October 2021

October 31, 2021

It was a full week of costumes and candy. At school, the kids had PJ day, parties, and a crazy hair day across the week. On Crazy Hair Day, Addie had a green braid with a Mermaid sticking out of the top which she thought was just the best. Hinckley had a bunch of little ponytails across his head and colored green. Greyson had his PreK Halloween party which he loved, and Kassie went in for the last hour to help with it and said he did really great and was super happy. We went to the Weave (my work) Trunk or Treat which the kids really enjoyed. One group was handing out McDonald’s cheeseburgers and the kids loaded up on a lot of candy. Hinckley has decided not to sacrifice to the Great Pumpkin this year. I don’t know if he’ll ever turn back. Addie quickly followed his example...and almost immediately they both expressed regret.

Preparing for crazy hair day

Crazy hair day, ready to go!

At Weave's Trunk or Treat

At Jamestown with the Kays

Visiting Grandpa H at Jamestown

Carving pumpkins

Hacksawing pumpkins

Ready for trick or treating

Green ninja and her princess pumpkin

Eating candies after trick or treating

Cars on books imagination game

Ready for bike riding

Watching the ducks

Leaves! 

More leaves! 

On Saturday we carved pumpkins and then went trick or treating after dinner. Hinckley’s big warty pumpkin had a half-inch thick outer core on the rind that may as well be reinforced steel. We had a difficult time carving that sucker. Declan (Hinckley's good friend) came with us trick or treating since his whole family was pretty sick so Hinckley enjoyed that. I took Greyson back early as he was pretty tired after just going around the block. He was the only one to choose the Great Pumpkin this year. I watched Greyson slowly eat 4 pieces of candy before getting PJs on and starting books which are when everyone else came back. All in all, everyone had a really good time. Greyson was very happy to get some hot wheels cars this morning from the Great Pumpkin, and Hinckley and Addie again expressed regret at their decision...but then they proceeded to eat candy most of the day so we'll see if this parenting gamble amounts to anything in the long run. Between the Trunk or Treat at Weave, going to Jamestown with Greyson to see Grandpa H and the Kays on Friday, and trick or treating Saturday we have enough sugar to get us to Christmas...maybe.

October 24, 2021

This week we finished up Fall break on Monday and returned to the normal routine for the rest of the week. Hinckley got his reward of 6 donuts for earning his respectful/responsible points and was wired up from eating 4 of them in a row. Monday was a challenging day all around. 

Legos in the clean room

Greyson's serious reading time

Greyson has taken a very strong interest now in numbers and letters. He still asks about warning labels and street names (constantly), asking what they say and why they say it. But now he also asks about the numbers on all food packages, especially after learning about calories. "Calories is when you burn your bum!" (what the heck?). He still loves it when we turn on "cool music" so he can run around the house jumping everywhere and throwing things all over the place. He always needs verification that he "is cool" when doing these things. He fell off the couch one evening this week and got a huge goose egg on his head poor kid. He went with Kassie to Cornbellies near Thanksgiving point for their date during the day and he had a blast. It was hard to come home. I enjoyed some time jumping on the tramp with Greyson. Half the time he was laughing so hard he couldn’t stay on his feet. At one point he said, “Let’s play fight Daddy and got a serious look on his face and came charging at me with his fits flailing all around.

Addie made a “ninja book” one evening, drawing pictures of all her friends as different ninjas and then having me staple it together. She was very eager to read it to her class. She also made a "book" for her teacher and drew all sorts of pictures with nice words about her. Saturday, Addie and I tried for the 3rd time to have our Cornbellies date, but alas it was closed due to rain. And so after a few tears and disappointment, we went over to the movie theater and watched Addams Family 2 and I bought the most expensive corndog ever which Addie said was the best corn dog she’d had in her whole life. So, it all ended well I suppose.

Hinckley had friends over a couple of times this week. It was fun hearing their conversations from the other room. Hinckley and Kas went on their date to Cornbellies Friday evening and despite huge lines and crowds, they had a really good time. Our neighbor lent us a classic super Nintendo and we had lots of fun playing Mario, the original Zelda, Donkey Kong, and Street Fighter. Kassie and I went to the temple and did a session together for the first time since before the pandemic hit which was kind of crazy. Sure feeling like fall time now!

 
October 17, 2021

We are getting lots of rain, or “moisture” as the saints like to say. We need it! And it is really feeling like fall now with the temperatures going down and the snow coming onto the mountains. As I’ve been reading about our ancestor Albert King Thurber I was struck with how many places he lived and worked I too have been and that he and John Butler were in this valley for many years looking at the same mountains I’m looking at as they struggled through some incredible trials and afflictions.

