April 2018

April started out crazy, with April Fool's Day, Easter, and General Conference all at once. The day before, along with Conference, we had come home from camping, gone to the kids' basketball games, and planted our vegetable garden. That night we filled eggs for the egg hunt and made cinnamon rolls for breakfast. Somehow we managed to squeeze everything in, but we made a vow to keep Conference Weekend less scheduled in the future.

Our backyard had a bajillion excellent hiding spots for the egg hunt. We are going to have to fill more than 12 per kid next year! They were just too fun to hide.

We dyed hard boiled eggs in the afternoon and were eating them all week long.

We even managed to end the day with Grammie's egg blowing game. Now that needs to become an annual Easter tradition!

The kids had spring break the entire first week of April. We cleaned and worked basically all day Monday, but hit the Oakland Zoo on Tuesday before picking Nana up from the airport for a visit. 

Gemma, for whatever reason, absolutely loves giraffes. She always says she wishes she could ride on one. Also, side note, she has a lot of favorite animals, and she is just amazed by them. It is typical of her to see an animal, admire it's skills for a moment, and then say, "I wish I could be a [fill in the blank]." I wish I could be a giraffe. I wish I could be a bird. I wish I could be a monkey. I wish I could be a squirrel. She is totally sincere. If Gemma could have one super power, whether she knows how to articulate this or not, it would be the ability to change into animal form. 

Jack always loves to look at the tigers. They have always been his favorite animal. He gets a little bit sad and defensive when someone talks about how fierce or wild they are. In his heart of hearts, Jack wants them to be snuggly and gentle and tame. He doesn't admire them for their hunting skills or stealth; it's all about how big and soft and orange they look.

Hazel always gets a little bummed out when J and G get a picture next to their favorite animals at the zoo. She was over the moon to find, during our wanderings this last visit, a statue of a fox in a den. She is absolutely obsessed with foxes lately. It's probably been about a year since they beat out cheetahs in Hazel's heart. I'm not sure what she loves so much about them. I think she thinks of them as shy and noble and independent, which aligns with her self-perception as well.

We took my mom to the secret beach her first full day here, because it had the best weather forecast. It turned out to be absolutely perfect! It was a bit chilly, but no more than usual. We had sun for the first 3/4ths of our visit, which was glorious. And we had the beach completely to ourselves. Paradise.

Gemma loves to chase the waves. She gets soaked every beach trip. She just loves to flirt with the tide, no matter how cold the water is.

Hazel is an explorer. She loves to climb rocks and check out caves and tide pools. She gets bored fast if the beach is all sand. She just has this drive to hunt.

Jack, my jokester, my mellow fellow, is happy just to be. He spent some time with each sister on this trip, but seemed to find the most joy from rolling downhill in the sand, over and over. We made slow motion videos of him doing cartwheels and other antics, and then he'd watch them and laugh, and make more.

While my mom was here, Todd and I took advantage of the opportunity and had a two-night getaway over the weekend. We didn't go far, just over to Fremont, and spent Saturday at Great America. We were so excited to ride the big roller coasters and feel young and alive and get a big adrenaline rush. Sadly, we realized pretty quickly that we have gotten too old. At the end of that first ride, he and I looked at each other with wide eyes, and realized a) we felt nauseous, b) this was going to give us a headache, and c) we were going to have to take breaks between rides if were to survive the day. We did, in fact, stick around for about 6 hours, and rode our favorite multiple times, but there was a long lunch break, lots of people watching, and Todd even fell asleep on a bench while I was using the bathroom - an old man's nap! We rode our favorite roller coaster one last time before taking off hours before the park closed, and Todd screamed through the whole thing. I thought maybe he was really enjoying himself, but he admitted at the end of the ride that he was trying to keep his blood pumping so he didn't pass out. Ha ha ha! So sad for us.

Our stake Activity Days Girls held a pinewood derby. I wish I had a more close-up shot of her car. She shaped it like a canoe and painted the bottom blue, like it was in the water. She named it Sitka, Alaska. It didn't win any prizes, but it was a fun night.

Todd's parents have just returned from a short mission in Germany, and drove up to see us for a couple of days. Grammie and Poppa were good sports and rode bikes and scooters to take the kids to school in the morning.

