Moons, Moonmoons, and Submoons

"A few years ago," the Smithsonian Magazine article begins, "an astronomer’s son asked the type of question only kids and genius astrophysicists come up with: Can a moon have a moon?"

I am here to testify that Moons can have Moons. Moons have been having Moons for generations. Furthermore, Moons can marry Moons, become Moon Moons, and have more Moons. Moons can even live with Moons while building Moon homes within a mile of other Moon homes. (According to the Smithsonian Magazine, this distance is necessary for the younger Moon residence to complete its own orbit but still be close enough to take advantage of the older Moon's gravity [or garden].)

Scientists wonder why moons don't have their own pet moons. I have the answer to that. First of all, children are not pets, so when Moons have baby Moons we don't call them pets. Second, Moons don't usually have pets because if they had pets they would have to be dopey wolves named Moon Moon to fit the theme of the family, and no one here likes big dogs.

Although no moons outside of Earth's atmosphere have been shown to have their own submoons, plenty of Moons inside of Earth's atmosphere have. Here is my photographic evidence:

As you can see, there are several Moons orbiting the Grandmoons. (Not to be confused with the other Grandmoons that live in Duchesne, of course.) These Moons or former Moons have all converged on an orbit that now only extends as far from the grandmoons as Arizona. The orbit used to include places such as Michigan, Connecticut, Alabama, New Jersey, Georgia, Costa Rica, and Spain, so the Utah gravity is definitely much stronger now!

Scientists have considered calling the moons of moons "moon-squareds." Kevin and I were of course the original "moon-squared" (see here), so naturally Joseph was called moon-cubed, at least for his first Facebook album. And these days he definitely likes three-dimensional objects, especially paper airplanes and origami animals.

Matthew is our little Moonito right now. He always wants to know how to say things in Spanish, and once when my sister asked how he said his name in Spanish, he said "pantalones."

Matthew also fits a lot of other criteria relating to moons of moons. According to the article, "In order for a submoon to survive, it needs to be small -- about six miles in diameter or less." And he is much, much less than six miles in diameter. But what he lacks in size he makes up for in volume.

Jacob is our mini Moon, and he is learning lots about gravity right now. For the past few weeks, whenever he got upset, he flung himself backwards and landed on whatever was right behind him. Luckily, he now checks behind himself when he's about to do that, and if the ground looks hard, he slowly lowers himself down backwards and then continues his mournful soliloquy.

Most of the time though he's pretty sweet and happy and very content to hug and nuzzle the pet moons we do have (stuffed animals).

Moon Moons. Submoons. Moons-squared. Moonitos. Mini Moons. Whatever science decides to call moons of moons, we're sure glad that our set of Moon babies exists!

A house full of females

Kevin went to two conferences in October, and as my post implied, my brain was starting to suffer from the effects of taking care of 3 kids on my own. (I don't know how so many of you do this day in and day out just because of your husband's crazy work/school schedules. I have to remind myself to not compare because otherwise I feel so lame in comparison, especially when I complain haha.) So, it was good to have family come and help me out for a few days.

I picked up my mom, my sister Jennie, and nephew G from the airport Monday night, ate a late dinner, and chatted a bit before heading to bed. We were all exhausted!

Tuesday I decided to walk Joseph to school because good heavens there were two other adults in the house so I could leave the other two kids at home. Unfortunately, we made it out the door late enough that we didn't catch up to Joseph's friend, so he spent the whole way there grumping about how I was no fun to walk with compared with his friend or Daddy. I reminded him that I invented Chutes and Ladders and Cannerland so I was plenty fun, but he didn't agree. So, when I dropped him off and saw his friend's dad there, I took him up on the offer to pick Joseph up the rest of the week. It felt pretty funny to have him come every morning to our house which was so full of grown women who could walk Joseph to school if they weren't asleep on the couch, but I didn't care. (Well, a little.)

After I came back from walking Joseph to school, we made a shopping trip to fill the house with the food everyone liked. Then, my mom and I hurried to Joseph's school where she was a mystery reader who read a couple books to a very attentive and silent group of kindergarteners. The rest of the afternoon was pretty quiet. I was able to pick Joseph up without the other two boys in tow, which was magical. Jennie was so nice and played chess with Joseph. G and Matthew were cute with each other, and Jacob was of course incredibly sweet every single second ever.

I know it's a lot -- the hair, the bod!

What can I say except, you're welcome!

All my mom's grandsons, but not all their faces

It's a lot of work hosting people in a small space (especially a small space that's just awkwardly designed), but we made it work. My mom was so nice to recaulk the bathtub, go shopping multiple times, and help me clean, and she even would have made her delicious salsa for us had she found cilantro at Walmart. (As it turns out, we had some in the fridge, our neighbors have lots, and we recently discovered cilantro hiding in our flower garden, too. Oh well.)

