Summer Vacation Week 9 Part 1

 Monday 8/3 - 

On August 3rd M and I had a long day at Children's.  It was full of adventure.  Our first stop was the hospital building for a chest x-ray.  The x-ray was very efficient.  As we were leaving the area we heard an announcement about a fire, but the tech told us that it was a drill because if it was real we would hear alarms and there would be flashing lights.  

We headed over to the clinics building for the allergy appointment. As we walked we saw many people heading towards us.  When we got to the help desk they told us we were not allowed to head up to allergy because there was actually a fire and we needed to head back to the hospital.  M was not feeling very OK about all that was going on.  We decided to go the hospital building and then go to the main floor and hang out right by some doors to outside.  It was a very safe location for us should we need to evacuate. After about 15 minutes we were given the all clear and we were able to get to the Allergy department on time.  There is major construction happening at Children's right now and we are guessing something got hot triggering the alarms.

The allergy visit went well.  We really liked the Dr and he took things very seriously.  He said that they couldn't do the allergy testing that day because his Neutorphil levels were too low.  When we talked with him about M's dairy issues he insisted that he get an Epi-pen and additional diary testing.  M has had dairy testing before and he comes back without an allergy.  The GI Dr told us to list it as a diary allergy because he has both GI issues and asthma type issues when he consumes diary.  All of this really scared M, and he broke down in overwhelm.  The Dr had much to talk through.  

At the end of the appointment we called Lab with the nurses help and were able to get his lab work for Allergy, Infectious Disease, and Hematology all done at the same time.  The lab receptionists were very impressed.  We didn't have a very long wait at lab and things were going so well.  

Once we left Children's we talked about what we wanted for treats.  M wanted Chick-fil-A and I wanted Nada Moo ice cream.  We headed to Whole Foods to try to get the ice cream and we came up empty handed.  I was able to get some Zevia (stevia sweetened soda) as a treat instead.  Chick-fil-A had a long wait at drive-thru but it was going quite quickly.  We made our order and picked it up and then parked in a parking lot to get M all situated with his food and listening.  We began to head home when he opened the chicken nuggets and realized they were breaded, not grilled. Because there is no current option to walk in to the store we had to go through the whole line again.  This time it was much longer and we waited at least 20 minutes to get to the front of the line.  Once at the front of the line they directed us to a parking lot to wait for the replacement nuggets.  We waited 20-30 minutes in the lot and nothing happened.  Finally I flagged down a worker delivering food to another car and she said she would check on it.  About five minutes later she came back with the grilled nuggets.  The drive-thru adventure took a solid 70 minutes, but at least we drove away with the food we ordered. 

M: I took this selfie to document my meal. 

While we were dealing with our food dilemma, Brandon was at home and opened our "gigantic pool" package!  We ordered a blow up pool earlier in the summer and had anxiously been awaiting its arrival.  As the days turned to weeks I started to investigate the company and found that it was a fraudulent company and that many were being scammed.  We were expecting a large pool that our whole family could fit in.  Check out what came!

Yep, that is the whole pool!!!!  Hilarious!

Brandon did so much work on an appeal to our credit card company.  He was able to find all the other bad reviews showing that this is a scam.  He submitted everything and we waited a long time.  Finally the results came in that they rejected out claim and we would have to deal with the loss.  Brandon decided that he would just try to call on more time and perhaps they would better understand.  We are not sure why, but the person on the phone reversed the refusal and we were given a credit on the card!  Great work Brandon!    I learned a hugely valuable lesson through this process.  The website looked legit, but admittedly I didn't look up reviews of it, at all.  These days I am only ordering from big box stores, or small businesses with extensive reviews. 

The rest of the week was much less eventful than Monday! We have no pics from Tuesday.  

Wednesday 8/5

M's therapist ordered Yahtzee and M is in heaven playing it with her at every session.  He rigged up this whole set up so she could see his rolls.  A very smart plan.  

M: There is no better game than Yahtzee!

On Wednesday afternoon Jamie came here to visit again.  It was such a blessing to have her here and to be able to show her the completed church renovations as well.  M just loved his time with her and again cried when it was time to go.  She promised she would come back one more time on Sunday.  

While Jamie was here T needed to take this artistic picture of the cherry tomatoes.  

T: It was a cherry tomato rainbow!

