March 2018

Funny how some months are so jam packed full of fun and events. March was one of those months for us. We discovered the fun of homemade slime. We went from the extreme of winter snow to sunny and warm days. We traveled to Washington, clogged all day and late into the night, started a playgroup, discovered the amazing convenience of freezer meals, put on a Relief Society birthday party, went on dates, learned how to cook eggs and make french toast, lost teeth, had birthday parties, and more.

After months of putting off the kids' many requests to make slime, Mommy finally gave in. Annie paid for some of the ingredients on her own and we started experimenting.

We tried a clear glitter slime and a fluffy slime. So much fun! We've had hours of entertainment (without any fighting). Hallelujah!

Lily was the master slime maker. Hers had the perfect consistency.

The kids enjoyed it so much on the first day, they played all together at the kitchen table for three hours. That is incredible!  Hooray for slime. So far it has been easy to wash out of clothes and carpets. The kids are eager to make more.

True to March's history in southeastern Idaho, we got a dumping of snow. Just when we were starting to see grass again, it was covered overnight in inches of snow. At least it is warm enough to play outside without getting too cold and miserable. The boys spent all morning with all their buddies running from yard to yard making and throwing snowballs.

Our FHE assignment rotations are still working. Annie was in charge of the activity and created a scavenger hunt for us. But she had some requirements/rules of the game:
1.  The Boss of the game must read the papers
2.  Stay with the family
3. Don't nap!!!!! - apparently that is a big concern during Family Night.
The End

My friend Jessica invited me to try a freezer meal prep class at a local grocery store. She put together a group of our friends, we paid our fees and chose the menu, and then showed up for a night of laughs. Everything was prepared for us. We only had to cut up fruits and vegetables and assemble the meals. No shopping and best part....no clean up!

We have enjoyed trying some new dinner ideas. The class made 10 meals - so for our family, that means 20 meals. I practically didn't have to cook the entire month of March. Totally worth it.

I went to help in Annie's class and she showed me her group report on killer whales. She was assigned to help with research and do the art. She did this drawing all by herself.

Our Relief Society decided to start up a play group. We have a lot of stay at home moms who struggle with depression and we're hoping that a function to attend will help them get out and meet people and get a break from their children. Joey loved the first one. He got to dress up as a dinosaur. Some of the older boys found toy guns and decided to hunt down the dinosaur. They were running and laughing for two hours. Joey took an amazing nap that afternoon. Maybe we should have playgroup every day.

Clogging competition was so much fun this year. Daddy took the day off to stay home with the boys. After last year's trying day of chasing Joey and comforting a distressed Tommy, we decided it would be best to leave the boys behind. Annie and Lily had a great experience. Lily is especially starting to find her sparkle in front of an audience. That is fun to see as a mom. Annie was born to shine and is always fun to watch.

Annie's first routine was to the song Splish Splash. I love their little towel wrap outfits and loofah headbands. The crowd said "Awwww" as the girls walked on stage.

Their second dance is Annie's favorite. It is called "Ice Cream Freeze". She loves to do this one everywhere she goes. The choreography is a little more exciting than Splish Splash.

For Christmas, Puna gave Mommy a wagon. It was a lifesaver for competition day. We had our lunch and dinner, costumes, games, and homework all packed and easy to transport. It also helped define our space and kept others from taking our resting spot. We loved our little home base. Thank you for the thoughtful gift Puna. It will get lots of use in many different ways.

Mommy packed Uno cards and the girls shared them with their friends. It was funny watching a group this big play together. I love the clogging dance community. It is more welcoming and uplifting than our previous experiences with dance.

After cheering Annie on, it was Lily's turn to dance. Her first dance was to "What Makes You Beautiful". I can tell the girls really like this routine, it helps that the song is current and popular. Her class knocked it out of the park. They were so excited to perform this dance and it showed.

The next dance was a military band style routine to "Bang the Drum". This one is fun because the dancers get to use drum sticks as part of the routine. Lily has been practicing at home with my spatulas and wooden spoons.

The key to this routine is precision. The girls were so excited that a few of them got ahead of themselves. Hopefully after a few more performances, they will be able to relax and stay with the beat. Lily really likes this costume.

