Our Life Lessons: February 2018

Sunday, February 25, 2018

Week 8 - Spanish, Sick, and Wolf Badge

We hosted the first ever Spanish class potluck. We attend Sunday School class for Spanish speakers. The majority of the class are from Latin American countries. We wanted a chance to socialize outside of church and thought a potluck would be a lot of fun.

The children built Legos and played in the basement.Everyone stayed for a long time and talked and talked and talked. Underfoot was banished to his bedroom since he was sick.
Underfoot shared his high fever with Hurricane and myself. I would ask Sweetheart if we needed to go to the doctor, and he said that it would pass.

We each got sicker and sicker and sicker. Hurricane won't stay in bed. One night he woke up in a sheer panic. He said he couldn't breathe and was terrified. He asked that a parent sleep with him so that he "wouldn't die during the night." He decided to sleep on top of me and that is how I got sick. The boys missed the entire week of school.

They didn't attend their Battle of the Books battle because they were sick, and both teams lost their battles. Don't read that the teams lost because Underfoot and Hurricane didn't participate. It is a team effort.

This week was our Blue and Gold Banquet for Cub Scouts. Since the boys were sick, I said they couldn't attend. Hurricane wanted to receive his Wolf badge for the Blue and Gold Banquet. He completed all the requirements and earned the rank advancement. He tried to figure out anyway to go to the banquet. He said he would wear a mask, stay in the hallway and walk in just to receive his award, or to do FaceTime and get his award through FaceTime. None of the options work out for him. Sweetheart went as proxy to the banquet and was awarded the Wolf Badge.

He is one persistent child.

Underfoot has a very good friend of school. The friend was really worried that Underfoot wouldn't attend his birthday party. Underfoot had been fever free for two days so we felt like he could go to the party. It turned into a bit of a fiasco because we were given the address for last year's birthday party that was an hour away. When we learned the correct address, Sweetheart took Underfoot there. The parents made arrangements for Underfoot to stay an hour after the party to just play with his friend. Underfoot and his friend had so much fun!

The A-arms arrived for the Prius, and Sweetheart fixed the car. He started to feel crummy in the middle of the process of fixing the car. We think he has been given sickness as well.

*****

To keep the boys busy, they had to write letters to their friends.

This is the sealing of the envelops.

Sunday, February 18, 2018

Week 7 - Valentine Boxes, Bent's Old Fort, and One Car Family

The boys made Valentine's Day boxes. They decided 2 nights before Valentine's what they wanted. Hurricane wanted an alligator, and Hurricane wanted Perry the Platypus.

We created them as a family for Family Home Evening. The boys liked them so much they are keeping them in their room.

Concussions seem to be Underfoot's plan each February. A year ago February he had a concussion that he got on the playground at school. While at Scouts he got his head knocked against the wall, and we went to the doctor the next day. The doctor verified that he has a concussion again. So he gets to go on the concussion protocol of no screens, no reading, no exercise, and lots of hydration.

Last year in school Underfoot learned about Bent's Old Fort. He really wants to go and see that last year. We went this year on the Friday off that the boys had.

It snowed on our way down to the Bent's Old Fort which is about three hours away from our home. We got the fort to ourselves and saw blacksmith shop, armory, living quarters, the store, and the other accommodations around the fort.

The boys finished up there Junior Ranger badge and we headed home.

On the way home Underfoot said he wasn't feeling well. When we got home, his fever was super high fever at 102.9. Lucky for him he had a concussion so he had to rest anyways.

The A-arm didn't arrive this week. We were a one car family for the week. Our process was to take our dad to work then the boys to school. The opposite was true at the end of the day. It worked out.

I reported my results of the paperclip challenge to myself reliance class. I made the most trades (6 total) of everyone in the room, and there were many other interesting stories of how people made their trades. I ended up with a dress.

Boys had another Battle of the Books Battle at the library. Both teams lost their battles.

Underfoot participated in the maturation talk provided by the school. He came out saying it was a bit weird but glad he that we had talk to him about maturation before the school presentation.

I have been working on an application for Daughters of the American Revolution. I attended a meeting to see how their organization is run. They have a lot of service that they provide and stand for maintaining freedom. I had finished my genealogical application, signed stating it was correct, and paid the fee. Now I wait for their genealogists to verify my claim. The process will take many moons.

On Saturday we put into practice The Joy of Less by Francine Jay. The book's concept is to declutter, organize, and simplify what you own. We tackled the main for closet. Eight coats were given away; other coats were repaired or cleaned. We sent back to our nephew this clothing. We own 2 Lladró pieces - one for my Master's degree graduation from Grandma and Grandpa Hoggan and one we bought in Spain of 2 missionaries. It is time to display these pieces.

For our date, we went and saw the Martian on an IMAX screen in 3-D. We read the book while we lived in Tucson and saw the movie in the theater. It is a lot more fun in 3-D. The concept of being a space pirate is pretty cool. (If you read the book you would understand the concept.)

