January Tidbits

 The worst bout of stomach flu ran through the family and finally made it's way to me. After violently tossing my cookies, I was slicked in sweat from head to toe so I just laid on the cold bathroom tile. Brent found me there and just laid with me for a bit. Then he picked me up and carried me back to bed. 

Bedhead

With the New Year, we move to the 11:30AM time slot while the other ward gets the 9:00AM. This just gave me a bit of a chuckle because that means the other ward will have to shovel. 

Reagan and Doug sent us a Door Dash of Lou Malnati's pizza when Brent, Ireland and I all tested positive for Covid-19. YUM! The pizza that is, not the Covid-19. I was coming off of one sickness and on to the next. I tried a hot bath with apple cider vinegar and epsom salts to ease the coughing. I did salt water nasal rinses. I tried slathering my hands and feet with Vick's Vapo Rub and then putting socks on them. I just couldn't get better. I wasn't allowed to see a doctor in person but I was finally able to get a Teladoc to order me a Z-pack and that made the difference. 

Sydney: Can we read Harry Potter tonight?
Me: YUP!

Sydney: YES! This is my favorite thing about Covid!

Sydney doing an FHE lesson for us!

During Sunday dinner we were talking about the creation of the earth and I asked why the animals were placed before man (when clearly Earth could sustain life) and one of the girls said it was because animals can teach us something. I always thought it was because man is the pinnacle of God's creation, in a way superior to animals. But I like the idea that we could learn from the animals better!

This apron belonged to Gita's great-great-grandmother Birgette Katherine (whom she is named after). Katrina fixed it up for her!

Brent and I got into a heated argument over Taylor Swift's All Too Well. I even Googled "Is Jake Gyllenhaal a jerk? If you find yourself in the same situation, don't Google "Is Taylor Swift a jerk?" It won't help your argument.

We went through goals with the girls. One of Gita's is to have between $50,000 to $500,000 in the bank in the next 10 years. Uhmmmm, I would like that too! 

Me: Gita, why do you have to eat your dinner at such a glacial pace?
Ireland: Actually the glaciers are melting really fast!
having environmentally conscious kids can really be a downer sometimes.

I try to check in on my parents every week. Mom said they were crazy busy and when I asked her to elaborate she told me there were FOUR deer in the backyard! On that same note, Mom did remember to mail The Friend Katrina had found for us. Sydney was missing that one and we couldn't find it anywhere!

Some fresh haircuts!

We snuck off to Taco Bell after dance and interviews at the church. We talked about the possibility of Liesel sharing a room with Gita- which Gita actually prefers. 
Gita: Ireland's always like ' Oooh I'm on my Chrome Book' in a really gruff voice. We joked about how her impressions always include weird sounds. "Make your bed! Aooga! Aooga!"

Me: Gita I have a spicy burp coming- WHAT DO I DO? WHAT DO I DO!?!?!?? She grasped for words like a squirrel who can't decide which side of the road to run to. When I burped really loud she burst into the cutest giggle.

With Sydney's 8th birthday, the girls all now have their very own scriptures in a color of their choice with their names embossed on them. This was kind of a big deal to me- Brent felt they could just use some beater scriptures that have seen better days but I really wanted them to have a nice set. They cost a pretty penny, but are SO worth it to me!

The girls had the day off of school so I watched Encanto with them over my lunch hour. Whitney mentioned how she saw parallels between Maribel's lack of a gift and her infertility. I started bawling and the girls paused the movie to comfort me.

We recorded our own version of We Don't Talk About Bruno.

I took the girls for mani/pedi's and haircuts and they look so much better- especially Gita who's hair was down to her bum. 

I helped Sydney organize her shoes. I told her the Vans need to be together because they are a fmily. The Vans Trapp Family. 

In a moment of reflection I realized why I always end up watching something with a British accent on Sunday's. This habit started when we were in Iowa City and Brent's ride to the bus to Chicago always came around the same time Downton Abbey started.

