February Family Updates 2023

Kids have been doing sleepovers every weekend together in the camping tent that we haven’t taken down in the basement 😆 Last night I found them piled together on the nugget couch, feet in each others face and W’s face buried into L’s shoulder. Why do we have separate rooms and beds for kids if they’re just gonna crash together always?

Not sure how we got such amazing kids who are so sweet towards each other and genuinely want to be together.

“I wish we were twins so we could be in the same class at school and go to school at the same times.”

F & W, February 28, 2023

The kids were very excited about Valentines this year. I went easy on myself and bought simple interactive cards at Walmart (3D dynamic image, puzzle stickers). Jer bought chocolates for each of our kids, wrote a psweet note to them on the heart shaped boxes, and surprised them the morning of Valentines Day. It was very special for them to receive something from us!

The Brave One

“Mom, I can’t balance my smile!?”

-L swollen after oral surgery

L received her first calling in church- Secretary for her Young Women’s class. They meet on the school bus with their binders, how cute is that! Some of their activities this month we’re decorating cookies and delivering them around the neighborhood for Valentine’s Day, and a game of volleyball using beach balls with the boys.

Her glasses broke, so she’s been wearing her backup pair. She refused a new pair of frames, said she could wait, even though we insisted that it wasn’t a problem to get new ones. Sometimes Jer and I think that as the oldest child she notices when we talk about finances and is just aware of the cost of fixing or getting new things, and feels bad, therefore just dealing with broken stuff rather than having us spend any money. We remember feeling the same way as the oldest kids in our own families. I’m grateful L is so thoughtful; I hope we are able to make her feel comfortable in sharing her needs with us and that she matters, too.

The next day she stayed home from school for an oral surgery. It was her first time getting an IV for anesthesia, so she was a bit nervous about that but everything went well. We got her a slushy right after, stocked up on frozen popsicles and jello, and I made her protein shakes for dinner. Her face has been swollen for at least a couple days. Reading seems to help her relax. I’m grateful for her pain medicine and antibiotics.

This girl is growing so fast. At the dental office we found out she’s 80 pounds, and only 3 inches shorter than I. Her feet have grown as well—we are now the same size!—so I got her a new pair she chose, a really cute Danish clog with a low heel in a neutral green color.

The Learner

“Let me learn you something.”

F quoting his Dad

This kid can now sing, “All I want for Christmas is my two front teeth”!

F graduated from speech and his special language program!!! He’s been going to speech since before preschool, and done immensely well consistently for months now (11 words above where he needs to be at the END of the year). His speech teachers are having a hard time finding stuff for him to do that he doesn’t already know, he’s self correcting his grammar, he’s getting better at his math and reading… time for him to stay in class and not have to be pulled out for special education.

To celebrate, Jer took him to the store where F chose a special sausage to put in his favorite meal (spaghetti), a special ice cream flavor (cotton candy) for dessert, and a special snack we rarely buy or eat (Cheetos). We spent the day doing F’s favorite activities like video games and chess, watching Ant Man with popcorn, and eating his favorite foods.

F has been practicing his writing skills, authoring picture books, creating illustrations for an island with different terrains for various Pokémon, and as he says, “working on my narrative” lol!! He also made up a board game with his Pokémon cards, and got his Dad and brother to play it with him.

The Baker

Not sure how, but this kid keeps getting cuter and cuter. Sunday has become the “day to make cookies”. W loves baking with his Dad, who loves having such a sweet little assistant. I always hear Jer telling W how very thankful he is to have such a good helper, what a smart baker W is to find things, and them giggling together about how good their cookies will be. They have made many batches of oatmeal cookies together.

Jer reminded me that there was a time when I was W’s favorite person and he wanted nothing to do with Jer, and he’s not sure when the switch happened but W is definitely his biggest fan. He wakes up extra early so he can see his Daddy off to work and say goodbye with hugs and kisses.

Our special time together is after school before his siblings come home. W looks forward to Fridays when he gets a prize from school if he finishes all his homework and reading; he always shows me his treasures so excited. He might be going through a growth spurt because his latest interest has been taking a nap with me after I read to him or after homework.

He’s such a creative thinker. I’ve caught him “sunbathing” wearing sunglasses on the hallway floor sunny spot. We’re all asking him to fix things because he figures out how most things work. Just the other day I put the dog gate up on the stairs, and F was frustrated trying to take it down; W simply wiggled the edge and it popped right out! His brother was amazed, and celebrated W’s accomplishment! W is especially good with coming up with solutions. I burned my hand the other day and was nursing it with an ice pack that wasn’t quite reaching the right spot so I was complaining about it. His solution was, “Maybe put your hand in the snow?” Why didn’t I think of that…