Mom Remembers

* I thoroughly enjoyed reading Skyward. * Soren beat Megaman 1 without dying. * Carl was swamped with art homework.  His teacher assigned him 5 mini-paintings, 30 gradients, and 1 shading. * Sven finished reading the Frog and Toad  treasury. * Leif talked a lot about wanting to make a friend. * Richard got to listen to lots and lots of read-a-louds.

* I took the boys and their friends, the Commarelos, to see LEGO Movie 2. * Soren passed the sacrament for the first time. * Carl had 2 cook-offs with Sara Foster. * Sven's 100th day party was postponed because of snow days.  He enjoyed staying home and being Leif's "teacher." * Leif learned to cut paper snowflakes. * Richard got a buckle fracture in his right leg.

It feels like Leif just barely turned three--but now he is four!  It feels like he grew up while my back was turned.  He is a light and a joy in our family, living with gusto in the midst of adversity.  Here are the things we did so celebrate him: 1. A few days prior to his birthday, Leif went to primary for the first time!  We sang "Feliz Cumpleanos." 2. He opened presents before his big brothers went to school.  I gave him a book of nursery rhymes, Uncle Brinton sent a ten pound bag of starburst (?!?!?!), and my mom sent giant cardboard bricks.  Carl assembled the bricks, which were used both for building super-tall towers and for pretending to be Block Man from Megaman 11.   3. I took him to MOPS and when the workers heard it was his birthday, they gave him a gift!  It was a game called Racoon Rumpus, which he and I played later that afternoon.  He won.  The workers at MOPS also taught him about Martin Luther King, Jr, which I thought was an interesting choice f

* I hired someone to take the carpet out of our living room and spent the rest of the week scraping gunk off the hardwood. * Soren requested a class change for P.E. and it was granted.  Hooray for kids solving their own problems! * Carl presented his city planning project at school and got 3rd place for his design. * Sven kissed China on the playground. * Leif turned 4!  His favorite birthday present was probably the ten-pound bag of Starburst from Uncle Brinton. * Richard got a bad cold and was very cranky at the end of the week.

* I drove the kids back from Christmas vacation in Kentucky and unpacked, which included re-organizing the toy closet with all their new stuff. * Soren started reading The Giver  in school. * Carl met up with Coleman at the mall in Ashland; they spent half the time on the playground and half the time shopping at Game Stop. * Sven lost his first tooth. * Leif enjoyed listening to "The Book with No Pictures." * Richard emptied out the bathroom cabinets and wandered around the house with my headbands around his neck like necklaces.

Scott and I started attending marriage counseling. I gave a talk on the Holy Ghost at Maddy's baptism. Soren learned to play Clue at homeschool co-op. Carl taught about repentance in Family Home Evening. Sven pretended to be characters from Mario vs. Rabbids (Bowser, Rabbid Kong, Mario, etc.) Leif got really good at climbing down the bunk-bed ladder to sneak out of bed. Richard didn't like being carried on my back in the baby backpack.  (He prefers being carried in front.)