John came to me this morning and told me he wanted to play legos. Then he said, "my body is telling me to play legos."
The phrase comes from discussions about going to the bathroom, as in listen to your body telling you you need to go potty. (So you don't have an accident.) Or I will say, "My body is telling me I need to go potty" so as to demonstrate listening to your body.
Wednesday, June 18, 2014
Sunday, June 15, 2014
Father's Day
All About My Daddy
By Emma and John
2014
What is Daddy’s name?
Aaron
Wolfies
What color is Daddy’s hair?
Brown
Brown
What color are Daddy’s eyes?
Brown
White and
black
What does Daddy like to eat?
Quesadillas
Chicken
potpie
What does Daddy like to do for fun?
Plau Steam Rollers
Basketballing
How long have you known Daddy?
Years
Four
Years
How old is Daddy?
35
4
Where did you and Daddy meet?
You married Daddy and then I was born
You
[Mommy]
What does Daddy do for work?
Writes a contract
Daddy no
gonks
How tall is Daddy?
This tall [uses hands]
4
How much does Daddy weigh?
60 lbs
Basketballs
What do you like to do with Daddy?
Play with him
Sing
Rumpabumps
What makes Daddy the best?
Playing with him
Best
Daddy
Emma and John have the best Dad in the world. We took some pictures for Father's Day. John was not a willing participant.
Monday, June 9, 2014
Funny
Stick with me here. There are 2 background stories that set up my main story.
1. Emma was discussing something about her eyes. I was discussing eyes with her and mentioned the word "eyeball." Emma and John immediately started laughing so hard they were crying. Apparently the word "eyeball" is hilarious. Periodically they ask me to say "eyeball" and then they start laughing all over again.
2. We are thinking about buying a minivan. We were discussing this with my dad and he mentioned that we should get decals of flames to put on the minivan coming out of the engine to make it more acceptable for Aaron to drive. We were cracking up over that. Aaron countered that we should get hydraulics on the minivan.
So I was singing songs to John to put him to bed. I remembered my dad's comment about the flame decals for the minivan and started giggling. John asked what I was laughing at. So I told him that Grandpa said something funny. John thought about it and asked if grandpa said "eyeballs." I giggled and told him, "yes, grandpa said eyeballs." John just kept saying "grandpa said eyeballs."
On another topic but similar theme, John loves leaf blowers. I mean he LOVES leaf blowers. He is contantly turning anything long and pointy into a leaf blower. Sticks. Lego towers. The chain cover to a bike. A card cardboard tube from wrapping paper. His arm. The trailer to a car transporter. You name it, it is a leaf blower. He makes this sound where ever we go - the grocery store, everywhere. Today, John was peeing on the toilet, looked up with a smile and then started to make a leaf blower sound. He made the connection!
1. Emma was discussing something about her eyes. I was discussing eyes with her and mentioned the word "eyeball." Emma and John immediately started laughing so hard they were crying. Apparently the word "eyeball" is hilarious. Periodically they ask me to say "eyeball" and then they start laughing all over again.
2. We are thinking about buying a minivan. We were discussing this with my dad and he mentioned that we should get decals of flames to put on the minivan coming out of the engine to make it more acceptable for Aaron to drive. We were cracking up over that. Aaron countered that we should get hydraulics on the minivan.
So I was singing songs to John to put him to bed. I remembered my dad's comment about the flame decals for the minivan and started giggling. John asked what I was laughing at. So I told him that Grandpa said something funny. John thought about it and asked if grandpa said "eyeballs." I giggled and told him, "yes, grandpa said eyeballs." John just kept saying "grandpa said eyeballs."
On another topic but similar theme, John loves leaf blowers. I mean he LOVES leaf blowers. He is contantly turning anything long and pointy into a leaf blower. Sticks. Lego towers. The chain cover to a bike. A card cardboard tube from wrapping paper. His arm. The trailer to a car transporter. You name it, it is a leaf blower. He makes this sound where ever we go - the grocery store, everywhere. Today, John was peeing on the toilet, looked up with a smile and then started to make a leaf blower sound. He made the connection!
Saturday, June 7, 2014
Dance Lessons and Pass Codes
I showed Emma Nanny Great's funeral program this morning and on it are two pictures. One was of Nanny when she was younger and the other was a more recent picture. She asked how Nanny's hair turned gray. Fortunately for Emma I have gray hairs to demonstrate how such things happen.
