The Four F's of Thanksgiving

Faith, family, food, and, well, football, of course.

Last year on the Monday before Thanksgiving we made a "Thankful Tree" for Family Home Evening. We wrote down what we're thankful for on leaves and taped them on a tree trunk. The kids were pretty small, and I couldn't even get Netty to put the leaves up once I put tape on the back. At the end of the activity, I took a picture of the kids with the Thankful Tree.

2013

This year, I was a little smarter. I laminated the tree and the leaves so that we can use them again next year, and we taped the tree to the wall so the kids could reach it.  I wrote in wet erase markers, and not long into the activity, Netty started helping too. Both Netty and Atticus put the leaves up on the tree. Atticus didn't understand why the leaves wouldn't stay up without tape, so he spent most of the time trying to put up the same leaf.

2014

I am so grateful for Family Home Evening. It is not always easy to come up with an activity that the kids are going to "get." It's frustrating when I put thought and planning into a lesson or activity and the kids scream through the whole thing. But even though these evenings are not always easy, I am grateful that they bring us together. Netty and Atticus are learning little pieces of the gospel. I love watching their faith and knowledge grow as we learn about following the prophet and praying. I love that it's a built-in opportunity to share my testimony with them. And I have faith that someday there will be even a small payoff.

My children bring me much more joy than I ever could have imagined. Although it can be frustrating at times, these two kidlets love to help. They especially love helping HoneyGram with anything and everything she does. On Thanksgiving Day they helped her wash the potatoes. By the end of the activity they were dirty and wet, but they had a ton of fun. I am grateful that my mom is patient with them, because she certainly could do the work a lot faster without their "help," and it would have been a lot less messy as well.

Netty found a potato with a "nose." She said, "Silly 'tato."

Netty threw a fit right as we were sitting down to eat, so I put her down for a nap while everyone else was eating. By the time I got back upstairs, Atticus was about done with his meal. His favorite was the stuffing, followed by everything else, all mixed together. He was covered head to toe in mashed potatoes and green jello. And immediately following his meal, he went straight into the tub.

After dinner, cleanup, games, and dessert, we settled in for the Seahawks game. Netty was in another room watching Sleeping Beauty, and every time the cheering got loud, she would come out and scold us. Atticus, however, loved the cheering, and eventually settled in to watch it with Stephie. Thankfully, our Hawks didn't disappoint,

Oh How We Love Costco

A lifetime supply of toothpicks. Ten gallons of maple syrup. A 25lb bag of carrots. And diapers. Lots and lots of diapers. I love Costco. I love how you can buy practically anything, even things you hardly ever use, like 900,000 paperclips, at Costco. When I walk through the door, I feel as though I've entered a magical world, like Disneyland, and suddenly everything I see seems like a good idea.

And it doesn't just work on big kids. It works on little kids too!

Okay. Enough magic.

What Costco trip isn't complete without a ginormous hot dog?

And frozen yogurt? (Hey, it's fat free!)

This is Halloween

HoneyGram bought The Berenstain Bears Trick or Treat, and it quickly became Netty's favorite book. Suddenly, Netty called any house that had any kind of Halloween decoration or light on a "pooky house." We drove around one night to find all the spooky houses in the neighborhood. The best part was listening to Netty talk later about the giant spiders ("Ewwie! We don't eat them!") and the ghosts and other spooky things she saw. 

On the Monday before Halloween we decorated pumpkins. At first I set the kids' pumpkins down on newspaper on the table in front of them and gave them markers. Instead of coloring on the pumpkins, they colored on the newspaper. Once I drew faces on their pumpkins, they got the idea and started drawing on them as well. After the kids were done with their pumpkins, Jon and I carved ours.

Atticus with his pumpkin

Netty with her pumpkin

Atti trying out pumpkin guts -- When I was about ten, my sister told me that the inside of a pumpkin tasted like pumpkin pie. I told her that I didn't believe here, but she said, "No, really. I just tasted it." So then I took a big bite of the pumpkin innards. It did NOT taste like pie.

