February Miscellaneous 2018

February is rough....every year...always...it may be the shortest month of the year, but it always feels eternal  Despite all the gray and dark days, we somehow we made it through this year, and even managed to have a little fun along the way..

Luke got a new cut which looked fantastic
His hair gets so shaggy, so quickly.

The kids had their first experience at the ballet when we went to the BYU Theater Ballet Carnival of the Animals.  We invited Grandma Broadbent to come with us and we all loved the performance.  The first half was very traditional ballet, three dances that lasted about 10-15 minutes each.  I was amazed at how well Luke and Ruby did considering it was their first real exposure to ballet or anything similar.  They watched quietly and were pretty enthusiastic in their applause.  After intermission, the second half was a circus type performance with various dancers and a lot of ballet numbers that mimicked the feel or movement of various animals.  It was really beautiful and made the entire experience so accessible for kids.  Sometimes I get sad that Luke and Ruby are no longer babies, but then I remember how much fun it is to take them on big kid adventures like going to the ballet, and them growing up suddenly seems a lot more fun.

There were several activities for kids before the ballet began including jugglers and plenty of art projects.  Both Luke and Ruby worked very hard on their masks and loved being a part of it all.

We actually had a lot of culture during the month of February.  Ada, Miles and Gain have been practicing for months to be a part of the Spanish Fork Youth Theater production of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.  We all had so much fun watching the play, and of course, Luke and Ruby loved pointing out every time they could see one of the cousins.  

The day after seeing Joseph, Ruby and her preschool class went to see the play Little Red at Scera Theater.  I was lucky enough to get to go with and we had the best time together.  When the play first started all of the kids around me were pretty nervous about the wolf.  Luckily he had a lot of silly parts and they figured out pretty quickly that he wasn't really a bad wolf.  

Ada always makes Ruby look so beautiful.

Just  normal Saturday morning. 

Ruby played music while I ran on the treadmill

Blue bath bombs

Luke and his friends have recently discovered BeyBlades and they are obsessed.  Luke had kept us informed on his progress and he has quickly gone from knowing nothing, to being a BeyBlade "trainer".  There have been lot of battles and way too many conversations about which BeyBlade is the most powerful, and the benefits of various types of rippers.  It is really so fun to watch these boys growing up together, we are lucky to have so many great friends in our neighborhood.

Grandma Whitesides brought back surprises from Canada

Yes, these photos were taken in February...there has been almost no snow this year and we have taken full advantage by spending plenty of time outside.

Tim and I loaded up the little kids then drove to Ogden, picked up the big kids, and headed even further north to Crystal Springs.  I couldn't believe how many different pools they had and how fantastic it felt to be swimming in the middle of winter.  Luke and Ruby love any chance they have to spend with Erika and Brycen, but this was especially great.  The water was kind of brownish/orange, and had a kind of funny smell, but it made your skin feel great and was the perfect temperature.

It finally snowed, and was even on a day that the kids were out of school for President's day.  I had been really sick, so after getting the kids in their snow clothes, I stayed home and napped while Tim took them sledding.  It was super windy and cold, but I don't think they even noticed because they were so busy having fun.  

Luke's Kindergarten class has been preparing and practicing their play The Wolf's Chicken Stew for the last month or two.  We have loved hearing the songs Luke has been learning and seeing his excitement and putting on a show for everyone.  His teacher, Mrs. Arney, asked if he would do a speaking part and of course he was thrilled to participate.  He practiced all week and by the day of the play, our entire family knew his line..."then late that night, the wolf made a hundred scrumptious donuts and left them on the chicken's porch".  On the big day, Luke was thrilled when he walked into the auditorium and saw all of his cheering squad.  We are so lucky that our kids have such incredible support from their grandparents - they were all so sweet to take the time to be there for the play.  I absolutely loved watching Luke's excitement - his waves to us, the way he sang each song with total enthusiasm, and his general love of learning.  When it came time for his part he was a little nervous and rushed a little but it was still adorable.  He told us after that when he looked out and saw so many people, it made him get a little shy.  We just loved that he got to be a part of the play, it was such a fun production, and we have been singing the songs around our house ever since. 

Sunday dinner is even better when we get to celebrate

Happy Birthday Cory

And Miss Juniper turned four!

Ada made the unicorn cake and it was amazing!

By the end of the month, this is definitely how we all felt

Dribble, Dribble, Shoot

For the past four weeks Luke and Ruby have been in training and learning how to play basketball.  Provo City has "smart start" programs for a lot of their sports which allows younger kids to learn the skills and rules of a game before they are old enough to play in the organized leagues.  A parent has to be involved and Tim has had the best time helping the kids learn to play.  Luke has been asking to about basketball for awhile, but I have honestly been surprised at how much both he and Ruby enjoyed the program.  Each night after class they were so excited to show and tell me what they had learned and they always said that they had the best time.  Tim took lots of videos and it was amazing to see both the highlights and the bloopers along the way.  It really was a fantastic experience.

