Happy St. Patrick's Day!

We've lived in this house for years and I've eased into decorating the fireplace mantle. This year I put the finishing touches on the St. Patrick's Day decorations so of course I had to get some pics of the girls in front of it (why else decorate a mantle?). 

Okay, I have to admit that Brent didn't like how I'd positioned the girls for those photos. He said Ireland shouldn't be on the step stool and Brigitta should just stand directly behind and above her. I told him then they'd look like a totem pole- which actually gave me the idea to do this next set of pics. You decide which you like better!

This is the picture after that picture- haha!

 Some individuals:

I ordered the St. Paddy's Day gnome from cricflix on Etsy and I immediately fell in love with the braided moustache complete with bows. It reminded me of a scene from Lord of the Rings where the dwarf Gimli talks about how its rare to see dwarf women because they are so alike in voice and appearance, they are often mistaken from dwarf men. Then Aragorn whispers, "It's the beards." Anyway, all the gnomes from this shop are made especially, so while I knew generally what we would get, I didn't know exactly what it would look like until it arrived. Not only did I fall in love with this little guy (girl?), Ireland did too and that made it perfect.

Gita almost fell off the step stool trying to execute this pose.

Sydney was looking a tad stiff...

...until Dad came over to make her laugh!

We stopped by The Irish Boutique for some meat pies on the actual day and then for the following Sunday we had traditional corned beef and cabbage. My wonderful friends dropped by some dough for Lucky Charm sugar cookies and I can't wait to bake those up as well. YUM! 

I hope you had a fantastic St. Patrick's Day! It's definitely a little holiday we enjoy in our home.

Ireland is ELEVEN!

Ireland was born on 3.14 and therefore prefers pie to cake for her birthday celebrations

I have to admit, I went overboard on Ireland's birthday this year. In turning 11, she enters the same age that Harry Potter did when he received his first owl from Hogwarts and as she is a BIG Harry Potter fan, I wanted to do it up right. Ireland is a Ravenclaw- a very dedicated one at that. Check out this makeup look she did! 

Wit, learning and wisdom are Ravenclaw traits and their motto is "Wit beyond measure is man's greatest treasure."

After a hearty farm breakfast in bed, she opened her gifts. One of them was a Ravenclaw suitcase that finally went on sale at Pottery Barn. Inside was the Hogwarts pinboard, a throw pillow that says, "I solemnly swear that I am up to no good" and lights up in the dark with the Marauder's Map, as well as a phoenix vanity mirror. Yeah, I went overboard. Not that she was complaining!

We wasted no time in hanging up that pinboard which ended up being waaay bigger than I thought it would be. It fits perfectly into this space and Ireland loves it along with all her other gifts. 

It's the other gifts that actually put things into perspective for me. Brigitta has very little money to her name but days before Ireland's birthday she begged me to take her to Five Below so she could find something. Gita used her very own money and she really agonized over her options until she settled on a sketch book. She was so excited to give it to her sister and make her happy on her birthday.

Then there's Sydney who has absolutely no money to her name. Brent suggested maybe she could give her coupons and Sydney ran with the idea. I was blown away to discover one of the coupons was for Sydney to take care of her Saturday chores. All of the girls grumble about their chores but none more than Sydney. What could take her 20 min ends up taking an hour just because she is grousing and complaining so much. To see that she would willingly double her work to make her sister's birthday special was really... well, special. 

The card she drew Ireland with Harry Potter and Luna Lovegood (a fellow Ravenclaw) just kills me!

Lastly was Liesel. She really thought about what she wanted to give Ireland. Over lockdown we pulled out some games that hadn't been played and one was Monopoly, which the girls loved. Liesel decided to create a Harry Potter version just for Ireland. 

Let's take a closer look at that thing because man, it's pretty genius. I love the Free Socks and the Floo Network square with the feet dangling from the fireplace. That one of the squares is crashing into the Whomping Willow and another is Attacked by Fluffy- the whole thing is just a Harry Potter fans delight! Liesel worked really hard on this and was bummed she hadn't finished all the cards but it was enough to give Ireland an idea of the finished product. 

