1st Week of February

 Jaxton had to do his first book report last week. This was the project he did to go with it. The book was "The Knight at Dawn" it's a Magic Treehouse book.

I'm glad we were able to find something to do for his project that he was really excited about. For some reason he really wanted to incorporate a large cardboard box, so we did. And he was happy, so I was happy. Happy and proud. Cutie. 

 

I found out about "Ear Candles" from my friend Kira Jensen. I wanted to buy a bunch for all my kids but the store only had two left the day I went. Anyway, I had Justin do it first so that Jax (who is the real reason I'm so interested anyway,) wouldn't be scared to do it when I got more. They are crazy weird. I don't know how they work but it somehow pulls the wax out of the ear and into the candle. You pull the candle out before it gets to close. It's CRAZY.

I got a call from Jaxton's nurse at school that he had hit his chin on ice. He was going down an ice mountain on his tummy like a penguin, and someone ran into him--knocking his head down. I went in to look at it and it could have used a few stitches, but he was so terrified of that idea and was begging for a bandaid and to go back to school. So after a failed attempt at super glue, (I basically glued it all the way open...! It is shown in the picture below,) and some convincing of Justin (he is nervous Jax won't like the scar on his beard,) I did just that. We did a bandaid and he went back to school. I'm so glad it didn't turn into a traumatic experience--which I think stitches would have been. He is happy, so I am happy.

Day of, it has super glue all over it.

Day 4, right after the super glue came off

Day of, happy boy! He doesn't have to get stitches! Yay! Can you see his ice burn all over his chin and lower face. He didn't even cry.

I take a LOT of pictures of Cal. He is home with me all day and has such a goofy personality. Here he is eating blackberries. Berries are his favorite food of all time. He makes me laugh, a lot! I love him!

I love these next pictures-- so I made them huge. My favorite is Rodrik. In the i-picture on my iPhone it does those moving pictures where it captures the movement like 1 second prior; it shows the movement when you click on it. In these pictures, Rodrik's foot kicks out and in, hinging at that knee with his hands in the air, once with finger 2's and once with finger 1's..! Haha! He is so cute and silly. I don't know what the 2's and the 1's mean. That kid has some interesting ideas. He goes with Justin and Jaxton to the soccer practices Justin runs for Jaxton's team at the church every Thursday. He loves it, it makes him feel pretty cool to be included. He wants Justin to coach his team too, all the time. :) Can't beat those smiles.

  

Sadly, this scene below is basically EVERY meal EVERY day. Calvin rarely feeds himself. Almost never. Even if he is starving, he will just stare longingly at the food and ask "Pease mommy?? Pease hep mommy??" or he will just point at the food and then point in his mouth. Occasionally he will feed himself, maybe a bite or two, but he will eat a lot more if WE feed him. So we generally do. He has just lost so much weight, so we usually cave and feed him, for the calories if nothing else. I hate watching hungry kids stare at food longingly. 

He will pick up some things like berries and fruit; snack things like crackers and Cherrios, but for the life of him he will rarely do sandwiches or anything that requires a utensil. It is a CONSTANT battle and frustration for him and I, and Justin. I almost think he might have some sort of tactile aversion, because even when I can get him to pick something up it's like he can't stand the way if feels, and doesn't like any of the residue left on his fingers or anything like that. So hopefully he will just grow out of this...He was getting slightly better but then he got sick about a month ago and wouldn't eat anything unless he was feed, so now we are back to square one. But it's not like we were at square 25 or anything earlier anyway--it was morel like square 2, so it's really not like it's so much worse then it was. It is SUCH a bummer. My kids and food...!! GRRR!!

 Roddy and I snapping a photo! I don't know what he is doing with his fingers, (again!) haha! Rod has cool ideas...!

Side note! I always love the way Rodrik explains things, it is ALWAYS in great length and detail with little flairs added here and there. He has recently started adding the phrase "As you can see..." It is SO cute. And he still loves the words, "specifically," and "actually," and "necessarily." And so you can imagine the explanations of things with a concoction of these words and phrases used, it's riveting. :) 

I often think, (and say!) when he has finished explaining something to me "Surely, you have a dizzying intellect!" It's from Princess Bride. I think it almost every time. :) He makes me so happy.

Calvin was in a particularly silly mood so I took some pictures. 

And the most wonderful, surprising thing happend on Saturday! It was like 50 degrees outside with clean air!! SO GREAT!! It hasn't been over 30 degrees in like, 3 months! It's been in the teens or single digits many times. And it's usually snowing. And don't even get me started on this nasty constant inversion. So this weather was amazing. We went to the park and had a picnic. There was snow everywhere, but it was AMAZING to be outside and have the kids be playing. It felt so good. I took pictures of the happy occasion. 

  

  Jax was FINALLY able to get his scooter out and ride it! And the kids were finally able to take a ride in the wagon!! We love this wagon, it's so cool.

So, our wonderful neighbors ended up following us over there and we had a huge ol' playdate with snowballs and running and sliding and laughing. Jaxton is at his best and happiest doing things like this. It was so great.

 

I don't know if you can see very well, but Rod is wearing his "red purse." It's my old purse. He found it, and loves it. He puts things in it and has no shame. I love it so much, he just thinks he is the bee's knees with it. My sweet boy.

 

Here is another sweet boy.

Jaxton had a soccer game Saturday as well. It's across from the skating rink at 7 Peaks and Rod and Calvin are always mesmerized by the hockey players. This time it was kids, which was fun to watch.

 Jaxton always has a good time playing soccer. I love that. Honestly he has a good time playing anything. He is such a coordinated, talented kid, but doesn't really seem to have a competitive bone in his body...this makes for interesting performance during games. :) We love him.

Beautiful kick by Jax!

 

I think it's super that Justin coaches him--Jax loves it too.

 

It was a good week!!