Emma asked if Nanny's legs worked when she was younger. Nanny used a walker (named Petunia) in her last years. I told her that yes, Nanny's legs worked when she was younger and that in fact Nanny liked to dance. Emma lit up and asked, "Did a prince teach her to dance?" I felt bad crushing her hopes, but Nanny took dance lessons just like the rest of us peons.... no royalty involved.
On another note, Emma was telling me about the process of getting married. The temple was involved, but so was telling each other their pass codes (for your phones).
Emma asked if Nanny's legs worked when she was younger. Nanny used a walker (named Petunia) in her last years. I told her that yes, Nanny's legs worked when she was younger and that in fact Nanny liked to dance. Emma lit up and asked, "Did a prince teach her to dance?" I felt bad crushing her hopes, but Nanny took dance lessons just like the rest of us peons.... no royalty involved.
On another note, Emma was telling me about the process of getting married. The temple was involved, but so was telling each other their pass codes (for your phones).
Saturday, May 31, 2014
Ward Family History Scavenger Hunt
The following were the scavenger hunt items and what we found for our ward:
- Find a story about a parent I have not heard before and record it. Growing up, I knew that when playing games with my Grandma Lofgreen, she had a rule that to signify the end of your turn, you knock on the table. At the beginning of this April, I heard that my parent's dog, Ned would respond to any knock by running to the front door in anticipation of a visitor.
- Interview your grandparents and ask them questions you don't know the answer to. At the beginning of April, I had the opportunity to "interview" Grandma Russell (only grandparent now living). Something new I learned about Grandma Russell was that her favorite restaurant is Matta's (in Mesa, Arizona). I knew she used to play Boggle with her family regularly, but hasn't been able to play because her brother and sister passed away recently. We set up Internet Boggle for her to play against folks on the Internet. After not playing in a month, she was able to win first place within just a few games.
- Find an item passed down. Grandma Russell gave John and Emma each a medal that my dad won during swimming or diving competitions when younger.
- Make a time capsule. We may a time capsule last week consisting of pictures Emma had drawn, pictures of our family and kids, and a DVD containing a recent blog book and other recent important family documents.
Monday, May 26, 2014
Nostrils
John was pointing to his facial features and naming them. Aaron decided to help John broaden his vocabulary and Aaron pointed to his nostrils and said, "nostrils." John looked at him and said, "no, hair."
Thursday, May 22, 2014
Grandma Lofgreen
We went to Phoenix, AZ for Grandma Lofgreen's funeral this weekend. Grandma Lofgreen has been ill for most of the time that Aaron and I have been married. It is wonderful that she now gets to be with her husband and other family members. I got to learn quite a bit more about her and am sad that I wasn't able to know her while she was healthy.
Some of the stories that I particularly enjoyed where about a time that she drove up onto a curb. Apparently she was 4'11" and drove a station wagon. It was said that you could see two little hands on a steering wheel and a bunch of kids in the car (there were 11 in the family) and that was it. She said that when she was pregnant, she had a hard time reaching the steering wheel and the gas pedal at the same time. The image of that just made me giggle.
Here is a segment from Jana's talk at the funeral:
Mom was known for her long fervent prayers. Quoting Peggy: “While we lived in the farm house there was a skunk living underneath in the crawl space. Dad had set a trap where he thought the skunk was getting in and out. As dad was the bishop at that time he left early Sunday mornings for meetings. He gave instructions to Art to check the trap and to shoot and dispose of the skunk if it were caught. The skunk was caught. Art shot and killed the skunk. He must have hit the stink bag gland. Art quickly grabbed the trap with the dead skunk attached to the chain, ran out into the nearby field, swinging the trap and skunk above his head, flinging it as far away as he could from himself and the house. It wasn’t far enough or it was too late…it was time for morning family prayer and Mom called us all into the living room. We dutifully came, knelt down at our regular prayer spots in the living room and my mom commenced to pray. I had smelled something strange to start with but as she continued in prayer the potent fragrance increased, seemingly in waves, till it actually caused my eyes to tear and my throat to scratch. Mom continued to pray. I remember thinking, “can she not smell that?” I was Jr Sunday School secretary and thought I’d better send the rolls in the folders to the church building with a family member so they could take attendance, as we would probably be late, with the extreme bathing that was now required. The family member returned and said the members of the ward sent back the folders and told us it probably would be better if we didn’t come that morning at all. Mom went to a convenience store and bought several cans of Lysol spray. She told us that the store clerk looked at her funny so Mom explained, pointing to the cans, “We were sprayed by a skunk,” and the clerk replied, “I know.”
