The Pinewood Derby

The Pinewood Derby

3.06.2019

The boys got to participate in their very first (and quite possibly very last*) Pinewood Derby!  

Levi is only six and wasn't an official contender, but he didn't want to be left out of the fun.  So we bought them both some kits and sent them to the kitchen table to sand down their creations.

"Is it smooth enough now, Dad?" they asked at least a hundred times.

I can't believe how much money we dumped into these things between the kits and the paint and the weights.  I also became a hypocrite and did something I promised myself I would never do: put all the finishing touches on for them.  Yup.  I have no painting skills, but I brushed on some gold flames and hot glued those pipes.  Per request, of course.  So I guess these are my derby cars too!  And admittedly, they are equal parts Bron's cars as well, he being the driving force behind this task and all the time and work he put into those silly pieces of wood.

Sooo… the pinewood derby cars are actually a family project!

They're pretty cool.  The boys are pretty proud.     

Jed and Levi both had a blast racing their cars last night.  The cars kept getting faster and faster with every run as the kids tweaked the wheels to make them run more smoothly.  It's definitely a night Jed and Levi will be talking about for a while.  Glad you had fun, boys.  

*I say "possibly last" pinewood derby because the Church is giving up the Scouting program next year and creating their own program for the youth.  I wouldn't mind doing another round of derby cars but it wouldn't break my heart either if we never had to make any more.    

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Snapshots of Life Lately: Wrapping Up Winter

Snapshots of Life Lately: Wrapping Up Winter

3.03.2019

Conrad snuggling with Teddy Bear and his blanket on the couch to watch his favorite show: Curious George!  He has now moved on to binge watching Mickey Mouse Club House, which he delightfully calls, "Mickey Mouse House House!"  We are officially in new parenting territory now: the tv can be used as a babysitter while I shower or get something done.  Yippee!

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Splish Splash Afternoon Bath

Splish Splash Afternoon Bath

2.28.2019

I think we BOTH had fun killing some time and energy on this dreary winter day.  I hope I'm not the only momtog out there who entertains herself with a camera while her child entertains himself.  It's a win-win in my opinion.

No; I change my mind.  I definitely get the better end of the deal.  Splashing brings us both joy in different ways.  But I get extra amusement when I see that cute teeny tushy.    

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Our Saturday Morning Snowshoe Adventure to Ross Falls

Our Saturday Morning Snowshoe Adventure to Ross Falls

2.25.2019

We loaded up into the truck Saturday morning and as we headed down the road towards the South Hills, I couldn't help but grab Bron's hand as I looked around at what we'd brought with us: 3 boys in the backseat (one ornery child complaining about his mittens), 2 dogs hanging their heads out of the bed of the truck, and what feels like a ton of gear.

"Look at this chaos we've created!" I exclaimed.

"Why did we do it to ourselves?" Bron replied grumpily.  But underneath he had a smile.

"Well, we can't take it back.  I kind of love it."

It's true.  This chaos we call family has steadily grown over the last 12 years.  There is more of everything these days.  More clothes to wash.  More whining.  More messes.  More noise.  More food for the table.  More moments when I feel overwhelmed by it all.  There's also more teasing.  More laughter.  More hugs.  More "I'm sorry."  More "I love you."  More teaching.  More learning.  More purpose.  More prayer.  But most of all, more joy.

Everything has its opposite.  I'll take the lows any day for the highs that erase their memory.

I turned 34 years old a little less than a month ago.  I don't make a big deal of my birthday here on the blog because I feel like being somewhere in my 30's just isn't noteworthy.  It's just another year on the planet.  Looking around, however, I am really proud of what Bron and I have accomplished thus far together.  A loving husband, three healthy kids, two crazy dogs, and a house out in the country may seem very boring and ordinary, but it's actually a very beautiful life.  Sometimes it hits me hard just how lucky I am!  I have so much to be grateful for.

So Saturday morning, feeling a little extra nostalgic about being the lucky wife and mom to these boys I get to call mine, we forged our own trail up to Ross Falls.  I have never seen the snow so deep!  As we reached the top, I just kind of slid into a hole created by the creek bed.  Two minutes later, the kids were in there with me.  It was really incredible to be down there surrounded by walls of snow!  We had a blast but had to head back down the trail quickly once Conrad soaked himself in the creek.  No worries.  Conrad was all right.  Bron stripped him down and got him warmed up in the truck.  I hope my little boys know how much spending time with them and making memories with them means to me!

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February: Ironically the Longest Month of the Year

February: Ironically the Longest Month of the Year

2.20.2019

^^Big brother playing Conrad's favorite game after school: Peel the Apple.  It's a type of tickling game that gets everyone laughing.^^

There are only 28 days in February.  It's the shortest month of the year.  Why then does it always feel so neverending?

This year, we are living in an ice box: a place where the snow just keeps coming down, it never melts, and the roads are icy.  Winter arrived in all its fury this February and is refusing to go away!

Okay.  Okay.  So it's really pretty.  And being "snowed in" makes justifying staying home in my sweat pants and watching too much TV kind of sweetly satisfying.  But I, a self-proclaimed sun worshiper, will never truly embrace winter no matter how hard I try.  Nope.  I'm ready to hop on my bike or hit up the park with my little sidekick!  Spring.  Where are you?!?

All this cold has spurred on some nasty illness statewide.  The actual flu virus swept through our home last week.  Jed and Levi had a wrestling tournament in Jerome on February 9th.  I'm 98% positive that's where the bug came from.

By the way, the boys wrestled well.  Even though they didn't win any trophies, they made us proud.  Jed is a scrappy thing with some grit!  And Levi just needs some more time on the mats to really figure out the sport.  The morning was a good experience for everyone and we celebrated by taking the kids out to lunch.

That evening, while Bron and I were out on a date, we got a phone call from Levi around 8:45pm saying that Jed had thrown up everywhere and that we needed to come home fast.  (Poor traumatized babysitter!)  We arrived home to find that Jed had indeed thrown up everywhere and was lying on the bathroom floor with a fever.  Poor kid.  By 10pm, everything was cleaned up and under control again.  By 8am the next day, Jed was acting like nothing had happened!  He's our chronic puker, after all.  (Meaning, when he gets upset or overtired, he throws up!)  I wasn't quite sure what to think.  And so with church canceled Sunday morning (due to winter roads), I went ahead and let him join the neighborhood kids playing in the fresh snow outside.

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Sledding Idaho Style in a Winter Wonderland

Sledding Idaho Style in a Winter Wonderland

2.11.2019

There was so much snow on Sunday that church was canceled.  So we played in it... Idaho style!  We really do have the best neighbors and neighborhood.  A big thank you to Ty for entertaining the kids all afternoon!  The boys had a blast.

No further explanations needed.  The pictures tell the story...

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