4 weeks

Today, Madison brought the girls over.  Evelyn wanted to swim, and she needed a snack (it’s so sad how they don’t feed her).   Evie had all sorts of plans. Before she could swim, she needed to play with aunt Saige.  Before she could swim, she needed to watch some videos with aunt Harper. Before she could swim, she needed to ask uncle PP some questions.  Finally, with all her problems solved, we got in the pool for a little while.  She spent the weekend with Andrew’s dad and step-mom, who were in town for a visit.  We didn’t see her for a couple of days and we could definitely tell!  When she got done in the pool, she couldn’t go home until she got her snack!  

Even crazier than Evie is the fact that this child is 4 weeks old today.   How the heck fast does time fly?   She is a sweet, easy going little sweet pea.  We notice how much more alert she is!   She also holds her head up, and loves to lay on the floor and stretch.  Madison said she rolled over once this weekend.    She is such a blessing and we are just so in love with her.  

It is no secret that I love tropical fish.  A few months back, I decided to switch over to some old standard choices that are fairly easy to maintain.  Guppies, mollies, and a few platties.  We also have a green cat, and 2 giant plecos- one of which we put into the tank with the African dwarf frogs.  One thing about the easy breeds, they are also incredibly prolific.  The guppy had babies a couple weeks ago.  Unfortunately, they didn’t get found in time and only 1 survived.  Today, I baby netted 3 black mollies who all look like they will pop at any minute.  I hope we can save a few babies.  The females are black mollies, the males are sunburst (orange).  I am excited to see what the babies look like.   

I mentioned it is fair time, and we are hard at it making finishing touches on projects.  Orrr in this case, starting on projects.  Saige was the club cookie jar committee chair.  Actually she is also the entire committee, As she was the only one to volunteer.   Last year, our club celebrated its 90th birthday, and the kids all got shirts.   We decided to mimic the shirt theme on the cookie jar.  Thank God for my mother and her craft room!  She helped us so much!  We are not done, but for tonight the varnish is drying and we have the base done.  Tomorrow we will add the details and finishing touches.  Tomorrow, Madison is coming over to help the girls bake fair cookies and cookie jar cookies.  The contest Rules say the jar has to have 5 different types of cookies.  My co-leaders are each making 1 type, so that leaves us 3 types to make.  Luckily, I have 3 girls who only need 3 cookies for their fair entries, which should leave us with plenty of cookies to fill the jar. This jar will then be auctioned off at the livestock auction and the money will go to council.  It’s sort of a pain, but it goes to a good cause, so I guess it is worth it!   

Had to include this photo of Colin with his friends.  They noodled all these fish.  

Preston reported that sky diving was scary, and even though he is glad he did it, he doesn’t think it will be something he needs to do again!   The original plan was for him to spend the night last night but our area was hit with some pretty bad storms. Colin got called for working in the KC area, so he and Preston both headed this direction in the middle of the night.  

Jumpers

Last October, for his 18th birthday, Colin offered to take Preston sky diving.   Preston told him he would get back to him on it.  Colin told him the offer was good whenever.  Preston never got back to him.  At his graduation, Colin told Preston again he would take him sky diving.  Preston originally said no.   But then, Preston went through a period of self reflection. He told me he said no because he was scared (with good reason in my mind).   Preston told me he doesn’t want to live his life not doing things because he is scared, so he called Colin and told him he changed his mind. He got the atta boy and a skydiving date from his brother.   

Colin is an adrenaline junkie.  He loves living his life to the fullest (or the foolishest- if that was a word).  I love the boy, but he tends to love doing things that make me sweat.  

Last time Colin went sky diving, he took Spencer and Cameron.   Cameron said it was a once in a lifetime experience, and once was good for him.  Colin told me he would do it as often as he could.  

Today, Preston jumped from a plane.  He conquered any fear he had, which is a noble thing, (unless fear is a gift from God to stop you from doing stupid things). He is spending the night at Colin’s so I have not seen him to ask about it, but when I texted he told me “it was weird!”    I do not profess to know if weird is bad, or weird is good, but this mom is happy their feet are back on the ground!   

