Tanner got the strangest eye infection! It wasn't goopy like pink eye so I thought he might have seasonal allergies. When I finally took him to the doctor, they said it was an eye infection that had gone to the tissue, so that is why it didn't look like normal pink eye. So weird. Poor guy had to be on strong anti-biotics for 10 days, but luckily it didn't cause the tummy troubles those often do.
Collin's birthday lunch! The Friday before Spring Break is a 1/2 day, and the Thursday before was Weston's field trip, so he got to get out of school for this on Wednesday! And a good thing we did it then and not after Spring Break, like I had suggested to him, since covid hit and they never ended up going back to school!
He chose Venezias.
I think his Buffalo birth city roots come through in his love for chicken wings!!
Marcie was so nice to have Tanner so I could meet Weston for his class field trip at the AZ Science Center! I wish I had taken more pictures. He was so cute, running around to all the different displays and games, taking it all in. They had an early lunch, then had to go into a movie about Antarctic exploration that lasted an hour! I was bummed I couldn't stay longer, but glad for the time I got with him. Of course, I couldn't resist snagging a burrito from Ritos on my way home! When in Phoenix, right?!
Camilla turned the big 4-0 in February and went on a two week trip to Singapore, Vietnam, and Cambodia, so this was the first chance we had to celebrate her! It was the weekend before spring break though and almost no one showed up. It was honestly the saddest thing. She is literally the kindest human I know. I wish the house could have been packed for her surprise party. For the girls who did come though, we had a great night visiting and laughing. So thankful for those who made the effort to be there.
We had stake conference at 10am so we actually had time to walk to church! Olive waved at every person and every car that passed. She's a friendly critter.
Weston's three point paper on the Constitution. He was so confused why his teacher made him redo it.
We went met cousins at Gainey Ranch for the first day of spring break! It was supposed to rain the rest of the week, boo! It was warm, but not hot. Luckily, the pools are heated and the kids had a blast!
Time for teeth cleanings! I don't take them in often enough. This was Tanner's first time and he was amazing! Totally cooperative and happy. Weston had 8 cavities. EIGHT. Major parent fail. Apparently, he only brushes occasionally. Ugh. And here I thought he was old enough to have these simple habits down.
On Wednesday, Grandma treated us all to a day at the new Great Wolf Lodge in Scottsdale! It poured rain all day so it was fun to be able to swim indoors! Only, the hot tubs were outside, so we had to brave the cold air to scurry out there and back. Tanner had an incident pooping in his swim diaper and some sneaked out onto the floor of the kiddie area. Which effectively shut down the kid area for over an hour! Yikes. I felt so bad. Time to get this kid potty trained!
On Thursday, I met Leah at the state capital for a tour! She showed me around the Senate building and then we watched a session of the House of Representatives. Warren Petersen even introduced us, sitting up in the viewing area and everyone clapped for us, haha. It was interesting to see a bit of the process of how bills are made into laws. I have a lot to learn!
Travis took Collin, Weston, Lane and Rusty up to Snowbowl to snowboard for a couple days. He actually picked them up from the Great Wolf Lodge on Wednesday night and they skiied Thursday and Friday and came home Friday night. It was Collin's birthday on Friday so it was the perfect activity to help celebrate him! Travis said they all had a lot of fun. I was glad, because back home, news of the Coronavirus spreading was getting bad and things were getting shut down left and right. The schools announced they were shutting down until at least April 10. The church announced they were cancelling church services until further notice. Professional sports teams were shutting down, Disneyland closed and on and on. People we mass buying at the grocery stores. There was no toilet paper or water bottles to buy ANYWHERE. I had heard people were buying up toilet paper last week but I just thought they were crazy. I had no idea it would get like this. I started feeling really anxious. Not about catching the virus. Never once have I felt nervous about the virus itself. It was about how people were REACTING to the virus. The hysteria and paranoia was disturbing and the future was so unknown. It was nice to have Travis back home and not feel so alone at such an unsettling time.
I put on a pair of jeans and felt something weird in the belt loop. A screw! Tanner must have been messing around in my closet and got a screw wound into it. Have to say, this was one of the weirder things my kids have done.
Craig's girlfriend, Camille, was putting on a homemade pizza fundraiser for her humanitarian trip to Costa Rica. All us Lindbloms showed up to support and the pizza was amazing!
Since he didn't get donuts on Friday, we had them on Saturday! Happy 11th birthday to my oldest, freckliest, most energetic child!
