Saturday, May 23, 2020

Almost Normal-ish

We went places this week.  In some ways things felt almost normal, but then you look around, and not so much...

On Wednesday I got to tag a long to the lab to record some experiments for use in a class that is being taught through distance learning this summer.  I saw three people.  No one was near anyone else, but they were real live human beings.

Thursday, Katie and Gabby had well visits scheduled—spaced out chairs in the waiting room, masked nurses.  These were super exciting because they meant medical forms being filled out for horseback riding.  In a few weeks they get to go, in a group of three, to ride.  Then Friday, Katie and I picked up AHG forms from the church (horseback riding) and saw the orthodontist—lobby  closed, temperature checks, masks the whole time (instead of just during the treatment time), and parents (who aren’t receiving treatment) staying in the car, with staff walking patients out.

Next week will be quieter again, except Nate & Ellie’s well visits—another  horseback for (her) and one for boating (him).

Since we expect to be staying home, I went with the colors for my braces that Gabby recommended instead of my normal clear.
Waiting for a solution to reach equilibrium in an ice bath 🧪

Cheese!


Sunday, May 17, 2020

In the Books


Another year down!

What an odd third of a year it was too, watching the world around us slow to nearly a stop.  We finished strong.  Completing books, taking finals.  These guys didn’t get off easy.  They worked hard.

Now we celebrate a job well done.

Year #10 is in the books.

Wednesday, May 13, 2020

10 1/2


1. What is your favorite color? Ice blue
2. What is your favorite toy? Remote Control Mario car
3. What is your favorite fruit? Apples
4. What is your favorite tv show? LEGO Ninjago 
5. What is your favorite movie?  LEGO Ninjago Movie
6. What is your favorite thing to wear? Walk Worthy shirt
7. What is your favorite animal? Balrog
8. What is your favorite song? “Aluminum Foil” -Wierd Al
9. What is your favorite book? Pegasus (series)
10. Who is your best friend? Jase & Jonas
11. What is your favorite snack? M&Ms
12. What is your favorite drink? Dr. Pepper
13. What is your favorite breakfast? Toast
14. What is your favorite lunch? Celery & Peanut Butter
15. What is your favorite dinner? Chili Dogs
16. What is your favorite game? Risk
17. What is your favorite thing to play outside? Tag
18. What is your favorite holiday? Easter
19. What do you sleep with at night? My blankets
20. What do you want to be when you grow up? Astronomer

Bonus Question: What is your favorite quote? “Every breath you take, I’ll be watching you.” (because it is creepy)

Tuesday, May 12, 2020

Birthday!

Today we get to celebrate the professor’s Birthday!

To the one to take them on adventures,

Dress up as a wolf for them,

Teaches them how to grow things,

Tickles their feet,

Teaches lessons to students (near and far this year),

Listens to beginning readers,

Splits logs,

Repairs drive ways

Will help you meet your goals,

Buys me flowers,

Play horsey,

Is a Trail Guide,

The fixer of many things,

The carrier of our family,

My best friend.

Happy Birthday!


Friday, May 8, 2020

Friday Funny

We’re watching a ‘90’s TV theme song trivia.  Ellie asks:

Were these shows in color?

Wednesday, May 6, 2020

Day 56

I’ve never been this long without going to church.  Or seeing my parents, even when we lived in Kansas, we tried to see each other four times a year...it’s been more than five months.

The kids have never been this long without walking into a store or seeing a single friend that wasn’t on the other side of a screen.

There is a great deal to be thankful for, and we are, but we have certainly lost a lot...

The AHG Convention we were due to attend was cancelled, our spring camp outs, and just seeing people.

We’re trying to make lemonade, but we aren’t going to say there aren’t plenty of lemons here.

On to the lemonade...

Justin & Nate patched the bump to our driveway

Then they made a ring of found rock around our front tree to replace to rubber ring that the tree had pushed out.  They put weed blocker cloth, we had on hand, in and will cover with rock when it is necessary to go to the hardware store for something imperative or we are no longer under safer at home orders.

Justin and Ellie planted tomato plants that he started from seeds.

We learned how to make petit fours

Gabby made our herbal tea, and aren’t those petit fours pretty?

We had a poetry tea

The girls said, “Bye,” to their friends on our troop wide camp at home night Zoom call

S’more a la mode

S’more pie

S’more person

Camping with twinkly lights—no tent failure

Making cards for a Veteran’s home

Rainbow fruit kabobs

Taking masks, notes, and, of course, those home made petit fours to a local fire/EMS station.  We couldn’t figure out how to get in (they forgot to mention how to let them know we were there when I made sure we were still allowed to do a drop off these days) and nearly left when a staff member pulled up and we were able to hand off our goodies

We left the house, though admittedly not our car, as we waved and shook balloons in a quick birthday parade

Box of Sunshine

Evening walks

The excitement of seeing a real human they know who doesn’t live in the house (those chairs and girls were there for awhile waiting, knowing she was stopping by-not pictures: the pacing Nate), even if there is a storm door between them, and it is a quick drop off and pick up visit

Playing games for Trail Life family home activities

Lots of good still going on here.  I managed not to get pictures of our exciting sand box scrubbing event or the defrosting of the freezer! 🤣

We had some pretty significant back to back storm days.  We have friends who have been without power for more than three days now.  Ours came back on very quickly, and we had a single day without WiFi, but despite big trees down all around, we were safe and our house is too.  We are awfully thankful.  Between the tornado and now this, plus the virus, and killer hornets, I think 2020 needs to calm down a bit.  I keep thinking of all the 20/20 visions we heard about several years back (ideas places wanted realized by this year), I’m pretty sure, except for a few sci-fi authors, no one saw this one coming! 🦠🌪💨🐝  I guess only hindsight will be 20/20 on this one!