Getting Things Done.

Michael:

is busy in his last two months of being on oral surgery service before he transfers to his trauma rotation. Life always feels so different when he's on service. So busy. He's not on call until the end of the month but he does have to be gone to a conference in San Francisco during January so that stinks. He loves eating breakfast with Westin and usually wakes him up before work so that they can spend that little time together. They also love sending emoji texts to each other and there’s a lot of the poop emoji in those. 

Maddie:

had such a productive week thanks to my sweet parents here helping me. During their week here I checked off:

-dental cleaning

-haircut

-pedicure

-doctor appointment

-oil changed in my car

-LA road trip with my dad to pick up our van

-registered the van

-smog checked the van

-Initiatories at the temple

-Endowment at the temple with Michael

-Dinner date with Michael

-Girls road trip to San Francisco

-Parenting conference in SF

They watched my kids so much and helped get me ready for the next few busy months! I'm always so happy when they are here and I'm so grateful for parents who are understanding and kind. I’ve also started a second round of KonMari. I’ve been on this bandwagon a long time but the new Netflix show has inspired me to start another round. The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying up is the most appropriately named book. Life-changing, guys. Unless you’re already tidy I guess :)

Westin:

is thrilled to be back in school and swimming lessons, he missed his teachers and missed playing in the water. He was sad to see grandma and grandpa go. He is super sweet and learning to look for the good my kids do (from that parenting conference I went to) has really opened my eyes at how much he truly tries his best and is kind. Sibling conflict is still the source of all the drama around here and I wish I knew how to better handle that! He has wonderful new primary teachers and I’m so grateful for them. Managing all the changes in primary this year has been a big learning experience but we’re getting there!

Bennett:

sleeps in these days and it cracks me up. Westin has just never done that. But Westin also didn't sleep in a completely dark walk-in closet for the first years of his life, so there's that. Bennett says "Thank you mama" and "Sorry mama" at all the right times and it's adorable. So dang adorable. He also loves to see videos of friends and family when I watch a Polo, and lately loves his "Roar Roar" (a toy dinosaur that grandma and grandpa gave him for Christmas). But... the batteries already died from all the Roar Roaring around here and I'm not nice enough to replace them. He still loves it, though. This week he went to nursery by himself!!! Michael was working and both my counselors were gone, so I needed him to be able to. There were a lot of other things happening at church. So I left him BAWLING but instead of a sad Bennett coming to me ten minutes later like usual, they said he was fine after three! Huge blessing today. Our church is 11:30 to 1:30 so I give the kids snacks right before and a sandwich on the way home, then they are both down for naps by 1:50. It’s still a little late but better than no naptime at all!

Walks with Grandpa

Orange Seasons! The trees by my house are prime for picking! We had our first few rounds of fresh orange juice this week and we were all looooving it.

The low oranges are the best right now so Westin and Bennett feel so big finding oranges to pick.

Walks include citrus cargo for the next few months.

Westin always stops at this raised cement after swimming lessons and says,
"Take a picture of me on this stage and send it to daddy!"

We're always in a funk after grandma and grandpa leave! Luckily they always get us donuts the morning they leave us.
That helps.

Back to Mornings with Mommy at the Lutheran Church

Roar Roar! And Bennett is still rocking the Santa hat often.