January 29, 2023
Last Sunday I was brave and took the kids out on a "daddy adventure". We walked down to the frozen Utah Lake and they had a ton of fun. It was freezing and beautiful and we had a memorable time.
 |
| On the ice |
We had a happy birthday week for Greyson! He turned 5 on Thursday and celebrated with both sets of grandparents here. Pretty neat! He was sick for much of the week so we were happy he was feeling well enough to go to school and enjoy a friend birthday party on Saturday at an indoor play place called Coconut Cove. There were 9 little boys there plus Hinckley who was there for the cake and candy bag. Addie was sick and unable to attend but enjoyed staying home with Grandma to watch a movie and recover. It is hard to believe Greyson has been with us already for 5 years. He has so much energy and keeps us all actively moving on to new things every few minutes. He was inspired by a picture book we have about birthdays and asked to eat macaroni and cheese in the bath, which we let him try. He really enjoyed that haha.
 |
| Mac and Cheese in the bath as requested |
 |
| Birthday at Coconut Cove |
 |
| Mama, boy, and ninja cake |
 |
| The giant kiss |
 |
| A boy and his material goods |
 |
| Ready for presents |
 |
| Both sets of Grandparents! |
In other news I attended my first Hip Hop class in Orem and a book group meetup at my former bishop's house around the corner. I was terrified of the former but it turned out to be a lot of fun and I'm looking forward to going back again next week.
January 22, 2023
The week started off with MLK day break on Monday. After some dental and ortho appointments in the morning we went to a school in Orem to do a service project (quilt tying) which was almost already done when we arrived. Luckily there was a little we could do and Addie and Hinckley both really liked it. Greyson was entertained by a pull-up bar the entire time so that was a blessing. We enjoyed the new Puss in Boots movie at the theater afterwards and though the personification of death as a wolf was a little much for Addie we all had a pretty good time!
 |
| Cuddle time |
 |
| Sewing quilts on MLK day |
 |
| Pull-up service |
We had some sickness throughout the week starting with Kassie which was a carry over, and then a quick cycle through all the kids. Addie threw up at school one day and by Saturday Hinckley had thrown up in his room. Greyson seemed fine until we arrived at church and he suddenly started coughing every few seconds...so we put a mask on and made it through haha. Sickness is always a great reminder of the blessing of good health. Addie had her first experience with girl's activities at church since she will be turning 8 in August. I can't believe it! She had so much fun, and could hardly talk fast enough to tell us all about exactly what happened at the activity. Hinckley also commenced his boy's activities and while less excited about it, was willing to go.
 |
| Addie's ongoing art projects |
 |
| Blobbies hitch a ride on robo vacuum |
 |
| Greyson's reading time |
Much to my own surprise (and anyone who really knows me) I recently joined an online and in-person community called
The Strenuous Life - somewhat like Boy Scouts for men. I've been enjoying it and so far don't have much buyer's remorse. One thing I've learned about in this group is the concept of "rucking" (walking with weight on your back). One evening this week I took the kids to do a 1 mile ruck in our neighborhood and we all got back packs on with some weight added and walked around the block a few times. We all had a lot of fun! Haha, I know it is a little strange but I delight in it nonetheless.
 |
| Learning pull-ups in the garage |
 |
| Rhino Hero with Trent and Natalee |
On Friday we had the special treat of having Trent and Natalee over for a visit as they surveyed the valley for their next chapter. The kids were overjoyed to show off everything they could think of (including the pull-up bar in the garage) and we played a quick game of Rhino Hero. We are looking forward to having their family closer. On Saturday sickness struck Hinckley down, but the rest of us went to Skyridge High School (Lehi) to go to a huge Chinese New Year activity that the Chinese programs from around the North Valley put on. There were crafts, a big program, and some fortune cookies we could enjoy. Addie and Greyson had a blast! Kassie and I were blown away by the size of the high school and all the things that the students were doing to put the event on. It was a fund raising activity so they could go to Taiwan to study abroad this summer.