After all the class dances ended, it was time to prepare for solos. I caught the girls in a sweet sister moment. Lily was giving Annie pointers on her solos and Annie was watching and listening carefully.

Of course there was a lot of down time too. Nine hours is a long time to be at a competition. The girls still had homework and reading to do. And they brought crafts and art projects too. Without the boys, it was much easier to relax and do whatever we wanted all day long.

Solo time gets a little crazy. The girls get mixed into groups and perform each solo routine with that group. The room is overcrowded and it is hard to get close enough for good pictures. Annie is so tiny that I missed two of her solos because I couldn't see her up there.

After hours of dancing, watching, and waiting, it was time for awards. I asked the girls if they wanted to stay for awards or go home. They surprised me by wanting to stay. I am so glad we did. They both earned a special soloist award for being a top coring dancer in their age bracket.

Annie's class also earned a trophy for being a top scoring team in their dance level. Annie was over the moon.

Then Lily earned a Master Soloist award for getting a superior rating on all of her solos in her age bracket. Out of the hundreds who danced, she was one of 13 to get that award. It meant a lot to her. Just look at that smile.

We are so happy they love to dance. It is a joy to watch them. I know this picture of the girls will be a treasure for years to come.

While Mommy and the girls were busy at competition, Daddy took the boys for an afternoon at Kids' Town. He has a new respect for Mommy's ability to keep track of the boys in a public place.

Lily learned how to cook eggs three ways and how to make French toast at Activity Days. She decided to share her knowledge and make Saturday breakfast for the family. Joey stood in as sous chef. Great job Lily! We're not sure what Joey did to help, but he had fun doing it.

Our Jefferson County museum had a free admission day on March 10th. We decided to go and met a bunch of friends there too. The kids each found a buddy and took off trying to complete the museum scavenger hunt. Joey wanted to stay with Mommy. We looked at the trains for a LONG time.

Daddy found a picture of his Grandpa and had fun showing that to the kids.

This month we learned that silence is not golden if Joey lives in your house. Marker everywhere!

The boys and Mommy still go to our music class on Wednesdays. They are learning so much and it is just too cute to see them sing and dance.

In the month of March, the school has a spirit week. The kids wear their special shirts and we are allowed to take pictures and video during class. Mommy shared one of the videos in a contest and won a $25 gift card. Woohoo!

Tommy had kindergarten registration this month. He loved getting a tour of the school, having his eyes checked, and talking with the teachers. He will be in the Spanish Immersion program. He is a little nervous about going away to a big school, but he is so excited to ride the bus that it almost cancels out his worries.

Mommy took the boys on a Mommy-Son date night. Chick-fil-A set up a cute themed night for moms and their boys. It was darling.

Joey was excited to wear his hat and boots. I love this picture of him with his hat on sideways. The boys were so excited, they hardly ate. I think some sips of rootbeer and a little bit of applesauce made it into their tummies.

The photographer snapped the above picture when we weren't paying attention. It is my favorite one. The boys have marker, ketchup, and ice cream on their hand and faces - but that's what makes recording this moment in time so precious.

We went with our friends Jessica and Jack. The boys got to play while the moms relaxed and ate together.

They got loot bags filled with candy and chocolate coins.

Each table was set with a tablecloth, decorations, menu and flowers.

We loved having a special night out together.

The boys were even brave enough to try the limo ride this year. Tommy wants us to get a car like this so that he can play in the back seat on our long car rides.

Joey spent all night watching this cow. He wasn't sure if he wanted to be close to it or keep it at a safe distance. Right as we started to leave, he started crying about the cow. I let him walk over and say hello. It took all of his two year old courage. The cow came down to his level for a High-5 and a hug. That warmed Joey right up. See his huge smile? He was so happy to finally get close to the cow.

We left the restaurant happy and tired. Just as we crossed the parking lot to our car, Tommy missed the curb and flew off the edge. He hit the road hard. It was a snowy night and his clothes were soaked from the fall. Such a sad way to end a wonderful date night. A warm bath and a snuggle with Daddy made everything right in the world again.

