"quiet" Sunday and pizza legs

 Today we didn't have phones, or computer time.  The kids played together and helped, and did their laundry and it was really nice.  It was loud.  I printed out the funny quote book and put it in a folder.  There was much loud laughing about that.  The children resorted to the old "Sneaking Game" that is a lot like blind man's treasure, but indoor, across the 40-50 (?) feet from the front door to the fireplace.

Saturday we had the first completed goal of the year.  P has been planning for some time to let the children experience SPAM.  The taught them all about it including the Monty Python sketch with the vikings.  He fried small slices and put them on hawaiian rolls.  He offered cheese, lettuce, pickles, and other toppings.  The kids all liked it and ate it all up despite their initial misgivings.

I started to preemptively cut the crusts off pizzas a year ago.  This has now become our church snack.  We call them Pizza legs.  Nobody wants to eat the crusts when they have pizza.  When all they have is crusts, it is delicious.  Make the most of it.

In Stake conference a lot of the talks focused on the idea of how we can make a more worthy sacrifice of our time and efforts to consecrate our lives.  I feel like our family is doing a lot of great things.  I'm so grateful for Phillip prioritizing us having scriptures and prayer morning and night.  We go to church.  We pay our tithing.  We honor our covenants and follow church standards.  I'm grateful that he has never had some other hobby he put above the church.

We could go to the temple more often.  We could do more personal study.  We can do more.  And that's OK.

Rocket launch - covid maybe?

 We planned to drive to see a rocket launch on Monday.  The launch was delayed before we left so we went to a great playground instead. 

On the way home B said his head hurt and by bedtime he was sniffling a lot!  I felt prompted to give him our last covid test which came up positive.  We all went to the county testing site on Tuesday and will know in a few days if we are actually positive.  We will stay home and away from people until we know otherwise.

We went to a baptism last week from which many people have tested positive.  For the baptism we wore masks and took refreshments outside to eat.  Yet I also learned that B, M and lP all took off masks to enjoy refreshments at their activities on Wednesday and Sunday.

If we have covid, it's incredibly mild.  So mild that I wonder if it was a false positive.  But it's OK for our family to spend a week at home.  We have more home tests on order and will hear from the county testing site soon (in a few days!)

Family Bike Ride

 We took a ride around the block (mile) last night.  It was the first time ever for us all to be on two wheels.  L finally learned to ride 2 wheels in the last 4 months.  P didn't have a bike because his 2020 bike only just came in the first weeks of 2022.  He sold his old bike back in the summer when it looked like the bike would finally come.

I love the traditions of outdoor enjoyment we have as a family.  Still, yesterday we stayed home and it was glorious. 

Last week we attended a baptism and there were about 60 people there.  Masks were few, refreshments plentiful.  I let the kids get treats and then we went out to the sidewalk to eat.  I felt awkward and paranoid even as I let L eat a cookie that had fallen on the ground, evidence that I'm choosy about my caution.  10 people have tested positive from that group. 

We wear n95 masks whenever we go inside.  Maybe we have Covid and don't have symptoms.  Maybe someone else does.  But we'll be wearing our masks.

less is more and more is less

 I had the chance to visit my dad this week.  It's been about 4 years since our last family visit to his house.  I didn't know how it would be, but it was a lot like previous visits.  We shared meals and went to DC attractions.  Dad has a fiancee and she likes to play scrabble and chess.  She is very friendly and I'm glad dad has a friend.

Dad's home is gigantic.  11,000sqft?  It is very nice to have a room for our family that is 800sqft or something crazy like that, and a bathroom bigger than a usual bedroom.  His kitchen is huge with high ceilings and so many cabinets!  He fills his cabinets with gobblets and pots and pans.  There is one cabinet with food items, one cabinet with plates and bowls, and the other 25 are filled with cups and pans.  

I come home to my small kitchen and am glad that I have just what I like to have.  My dad has just what he likes to have.  It was good to see him.