 |
| On the "Great Wall" |
 |
| Finishing up some crafts for Chinese New Year |
January 15, 2023
This week started off with some really hard news about Hinckley's friend. Their family lost his 4-year-old sister due to complications in a routine tonsil surgery. She had Down's Syndrome and was of course a huge part of their family's identity and life. Hinckley struggled with all the big feelings this news brought and he grew a lot this week. On Thursday his friend was back at school and Hinckley was able to give him a hug and use his "sit by a buddy" ticket he had won before the holiday break in order to be with him. He seemed to be feeling really good with how things went in coming together as he had been pretty worried about what to say and how to show up as a good friend. Going to his second session at the Ninja Playground on Wednesday night helped though! He had a blast and on the way home he said that it was really helping him with his confidence. He's doing great on those obstacles!
Addie really caught the reading bug this week. Thanks to those hilarious "Diary of a Wimpy Kid" books she has become quite the book worm. We experimented giving ground in the evening and letting her read for an extra 15-20 min beyond the time we usually read with her and she is excited about how big that feels to "stay up late and read". So far it has gone pretty good and she's read about 4 books this week!
All the kids had a blast when Nana picked them up to take them to the Provo Rec center on Friday (out of school for teacher work day). They had a wonderful time swimming and diving and all sorts of things. Greyson was so excited about it that for our Dad/Greyson date on Saturday he wanted me to take him back to the Rec center there to play in the jungle gym area and on the outdoor park. He continues to explore ways to assert his power as the youngest. His techniques of swearing and using physical force are quite effective. This week I tried doing more physical things with him and now he is always asking "can we box?" in which he literally tries punching me in the face with his fists. Haha, keeps me on my toes.
 |
| Greyson/Dad date at Provo Rec Center |
January 8, 2023
We finished off the holiday break with sledding at the bowl in Provo with the Kays which was a lot of fun! They hosted us back at their house with some pizza and cousin play time which was a wonderful way to conclude a long vacation. Kellie talked and talked! She sure opens up when in the comfort of her own home! The next day (Tuesday) we all returned to our various routines and bedtimes which has been positive for the most part. Hinckley had his first Ninja Playground class on Wednesday (think American Ninja Warrior classes for kids) and he had a blast. The coaches were kind and the other kids weren’t too annoying and he seemed to be in his element. He was able to see immediate improvement after trying a few obstacles and getting feedback. I’m glad it was so positive. He is now begging for us to go every day instead of weekly. Hinckley and Kassie had a fun date on Saturday doing a scavenger hunt at DI in Saratoga Springs. A fresh reminder of what treasure trove can be discovered there!
 |
| Greyson and Mom on the slded |
 |
| Jack, Kelli, and Addie sledding |
 |
| Sledding boy |
 |
| Pizza at the Kays |
 |
| Legos with Sadie |
 |
| Addie/Dad date up Provo Canyon |
 |
| Addie in the cave |
Lately Addie’s constant question during movies or TV shows is “is this real?” It is both cute, annoying... and instructive. I think that question is actually really valuable for all the info coming at us these days, and it is interesting she is so honed in on that and wondering about that. She wants to know who is acting, what is in a real place, what is “movie magic” and so forth. It is really something. She was able to get in a lot of friend time this week which was her priority after such a long vacation time with family. Addie and I had a really fun date going up Provo canyon to play in the snow on Saturday. It was frozen over so we were able to explore that in some fun ways, and it was some good connection time. She read out loud from her book the whole way up and back and we stopped at Blox (Like Crumbl but brownies) for a treat. Dates are some of my favorite things about being a parent.
 |
| Hinckley, Logan, and Kelli |
 |
| Addie having an ortho "consult" |
 |
| Rebuilding the snowman |
 |
| Science experiments with Mom |
Comments
Post a Comment