Deathly Hallows -- Halloween isn't Halloween without some kind of nod to Harry Potter. Unfortunately, the whole center triangle fell out just as we were leaving the house to go trick-or-treating. At least it lasted as long as it did.

Phelps Family Pumpkins

And Jonny said he never wanted a kitten -- Netty said she wanted to be Minnie Mouse for Halloween, but I couldn't find mouse ears anywhere (at least for a reasonable price and in time for Halloween). Instead I bought cat ears and turned them in to mouse ears.

Last year I decided it seemed silly to spend $20+ on a Halloween costume that would probably only be worn once. For the last two years we have either used what we already had (the skirt and shoes) or we bought things the kids would be able to wear again (the black hoodie jacket). 

We practiced trick-or-treating with the kids for family night ahead of time so that the kids knew what to do. They went around to the bedrooms and HoneyGram and Papa opened the doors and gave them treats. Then, in the days and hours leading up to the big event, we continued going over what Netty needed to say and do. By the time we got to the night, Netty was a pro. She said "trick-or-treat" and "thank you" at almost every house. The only ones she wouldn't say anything at were the ones with fire pits in the driveway because it was too scary.

I was sure Atticus would be pulling off his ears and/or hood all night. Maybe it was because Netty had them on too or maybe it was that he was too busy with everything else going on to notice, but either way, he left them on all night. Both kids carried their pumpkin buckets the whole way down the street and back, and Atticus walked the whole way. He even said "thank you," and at a few houses where they held out the bowl in front of him, he grabbed candy by the handfuls and went back for seconds. This kid knows what trick-or-treating is all about.

Yep, we were those people.

My mom got some toothbrushes from work to pass out on Halloween, but then she and my dad made a last-minute trip to Washington for the weekend and Jon and I were stuck handing them out. Surprisingly, parents and kids alike were excited about the toothbrushes.

By the end of the night the kids were exhausted. They hung on just long enough for bath and jammies, and then as soon as we put them in bed, they went right to sleep.

Falling

Fall is my favorite season. I love the colors and the crispness and the excitement of the coming holidays. This fall has been much warmer than any that I remember--especially since I've been in Rexburg in the fall for the last eight or so years, and it's much colder there. We tried to take advantage of the warmer weather with walks to the park and the library, and playing in the backyard leaves.

Atticus loved riding in HoneyGram and Papa's jumbo Radio Flyer.

Netty too!

Enjoying the last of the sun before bath and bed.

Getting ready for a trip to the library. Our stroller is a "sit 'n stand," and this was the first day that we took out the back seat so Netty could sit on the bench or stand on the pedestal. 

Atticus "helped" Papa fix our brakes.

After almost a whole year wearing her beloved red boots, Netty's feet grew too big. She squeezed into them as long as she could before we finally passed them down to Atticus. And now Atticus loves them just as much as Netty did.

Playing outside with Stephie

Darling "Yu-di" - Julia (pronounced "yu-di-ah") is my parents' "adopted" Asian grandbaby. Her dad is Japanese, and my parents stayed with his family when picking my brother up from his mission. Now he and his wife live in Salt Lake City, and my mom coached the births of both of their daughters. Netty and Atticus adore Julia and her little sister Erika.

Netty dancing in the leaves

Giving Daddy some love

Netty was sad when we finally had to pass her red boots on to Atticus. I told her that we would let her pick out some new boots. I didn't know that our Kmart in Utah wouldn't have galoshes like the Kmarts in Washington, so we had to order them online. She picked out green. She was thrilled the day they finally came, and they are now every bit as much favorite as the red boots were.

The kids helped HoneyGram blow out the candles on her birthday cake.

General Conference Weekend

I'm not typically one to get excited over General Conference. It's nice to be able to watch it at home, to not have to get dressed up, but it's never really been a time that I especially look forward to. This last Conference I actually felt ready for it, and that made all the difference as I listened to/watched the apostles speak. The weekend was relaxing, and just what I needed to feel rejuvenated.