Todd was at drill, busy flying over the Golden Gate Bridge and other cool stuff. Lame side effect of his parents just showing up instead of calendaring with us when they come to visit is they always seem to be here when Todd is not. 

But we held a family BBQ in the backyard anyway! I tried to get Erika into the picture, but she wouldn't budge. But believe me when I say that Erika came over, and Vlad and Luna came up as well. It was fun to get everyone together for a family dinner.

Basketball season is still going strong. Everyone is loving it. Gemma has practiced enough that she can make baskets now when the hoop is on its lowest setting. That has been thrilling for her! Jack and Hazel are both lots better than they were at the start of the season as well. All the kids are having a good time. We are definitely signing up for this again next year!

Todd tries to make it to practices after work when he can. The kids maul him. He's not going to be able to carry all three kids at once for much longer. They're all getting huge.

We took the kids to Legoland in Southern California and it was awesome. It was the perfect time to go. Gemma is just barely tall enough that she can go on every single ride, and Hazel isn't too old for everything yet. It was super cool to see all the creative displays throughout the park made of Lego. 

There were two horse rides that made all of Gemma's wildest dreams come true, this one, where the horse canters as it takes her around the track, and a carousel full of ponies. As much as she exclaims over giraffes, I think horses might truly be G's very favorite animal. Right now it's her dream to grow up to own a horse ranch and just ride horses all day long, every day.

Most of the rides were really mellow, but there was one, called Knight's Tournament, that had some serious thrill factor. You could choose from 5 levels of intensity, and Hazel rode it at a five, probably ten times over the course of our two days there. Todd went with her one and hated it. You're like a knight in a dragon's claw, and it throws you around up and down and upside down and in circles and is kind of crazy. This ride is purely for the older kids who come to the park.

Jack was mesmerized by the Lego Factory tour, which showed how Legos are made. The assembly line machinery was pretty fascinating.

But Jack's favorite part was the biggest hit with our entire family: the Technic Coaster. It was an exciting, but not intense, roller coaster, with one big drop and a couple smaller ones, and a lot of hairpin turns. I sat next to Gemma multiple times (I can't even tell you how many times we rode this one - a lot) and she was always funny. She'd exclaim, "That was so scary!" after the drop and then laugh in this giddy, wild way. Huge, bulging eyeballs, and a darling grin. Jack described the drop as simultaneously his favorite and least favorite part as his stomach felt like it was falling and was also pressed tight against the safety bar. 

I couldn't believe my luck when Hazel told me it was Crazy Hair Day at school and that I could do what I wanted with her head. She absolutely hates for me to do her hair. She always wants it just loose or in a ponytail, and often takes out any braids or cute things ti sneak in while she's reading at breakfast. I used the opportunity wisely and did something mostly just cute, instead of getting all whack-a-doodle. I just wanted to play with her hair!

Last, but not least, I always want to be able to look back and see Gemma's first giraffe drawing, which she gave away on a birthday card. Isn't it cute?

March 2018

Todd gave the kids a fitness challenge: When they had trained enough to be able to do 40 push ups and 40 sit ups in two minutes each, they could have a betta fish. They paid for the fish, and Todd and I purchased the equipment. Everyone worked hard and practiced most days, and earned the reward much too quickly, in my opinion.

Jack lost his second front tooth and has an adorable pumpkin smile.

We stumbled by chance upon Home Depot's First Saturday craft. Each of the kids made a periscope, perfect for spying on the neighbors over the fence.

We've been using our Oakland Zoo membership and heading over about once a month. It's been so enjoyable to go and not worry about getting "our money's worth" by staying all day and making sure we see every single animal each time. It's so nice to be able to take our time where the kids have interest that day, and feel like there's no pressure to rush and do it all.

Todd's been working on a custom play set in the backyard. The kids have been helping out and offering suggestions. We'll be excited when it's finished.

All the kids are signed up for a basketball league. It's been our most successful attempt at sports yet! Everyone is enjoying it. Hazel is on a team with a couple of boys from church, and Gemma and Jack are on a team together. They have practice on Wednesdays and games on Saturdays. We've asked the kids to practice 30 minutes a day in the culdesac when they don't have practice at the gym, and everyone's getting really good, which makes it more fun as well.

