January 2023

Posted by Chandra January 29, 2023

January 2023

January has been THE longest month. It just keeps going! But it’s been good! We spent the first week of the year cleaning and organizing. It seriously took an entire week to put Christmas away. We demoed the laundry room and Tanner dyed my hair! And he did a great job, too! Took the kids to the Discovery Cube. They weren’t as enthusiastic about it as the last time we went. Tanner was able to visit his parents in Palm Springs. Sweet Jill lost her mom and we attended the funeral and tried to comfort her the best we could. Tanner and I enjoyed a night out to dinner for Courtney’s birthday.

Monday the 9th was our first day back to school after 7 weeks off. We were all so excited to be back and see friends again! I love my job! Rayleigh had a great IEP but then had a hard time on the playground at recess. She shut down and sat on the playground until a supervisor told her to go to the office. The assistant principal spoke with her (she didn’t speak back) and they had to go see the counselor. While she was in her office, Rayleigh wrote her a note asking her to get me down in kinder at Mrs Kliss’ class. The counselor grabbed me and I was able to get Rayleigh to open up a little bit- she just needed a little TLC. The counselor said she was impressed with how I handled it. Rayleigh took the kinders down to lunch with me, got her own lunch, and then felt good enough to head back to class. After school that day, we went to Disneyland and it was a nice way to end a hard day. But I’m proud of the way the school handled her and so thankful I was there to help!

Wednesday I got Botox! Woo hoo! And then I had Bookclub at my moms. We read a book about WW2 Germany and had German desserts which were fantastic. So yummy! And while I was there, Robyn texted that she had a big bag of clothes for Rayleigh! Score! So I was able to drive down there and pick it up. She is always so generous with me and I love her for it!

And Kim and Monte arrived! They had offered to babysit for us if we wanted to go on vacation but what we REALLY wanted was to renovate the laundry room. So Tanner and Monte worked SO hard for 4 whole days to get it mostly done. Kim helped me out by taking Rayleigh to Activity Days when I had my Chiro appointment. It was so fun having them here and I couldn’t believe the transformation of the laundry room. I love it!!!!

They left Sunday morning before we even got up (it had been raining non stop and they were a little worried about the drive). We had Stake Conference and Parker sang with a youth choir. That afternoon, Jon dropped Kimmie and Kaela off while he attended a work event in Norco (Laura and Brody have been in Argentina all month). The kids had SO much fun with the girls and I took Parker and Kim to a fireside. She sure turned heads when she walked in with Parker! She is a knockout and full of so some self confidence. Jon came back to pick up the girls later that night and we had a good kitchen chat.

Monday the 16th, we didn’t have school because of MLK Day and it rained all day! We cuddle up and Jack went to Reed’s birthday party and it was a nice day. Tuesday, Jack was able to attend his first ever Activity Days for boys and he LOVED it! He can’t wait to do it again and talked about it for days afterward.

I’m digging our new and improved schedule this year: Rayleigh has play practice on Mondays, Jack has Activity Days for Boys on Tuesdays and that will also be our designated Disney Day, the kids have Art Stars on Wednesdays, the girls have dance, and Parker has mutual. Parker will also start coming with me to work on Wednesdays to volunteer in the STEAM lab. Thursdays all of the kids have MCO. Their first rehearsal was on the 19th and they LOVED it and did so great! Especially Ella! She is a natural! Thursdays is also my day to see the chiropractor and when we don’t have MCO, Rayleigh will have Activity Days for Girls. Fridays are the best. We don’t have anything! (Yet)

We signed Jack up for soccer but we won’t know his schedule until February. But Friday the 20th, Parker went to the temple as he always does on Friday mornings, and when I got off of work, I picked him up and brought him back to the school to check out the STEAM lab and introduce himself. He was a huge hit and made a great first impression. The state was visiting the school and observed our kinders working on LEGO duplo trains with the iPads. Parker took inventory of the other LEGO sets and helped Mrs. Kliss with her questions. Everyone LOVED him. It was also Family Friday in Ella’s class so it was fun to see some of my kinders’ parents. It was also a sad day saying goodbye to Mrs. Arce who is needing to take a leave of absence and start her maternity leave early. She’s been suffering from hyperemisis and high blood pressure- poor thing. There’s nothing more important than the health and well being of Mother/Baby. But we’ll miss her so much!

