Wax Museum & More

Another year of 3rd grade, another 3rd grader, another year of the wax museum! Today it was Owen's turn. I went over with Peter and Katharine in tow. We wandered through all the statues until we came to the 20th century section, and there we saw the famous astronaut John Glen! Owen did not crack any bit of a smile when we came to him. "Wow! John Glenn!" 

"John Herschel Glenn Jr. was an American Marine Corps aviator, engineer, astronaut, businessman, and politician. He was the third American in space, and the first American to orbit the Earth, circling it three times in 1962." Those are some amazing accomplishments! So why does he look so depressed? Maybe he's just tired.

He saw us, but took his "be a statue" role very seriously. I didn't want to tempt him to break character, so we read the mini-bio and went on. Luckily we were just a row away when the statues took a one minute break to stretch and change their positions. Owen smiled at us then, and did a little wave. Then we came to the end of the wax museum and left through the cafeteria. Another wax museum done - check! We've had lot of wax museums through the years. Joseph and Melodie were before the blog - J was Mitt Romney, Melodie was Sacagawea, Ethan missed it cause he was going to school in Chile, Hyrum was Abraham Lincoln, Wes was Norman Rockwell. Abi was Helen Keller, Lily was Amelia Earhart (Her hair was so cute), Sophi as Sally Ride, Natalie as Ruby Bridges. I couldn't remember what Sophi was, but then realized that was because hers was in a post covid year, thus it was not in person, hence my fuzzy memory.

Peter had an experience similar to Daniel's in 2021, and was a bit upset with me when I told him that we were done and were heading back home. "But we did not do any fun stuff! That was a boring!" I agree, it was probably a boring thing for you, Peter, and for that I am sorry. I was just reading that 2021 post and realized Peter probably thinks of Thanksgiving Point when I say "museum" so of course he was disappointed. Poor kid. Maybe we'll have to get a membership there again. I tried to play in the snow as we walked to the car. I started to spell his name with my foot prints by shuffling along together on the sidewalk. "Look! We can spell your name! P.... E..." but then he was mad cause he didn't know how to do what I was doing. "I don't know how to do it!" Well you can just do it with your finger? I started to write his name with my pointer finger. He tried that, but cried when the snow was cold. I know something that will be fun.... let's put Katharine's feet in the snow! Look at her cute footprints!

And then Katharine was mad at me for making her cold. Ok, so no one is happy or playing, let's just go home and watch George. And soon we were watching Curious George again. Curious George has replaced the dogs of Lady and the Tramp and is currently Katharine's favorite cartoon. Abi's old monkey doll has become Katharine's favorite baby to hold. She will squeal "Monkey!!!" and hold it by the neck. She'll watch the movie for a little bit, then get distracted and wander off to wherever I am. She has been doing a good job as the toddler responsible for taking the ornaments off of the tree (that are within two feet height). And she's added to that by pulling the string of lights off of the tree, and then putting them in her mouth.

I told her no, she turned and smiled. Let's not get electrocuted. But you are a very smart girl for putting the tree lights together with that part of the movie (when George eats the fireflies.) She's such a smartie pants. Yesterday she had her 18 month well visit. She was curious curious at the visit. She was pushing buttons and exploring everything within her reach during our 15 minute wait in the exam room.

Peeking in the garbage. Trying to get the safety lock off of the cupboard there.

She pulled the tape off of the poster on the door. She is just so curious just like George! and so busy! She is super smart. 

Yesterday she opened a mouthwash bottle that had a safety cap! She is able to take off any lid, so I've moved all vitamin pills, soaps, shampoos, etc in our bathroom, that used to be within toddler reach, and they are higher now. She opened a Costco container of Glide Floss the other day and strung out all 6 of the flosses, not all the way, but enough that Corey and I have a pile of unwound floss that we'll be working through for a while. Add that to our unrolled toilet paper pile. Just a fun part of living with little humans. She is also very good at getting into Abi's makeup, which Abi is learning to put out of toddler reach. Katharine used up all of Abi's favorite concealer. Katharine imitating Abi by curling her eyelashes, ha. 

I mentioned how busy she was at the service concert this past week - She is smart on curious and busy busy. Also something that totally made me throw back my head and laugh on Wednesday morning, I was taking a cold shower (have this whole year - usually a straight to cold shower for 2 minutes and 30 seconds!) and I usually turn on a fast song to help me get through it, so I'm in the shower then I hear the door thud from being thrown open. Katharine is sitting there looking at me, and then starts bouncing to the music. So funny! She was standing right in the door frame, I wanted to capture the moment though, so I got back in the glass shower and told her to go over to the door, but she came to me, but it was funny to see her there, standing in curiosity at the music, then bouncing along to the rhythm. She is a delight. And with George ever faithful by her side.