*****

School Valentine's Party - Minute to Win It Games

Stack Candy Hearts

Bent's Old Fort

Cannon Loading

Sunday, February 11, 2018

Week 6 - Broken Arm, Snow, and Birthday

Sweetheart is continuing his journey in learning how to swim. He has done better each time he has had a lesson. He even said this week that he is enjoying swimming. It brought such joy to my heart since the other three of us love to swim.
I went to get a new retainer since my retainer got stepped on. My teeth had began to move, and the orthodontist said he could fix the teeth with a retainer and not putting braces back. I was very relieved about that.

We learned in January that the boys are three of them have allergies. We also learned that our insurance will support allergy shots. This week we began allergy shots on a weekly basis. Hurricane isn't quite sure that it was a good idea yet. Underfoot face it more flat footed and believes that he will get better.

I finished my continuing education credits to maintain my counseling license. I learned about infertility and how it is seen culturally around the world. The other course I took discussed addiction and how it changes the brain chemistry. I always tend to finish my CEUs the week of my birthday. I'm grateful that my live credits and ethics credits were done.

The boys participated in their second Battle of the Books Battle. They were nervous and did very well for the short period that they had to prepare. Most of the teams had begun their process in September. Our teams weekend in December. Unfortunately both teams lost.

Book Club was held at our house, and we discussed The Book of Forgiving by Desmond Tutu. The book is repetitive in nature and explains the process of how to forgive. Tutu discusses the emotional, physical, and decision making process behind forgiveness. The book club usually last till 9:00 pm. The women didn't leave until 10:15.

From my Self Reliance class, we were given the Paper Clip Challenge. The challenge is to exchange something of lesser value for something of work at value. I explained how to do it on a social media platform. I ended up making six trades. I was grateful for the women who chose to support me in this process.

Sweetheart attended the Klonderie with our Boy Scout troop. The weekend was bitter cold. We got snow which is the greatest birthday present for me.

He shared that it was so cold in the morning that the wood wouldn't light on fire. They even put lighter fluid on the wood to help, and it wouldn't light. He returned home positive and happy.

I took the boys to their basketball game on Saturday. It had been snowing and was very slick. As I turned the corner to go to the basketball game, the Prius slid into a corner and jarred all of us. After we got the car home, I learned that the impact damaged the A-arm on the steering. I felt so horrible about it. Sweetheart evaluated the problem and said he could fix it. It was quite the birthday surprise for me.

For my birthday, the boys made me breakfast and built me a zoo. I loved their thoughtfulness.

Sunset at the End of the Day

Zoo - Monkey House

Zoo -Bear House

Zoo -Baby House

Zoo -Exotic Creatures

Wednesday, February 7, 2018

Super Moon - 2018 - Week 5

At church they are offering classes to help people with self reliance. Four courses are being taught - Starting and Growing My Business, Personal Finances, My Job Search/Find a Better Job, and Education for Better Work. I decided that I was interested in Starting and My Business. There was an orientation meeting with all the groups. Hurricane wanted to attend the class with me because he has ideas for businesses and wants me to do the work. The meetings was 2 hours. He lasted for 1 hour and asked for his Dad to come pick him up. The course runs for 12 weeks.

Sweetheart didn't learn to swim well when he was a child. This week he started taking swim lessons before work in the morning. During the week, he practiced the skills he learned. He has made comments that he thinks he might like swimming. The 3 of us who do like to swim are excited that he will learn to swim.

We pulled out the telescope to look at the Super Blue Blood Moon. We woke up the boys early and to look. Hurricane wanted to look until it was time to go to school.

We have a lot to learn about how to be better astronomers. Any suggestions would be helpful. We need to learn the constellations better.

The first battle happened for Battle of the Books Battle for each team. Both teams did great! Hurricane's team won their battle.

Underfoot's team lost by one question. They will compete again the next 3 weeks.

I am no longer the Assistant Cub Master. I have been being 2 deep leader in the Bear den for the last 4 months. I am now in the Bear Den. It's great!

After the last blood draw, one more blood test was needed. The test is called AHM - Anti-Müllerian hormone. This hormone helps with conception and pregnancy. If the number is low, conception is very low or not possible.

For the past few months, I've been working on an application for the Daughters of the American Revolution. I went to the Family History Library to get a marriage certificate for my great-Grandparents. The Family History Library has documents that can be accessed only there. I have one more document and have the application complete. My Mom has expressed interest in being a member of DAR. My Grandpa Glen was a member of Son of the American Revolution. By doing this work, my Aunties and cousins will have an easier path if they would like to have members.

Underfoot had an eye appointment. He has as near perfect eyes as possible.

We've been reading a book called The Joy of Less by Francine Jay. Sweetheart loves the concept. I'm more hesitant. The concept is to be more tidy and less cluttered. The boys cleaned out some of their stuffed animals one night after Sweetheart read the book to them.

They made a belt with some of their animals. On Saturday we cleaned out our main floor closet. We donated 8 coats, table clothes, other odds and ends, and returned some of our nephew's things we've had in our closet.

We were invited for fresh tamales because Carmen got the baby in the Rosca de Reyes bread.