Tuesday, January 12, 2016

Saturday (of the Future)

Saturday was a big day in the Jones house.  We had lots going on and we realized how our Saturdays will be largely ruled by children's activities for pretty much the next 20 years.  So that's fun.  :)

We started out with Traegan's first Jr.  Jazz game.  His team was the Oklahoma City Thunder.  

Funny story: I ran in with Traegan and Avonelle since we were almost late and Josh went to park the car.  We walked in the door to the gym (in this gym the regular basketball court is divided into three smaller ones) and Trae took off to the nearest game.  Just jumped right in there and started playing with the kids.  Those kids who were much bigger than him and in the last quarter of their game...  Oh man.  So while I'm trying to get him out of the middle of someone else's game, and finally succeeding, then I look and Avy has wandered off along the bleachers and is trying to find me.  Then I had to go retrieve her.  So that was fun little start.

Clearly he was very confident.  :)


Traegan spent a lot of the game making very intimidating faces at the other players, or the air, or whatever.  It was quite hilarious.  He also breathed really heavy when he was doing them.  Ha!


I just love that little man.


Throw in.


Traegan actually did pretty good.  You could tell he was nervous to shoot it, but he was awesome at stealing the ball, getting in position (usually without dribbling), and passing it to someone who would shoot.  He had two assists.  His team won 6-0.  And Josh named him the next Durrantula.

Avy and Gareth spent the game playing on the bleachers or coloring.


Gareth.  Oh how he melts me.  Even with pen on his face.


Then we got home, had lunch and got ready for our next activity... Avonelle's Dance Recital.

She was the cutest Flying Purple People Eater that I ever did see.  Seriously.  She's gorgeous!


And she actually did, like probably more than half of the dance, which was a nice surprise.  She got a little distracted during one part, but mostly she did it.  And she was the cutest one up there of course!


I die.


Huge thanks to Kathy for all the adorable pictures!



Sometimes she looked really sad or worried.  Ha!



Here's the dance that my dad recorded for us!  Yeah!

I was bummed that she got distracted during the leg lifts and turns because she does those so cute.  But dang it, does she know how to flap her wings.  Ha!

(She is second from the right).



After her dance we went and stole her from the holding room so the grandparents could see her before the headed out.  Both sets of grandparents came and her Great Grandma Dixie.  We have such fantastic family!

Here she is with her flowers from Grandma Prize.  She was so thrilled with them.



Then we waited around for a bit for the finale.  She was not excited to do it after the dress rehearsal disaster the day before.  There was much bribing at home.  I told her all she had to do was walk on the stage with her class, she didn't have to dance, and then she needed to go sit with her class and watch the other girls dance.

Well she did even more than that!  She did her little arm roll the whole time.  I was so proud of her because I knew she was so tired and hungry.  Yeah!


Then she sat on the edge with a big old sour face on.


The finale theme was "Into The Wild" and the oldest girls danced with pretend leaves at the end.  Avy told me she wanted to dance with leaves too and I had told her she could if she stood with her class.

Well the finale is over and ALL the dancers are sitting on the edge of the stage, and the teacher is talking, and then in the back I see a little poof of blonde hair and a black bow throwing leaves around.  I knew who it was.  Ha!

Traegan and I went up the stage and found her playing in the curtains.


So as promised I threw some leaves and she spinned around in them.  She was so so happy!  I love her.



And then we went home, ate dinner, made brownies as part of the bribe and had a lovely evening.  I was so proud of my kids!

Another funny story: Avy was talking to one of the older girls who happens to have braces.  She asked her what those were on her teeth.  Girl answers.  Avonelle says, "oh I have doe-s (those).  I wear dem (them) on my wist (wrist)".  Bwa ha ha!

Oh and this is Gareth.  I was sitting on the couch while he was climbing it and all of a sudden he does a flip into my lap.  This one wasn't as good, but still funny.


And that was a very busy and very awesome Saturday!

(I'm doing a daily gratitude thing for myself. Feel free to ignore them.  I'll put them at the bottom of my posts).

January 9
I'm grateful for Jr. Jazz and intimidating faces. For Purple People Eaters and dancing in the leaves. For flipping, grinning, and 'cheese'ing. And for reward brownies. I have the world's greatest children.

Monday, January 11, 2016

The Beginning...

So... happy freaking new year!  

You know when you go like a month blogging like two or three times almost every day and then you stop cold turkey and it just feels so weird?  No?  Huh.  Well I do.

Anyway, things have been pretty quiet around these parts, but none the less, a blogging we will go.

Josh started the new year going ice fishing.  He had lots of fun (even though it looks like only Jason was having fun) and I was glad he did.  I'm also glad I didn't have to go.  A fish pooped on Josh and he caught a fish eating another fish.  I don't need that kind of freak show crap in my life.  ;)


On Saturday, January 2nd we got to go watch Star Wars for free and it was great!  Jason and the boys came too and Traegan loved sitting with Owen and Jettsen.  Also, good movie.  :)


Sunday, I was just so dreading real life starting again.  I had loved our break and my no work and stress time.  It was blissful and I didn't want to play again.

