Live List

We've been tackling our family "Live List." My sister introduced me to the concept of making a "Live List" which she read about on Kelly Jensen's blog. A Live List is kind of a bucket list of things we would like to do as a family for the season. I've become semi-obsessed with the idea. Having a visual list on the fridge is a constant reminder to make time for the fun stuff. I am a good planner, but have I always penciled in family adventures on our calendar? Our Live List ranges from activities to hikes, to parks, to new kinds of food to make/try. This list is a work in progress. No, we haven't finished everything on our Live List yet, but we've really enjoyed spending more time together doing things besides chores and housework. Below are 7 things we've done from our Live List:

LIVE LIST

• 1. Go to the Clark Planetarium in SLC.

Saturday, February 26, 2022

I'm proud to report that this year, my birthday request wasn't "alone time" which is all I wanted last year. Instead, I wanted to do something all together as a family. It seemed like many other people in Salt Lake County had the same idea to go to the Planetarium on a Saturday. It was extremely crowded. It's a free Planetarium and it seemed like the exhibits were geared more towards older kids. I'm not sure if I would go again, but we still had a nice time. The highlight was definitely the movie. James has asked a couple of times since we saw it when that movie is coming out, so we can watch it again. Andrew and I were the meanest parents ever because we didn't let the kids get something from the gift shop.

• 2. Try a new restaurant. I don't know that this should really count because Andrew and I have had this restaurant before, but the kids haven't. As part of my birthday celebration, I wanted to eat at "Crack Shack" in Salt Lake City.

Saturday, February 26, 2022

This time, I didn't get the spicy sandwich that I learned had a bit too much kick for me. Instead, I got a chicken sandwich with an egg and you better believe it will be my go-to order. Not too long after going to "Crack Shack," we learned that "Crack Shack" is opening a new location in Lehi which was music to my ears. I have plans to go there with a friend immediately when it opens.

• 3. Drop off a treat to Elder Ditto. 

The only picture I have of this is a picture of the mission office door. The first time we tried to drop off the snacks, the mission office was closed, so we came back another day. While we were at the store buying some of Elder Ditto's favorite snacks, a stranger stopped us and gave each of our kids a $1 bill to buy a treat with which they were pretty excited about.

• 4. Go swimming at the South Jordan Rec Center pool.

Saturday, March 12, 2022

Our kids love the water! They swim with floaties and cherish their independence in the pool. The lazy river, whirlpool, and slides keep them busy and wear them out. Walking to the car soaking wet in winter temperatures was shocking for the kids and me. Note to self, maybe we should bring a change of clothes next time. The kids are starting swimming lessons, and I'm hoping they'll be floatie-free soon. We have a pass to the rec center and should really utilize this excellent pool more often.

• 5. Send all the Ditto missionaries letters/cards.

March 21, 2022.

There are currently 5 missionaries serving in the Ditto family. For family home evening, we worked on cards/pictures for the missionaries. We sent mail to California, Colorado, Peru, Argentina, and Utah. We had James tell us what to write on each picture he drew and what he said to the missionaries was hilarious. Hopefully, the mail brightens their days.

• 6. Go to the Hogle Zoo.  

Friday, March 25, 2022

We've always liked and listened to the song, "Going to the Zoo." The week leading up to our zoo trip, we listened to this song on repeat and when it was finally time to go to the zoo, we had it blasting in the car. "We're going to the zoo, zoo, zoo, how about you, you, you? You can come too, too, too, we're going to the zoo!" It's quite catchy and gets stuck in your head easily.

It was the perfect zoo day. The temperature was in the 70's and it was gorgeous! We arrived at the zoo right when it opened at 9:00am. Obviously, we rode the train and the carousel. There were so many animals to see! The monkeys were especially active and funny. The lions were right up close to us. The kids started roaring like lions at the exhibit (which you can kind of see in one of the pics) which cracked me up as well as some strangers nearby. The gorillas happened to be eating their breakfast and it was fascinating to watch them devour huge pieces of lettuce. The polar bear kept flipping and it felt like he was performing for us. We caught part of the Seals and Sea Lion Show and the kids got to see all sorts of tricks. We wanted our zoo day to be extra special and told the children they could pick out a stuffed animal. I thought they would pick a typical zoo animal such as a monkey, elephant, gorilla, giraffe, etc, but I was wrong. Both the kids picked snakes. James got a rattlesnake that makes noises when you shake it. You may notice the snakes in the first zoo pic above-- don't let the snakes fool you. They are not scarves. Apparently, when we looked at the snakes, they made quite an impression on the kids. This zoo day goes down as one of my favorites.