I was checking Sydney's math homework.
Me: How do you know that's a quadrilateral? *thinking 4 sides, 4 corners*
Sydney: Because I know what a quadrilateral is!

Talked about funeral plans with my sisters. I told them I want a headstone with a QR code that gives anyone who visits a discount to Crumbl.

Rousing this sleepyhead

The girls talked about a time Grandma and Grandpa Nielsen were visiting and they took the truck to Fast Eddie's to be washed. While they were waiting, Mom walked with the girls over to the McDonald's to grab some breakfast. I was so happy to find they have those positive memories of my parents! I asked if they could tell me about any others. Ireland deadpanned: I drove with them for 13 hours. Enough said.

I asked Sydney how she'd be as oldest sister and she said WAY better than Liesel is because she would always play with the youngest sister and not maker her bring her stuff. Sydney said Liesel would be a horrible youngest child because she asks for stuff too much (snacks, her charger, etc). Then she said, "I think Gita would make just an okay, average middle child." Uhmmmm Gita already IS a middle child?

Gita flexing her flexibility.

Liesel won the class competition in the Spelling Bee but was anxious about going forward because she didn't want to do it. I gave Reagan a call who promised if she made Nationals (always held in DC) that she would take her out for chicken and donuts. Liesel asked if Doug would be there too... apparently even better than chicken and donuts. The word Liesel won? Tortuous. You can't make this stuff up!

December Tidbits

When we really held Sydney's feet to the fire about cleaning up she exasperatedly shot back: What's more important? Cleaning or my education? 

Not a big deal, but kind of a big deal- with everyone fully vaccinated we were able to attend church together as a family for the first time since lockdown.

With all of us back at church I started doing the Sunday programs again. A new bishop was called so the Stake President was bearing his testimony and stating he wanted us to know how much he loves and has faith in our new bishop and how he wanted us to know he knows the gospel is true and then he said, "And I want you all to know... I did find the hidden CTR ring in the program."

Brent, Ireland, Sydney and I all tested positive for Covid-19. Ireland was completely asymptomatic and Sydney had the sniffles for an afternoon. Brent and I got the brunt of it. He's not accustomed to being sick so it was hard on him but it created myriads of problems for me. Covid-19 triggered asthma and migraines. Even though we insisted we were getting by, Reagan and Doug Door Dashed us Lou Malnati's Pizza so we wouldn't have to worry about dinner and man alive- we were so grateful! 

We also drank lots of hot chocolate and tea to sooth sore throats! I received this mug from my ministering sisters.

I didn't read Harry Potter with Sydney for a little while before she was diagnosed with Covid-19 to try and keep her from getting it. Once she tested positive, there was no reason to keep our distance.
Sydney: Can we read Harry Potter tonight?
Me: Yup!
Sydney: YES!!! This is my favorite thing about Covid.

I tried to do an interpretive dance for Liesel to show my love for her since I can't hug her. When I was done she said, "OK, just... wow." 

Gita made us a Christmas gift at school and I love how she labeled it as being from "your favorite child." 

Someone at work posted the story that Taco Bell is offering a monthly taco subscription and someone else commented that everyone knows you should only rent Taco Bell- haha!

Me: I had a dream Leslie Odom Jr. simped me.

Ireland: What do you mean?

Me: He like, followed me around and was clearly interested in me. Like he wanted to kiss me.

Ireland: Hmmm, sounds like he was just stalking you.

Liesel: Yeah, that's just stalking Mom.

Walking into an appointment I was treated to cotton candy skies over a pond.

Me: Gita, why do you have to eat your dinner at such a glacial pace?

Ireland: Actually the glaciers are melting really fast!

Having environmentally conscious kids can really be a downer sometimes.

 Our fantastic neighbors invited the girls over for some cookie decorating. Lots of sprinkles.

A Dad joke from Sydney: Remember the guy who cut off the left side of his body? He's all right now. She also made a tower of macarons out of clay and I was really impressed how she went about it! She used a paper towel role and then blew it out from the opposite and. Not bad!

