8 November 2026

D has started drawing manga - copying his favorite - and last night he asked Rosebud for her coloring materials. We'll see where this goes. Right now he's outside in the backyard walking around talking to himself.

7 November 2026

 Nut Brown and Mr. Brown are out of town for an extended weekend on a road trip together.  This afternoon (it's Saturday), I came home from visiting a friend and found that Rosebud was totally devastated because D had deleted photos from the family reunion this summer from her digital camera - intentionally, because - in his own words - he was too lazy to transfer them to the computer and wanted the space on the camera for something else.  She was very, very upset.  I asked D if he had apologized, and he said, oh I definitely have!  He handed me this piece of paper that he'd written it out on:

It says, "I don't pretend to know the challenges your facing. I know there's no replacing what you've lost. But if they were there... you might smile   and that would be enough.  I'm sorry."

It was a very nice apology.  Rosebud mourned for several hours and then cried herself to sleep.

6 November 2026

 A couple weeks ago as Rosebud and I were reading scriptures together before bed, she announced with some frustration that she didn't have a testimony and she didn't know if she believed any of this. I nodded and said, that's okay.  She added, "I'm doing all of this because I believe that you and Papa wouldn't do anything to deceive me.  It must be true because you and Papa believe it and you wouldn't tell me it was true if it wasn't."  I felt suddenly the weight of responsibility to be the kind of person that would lead her to Christ, since she trusts me to do that.  We talked about the possibility of gaining her own testimony and pressing forward on that, the importance of prayer, and I told her how much God loves her.  Even if she doesn't notice it or sense it, that doesn't change the fact that he does, and I can certainly see how much he loves her.  What a special girl she is.

2 November 2026

Parent teacher conference today with Rosebud's reading teacher. When we got home, Rosebud asked what her teacher had said. I told her that it was all complimentary, that her teacher found her helpful, obedient and fun. She said, did the teacher have any suggestions for how I could be better? I can't get better without feedback.  Then she asked me to write to her to ask for some suggestions for improvement.

On our walk on Sunday afternoon, she was frustrated over not being able to advance more quickly through math concepts and practice. We decided that I should ask her teacher if I can send a math workbook with her to school for her to work on after she finishes her assigned math work.

I'm not sure that the world is ready for Rosebud.

2 November 2026

 Kids off school and Nut Brown off work today, and they had a busy fun day together with Papa.  They traded Halloween candy from trick-or-treating on Saturday night, and went for a jog together, and watched a movie.  Finished the day off with a fire pit night where Mr. Brown grilled pork chops and steamed broccoli in a cast iron skillet over the fire.  Very happy, satisfying day off!

20 October 2026

D's school picture this year.  

 

11 October 2026

 Rainy day all day today.  I had tea and a toasted bagel for lunch.  Nut Brown and Mr. Brown are making fried chicken strips for dinner, working together and chatting in the kitchen.  D and Rosebud have gone out to play in the rain.  Sunday afternoons they often hang out together, either outside or in his room playing legos.  Quiet day.

Rose Pink is doing a challenge for "art-tober" of making a piece of art every day.  She picked stamps and has made a stamp every day so far this month.

7 October 2026

 Rosebud has officially switched to the trombone for her lessons at school, and started viola lessons with an outside teacher recommended by a friend.  After her first private lesson, the teacher told Mr. Brown, "I can tell that she's a hard worker."  Now when she gets home she works through three music practices after school - trombone, viola and piano.

4 October 2026

Conference weekend!!  Settling in on the couch in front of the computer...

(and Rose Pink in Idaho with a friend)

...and of course conference ramen!!

(and Rose Pink made spam musubi!)

 

30 September 2026

 

27 September 2026

 It was stake conference today so we had steak for dinner, at Nut Brown's suggestion.  Tee hee.

26 September 2026

 Rosebud and I went down to APG to a STEM Day event put on by one of outreach office.  It was super fun, because there were actual scientists there to talk about the things that they work on.  We looked at a model of a satellite and watched a rubber ball dipped in liquid nitrogen get smashed.  There were drone flying simulators available, and a guy talking about universal batteries.  Another pair of researchers let us try out their airborne radar sensors.  One of the more interesting was a lady who is focused on insects in food and had bakelite boxes with cereal grains and the corresponding weevils.  It was all really cool.

Also there was a helicopter.  Rosebud got to sit in it, and then we watched it take off- there was a storm coming and the pilots decided to leave early.  It was a morning well-spent!

22 September 2026

Nut Brown being a very cool young man leaning on the counter in the kitchen talking with Mr. Brown while Mr. Brown is making dinner.

 

20 September 2026

D has started insisting on helping Rosebud clean her room after church on Sundays. He harasses her about it until he is able to get her to bring a little more order to her room, which right now is cluttered with an amount of possessions that exceeds the reasonable capacity of the room. 

Mr. Brown and Nut Brown have started to make Sunday dinner a thing for us. They choose a menu on Saturday afternoon and then work together on Sunday to make it. I wash dishes. They're at it right now, chatting about different things as they make potato broccoli soup, frittatas and bread.  D is in the kitchen right now too, making brownie cookies for hygge night at our friends' house later this evening. 

Rosebud is reading in her room and I'm working on my crosstitch on the couch. Our playlist of religious music is playing. It's a really peaceful afternoon. 

This week Rose Pink texted that it was raining where she is in Idaho.

Mr. Brown have been laughing about her plants taking a field trip out the window all week.

14 September 2026

 D helping Rosebud with her math homework.