Gooooooo Team!

These kids definitely know how to have fun!

Both kids loved learning to dribble and Luke showed me all of the tips and tricks they had been taught.  Unfortunately we do not have a small basketball so they have struggled to practice much at home but they have still tried with every ball and even balloon that they can find.  They have also gotten pretty good at the bounce pass - I think that is one of their favorites. 

During the last two classes they played a "game" and tried to put everything they had learned into practice.  Tim sent me a lot of video and it was awesome.  There were plenty of parents on the court giving advice and directions but it didn't seem to be helping most of the kids.  I was impressed at how well Luke and Ruby understood about guarding - they definitely made it tough for most of the kids to make much progress down the court.  One of my favorite moments was when a kid finally just grabbed the ball and ran down the court and shot a basket.  Luke immediately raised his hand and made sure to point out to the coach that the boy hadn't dribbled.  He definitely listens to the rules and then works to follow what he's told.  

Of course, the very best part of the entire experience for my kids was getting a medal and a certificate.  They are so proud of what they earned and love showing their medals off to anyone who is interested.  I love that they learned a new skill and really enjoyed playing a new sport.  Luke is already counting down the days until he will be old enough to play on a real team.

Valentines 2018

If Valentines is meant to be a holiday to celebrate love, we have plenty to go around at our house. The kids and I started the celebration early with stories and crafts at Barnes and Noble.  We got so many compliments on their festive outfits - I love that they humor me and will happily get dressed up for the occasion.  The story they heard was Click Clack Moo, I Love You and they had the cutest activities and Valentines to color.  Luke especially loved that there was a fox in the story.  Of course, we all left the bookstore with a few new books which is the best part of the entire adventure. 

This year was the first time that the kids needed to make Valentines boxes and they were the most excited.  I found some pretty red and silver boxes and then bought a lot of different stickers and let them have free reign to decorate.  It was funny to watch how strongly their personalities came out in the way they decorated....Luke was meticulous and wanted everything to be neat and symmetrical...Ruby had no plan and only cared about stacking on as many stickers as possible.  They boxes turned out amazing and they were both so excited to show off their projects at school.

Tim and the kids surprised me with flowers the night before Valentines, and then the kids convinced us to give them a few Valentines treats early.   We have so much fun giving them holiday surprises - it's hard not to when they get so excited and appreciative over little dollar store surprises and other simple gifts.  I had to leave early the next morning but left a few more treats including pink strawberry milk and some new valentine pets.  Both Luke and Ruby loved their school parties and were especially excited about the candy and prizes that ended up in their boxes.  We finished up the night with a family date night and pizza.  We are all so lucky to have each other to love!

Mexico January 2018 - The Details

Clearly we love Mexico, we love, the views, and we love the beach.  Depending on where we stay there are so may extra details that make the trip even better.  The Iberostar where we stayed is an all inclusive with various buffets and restaurants.  Both Tim and I were a little nervous about the food and whether we would be able to find food to fit all of our restrictions.  I had just officially switched to gluten free at the beginning of January and Tim had started eating Keto - so we both had a lot of restrictions, but completely different nutritional needs.  Fortunately for Tim, there was plenty of meat, eggs and guacamole and I think he was able to eat well the entire time.  The first night at the buffet I asked one of the chefs if there was a list of foods or way to know what was gluten free because it all felt so overwhelming.  I was quite surprised when they sent over a chef who is assigned to help people with food allergies.  He was incredible and offered me all sorts of options, including him making me my own meal of rice, fish and vegetables.  For the rest of the week they completely took care of me, catering to the gluten free requirements, and individualizing nearly everything I ate - he even made sure I had dessert.  It was such a relief and I ate incredible food all week.

Thank goodness flan is gluten free

Sushi Star

Tim was in heaven

Of course I had to have a margarita at the pool bar for my mom.

Working out while on vacation is something we have always done, so a good gym is high on my list of priorities.  We have stayed at the Iberostar before and their gym has always been perfectly acceptable.  One the first morning I headed out to the gym  and was confused when the doors were locked and they had a sign directing people to a new gym. I walked around the corner to find a brand new, beautiful gym that was nicer than anything I have ever seen in Mexico.  The best part was that it had only been open for about a half hour. Just my luck to arrive on the day of their grand opening.  We had a great time using the facilities and love getting in some good activity to counteract all of the food and the time lying on the beach.

Nothing better than running in the sunshine

Tim had a great time playing volleyball

Each day the maid created something new with our towels

We have very few activities or adventures to show, but 

Six days of interrupted reading is my idea of a perfect vacation

Made it through three books, all perfect for the beach