The next day was beautiful and sunny. We headed to the ward playgroup so Matthew could sit on my lap and eat snacks and frown at the thought of playing. At least the rest of us had fun, I think. We grabbed some Chick-Fil-A for lunch, and eventually Kaylie and K showed up to join the party! When Matthew and K saw each other, they started laughing and laughing because that's what they do best (that and dancing).

When Joseph was home from school, we walked down to another park.

Progeny

All the grandkids in one picture. Jacob really is there behind the blanket. Also, we finally used both double strollers!

It's funny -- you sort of expect to do things like play games or watch shows together after kids go down. But I think we were all so tired that we mostly sat on the couch until our own bedtimes. I think I've gotten a bit used to alone time in the evenings so it was different being with people all the time. But it was nice, too. (I thought about it, and I'm pretty sure the last time my mom and sisters Kaylie and Jennie and I were together with just the three of us was probably when Jennie was a baby and Leslie was in school, so it was fun thinking about the three of us being the age of all our kids.)

Thursday morning was another beautiful morning, so off we went to Brooksvale park. We had considered going to the aquarium, but it was far enough and expensive enough that we opted for the park instead. When we saw how happy the kids were to see farm animals at zero cost, we definitely felt like we had made the right choice.

The trees looked a little prettier in person, but yeah. The foliage this year did not exceed expectations.

They loved the miniature horses. And the chickens, and sheep, and bunnies.

Something funny was that we all wore either reds or greens (not including jackets, which were mostly blue). I had been wearing red until Jacob spit up all over it, and then I changed into green without realizing I was still matching everyone.

Trying so hard for another grandkid shot.

After I got Joseph from school and gave Jennie a quick tour of Yale (quick because I forgot which direction some one-way streets went so we just skipped a few beautiful buildings altogether), we headed over to Edgerton Park. I had had such good luck planning enjoyable activities so far, but our luck ran out. I made the mistake of bringing the toddler's trikes along, figuring that they would like somewhere mostly flat to ride around. But everything about that was a bad idea, starting with getting the trikes in the car, trying to convince them to ride the trikes (Matthew doesn't even really ride his unless someone is pushing him, and my hope that seeing K riding hers would help completely backfired), and then having to carry the trikes along with lots of little kids. Oops.

But on the bright side, there were more chickens, and these ones didn't have a "do not feed" sign.

We were even able to make the chickens jump for the clover leaves, which was very entertaining.

I love these two sweet boys together!

From here, we headed over to the elementary school for the art gallery I'd heard about for weeks. I had gotten so many reminders about it that I was sure it was going to be epic.

But my luck had run out as you remember, so it was just us wandering around an empty school seeing a few "All About Me" info pages in the hallways. They were colorful and somewhat poetic, but not quite what we were expecting. I had planned my whole day to make sure we could see these, so it was a bit of a letdown. Oh well! We had bread and soup waiting for us at home, so we bounced back pretty well.

The next morning I got some good playing in with the little kids, which was nice because I felt like I had been so busy doing dishes and nursing Jacob that I hadn't gotten the chance until then. Then everyone packed up, hunted more for a missing bottle (still haven't found it, so I'm guessing some toddler put it in the trash), ate, and then headed out the door. Kaylie left for New Jersey the same time I left to take people to the airport, so we all prayed for safe travels at the same time.

Those two are too cute together!

And we all traveled safely. Thanks for making the trip, everyone!

Hudson River Valley

A few weeks ago, I was looking ahead at the weather and saw that Saturday was going to have warm, sunny weather (at least for January standards).

I began to make plans. We had to do something outside! We had to take advantage of it!

I first thought about going to New York City. We haven't made it there yet, and it looked like we could find a lot of fun, kid-friendly activities to do, especially around Central Park. I called my sister in New Jersey and we began to make plans. We decided against New York when I looked into the crowds that would be in the area that day.

So we did what I often do when I'm not quite brave enough to commit to the main cool thing -- find reasonable substitutes (see my Napping Bear Sandbox series, for example).

What did we want?

• Time with the Paulsons
• Time outside
• Places for our kids to run around
• Maybe some museums
• Food
• Not too much driving
• Mostly free stuff.

The zoo seemed like a pretty good option, but the only one at the halfway point was the Bronx zoo, which was more expensive than we wanted for this excursion. We found some things to do in Connecticut that weren't too far -- dinosaur parks, waterfalls, museums -- but they didn't quite fit the criteria of being halfway between New Jersey and Connecticut. Besides, being in nature in winter is kind of lame when there aren't mountains for scenery, even if the weather is good. At least, it's lame if you have to drive for it.