Grandma Lofgreen had a great love of music. I had been told this before but didn't quite grasp the enormity of her love of music. My grandfather Ben loved music and could sing very well. He gave each of his kids a piano in hopes of passing this love onto the next generation. It stopped there. I don't know of a single musically gifted person in our family (including extended, with one exception). This is not the Lofgreen family. At her funeral one granddaughter (Shelly) played the cello and Missy (a daughter) sang. It was nothing short of amazing. It might as well have been professional. I was dumbfounded. As it stands now, tone-deafness appears to be a dominate gene.
I was able to meet a ton of family on the Lofgreen side. It was nice to get a feel for more of Aaron's family. We also were able to spend time with some family from the Russell side. John loved Dave and Judy's house because they have cool trucks there. Emma loved it because you can slide down their basement stairs - too hard to explain. Emma and John also loved to play with the Deshlers. Emma and Elle were two peas in a pod. John and Dray bonded over trucks. It was very nice to sit and visit with family and to have a weekend to catch a glimpse into Aaron's childhood and what it was like for him to grow up near family.
Some of the stories that I particularly enjoyed where about a time that she drove up onto a curb. Apparently she was 4'11" and drove a station wagon. It was said that you could see two little hands on a steering wheel and a bunch of kids in the car (there were 11 in the family) and that was it. She said that when she was pregnant, she had a hard time reaching the steering wheel and the gas pedal at the same time. The image of that just made me giggle.
Here is a segment from Jana's talk at the funeral:
Mom was known for her long fervent prayers. Quoting Peggy: “While we lived in the farm house there was a skunk living underneath in the crawl space. Dad had set a trap where he thought the skunk was getting in and out. As dad was the bishop at that time he left early Sunday mornings for meetings. He gave instructions to Art to check the trap and to shoot and dispose of the skunk if it were caught. The skunk was caught. Art shot and killed the skunk. He must have hit the stink bag gland. Art quickly grabbed the trap with the dead skunk attached to the chain, ran out into the nearby field, swinging the trap and skunk above his head, flinging it as far away as he could from himself and the house. It wasn’t far enough or it was too late…it was time for morning family prayer and Mom called us all into the living room. We dutifully came, knelt down at our regular prayer spots in the living room and my mom commenced to pray. I had smelled something strange to start with but as she continued in prayer the potent fragrance increased, seemingly in waves, till it actually caused my eyes to tear and my throat to scratch. Mom continued to pray. I remember thinking, “can she not smell that?” I was Jr Sunday School secretary and thought I’d better send the rolls in the folders to the church building with a family member so they could take attendance, as we would probably be late, with the extreme bathing that was now required. The family member returned and said the members of the ward sent back the folders and told us it probably would be better if we didn’t come that morning at all. Mom went to a convenience store and bought several cans of Lysol spray. She told us that the store clerk looked at her funny so Mom explained, pointing to the cans, “We were sprayed by a skunk,” and the clerk replied, “I know.”
Grandma Lofgreen had a great love of music. I had been told this before but didn't quite grasp the enormity of her love of music. My grandfather Ben loved music and could sing very well. He gave each of his kids a piano in hopes of passing this love onto the next generation. It stopped there. I don't know of a single musically gifted person in our family (including extended, with one exception). This is not the Lofgreen family. At her funeral one granddaughter (Shelly) played the cello and Missy (a daughter) sang. It was nothing short of amazing. It might as well have been professional. I was dumbfounded. As it stands now, tone-deafness appears to be a dominate gene.
I was able to meet a ton of family on the Lofgreen side. It was nice to get a feel for more of Aaron's family. We also were able to spend time with some family from the Russell side. John loved Dave and Judy's house because they have cool trucks there. Emma loved it because you can slide down their basement stairs - too hard to explain. Emma and John also loved to play with the Deshlers. Emma and Elle were two peas in a pod. John and Dray bonded over trucks. It was very nice to sit and visit with family and to have a weekend to catch a glimpse into Aaron's childhood and what it was like for him to grow up near family.
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