupe performed an improv musical based on my suggestion of the title "The Magic Pants" and it was really funny!
We had a really fun stay over at 1220 on Friday night and slept in the RV which was exciting for everyone. Hinckley had a blast running around with Logan and Jack in the garden to help Nana. They were ecstatic over a massive zucchini (Hinckley kept referring to it as a pickle) and they became quite nurturing with their veggies, in a fashion that reminded us all of dolls or pets. Addie played dolls and Legos with Sadie nonstop and the next morning it was a very painful separation for her. Greyson enjoyed all the beloved trucks and was very interested in the RV. He also became our default alarm clock yelling "Addie!" at 6:30 a.m.
Our AC has been fixed and while our wallet is much lighter, we are sleeping much better so that ultimately a good thing.
Also, feel free to read my notes for the talk I'm giving in our limited Sacrament meeting today (or first time back to meeting in the chapel for Sacrament meeting).
June 21, 2020
This week we started swimming lessons for the two older kids which has been a source of fun, drama, and learning. Hinckley LOVES swimming and as he continues to explore other sports such as gymnastics (earlier this year), soccer, and now jiu Jitsu he says swimming is at the top of his list. Maybe he'll be interested in kids swim team sometime soon? Or maybe he just loves the fun of doing his "mega kicks" (thrashing his arms and legs at the same time while he lays on his back and screams). Regardless, that has been a great way to end the day. Addie on the other hand dreads doing "Bobs" (going under the water) and while she had a few successful moments this week in dipping her nose and chin in the water, it was likely the hardest things she's ever attempted. Prayers, marker-drawn Elsa on her hand, offers of treats, and many other schemes have been utilized to varying levels of success. Ultimately, we are all learning things and growing which is the point, right?We had a really fun stay over at 1220 on Friday night and slept in the RV which was exciting for everyone. Hinckley had a blast running around with Logan and Jack in the garden to help Nana. They were ecstatic over a massive zucchini (Hinckley kept referring to it as a pickle) and they became quite nurturing with their veggies, in a fashion that reminded us all of dolls or pets. Addie played dolls and Legos with Sadie nonstop and the next morning it was a very painful separation for her. Greyson enjoyed all the beloved trucks and was very interested in the RV. He also became our default alarm clock yelling "Addie!" at 6:30 a.m.
Our AC has been fixed and while our wallet is much lighter, we are sleeping much better so that ultimately a good thing.
Also, feel free to read my notes for the talk I'm giving in our limited Sacrament meeting today (or first time back to meeting in the chapel for Sacrament meeting).
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| Garden Harvest |
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| Roasted potatoes - first harvest tastes |
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| Relaxing on the couch |
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| Swimming lessons |
June 14, 2020
So we are now happily sleeping at night without fans blasting and it is very very nice. When replacing our unit, the guy found a beachball sized wasps nest that had been built by some enterprising creatures down in our crawl space between the walls. Apparently, the hole where the old AC unit went into the wall that had never been sealed till we moved here and did it ourselves let in more than mice! Aggh! Luckily there were no living wasps in or around it. We are more and more grateful we invested in a pest control company almost as soon as we moved here. We've used them a number of times and it has been worth it. As can be expected, Hinckley was ecstatic with the discovery and was allowed to keep a portion of the nest in a very tightly sealed jar.
Hinckley has been very busy this week nailing a variety of pieces of wood to our wooden play structure in the backyard. This came after much pleading, negotiation, and compromising. And all told, it has worked out. He calls it his "spaceship" now and we've played a few imaginary games with it. The wood paneling he has installed acts as touch screens that control the "furnace" which he thrusts on to burn up trespassing space aliens. He really enjoyed watching the AC unit get replaced, and played with Scott's (the man who replaced it, who is also in our ward) son. He has also been keeping close eye on the garden, and we all lamented that some unseen creature has wiped out our second attempt at carrots. Maybe the ants that are crawling all over the place? Hinckley has kept the broccoli safe from aphids pretty well, and he discovered a bright green caterpillar whose doom was to join the collection of rolly pollies in their "home" (basically a mass grave). Hinckley makes for a very watchful sentinel over the garden.
