Living for the weekend

 

Not gonna lie…the first week of school kicked me in the pants.   Starting off with a stolen car, not sleeping well, and trying to get everyone where they need to be has been a lot this week. Basically I counted the minutes down until the weekend.  We had nothing on the calendar.  Praise be to God- because if this had been one of those busy weekends I swear I would have cried.  Quincy’s car is in the shop, Preston’s car is history.   With me mostly driving the bus, it seems like it would be ok for them just to borrow my car, but they both work different jobs.  Quincy started a new job this week washing dishes at Los Vaqueros.  Preston has been hanging Sheetrock for my parent’s neighbor.  Added to the meetings and just general insanity of the first week of getting everyone back on school schedule and I was absolutely done!  I told all of them if they woke me up Saturday morning, there would be severe consequences!   Unfortunately, my old body doesn’t know how to sleep in anymore.  Which meant I was awake when Mallory texted to see if I would go to an auction outside of town with her. A weakness of mine.  Auctions are one of my favorite things.  The bargains.  The bidding.  The stuff I need but didn’t really even know I needed!   So I said yea!   And I got some mega bargains.  Of course it also meant I had to have a conversation that went something like this 

Mal: mom why are you bidding on a sewing machine?  You don’t know how to sew!

Me: I don’t know how to sew YET!

Mal: you are crazy!

Me: just wait til you see what I make you for Christmas this year! 

Pretty sure at this point I saw my daughter roll her eyes.  But I won the sewing machine, a brand new vacuum cleaner and a couple coolers.  I barely spent any money!   It was a good day. Mallory made me leave when they started auctioning off the milking equipment.  Jim appreciated that more than she will ever know!  

The new vacuum works amazingly well.  The girls had fun playing with all the attachments.  The carpet is all vacuumed. It was a win win for me.  

Also a win, Jim invited the kids over for pizza last night, so I didn’t even have to cook!   

Lauren sent me this picture. I’m not sure what the kid did this time, but the picture made me laugh.  

We did get some news on the car thief.  The county is pressing charges, and they include about 5 felonies including criminal damage to property.   We are cooperating with the county attorney, and are hoping to recover at least part of Preston’s money.  It irritates me that Preston worked 3-4 jobs all summer, busted his tail, paid off the car loan, and that one person could screw that all up for him in a few minutes time.  Fingers crossed for some reparations on this deal. 

Happiness

Cameron and Lauren texted me first day of school photos. I love them both!   It makes me happy when they send me photos!  I can’t believe they are both seniors already.  Time flies while you’re having fun I guess.  I am so proud of these two.  They have worked really hard and are so close to being done with college.  Their futures are bright.   

This kid always makes me happy too.  After more than a month of not being physically able to watch her, I was finally released and am so happy to be spending my days with Evie again!   She seems happy as well.  She was full of it today.  Asking for tape and then sticking her own face closed.  We ate at the Mexican restaurant for lunch. She ate her weight in chips and salsa.  It was a great day!   

A truly weird story

Yesterday, we had a busy day.  Father Jo came over and blessed our house.  While he was at the house, Preston asked him to bless his new car.  The car that he worked all summer to pay off.  The car that he literally has had paid off for 3 weeks.  After Father Jo left, Preston asked if he could go to the swim beach at Pomona lake with 3 of his friends instead of staying for Sunday dinner.  I had a weird feeling about it.  I told him I thought he should stay for dinner, but he didn’t want to, and I didn’t really have any reason to say no.  He is a good kid, he had worked hard all weekend. We let him go.   

