Fly on the wall: Thursday

Last time I tracked and posted our daily life was 2 1/2 years ago!  I wish I would have done it last year as our schedules change so much with kid life and it is interesting for me to journal and remember what normal is like.

So, I tracked what was going on on Thursday, September 26th at our house.   Here is a glimpse of our life:

To Do List for the Day

6:00-Headed to Gym
With the change of James's schedule working at City of Hope, he and I get to exercise together in the mornings.  Last year we walked in the mornings together, this year we alternate going to the gym and running.

7:00-Leaving Gym

Brielle and Ethan both get up and start getting ready while we're at the gym.  Thursday is cereal day, so breakfast is already ready and James sits to eat with Brielle while I pack lunches.  

Brielle leaves at 7:30 and walks with friends to the middle school. 

Preston loves lunch box jokes.  I've done them for the other kids through the years and never gotten much reaction, but Preston comes home still laughing about how funny the jokes are.

8:00-Pick Up/Help Preston
Ethan is out the door at 7:55-he likes to be there right at 8 when the side gate is open and the balls are out to play before school starts.  James takes off on his bike around 8 for work also.  I am picking up and starting laundry while encouraging Preston to get up and ready for school.  I walk Preston to school about 8:20.

Preston emptying out the sand still stuck in his shoes from the previous day.

9:00-Mow Lawn
Thursdays I mow the lawn and do yard work.  I am listening to "The Library Book" while I work.

10:00-Talking to Neighbor

I'm still out finishing yard work.  My neighbor across the street was out also so we caught up about her son's wedding last weekend.  I then went in and got cleaned up and started some dinner prep.

11:00-Scripture Study
Sitting down to read scriptures and responding to text from missionaries about a lesson tonight.  I'm not available, so checking to see who else can go to the appointment with them.

12:00-Prepping for Piano Lessons

Looking for some halloween songs to have the boys start playing this month.  Then eat some leftovers (pork chops, mashed potatoes and green beans) for lunch.

1:00-Vacuuming
Listening to a Pres. Nelson Talk while vacuuming the house.  At 1:30 I go to walk the boys home from school.  They can walk home together, but Ethan gets frustrated with Preston's slow speed coming up the hill, so I usually go get them so we have a smoother afternoon.  We found a nest in the tree on our way home.

2:00-Piano Lessons

Ethan is looking through a few of the halloween songs to decide which ones he wants to play.  Preston starts his homework.  We then switch and Ethan works on homework while Preston does his lesson.

3:00-Reading with Preston
Helping Preston with homework.  Ethan is excited to work on the backyard and is hauling mulch.

4:00-Special Time with Ethan/Folding Laundry
Ethan wasn't sure what he wanted to do with me for special time today.  He settled on watching a how it's made together while I folded laundry.  We learned interesting history about Ice Cream Sundaes possibly being created because soda wasn't allowed to be served on the Sabbath.

5:00-Picking up Brielle
We are listening to the book "Wishtree" in the car during our drive to pick up Brielle from conservatory.  Once we got home Brielle got started on homework and the boys played soccer while I took out trash.

6:00-Dinner

James gets home from work.  I run off to a meeting at the school while James and the kids eat dinner.  (Enchilada bake, El Torito Salad and Watermelon.)

7:00-SSC Meeting
Finishing School Site Council meeting at school.  James and Ethan are running out to pick up bolt cutters from a friend to cut off a lock (that I broke the key off inside) from side fence.
Once I got home I helped Preston with his scriptures.  He likes doing a Book of Mormon word search for his personal study.

8:00-Boys to Bed
Preston made a deal that if he hurried to get ready for bed I could read him 3 pages of Morris the Moose, which of course turned into more than 3 pages.  It is his favorite book lately and he reads it multiple times a day.

9:00-Helping Brielle with Math
James has a lot of work to get done tonight so I cleaned up the kitchen and am just finishing helping Brielle with her homework so she can get to bed.

