March 2019

We went to Bear Valley with our friends the George's the first weekend in March. There was a ton of snow for us to play in. We sledded, rode snowmobiles, built snowmen, and warmed up in the cabin we rented. 

The snow was heavy and wet, so we ran a lot of loads of coats, snow pants, mittens, and socks in the dryer. Play in the snow, dry off and warm up, eat, repeat! 

I drove on my very first field trip: Gemma's class went to the movie theater to see Horton Hears a Who. I've volunteered at the kids' school weekly since Hazel started kindergarten, but I'd never been on a field trip before because of their policy to not bring younger siblings. This is the start of something new!

We watched Spencer, Daniel, and Josh overnight while Chrissy and Gordon made a trip up to the Sacramento Temple. The kids had tons of fun playing together. They practiced a performance of "I'm Elmo and I Know It" again and again, and drew sidewalk chalk routes on the pavement outside to follow with their scooters and roller blades. Hazel even got inventive and tied the wiggle car to the back of her scooter and started giving people rides. She continued that adventure the next week when all three kids had early dismissal from school for spring conferences.

Todd took off for his two-week Army Training, so instead of making dinners, I took the kids out for extra afternoon outings. We scootered along the trail to "Marshland" and enjoyed one of our first sunny spring days.

We went to see How to Train Your Dragon 3 at the theater. Loved it!

We went to the skate park. The kids held their own even though the place was swarming with teenagers.

We were invited to a Pie Day dinner at a friend's house. Lots of families from the neighborhood/ward were there. It was fun. We also had a church talent show. Jack and Hazel both played the piano, and Hazel brought some of her paintings to display.

We went to the Saint Patrick's Day Festival in Dublin. We brought our friend Kate along. We enjoyed listening to the live music and scouring the booths for give-aways.

The kids made great leprechaun traps again this year. We had high hopes we'd catch one, because Gemma saw one out her bedroom window hiding in our bushes, but alas, the little buggers got away again. They even dyed our milk and drinking water green. We know they were still in the house, though, because the kids would empty their water bottles and fill them up fresh, but the next time they'd go for a drink, the water would be green again! Over and over again. So silly.

Gemma was excited to spend a week as Calendar Captain in her classroom. It's taken her a while to become comfortable in front of everyone, but she's getting there!

There's a big dog we pass on the way to and from school that Gemma just loves. He's not always outside, but when he is, Gemma loves to visit with him. All my kids think I'm mean because we don't have a dog. (Although they're far from united on what type we ought to have. Hazel loves golden retrievers, while Jack is obsessed with chihuahuas. Gemma hasn't settled on a favorite breed yet.)

I love watching Jack blossom socially this year. He's got a handful of best buds, and he's so happy and so silly with them. None of them are in his class this year, but they consistently find each other at lunch and recess and are always happy to have play dates.

Hazel had to sing a song at a school assembly with their buddy class. That meant lots of practicing and performing in front of a crowd, which was mortifying for her.

It was a good assembly to attend, however, as Jack received recognition for reaching 50 miles in running club, and Gemma was made Student of the Month for gratitude.

I had game night, breakfast club, and piano club, as well as a Relief Society activity or two, to keep my social calendar full. I've got to take more pictures!

Everyone was excited when Todd came home from AT. He got back to business giving everyone rides in the back of his truck around the culdesac, playing Troll Chase, and making sure the kids put their books down and and run around.

And he was tired enough to fall asleep on top of the play structure. . . Poor guy works too hard!

February 2019

The first weekend of February, Chrissy and Gordon watched our kids overnight while Todd and I went to a military pre-retirement seminar. The kids had a blast with some of their "California cousins," playing games, eating good food, and having a Nerf war at the church gym. They always have a blast with their buddies, and Todd and I appreciate the feeling that our kids are being well taken care of and we don't need to worry about them. 

The retirement seminar gave us a good opportunity to think of the future and prepare for upcoming changes. Todd's just a little over a year away from his 20-year mark with the Army and is experiencing a wide array of feelings about the transition to post-military life. There are things he will definitely miss and needs time to mourn the loss of, and other aspects he is glad to put behind him. 

I couldn't resist taking this picture, and can't stop staring at it now. Maybe it's from gym class - Jack's body has become very flexible! He frequently startles onlookers by jumping into the splits. So weird.

We've had an unusually cold winter this year. We even got some snow overnight that stayed on the hilltops for about a week. The kids have found ice in all sorts of places, and we've been driving to school a lot because it's often been in the 30's in the mornings. Brr!

Jack made a pineapple upside down cake for the Cub Scout Blue and Gold Banquet. He was pretty excited to give it a try, and we all agreed it was one of the most delicious cakes of the night.

I don't know if it's just because he hates haircuts, or if he really wants to try something new, but Jack has been insistent that he wants longer hair. It's been fun to braid his bangs during church while he lays in my lap. Too bad he wouldn't sport the style for crazy hair day at school!

Gemma shared with Jack the mustache tattoo she got in her valentines. It was pretty funny!

Todd's sister Kelsi and her familyspent some time on vacation in California and we got to share a couple of days with them. We took them to the tide pools at Moss Beach, north of Half Moon Bay, and to the Henry Cowell Redwoods near Santa Cruz. Both days were pretty chilly, but at least it wasn't raining! My kids loved the opportunity to get to know their cousins Kollyn and Daniel better. They all played together so well; it was really satisfying to see.

We spent a Saturday in San Francisco. Jack brought his kite, and we flew it at Chrissy Field. The kids enjoyed playing in the sand near the Golden Gate Bridge and watching all the sailboats on the water.

Then we headed over to Chinatown for the Chinese New Year celebration. We toured up and down the streets and tried some new foods and candy.

The highlight of the day was the Chinese New Year parade. There were plenty of floats, dancers, and fireworks to enjoy, and we used last year's experience to let ourselves feel alright with leaving before it was all over, knowing it is a loooong parade (last year lasted three hours!). It was nice to get home close to bedtime and get the kids tucked in after such a long, fun day.

The kids were invited to dress up as a favorite book character during Read Across America week. Gemma had so many options from the dress-up bin that she changed her mind many times, but she ended up going as Tiger Lily from Peter Pan. Hazel spent several days in advance working on her accessories to look like Luna Lovegood from Harry Potter. She's only just met her in, but she's already a big fan.

Jack did not want to dress up for any of the school spirit days, but he was excited about the school assembly, where he was awarded a trophy for reaching 300 AR points. He is leading the pack as far as the second graders go, and probably the third graders, too. His goal is to get to 400 points by the end of the school year, which is pretty awesome!

We have had lots and lots of rain this month, and it was starting to get me down, so it felt like a real tender mercy when some blue sky peeked out one afternoon.  I definitely felt like Heavenly Father was letting me feel His love for me.

Gemma was Star of the Week in kindergarten. She got to ring the bell to come in from recess, sit in a special chair up front, and help out her teacher in other ways throughout the week. I got to come into her classroom when she was presenting her All About Me poster and read a love letter to her that I wrote. I loved seeing how happy she was, being treated so importantly. I loved that Mrs. Coon waited several months to make sure Gemma would be comfortable in front of the class and enjoy the experience, instead of feeling shy and embarrassed. She even checked with me first to make sure Gemma was at a point where she would appreciate the attention before going ahead with having it be Gemma's turn. It was really thoughtful of her.