We had Sunday dinner, Evelyn swam, Andrew and Quincy went fishing for a while.  Everyone left. I said to Jim I was going to bed early. I went to the back to put my pajamas on, and my phone rang. It was Preston.  He was literally yelling into the phone, clearly upset and rather hard to understand.  Preston rarely gets upset.  He was yelling “mom a meth head stole my car and drove it into a tree….I don’t know what to do, I am so mad!”   The way he was yelling was very uncharacteristic of Preston, so I sort of thought he was joking.   But after a couple minutes of him repeating it and seeming more upset, I told him to call the police and we would head over there.   Jim was just crawling into bed.  He got up, and we headed over.  Apparently, Preston and his friends were swimming and horsing around.  Some words were said between this group of older, incredibly intoxicated people and Preston and his friends. Then Preston said one seemed to be drowning.   They started over to help him, when another one of them ran out of the water and grabbed their things.  Took off with Preston’s shoes and keys.  Then got into Preston’s car and took off, but was so intoxicated he missed the road out and smashed into a large tree.   Then he fled on foot.  Which is apparently when Preston called me. When Jim and I got there we found 4 incredibly shook up boys, half a dozen police officers, an ambulance, and a park ranger.  Preston’s car is toast.  The police were still interviewing the friends of the guy who stole Preston’s car.   We waited while Preston filled out a report so we can file charges.  One of Preston's friend's dad has a truck and trailer, so he came and loaded the car for us.  We will haul it to see our old buddy  Jagger today.  Sadly, I doubt that a meth head has insurance.  I doubt that he has any money to pay for damages.  We know that after wrecking Preston's car, he got into his own car, rolled it and that is how they caught and arrested him.  He has several charges against him, but that likely just means that we are out the money for this car.  On an up note, the park ranger told us that they will press charges for him damaging the tree.  Small consolation.  

Preston is incredibly angry, but we told him we would sure rather pick him up mad than hurt.  I am thankful that Preston and his friends were ok.  I am also thankful that I have a day job where I have a few minutes between projects that I can make some phone calls and figure out what we need to do next.  When I say I like having a project, this is NOT what I had in mind!  

Goings on

It has been a few weeks in the making, but today we finally made the journey to see Colin and Spencer’s new house.  I failed majorly and didn’t really take any pictures.   It is a really nice home, on a beautiful lot.  We hope that they will have many happy years there!  It was a fun day, the ride to Bel Aire was filled with chatting and silliness.  The day was fun, Mallory, grandma and grandpa, and Cameron also made the journey.  The ride home, we let Preston drive so we could take naps.  Of course, I like to nag at him while he drives, so napping just didn’t happen.  In all honesty, this is the second time I have thrown Preston the keys and let him drive me home.   The other day from Kansas City, and today.  He is a pretty good driver (a little heavy on the gas pedal), very attentive to the road and cautious when warranted.  It was a good ride home.   Colin is building a good life for himself and  we are very proud of him (and Spencer). 

The girls had a fun day on Thursday.  We went out for lunch and then they had a swimming and trampoline party with Evie.  It was a good last day of summer break.  

We also lucked out and Harper’s new glasses came in.  Just in time for school.  I have to tell this story because it cracks me up.  Everyone who knows Harper knows that she is pretty shy. She rarely says much at all.  When she does say stuff, she often makes me laugh with her sarcasm and impersonations of people.  We picked up the glasses.  They fitted them to her face.  We got in the car to come home. She pulls up the camera on her phone, loudly sighs and says “that’s just great….Now I look like Harry Potter!”    I really like the glasses she picked, and I don’t think she looks like Harry at all, but I did laugh.  

The shirt thing.

We remembered to do the shirt thing!  Grandma will be so proud.  We even got it done on the first day.   Remembering credit goes to Harper.  

All good reports from the first day.   Harper found all her classes, and after (her words) 230 times she got her locker open by herself!   Saige said she loves Mrs. Lattimer already!   Quincy said “meh it’s school” and Preston said this semester is going to require a lot of complaining, but he could handle the work ok.  

I had no real trouble on the bus, aside from grumbling about masks in the heat.  Nobody had an actual heat stroke.  All in all, a good day. I am happy to think about being on an actual schedule again!   