• 7. Have Grandma Langlois over for dinner. 

Sunday, March 27, 2022

We invited Grandma to join us for Sunday dinner. As per usual, Grandma brought the kids a plethora of treats. We asked Jess and Chris and my mom to join too. Grandma was able to meet baby George. Grandma didn't stay long and frantically dashed home to watch the Oscars. (Poor planning on my part. I've never watched the Oscars and checking when that aired didn't cross my mind.) Izzy got to hold George and it was the sweetest! James was heartbroken he couldn't hold George (Stupid cough). 

A lot of the activities on our Live List are free for the kids because they completed reading logs through PBS kids and in return got several free passes to museums, etc. (James got in free to the zoo, and the movie at the planetarium was also free.) I can't wait to get to more items on our Live List like the Living Room hike, the Alpine Slide, ice-skating, bowling at BYU with a necessary stop at the creamery after, and more. There is so much to live for year-round. After talking to my sister, I learned 3 upcoming things on her Live List are: Go to a daffodil festival, go to a baseball game, and start a clothesline. No matter where you are, or what season it is, making a Live List can help you realize what your area has to offer year-round, even during your least favorite season (Take that, winter). What's on your LIVE list?

The Homey Ditto Home

Our house is starting to match my style. We've done a few projects recently which have made a drastic difference.

1) Playroom: We got a fun, whimsical rug for this room. It adds a playful vibe to the space. My sister found the rug, so shoutout to Jill. We (mostly Andrew) also hung a gallery wall in the playroom with pictures from our latest photoshoot. Hanging the pictures was daunting and we had already put it off once after a night of failed attempts. Andrew did a wonderful job measuring all 8 photos ensuring that they were centered on the wall and exactly 2 inches apart. Using command strips to do the hanging proved to be much easier than nails. (We tried both.) The morning after we put up the gallery wall, Izzy excitedly proclaimed, "The pictures didn't even fall down!" Apparently, even she could tell we're novices. We rewarded ourselves with Cold Stone for finishing the gallery wall. It was kind of a headache to do. It was totally worth it though. The room is pretty elegant for a playroom. I just love it! For my birthday, my mom and sister got me a kid's table and stools. The kids love this table and use it all the time. It really finishes off the room nicely. 

The blue star rug is from Wayfair. The table and stools are from IKEA.

The frames are from IKEA and were $9.99 each. We ordered the pictures from Costco.

The room has been transformed. We've changed out the curtains, curtain rod, and flooring. I also painted the baseboards.

2) Kitchen light fixtures: We replaced the lights above our kitchen island as well as the light above our dining room table. When Andrew took down the old light fixtures, I noticed just how dusty they were. Oops, I should probably be embarrassed to admit that. I tell myself that maybe I would have liked the previous lights more dust-free, but yeah right. The new fixtures make a world of difference. Our ceilings are so high which made the light installation extra tricky. Changing the island lights seemed to be a 3-person job and fortunately, my dad was able to lend a hand. He brought his ladder and stabilized it while Andrew tinkered with the lights. In order for Andrew to be able to reach the lights, we had to put the ladder on top of the counter which was precarious. In my Mom's words, "Rick, you can't be falling and breaking your back!" Andrew risked potential bodily injuries and his back remained unbroken. Phew! Finding pendant lights that were long enough felt like a never-ending chore. After browsing the web for hours, I finally just decided to spend more money than I wanted on black pendants from Lightology. I didn't know I married an electrician, but Andrew is a self-taught master!

Close-up. We got the light from Amazon and it's significantly brighter than our old one.

3) Yardwork: Our yard will be our never-ending-project for the next several months/years. Last week we removed 2 poky, unattractive bushes as well as a pine tree. (I think the pine tree was starting to die and am sad we didn't get a pic.) We had dirt delivered to spruce up this area. We used all of the dirt and need to order more. The curb appeal of our house is infinitely better now. Our kids really enjoy being outdoors which makes it easy for us to get work done. I got a text while we were outside working on this project to go meet my new nephew, George. I jumped at the chance to meet this sweet boy and came over a hot, sweaty mess. James and George have birthdays 1 day apart. So thrilled George lives 2 minutes away.

He's so tiny!

Our house continues to move in the right direction and is feeling homier by the second. Come see for yourself! 

Birthday Boy!

