goings on

We have had an odd week.  I am not sure why.  Maybe because Harper is gone.  Maybe because the weather has been weird, and the summer schedule is a bit crazy.  But odd sums it up nicely.  Last night, i discovered that one of the turtles had laid an egg.  Now, we thought that the turtles were both boys, so I was a little surprised by this.  And alarmed.  Two turtles is definitely enough turtles!  And although baby turtles are very, very cute, I was sort of hoping that these turtles were nearing their natural life expectancy.  I plan to show the grandkids, and then rid ourselves of the possibility!  I did giggle - right now I have more eggs than I know what to do with.  So of course, someone gives me more eggs!  

Yesterday, I worked the entire afternoon in the yard.  I saw the forecast for more rain the next few days.  I panicked a little and decided we better get the mowing done.  Luckily, Quincy had the day off and volunteered to help with the mowing!  I also planted more strawberry plants that I found on a clearance at Menard's, and I might have hit a clearance sale at 2 locations on tomato plants.  We now have 55 tomatoes in the ground.  Is that excessive?  I don't think so.  Last year, I grew 30 plants.  I was able to make salsa and spaghetti sauce, but did not have enough to make chili ready tomatoes, or stewed tomatoes for soup etc.  So I decided to expand a little bit.  Will 55 be enough for that?  We are going to find out!  I also planted more squash, and more zucchini, and picked wild blackberries to work on while it is raining today.  I might be spending too much time doom scrolling, but my goal is to grow and can a lot of our food this year.  We may be eating weird things, but we will eat!  The one thing we did not get done, that I really wanted was to get the pool uncovered and running.  My hope was that it would be able to refill on rain water, rather than on water we have to pay for.  And honestly, there are years when we would have been swimming by now, but this year has been weird with a few hot days but mostly cold, rainy weather that has not felt like pool time.  

Harper hasn't said much about her trip.  She did tell me that one of the sponsors takes too many photos.  I am not mad about it, because that same sponsor has been good about posting them in the parent group, which is where I am getting these photos.  Yesterday they went to Capitol Hill, met with some of their senators and representatives and Representative Mann got them a guided tour of the Capitol, and a night tour of the monuments.  Aside from the complaints of the overzealous photography I haven't' heard much at all from her.  

They also went to the Farm Bureau building, had a tour, got to stand on their roof, and were served lunch.  Free lunch - which Harper likes.  :) 

Colin and Spencer sent me some photos.  Easton is trying to crawl already!  Colin said he uses his forehead instead of his arms!  Crack me up! 

I am planning my road trip!  Grammy needs some baby snuggles!

 

What a day

Scrambled brains and scrambled photos.  That’s what we have here at our casa currently.  

Two years of fundraising, 2 years of civics and citizenship classes, 2 years of community service projects and learning about government, and 2 years of planning, talking, and collaboration came to a grand finale today, when Harper’s group left for their long-awaited trip to DC.  She has never flown before.  She does know the people she is traveling with because she has been meeting with them for 2 years, but she doesn’t know them really well.  She was understandably a little bit nervous.  But excited!  I texted with her briefly last evening and she told me she did have a fun day.  She did not send photos, but her sponsors did!  She is traveling with a couple of the 4-H extension agents and a couple of parents who have kids on the trip.  I had to laugh when we showed up at the airport, the

sponsors had matching Hawaiian shirts with all the kids faces on them.  Hilarious.  

Also - the airport.  They redid it a couple of years ago.  My neighbor who travels all the time tells me it is awesome and she loves it.  My husband and I, who do not love flying, and who rarely utilize the airport do not love it.  In general, I do not love KC.  Why?  Because the traffic and the people and the feeling of panic over there being too much traffic and too many people I just do not enjoy.  Can I drive there?  Yes.  Do I pawn it off on anyone else if I have a choice?  Also yes.  Which is why Jim was driving and I was the ultimate navigator. Until I wasn’t.  We missed the parking garage not once - but twice!  Also luckily, I thrive on a thin layer of anxiety over being on time and had purposefully built in time for such nonsense.  We got turned around and managed to get Harper to her meeting place a full 12 minutes early!  

Jim and I then ran errands in Lawrence and got groceries since we didn’t get that done over the weekend.  Colin and Spencer sent me these cute pictures of lil Dale in the GTO. I keep telling them that the child will drive it sooner than they think.  I mean, he already got his first haircut!  Little big man!

Evelyn and Wrenley are having a great summer.  Filled with swimming and splash pads and parks.  Evie had a game last night, but we didn’t make it because so did Saige.  I hear she had a couple of great hits! 

Saige’s team won both games of their double header.  Saige played well and her team came back from a pretty large deficit to win the first game.  The second game was called after 45 minutes due to power issues, and they had played the 45 minutes under half the lights.  

She was safe despite her unconventional slide.  

I would be a very wealthy person if I had a dime….

New shirt ordered, and the coach apologized.   We were not upset - it happens all the time.  

After running to the airport, grocery shopping, new job orientation, working in the garden, covering Harper's side of chores, and then the ballpark, I felt that I earned the crash in bed that I got!

 

Trying

The first couple of weeks of summer have not been the relaxing, rejuvenating my soul time that I envisioned when I handed the bus over and shut my 4:45 alarm off.  Why you might ask?  Well because the idiot that I am scheduled every doctor, dentist, eye exam, appointment we never have time for during the school year.   Add in a grown up kid having surgery, a child needing to renew their learners permit and a day at the dmv, a much anticipated CWF trip that clothes need to be purchased for, a huge project at work getting derailed by idiotic nonsense, an audit, and the township deciding to both file for FEMA disaster relief and buy a new building at the same time and well….I need a break from my break.  

Luckily, Colin and Spencer send me cute photos to brighten up my days. 

And also happily, this little nugget is feeling a little better.  He’s a green bean loving baby! 

And the weather.  Uggh the weather.  We can't keep up with mowing and poor Mallory has had a fiasco in her basement, with probable upcoming expenses to fix drainage issues and figure out how to keep the basement from flooding.  I have spent more time in her basement than I ever thought possible.  

Cameron and Tatum attended a concert.  They sent me these cute photos.  Cameron and Tatum also came for a visit on Saturday, where he pointed out that I had not posted any photos of him in a while.  Sorry Cam- here you go!  I enjoyed visiting with them.  I enjoy their stories and it seems like they are having a lot of fun hanging out together.  

Cameron was not the only one who told me to post something in blog land.  Saige sent me a photo of her "stack" and told me to post it.  Sure kid.  

I had a phone call from Preston this weekend.  He said that even though he is working for the same company as last summer, there are no people from last summer on his current job site.  He is starting all over getting to know people.  He is actually living in Jenks. He said the pace and the crew seem a lot more relaxed than last year, but he is still doing the same type of work with building a water treatment facility.  I hope he has a good summer!  Sunny was with him when he called.  She said she is with the same people as last summer and is getting to do some design work, which she is excited about.  I hope her summer goes well too!  

Guess who got castrated and will be weaned this week?  These bottle babies!  Rough week for them!  

I am excited about not buying gallons and gallons of milk every week, and not having baby bottles in my sink!  Welcome to your adult life kids!  :)  

I believe that later this week, we will be having ripe wild blackberries.  I am planning to pick them and make blackberry syrup.  We have not finished last year's blackberry jelly yet, so I am not sure that I will be making that again.  Might depend on how many I can get picked before the birds eat them all!  

Weekend is over.....back to work.