Or she also had this little baby that I got recently for her. 

None of our other baby dolls have made it, and they don't have that brand at Walmart anymore - but this little one is a good size and she's taken to it, so we'll call it good. I was squatting down to get a picture of her, and she imitated me. Cute little thing.

Yesterday she had Corey's phone and sent a few emoji's. I liked the follow up laugh emoji after my comment.

That was followed by a few Gifs of people excited about it being Friday eve. 

So this past week has been busy. Tonight I took Abi and Lily to GMS for their Friday evening class (don't love the day or time of this class...) and then they rode the bus home, Corey and I drove Sophi to a friend Christmas party at 6 and then went out on a date to Bandits. Natalie was in charge at home, since AL&S were all gone, and Wes was doing homework over at Wayne's house. Wes is going to pick up Sophi at 10 after her party is over. Joseph had an interview with the U of U medical school this morning. Joseph and I were both fasting, and he said it went really really well, like better than he had hoped. So he is anticipating that he will get in, but also knows that if he doesn't he did everything he could and it went as well as possible - he "left it all on the field" so to speak. The U is his number one choice, good luck Joseph. And a few other things from yesterday - Katharine had her well visit at 10:30, then it was home until Sophi and Lily got home, at which time I hurried over to the church because I signed up for kitchen help at a funeral. I came home with lots of leftovers, which is one of the perks of helping out at funerals. It was a loaves and fishes event - there were so many people there (lots of Tongan family) so we were a bit worried the meals the Relief Society provided would run out, but they brought a lot of their own food - a bit pork feast and desserts. I was able to take home leftover desserts which I then used as my treat contribution for a Relief Society cookie exchange last night. I was going to make cocoa quickies and add some red and green sprinkles on them, but instead I added the sprinkles to some banana cream bars with fluffy white frosting that they had at the funeral. Looked festive, and saved me the time of making more treats. My kids loved the treats last night - they finished off brownies and the banana bars, and then this morning I let them have at the large spread of cookies I brought home last night. I talked with my butterfly friend Terry, most of the time at the cookie exchange. She has been in Texas the past 7 weeks. She came by after the cookie exchange with some gifts that she brought from Texas for Wesley. She told him about the HEB grocery store, Texas' version of Kroger/Smiths. She brought a Texas flag for our collection. She got him a Texas jacket pin, some cotton from the cotton fields of Lubbock, some longhorn socks, and other thoughtful things! She and her dog Leo went by and took a photo by the Lubbock county line and the Lubbock temple for Wes. 

Terry has been in Texas helping her parents by getting their home ready for sale and she was going to do an estate sale too, but then had a miracle of a lady coming by after noticing he storage pod in the driveway. This lady said she was recently divorced and looking to buy a home, and she bought the home as is AND everything in it! It was a miracle for Terry, but it was still a ton of work for her. Terry's advice to parents: do Swedish death cleaning while you have the health, don't make your kids do it after you get sick or die. Her parents are both here - her mom had an outpatient surgery that was supposed to be an in and out thing, but instead turned into 2 weeks in the hospital, and her dad had a stroke from the stress of that. Luckily they were here in Utah, but they had been planning to go back to Texas to take care of things, but instead Terry had to do it. ANYWAY - the take away - clean up after yourself. No one will be able to take care of your things and the stuff that you've been holding on to cause it's important to you, BETTER THAN YOU WILL. So do it now. So I'm writing that down as a note to self to continue to work through and get rid of stuff. I'm not sure that is a note I can pass on to my parents. Wayne is going good at working alone now, trying to sort his way through years of memories and gathered items. I checked out a book several weeks ago, that I didn't read, but it wasn't renewed because someone else put it on hold, but I did look through it on my way back from Katharine's dr. appointment - just real quick in the library parking lot as P&K watched a movie in the car - it's called the 7 minute solution by Allyson Lewis, and I did like her idea of Prioritize, Organize, SIMPLIFY!! Simplify is a thing that has been on my mind this whole year. Which is one of the reasons why we will most likely be having a very simple Christmas this year. (Like more simple than our 2019 Christmas! - minus the ugly and depressing wrapping job). Boys Christmas coloring pages tonight. Simple things. Keep it simple.

I still have a lot to do, so I'll probably continue with the goal of Reducing and simplifying in 2024.