Well, with church cancelled, we were given permission to have sacrament meeting in our homes. While I was upstairs showering, Collin was fashioning us our own pulpit! He is so creative and funny! Complete with a straw for a microphone and a box of tissues teetering on the side. Initially, the church said it would make sure all the members got the sacrament at least once a month. That statement caught my attention. Once a month. Soooo, they anticipate this lasting longer than a month? That puts a pit in my stomach.
These kids are so cute. It was really special to have sacrament in our home. I'm grateful for a husband who is a worthy priesthood holder and able to bless and pass the sacrament for us. We all took turns bearing our testimonies. In later weeks we have had the boys prepare talks. I imagine this is something they'll always remember.
Sis. Wayment told me that she let each of her kids pick one teacher they'd like to bring cookies to, and Easton picked me. Awww! He can be kind of a rascal in class sometimes, but I really do love him. So sweet to know these kids can tell I care about them.
I read this post online and it made me think of Collin. He is ALWAYS (I mean every single day) talking about something he is looking forward to. Even if it is the next day or later in the week. Often, when we are sharing our sweet and sour moments at the dinner table, the kids will say a sweet moment is "insert something happening tomorrow". I never thought that should count, but after reading this, I'll take it. :)
I bought the Lucky Charms, but Grandma Dog provided the candy and socks!
She's always good about doing that for holidays.
Happy St. Patty's Day!
I did Olive's hair in a shamrock then covered it in glitter which kind of hid the shamrock. Oops!
We met Shelley and Leah out in Queen Creek at the Olive Mill. We weren't sure if it would be open, but thankfully it was! This week's Come Follow Me lesson is Jacob 5 about the Allegory of the Olive Tree so we thought it would be fun to take a tour of real olive trees! Miss Olive was thrilled that our whole day was centered around her name! And she gobbled up those bitter tasting olives like candy!
They normally have groups of 30, but now only do groups of 10 because of the new covid restrictions. They let us by with 12 since we were family. Our tour guide was adorable and tried to be perky and animated to keep the kids' attention. I loved the tour and learned a lot! This is an old fashioned olive press.
These machines are their newest and greatest olive press. She let us taste chocolate olive oil and explained the whole process and how to make sure to buy good quality olive oil.
Afterwards, we went to Mansel Carter park and the kids ran free for several hours while we talked. There were quite a few less people there than normal, which made it nice for us. When we got home, I tried to help the kids do a shamrock craft and I stupidly got out the glitter which created a mess, which meant I yelled and the whole thing ended horribly. I'm a terrible craft mom. Just the worst.
Eating lunch on top of the playhouse. Without permission. Last time that is happening!
The funny memes were probably the #1 thing keeping me sane in the beginning. If I didn't laugh, I'd probably cry.
It was Lindi's birthday, but it had rained the day before and all the parks were swampy and wet. So I invited the girls over for a tea party instead! Collin and Weston went to the Goodman's house and we partied here. It was so fun! I made mini cupcakes and served sparkling pink lemonade as tea and we danced and dressed up and had a great time. Then, the kids played so well together the rest of the day which was sooo nice for me.
Captain America shrunk!
While Shelley and I were talking, the kids started playing duck, duck, goose. When it was Collin's turn, I heard him say, " coronavirus, coronavirus, ACHOO!" I about died laughing! That kid! When I tried to make him recreate it so I could videotape, it wasn't quite the same, but man, I needed that laugh.
The governor issued an executive order mandating dental offices to close and elective surgeries to stop. I was furious. Having your livelihood affected brings a whole other level of stress to this already ridiculous game. I can't even talk about it without getting so angry. And then they want you to donate all your gloves and masks to the hospitals. Like hell. If I believed this virus was a real threat I wouldn't be so defiant, but from the very beginning, I just flat out didn't believe what the government was telling us. Obviously, it's a real virus. And obviously, unfortunately, some people die from it. But I didn't believe the hyped up numbers and paranoia surrounding it. I don't know why, but my gut reaction was that this was all bull crap. I'm normally a rule follower, but oh boy, not this time.
At any rate, with Travis home more, we went on a family hike to the wind caves. It's great weather for hiking! Tanner hiked quite a bit of it too. Probably half. Then we'd take turns holding him. I love my family.
Trying to get Tanner to tell Travis how he climbed out of his crib after his nap. Woe is me! He is now consistently climbing out of his crib.
