Last night Phoebe and I attended the high school preview night for the outgoing 8th graders. Can you tell that she's excited? She grinned as we walked through the hallways and learned about various clubs that the school offers. Cooper was our tour guide, and he was also invited to join some of the clubs.
"Quick, Mom! Which is the button to take a picture?!" - Topher, right before he took this picture.
Some of the kids felt well enough to attend a family dance at our old ward on Saturday evening. I mostly sat and chatted with people, but I did dig up enough energy to dance a few of the songs. Last year at this same activity I danced every dance. Being sick for a few weeks really saps your strength.
Topher was sad to miss it, but he started feeling under the weather that morning. Bryan stayed home with him. After resting most of Saturday and Sunday, Topher felt healthy enough to go to school on Monday.
It warmed up to 50 degrees today! I still wore my jacket zipped all the way up with my hood on, but at least I was outside. When I got too cold, Cooper went outside in my place. Topher spent over an hour outside this afternoon. Even after that, he wasn't ready to come inside.
With everyone sick, I spent Monday washing lots of bedding and changing sheets. As I was making Cooper's bed, I looked up and saw something on his headboard that we've been looking for for two weeks.
One more time.
Topher's glasses have been missing for two weeks. I deep cleaned his side of their room looking for them, but I guess it didn't occur to me to check Cooper's headboard. I asked Cooper if he knew they were there. Apparently he had noticed them for the first time the day before. So either we were all blind, or they recently migrated to this location.
I'm thankful they're back and that Topher can see clearly again.
Now we just need to find his second pair of glasses which have also been missing for two weeks...
Bryan and I were already feeling lousy on Valentine's Day, but the kids were all healthy enough to go to school. Phoebe made this cute card for one of her friends.
Bryan and I had a date as well. While the kids were still at school we watched a movie at home, with no interruptions. Even though we were sick, it was a very nice way to celebrate the holiday.
We are sick.
Bryan has the flu and strep throat.
Sophie has a sinus infection.
Cooper and I likely have the flu, but haven't seen a doctor and therefore haven't been tested.
Phoebe is starting to feel sniffly.
Topher is healthy and has bounce-off-the-walls energy but nowhere to spend it.
That is all.
While this picture of the bookcases might not look that different from the one at the end of this post, it is. The shelves now have two coats of matte water-based polyurethane, which was not super fun to apply. But now it's done. And the books are mostly sorted. I haven't put the crown molding on yet, but that's because I know the look I want and I haven't found the right pieces yet, so I'm waiting. And the carpet needs to be tucked under, but hopefully that'll be done soon.
This picture makes me really happy.
We've had a sheet of ice on our back deck for several days. I looked outside after school on Monday and found Phoebe holding one end of a scarf and swinging it while Topher held the other end and went sliding around her in a big arc. They both grinned and said they were ice skating. Neither was happy when I ended the game, you know, so they don't fall on their faces and knock their teeth out.
Cooper decided this year that he's really into football. In an effort to support his interest, we watched the Super Bowl together. It helped that the Eagles are the local football team. Topher came running off the bus several days last week yelling, "Eagles! Eagles!" One of the player graduated from Cooper's high school in 2018, so the whole district had been pumping the kids up for the game.
Most of the people at my house were happy with the outcome. Sophie is a big Taylor Swift fan and was rooting for the Chiefs, so she wasn't quite as thrilled.
Today is the 100th day of school! (Yesterday's ice delayed it a bit.) The kids in Topher's class were invited to make a project celebrating the day. It needed to have 100 of something displayed in a creative way. Topher decided to make a bird feeder using 100 cheerios on a pipe cleaner. It thought it was cleaver, creative, and kind. Those words all describe Topher as well.
See that icy cover all over our front step and sidewalk? That was what kept us all home today. We had a little snow and a lot of freezing rain last night. The school district called a snow day and we were thankful not to have to drive or walk on the ice. The street in front of our house finally got plowed around lunchtime. Hopefully the roads are clear for tomorrow.
"Mom! I like this light because you can actually see how long my eyelashes are!" -Sophie, who has thick, full, blonde eyelashes.
She wishes I would let her wear makeup, but she's got about two more years before I'll be okay with that. She'll have to make do with golden hour lighting on the way home from rehearsal for now.
There was just enough wind for Topher to finally fly the kite we bought two summers ago. Yes, we've had plenty of windy days since then, I just forgot the kite existed. Topher remembered. He laughed with joy as he ran around the backyard flying his $3 kite.
Topher was asked to give a talk in Primary next Sunday. His response was, "Are you kidding me?! Of course!" Then yesterday morning we found out the person that was supposed to give a talk that day was sick. I asked Topher if he'd be willing to quickly help me write a talk and speak that day instead of next week. He said yes. Thankfully we have afternoon church, so we had time to put this together. He dictated most of the first paragraph and I talked him through the lesson of the second paragraph. He did a good job reading it to the Primary.
Topher's Talk
Joseph Smith and Martin Harris were translating the Gold Plates. Martin wanted to take the first one hundred and sixteen translated pages to show his family. Joseph prayed three times to ask Heavenly Father if Martin could take the pages. The first time God told him no. The second time God told him no. But the third time God told him it’s up to Joseph. Joseph said Martin could only show the pages to certain family members and he had to bring them back in two weeks. The two weeks had passed and Martin hadn’t come back to Pennsylvania. Joseph traveled to his parents’ house in New York and Martin said the pages were lost. Joseph was sad.
Sometimes we really want something and are told no. And sometimes we ask again and again and again, trying to get the answer we want. That’s what happened to Joseph. But what he wanted wasn’t what God wanted for him. And because Joseph kept asking, the one hundred and sixteen pages were lost. It can be hard, but it’s important to listen when Heavenly Father gives us an answer to our prayers, even if it’s different than the answer we wanted. Heavenly Father loves us and wants the best for us. We can learn to trust Him. I say these things in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.