This week the kids had Fall Break and we stuck around here. We went for family flu shots Tuesday evening which wasn’t too bad. Addie began crying as soon as we began getting out of the car and Hinckley was a little resistant...but everyone managed out ok in the end. Greyson was eager to be first and sort of laughed/cried when he felt the sting. We grabbed some Sundaes from Arctic Circle as a reward which seemed to smooth things over. Kassie took the kids to see a movie about dinosaurs at the “Mammoth Screen” at Thanksgiving Point. She said they were blown away by the 3D technology and it was really fun to watch them in awe for the first 10 minutes or so. Many of the evenings after work I've tried just roughhousing with the kids a bit more which seems to help with "witching hour" when everyone is tired and extra grumpy. We played “tickle levels” and I also put them up on my feet and giving them “horse rides” (complete with that circus song Dad always sang haha). I need to remember that they love having that rowdy time when I get off work and it helps them get their silliness out. Greyson was “a cop” and kept coming and hitting me really hard...talk about police brutality! Haha. Yikes, not sure where he got the idea that cops go around and beat people up.

Glorious fall afternoon in Lehi

Hinckley reading to Greyson

Addie with her winnings from "responsibility" chart

Grandpa's Birthday in Provo

 

Addie got a little sick near the break, but before she left school she brought ten cents to give to her friend Abby for reading to her and to “help her buy a tablet since she doesn’t have one.” She was very careful and concerned about putting it in a pocket in her pants that she could remember. She wanted me to tape a piece of paper to her pants for the side it was on until I asked her if she could just feel it in her pocket. It was very sweet. We went for family pictures on Saturday and Addie was very excited about the whole thing, requesting extra personal pictures of her be taken.

Hinckley and I (with some of Addie’s help) raked up leaves Saturday morning. Hinckley commented on one leaf by itself does not weigh very much at all but once they are all in the bag how heavy it can be. I took that as an opportunity to talk with him about decisions and how one little good decision or bad one isn’t usually much of a big deal, but we choose over time what sort of bag (or life) we will fill with all of our small decisions. Saturday was a big workday getting weeds and the garden out and sanding down the play structure and staining it again. I didn’t quite finish. I hope it is one of the last times I need to mow the yard this year. Hinckley delighted in using the new weed thrasher (or hoe) to “cut weeds” and he declared it is his new hobby. We watched A Series of Unfortunate Events with him last night which he seemed to enjoy now that he has read all of the books.

Greyson continues to want us to play "cool music" so he can run around and do "gymnastics". Even as it has gotten much colder he still rejects wearing pants every moment he can. He is also starting to reject most food which is frustrating. And life moves on!

October 10, 2021

The kids are doing well at school according to their teachers. Kassie met with both teachers for a brief conference as we missed the formal parent-teacher conferences when we were out last week. I’m hopeful that this will continue to be a great year for both of them! Kassie and Greyson went to the Lehi farmer’s market with his preschool class. He had a good time other than he was bumped over by another kid and landed in some water and had a 5 minute fit of “I hate you!”s and more. I guess it was kind of muddy and nasty there, but overall he liked it. What he loved, even more, was going into Dick’s sporting goods with Kassie in search of a birthday present for Hinckley’s friend Declan. Kassie said Greyson was in heaven seeing all the balls and everything. He begged to buy everything he saw there, including a random folding table. He and Kassie also had a really fun visit to the Butterfly Biosphere at Thanksgiving point and he made a few "friends" that he ran wild with for a time.

Addie posing in the canyon

Hinckley and Addie reading

Addie and Greyson over Provo River

Addie and Greyson in the canyon

Conference and Legos

Addie doing back rolls at gymnastics

The kids and Kassie went to a different pumpkin patch for Hinckley's friend's birthday gathering and they had a ton of fun until Greyson started crying and moaning apparently. I took Addie to music class and she talked non-stop the whole way there and back, it is pretty cute hearing the things she is thinking about and interested in. She was very interested in hearing about my "car crash or car trouble" stories...not sure what got her asking about that. I also enjoyed playing "Zelda - Breathe of the Wild" (video game) with Hinckley, our Friday tradition, and he worked really hard at trying to comment in nice ways about how bad I am at it haha. "Oh man Dad if people on YouTube saw how you play they'd be laughing so hard."

Things are really picking up at work. I’m actually really enjoying it. My team has been growing and I now have 5 people I manage, and one of them is a team lead over 6 others so I'm learning how to be good people leader and such so there is a lot to do and figure out. We had Stake Conference this week and had Elder Douglas (who spoke about hurricanes in General Conference last week) come and it was great. I LOVE that they provided links to watch conference this time. That has been one of the great blessings of COVID I hope never goes away. We are feeling rejuvenated after two weeks of conferences to focus more intently on the Savior and follow Him.