Easter

During the break between sessions on Saturday some friends in the ward organized a small Easer Egg hunt.  It was hot and quick.

Dane was fun and understood exactly what he was doing, so much so that he was at the "I am going to open the eggs and eat the candy as soon as I find it" stage.  I eventually convinced him to put some in his basket and find a lot and eat later.

The older kids found theirs as well.  They got to find as many as I brought - which was 20 eggs per kid.  Which was 100 eggs for me to stuff and hide.  No small feat!

I was able to get a picture of Madison still hunting because she hunted until the bitter end.  There were still 3 or 4 eggs in this giant, pokey, dead, bush that I a dad (Brother Ahlstrom) threw inside - he said "I wanna see who is man enough to go get them"  Madison's response, "I am!".  Madison has had some girl drama at school the last 2 or so years and this year I think she gave up on it all and now she just hangs out with the boys.  It has toughened her up a  lot.  ha

I tried for about 100 pictures for a good one of these 2.  It didn't happen.

Easter Morning. Candy eggs never really made it into Dane's basket.  They all went in his mouth.  And then he gave up after about 10 minutes and played with trains.

The kids were making fun of me a week or so before Easter saying, "why don't you challenge us and hide things hard this year?"  Last year they couldn't find their baskets, but I guess they don't remember that.  So I decided to do things really hard this year.  It took almost 2  hour for all the eggs and baskets to be found and in the end I think Brock found most of them.  Afterwards they still said it was too easy.  Teenagers are the best.

Happy Easter!
 

General Conference

General Conference fell on Easter weekend again this year (3 times in the last 6, that is a record!).  I struggle when they overlap.  For 2 reasons, 1 - I prefer Easter to be in March because then I don't have Megan and Brock's birthday also in the same month so it spreads out  the mental load a bit.  And 2) I have things to do to prepare my family for Easter AND General Conference and when they are the same day the 2 weeks leading up are hard to prepare for both.  I can't do everything I want because it is just too much churchy stuff for the kids.  So it ends up being less than I want for both.  It always turns out ok though.  Conference was great.  Dane was only awake and with us for the Sunday Morning session.  We loved the messages and I finally figured out an amazing note taking/study guide after system and I am so excited. 

 

Chuck E Cheese

Little missy got to ride on the merri-go-round at chuck e cheese for the first time.  

It was a hit!

We are on the cusp of greatness with these two.  The time is not far distant that they will be playing together!
 

Aquarium

We went to the Aquarium a few weeks ago.  

These two are the best.  I can't wait for the next few years!!!
 

parenting toddlers and teens

 Turns out that parenting toddlers and teens are pretty identical.  I had to adapt my parenting when all my kids were between 7 and 12.  Those kids are not toddlers and should not be treated as toddlers.  But so far beyond 12 are the same strategies that I use when parenting Dane.  haha.

When they are acting out and being difficult it is because they probably need some very focused one on one time.  But they don't know that's why they are being difficult and can't verbalize that they need it.

They need very clear expectations and consequences that are predictable and consistent.  They don't understand exceptions very well and need black and white.

You need a lot of food and a lot of snacks, but you have to work hard to teach them not to graze and really work on healthy eating habits (no matter how great they "used to be")

Limit screen time

Make sure they are with kids their own age a lot - they need socialization.  They need help doing this.

Don't spend too much on any clothes or shoes, they will grow out soon.

They need physical touch, eye contact, and love (the difference is a toddler will seek this out but a teen won't).

Pi day

Pi day is one of our favorite holidays.  It had been a year since Covid, it was spring break, but it snowed 22 inches, and covid was resurging.  We all needed a pick-me-up.  I decided to make it Pi week.  I made a pie every night.  It was a good week.

 

I made lemon pie

Cheesecake (not a pie - but round!)

Rhubarb and pumpkin (I made them both on the same day - but pumpkin went in the fridge and was eating in the morning for breakfast)

Apple pie - my grandmother's recipie. 

I also made a chocolate cream pie, and an oreo pie.

On a similar food note I got amazing deals on cereal.  Kix is never on sale and it was amazing, I bought out the whole store.

I also made some Olive Garden soup.  It was also amazing.  No one in my family would eat it, which was fine by me - I ate it all (I also invited Krista down and she had some!)

 

Scripture Study

Just some pictures from one evening's scripture study.  Dane and Eve are usually only with us at Saturday scripture study, but when they are it can be increasingly chaotic and increasingly adorable.  The spirit is different... but still there.

 

Basketball

Brock agreed to play basketball this winter.  I say agreed becasue it was definitely more for me than for him.  He enjoys it, well enough, but he doesn't love it, and he isn't great at it.  That is actually one of the main reasons I want him to play.  Brock is used to being the best on the team in what ever team he is on, which very little effort.  I like that he is one of the worst on the team in basketball and that it doesn't come naturally to him.  It shows his true character and his true athleticism.  I also think it is a great sport to know how to play, especially in our church culture, and will serve him well for many years if he can feel confident on the court, he is too good an athlete to not be confident to play a pick-up basketball game.  And, selfishly, basketball is my favorite sport to watch, so I wanted to watch him.  Thanks to covid I only got to watch 3 games, but it was worth it and in the end he was glad he played.  Which was doubly sweet to hear because his team was terrible, they were 0 and 9 and their closest game was down 10 - and that was THRILLING.  They never once led in a game.  But he liked going, never complained or got mad or frustrated.  

It was also nice that his best friend, Cameron, played as well.