Are ya ready for the weekend?

This week has been insane.  I worked a lot of hours at both my regular job, and the liquor store.  I worked more than I usually do At the watershed office, where it is budget time and the new tax laws that were passed last year are still new to me.   Learning to navigate them has been a huge learning curve.  So many more (unnecessary) steps than before.  So many ridiculous rules.   So much paperwork.  If I was being honest I would say I don’t understand the changes.  But that wouldn’t be accurate.  In an effort to keep small municipalities from getting more money than what congress thinks we should have, they passed a lot of insane regulations.  The silly part is that the same congress is sending me letters demanding I rehabilitate our aging dams.  How can I do that if I I can’t get money?   Oh well, nobody ever said working for and with the government would make you sane right?  

We did find time to have a little pool afternoon, and snuggle this cutie for a couple of hours.   I was happy to see my little sweet peas.  

As I have said before, in the summer, Grace and I have a walking date every morning.  We live an hour apart, so we walk and talk on the phone, but it makes me really happy, holds me accountable to get up, and moving, and allows us the time to catch up that we don’t always make during the school year.   The downfall of this is that it is visibly different starting in mid July as the days get shorter, and it is darker in the morning. You can feel summer slipping away.  This summer, that hits just a little bit different as I know when school starts, we will have one less kid in our household.  With all that I am, I will never get used to the kids moving out. I hate it.   I am so proud of Preston (and of the others too) and I am excited to see how his life unfolds, and to watch him carve out his future.  I am very selfishly sad for me.  Enough of that though- I’m not gonna get myself all sad before bed.  

Speaking of sad, I think I mentioned that this not too bright kitten rode on the engine of my van into town, and immediately upon realizing he was not cut out for outdoor life, we brought him inside.  Well, it turns out he might not have been compatible with indoor life either. This week, Preston was moving a desk, and had to flip it over to fit it through the door.  The cat happened to be under the desk as it flipped over.   It was an extremely sad day at our house, and I sincerely appreciate Jim taking care of the funeral.  Preston was understandably extremely upset.  He called me at work to apologize and was so sad.  He said the worst part was knowing how much the girls loved the cat.  He felt so bad that he decided to bring the one remaining kitten from the barn into the house.  Purple Nurple is now inside.  Where we know we can’t replace a lost loved kitten, Preston’s reasoning was that he didn’t want to lose any other babies.   Purple seems completely happy about the transition, and so far is settling in nicely.   We still have Clem outside, and honesty, I think I am giving up on the idea that we need barn cats.  It feels like a cat curse.  

It is Cameron and Lauren’s anniversary this weekend.  I asked what they were doing  to celebrate.  They hadn’t made exact plans.  I gave a few suggestions, but I don’t think they liked them.  Apparently they went to see the Barbie movie (I can’t believe she got him to consent to that).   The movie beat out gator hunting?  Hard to believe.  

They have also taken up pickle ball.  I was told that they are pretty decent at it.  

This is purple nurple, although there is a bit of a debate going on with her name.  Apparently Purple nurple is a fine name for an outdoor cat, but an indoor cat needs something more distinguished.  Currently the front runners are Kitt-on, skid, Warren the 5th junior, and Saige wants to keep her original name.  I have no idea how this will get settled, but I’m sure she will be loved and I’m hoping it goes better this time.  

300 Saturdays.  That is the estimate I give to Preston’s job with the Clawson’s.  He started working for them when they told Cameron that he could find someone to help him, and then to train to take over when Cameron graduated.  Cameron hired his little brother. He was in 7th grade.  We have hardly seen him on a Saturday since.  Today was his last Saturday.  These people have taken our kids, made them into adopted grandkids, compensated them generously for their work, taught them so many valuable skills, and most of all, believed in them.  I cannot even express how much influence they have had - positive influence!   Quincy also works for them.  They are some of the best people I have ever met.  Preston was extremely sad tonight.  He also said “what the hell am I going to do on Saturdays now mom?”   I’m proud of the work he put in, the skills he learned, the relationship he built and I admit that I shed more than a few tears with him over it.  . 