When having to patiently wait for the arrival of your birthday is the hardest thing in your life, you're winning. James has been dying for it to be his birthday. The day before his birthday, he kept trying to move the day along, "Is it time for lunch yet?" "Can we go to bed yet?" I think at one point during the day, some tears were shed. James continuously listed off several more gift ideas until I reminded him that I had already purchased all of his presents. 

While James was asleep on the eve of his birthday, Andrew and I decorated his room. Andrew hung the streamers and I blew up 25 balloons. Not all children would sleep through this madness, but James did. There were a couple of scares when James started moaning and I fled the scene immediately, but it remained a surprise until morning. James woke up ecstatic and spent much more time than usual in his room on his birthday.

Note his pajamas. James is spunky and likes to wear pajamas that don't match most nights.

For breakfast, James requested pancakes. He got to open his presents from Grannie and set off to play with his new remote control car. I scheduled an appointment for James to get the Covid-19 vaccine since he's eligible and now 5 years old. Oh happy day! James dislikes getting shots, but he did better than last time. To help James forget about the shot, we got doughnuts on our way home which are his favorite. He surprised me with his flavor choice and picked a lemon raspberry doughnut. We tried a new show and James is now obsessed with Spiderman on Disney Plus. 

In the afternoon, we met 2 of James' friends (Harrison Hendricks and Elijah Bradshaw) at Luv 2 Play in Sandy.  It's an indoor play place with slides, balls to jump into, blocks to play with, things to shoot, etc. The reviews online were good, but I was definitely disappointed by the size compared to other places we have been. For the price, I expected it to be much bigger. The good news is that the size didn't matter to James. He could have stayed all day and was sprinting around like a mad-man. We were there for 2.5 hours and James wanted to stay even longer. When Izzy peed her pants on the slide, that was our cue to leave. James is already plotting what he'll do next time we go back. 

The kids played hard and definitely worked up a sweat. James requested a bath in my jetted tub. He also picked that we have Chick-Fil-A for dinner (which I may have encouraged). After hosting people for dinner multiple nights in a row, I was relieved to have a break from the kitchen. James got lots of clothes for his birthday. He's a growing boy. He also goes through pants at a rate that's hard to keep up with. He's constantly on the move and gets holes in his pants rapidly. We also got James a marble run set. He has been playing with that nonstop.

Showing off some of his new clothes.

Bio for James

James has a zest for life. He's very enthusiastic, energetic, and excited. I often hear big thuds and find him rolling around. He's constantly moving. James is intelligent. He likes chapter books and can sit through an entire chapter book in one sitting. I recently hosted primary activity days and it was book-themed. James asked if he could share his favorite book with all the 9-11-year-old girls which made me chuckle. He mentioned The Boxcar Children Series. He also enjoys listening to me read Ivy and Bean, Magic Treehouse, Junie B. Jones, and PJ Masks. He asks Alexa to play him stories throughout the day. James knows his letters. A proud parenting moment for me this week was when he asked how to spell my name and wrote out Jenna. James knows a ton about the Old Testament (more than many adults) and enjoys listening to Scripture Scouts.

James likes preschool most of the time. He's even started a "Clean Team" at preschool and he's the head of it. Who knew wiping things down with rags could be so entertaining? I guess bossing people around is pretty great. Izzy and I recently got to join James and his class on a field trip to the Firestation. James couldn't stop grinning and asked me to take lots of pictures. Later at the library, James picked a Curious George firefighter book and has told me he wants to be a firefighter.

James has the sweetest heart. At preschool, they've been trying to catch a leprechaun. After several attempts, they finally caught the leprechaun and he left treats. James saved some of the Rolos the Leprechaun brought to make sure Isabelle got one. He is the best big brother.

James loves to help work outside and boy could we use the help. Today we removed 2 hideous thorn bushes and a tree. James worked alongside Andrew, piling the new dirt into the wheelbarrow. James will eat almost anything and it feels like he snacks constantly! Tonight he had 3 bowls of soup. I swear he eats more than me! He appreciates my cooking. James is quite the builder and loves legos and magnet blocks. James also has a goofy and silly side and likes to make people giggle. James is super good at riding his bike! We go on bike rides often and I'm always surprised at how speedy he is. James still adores his 3 blankies. He is a well-rounded little boy.

Birthday season has come to a close (after James' bday dinner with my family tomorrow). Andrew, myself, and James are all older and wiser. Isabelle keeps saying her birthday is next week. Hate to break it to you honey, but it is going to be pretty tough to have to wait until July. We sure loved celebrating our Jamesy.

Surprise!