After Jamie left there was dinner and more basketball with T doing the rebounds. It is interesting to see the photo below and how green our grass was.  It is currently so dry and brown.  I am surprised that it was quite green not too long ago. 

T: I am ready! 

Thursday 8/6 - 

The rest of the week was very quiet.  I just have a couple of photos to share.  

We often close the family room blinds to keep out the afternoon sun.  The cats know just how to use their noses to part the blinds so they can still look out!

Curious cats!

Friday 8/7 - 

On Friday we began cat sitting for our neighbor's cat Jingle.  We have taken care of Jingle many times before, but I have never seen her.  She likes to hide and I had truly never seen her or apparently a picture of her.  I thought she was a short hair calico.  When T emerged from her friend S's room with this long haired gray I panicked thinking it was the wrong cat for a second.  After all these years I finally met Jingle!  She has blossomed so much during Quarantine.  She now loves affection and enjoyed cuddles with T.  Not the typical cat response, but we were thankful for her sweetness. 

She is a lovely big girl! 

M's Birthday was August 8th so next up with be a post about his special day, which really was two days of celebration! 

Summer Vacation Week 8 Part 3

 Friday 7/31 - 

Sometimes T likes to take things to extremes.  This was the case on the 31st when she decided she needed some bee protection and opted for full winter gear.  The good news is things still fit and she looks great wearing them!

T: I wasn't too warm. 

I have many fond childhood memories of cats drinking tuna water.  When T decided to have tuna one day I insisted that today was the day to give the cats the water.  It was a hit!

Buttercup and Sunshine:  Can you give us this miracle fish water again sometime? 

M decided to work on his casting.  What a lovely picture for my heart.  He is doing an independent activity which is a win.  He is also outside in our yard, with lovely growing grass.  After a long year of construction and dirt, having a yard to do simple things in brings so much joy.  

Simple summer joys!

Saturday 8/1 - 

Our Saturday was pretty relaxing!  It is always relaxing for the cats. They love to chill in their room.  It is there place of safety and security. 

Buttercup and Sunshine:  Welcome to our home!

Risk Continues!

On Saturday afternoon M received his 3rd "Quarantine Haircut" from Brandon.  This time we decided to do the cut outdoors.  This was a HUGE upgrade in the clean up department!  M also covered up with a towel which was a big help with the amount of hair that stuck to him.  

The outdoor cut begins. 

T: I just wanted to watch and encourage.  M: You are too close!!

T: OK, I will just swing.  (This worked much better.)

The barber and the happy customer!

This summer I have become obsessed with garden salads... meaning salads with things from our garden.  This picture below was my first and fanciest one.  Since this pic I have eliminated the olives and pasta for a quicker veggie salad.  In case you want to recreate it, here are the list of ingredients: Cherry tomatoes, cucumbers, (optional olives and pasta), chives, garlic, salt, pepper, nutritional yeast, basil paste (the secret ingredient) balsamic vinegar, and olive oil.  I have never grown successful basil, so the basil paste has to be my go too.  If you can grow basil, totally use the fresh stuff! 

I might have eaten the whole bowl? 

An afternoon fishing trip! 

Sunday 8/2

Sunday was a pretty quiet day.  We did on line and in person church and the crew finally finished Risk and played some basketball. 

The final day of Risk. 

Just hanging out and helping with rebounds! 

Happy 39th Birthday to me (Summer Week 8 Part 2)

 Thursday 7/30 - 

The anticipation of a Birthday is so much greater during childhood, isn't it?  I was honestly not super excited about my Birthday this year.  39 feels like such an older number than I feel.  I told Brandon on my last day as a 38 year old that I didn't want to be 39 but that I didn't want to skip any of my years to be younger, so I guess I would have to settle with being 39.  

Brandon went on a bike ride and I walked after him. I was able to talk with Charissa so that was a fun Birthday gift. The late walk meant that I was coming in for Bible time without a shower and all sweaty from the walk.  This didn't stop my family from singing Happy Birthday to me as I walked in.  They had balloons and blowers and a sign and the whole deal.  I might have been sweaty and gross when I walked in, but I felt so loved at the same time.  Thank you family for loving me well!!!

Kisses for M!

Kisses for T!

After Bible time I took a shower and ate Breakfast and the kids played Yahtzee on their own without fighting at all.  They were so well behaved.  After breakfast I told them we would take the day off of chores.  They decided to do some chalk art on the patio.  