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| Walking with Grandma and GrandDad |
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| Reading time with Grandad |
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| Camping in the backyard |
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| Hiding in the box |
Addie had a preschool "camp" this week and loved it! She had no hesitation about going over there despite the fact she didn't know the kids. It helped that it was at our neighbor's house (right behind us) and she really loved it. We had an attempted camp out on Friday night in our backyard and she made it till 9:00 p.m. and was still awake (she usually crashes around 7:15 or 7:30). I took her in and spent the night out with just H in the tent. She was able to get a cat nap before dinner and wasn't too grumpy for when some neighbors came over for a treat and visit.
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| Knocked out on the couch |
Greyson recently has been saying "kind of" and "duh" all the time. He adds new words and will continue to ask questions about everything and everyone. You can always tell when his wheels are turning as he asks questions about things from an hour or two previous. He latches on to ideas with an astonishing ferocity (I WANT GUM), and we are learning to find ways to divert his attention and also teach the other two to avoid trigger words...which can backfire (Hinckley, "Greyson...want DUM DUM!!?" Me: facepalm). At night he always wants us to run through the routine 1 or 2 more times (prayer, story, song, etc). We don't want to start down that slippery slope, so we've tried suggesting he do it for his stuffed animals. And he has! He sings/coos "I am a child of God" and then tells a story (usually about a truck) before whispering a repetitious prayer. It is incredibly cute.
I did sanitizing duty at ward baptisms on Saturday, so that was a good opportunity to meet some fellow ward members as we scrubbed chairs down after 5 rounds of baptisms and confirmations. Kassie tried her hand at donating blood this week and nearly set a record for speed without passing out. We had a lovely visit with M&D and the Kays at 1220, and are ready for a new week.
June 7, 2020
This week the Burnsides have been in town visiting and the kids have enjoyed taking turns sleeping out in their trailer with them. They've gone out on Utah Lake in their kayaks, visited the small Lehi farmer's market, and more. Always great to have visitors! We went to Kassie's uncle's home in Provo this week as well and they had a great time exploring their backyard (they have chickens, a huge garden, and bees), especially the treehouse of which you can jump off onto the trampoline. Hinckley declared it was the most fun he's had in his whole life.Hinckley has been enjoying Jiu-Jitsu lessons three times a week and it really helps to have something for him to look forward to and organize his day around. It seems to be a good physical outlet as well thus far, so hopefully, that continues to be a good thing. He REALLY got into playing Uno this week and we've played that a number of times now and he just loves it so much. Its pretty fun to be able to play games like that now with him. He's been keeping a good eye on our garden and noticed some clusters of aphids forming on our broccoli bush, so he supervised the removal and cleansing there which was pretty exciting, especially when we discovered a bright green caterpillar. It is wonderful they are having these outdoor experiences.
Addie has loved having Grandma and Grandad here, and despite some sadness at not being first to sleep in their trailer she had a joyous time with them Thursday night painting nails and staying up 2 hours past her bedtime. In the morning she was at the front door shrieking after slipping and bumping her chin and things settled down when I put her back into her own bed (around 7:30 a.m.) and she slept till Kassie woke her at 10:00! She is developing quite the storytelling capability and often will tell us stories at breakfast time or in the car. She is very sweet and is often expressing love for things and giggling happily.
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| Petting Shnitzel |
Greyson was both excited and nervous at seeing Shnitzel (the Burnside's dog) and has developed a loving yet wary relationship with the animal. When he was telling me about his time at the farmer's market he said something like, "I had good time...(then in a whisper) I saw some cactus!" which was true haha. When he gets really excited he jumps up and down on the ground as if it is a trampoline and shouts "yay! yay!" He only likes Mom to give him baths and dress him these days, and he continues to enjoy sitting quietly looking at books or playing with all his cars for as long as possible.