I'm crazy proud of my girls for doing it right and teaching their mama a lesson about what really constitutes a gift. Ireland definitely felt the love her sisters showered on her and that is going to last much longer than anything I ordered from Pottery Barn. 

We love this girl so much! She brings so much love and humor to our family. 

Happy Birthday my darling girl!

Scripture Study

By and large, scripture study feels like a colossal failure. There are always little fights breaking out among the girls, someone isn't following along, someone else is touching her sister with her toe, you get the idea. We don't do scripture study because it leaves us just brimming with the Spirit. I think at this point Brent and I are doing it because we have been promised blessings if we do it. Interestingly enough, if we miss a day, one of the girls always comments on it- even though it seems like they are barely engaged. Brent and I are always trying to make it better and bring more insights, but we are far, far, far from perfect. Every now and again, we have a win. Here are some of those wins.

Matthew 27: 57-60 Thank goodness for Joseph of Arimathea- for the undertakers and funeral directors of this world! Those who are not afraid to deal with the business of death and be prepared for it. Death is a part of our progression! We should strive to be prepared for it.

Mark 6:22-26 Liesel: What kind of dance did she do?
Ireland *clearly considering her options* Yeah, was it ballet?

Mark 9:17-27 Note the transition of asking about the individual- the son- to also asking about the father. Parenthood test faith and the Lord is aware of mother's and fathers who are trying. Our children's struggles become our struggles.

We had an FHE on forgiveness and wrote things we need to let go of on helium balloons and then released them into the sign as we sang "Let it Go." I wrote that I needed to be better about forgiving the girls when they are naughty. Ireland noticed while I was writing it and said, "Why don['t you just forgive us now?" She didn't want me to wait 2 hot minutes to finish writing and then release my balloon in the driveway.

Luke 2:21 Brent explained circumcision to the girls and can I just say having daughters is the best! Tried to "liken the scriptures" and tell the girls it's similar to wearing garments- an expression of our covenants with God.

Ireland: Well I'd just rather wear garments!
Me: They didn't exactly have stores to buy them, back in the day.
Ireland: Then I'd make some!!!
Liesel: Dad, were you circumcised?

Brent: Yes I was.

Liesel: Wow. I'm sorry Dad.

Luke 3 (final verses). We challenged the girls to see how far back they could name their maternal lineage (ie Liesel is the daughter of Danika, the daughter of Margaret, the daughter of Grace...). They were actually excited to rush down to breakfast so they could use their fan chart placemats. Brought home how incredible it is to have Christ's lineage traced all the way back to Adam!

I can tell this one is old based on how, ahem, full Brent looks. He was helping Sydney read and you can see it's just twilight. He's tired, not a morning person and Sydney is grumpy but they are trying to figure out this verse together.

Luke 8: 22-25 Brent and I busted out into Master the Tempest is Raging (me in English and Brent in Spanish) because it's one of the rare songs were the music really matches what's going on in the scriptures. The notes go higher and higher like waves on the sea, then the soothing "peace, be still." Like Dvorak's Humoresque, the moods in the music are so evident.

Luke 8: 43-48 Discussed how spiritual experiences are physically exhausting (hello mission!) and how Joseph Smith collapsed trying to cross the fence the day after he had repeatedly been visited by Moroni throughout the night.

For FHE we talked about the armor of God and this is the closest we came up with (Gita is holding our sled as a shield- haha!). The girls got to throw crumpled up paper at her. I also love how her feet are shod with my Uggs and our Danish ancestors would be proud that her helmet is of Viking ilk. 

Luke 18:11-12 We had the girls read these verses like stuck up valley girls. 

Luke 22: 10-13 Brent pointed out that carrying water was typically a woman's job so this man would have stood out in the crowd.

Before re-reading the Book of Mormon for Sydney's baptism, we delved into the New Testament. I love my past notes about how 1 Thessalonians 5:6 pertains to parenthood. So true!