All the kids made leprechaun traps for Saint Patrick's Day. We had green milk and played Celtic music and danced jigs. It's a good holiday - simple and fun. The leprechauns made a trap of their own in the night and tried to lock the kids in their bedrooms. Everyone thought that was funny.

Hazel was invited to a birthday party at a horse stable. Gemma was a little bit envious. It's Gemma's dream to have a horse ranch when she grows up.

Everything dramatic happens when Todd's away. He had his two week army training in March, and Jack got his first stitches. He slipped and hit his head on the bathroom counter and his forehead opened up into this sad, nasty gash. He stayed cool and collected - no tears! - and actually thought the trip to urgent care was quite interesting. He was asking questions about everything from the equipment to the procedure, and later said he wished he could go through it all again. Not me! I'm just relieved it all looks good weeks later and seems like it's going to heal really nicely.

We went on a two-night camping trip at the end of the month. The only picture I took was this one, after the fact, when we came back on Saturday for the kids' basketball games and these two fell asleep during Hazel's. Everyone was worn out.

The camping was lots of fun, except for the part where we slept on the hard, lumpy ground, all spooned together in a four-man tent. We brought bikes and did some hiking and exploring, played games and waded in the river, and made some delicious food. It was just crazy hard to sleep because we've been raiding the scout closet for supplies the last few years, and didn't think about it until the day we left and we realized that without that sweet hookup, we no longer had a glamorous, two-room tent, big enough for our queen-size blow-up mattress. We don't even have mats of our own. So, yeah, we were basically straight on the ground, and even the kids slept badly the second night. Lesson learned. But besides that, it was a great trip. Lots of fun memories, and I"m sad I din't take any pictures.

February 2018

Isn't he cute? Jack has always loved snuggling soft things. It's funny to check on him at night and see what he's tucked in around himself this time. 

My friends Chrissy and Suzanne and I got matching hip packs. We've been texting each other pictures when we dare to wear them in public. They're awesome - I love being hands-free! But there is a stigma attached, so you have to be in the right mood to work it. 

Todd's treehouse dreams came crashing down when our neighbor behind us asked if Todd had a permit from the city and mentioned that he didn't want our kids "snooping" on him from up high. Todd was so mad he abandoned the project for weeks. Now it's evolving into something that will pass inspection. It will have monkey bars and swings and probably a zipline, and the more hammocks, the better. But it's not the same and it makes us all a little bit sad.

Gemma's been taking a dance/movement class. She has a blast when the whole group is up and moving, but hates the attention on her when they're asked to do leaps and things one at a time. It's so funny to me that this boisterous, feisty girl can also be shy.

Jack has rollerbladed to school a handful of times. Its slow going, but gives him good practice. We just have to make sure to leave the house early enough. It'll be fun when he's fast.

Hazel got another reading award at school. She reached 150 AR points (easy). There's no other milestone to aim for except for kid with most points in the grade at the end of the school year. She was ready to settle down and stop caring, but Todd and I encouraged her to go for the gold. She could totally smoke everyone else in 3rd grade if she wanted to, she reads so much. So Todd offered her the prize of eating out anywhere she wants if she wins, and the sweet girl chose In 'n' Out (as if we don't eat there often already). So far, so good. She's trying to keep track of all the books she reads so she can take comprehension tests on them all. There are a couple kids right on her heels, so that's good, too, that it's not a shoo-in. She's going to have to work for it.

We spent the night at a hotel in Sacramento a few weeks ago. Todd was promoted to Major and put in as Commander of the Blackhawk unit. The kids were amazed to see how many soldiers were standing at attention for their dad. We're all proud of him.

Jack lost his second front tooth at the hotel, so he's sporting a pumpkin smile for now. And the kids had a good time playing in the hotel pool.

Hazel is an aspiring baker. If you ask her what she wants to be when she grows up, she'll tell you a bakery owner. She loves to help in the kitchen, and is slowly building up her repertoire of items she can make independently. She was so proud of this cornbread.

Suzanne, Chrissy, and I had a Napoleon Dynamite night. We ate dang quesadillas and tater tots and laughed throughout the movie. We wore our hip packs and sported side ponytails. Fun night!