10:00-In Bed Reading
James is finishing up looking over protocols.  I'm starting the book "Dracula" for next month's book group.

Preston's 6th Birthday

Preston spread his birthday throughout the week. We got home from Italy just a couple days before his birthday and he was still jet lagged and struggled that morning acting like a ‘birthdayzilla’, but calmed down and was very fun.  

He loved being able to have lunch with James in his office and then have a birthday swim party that evening. He was enjoying swimming so much that when I asked if he wanted to get out and open his presents he said “no thanks”. We saved the presents until Thursday when we did a Finlay family get together at Westminster Gardens. 

He insisted he needed a “birthday trip with Gramma” and listed out date ideas he could do. (i.e. go to the Arboretum, learn to play tennis, learn to drive the golf cart, go to the park, etc.) Gramma was so nice to take him on a date on Thursday (2 parks, In N Out AND icecream!) and he loved every minute of it.

Preston requested toll house pie for his birthday dessert.  He had a whole menu of dinner options he wanted and thought he could have all of them in one night!  Broccoli Cheese Soup, Chinese Chicken Salad, Pizza, Potstickers, Hamburgers...we spread the food out all week.

Preston 6-year-old interview and stats

Preston is enthusiastic and lights up a room.  His emotions are extreme: when he is happy he is REALLY happy, when he is sad he is REALLY sad.  All his feelings are very evident on his face.  He will engage with anyone in a conversation and is friends with everyone.

My name is: Preston (aka: Friendador, Friendliest Friend, Prepre, PJ)

Height: 50" (99%)

Weight: 54lbs (87%)

Sleeping: About 11 hours 8pm-7am.  As a 3rd child he often is out past is supposed 7:30 bedtime as we're involved in other activities.  When sleep schedules have been thrown off (travel, too many late nights) he will sleep in until 9 or 10 when given the chance. He still has bad dreams, but not as often...maybe waking up a couple times a month.  He likes to listen to music to go back to sleep.  

Hobbies: Loves music.  Plays piano and took a general music class. Hasn't had a desire to participate in any organized sports, but enjoys swimming and riding his scooter-especially to show me his tricks.

What is your name? Preston

When is your birthday? June 10th

How old are you? 6
What is your favorite color? Red, Orange and Yellow
What is your favorite song? The Eye of the Tiger
What does Mom do? Wash the dishes, do the laundry
What does Dad do? He goes to work
What do you want to do when you are a grown up? Be a farmer
Where do you want to live when you grow up? At a home
If you had 1 million dollars, what would you do with it? I would spend it for a bunch of pizzas
What is your favorite food? My favorite food is Broccoli Cheese Soup
What is your least favorite food? Broccomole?  (We're not sure what that is.)  
What is your dream car? A limousine
What is your favorite animal? A zebra
Where do we go to church? The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints
Why do we go to church? To learn about Jesus
What is something you’re good at? Riding the scooter
What is your favorite movie? Lion King
What is your favorite ice cream flavor? Vanilla
Where would you like to travel? Ecuador
Where do you like to eat? Pizza Hut
Who is your favorite person? Mommy and Daddy
Who is your best friend? Brooklyn, my cousin
What is your favorite book? Piggie and Gerald Books
What is your favorite thing to do? Read
What are you most excited about being 6? Doing my birthday interview, which I'm doing right now.
What is broccomole? Guacamole? Hummus?  No, I'm thinking of something, but I don't know what the name is.

Thursday, June 6-Rome

We took the train to Palatine Hill, Roman Forum and Colosseum area. It was very cool to get off the train and see the impressive colosseum.  

We stood in line for about half and hour to get tickets. Then toured the Hill and Forum. 

It was fascinating to walk through the streets of the Roman Forum.  We learned that the green door on the building in the background was at street level in the 1500s, so there was a lot of history buried that has been discovered in the last few hundred years.  