I have been so bad! Craig has been gone almost two months and we haven't written to him. So for FHE, I had the kids all write him letters and I took pictures and emailed them to him. As it turned out, he didn't even get to read them until he was home. The week I sent them he was at the AP's house in quarantine, waiting for a flight home. The church has systematically been sending almost all of the missionaries home. It's crazy. Never has this been done before. Governments all over the world are forcing foreigners to leave so the church has no choice in most instances.
I loved how Weston said he wants to be like him and serve a "mishon" too.
Even though you're not supposed to be gathering in groups of more than 10 (now called social distancing) most of the family couldn't care less. So Sunday dinners are still happening. Thankfully, most of Travis's family is on the same page too. If you're sick, stay home. If not, we're not worried. This virus doesn't affect children, so that is a big relief. Our pediatrician has continually told Travis (he's our bishop) that he is not worried about this virus at all and that parents should be much more concerned about RSV and the flu.
Busted out a jigsaw puzzle! The kids' attention spans aren't great, haha, so Trav did most of it, and I did some.
I try to find places to hide, so the couch in the front room has been a favorite spot. This one always finds me though!
Playdate with Posey on a nature walk.
The neighborhood school, Greenfield, did a teacher parade down our street and we stood outside to wave even though we don't go there. I got all choked up seeing the cars all decorated and all the smiling teachers waving to their students. It was a really touching show of love that got me emotional when I wasn't expecting it!
Yay for cousins!
I heard DQ had cotton candy dipped cones and ya know I'm going to want to try that!!
It took 3 or 4 days to complete. Good job, Trav! Haha!
A big earthquake happened in Utah and I tell ya what, if it didn't already feel like the end of the world, it did now. School got shut down for the rest of the year. Everybody is walking around wearing gloves and masks. You still can't find toilet paper in stock anywhere. Store shelves are empty. People have lost their ever loving minds.
Oh my cute Weston is going to make the best daddy someday! They were all playing with their stuffed animals and Weston figured out how to make a sling for his. Like a mama kangaroo. I just love him.
Getting inventive out there! Please no broken bones!!
I'm very open minded to energy healing, but this still made me cackle laugh!
Craig finally got a flight home on a Saturday night so the next Sunday we all drove by in a family parade to welcome him home! He had finished at the Mexico City MTC and had spent one week in Honduras before being quarantined a week and sent home. Poor guy. No one knows when he'll be able to go back out. They ended up releasing him the next week so he's back to normal life until the world resumes.
My mom's birthday was the next day, so we got lunch and sat on her front lawn and let the kids play all afternoon while we talked. It was nice! Craig joined us for a bit too. Then Shelley invited our family over for dinner that night and look at what Della and Tanner did while we were doing a zoom call with Craig and the rest of the family!! Ack! What a mess! Shelley invited me to do a High Fitness class with her friends that night which rounded out the day nicely. So grateful for any sense of normalcy right now.
Look who got potty trained!! The week after spring break I decided it was finally time. Monday through Thursday was constant accidents. He'd pee on the toilet if we put him there but he never told us otherwise if he had to go. And he never pooped on the toilet. I finally made him go bare bum on Thursday and that helped him to tell me when he had to go potty, but the little stinker went and found underwear to poop in when I was distracted! Argh! I was so mad! I hadn't gotten mad at him all week! With every accident I was calm but this time I raised my voice and the poor child just cried and cried and kept saying "saw-wee mommy, saw-wee mommy" (sorry, mommy) in the saddest little voice. Break my heart. How could I stay mad? I hugged him and comforted him and on Friday, he pooped in the toilet! I would have set off fireworks if I could have!! Bless the heavens!! He's finally got it!
Madeline had a birthday the same week as Mom, Dad and Christopher so we did another parade. But then mom said she had a lawn chair and wanted to sit outside like we did for her birthday so we all shrugged our shoulders and figured we'd follow suit!
After she opened her presents, the ice cream man came by and Grandpa bought ice cream for everybody! Quite the spontaneous party!
And two weeks after his actual birthday, Collin got his birthday dinner. Chicken marsala. He loves those mushrooms!
He wanted a laser pointer, new shoes and Legos for his birthday. If he could have gotten braces, he would have asked for those. He's been begging for a while now, but dad keeps telling him he's not ready yet. When I finally got the go ahead to make him an appointment, they were closed because of covid. Dang you, covid!