May 31, 2020
This week brought some more homeownership lessons. Both our dishwasher and AC Unit are toasted. After a few extended bouts with the home warranty company (and many hours of listening to a somewhat mesmerizing sax solo while on hold), we secured some funds to get a new dishwasher. With much learning, stressing, help from multiple neighbors, and sitting the kids at the feet of Mickey Mouse we got the thing installed on Saturday. The AC has become a little more complicated as they don't want to cover it citing some very odd reasons. We've reviewed the nitty-gritty of our warranty agreement and feel the odds are in our favor. They decided to send out another contractor for a second opinion, but they can't come till the end of the week...so we've been without AC for a few days and have at least a week or 3 left. All this is a good reminder of modern conveniences to be sure!
Hinckley began Jiu-Jitsu this week, a three times a week thing in AF. So far he is enjoying it and when asked why he was doing it he said, "to protect myself from my sister." We'll see how that progresses. It is wonderful to have something to take him to and where he can interact with other kids.
Addie got her much desired Elsa nightgown this week that she earned after many weeks/months? of doing chores and other responsibilities. She is learning to take care of her things and made a few hard decisions about when to wear the nightgown. She had a few great days of playing with both Greyson and Hinckley. She loves the time with Greyson in which she can be the leader.
Greyson keeps asking "What's this?" whenever he hears a song or sees something new. He is gobbling up new words and phrases and it is very cute. He sings a rendition of the "Days of the Ear" where he gets many of the 12 months semi-accurate! haha.
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| Hammock with Sadie |
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| Cool kids |
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| Dance and Jiu-Jitsu Kids |
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| Reading time |
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| Blobby sled |
May 24, 2020
The bulk of this week was the camping trip down near Capitol Reef with M&D and the Kays. I took Hinckley and Addie and they both had a wonderful time exploring, digging, hiking, playing, and many many other things. It was a glorious place and so beautiful. It was wonderful that the kids could get along so well, and that they could have that experience.
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| Hiking with Nana and Grandpa |
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| Fire boys |
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| Reading with Kay boys in RV |
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| Burning marshmallows |
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| Posing with red rock |
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| Spelunking with Logan |
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| Girl hiking |
At home, Kassie painted some more and she and Greyson had some fun outings as well. Hinckley is reverting back to some of the difficult behaviors we saw last year around this time and it is a very large challenge for all of us, we are trying to find ways to help him. He did wonderfully during the camping trip, likely due to the sheer novelty of it all and the fact that he essentially could play the whole time. We are very worried and struggling a lot on that front.
May 17, 2020
With great joy on Friday we received the news that Utah County has moved to "Yellow" which means among other things, we can return to the playground near our home. Saturday Hinckley and I went to the Aquarium and donuts at the Lehi Country Bakery on Main street for a date and it was wonderful to be able to go out and about like that, despite the masks. This week the full emotional stress of all this seemed to come to a head with an extra level of meltdowns, high strung emotions, and lots of wondering about if/when/how this will end. Luckily things like this Yellow stage and the ability to get library books are now kicking in as that does help.Due to DI being closed, a neighbor had the idea of everyone just putting out the things they need to take to DI, and then neighbors could walk around and just take what they wanted. As we began to gather things to put out, our house suddenly was filled with the spirit of Marie Kondo and Hinckley and Addie were asking to give away all sorts of things. It was sort of bizarre! But then again, they were eager to go gather junk from other people's homes so...it sort of balanced out. Addie got a "descendants" (a TV show) costume, Hinckley got a reading lamp and random glass object, and Greyson got some books. We got rid of a ton of stuff though, even some of the kids' old rocks and seashells they wanted to give away.
