Wednesday, February 19, 2020
We Love Neal's Employer
We tell others our favorite sport is hockey. It is a very good pick but it's mostly because Neal's work sponsors the local minor league hockey team and we get occasional free tickets if Neal speaks up fast enough to snatch them. Fun together as a family and the kids didn't bicker this time. Hooray for them!
Tuesday, February 18, 2020
Home Depot Heros
Sophie and I have been having a good experience working together on constructing the beehive. I try to keep it fun, forgiving (darn bendable nails!), and in short bursts so Sophie and I can both enjoy the best we have to offer. She seems to really be enjoying herself, using the tools, and joking around with me.
Anytime we hit our digits with the hammer (and there a lot of opportunities to do this--so many frame joints!) we sing the "Eeeeeeeee--ee-um-bum-bah-way" lyric from "The Lion Sleeps Tonight" song. This is something she sings loudly whenever she doesn't like what her parents are saying to her. Yeah, that's fun. So to try and parent that more positively (code for "not kill her before she's eighteen"), I've tried to move it into a more "kidding around" thing for her and I by singing it loudly instead of cursing the hammer. She has responded well to that.
Next we'll be painting which should be good, messy fun and something that will let her "own it" using her own creation and decision making.
Rhys and Neal jumped on the beekeeping endeavor by constructing a beehive stand together. It is hefty but was a bit premature as we are finding we want the bottom open for the mites to fall from the bees and not return to the hive. I'm sure we will work out any kinks along the way. We don't get bees until April or May anyway.
Next we'll be painting which should be good, messy fun and something that will let her "own it" using her own creation and decision making.
Rhys and Neal jumped on the beekeeping endeavor by constructing a beehive stand together. It is hefty but was a bit premature as we are finding we want the bottom open for the mites to fall from the bees and not return to the hive. I'm sure we will work out any kinks along the way. We don't get bees until April or May anyway.
Valentine's Day
This year Rhys was adamant that he was not handing out valentines. He explained he's getting older and that he did not want to. He DID enjoy eating all the garbage candy his classmates handed out though. Rhys noted that all the girls but only half the boys handed out valentines. I didn't argue (much).
But I did trick him into enjoying himself and having a good time anyway because this year, as I was working in the kitchen, I pointed out the bin of decorations, Neal so lovingly got down from the attic for me, and told them to decorate the house for our Valentine's fancy dinner. They both hopped to and did a great job. I am also so proud of the cats who did not disturb their decorations.
Our dinner was not much, as usual, just one of our usual meals--an Asian inspired bowl of yum, but we had a table cover and nearly dead flowers as our centerpiece (Neal having given them to me a week prior and already from the discount bin--because he knows how to speak love language--truly no sarcasm). I didn't even make a dessert and no one cared because some how Neal just knew and decided to support a bake sale at work, bring home a serving of fudge and cake balls for the kids. Yay love!
Then we were off to an arena soccer game that did not disappoint--went into overtime, sudden death. Our local team lost but it was a competitive game. Our kids even got there dance moves on the big screen! Life isn't always as glorious as our blog makes it out to be though. During the game we had bickering children, a daughter who disrespected her mom, and a mom who informed her daughter of this by grabbing the hair on the back of her head in a forceful grip. So the love feel of Valentine's Day was pretty much like it is in our real day to day lives--hit and miss. So holy cow, we really needed and enjoyed our bishop's words when he spoke on Sunday about the Christ-like attributes of meekness and being gentle. We keep on keepin'.
But I did trick him into enjoying himself and having a good time anyway because this year, as I was working in the kitchen, I pointed out the bin of decorations, Neal so lovingly got down from the attic for me, and told them to decorate the house for our Valentine's fancy dinner. They both hopped to and did a great job. I am also so proud of the cats who did not disturb their decorations.
Our dinner was not much, as usual, just one of our usual meals--an Asian inspired bowl of yum, but we had a table cover and nearly dead flowers as our centerpiece (Neal having given them to me a week prior and already from the discount bin--because he knows how to speak love language--truly no sarcasm). I didn't even make a dessert and no one cared because some how Neal just knew and decided to support a bake sale at work, bring home a serving of fudge and cake balls for the kids. Yay love!
Then we were off to an arena soccer game that did not disappoint--went into overtime, sudden death. Our local team lost but it was a competitive game. Our kids even got there dance moves on the big screen! Life isn't always as glorious as our blog makes it out to be though. During the game we had bickering children, a daughter who disrespected her mom, and a mom who informed her daughter of this by grabbing the hair on the back of her head in a forceful grip. So the love feel of Valentine's Day was pretty much like it is in our real day to day lives--hit and miss. So holy cow, we really needed and enjoyed our bishop's words when he spoke on Sunday about the Christ-like attributes of meekness and being gentle. We keep on keepin'.
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