So we started looking for what was halfway between us that wasn't NYC. Just north of the city is the Hudson River Valley full of mansions, rivers, and charming villages. As I looked online for cool playgrounds in the area, it seemed parents rated playgrounds most highly based on their safety features, rather than anything actually cool . . . but then again, we were going with 1-year-olds who didn't care that much about coolness.

By Friday night, we had the itinerary mostly formed. All the cool mansions in the area fell off the list as we realized they were closed for the winter, and I had learned from visiting Versailles that paying lots of money to see opulence isn't my cup of tea. So that was okay. That's what Google Images is for.

The next morning, we set off with loads of sandwiches and snacks to see what the lower Hudson River Valley had to offer in the middle of January. Our first stop was a museum in Yonkers (yes, we talked and sang a lot about Hello, Dolly as we pulled in). Once the Paulsons arrived, we began our tour of the mansion attached to the museum. (I have much more patience for mansions that are not outlandishly expensive). Kaylie was good company, providing commentary on the elegance and details and wondering aloud if people actually read the books they had in their parlors. 

After that, we explored the rest of the museum. One of the hallways was full of dreamy landscape pictures of the Hudson River (the Hudson River School didn't get its name from nowhere, after all). Downstairs there were a few exhibits on the Civil War.

One room was full of paintings about the battles themselves. Some were a little gruesome (in almost humorous ways), which made us sort of wonder what kind of person would want that hanging in their front room. I mean, you should definitely have art depicting important events, but all the same I feel like it would be hard to find a buyer.

The little ones were getting antsy, so we wanted to find the toy room, but we first were sidetracked by the discovery of the cardboard art room and then the ecosystem room. (Who can really resist a room with buttons, even if they're just teaching you about erosion?) 

After several magical minutes in the toy room watching our kids instead of wrestling with them, we headed up to Tarrytown and adjacent Sleepy Hollow to see what they had to offer when the mansions were closed and the headless horsemen were hibernating.

The answer, of course, is that it had cute buildings, a park with decent playgrounds (that seemed safe enough, too), and more good company. 

They loved running around, especially when Kaylie was chasing them.

Joseph was happy to have his bike with him.

The pictures of these stone bridges were half the reason we even bothered coming. They were pretty fun for those on bikes or in strollers.

I took this because we didn't have many pictures together. I think I meant for the Paulsons to be in it too but we forgot.

When I took the picture just above, we were on different sides of water, and the only way we knew to reach each other was by climbing up and then down a flight of stairs. Derek was sure there was a better way.

When we decided we were hungry, we walked downtown, admiring the charming town as we went. After eating some forgettable pizza, we headed back to our cars and then headed our separate ways. 

If I'm being fully honest with myself, what I am craving most these days when it comes to recreation are things like movies, plays, museums where I don't have to push a stroller, and restaurants where I don't accidentally buy $4.99 quesadillas for kids who don't even eat them. (It's almost like I should find a babysitter in the ward or something.) But a close 5th is definitely spending time with family, especially my own siblings. I forget most of the conversations we have, but I do remember that we spend a lot of time laughing.

So this was a really good day.

Us!

A few weeks ago, we had family pictures at the most beautiful park!

Let me pause for a moment to tell you about Edgerton Park. It's just this lovely estate not too far from our house (we drive there, but we really could walk) that was donated to the public. It has community gardens, a greenhouse, a fountain, and lots of lovely paths. And I just found this lovely website showing pictures of the mansion that used to be there. (I was wondering why there wasn't a big house there with such a lovely estate, so that made more sense.)

We had a wonderful morning working with Aubree of EE Photography and I'm so excited to show you how great a job she did! And, here are a few quick updates about us.

We are really happy here in Connecticut. There are hard things still, such as dealing with mice who no longer step on traps, and I do regret taking Joseph from his large group of friends and a more carefree environment, but life is really good.

Life. Most of the time.

I do admit I've developed a slightly dark sense of humor to cope with some of the unpleasant idiosyncrasies of living here (maybe sometime I'll share New Haven driving bingo), but overall it's astonishing just how easy it is to be content. I kind of smiled today as I thought about the list of things weighing on me or bugging me or disappointing me right now and how they generally have little to no bearing on my mood, except occasionally. (Like last Tuesday. Or this Monday.)

One thing that's helped us adjust is that we've had lots of social activities. For a while we would eat dinner on Sundays over at student housing with other Yale students. It's gotten too dark too early for that now, but there are still plenty of ward activities (especially with Relief Society) and chances for social interaction with our callings. Usually when I move to a place I only show my serious, quiet side because my goofy, snappy side is so quirky that I don't want to weird people out before I've even met them. But this time it's happened faster where Kevin and I have made friends that we can be a little sarcastic with, and even though I know sarcasm is technically bad, it is nice to not suppress that side of my personality. (Not that it was ever really suppressed. Kevin and I spend most every evening in constant good-natured banter.)