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| Addie swinging |
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| Donut Date |
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| Reading time |
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| Happy Addie |
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| Cuddle time with Mom |
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| Nana and Grandpa's Truck Collection |
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| Olaf and Elephante |
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| Ninja Playground with Logan |
Additionally, we started a media fast midway through this week which has gone fairly well. Joyfully Addie took a nap a couple of times and the kids have been spending more time out observing the garden's progress. Hinckley is especially excited about the planting of "his" sunflower seeds which is what he has been eager for since we announced plans to construct a garden.
Greyson's focus lately is dialed into having "car parties" in which he gathers and organizes every single vehicle toy in the house into a small orderly space. Additionally, he loves to sit on the rocking chair in his room and look at books for a very long time. He continues to talk about more things, expressing his feelings, and making us all laugh. He was all smiles when we finally said the park was open as he has often been saying "Park is closed" quite frequently. He was a bit confused and in awe when he saw other kids, being reminded that there are other humans out there!
May 10, 2020
Things seem to be opening up for now in UT. I went and got a much-needed haircut on Monday and later in the week got some new tires for our car. On Saturday we had lots of playtime with the Kay kids and Kassie painted our bedroom and it looks so good! I took Hinckley and Logan to a place nearby called Ninja Playground and they had a blast climbing around the bars and things for nearly 1.5 hours. It was awesome!A few other highlights this week:
- We had a fun game of family tag at the park
- Hinckley is learning to climb higher and higher in trees
- Greyson's interest in basketball "I want to hoop the hoop!"
- Addie started up dance class again and is in heaven with that
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| Spring blossoms |
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| Cousin Jack's birthday |
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| Hoop it in the hoop |
May 3, 2020
This week brought a few ventures out of the house as we went on a family hike in Draper called the "Jungle Trail" (this is the best hike EVER! Like better than a video game! - Hinckley), returned the bags our dirt came in when dropped off, and a trip to target where Hinckley redeemed his points he has been saving up from his responsibility chart to get a Star Wars lego set. I fixed the final known irrigation system issue (I know I say that every week...but yeah) with the help of our amazing neighbor. The mystery of the pipes and water system is slowly being revealed to me. |
| Junge Trail |
Hinckley was consumed mostly by his legos these last few days, in a trance-like state of total flow. But we also shot some hoops at the park and his potato bug collection has turned into a full-fledged Roley Poley Farm. Kassie had the thought in the middle of the night last night as thunder boomed over our home that she should move the collection under protection, likely saving the Roley Poleys from sure death by drowning. She's very thoughtful about such things, even (or especially) in the middle of the night when I am near unconsciousness! Hinckley read a few more books and we are SO excited that the library is going to do curb-side pick up this week. Fingers crossed we can get some good ones.
Addie has been having a hard time sleeping this week, we are reminding ourselves that she was the best sleeper as a baby and toddler and this is simply justice and opposition coming to balance things out. Allergies don't help too much either. It is amazing how though asleep can sense something, or someone, is watching you. Like a silent angel of death, she'll appear in the doorway to our room illuminated by the street lights beyond the high windows. That said, she has been really getting along well with Greyson this week, playing lots of games and jumping on the tramp. They love it!
Greyson's phrase this week is "Let me talk!" which he likely picked up from his sister. As we are talking he will start to tremble like a shaken soda bottle about to burst the cap, his face growing red and a hug adorable lower lip shaking. Then he breaks our minds with screams worthy of Mordor and follows up with the command "Let me talk!" Once he has delivered his line, he returns to peace. After watching Detective Pikachu last year it strikes me that if Greyson was a Pokemon, he'd be Psyduck. He was resistant at first to a mask we got through Mom's connections but once we got it on him he LOVED it and wore it for 20 minutes before bed, running around and laughing. However, the next day when he thought he wanted it on again he resisted when I tried to put it on. We had some thunderstorms this week which was a first for Greyson in recent memory. He wanted me to simply hold him while we looked out at "storms!" It was very tender.
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| Cheeky frown |
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