On Saturday morning I made crepes for the first time since we lived in Rexburg. One of our friends from down the street, Tarah, made us some peach melba jam with peaches from my parents' peach tree. That was the favorite crepe filling.

We are still trying to interest Netty in the potty chair. She goes through days where she's interested and others where she throws fits. On GC Saturday, HoneyGram convinced Netty to sit on the potty chair. And of course anything Netty does, Atti has to do as well.

The kids napped through the Saturday afternoon, making for a peaceful Conference session. Every General Conference over the last couple years my family sends text messages and pictures to each other. It makes it feel more like we're all together, and it has become my favorite Conference tradition. This is our #ConfUssie ("ussie" is the termed dubbed by Ellen deGeneres for a group "selfie").

On Sunday we watched Conference with the kids, my parents, Stephanie, and Nicole (our cousin). It was a little more difficult to focus because the kids were so entertaining, but we still had a good time.

After the final session of Conference on Sunday, my cousins Paul and Becca and Becca's family came over for dinner. Netty was pretty shy, but after a while she finally warmed up. Here is Paul reading to Netty and two of Becca's children.

The Sunday We Almost Went Inactive

The morning started out as an above-average Sunday morning. HoneyGram and Papa were out of town for the weekend (not that that made it above average, it's just a detail). Netty woke up early, climbed into bed with Atticus, the two laughed and played until they got too loud for Jon and I to keep sleeping, and then we made breakfast and got ready for church. Netty let me do her hair, and she actually kept it in. For the first time in weeks, the church bag had toys and books in it that the kids really wanted to play with. We didn't have to run out the door. We weren't sweaty by the time we sat down in a pew--yes, we were early enough on our own to get a pew. The kids played quietly with their toys, and as I sang the opening song, I thought, "Oh yeah, we're good. We got this."

Not so fast, Sister Phelps.

The sacrament concluded and the deacons joined their families. Suddenly, the gates of Hell opened, and an army of minions sneaked up on us from all sides. Atticus messed his diaper, and Jon took him out to change him. Netty, who had been playing so well with a few toys, started asking for more Little People, the ones that I didn't bring. She started whining until I offered her some snacks. Jon and Atticus returned, and I gave both kids fruit snacks. Crisis averted.

Or so I thought. Netty asked for more fruit snacks, but they were all gone. I said, "Do you want some fishy crackers?" When she said she did, I dug in the bag. I dug some more. And then I saw myself pull the bags of crackers and cereal out of my bag and set them on our bed before we left for church. And I saw myself NOT put them back. The whining began again, this time joined by Atticus. I tried to read them a story. They wouldn't listen. Jon leaned over and smelled another messy diaper. He rolled his eyes, asked for the diapers and wipes again, and carried Atticus out. Netty tried to follow, and I grabbed her arm and pulled her out of the aisle. "Netty," I whispered, "you need to stay here."

"No! I go!" she screamed.

"Daddy's just changing Atti's diaper. He's poopy," I whisper while trying to wrangle a crying, flailing Netty.

She wriggled loose and ran into the aisle. I tried to grab her, but before I could, she screamed, "NO! I POOOOOPEEEEEE!"

I grabbed a diaper, picked up Netty, who was still kicking and crying, and carried her out. We met Jon in the hall. He said, "Atticus wasn't even poopy."

"Yeah," I said. "Netty is."

I changed Netty's diaper and with as much dignity as I could muster, we returned to our pew in the chapel. Fast and Testimony meeting was almost over by this time. When it was all over and time to take Netty to Nursery, we met our neighbor in the hall. She smiled and said, "A little harder without Grandma and Grandpa?"

Netty fell asleep in one of her teacher's arms during Nursery. Atticus munched four Ritz crackers and several goldfish in the Relief Society room carpet during Sunday School, but then he decided to go to Priesthood with Jon during the final hour.