First day 2021

Today is the first day of the 2021-2022 school year.  We are once again faced with the terrible choices that Covid is forcing us to make.  I wish it was over, or under control, but it just isn't.  We jumped right back into it this morning anyway.  Saige is overly excited about going to a new school, and having Mrs. Lattimer for 4th grade.  She was up at 5:15 when I got up.  She did not need to get up this early, but she was just so dang excited!  She was dressed, had her chores done and was eating breakfast before I even got out of the shower!  :)  I hope school lives up to all of her expectations!  

Harper is in the 6th grade this year.  She was no where near as excited as Saige, but she was up, dressed and sort of consented to a back to school picture!  Sixth grade is part of the junior high, so she was memorizing her schedule for switching classes.  I think she was ready, but with Harper, you just never know.  She doesn't say much!   :)  

Quincy is starting her sophomore year.  She was not ready.  She will likely never be ready, but she will be fine once she gets there!  She did not want a back to school picture.  She did not want to get out of bed.  She did not want to have anyone speak to her.  :)  She said she doesn't even know what classes she is taking.  Luckily, my cousin is the school counselor.  Have fun with her Melissa! 

Preston is starting his junior year.  He is taking a bunch of classes for college credit.  He was up, showered and giving me crap like always!  I am having trouble believing he is already a junior.  He is my widdle baby!  I am sure he will have a tough year because he is taking a tough load of classes, but he will handle it with the same amazingness as always!  

This is year 6 for me driving the bus.  I managed to make it to school on time, did not miss any children, and did not have to do any yelling today!  I am sure that won't last, but I will take it as a win for this day!  :)  There is a federal mandate for masks to be worn on the buses.  I am ok with it.  Our district made masks optional once you get to school.  I guess we will see how long that lasts before there is an outbreak.  I would feel better if Saige and Harper were vaccinated.  I pray this year goes ok, that everyone is safe, and that everyone stays healthy!  

Preston apparently didn't have confidence that the back to school pictures I took would be good, so he managed to get this one for me after I left!  Jim must have helped him!  I do not know why, but I love back to school pictures!  My kids think I am crazy!  

This one indulges my first day photo excitement though!  She is teaching 1st grade this year.  She is sooooo excited about it!  Madison did not send me a photo of her first day back as part of the lunch bunch.  I will have to ask her later!  I hope everyone has a super fantastic year!  :) 

Readiness

Today we went to get shoes for school.  I hate this task with all of my being.  Not because I don’t enjoy spending time with my kids though.  It is hard when you have one who walks in, grabs a pair of shoes, throws them in your cart and is done. And then there is another one who wants to try every.  Single.  Pair.   And can’t decide.  And one who is looking for something but won’t tell you what.   And one who didn’t want to go because “topeka gives her a headache.”   Balancing all of their shopping styles, and personalities is hard.  If I was a smarter woman, I would take them all individually….but that would mean 4 shopping trips and I absolutely hate shopping.   

While we were out crying over shoes (me…not the kids), Madison called.  She wanted to know if we wanted to meet her and Evie to get cupcakes.  It was a break we definitely needed!  

After our break, I had an appointment with the surgeon.  I was completely released today.  I can lift again!  No more daily appointments.  No more rounds of antibiotics.  I am so happy!   

My happiness was short lived, as we had to continue with our shopping.  We now have all the supplies, shoes, socks, and groceries we need to get through at least the first week!   

I was soooo happy to get home, unload, and sit down before cooking dinner.  And then it dawned on me. It was meet your teacher night. Harper is going to be switching classes in a part of the building she wasn’t in before, the teachers for her grade are all new, and she has a locking locker for the first time.  Saige is beyond excited for the first day.  There was no skipping it.  Back out the door we went!   Tomorrow, after work, I refuse to go anywhere!   

The girls are now swimming.  Notice the bus in the background, reminding us all that our time for zero schedules is limited.