The next night, I got to enjoy a Mommy-Daughter date night at church with the girls. Our Relief Society decided to include all sisters ages 0-100 for our Relief Society birthday party. It was love bug themed. The tables were set up to look like a caterpillar winding through the cultural hall.

Our board did a fantastic job decorating and planning.

Even the foods were bug themed. All the little girls loved the tiny desserts.

Lily was eager to help with decorating and food. She jumped into the kitchen to make the brownie and berry love bugs.

Our hope was to draw the sisters together. We had a scavenger hunt where the sisters had to find different sisters in the ward who had done various things (had a baby, served in scouts, pierced their ears,earned a college degree, served a mission, played a sport in school, etc) then they had to take a photo on their cell phone of the sister who matched each item. The first one to submit all the photos won a prize. It was darling to see the teenagers talking with the older sisters. Using cell phones totally helped the youth want to participate. One of our Mia Maids was the winner. Seeing all the women and girls talking and giggle together as they learned about each other made me feel so happy.

We had a build your own salad and pasta bar. Everyone loved all the choices. Lily and Annie tried every different shape of noodle available.

Then we had speakers talk about different loves in our lives. One of our youth spoke about who we can love and serve others. One of our sisters spoke about how we need to love and be more gentle with ourselves. I spoke about Heavenly Father's love for us as his daughters. And then all the Primary girls sang "I Am a Child of God". It was a beautiful night.

After the speakers, we did a little craft. Each sister made a love bug. When she sees the bug we hope it reminders her to love others, love herself and love our Father in Heaven. The little ones really enjoyed getting to do a craft with their moms.

It was a special night. A lot of work....but a great experience for everyone who was able to come.

Tommy loves board games. He wants to play them all the time. And that smile is so darling, it is hard to say no. His grandmas gave him a few new games for his birthday (birthday post coming soon) and we have been enjoying the new toys and games.

Annie needed a tooth pulled. Not the most attractive picture, but she wanted to show off her hole where the tooth came out. She was disappointed that the tooth fairy only brought one dollar for the tooth. I guess kids at school get $5. We need a new tooth fairy!

Daddy threw a birthday party for Mommy. Mommy wanted a night of games with friends. We played the Newlywed Game, Catch Phrase, Spoons, and the Sign Game.

It was fun to watch our friends let their hair down and play silly games. We are so blessed to have so many people we love in our lives. We're so loved that even the elders came over just before their curfew to visit with us.

While we hosted the birthday party, our neighbors let our kids stay at their house for a kids party - supervised by babysitters. It was a late night for Joey. He was so tired the next day, he couldn't make it through dinner without falling asleep.

Tommy was ready to turn in early too.

I love catching Daddy in quiet moments of fatherhood. As I hurried to get teeth brushed, hair braided, and girls tucked into bed, Daddy let Tommy choose a book and sat down to read to him. So sweet.

Annie really wanted to try making chocolate bowls. She saw the idea on a kids cooking show and wouldn't let the idea rest. We had balloons leftover from Tommy's party (notice all the pink? Tommy didn't want any pink balloons at his party) so I decided to let her try. It wasn't as messy as I thought it would be, but it was a bit tricky. Some of the balloons wouldn't release from the chocolate. Some bowls were too thin and broke easily, but we managed to make a few that could be used as bowls.

Great idea Annie. Next time we know how to do them better. Nothing to complain about. Even the broken bowls were still yummy. We just sprinkled the pieces over our ice cream.

From blizzards and frost to wind and sunshine. Hooray for sunshine. We tried some sidewalk chalk paint one afternoon. It was a big hit. This was a kit Tommy received as a gift. It went so fast. We found some recipes online to make our own. We all want to try again on another warm day.

All of a sudden our busy March was at an end. We celebrated Mommy's birthday with her favorite lemon brownies (lemonies?). Grammy and Grampy sent Mommy a card with some money. Mommy spent it on a spring wreath for the front door. 

And we finished off the month with another playgroup. This time Joey dressed as Batman and couldn't get enough of his reflection in the fireplace. Mommy and some friends tied a quilt together for the Humanitarian Center while the kiddos played.

Bye Bye March. We're looking forward to a quieter April.