- 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.
Saturday, May 31, 2014
Ward Family History Scavenger Hunt
The following were the scavenger hunt items and what we found for our ward:
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.
Emma Can Ride A Bike!
Emma learned to ride a bike today! Last week I took the training wheels off her bike. She tried it and was too scared. So we took off her pedals over the weekend and she used her bike as a balance bike. It didn't take her long to figure out how to balance and get going on it. She got braver and braver each day. Yesterday and today she decided to ride down our driveway to get a better coast going. Our driveway is quite steep. Once I saw that she was backing up on the driveway to get going faster and faster, then I figured she was sufficiently skilled at riding a bike.
So tonight we put on her pedals and in a few minutes, she was off and going. We were out there for 20 minutes and in that time she figured out how to start, stop and turn on her bike. Once she got going, she was trying to go faster and faster. It was quite heart breaking that it was bed time.
So tonight we put on her pedals and in a few minutes, she was off and going. We were out there for 20 minutes and in that time she figured out how to start, stop and turn on her bike. Once she got going, she was trying to go faster and faster. It was quite heart breaking that it was bed time.
Tuesday, May 20, 2014
G-U-M
Emma LOVES gum. Up until recently it has been an almost nonexistent treat in our house. Literally. I wouldn't let her chew gum in the house. It seemed to me she was too little to keep it in her mouth. So occasionally she would ask Grandma Marsha for a piece and Grandma Marsha would share her beloved gum. However, I haven't been as generous with my gum. Lately in church Emma has asked me to smell her breath as proof that she needed gum. Sorry kid.
Emma has recently started learning to read. We have a collection of early readers called Bob Books. They are a series of short books that help kids learn to read. Emma read about two of them and decided she didn't like them. Aaron was trying and trying to get her to read them. No luck. So he offered her a bribe of gum. Totally worked. So we negotiated a deal: she reads two Bob books and she can have a piece of gum. Emma was ecstatic - not because of her accomplishment of learning to read. Nope, she was excited that she had control over when she gets gum.
Now, every morning she asks to read two Bob books. There has been at least one morning when I had to explain that we need to eat breakfast first before we chew gum. To ask for her gum, she refers to it as G-U-M. So John doesn't know what she is asking for and ask for some himself. So there is a lot of discussion about G-U-M in our house.
Recently, Grandma Lindy offered to buy her a pack of gum of Emma's choosing and then Grandma would buy the same pack so they could chew the same G-U-M together. So we have been FaceTiming Grandma Lindy and reading to her. Emma loves that she has her own G-U-M and that Grandma is chewing the same flavor.
There was one night when she went to bed with gum in her mouth. Aaron remembered and went upstairs to find it and throw it out. I would just like to point out that I was sat a meeting when the decision was made to let Emma chew gum after brushing her teeth. So Aaron sticks his fingers in her mouth to fish out the gum. He can't find it. So he fishes some more and more. Emma is asleep through this whole process. Finally Aaron found it had fallen out of her mouth and it was on her neck. Emma didn't remember any of the experience the next morning. If she ever needs surgery, we don't need general anesthesia, we just need to wait for her to go to sleep.
Emma has recently started learning to read. We have a collection of early readers called Bob Books. They are a series of short books that help kids learn to read. Emma read about two of them and decided she didn't like them. Aaron was trying and trying to get her to read them. No luck. So he offered her a bribe of gum. Totally worked. So we negotiated a deal: she reads two Bob books and she can have a piece of gum. Emma was ecstatic - not because of her accomplishment of learning to read. Nope, she was excited that she had control over when she gets gum.
Now, every morning she asks to read two Bob books. There has been at least one morning when I had to explain that we need to eat breakfast first before we chew gum. To ask for her gum, she refers to it as G-U-M. So John doesn't know what she is asking for and ask for some himself. So there is a lot of discussion about G-U-M in our house.
Recently, Grandma Lindy offered to buy her a pack of gum of Emma's choosing and then Grandma would buy the same pack so they could chew the same G-U-M together. So we have been FaceTiming Grandma Lindy and reading to her. Emma loves that she has her own G-U-M and that Grandma is chewing the same flavor.
There was one night when she went to bed with gum in her mouth. Aaron remembered and went upstairs to find it and throw it out. I would just like to point out that I was sat a meeting when the decision was made to let Emma chew gum after brushing her teeth. So Aaron sticks his fingers in her mouth to fish out the gum. He can't find it. So he fishes some more and more. Emma is asleep through this whole process. Finally Aaron found it had fallen out of her mouth and it was on her neck. Emma didn't remember any of the experience the next morning. If she ever needs surgery, we don't need general anesthesia, we just need to wait for her to go to sleep.
Sunday, May 11, 2014
NPR
I love NPR. In fact it is the only radio station that I listen to (except on the 2 weeks of the year they ask for money - then I listen to country music). The first time I remember listening to NPR was when I was in college. I was in my roommate Maria's car and she had it on. There was a story about how children in Wisconsin were over weight and it was creating a problem. The school district was thinking about purchasing more school buses because the kids the same number of kids couldn't fit on the seats as in previous years. At that moment, I knew that this was my radio station. I didn't really listen too much to NPR until I had a commute. I rarely drove my car in college so it wasn't until I had moved to Houston and was working that I became an avid listener. When I stayed home with Emma I missed listening to NPR. Oh how I missed it. The clock would hit 5pm and I would have this strong desire to listen to the radio.
I was taking Emma to preschool and the radio was off. Sh asked to listen to the radio. She has done this before but I thought she might just be bored of her CD that we sometimes listen to. I asked if she wanted to listen to her CD. Nope. Did she want to listen to music on the radio. Nope. Then she explained she wanted to listen to talking. I giggled inside with joy! I asked her why she wanted to listen to talking. She told me she just likes to listen to it! Be still my heart!
I was taking Emma to preschool and the radio was off. Sh asked to listen to the radio. She has done this before but I thought she might just be bored of her CD that we sometimes listen to. I asked if she wanted to listen to her CD. Nope. Did she want to listen to music on the radio. Nope. Then she explained she wanted to listen to talking. I giggled inside with joy! I asked her why she wanted to listen to talking. She told me she just likes to listen to it! Be still my heart!
No Treats on Sundays
Emma saw my candy bar that I got in church for Mother's Day. She asked what it was so I told her. She asked if it was ours to eat. I told her it was mine but if she ate her dinner she could have some. She politely told me, "I don't want any. I am trying not to eat treats on Sundays." Then she ran off. She clearly has never had Toblerone before.
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