March 2023 - Girl Scouts, Berry Turned Eight, and More

The storm (or storms) in Big Bear kept up for a good week or so, stranding people and wreaking complete havoc. Roads up and down the mountain were closed. A family that went for spring break and got stuck up there booked our cabin, saying they were checking out different places. They got a ridiculously cheap deal; we kept adding nights for about $100 each because, with roads closed, they couldn't go anywhere. The mom sent us lots of pictures (including shots of her kids). 

They built a snowman on the outdoor table. 

The guest also sent pics of the slopes, as they skied with blue skies and no people. They seemed to have the time of their lives. Her kids even got invited to join the ski teams. Turns out getting stuck up there was pretty great for them.  

Rondos took Ever and some cousins and another friend or two to the temple to do baptisms.  

Ella Rondo, Ella's cousin, and Ever

The whole group

Ever worked some Girl Scout cookie booths with troopmates.

Goosey looks good in my jacket. She borrows it often.

We piled empty cookie boxes in the garage and slowly fed them to the recycling bin over many weeks, as we could fit them. 

Ever's troop, via a local charity, packed some bags for kids who rely on school for their food. 

Tiny brought this home from school, and I liked her answer to "What would you like to dream about?" 

The girl really loves climbing trees. Wrenzy and Ever get in on the action sometimes, too. This day, Ever went so high she had a hard time getting down. Ever is highest, then Wrenzy in yellow, then Tiny:

Tiny found a cozy (sort of) reading spot.

The next day, all the people read. These girls read so much. 

I do so little to make the girls' childhoods fun and magical, but I did make vaguely green waffles for St. Patrick's Day. 

Meanwhile,  Tiny's classroom got ransacked by leprechauns and had all sorts of holiday fun.

Tiny's class. She's bottom left.

On March 19, two days after St. Patrick's Day, Tiny told me not to go into the new room. Wren explained, "We're doing a service project - like we did for Valentine's, but for St. Patrick's Day." They made four drawings of some sort, put them on neighbors' doorsteps, rang the doorbells, and ran away. 

Wrenzy had a school assignment to write about someone who is a hero to her. She chose Ever. The girl worships her big sister.

I stumbled upon this note:

We went skiing with the Hawkins crew. During our lunch break, people balanced juice bottles on their heads. 

Berry got birthday Ben & Jerry's from Marc Oddou, our ministering brother.

Tiny spent a couple days in our Hermione outfit. I don't know why. 

We did Bear's birthday slumber party on Thursday night, March 23, since Friday is a homeschool day. The girls and I watched a movie and read until late and slept in the living room. Friday morning, she opened presents. 

The presents: books; a glow-in-the-dark, super-soft unicorn blanket; soccer ball; pre-wrap for soccer headbands (à la Alex Morgan); customized "Wren" headband for soccer; unicorn/"W" necklace; Cryptex; and Tagalongs from Tiny

Cinnamon rolls for breakfast.

For dinner, she requested Trader Joe's breaded chicken with spaghetti and green beans. Dessert was unorthodox: vanilla milkshakes and peanut butter blossoms (peanut butter cookies with Hershey's kisses in the middle).

I'm having a hard time describing the kids at each age because I'm writing this so after the fact that I can't differentiate between them at the age I'm trying to describe and the age they are as I write. Being so behind on the blog is killing me. But I did make a note the week of Berry's eighth birthday that her favorite songs were "Livin' on a Prayer" by Bon Jovi, "Love is a Battlefield" by Pat Benatar, and "The Chain" by Fleetwood Mac, with "Hotel California" by the Eagles a runner-up. 

Tutu and Papa arrived late Friday night, March 24, and stayed until Monday. It was a long layover on their way to or from somewhere else, and it allowed them to be here for Wrenzy's baptism.  

Saturday was the San Diego Wave's (women's soccer team) opening day. We had three season tickets and, after Mamo said she thought it would be fun, bought four more so the whole fam plus Mamo and Papo could go to the game. Walking to the stadium, Tiny wore a beanie very jauntily.

Pre-game paragliders were a highlight.

Ever's Girl Scout troop got to go out on the field with the players, and Miss Marin invited Tiny to go, too. 

Our troop had to accompany the visiting team (in white jerseys), and Tiny and Ever ended up right behind the singer and cameraman so weren't visible in most pictures.

A couple days after Wrenzy's birthday, it came out that she had wanted to do a birthday scavenger hunt like we did on Ever's birthday. Jim stepped up and created one, and the girls had fun. 

Wrenzy was baptized on March 26 with Mamo and Pod present, which was lovely. Pod led the music. Tutu played the piano. I gave the opening prayer. Ever gave the talk. (She was super nervous, but she did great.) Auntie Melanie (Karner) gave the closing prayer. Short and beautiful. 

Auntie Trisha and Uncle Jeremy came. Wrenzy indulged Trisha with a selfie. 

Love this family!

Jim said he had a special talk with Wrenzy in the hallway after they got changed and before they came back into the Relief Society room. He bore his testimony to her and felt very close to her and lucky to have her. Special day with our sweet Bear.

More notes by Bear, the context of which I do not know.