Leo Turns One

 

    Let's work backwards today because that's the way the pictures loaded. We ended the week reading bedtime stories and doing allowance and all that only to be "done" around 6:30pm. We figured it was pretty dark, maybe the kids wouldn't notice that they were going to bed so early?? Well, it didn't work, haha! They were up off and on till 8pm anyways, worth a shot though! 

    Today we all needed to get out of the house so we headed over to Lettuce Lake Park for a walk on the boardwalk, two kids fell asleep on the way there so we took an extended drive and found a few more parks to go to another day! I also got to talk to Grandma Shutt about church and Covid (they were exposed so they are quarantining just to be safe). Lettuce Lake Park was great and the weather was awesome. We saw a lot of pretty plants, "lake lettuces", flowers and some huge trees.  We spotted three alligators, not too big but pretty close up which was very exciting! 

    Last Swim Day of 2020: November 21st! 

    Friday we celebrated Leo's 1st Birthday! It was a great day and I can't believe he's already ONE! Cat stopped by with the most thoughtful little gift bag for Leo, he was so happy to sit with her and open everything. We made a smash cake in the afternoon from a box and it was delicious. The night before Eli came with me to the store to help pick out Leo's gifts, he was so happy to help even though I couldn't tell if he was shopping for himself or for Leo, lol. It was so cute how excited they all were for Leo to turn one, you can see it in their faces in the picture where they are all sitting at the table and Leo is eating the cake. Leo is so cute, funny and brave. I think he understands so much of what we are saying and doing. He wants to be doing exactly what the older kids are doing all the time. He loves cellphones and remotes so we try to not let him see them or else he really can't think of anything else, haha!

    We've been checking the caterpillars every day, in fact, on Thursday the first little guy started to make his chrysalis. We noticed him hanging upside down and by the end of the day, boom! He was all wrapped up! We figured out that it takes about 12 hours for them to make their chrysalis. Now we have nine that are in a chrysalis and we are just waiting for them to emerge as beautiful butterflies. 

    On Wednesday I asked Zara "What would make today awesome?" and without skipping a beat she said "Going to The Little Play-place".  I was so surprised! But we did have some punches left on the card so  I made a reservation and we headed out. That place is so fun and the kids just jumped right in masks and all! They love shopping and being in charge of the register, they even had fake little wallets this time. Leo also enjoyed pushing the cart around and putting things in his cart. They played a ton in the little house area. At one point I looked over and Zara was ironing washcloths, Eli was making toast and Hazel was lounging on the couch looking at her phone (I have no idea where she learned that, haha). They played for a long time in the little cafe and eventually Leo and I made our way over to them so they could serve us a little snack. They wrapped up with a trip to the hair salon, it is just so cute, Zara was excited that they had a hairdryer that really blew out air... even though it wasn't hot. 

    Hazel continues to be my little kitchen helper. This week she cut up carrots for chicken noodle soup and I was so impressed because it's not easy chopping carrots with a butterknife, but safety first! 

Caterpillars!

    What a fun week, the weeks fly by so fast lately and I can't believe that Thanksgiving and Christmas are almost here. Homeschool is chugging along, some days are better than others but we usually finish all our work for each day sometime between 10am and 8pm. We had a very exciting delivery on Wednesday which was also Veterans Day. Hazel was helping me make patriotic rice krispies for our veteran friends and neighbors when we heard the doorbell ring. It was kind of a crazy minute, I had marshmallows blowing up the microwave and hazel stirring something but I ran to the door and it was our baby caterpillars! Live delivery! We finished making the treats and then unpacked the critters, we had a great time setting up their habitat and seeing them crawl around. We eventually moved their house to our homeschool table so that they could have more light and so this past week we did homeschool on the couch in the living room. It was different but kind of nice too. 

The kids are so funny with their little toys, sometimes their friends like to come to homeschool. I guess that is a perk of homeschool! 

    Other fun things this week included a fall themed art class with Grandmalita over FaceTime. The kids love to help me cook and stir and cut things, Hazel is my biggest helper lately and loves to grab a knife to help cut whatever she can get her hands on. Zara made her famous "Zara Soup" Veggie soup with noodles. The kids have also been enjoying taking baths in our big bathtub downstairs and I think Eli gets the award for best at relaxing and finding his inner zen. 

    Leo is getting closer to walking everyday. Lately he likes to kick is feet up on the ottoman to get up to the couch. He is a very smart kid. The playroom is always a mess, to me at least, but the kids all seem to know were everything is and they always amaze me with their creativity and the games they make for themselves. The toy of the week or the last two weeks was that huge box.

    Friday is our park day with Grace, Drew and Cam. We have been going to the park with them for years every week since Drew and Zara were about 3? But, I would say that we have become even more consistent since the pandemic started in March, well actually when it first started all the parks were closed so we didn't see each other for a while but sometime in the summer they reopened the parks and we basically go every Friday. The kids love seeing each other  and I love sitting and talking to Grace. The weather is getting really nice now which makes it even better.

    This week we tried a new park which turned out to be a major flop! So we packed the kids in the car and went down the road to a tried and true park. Leo loves swinging and Hazel keeps up with the big kids. In the car we listen to Laurie Berkner CD's that Barbie gave us at the beginning of the pandemic. When she first gave them to us I thought, awesome. Great. Thanks Barbie. Loads of annoying kid music. But actually they have turned out to be the best gift she's ever given me. We listen to them every time we are in the car and we have all the songs memorized and when I hear the kids singing them around the house or out in the yard it makes me so happy. 

    Friday morning at the park is fun but what the kids really live for is friday movie night. This week Dusty leveled up and set up the tent in the playroom, we added some Christmas lights and viola! A magic sleepover! We watched the new Secret Garden which wasn't quite as magical as I was hoping, should have gone with the 90's version I grew up with. 

    Saturday morning is pancake time! It's amazing to me how traditions have kind of just evolved, especially since covid happened we look forward to them more than ever and the kids remember them every week too! Hazel is Dusty's helper every time he makes pancakes, it's really fun to see. The missionaries came and helped us weed our front yard which was very kind and helpful of them, we covered a lot of ground! Zara came out and helped too, with the weeding and the chatting. After that everyone was kind of hot so all the kids grabbed their swimsuits and jumped in the pool!! I couldn't believe it! 

Last swim day of 2020:November 14th

The kids jumped in over and over, even Hazel! Leo and I were on the sidelines but eventually even Leo was itching to get in so he went in with Dusty up to his diaper or so and was happy as a clam. 

    Then we headed to Barbies house for an impromptu slip in slide. It was the perfect day, the kids did the slip and slide and the swing while the adults sat around eating snacks and sipping drinks. It was fun to catch up with Francesca since we don't see each other very often. The weather was beautiful. 

    Finally, some random odds and ends: I love when Hazel yells at Alexa through the tv remote, we've been watching The Crown and Alone, Spanish lessons are tough but fun, sometimes I give Leo chocolate in his highchair so I can cook dinner(he loves it obviously) and I'm reading a book about "The Secrets Of Happy Families".