As Brent & I headed out for a walk, Ireland opened her bedroom window and yelled, "Are you planning another Disneyland trip?" Haha- the girls were stunned to discover all those walks we had taken were actually planning sessions for our epic vacation. But to be clear, that was a one-time thing and now we just take walks for fun.

Found Ireland had fallen asleep on her Chrome Book. I remember when she used to fall asleep reading books!

The personalized signs I purchased at Disney finally came back in their new frames and I found some Mickey ear holders. 

This section of wall has always looked bare and I'm thrilled it's full of happy reminders from that vacation!

The Wuehler's purchased these Christmas stocking holders for us from North Pole, Alaska and for years I've been meaning to artfully put names on them. I finally got around to it and I'm so happy with how they turned out. Right after I snapped this pic I realized I spell Brigitta's nickname with just one T, not two so I had to redo that one. As frustrating as that was, they went back into Christmas storage ready to go for next year and I'm so happy to check that off my To Do list!

Heading back to work after the holidays is always tough but when you have sweet notes like this, it's a little easier. I really love how Sydney had to cross out her own name and add mine there where she says Mom is the best. 

Love.

Merry Christmas!

Disneyland was such a huge expense I knew there was no way I could justify paying for a family portrait on top of that so a picture from the park was just going to have to do. When I found this one I couldn't stop chuckling. 2021 was definitely better than the prequel of 2020 and Brent and I grew up with the original Star Wars which was also better than the prequel. I also loved that our holiday message was May the Force Be with you. I knew this card would stand out among all the others.

This year's Christmas pjs were purchased during last year's sales and I was excited to try black. It's a great color for a bunch of blonde little girls!

A big part of me longed for the comparatively quiet Christmas of last year. Everything was cancelled and for once we got to enjoy the season. This year everything was back on so we found ourselves running around to recitals, competitions, parties, etc. not to mention I started a new job. I was so exhausted I hate to admit I didn't even have the energy to take the following photos- Liesel made sure they happened.

She put my phone inside the tree to get this shot- pretty inventive!

I don't know how it started but the girls always have a sleepover on Christmas Eve. I splurged on some holiday bedding for Liesel's bed and so they ended up having it in her room.

Brent hooked up the DVD player just so we could watch Better Off Dead and Meet Me in St. Louis as we filled the stockings and made final preparations for the big day. We have a great formula when it comes to the gifts: something to wear, something to read, something they want 

For Christmas breakfast, Brent did a frittata, tater tots and fruit salad. It was so delicious not only did  Sydney gobble it up without complaint, Brent ended up eating it for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Gotta love the festive apron!

Traditional stairs photo. Hmmm, I probably should have had Sydney and Gita sit a littler closer together. Oh well! It's a record and all you really need to know is the girls were trying so hard to be patient when all they wanted to do was rip into stockings and presents...

...which after a decent breakfast, is exactly what they did!

Per usual- the sister gifts were the best part of the day. Sometimes they spend so much time fighting that even I forget that they truly do love each other at the end of the day. Even though taking them shopping can be exhausting, it's warms the cockles of my heart to watch them thoughtfully pick out gifts for each other. Then they are so excited to give them the giver lights up as much as the receiver. Can you even tell who gave the gift and who got the gift in this photo?

For the record, it was Liesel who gave Ireland some Harry Potter make-up, which she paid for with her own money. 

Brent's parents cleverly took care of their Christmas gifts for the girls while they were here for Sydney's baptism and Thanksgiving. Jeanne knows I like to have Christmas all wrapped up (pun intended) by Black Friday and she was SO happy to have at least our family all taken care of. Physically being here made large gifts like this possible:

Sydney said, "I LOVE Christmas! For the presents... and the religious stuff."

Every year there's a gift that's hard to find. After gymnastics camp last summer, Gita was desperate for grips. Adult-sized grips are a dime a dozen, but child-sized grips? Chance would be a fine thing. I finally tracked them down and even though she won't use them until summer, she was ecstatic.