Monday, January 4th we had a busy day.  School started for both kids and it just felt like a LOT.  But it ended with Josh playing Barbies with Av.  So he's adorable.


Tuesday... Gareth's favorite spot to hang out is on the couch.  He loves to look out the window and do flips and jumps off the couch (NOT my favorite).  And I love to look at his gorgeous eyes.  I really don't know what color to classify them as.  But I do love them!  He's kind of stunning!


Also his grin.  Those teeth are pretty dang cute.


And even though he's sad in this one, you can see all four teeth.  I love him.


And after school the boys came to play after school and Traegan and Owen were wearing the same shirt.  Also they are just the cutest little dorks that ever lived.


Wednesday (1/6) Traegan got in the car after school and asked me "if Mrs. Baker had called yet?"  Crap.  I was sure this was bad.  But nope.  He happily told me that he had done something good at school and Mrs. Baker was going to call to tell me about it.  I waited a while for the call to come and it turns out that Traegan had stood up to a 4th grade bully at recess.  His teacher was so proud she gave him lots of special rewards at school and told all the other teachers about it. Traegan was so proud of himself.  So was I.  He's pretty great.

Thursday (1/7) I just love this little chocolate milk mustache that looks like a real mustache.


And that night we went to our first class of the new semester.  So excited to be starting that madness again.  False.

And then we had a busy Friday with Avy's dress rehearsal.  We booked it over there right after school and watched her do her dance a few times.  Or rather watched her do her dance once and then watched her comfort the girl next to her, whose eyeball fell off the second time through.  (They are Purple People Eaters and they have a big, fake eyeball on their head.  Just in case you thought actual eyeballs were falling off all over the place).  :)

Then we waited around for forever for the finale practice. Avy did it once, sort of, and then just sobbed the rest of the time.  It was a long practice, and dinner time, and she was tired.  So she really wasn't into it.  And I was having a hard time managing crying Avy, Avy's crying friend, and Gareth who wanted to jump off of anything tall enough to bodily harm.  And sweet Traegan, who sat wherever I told him to and waited for me to come back.  Ugh. I was VERY glad when Josh got off work and came to take the boys.  So glad.

Anyway, that's where I'm calling it for today because Saturday was fun and busy...


Alright, this section of the blog post is for me.  I mean you're welcome to read it.  But you're also very welcome to not read it.  :)

A while back the therapist showed me a video by Brene Brown that kind of changed my whole life.  Seriously.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iCvmsMzlF7o

Anyway, since then I've been trying a few new things to help myself feel happier.  But the one that resonated with me the most is practicing gratitude.  I know that gratitude can make all the difference in my attitude from past experiences.  So why wasn't I using it?  And as I have learned from reading and watching A LOT of good old Brene, it can also help with anxiety and worrying.

So I'm doing it.  I'm practicing gratitude.  It's my resolution to jot something down each day that I'm grateful for.  To hold myself accountable, I'm also going to put it on the blog.  I'd like to be able to read them all again later!

But I know this is probably no fun for anyone else to read. And that's okay. You don't have to. I'm going to put them at the end of each post and feel free to skip them.  And please don't think I'm up here trying to brag about all of my awesome. This is me just trying to recognize the awesome I've been given. Also, I'll really try to make them different everyday, but the basic fact is that they may be about Josh and the kids almost every day.  They are the best parts of my day, any day!  Anyway.


January 1
Today I'm grateful for a clean(er) house and a fantastic husband who helps me clean all day and cooks for me. I'm grateful that he got to go have some fun fishing today and that he put his poo-ed on pants in the washing machine and I didn't have to. And for how much Traegan loves his daddy. He was begging me to call dad the whole time. And I'm grateful for how dorky Josh is when he plays video games with his brothers, he makes me laugh.

January 2
I'm grateful for Star Wars fun. I'm grateful for family who is always willing to help and who helps me get perspective. And I'm grateful for a husband whose crazy somehow works with my crazy.

January 3
I'm grateful for a freaking long nap! And grateful to finally get through my sale pile for work.

January 4
I'm grateful for Traegan wanting "to look nice" (which involved putting on chapstick) for his first day back at school.  I'm grateful for accomplishing stuff, being creative and succeeding at it, playing dinosaurs with Avy (but we had to do it dressed as the queen and princess), and for a husband who plays Barbies.

January 5
I'll forever be grateful that Traegan has Owen.  He loves him so much.  And Gareth's little teeth and grin.  Oh they slay me.

January 6
Traegan standing up to a bully and being so brave.  I'm so proud of him and how far he has come!

January 7
My mom. Who watches my kids so much. And loves them so so much.   I have a hard time asking people for help, and that includes babysitting.  It stresses me out.  But she makes it so easy and she is so willing.

January 8
Husband who let's me be mean to him when I'm stressed.  (I was less than gracious at the dress rehearsal).  But Josh still just loves me and forgives me.  :)