Orthodontics

December 27th, Rhys gets his expander placed and a list of items to avoid eating.

December 28th, we make an urgent visit to the orthodontist to have a Lego removed from said expander.  Sigh.

That was a first for the orthodontist. I suggested they add Legos and non-edibles, in general, to the list.

Christmas

Enjoyed a Christmas Eve visit from Opa and Oma. I made candies this year instead of cookies. My aunt, Sandy, would make the yummiest buckeyes that I'd want to monopolize when we visited at Grandma (Lena's) house on Christmas day. This is the first time I made them. Also, maple walnut, Martha Washington's (cherry, coconut, and pecan), and peanut clouds with marshmallows.

We made pie (frozen, thank you very much) and Rhys prepped the carrots for our reindeer friends.

In the morning, after yelling at the kids to get back to bed at 3:57 am (beating their old 2015 record of 3:59 am, heaven help us!), we enjoyed cinnamon rolls, open presents, and played. I finished my new Christmas puzzle.

Kitties

Peter Pan

Sophie was not thrilled that she got a lesser part in the fall school play, this year. She was chosen to play a pirate, one with a few lines. Once again, despite not feeling overly special, she still did great on stage. She really shines in drama. Friends played fairies, mermaids, and lost boys.

Kicking off Chistmas

Christmas Tree Lighting
Ran into so many friends. Kids didn't care if we saw Santa this year and I don't think it will be long before Rhys has it all figured out about the man in red. Got to see Sadie, not pictured below, sing at the event with the Story choir.

Rudolf Run
We didn't run but Neal did course monitoring as the city called on CERT to assist and the kids and I cheered on all the 5K participants to the very last one. So great to see so many friends, neighbors, and acquaintances from work and our community.

 We also got a chance to enjoy the nativity exhibit later that day, and Neal again served as ambassador to welcome visitors and slap hands that crossed the ropes. However, he said a friendly reminder did the trick.

Activity Days for Girls and Sidekick Rhys got to sing Christmas carols at a few senior living centers. Our awesome sister missionaries accompanied them with the guitar.

A much anticipated date with Neal - Star Wars: The Last Jedi

Made the scarf for the occasion. Meanwhile, mom had delivered the scarf I made for Jolene, my sister, a fan of the grinch.

We also attended the Polar Express themed ward Christmas party which was a real hit. Rhys said he wanted to see Santa, but really only for the candy cane.

Grandma and Thanksgiving

Since I started subbing for a speech therapist who went on maternity leave a couple days a week, Mom came to visit during Thanksgiving so my work wouldn't interfere with our time together.

Made sweet potato pie for the first thing though I've been living in the south for over 10 years now. This one was chocolate marbled.

Games

Helping kids sew their teachers Christmas gifts - an infinity scarf.  They did good and had fun!

The real excitement was the day before Thanksgiving when Neal was climbing down from the attic and the ladder gave way and he fell to the ground.  He is mostly okay, just sore in some places. He was thankful that is didn't go worse, that we were there to pick him up, and that we are in a place financially where we can take care of replacing the attic ladder and door without issue.

The real miracle is that Rudy and Neal got it fixed less than a week later! Thanks, guys!

Everyday Life

Kids and I cheered on a friend, Anjuli, for her first half without being pregnant!

Kitties

Loose tooth.

But she never committed. Lost her nerve.

Halloween

On Saturday the 28th, we attended our church's Trunk or Treat and Chili Cook-off. Neal got to be one of the judges for the chili while our kids did who knows what and I ran around here and there because the Relief Society was leading the activity. I won't miss that part when I am no longer in the RS presidency.

On Halloween, Sophie dressed as Tem, some character from so video or video game that I don't "get" so basically she looks like a cat but isn't one. Whatever. I made a tail and she seems happy so I guess I got something right. Rhys was Lloyd, pronounced "la-loyd", the green ninja from the Lego Ninjago Movie and sets. I actually do know what that one is.  Thank you Dollar Tree for the cheap mask and vest. We had a good group go trick or treating this year.

We split our candy loot between us, Neal's work, and donations for bishop's candy jar in his office, pillaged by youngsters every Sunday.

It's Fall Y'all

Always glad for General Conference to hear our church leaders, spend low-key time together as a family, and have an excuse to make obscenely large cinnamon rolls.

 Halloween decor is up both inside and outside. This past Sunday night we lit some Halloween lanterns and candles and watched The Nightmare Before Christmas as a family for the first time.

Also, this means hockey season has started for our minor league hockey team and we are often happy to receive tickets from Neal's work as they sponsor the Allen Americans. We were at the opening home game this past Saturday.

Plumbing Problems

Thanks to Opa for his help with a leak with a precarious pipe. Thanks to Wall-E for supervising.

Let It Go

Still happily letting things go as we consider the benefits of a minimalist mindset.

Another load for donation!

Plano Balloon Festival

Prior to Father's Day, I got a call from my cousin, Barbara, who wanted to know if our family could help her out. She gifted her husband, Chad, with two registrations to the 5K at the Plano Balloon Festival!

Fast forward to present and we all got up before the sun to meet up with our cousins and enjoy the launch (which they did, despite a spotty history) and let Barbara and Chad run their race. Good times! They both completed and 3 of their kids ran the fun run. Always nice to be with such a wonderful family.

HomEWork

We knew it would be a tough year and it is, especially for our Sophie. The teachers are sticking to the curriculum and moving on even when there are many left behind. We have had to work with teachers and adjust her 504 plan (accommodations for those with health impairments - ADHD for us!) to help balance her life and help her feel success in math for what she is able to accomplish.

It is a hard go for the whole family as it affects our family's schedule, we experience her and our emotions together, and we try to see the good and not lose her spark. Sadly, see her spark disappear often. It is hard to know how to help and love in just the right way. In the meantime, we have been conversing with her and teachers, praying as a family for assistance, introducing small group instruction  inside and outside of school hours, and try to find way to let her know we are on her side even if we don't agree the ugly should just go away.

As a mom, I am really trying to practice empathy. This is a Christ-like characteristic that I really struggle with so I can see why I have been given many opportunities to practice it. The balance I am trying to achieve is empathy while still holding her accountable to what is actually important and not losing my patience during this repeated process. Lots of stretching for both of us.

Here are just a few tangible ways I share my empathy with her. Notes I post occasionally in her study area to keep her smiling and infrequently, sugary treats.

Bottle Rocket

Neal and Rhys created a bottle rocket for a pack meeting. They looked up fin options, bought materials together, and Rhys learned how to properly spray paint. Sadly, Neal was in CA for a business trip the day of the blast off but we were happy to send video clips his way as Rhys won for both the highest (up) AND farthest (out) distances! He was one happy boy! And that was one very pleased dad!