Then there's the gift that's a no-brainer. This t-shirt was on a TikTok video and I bought 2- one for Whitney for her birthday (in November) knowing Ireland really wanted one too. I hedged and told her they only had adult sizes- which is true- but we are talking about a lifetime Harry Potter fan here. 

Then there's the gift that's also a gift for the giver. We invested in Gabb phones for Liesel and Ireland. We stand united in not allowing smartphones unless they pay for it, but Liesel's flip phone really wasn't cutting it for basic texting and photos. Gabb phones at least look like smartphones but don't have apps. They also had a sale. And we need to be able to coordinate with the girls and their busy schedules. These will make life easier on all of us, for sure.

We got all creative for our Pringle pic and made a snowflake. Such a simple tradition, but I love it!

One more thing to note is there was a lot of sickness going around but miraculously no one was sick ON Christmas. Gita wasn't feeling well the day before and Sydney wasn't feeling well the day after. I'm so grateful we could all just enjoy the day- we really lucked out!

The Hottest Ticket in Town

For the past few years, the girls have put together a show for us just before Christmas. Brent and I love seeing all those expensive dance classes come in handy and the girls usually pick some kind of theme. This year they outdid themselves and the theme was Christmas Movie Marathon. They even went to the trouble to print up tickets and during intermission they autographed them for us. 

My favorite part of all these videos is the not-so-quiet whispers to turn lights on/off, move over there, start the music... something about that just makes me smile. Their dancing always makes me smile too. It's a tough job to raise girls with any modicum of positive body image these days. Seeing them unabashedly performing without an ounce of self-consciousness gives me hope. 

It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year

Every Who Down in Whoville

The Grinch Got a Wonderful, Awful Idea

All I Need is a Reindeer

Brent took the videos while I tried to capture some still photos. Sydney had a costume change and floated around the room in this pretty dress.

He Puzzled 3 Hours, 'Till His Puzzler Was Sore

Bye Buddy!

Not only do I love the song Pennies from Heaven, but I really love seeing Liesel dance to it. She has a way of being fun a flirty- it's right up her alley!

You See Free Gum On the Street?

The Best Way to Spread Christmas Cheer

Gita had been sick in bed all day and she was still feverish and fatigued. Still, she danced her little heart out for us and I could tell she was really excited about this number. I love how her sisters help her with all the little props!

Setting the Trap

You Guys Give Up? Or Are You Thirsty For More?

Pretty good extension for a sick kid!

Hot Chocolate

None of the girls take Broadway but they definitely get the big movements and energy required for one!

Ireland gave us these after her performance. It's a little harder to make in person than it looks like it does in the movie!

Grand Finale

This was our favorite show from the girls BY FAR! With the dining room recently painted, twinkle lights strung up, paper snowflakes and the incredible performance we loved every minute of it. The hottest show in town was this private showing of the fantastic Wuehler sisters!

Gita's Christmas Concert

Recently Liesel told me there's a theory that the Grinch had misophonia. This was kindly meant, she just wanted to point out that I'm not the only one out there who is adversely affected by noises. The cracking of knuckles makes me want to vomit. If something is rolling around in the car, I will pull over to find it and secure it or it drives me crazy. Our sump pump emits a beeping noise if it needs to be reset. What Liesel unwittingly implied is that I am a bit of a Grinch.

Actually, when it comes to all the Christmas recitals and concerts I hate to admit it, but she's not far off. December is already so busy, I don't understand why we have to throw so much more onto the calendar. Why not do them in January which is a long, cold, dark month with nothing else going on? So yeah, I head into these things feeling overcommitted and grumpy. And not ready for the noise, noise, NOISE!

Then I see my sweet Gita girl standing there in the outfit she picked out all on her own to look festive. Even though she is wearing a mask, I know she's singing her little heart out. 

This song is my favorite.

And just like the Grinch, all my grumpiness melts away and I finally embrace the season a bit.

I'm SO proud!