Thursday the 4th was Jack's seventh birthday. We started the day by having bagels and hot chocolate at Panera. Jack and Hazel wore their Hogwarts cloaks, so fun. That afternoon, we went to the local skate park for the first time. The kids looooooved it! Gemma realized quickly that she was too little to handle her scooter on the hills, especially with older kids zooming past her, but she had a great time on foot, running up and sliding down the skateboard jumps. Hazel and Jack did not want to leave. I'm going to have to bring them back again soon.
And Jack got a skateboard for his birthday, so maybe we'll be back with that in a few months!
Jack still loves tigers and the color orange best. His favorite for is pizza. His favorite books right now are the Geronimo Stilton Kingdom of Fantasy chapter books. He loves playing outside on monkey bars, swings, and the trampoline, and has enjoyed learning how to use his new rollerblades and skateboard. He thinks he'll probably be a scientist when he grows up. He's turning into a perfectionist, and is very good at math, spelling, and the piano. If he had one wish, it would be that he could turn into whatever animal he wanted every day. He would start with a tiger, then be a bat, then a baby squirrel monkey (he loved those at the zoo).
Jack wanted a Harry Potter birthday party, but he wanted to spend his actual birthday with his family. So we made a simple Hagrid-esque cake for the actual day, then some fancy golden snitch cupcakes for the party.
The party was lots of fun to plan, but probably more work than it was worth, given that Jack was the only one of his guests who knew much of anything about Harry Potter yet. First grade is a bit young for it. We made cloaks and spell books for everyone. The biggest hit of the party was using the "Wingardium Leviosa" spell to keep balloons in the air during charms class.
We made a stop at the local pet store that week, just to look at the animals, and the kids turned it into a pet researching trip. They decided the betta fish were simple enough that they should be able to take care of one. Hazel got out a notebook and interviewed an employee, then started adding up prices to see how much it would cost to outfit a betta. Then she and Jack started a campaign to protest that they should be able to use their allowance to buy a fish if they wanted to. Every couple of days for a week, the kids got together for a "powwow" and ambushed us with protests like the following:
We made a deal with them that we would buy the supplies if they would buy the fish, but that first they had to prove to us that they were responsible and capable of remembering tasks every day without being reminded. The way they are supposed to be proving this to us is by practicing pushups and sit-ups every day until they are able to do 40 in a row. They were all sorts of excited about this contract for the first handful of days, but enthusiasm has since dwindled. I think it may be a while yet before we have to acquire a fish for our household.
My game night group is still going strong. Loving it!
Jack lost two teeth this month. He's now talking with an adorable lisp.
Gemma turned five on January 14th. At first, she was bummed that her birthday was on a Sunday, but she quickly cheered up when she realized that meant Daddy would be home with her all day! She requested a cake with four layers (two layers each cut in half) and sprinkles on top. Easy-peasy. She wanted pizza for dinner, and we invited Aunt Erika to come eat with us. We hoped Vlad and Hope could bring baby Luna up as well, but that didn't work out.
Gemma's favorite colors change every few days, but as of right now, her favorites are aqua, purple, and silver. She loves her mermaid Barbie and her big doll, Charlotte. Her favorite animals are giraffes, horses, tigers, dolphins, zebras, and orcas. She loves to jump on the tramp and do flips, and she's still crazy for monkey bars. When she grows up, she wants to be an animal doctor. She is sometimes shy, sometimes wild, so funny, and great at complimenting and cheering on others. If she had one wish it would be to be a unicorn. She loves learning how to read.
She had a party the next day. None of the kids had school for Martin Luther King Day, so it made a fun way to spend our time. It was super easy, a slumber party theme. Everyone came in pajamas. We made cookies and popped popcorn and played board and card games and played freeze dance and partied on the trampoline. It was so simple and fun - I'm hoping we can use that party theme again and again!
Todd was released from Young Men's president. Although he loved working with the young men, it's been a relief and a big blessing for our family for his time to be freed up. He's teaching in the Primary now.
One of Hazel's Activity Days leaders invited her mom to come teach the girls a watercolor class. The lady brought some of her work, and it's quite good. It was exciting to hear her rave afterward about how talented Hazel is. We have always known she's got a gift for art, but it's cool to hear from a real artist that she has talent. It was good for Hazel to hear that, and good for me, too. I've got to make sure I keep providing her with supplies and opportunities to study art.
A good friend of mine from the ward was sealed to her husband and kids in the Oakland Temple this month, and Todd and I were blessed to be able to attend. That was one of the most spiritual experiences I've ever had in the temple. I was overwhelmed with love. It made me so happy to see their family come together and receive the great blessing of being sealed together forever.
Todd and I went to the BYU-Santa Clara basketball game for one of our date nights. It was lots of fun.
The kids got fevers at the end of the month, so we had several slow and quiet days at home, resting and eating soup.