On this morning, Gita just caught me with how tiny she looked, all curled up with her scriptures!

On this morning I was praying that we would come across a scripture that might help Whitney as she is going through IVF. This one hit me like a Mac truck:

Another one for Whitney on another day she was really struggling:

The "do not aks for that which you ought not" really caught me in this verse:

There's a scene in the animated Mulan where Mushu is supposed to bang a gong to wake the ancestors. I imagine the same kind of thing here where we are essentially banging a gong every morning to these prophets, asking them to teach us of their wisdom and share their testimonies. Nephi! Alma! Ammon! Moroni! Get uuup!!!

I find it so interesting as the girls are squabbling about whatever ridiculous thing they manage to find to squabble about in those early morning hours, how often the scriptures encourage us to be like children.

Reagan is working at an addiction recovery center and has talked about how often their patients are really good people just caught up in drug addiction. She sent a picture of one man whose skin was disintegrating from all the needles and drugs and he still kept using- the open wound all over his forearm actually made it easier for the drugs to get into his system. That story really made me ponder this verse about how there will be a day when Satan will not have power to tempt any man.

1 Nephi 3: 22-25 Brent jokingly told the girls they probably had American Girl things in their stash of gold, silver & precious things and that's why Laban lusted after it.

This is such a beautiful promise- to have a light in the wilderness. Reminds me of the promise Dumbledore made to Harry Potter, "Happiness can be found, even in the darkest of times, if one only remembers to turn on the light."

1 Nephi 17:11 Liesel misread this as "that I might have wherewith to blow ME fire." We laughed that now that Nephi is building a ship, he's also become a pirate. Shiver me timbers! Where shall I blow me fire? Aaaurgh!

There are times during scripture study when I can tell the girls aren't absorbing anything so Brent and I try to throw out questions to get them a bit more engaged. This one ended up being pretty hilarious as I asked the girls what they would do if they needed to go "gain favor" so they could bring husbands with them. They threw around ideas- cook? Dance? Play board games?

2 Nephi 5: 1-4 Ireland: So basically they're saying, "Dad's dead, we can kill him now!"
2 Nephi 5:14 Like Tim who is interested in learning how to make swords
2 Nephi 5: 15-16 Nephi knew how to build because he had already made a boat and Liesel pointed out he was good at listening to the Lord in learning how to build things.

During FHE where we were discussing the testimony of Joseph Smith at the beginning of the Book of Mormon and how he didn't tell his father of Moroni's visit until Moroni returned and again told him to go directly to his father and tell him. I asked the girls to think about what they know of boys age 14-17 and what are they like? Liesel put her hands up by her face, said, "They're kind of..." and waved them in little circles. Best definition of a teenage boy EVER! Also, I love that Joseph Smith states he delivered the plates back to Moroni and he "has them to this day." It made me think of that things I can say with absolute certainty I know exactly where they are. Really just our passports in the safe deposit bod. Joseph Smith must have developed a relationship of trust with Moroni to the point he could say with complete assurance that he still has the plates.

Mosiah 6:7, Gita: What's contention?
Me: Fighting, squabbling, bickering. What would our house be like if there was no contention for 3 years? It would be...

Ireland: ...not our house.

February Tidbits

 When snow is combined with wind, some pretty cool shapes come out of it. The snow blew over the top of this table over the course of a week and it created an overhang.

I've been oddly motivated to update decorations on the fireplace mantle. I found these sweet Valentine envelopes on Etsy and fell in love! We also have a glass brick that says LOVE but the O is a heart and it can be filled with candy. Usually we do Hershey kisses but since all the girls are doing the Chocolate Challenge, that seemed a little mean. I filled it with conversation hearts instead and was blown away at how fast they went. Those things taste like chalk! But the girls enjoyed them, for sure.

