March Shenanigans

March felt like an eternal month. We accomplished so much!

We started off March with a trip to Utah to visit family and see baby Lewis get blessed.

Flying with all four kids, one of them being Kent, was not as bad as I had anticipated. I'm so thankful for a less than 3 hour nonstop flight from Austin to SLC. It makes the trip go lickety split!

Joel was very excited to get on an airplane and go to Gwama's house. He often says things in the form of a high pitched question. "Get on airpl(pitch is rising)ane? Go to Gwama's hou(pitch is rising)se?

Uncle Ben made us a cute sign! I forgot to take a picture!

We got to sing happy birthday to Jacob and we also got to participate in a gyozas party! It was so delicious!

We went to Wheeler Farm with Archibald Cousins. The kids played almost 2 hours on a playground out front and then just as the sun was setting we made a mad dash for the animals!

The reason for the journey was to see Lewis! He is the newest Nelsen grandbaby. It was fun to hold and snuggle him!

Uncle Erv treated us to floats. Yum!

It snowed while we were there, but we still went to visit Uncle Erv, eat lunch with him and play on the playground near his work. 

Babies get dragged all over tarnation on vacations and luckily sneak in naps here and there! Joel took good care of his seatmate, Kent. This was on the way to Provo to see the Archibald cousins again! We had pizza with them, played dress up, and roasted marshmallows. Taylor invented a spinning roasting stick using his drill!

Claire and I lightened up our hair!

Joel likes being a cat or dog. Ben joined him. Eventually all the kids had a bowl of water on the floor that they were drinking out of.

You never know when you might need a graphing calculator! 

Uncle Erv also got all the best cereals...Berry Colossal Crunch with Marshmallows! I think Taft is using two spoons?

After 5 fun days it was home again, home again, jiggity jig.

Back on the homestead...

Kent was getting into cupboards as usual. My kind neighbor gave me some cupboard locks so now this doesn't happen as often as it used to. 

Erik and I sang in Stake Conference. It was a little bit hard because of Kent, but he did ok. He only screamed through the first song when he realized Phylis was on the bench with him. During the other songs Phylis watched from affair and was there *just in case*.

I took passport photos. I did not pick this one, but that's how I felt about trying to get a good picture. My passport will be good for 10 more years. It might be that long before we can all go on cruises again!

Alyssa has taken to practicing the piano very seriously. Erik has been coming up with original treats and prizes. One week he made her lemonade in a pineapple and we all got new silicone straws!

The children have been playing outside a lot. Alyssa dug a hole. Then Taft filled it with water.

Then Kent sat in it!

The bluebonnets are out in full bloom! Joel likes the bluebonnets.

We've now reached St. Patrick's day where the kids got a package from Nana and Joel got out of the bathtub just in time to open it!

Kent's cute and funny. On this day he learned how to escape from the little black wall around the playground.  

We went to Dallas for the first part of Spring Break. This was the first week of home church. Taft and Alyssa brought their cameras and they were interested in filming Archie while he gave his primary talk.

We did a 3 mile train ride/bike ride/walk to J&J's Pizza and the Atomic Candy Shoppe in downtown Denton. It was a nice way to spend the day! Taft rode his own bike the whole 3 miles and did great!

We went to the drive through zoo in Oklahoma. That's a good way to social distance! I hope the animals aren't carriers of unnamed viruses.

Everybody wants a water buffalo. Your's is fast and mine is slow. Where do you get them, I don't know. Everybody wants a water buffalooooo!

Hook 'em horns!

So many animals wore Taft out! He fell asleep eating his lunch in the drivers seat! I hope he wasn't driving!

The kids set up a candy store with the candy they got at the candy shoppe! The posted signs all over the house and welcomed any paying customer.

When stores run out milk because the population is panicking over viruses, you can buy chocolate milk and then you can eat it on your cereal!

We made it back home. Kent is proving quite self sufficient. He discovered he can eat whatever is on the shelf that is his height. Raisins are palatable, dried beans are not.

More bluebonnets and golf balls and Kent. He's so cute.

Our Children's Program group is doing a challenge every week to keep the kids connected. The first week (3/20/20) was build a pillow fort. This is our kid's rendition! There are lots of pillows on the top bunk! The sign says "Alyssa and Joel and Taft's Fort".

Erik found out his lab was closing on 3/21/20 so he decided he needed to blow up one more closet. They asked for volunteers to stand directly in front of the door. Here he is with his volunteer. 

Here is his volunteer after the explosion!

Our bedroom is now office by day, bedroom by night. It's pretty much desk and bed and piles of junk. But he can work and we can sleep, so it's all ok. It's worked out so far without much inconvenience. 

Erik took a shower and asked Alyssa to watch Kent. She needed to keep him entertained and contained so she put him in the doll stroller and pushed him around.

Erik decided he needed a project because taking two classes, passing a class from last semester, teaching at BYUI and doing research wasn't enough. He enlisted his helpers and they went to work creating some basic shelves for the kids' closet to replace dressers that were mildewy and kind of breaking. I was happy because I've been wanting something like this for awhile!

The kids helped paint!

The finished product works great as bunk beads and storage shelves. Taft set up his own little area complete with Hatchimals and T-Rex.

The kids made food faces out of their flatbread. They may have learned it from Papa and when I sent him a picture he may have joined in virtually.

On Saturday, 3/28, it rained. Alyssa and Taft set up a rain collection system and went around collecting rain in a 5 gallon bucket. They used the rain to fill up the hole Alyssa dug. They played outside all morning. Joel and Kent joined them for awhile until I decided they were probably getting cold and needed to come inside.

Hauling water with a bike lead Alyssa to get the bike trailer out. She has spent most of week 3/30 pulling Joel and Kent around the neighborhood in it. They love it! She prepares snacks of pretzels, chocolate chips, and oranges for them. 

All ready for home church with hair styled by lunch time food.

Medicine measuring cups and shot glasses make great Sacrament cups.

Erik has also found time to bake. Joel's favorite animal right now is a sheep or "eep-t-sh". Erik told him they could make a Texas Sheep Cake. So, behold the Texas Sheep Cake! It was very good and may be a new family tradition!

Erik and the kids washed and lubed their bikes. Taft declared, "I am washing my tentacles!" By tentacles he means spokes.

March also brought the passing of Grandpa Scarlet. 

Thought it is hard to say good bye, it is comforting to know he has been reunited with Grandma Bonnie and is free from the limitations of mortality. I have always felt connected to my grandpa because of the years he spent with me when I was young. I remember riding my tricycle while he pulled me with a rope. I liked to spend time in his shop behind our house. I would watch him engrave name tags and play minesweeper and solitaire on his computer. I also remember when I painted their deck for Grandma and Grandpa while I was in high school. I took Jacob and Grandpa with me to Home Depot to get the paint. I was trying to decide what reddish color to get. I asked Grandpa and Jacob their opinions and Grandpa reminded me that they were both color blind and couldn't really tell the difference between all the shades of red I was showing them! I just remember thinking this was funny. As a result the deck turned out a little more orange than red because it turns out I couldn't pick the right shade either! I am thankful for my grandpa, for his love and dedication and for his unmatched sense of humor.

Well, that about wraps up March! Until next time!