I am doing well. As per usual, I spend a lot of time feeding small children (though the days of Otter Pops and baby carrots for the neighbor kids are gone). I am involved in a sort of laid back Joy School (I sometimes laugh when I see pictures of friends doing Joy School right because ours is so casual in comparison.). I am also serving in the Primary Presidency trying to figure out what on earth Cub Scouts and rechartering is all about and trying not to sound too obnoxious asking people to take Youth Protection Training. Church and my calling has kept me pretty busy lately with meetings and Primary Program practices and visiting teaching and soooooooooo many emails and phone calls and texts, but it feels good to be useful.0

Other than that . . . I'm not up too much! I spend most days happy and content with my life, and then about once a month I fly into a panic of "What am I doing with my life? I am not creating anything right now!!!" Then I start making all sorts of plans. One day I thought that I should get a law degree and do pro bono work. Then the next day I wondered if I should do something more creative, perhaps network with real musicians and make something beautiful with them. In a fit of "I've got to do something!" I sat down and did several difficult problems from my Calc 3 textbook I used 9 years ago just to see if I still had it. I've still got it.

But then a few days later, I calm down and remind myself that it's okay to have quiet seasons too, and that I really am doing a lot of good right now by living a flexible, available life. And at any rate, being less busy has kept the house generally cleaner and led to earlier dinners, and I like that too.

These two are so fun! Over the past few months Joseph has gotten a little more patient with Matthew, and maybe Matthew has been less inclined to knock things over, so they generally play pretty well together. Matthew loves to follow Joseph everywhere, especially into the bathroom. The other day Matthew was at the top of a slide and too scared to come down, so Joseph went up there and tenderly (and maybe awkwardly) placed him on his lap so they could slide down together. Love it.

Matthew is SO SWEET. He follows Joseph around, copies his dance moves, sings along, mimics everything we say, and snuggles like a champ. As soon as Kevin comes home and sits on the couch, Matthew comes over with a book and insists that he read it ("up please up please"). He rotates through naughty toddler antics -- sometimes he wants to touch everything, sometimes he wants to throw food, sometimes he wants to squirrel things away (such as crayons into the heater vent), and right now if he's quiet there's a good chance he's headed for a toilet. He has also become a fan of hiding, even if it just means putting his back to the wall and waiting for us to "find" him. He has a favorite corner now where he just sits and looks at books. (I would share pictures but I don't want the comparison of cell phone pics and lovely professional photos hurting your brain.) He loves Baby Signing Time and knows maybe a dozen signs and a few dozen words. His favorite food is probably butter.

Joseph is so fun! He loves to do crafts, dance, exercise ("because it's healthy"), dress in superhero uniforms down to the socks and underwear, build, listen to books (especially chapter books right now), imagine, and help. His favorite movie right now is Kung Fu Panda (he always does a lot of kickboxing moves as soon as it's done) and his favorite TV show is Mr. Rogers. He is getting better and better at reading and writing. He likes it when we pull out maps and talk about the different countries. He also likes turning on the "demo" button on the piano and making up stories about the different songs. "This one is about Superman is dead." "This one is about Superman is alive again." "This one is about Jungle Book."

That is his Hulk shirt. It's 2T, just like most of his other favorite clothes. Sigh.

It's been kind of fun tweaking ways to help him learn and grow. I've learned a bit to give him permission to have his feelings and just give suggestions for "bad things" he can do when he's mad such as yelling into a pillow because that will hurt the pillow's feelings or grading his feet-stomping to see if he can perfect the art. We deal with a lot of frustration here, and today I told him that every mistake he made while writing in lowercase would result in another chocolate chip. That changed the mood for sure!

I've fretted about not having him in a more formal preschool, and 3 months in I have yet to get a "yes" about a formal playdate (not for lack of trying, for goodness sakes), but we still try and get some socializing in for him with kids closer to his age. This usually happens at Institute, at ward playgroups (which are more informal than in Ann Arbor, but still happen), but also a lot just at our favorite park down the street. There are times when I feel out of place there (mostly because I worry I'm making people uncomfortable) but it's always so great to see Joseph becoming friends with all sorts of different, wonderful kids.

And then there was the time at Chick-Fil-A when he played in the playplace with a few boys who immediately adopted him into their game and it sounded exactly like the kind of playing he did every day at the sandbox or in our basement back in Northwood, and it was the most magical sound I've ever heard. I am optimistic we'll get more opportunities like that the longer we live here.

Kevin is busy with work and his calling. From driving kids to seminary and cultural celebration practices to working on papers and trying to make sense of data, he has plenty to do! (I should give more details, but they might be outside the scope of this blog.) Amidst all that he is super helpful at home (especially regarding the mice and my laptop) and is so fun with the boys. We keep each other giggling.

and osculating. Just like in Calc 3.

In short, we are happy.