I'm going to keep a list of things here that are unique to our family.
- When we pull into the garage, I often say, "Home again, home again, jiggity jig" or when it's time for bed, "Bedtime for Bonzo"
- When playing hide and seek, if someone can't be found, we always say, "What does a duck say?" and wait for the person hiding to say "quack-quack".
- When filling up at the gas station, the kids always ask me to do "stairs" or "elevator" while we are waiting. That means that I pretend there's a staircase and elevator right there at the pump outside of the car.
- After church, the kids know they know to come in and wash their hands immediately (church germs are real!) and then they get a treat - every single Sunday - and they help me remember since they want a treat.
- Brandon and I drive separately to church - it used to be because he had meetings after church for YM, but now it is a marriage tip that we share with others. Brandon likes to be on time (and by on time, I mean 15 minutes early) and I like to show up right as church is starting. I would feel rushed and stressed trying to go all together in the same car and he would be stressed that we were late, so now we just drive separately. The kids are typically ready that early and go with him. When we get home from church (in separate cars), whoever gets home last, everyone home says, "What took you so long?!" and then we make up some excuse of what was going on - they were passing out candy afterwards, there was a party, we got tickets to the Celestial Kingdom, etc.
- If a family member misses church because they are sick, Brandon always tells them that they gave out tickets to the Celestial Kingdom and that he's sorry, but they could only get one and that the others missed out.
- Family Movie Night is a Friday night tradition for us, but that also means that the basement has to get cleaned before it happens. So the kids have to clean the basement every Friday afternoon.
- Strange food: Mormon Enchiladas consist of ground beef + pork n' beans + tomato sauce (absolutely nothing to do with enchiladas). Square eggs is two beaten eggs in a pan cooked with butter. Both of these come from Grandma Nancy, and the kids ask for them often!
- We eat a lot of cold cereal!!
- REAL Family rule: do not tell Kendall that pizza/waffles/pancakes are a form of bread (update as of April 2019: no longer a rule because Kendall found out at school! She's still ok eating it! phew!)
- The kids think that dad really wants to be a race car driver (because he drives faster than mom) and mom won't let him be one! The kids also think Brandon should be a coach since he is always yelling at the players and telling them what to do.
- Sundays are for jumping on the tramp with daddy!
- Baby songs we sing to the kids: Here's a Ball for Baby, Here comes a little old man, patty cake, Noble Duke of York, My Favorite Things, Wheels on the Bus, (got most of these from Nana), wash your body!, Jungle Gym mom, What a Wonderful World.
- We call a baby pacifier a binky. We call pop soda. We call baby wipes wipets.
- We have candy at least weekly (often times daily), and the majority of us don't really like baked goods (Rachel is the exception - she loves baked goods!)
- Sometimes we do spring/fall cleaning if we are home on the school breaks! I am so mean!
- Holiday traditions:
Decorate for most holidays
Baby New Year
Valentines
St. Patrick's Day
Yearly Mile Race
Easter
4th of July
Halloween
Thanksgiving / Turkey Trot
Christmas
Tooth Fairy
