2020, Week 9

I like the idea of journaling each week but haven't yet figured out a format I love.  Forgive me as my thoughts are all over the place.

A few highlights from the week:

• Sunday night TJ and I joined Nana and Papa at the Tabernacle for a fireside.  Papa sang in the choir and they were magnificent: it was such a treat to hear him sing in that sacred building.  

• Tuesday morning we drove to Orem to be with our sweet new nephew, Oliver.  My sister ran errands while we held that precious one month old.  Reed especially loved meeting him.

• My dad had a knee replacement on Tuesday and - after TJ worked a long day - I was able to go visit him in the hospital that evening.  He is an incredible man.  My heart just filled with love for him as I watched him greet every visitor to his room with a "Good morning!" and crack jokes as they poked and prodded him.  He did a very brisk walk around the floor while I was there and I tried to help him with techy stuff.  I was so glad I could go.

• Wednesday my niece opened her mission call!  She is heading to the Guam Micronesia mission at the end of July and I felt all the emotions as I watched her and my sister as she read it.  So much bravery and courage.  What an adventure up ahead!

• We made it to story time at the library with Miss Allison, who we adore.  

• A few days were 50 degrees - HOORAY!  We spent a lot of time outside, walking (with Reed riding his scooter), digging in the dirt, visiting Nana, and TJ and I even spent our date night walking for an hour at Daybreak lake.  It was really glorious.

TJ

Work has gotten crazy - and pretty miserable - for TJ over the past week or two.  He's putting in long, stressful hours and comes home pretty beat each day.  He did get a new electric toothbrush (that Reed calls a "fuzzy" toothbrush) and is trying out new hairdos with his hair a little bit longer.  He knocked out our taxes on Saturday night and even booked our flights for Mexico in June!  He's been enjoying the mint cookies and cream ice cream I got him.  

Rachel

I am adoring this sunshine and even spent one nap time just reading on the back porch.  I've also been pretty concerned about coronavirus (that is just starting to spread throughout the US) and spent many hours (...and dollars) last week shopping.  My goal is for us to be able to comfortably hunker down for 6-ish weeks and I think we're nearly there.  My old boss reached out to ask if I want to start working again and I'm mulling that over - pros and cons both ways and I'm trying to decide which way to go.  I finished the 2018 scrapbook I've been working on for months and just need to get up the energy to edit (all 440 pages of) it.  

Reed

On Wednesday I was very late getting Reed down for his nap and - after fighting him unsuccessfully for some time - ended up bagging the whole thing.  He's only missed his nap a handful of times in his nearly three years and he did great.  We started bedtime early (around 6) and he slept soundly from about 7-6:30.  Thursday I let him choose if he wanted to nap and when he opted to skip it we enjoyed the 6:30 bedtime again (the standard for the past few months has been between 8-9).  Friday we started doing quiet time, which we worked up as a thrilling opportunity to play whatever he wants in his room by himself.  You know what?  He's doing great!  He's been in his room for nearly an hour now and has only come out once to ask for help with his audiobook.  (Make that twice: he just sauntered into the room and said, "Mom, I just came to visit you.")  TJ and I are loving the earlier bedtimes and we are all waking up happier to see each other at 6:30 when he comes into our room.

During Reed's first quiet time he played with his Legos and - after some hard work - came to tell me all his "guys" were taking naps.  Here they are, all lined up, sleeping.

Holland

Our sweet girl had a rough week and I blame teething.  For the past two weeks her top two teeth have been poking through and when I just looked before her nap (she HATES having us look) I am nearly positive she's got all four top teeth coming in.  So.  No wonder!  She did clearly say, as I went to put her down, "Nuh nigh" to Reed, which was both darling and exciting. 

Her cries told me where she was stuck.