We had timed tickets to enter the Colosseum at 1:50, but it was about a 45 minute wait to get through security and get in. There was no shade on the lines so everyone was hot and tired which was probably the least favorite part of the trip for most people, but once we finally made it in the sights were very cool to see.

We then went to the Mouth of truth-no one had their hand eaten off.   

We did some geocaching close by and then walked up to the Aventine keyhole before taking the train back to the house. We ate dinner there and then went out for one more gelato before getting packed up to head back home early the next morning.

Wednesday, June 5-Vatican City, Rome

We started the day by going into Vatican City for a tour of the museums and Sistine chapel.  It was incredible.  The kids loved seeing the pope-mobiles.  We were thankful to have a friend that arranged a tour guide to help us navigate our way through the lines.

St. Peter's Basilica is enormous.  The 'paintings' are all impressive mosaics, which were very cool to see up close. 

We opted to climb the 550 stairs to the top of the dome.  It helped give a better perspective about just how large the building was.  The letters that looked small from the ground were taller than James.

It required some steep steps that are squeezed in between the inner and outer part of the cupola, but ended with amazing views.

We got to watch the changing of the guards.  The uniforms of the Swiss Guards were designed by Michelangelo.  They've been using the same design since 1506. 

Once we finished Vatican City we decided to keep going to some of the other favorite attractions in Rome. 

We stopped for some pizza to refuel and a carousel ride increase the energy to continue our walking tour.

Rome has water fountains everywhere.  It made it nice to be able to fill water bottles or grab quick drinks.  

We walked through piazza navona

Tossed coins into Trevi Fountain.

Posed on the Spanish Steps

And checked out the hole in the roof of the Pantheon. 

It was a long day with a lot of walking, but the kids kept it fun.  

As with most nights we ate a late dinner back at our apartment.  Ian was great to know what to shop for so we had fantastic home cooked italian food.

Tuesday, June 4-Pitigliano, Viterbo, Rome

We would have loved more time to explore everywhere.  There was a lot to do around our hotel, but we wanted to get to Rome.  We got a later start than we hoped for when Preston accidently tried to walk right through the screen door of our hotel room.  The hotel was very understanding after James tried and couldn't repair.  

We went first to Pitigliano a city built out of volcanic stone with Etruscan ruins.  It is known as little Jerusalem because of its large jewish population.

We then stopped by Viterbo and toured the underground caves.  There we learned about historical uses of the caves as water ways, then where they experimented with Alchemy plus examples of Etruscan pottery etc. The tunnels were used as Air raid shelters when Viterbo was badly bombed during the second world war in 1943.

After a few frustrating attempts at filling our car with gas we made it to Rome.  We kid swapped at the temple so Ian and Annie could attend a session and James and I could go in with Brielle to to Baptisms.  

The visitors center was amazing, and there was a playground on site, so the kids were very happy to spend the evening there.  It was beautiful!

Monday, June 3-Sienna, Saturnia

We said our goodbyes at the vineyard and headed south Monday morning.  We stopped in Sienna to look around and loved it.  

We found a good spot for a picnic lunch, and then walked around to see the church, the plaza and other sites. 

 Outside the church were some souvenir stands where Brielle found some touristy things to bring back to friends and we all enjoyed looking around.

It was less crowded than other cities and had so many great details to appreciate.

and random places to relax.

We continued on to some thermal hot springs in Saturnia.  They are off the side of a dirt road, and you walk down a path that looks like you're in the middle of nowhere and then it opens up to these amazing pools.

Everyone enjoyed time to relax.  

Ethan made sure to take time to find a geocache...one of his favorite things to do at all the places we went.

Our hotel was close by the springs and had a great set up with the rooms being right across the hall from the hotel's restaurant.  We got pizza for the kids and enjoyed a night out for the adults with fun foods like pear infused cheese, rabbit ragu and stuffed crepes.