Valentines were strictly digital except for Ireland's Girl Scout troop who even allowed food items! This was a first for us so I hit up Pinterest for ideas and we settled on this one:

When it came to a Valentine for her boyfriend I wanted to give his mother a head's up that we would be stopping by. "Isn't his last name something like Barbaccia?" I asked. ""Vintartas?" Ireland slowly replied. I had to laugh at that one- I'm not very good with names! He was in the middle of a Cub Scout meeting and answered the door in uniform which apparently charmed Ireland because she mentioned it as soon as she climbed back into the car. A couple of days later he delivered his Valentine to Ireland and it was evident how much they have missed hanging out. I think they gave each other five hugs and he was clearly reluctant to leave.

We ordered actual office chairs for Ireland and Brigitta's desk but for some reason they came a couple of days apart. When the first one arrived, Ireland didn't hesitate in saying Gita could have it and she would wait. Gita immediately put her Dakota pillow in it to serve as lumbar support which works perfectly! Now she gets to be wrapped up in her favorite pet while she does her remote work.

I found this drawing in a notebook used for church and no one has any idea who drew it!

I joke that Liesel likes to dress like she's a fat, homeless person. Like most teens and tweens in this area, sad clothes are kind of the thing. No one really goes to school looking sharp or fashionable. They all look like they just rolled out of bed. We are working on a compromise so she is somewhat pulled together- I firmly believe how you dress impacts how you feel about yourself and how you behave. We found this funky sweater at Urban Outfitters.

As part of her Leadership in Action badge, Liesel led two activities for Brigitta's brownie troop. Yes, I helped, but Liesel really did a lot of the work and she led them entirely on her own. The troop leaders emphasized she can come back at any time to lead more activities so I'm guessing it went really well. It was funny to see her react to the little girls who were so enthusiastic and not as adept at Zoom (it blaring microphone). She kept giggling to herself at all the funny little comments they would make and they were very eager for her approval. This project not only earns her a badge, but adds to her volunteer hours for National Junior Honors Society.

The elementary school had a virtual dance party which is right up the girl's alley! They had a blast and were spotlighted 3X and then asked to film a spot which may possibly be used in a commercial. 

I rearranged the books in rainbow order and found my Zen in doing so:

This one came out in time for Galentine's Day. Me: Poetic Cunning Sun Goddess. Liesel: Gorgeous Pliable Musk Ox. Ireland: Radiant Opalescent Minx. Brigitta: Sweet Talented Tropical Fish. Sydney: Sassy Rainbow-Infused Sun Goddess. 

I do this with Sydney a lot. If I can move away far enough so she can't kiss me I say, "Sydney! Why won't you give me a kiss? I just want a kiss?" I love her exasperated "MOMMY!"

Gita was spreading copious amounts of butter on her peas during Sunday dinner.
Brent: That's enough Gita
Gita: My peas need butter!
Brent: They already have butter!
Gita: Well they need more. *Brent wrests the butter away from her and she says under her breath* They need more. *Gita grabs salt and starts madly salting her peas until Brent wrests that away as well. When he gets up from the table she sneaks fingerfuls of butter. No remorse.*

The following week during Sunday dinner Gita told Brent: The only thing keeping you from being a great chef is more butter.

With President's Day off, I thought I'd take the girls on a little trip to Michigan to return cans and then hit the Woodfield Mall on the way back. Due to windshield wiper fluid issues in both the truck and the Pilot, we got a much later start than we intended and by the time we returned the cans, we didn't have time to stop at the mall because of dance. Sydney mournfully cried, "I wore my Matilda Jane for nothing!" During one of the many times we were stuck in traffic, Gita spied a poster for a missing pet. When I asked her how she could read that from the backseat of the car, she said, "I have vision eyes for pets!"

Sydney and I are switching off from reading Shel Silverstein (we finished Where the Sidewalk Ends!) and watching Mystery Doug videos. I think she's watching them ahead of time so she gets all the questions right and I look like an idiot... hmmm.