T was really into smashing chalk and making blends.  We went through a lot of chalk that morning! 

Happily playing together. 

T: I took a big rock and I smashed the chalk until I had a big chalk pile!

Once she was finished smashing the chalk she asked me to trace her body.  After tracing her she filled the outline in with her smashed chalk.  She is a very creative girl! 

T: Can you see the two T's? 

After playing outside we headed into the city to get some very special treats from a bakery that is free of gluten, soy, dairy, refined sugar etc.  It is a lovely place.  It is not cheap so we only go on special occasions.  The kids were so excited about the trip.  We decided that we could each get three things.  The nine things totaled over $44!  The trip was an adventure.  I worked so hard to make sure we all had our masks ready to go.  I even brought snacks for the way to the bakery so there wouldn't be any reason to fight in the van.  

After we found a spot and parked I paid the meter we were about to put on our masks and head in.  T announced that she had forgotten to wear shoes.  She often has some random shoes laying in the van, but not today.  I had to take her with me because we didn't have a spot right in front of the store and I wasn't going to leave her without me.  We decided I would have her on my back the whole time and she tucked her feet in behind my hands.  She later told me that she talked like she was younger so that the worker would think she was little.  She does weigh what an average 3-4 year old weighs so her plan might have worked.  She weighs enough that I sure did feel her on me while we were there.  

This store has so many yummy things.  It took the kids a LONG time to decide.  so many great choices.  We let person after person pass us and we just kept on looking.  Finally we made our choices.  I had a cinnamon roll, an almond butter bar that is supposed to be like a Reeses, and a triple threat bar which is like the other but with chunks.  M chose chocolate cake, a whoopie pie, and a chocolate chip cookie.  T chose chocolate cake, a chocolate cupcake, and a lemon bar.  

We were all so excited to try our first treat when we got home.  I might have eaten both of my bars! 

M and T:  YUMMY!!!!!!!!

While the kids were listening to Adventures in Odyssey I went on my computer to see what time the MN schools were making their fall announcement.  The main heading on the MN website blew my mind.  If you know me well, you know how passionately I have been praying for a mask mandate.  There was a walk earlier in the week where I just cried and prayed and pleaded with God for one.  It is deeply personal to me and there were some at church who would like a mask optional service.  This means while they can choose to attend or not, my husband would be forced to attend.  Brandon would then come home to us with our sickness and weak immune systems (esp. M) and we could all get really sick.  God heard my pleas and gave me the most unexpected Birthday gift ever.  I know this can be a contentious issue.  For me it is a health issue and I continue to praise God for His protection for our family, for kids going back to school, for small town businesses struggling to enforce masks etc.  

Happy Birthday to me!!!!!

While the kids had their afternoon Disney + time I was able to tune in to the live newscast from MN and see their back to school plan.  It was very informative,  considerate and fascinating.  

Brandon came home from work a bit early so he could take the kids finishing and I could have a little time.  It took about an hour to convince M to go fishing and I was almost sure he was going to end up staying home with me.  At the last minute he decided to go.  

I spent some of the time prepping chicken and veggies for fajitas, but I did have some time to relax and watch part of a movie which was a rare treat.  Usually when I try to watch something at night I fall asleep in the first 10 minutes. 

While I was home, here is what was happening at the lake. 

Both kids assume their positions. 

T: I wouldn't really need a fishing pole, just a little bit of line and a hook.  

T: I love taking all the fish off of the hooks!  

When the crew got home M was so excited to tell me about a pocket knife he had found and kept.  I was shocked by this news.  I told him that someone might be coming to look for it.  I asked him what he would do if he left his pocket knife at the lake.  He said he would run back to the dock and look for it.  I asked him how he would feel if it wasn't there when he got to the end of the dock.  He looked down and asked if we could drive back to the lake.  The lake is 20 minutes away, maybe even more.  Since the fajita stuff needed grilling I agreed to take M back to the lake and return the knife.  

Watching this was one of my most joyous mom moments.  

After we got home and had a great fajita dinner the kids had another round of special treats.  

M: I really didn't like the whoopie  pie so I shared it.  

