SAT

After somehow completely missing 5 questions on his first attempt of the SAT, Jonathan was pretty discouraged but still did pretty well. He recently found out that he scored a perfect 1600 when it took is on November 4th, 2023. We are so pleased!

Memories

I'm not sure if I remembered to record these so I will here, even though they happened years ago. 

Once in Primary, a Presidency member was telling a story about a boy that was drinking gatorade and eating candy and got super sick while playing in a basketball game from it. Jonathan came home and questioned if this was actually a true story. Mike replied, "Usually what teacher's teach is true." Jonathan replied, "Well, you weren't raised in the 21st century."  

Jonathan was pointing to the sky as a toddler with Mike and said, "Pretty like Mommy." So sweet.

October 11, 2023

Grace and Ryan are especially sweet with each other and I'm so glad they have each other in middle school. The other day, Grace texted me multiple pictures of Ryan on the sidewalk as if he had passed out asking me to please pick them up from school because they were too hot to walk home. 

Ryan broke his arm so he's been in a brace. It's healing nicely and he should only need to continue to wear it for four more weeks.

Grace has been submitting pictures for a middle school reading program where the children submit pictures about a book they read on a picture of a mug. The winner gets a Starbucks gift card. It's called, Let's Read a Latte. Grace won the first contest, however, yesterday she got second place just missing being winner by one vote. The funny thing is she had voted for the winner. We had a good laugh that she didn't vote for herself.  What made it even more funny in that she didn't realize that "latte" was referring to coffee. She thought it was just a different spelling of lot.

9/24/23

James walked down the stairs today, saw me on the computer and said, "Uh, oh, Mom's in her Come Follow Me spot." I'm not sure if I should be flattered or not.

The other night I texted James and wrote, "I hope you're asleep." He replied, "I am. Don't worry."

September 2023

I was cleaning out the freezer yesterday and noticed a little bag of snow labeled RIP and Grace had saved a little snowman she made. Haha 

We went to a retirement community on Sunday so the kids could play piano/cello for the elderly people that live there. It was especially nice and the activities lady at the facility invited us back to do a Christmas concert. She said the residents absolutely loved it, offered to send us flowers or a gift card and she couldn’t thank us enough. At the risk of sounded exactly like my mom (my kids already assure me that I act like a Grandma), I really enjoyed having our children serving with their talents. To make it even more fun, they played a few pieces from The Piano Guys. I called my mom and told her about their little performance. She happened to have a temple recommend interview with John Schmidt who is in her stake presidency. She told him about her grandchildren playing his music. When I told the kids about her interaction, their eyes lit up with the prospect that he actually knew about them. It was quite sweet. Grace told me she had asked Ryan who he’d like to meet more than anyone and he responded with MLB baseball players. She asked who, excluding baseball players, and he had said John Schmidt to this was pretty neat for him. Hopefully, this will make getting him to practice a little less painful on my part. Wink, wink

Jonathan's subtle sense of humor was on point Sunday evening when Mike was having a talk with him about how he needs to make a game plan (ie. apply for scholarships) for college since he won't qualify for pell grant. Being a straight, white male won't do him a lot of favors when it comes to financial assistance. Jonathan expressed his frustrations that colleges and Mike have very different ideas of "estimated parent contribution" saying, "They're wrongly assuming this is a kid that grew up with A/C." Jonathan is always feeling too hot (often sleep deprived from being too hot) and Mike is a stickler about not running the A/C if possible or keeping it at warmer temperatures since A/C can get pricy. Thus, the subtle humor. Just enough truth about an on-going topic at our house to make it quite funny. 

James helped pay for an electric assist bike that he got for his birthday and has been riding it to seminary, school, water polo and back. It's been so helpful for me and he's had such a great attitude about biking to and from school. He's also taking a weightlifting class in hopes of eventually becoming a body builder to impress girls. Between treading water and weightlifting he is super tired every night. I texted James the other day asking him if he wanted to get AP Test help. Instead of saying he didn't want to take the class he replied with, "I've got Joshfin". Nice that he has a built and tutor and sweet that he referred to Jonathan as Joshfin since that's how he used to pronounce his name when they were little boys. James pointed to a speedo on the the hooks where we keep backpacks and jackets and asked if it was his. I assured him that any speedo in the house was his because no one else would be confident enough to be running around in a loincloth. He said he was actually asking about a sweatshirt but we both had a good laugh. 

Along the same lines, Ryan wants to be a professional baseball player. If this is really the case, he ought to get better at keeping track of his cup because I swear he loses it every single day.

Jonathan came home soaking wet with sweat from playing tennis last night. It's funny that he decided to take up tennis. He has the perfect build for a baseball player. He's tall and strong which is a winning combo for baseball. Mike mentioned to me that at times it's painful to see his build and know he's not playing baseball. Several months ago, Mike and I had a talk with Jonathan about how he's not too old to try new sports or pick up old ones (hint, hint) even though he's 17. We never actually said baseball since there's no more sure way to get him to not do something than by actually suggesting it but we said everything short of baseball to encourage him to give it another try. Apparently the talk made a difference but not in the way as intended because now he's into tennis. 

September 2023

Grace before giving me her feet to rub as part of tucking her in bed. "Don't worry Mom. I just showered so you have nothing to fear."

Grace today: "I was super old before I realized that most families don't go to the library every week."

Grace told me a story last night and named the manners teacher of the princess, Ruth, because she thinks that's what I'd do if I lived in the time of Queens and Kings.

Grace also gives me all the inside scoop on Ryan and how I need to discipline him more. Tonight on the ride back from orchestra she said she is highly suspicious that he records his piano songs and plays them as if he is practicing. Her friend Gabby, is a TA for his social studies class and says his handwriting is terribly sloppy and she only gives him full credit because she sees he is Grace's little brother. She informed me that he is actually playing cool math games while we think he is on his computer doing homework and she caught him goofing off with a friend at the back of a line at school. She says I need to be stricter with him because years ago I used to threaten to throw his sheet blanket away and then when I didn't follow through with the threat, James did and she'd have to get it out of the garbage for him.

August 2023

Ryan started 6th grade, Grace 8th, James 10th and Jonathan 12th this month!

Grace made it into Chamber Orchestra, albeit barely. She was so happy when I told her yesterday after school that she was jumping up and down in delight. Ryan on the other hand was super sad because this means she will probably be going to Europe with them this Spring and he can't stand the idea of her going to another continent and leaving him with no partner in crime.

They are so cute together riding to and from school and playing around. Grace has been writing him choose-your-own-adventure stories where he chooses what happens at the end of each chapter from a multiple choice list and she writes chapter by chapter accordingly. The other day Grace sent me a little video of Ryan up in a tree saying "Hi Mom" at the park by the middle school after school then he didn't come home. I searched and searched and eventually found out he had joined Grace volunteering at the elementary school. They are both starting soccer. Whereas Grace is reserved and somewhat timid, Ryan is fun to watch and a great player. Ryan is also playing baseball. He does best when he stays busy so we have him in two sports at the same time.

Jonathan is super busy academically with six AP classes again this year. He spent two weeks this summer attending the high school tennis camp. James is enjoying water polo and is riding his bike to and from school, water polo and seminary. He is taking a weightlifting class as well so  somedays he has water polo in the morning before school, weightlifting and water polo again after school. 

I just overheard James saying during a rousing game of Carcassonne with Mike, Ryan and Grace. "Haha, Grace just doesn't understand the ways of war like us men."

James 1/23

James loves the husky puppies at his robotic team. They are named Tundra and Alpine.

 

Ryan 12/22

 

Jonathan 12/22