The kids and I went a month without treats - no candy, no desserts, no junk food from the day after Gemma's birthday till Valentine's Day. It was a good reminder to eat treats sparingly and learn to say no when you're offered unhealthy food. It was shocking to discover how much bad food was available to the kids at school from friends and parties. Kind of crazy. It's always good to have a reset on those sorts of things from time to time, to help us be mindful.

I rewarded myself for my diligent dieting with a massage. It was so divine. I took a picture of my face when I got in the car afterwards; look at the marks on my face! I was in my zen den.

We took the kids to San Francisco for the Chinese New Year parade. We wandered the city a bit beforehand, checking out Chinatown and popping into an art gallery. The parade was really cool. Lots of dragons and firecrackers and martial arts and marching bands. The only thing that makes me and Todd not want to add it to our annual tradition list is that it was three. hours. long. I'm not joking. And we stayed for the whole thing because there was a huge 180-person dragon at the finale that we wanted to see.

We dog-sat for Hazel's activity days leader for five days and nights. Copper was a really sweet, easy dog. It was Hazel's dream come true to have a dog in the house. Gemma and Jack totally fell in love, too. He was so quiet and easy to care for that at first, I found myself thinking maybe we could get a dog someday. But by the end, I was ready to see him go. Hair on my pants, wet paw prints on my floor, and the biggest thing was having to adjust our plans to go to San Francisco to make sure he wasn't alone at the house for too long. If we'd been dog-free, we would have spent the night in a hotel and made a big party out of it. I made sure Hazel understood this so she'd get a bit of a reality check about the real reasons we're not interested in having a dog, and I think it sunk in. She was also ready to have her free time back to herself by the end of the five days.

We haven't had as much rain this winter as we did last year, but we've had a lot of cold nights, several of which dipped below 32 degrees. We've been covering our mandarin orange trees on those nights and crossing our fingers that we'll still get fruit from them next December.

It hailed last week and the kids thought it was so awesome. They all went running outside to check it out, and Hazel collected a bunch to put in the freezer to make a snowball.

Todd has been working with the principal of our kids'  school for last few months, preparing an awesome day. He flew a Blackhawk to Croce and landed it in the field at the start of the school day, with all the kids and parents and several extra members of our community watching and cheering.

While his co-pilot, medic, and crew chief led small groups through a tour of the helicopter (sitting in the backseat, checking out the cockpit, and investigating some of the equipment they use for rescue missions like buckets and stretchers)

Todd gave a presentation at a school assembly, teaching the students about how the Army National Guard Blackhawks are used to care for others, helping out in rescue missions like putting out forest fires, finding lost hikers, and saving people caught in floods, as well as all the good they do overseas, getting hurt people to hospitals as quickly as possible. He had pictures and a microphone, and a handful of really good jokes, and he spoke so well, and was so cool and friendly. He shared interesting things like how if they're putting out fires and there's no lake or river nearby, they'll come scoop water out of people's swimming pools. He had the kids stand up if they've ever been in a helicopter, and a few people did. Then he asked them to stay up if they've been in his helicopter, and then it was just our kids and a friend of theirs. And he was like, By the end of the day, everyone in this room will be able to stand up to that question! And everyone cheered and was so excited. He had the group in the palm of his hand and it was so fun to see.

He loved being around the kids, and said it was so easy to talk with them. They asked lots of questions and at recess were waving at him and treating him like a celebrity. He acted really interested in them individually, was high-fiving all the kids and shooting hoops with them at recess and doing pushup contests with the fifth grade boys. He was so cool. He spent his day talking with 600 kids about how great it is to help other people. He presented such a positive message, and portrayed the military in such a good light, and made me so proud of him. It was just a great day for our family.

He took off at the end of the school day, so he had a big audience again. The local news even came and watched. It was awesome. Todd had asked me a few days earlier if he ought to get some little trinkets to pass out to the kids, and I was like, "I think you're a little desensitized to how cool a helicopter is. Those kids are not going to need you to pass out anything. They're going to totally flip seeing your helicopter land and climbing through it. That's all they need." And it was.

Jack came home and said when he grows up, he wants to do exactly what Daddy does. Exactly the same thing. It was adorable. Pretty sure half the kids at Croce were aspiring to be helicopter pilots when they grow up.