While we were chatting I learned that T came home with only one shoe!  For Real?!?!!?  What?!?!?  Apparently her shoes came off and one of them had gone under the dock and they couldn't see it.  I totally would have looked for it when we were dropping off the pocket knife if I had known.  What a wild shoe day for T!  Now we have one spare shoe in the van, just in case! 

My 39th Birthday was by far my best Birthday as a mom.  Both my kids were able to handle the excitement better than ever before.  No one sabotaged anything.  I think it helped that I didn't open any gifts or really talk about it much, they just knew it was special.  I was able to open cards in front of them and to talk with my parents and Brandon's parents without jealousy as well.  They were on their best behavior and I drank it in with thanksgiving.  I have no idea what year 39 will be like, but I do know I am thankful to walk into this last year of my 30's with my incredible family by my side, our parents and extended family a call or text away, and friends near and far on this journey with me. I am so blessed indeed.  As stressful as my life is from hour to hour, I am so grateful for God for the gift of this life He has given me. 

Summer Vacation Week 8 Part 1 (Risk, Jamie, and Piano Cats)

Monday 7/27 - 

The summer continues to march along.  Our week started off a bit quietly with daily little adventures and lots of Risk.  Apparently they chose to play the long version of the game which meant playing each evening.  

Buttercup:  I love the marble tower!  It is one of my best toys!

Lots of Risk!

Since we have two cats who love to plop down in all places we had to think of something to protect the game.  Thankfully we hadn't gotten around to breaking down a huge Walmart box so it was the perfect way to protect the board.  After this picture we discovered we needed to put a LEGO case on top of the box to keep the cats from moving the box.  

A new look for the living room!

I am not sure what we did on Tuesday, but I am quite sure that it was our first or one of the first in person therapy sessions for T.  Her therapist came to our backyard and T had a great time being back in person again!  

Wednesday 7/29 - 

The day started with in person art therapy for T and zoom therapy for M.  They meet at the same time which means I have an hour to clean up the house and prep dinner etc.  It is a very special hour in my week. 

T: I was just getting everything set up for our mural! 

On Wednesday afternoon our Jamie girl came for a visit.  We saw her for the first time at church and then were so excited that she was going to spend the afternoon with us.  M LOVES Jamie with a fierce love.  They have been special pals for his whole life.  They played several games of HORSE while she was here.    Jamie also played Connect Four with T.  During each visit the kids would do screen time she and I would get to continue to chat.  It was such a huge blessing to us to have her here.  It was VERY hard to not hug her and there were many tears each time she would leave. 

Playing HORSE!

Jamie even tried all of his trick shots.  She came pretty close a few times. 

Impressive!

Buddies with matching socks!

M: Mom, get a close shot so you can see they are the same. 

Evenings after Jamie we're tricky.  Risk slowly became a bit more emotional each time it was played. 

Lots of focus!

I normally record Children's Messages on Thursday nights.  Since my Birthday was on Thursday we decided to record it a night early.  While we were getting set up the cats were being so silly.  They were actually playing the piano.  We decided that we had to put them in their room for the recording. 

Buttercup: Come on Sunshine, focus on the piano!

Sunshine:  This is working well!  Buttercup:  I can watch your concert better from up here!

Summer Vacation Week 7

 Monday 7/20 - 

On Monday our good friends and neighbors came over for a distanced playdate.  My friend taught T some Chinese.  The kids talked and played and climbed.  It was so good to be together. T has a cup she received from her orphanage and X was explaining each symbol to her. 

T: I love learning from X!

Besides the wonderful playdate, X shared some special Chinese food with Brandon and T.  

Tasty Chinese dumplings handmade by X and her family.

Tuesday 7/21 - 

On Tuesday we headed to a brand new to us State Park.  M didn't want to go, but tolerated a hike.  We didn't last too long, but I am glad we went out and had an adventure. 

My hikers!

T: I brought a first aid kit and a magnifying glass just in case. 

Sadly, I think the fruit by the foot on the way home was the highlight. 

T: There is a road on my fruit by the foot!

M: Look at the cool pattern on my tongue!

Tuesday night after Brandon came home from a meeting we dug out more dirt to create a more stable swing set.  It really made a big difference and the swings are much safer now. 

T: I like helping and stomping down the dirt. 

It was getting late and I crashed on the couch in weariness and sickness.  The kids helped themselves to a snack and apparently a new hat.  I am thankful that Brandon was supervising. 