Surprise! We were able to pull off a party for my mom which proved to be tricky. The party was initially planned for Friday, February 4th but Covid-19 ruined that. One silver lining is that because we had to reschedule the party, my sister, Jill was able to be in town. 

I had to lie to my mom to get this entire night to happen. Lying is not my forte. I tossed around several ideas before deciding which lie was best. I asked my parents to babysit at our house the night of the party. I said that the bishop wanted to meet with Andrew and I, so we would only be gone for 20ish minutes. I even went as far as having my mom and other family members make guesses about who was getting a new calling (since we were meeting with the bishop) and what it would be. Maybe I took that a little too far...

I had to make sure my mom came hungry to our house which was a challenge. My parents are senior-citizen eaters meaning that they usually eat dinner around 4:00pm. I told my mom that we've been wanting to have them over for weekly dinners before they leave the country (which is true and I've mentioned it to her before). My mom thought the plan was that we would have dinner together, and then Andrew and I would slip off to our interview.

I'm shocked we pulled it off. An hour and a half before my parents were set to arrive, I got a frantic text from my dad saying, "Mom is pushing to come early today- she sent you a text- you will have to make up something." My mom's text to me said, "Want us to come over a little early and play with the kids while you prep dinner? We would love it!" In ordinary circumstances, I would have cherished the extra set of hands to watch my kids while I prepared food. Just like that, I had to pop out another lie. I made up that I had a parent swim meeting, had already made a casserole, and probably wouldn't be home from the meeting until right at about 5:30. I then turned off my location sharing, so my mom wouldn't see I was home. Man, lying gets complicated! 

James answered the door when my parents arrived. He said his practiced line dutifully: "Nana, I'm so glad you guys can come over and babysit us!" Nana walked in and we were holding pink balloons, a sign, and we all had breast cancer ribbon pins on. (Note that I went a bit overboard with my pins and wore 6. It looked like I was wearing a ribbon necklace.) I can't believe I didn't think to video my mom's reaction, but she was amazed, so happy, and most importantly, surprised! 

We were supposed to have "The Pie Pizzeria" for dinner which is my Mom's favorite pizza. I called to order the pizza, and just as I was ending the conversation, the lady told me that "The Pie Pizzeria" was closing at 4:00PM. What! I couldn't believe it and said something like, "Wait, is this the Pie Pizzeria? You close at 4:00PM?" Apparently, they are short-staffed. Well, there went that plan. Suddenly, my invitations were even a lie too- The Pie Pizzeria wouldn't be happening. Marco's pizza was a good backup plan and my mom loves that too. We had: 5 pizzas, breadsticks, chips and dip, salad, raspberries, strawberries, drinks, and chocolate cake. There was plenty!

While eating, we all shared something we love about our mom. She is a strong woman. We played a few rounds of the game "heads-up" which ampted the kids up. We laughed hard.

Not only were we blessed by Jill's presence, but she offered to make the chocolate cake and she did a wonderful job! Some may wonder why there are candles on the cake saying 16-- my mom had to have 16 radiation treatments. On her last day of treatment, they let my mom ring a bell 16 times to celebrate that she finished. While in the check-out line at the store with those candles, I was asked who was turning 16. I should have just lied. I've had lots of practice doing that lately. Instead, I told the truth which turned into a much deeper conversation than I wanted with a stranger/cashier. Apparently her mom had breast cancer too. 

I spent time researching cancer-free songs. "I'm a Survivor" and "This is My Fight Song" came up. I figured I could find a song we could sing to my mom while she blew out the candles. I didn't have much success in my search. We ended up using the "Hello Song" from the Primary Children's Songbook. Instead of singing, "Hello," we sang "Goodbye." It was hysterical because it was kind of a bust and we didn't know what lyrics to sing other than lots and lots of "Goodbyes." 

All of the J5's (my siblings--There are 5 of us and all of our names start with the letter J), helped contribute to a group gift for my mom. Jessica had the idea to get my mom Portuguese scriptures (a quad with her name engraved on them), and a Portuguese hymnbook. It was remarkable that all of the J5's were able to be at the party. Unfortunately, Esther and Lindsey couldn't make the party because Esther was sick. Chris also wasn't able to attend. We missed them! 

I'm just grateful and astounded that the party actually happened. I told my mom I hope to never have to throw a cancer party again, but immediately took it back. I am blessed, indebted, and honored that I was able to throw this party. We have reason to celebrate and my mom was emotional and very pleased to have this special night. I'd take an end of treatment party any day over the alterative. Yes dad, telling mom about the party (like you suggested) would have been much easier, but I think it would have been less sweet. Note to self-- next time when throwing a breast-cancer party, tell everyone to wear pink (I'm new at this). Stay away, cancer!