As I sat by myself in Relief Society that Sunday, I thought back to other similar Sundays, back before Netty was in nursery and we were trying to juggle two kids and a car seat through all three meetings. I thought about spending all of Sacrament Meeting in the hall with Netty because she wouldn't sit still and be quiet for even a few minutes, and how I went for two months without getting the Sacrament before the bishop announced that the bread and water would be taken out to the foyers. I thought about all of the other times when I decided I never wanted to have another Sunday like this, and how I swore I wouldn't go back, and how there are sure to be many more Sundays like this with our children and any others that we may have in the future.

I let the peace of the still Relief Society room curl around me. I soaked it in and tucked it away deep inside me for Sundays to come.

Spoonfuls of Sugar

The last year has been full of ups and downs, to say the least. Nothing really worked out the way that we wanted or anticipated. It was a year ago this week that we moved from Rexburg, the last place that really felt like home. We moved to Washington and lived with my grandma, and despite our best efforts, Jon was unable to get a job while we were there. While we appreciated my grandma's hospitality, it was a great struggle and test of our patience to live there. In July, we moved to Utah to live with my parents. After a few months, we were finally able to get Jon into the Voc Rehab program here, and it has been a true blessing to us. His disabilities have finally been diagnosed and we can now move forward, knowing that the Lord has a plan for us. Although I wish we did not have to go through so much difficulty to get where we are now, we feel confident that the Lord has been watching out for us and that everything we have dealt with has led us here--and "here" is good.

I am so grateful to have the children that I have. They get into mischief sometimes, but they are mostly obedient, and they play together so well. They make the dark days not as dark, and they give us a reason to keep moving. They are my two spoonfuls of sugar, and I thank my Heavenly Father every day for them.

Here is a sampling of times when my goofies make me laugh....

Netty loves stickers. Fortunately, these stickers were cheap, so they didn't stick very well. I was able to peel them off without leaving any residue for Aunt Stephie's unsuspecting piano students. They were not so lucky when Atticus decided to play the piano with his peanut butter fingers.

Remember a few weeks ago when our family played out in the rainstorm? Well, during the next rain storm Jon and I were folding clothes on our bed when we heard squealing outside. I looked out the window, and this is what I found.

At first I was really scared, then upset that she didn't come ask. And then I saw that face, and instead of letting our frustration show, we supervised her and had a talk about it later. Since our "talk," we've heard Netty tell all kinds of toys and dolls, "If you want to go outside, tell Mom and Dad."

This is a pretty common sight--Netty wearing a hat and pushing the doll stroller, and Atticus following right behind with the toy cleaning cart.

Why yes, that is a backwards fireman's hat. She always wears it this way.

Depending on what we're eating for dinner, we often strip Atticus down to his diaper. I was grateful that we did on this particular night when we had lasagna. He ate two pieces, and then he got a little sleepy. I think we'll call him "Garfield."

One night we gave the kids ice cream after dinner. Atticus's cone got so slobbery that it just kept slipping out of his hands. He finished it this way.

Remember how Netty loves stickers?

A lot?

We bought the kids one of those 9-cube shelves for their clothes. They were so excited to help me put it together. It took a lot longer, but it was a lot more fun.

Nailing the on the back pieces was a little tricky with so many tiny fingers trying to grab the hammer.

Netty climbs out of her crib most nights and often falls asleep right in front of the door and we go in after she's asleep to put her back in her bed. One night when I went in, I found her not in front of the door, but beneath her bed.

Netty was watching a video of "Let It Go" on YouTube. At the end of the video, it had a link for directions on how to draw Elsa. Netty watched it for a minute, and then she asked for paper and a pencil so that she could draw too.

My niece Rochelle was in ballet a few years ago, and this was one of her costumes. Netty found it in a box of hand-me-downs that we got from my sister-in-law, and she insisted on wearing it.

Atticus loves Peek-a-boo, but he hasn't quite figured out how to cover his eyes.

Putting on Mommy's makeup

Lying ON the table to color