T: The hat helped me cut better. 

As I continued to be a lifeless heap on the couch the kids and Brandon waited for dark so they could try and see the comet.  Sadly they saw nothing. 

M and T: The only thing we saw was lots of mosquitos!

Wednesday 7/22 - 

On Wednesday morning T invented a three in one swing for her bottom, hands and feet.  First M pushed her. 

T: This is SO COOL!

Of course M wanted to try it.  He struggled to make it work in quite the way that T did.  

M: It wasn't that comfortable. 

They reached a compromised for this super sweet swinging moment!

After swinging it was time for a LEGO creation. 

T: Do you like it? 

On Wednesday afternoon T created a little fort on the patio.  Check out the awesome leaf roof. She was very proud. 

T: It is my very own castle! 

Thursday 7/23 - 

On Thursday T made several forts. I had to help her move and set up each one.  They all had the same basic design. 

T: This is my club house!

Our next-door neighbor (and classmate) J was eager to get in on the action.  He also made a fort and they had a socially distant playdate with a fence between them.  They even played Connect Four.  T ran the game and J would tell her which column (1-7) to drop the checker into. 

T: Connect Four was my game of the week!

Here is a pic of both kid's forts!  Such creativity. 

Friday 7/24 - 

On Friday we decided we would all stay up and try to find the comet.  The kids had a great idea of how to pass the time, they asked Brandon to teach them calligraphy.  

Getting set up. 

T: It is harder than you would think.

M: I agree!

Getting the hang of it. 

T: I really like this larger style. 

M: I decided to make a fun design. 

It took forever for it to get dark enough to see the comet.  We invited our neighbor friends over and we all tried to see it.  We used the photo below as a guide and we did all end up seeing it with our neighbor's binoculars.  Even with the binoculars it looks like little more than a smudge, but we were all proud to have found it. 

This picture helped us so much!

Saturday 7/25 - 

On Saturday T made some color changing slime! 

T: It was blue inside. 

T: As soon as I took it outside it turned purple!

In the afternoon Brandon and T washed the car!  They did a great job!

Good teamwork!

Sunday 7/26 - 

On Sunday we did the usual two church morning and some relaxing for much of the day.  It was HOT outside.  The heat index was 106 in the afternoon.  I love the humidity and was enjoying reading some emails outside.  I was able to get shade right next to the house so it really wasn't too bad. 

T: Do you like my huge marble creation? 

Sometime after the above picture was taken T came to the sliding door and asked me, "Can I light some matches?"  I said, "No!  Where is Dad?"  She told me he was playing piano.  I decided it was time to come inside.  As soon as I walked in the house I smelled that Birthday party smell and knew someone had already lit a match.  I asked Brandon what was going on and he told me he was playing piano and cooking a pizza.  He said the smell was coming from the pizza getting a bit burnt.  I was quite sure it wasn't.  I asked, "T, did you already light some matches?"  She said she had.  I asked where the match was she lit and she told me it was in the match box.  We keep our matches in a bin on top of our fridge.  I tore the bin off the fridge and found the box and the match.  Thankfully, nothing was hot and no fire was smoldering.  I was overwhelmed as to how this could happen with a parent in the house.  Brandon said he did catch her standing on the counter next to the fridge and she said she was looking at her candy.  He told her she couldn't have any.  The candy was just a cover for her real plan.  T acts on impulse and it can make things pretty intense most days (most hours)! 

T: I have to have lots of air to get the balloon this big.  (Yes, I am passed out in the background.  Yes, the floor was clean earlier that morning!)

Pastor Micheal talked about a ball of lint in the children's message and the kids insisted we send him this picture of our dryer lint trap.  M's sleeping bag lint actually created its own ball on the trap.  Strange! 

T: I love dryer lint! 

Because I was actually on top of my laundry, I attempted a tasty casserole for dinner.  This is a step up from my usual Sunday options which are leftovers, popcorn, and smoothies!  

Buffalo Chicken Casserole for the parent win!  The kids ate leftovers. 

While I was making the casserole, Brandon was introducing the kids to one of his favorite childhood games.  He loved playing Risk with his dad and grandpa and he wanted to pass on the tradition.  Both kids enjoyed it at first and caught on quite quickly.  

Oreos and a family game.  A great way to end the weekend.