I told the kids I was happy to take them to Disneyland after school on Friday but they were wiped out and wanted to just stay home and chill- works for me! We snuggled up and it was really nice.

The weekend was fabulous and we got a lot done- finishing up the laundry room and such. Parker was supposed to go camping but he bailed on that because it was freezing. The kids did some clay making. Rayleigh did a clay project at school and worked so hard on it and was so proud of it! She took such good care of it, carrying it all the way through school and to the car and right as she was bringing it inside the house, she dropped it and it broke. As did her heart. Poor thing! We ordered some more clay and all was well. But it was a nice sunny Saturday together. That night, I took Parker and a group of kids (mostly girls) to the dance in San Clemente. Kimmie and Jessi were there too! I visited with Emily and Lisa while the kids were at the dance and it was so. Much. Fun. I love that family so much and it was so great being with them again! They are truly like family and I feel so happy when I’m with them. We laughed a lot and got caught up on things. It was great- really filled my cup.

Sunday January 22nd was a special day for Parker! Parker became a priest! Tanner gave him a beautiful blessing encouraging him to pay attention to the insights he receives in these next few years as he prepares for adulthood. My parents, Josi, and her boys were there and it was a beautiful day. We all had chicken n rice together and are all so impressed with the young man Parker is!

This week was awesome- we went to Disney after school on Tuesday and we’re able to see the cool Lunar New Year parade and other fun Chinese celebrations. Parker came to school with me on Wednesday and was green with envy when my kinders got to meet up with their big buddies (Rayleigh’s class) and work with LEGOs (and keep them!) He organized educational LEGO sets in the STEAM lab and Mrs. Kliss was so grateful! He came with us to the Synergy Rally at the start of the day with the whole school. Rayleigh was one of 3 kids to play a Minute to Win It game in front of everyone and did so great! She didn’t win (even though the teacher AND the principal jumped in to help her ) but was SUCH a good sport and was beaming with the excitement! She is spectacular!

We went to the district office to get his TB clearance and celebrated his new volunteer opportunity with In N Out. Parker also had a super fun mutual activity! I don’t know quite how to explain it: but they played soccer while in big blow up bubbles! We also registered Parker for EFY at BYU, FSY in San Diego, and Drivers Ed! Exciting times! He went to the temple TWICE on Friday- in the morning after seminary with the homeschool group, and in the evening with the youth from the ward. AND he was able to baptize for the first time! He was beaming when he got home on Friday night. I hope he always strives to have the spirit with him like that. He also blessed the sacrament for the first time and completely nailed it. He was nervous but he seriously did so great!

Thursday was MCO with a quick stop to see my parents which is always a treat. My Bookclub was canceled because Anne was in the hospital with a kidney infection and Billie is still suffering from bronchitis and has a blood clot! Sheesh! My poor friends! I’ve been saying so many more prayers for the ones I love lately.

But each morning I’ve been getting up to ride the bike and do some yoga. I have a personal devotional with scripture study and prayer and it has been very balancing. I am getting a new student in my class who has proven very difficult (violent and disruptive). I’m very anxious about how it will all shake down especially since I had to drag one of my kids down to the principals office TWICE yesterday. I HATED it. I don’t do well with this kind of behavior and confrontation. So, stay tuned!!! Ugh.

I’m thankful for THE best family and children. They are truly my most prized treasures and I love them infinitely. Tanner has been super supportive of all of my projects and plan this month, even though I know he has his own agenda. Parker has been a rock star and even though we had to crack down on his phone use, he’s still superior in every way. All of this rain has made everything so green and I’m looking forward to warm sunny days and a hike or 2 in the hills. I pray that I will bring the brilliant light of Christ’s love to this little boy who is clearly having a hard time. The natural man in me wants to turn him away, but that’s not what Christ would do and through Him, I know I can make a difference in this kids’ life. So I pray for peace and reassurance and I endeavor to do so. For with God, nothing shall be impossible.