Play Season

News Flash: One thing Andrew and I have in common is our love for plays! We've had the chance to experience the theater a lot over the last few months. I'll start with our most recent experience and work our way backward in time.

Play #1 "Treasure Island" at Hale Center Theater on Thursday, February 17, 2022. 

For Christmas, I gave Andrew tickets to see this show. He was elated and mentioned that he considered getting us tickets to go for our anniversary. Good thing I beat him to it! I reached out to our friends, Nick and Becca to see if they wanted to join us (since Tuacahn with them last year was a bust). They had already purchased tickets to see "Treasure Island" for the same week and they switched their tickets to go with us. Going together was a blast!

We started the night off strong with baskets full of rolls smothered in honey butter and juicy steaks. We then made our way to the theater. The set for "Treasure Island" was spectacular! There was water on the stage and several of the actors were dumped overboard. Some audience members even got splashed. In all honesty, I was not feeling the play in the beginning. I wondered if it was because I'd had a tough mom day, but was validated when everyone else in our group agreed. One of the actors was just ok. Things improved a bit after intermission. The fight scenes could have definitely used some more oomph. The actors did not need to stand 6 feet apart to keep each other from harming one another with their pretend weapons.

At the culminating scene/ moment of the show, I was laughing out loud. There was a death that included a dramatic fall. Death should not be a laughing matter and I don't think it was intended to be. Andrew had to whisper over to me to breathe because I was giggling so much. Watching the actor fall in "slo-mo" while attached to a cable was just too much to handle. At the end of the night, Becca said something like, "I was entertained, but don't know that I'd tell anyone to come see it." Amen! We still had the best time out with friends though!

Play #2 "Hamilton" at Eccles Theater on Friday, February 11, 2022.

My parents purchased Hamilton tickets for the family several months ago. Our tickets were initially for January, but the Hamilton cast got Covid, so the tickets were postponed. Our Hamilton tickets were rescheduled for February 11. In a very sad turn of events, I tested positive for Covid-19 the night before the show. I thought I was in the clear at this point, but I was wrong. Missing the play was one of my biggest fears and it happened. 

It's hard to put into words how sad I was, so I'll describe it. I cried on and off for 2 days. I could hardly speak to Andrew. I spent a lot of time in my room. I wore pajamas 24/7. My grandma got to go in my place. The night of the show, I took a scorching hot bath and tried to eat the Ben and Jerry's ice cream that Andrew got me while he was enjoying the show with my family. I know pictures were taken that night, but I have not asked to see them. (Andrew arrived after the pics were taken anyway). From what I hear, the play was marvelous (as was expected). I didn't ask for too many details. I do know that I was listening to music at one point while my family was at the play without me and a song from the Hamilton soundtrack came on. I skipped it.

Play #3 "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang" at Hale Center Theater on Wednesday, December 15, 2021

Andrew works for a generous company. For Hivewire's Christmas Party, we were treated to dinner at "Olive Garden" and the play "Chitty-Chitty Bang Bang." We had a remarkable time. After seeing 2 productions at Hale Center Theater fairly close together, it was easy to compare the 2. It was unanimous-- "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang" was better. I recognized someone in the play that I went to high school with. I don't think Andrew appreciated my nudges each time he was on-stage, but in my defense, it felt like I knew a celebrity. Although, lets be real-- he was just a backup dancer. "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang" was one of my favorite movies as a child. The music throughout the play was phenomenal and so catchy. They outdid themselves with the car they made for the play. Just typing about it now gets the music stuck in my head. LOVED IT!

Play #4 "Elf" at Pioneer Theatre Company @ the U on Friday, December 3, 2021

It's only fair that I went to a play without Andrew, since he went to Hamilton without me. (Although let's be real-- I think he got the better play.)  My friend, Valerie is an amazing seamstress. She made some of the costumes for the play "Elf." In return, she got paid (obviously), but more importantly, she got free tickets to see "Elf." She asked me and another girl in our ward to join her. We met up with her mom and it was a party. Seeing the play put me in the Christmas spirit. There were a few tweaks from the original "Elf." The Utah jokes were a hit. I'm grateful Valerie invited me! It was an enjoyable evening out, but it wasn't the highest quality performance I've seen. 

I don't want play season to end and it doesn't have to! I don't see our hobby ending anytime soon. There's a beautiful outdoor theater at Sundance and I'm hoping that we check it out this summer.