I'm doing a new thing with the girls where I burst into their rooms and run toward them as fast as I can to  see what they are doing on their Chromebooks. It's hilarious to see them frantically try to close tabs in time. The best part? I track all that information on an app on my phone so I already know what sites they are using.

Brigitta really wanted this American Girl boombox- it's the only thing she used her Chocolate Challenge money to buy and then she saved the rest. When it finally came, she was ecstatic and I had to get a picture of her holding it up on her shoulder the way we did in the 80's. She later came to me and explained that the cassettes have an A side and a B side and there's different music on each. Also there are controls to make the bass louder or softer, etc. Thanks for the tutorial Gita! I would have perished in ignorance otherwise.

I asked Brent to check on the girls because I knew they were just messing around on their Chromebooks. I laughed when I heard him bellow, "Get off the Chromebooks!" while Gita and Ireland screamed. Five minutes later, he did it again. Five minutes after that, I took a turn. They both yelled, "Stop doing that!" at us- hahaha!

Came across this little gem and it melted my heart- especially the last part where Sydney acknowledges that a president has to work very hard all the time. 

We were invited to watch Nick's Boy Scout Blue and Gold Banquet where they handed out really elaborate Arrow of Light plaques. Brent commented that he never received one when he earned his Arrow of Light.
Ireland: You never got one of those? That's lame.
Brent: I'm an Eagle Scout *thumps chest twice* I don't NEED a plaque!

Liesel was in desperate need of a trim and while I was making an appointment at the salon, I asked if any of the other girls wanted a haircut. Sydney really wanted one and decided to take the plunge and chop her longs locks off. Turns out her stylist worked with kindergarteners and loved listening to her as she chatted away. Usually when I get my haircut I catch up on emails and texts or I grab a magazine and read- I'm not anxious to talk to a total stranger. Different orchards.

Sydney's haircut is so perfect for her! Almost like that's how it should have been all along. Her teacher even commented on it! My life became instantly easier as I no longer had to comb through snarls and Sydney became rather particular, insisting I use a round brush and hair dryer to make it nice and smooth rather than a thick-barreled curling iron.

We received news that Whitney's third round of IVF failed. When the girls heard, Ireland offered to be her daughter because, "then we can just love all things Harry Potter." Brigitta also volunteered Sydney to be her daughter.

While braiding Gita's hair, she asked me which game she should play. I told her to try Pooper Scooper. It's a game where you pick up dog poop to keep the grass clean. "Who would want to play that?!?" Gita exclaimed. "Someone who likes to keep things clean and who loves dogs and last I checked, you are both!" I told her and continued braiding her hair. It would be prudent to note my phone is organized by color so as she searched for this fictitious game she said, "Mom, you don't have a brown section! Is it in the red? Hmmm, maybe the green?" I was laughing so hard I almost couldn't braid. When I told Brent about it later he said, "Poor dog!" 

A couple of us developed the sniffles and in an abundance of caution, we were tested for coronavirus (again). They only needed to swab just inside the nose which was better but this is Sydney's third test when kinda made it worse. Almost everyone was holding her down to get her though it, poor girl.

The tests came back negative more quickly than we expected and since the girls were already missing school and we hadn't been able to go to the Woodfield Mall with the can return money, I decided to take them shopping for the rest of the day. They positively cheered and we had a lot of fun at the mall.

Liesel's Girl Scout troop was supposed to have a family fun day at a camp in Wisconsin with sledding, snowshoeing, etc. I put the address into the my phone and for the life of me, we could not find it! I tried a name search, I tried the website. We just ended up at this one spot on the highway with no signs anywhere. We tried going into the nearest town, we tried texting the troop leader- nothing. A guy had driven into the grassy median and every time we drove by him we got to check out his progress in getting his car out of there. Finally we decided to pack it in and grab lunch. For dessert, there was a pie place that was really, really good and Brigitta managed to get some whipped cream on her sweater. Instead of wiping it off, she tried to lick it off...

...without success. It wasn't the day we were planning on, for sure, but I think it was the day we needed.