I heard from Colin tonight as well. Spencer is in Vegas, so he is home alone.  What does he do when he’s home alone?   Hangs out in his garage, goes noodling where he reports he pulled out so many fish!   One weighed 50 pounds.  He promised better pictures soon. He also planned a fun day for him and Preston tomorrow.  Tune in for more later!  

The rest of the weekend is going to be dedicated to preparations for the upcoming county fair.   We won’t have Sunday dinner since  Madison’s in-laws are in town for the weekend, and because we have to show up to work at the fair ground clean up day.   I’m not ready for any of it, but here we go!   

Updated to add- the monster! 

Summer=rollin’ on

Remember when I was excited about ball season ending?  The problem with that is that July always goes so fast, and next thing you know summer is slipping away.   We can feel it slipping away….we are definitely still in full summer mode and don’t even want to think about it!  Instead we focused on having a really low key, fun weekend.  I had to work Friday night, but as soon as I got home we were in summer weekend mode!   Jim did work some too, but we also convinced him to go on a fishing trip with Andrew, and to get his non-touched-by-sun legs in the pool with us!   

Saturday was one of the great, coveted  types we have like 3 times a year.  Nothing planned, no place to go, nothing to do, no expectations.  I actually told Jim we could do anything we wanted but I was not leaving our property!   

I started in on a list I had, things like cleaning the pool, doing laundry, cleaning the bathrooms, taking apart the fountain filter in Jim and Andrew’s hot tub fish pond and cleaning it.  Random, boring tasks that require very little brain activity.  And I was happy about it.  

We had lunch and I was sort of contemplating maybe letting Jim watch some ball game while I dozed in the chair, when we had a surprise!   Wrenley, Evelyn and their parents!  Evie wanted to swim.  Wrenley wanted to eat.  We enjoyed a nice visit with them, and Poppy decided pizza should be ordered for dinner.  I think he was trying to soften me up to break the news that he wanted to go fishing with Andrew!   As I said - do whatever you want but I’m not going.  I

Had a nice time swimming, and watching Evie and  Saige’s fashion show, snuggling the baby and   visiting with Madison.  It was exactly the Saturday I needed.  

Everyone loves snuggling babies and preschoolers!  

Since we only accomplished half the list on Saturday, I set out to recruit some help today.  After mass, the girls helped me clean up the house a little, and they cleaned the rabbit pens.  I got a pork loin into the smoker, and had the temperature just perfect.  Jim mowed some, and  then went into work to finish a project that had a deadline July 1 (not his fault).  Preston decided he was going to clean and reorganize the garage.  Production was happening when Preston came in to ask if I knew what this weird thing was and if he could throw it away!  

This!   Not trash!   This is a swinging cow that my mom bought me.  She has some cousin who makes them.  I used to have it hanging in the yard in town, but when we were moving, I noticed she was in bad shape and I put her in the garage.   I then forgot about her for like 9 years!    Today, she got a major overhaul.  I think it turned out cute, although not perfect.   Evie loves her and helped Preston pick a tree and hang her back up.   Not a planned project, but one that made me happy!   

We had a fun time swimming and waiting for the pork loin to finish cooking.  Strangely, I had a photo from Cameron and Lauren - of them also smoking pork loin!   We could have had a contest to see who smoked the best loin, but it’s hard to taste something from that far away!   Cameron probably wins for prettier presentation.  I was impressed with how good this one turned out!   I’ll admit I usually leave smoking meat up to the boys because I tend to lose interest after a couple of hours!  

I enjoyed seeing the grandkids, some of our kids, and having a nice dinner.  Preston pointed out that there aren’t many Sunday dinners left before he moves.  I’m excited for him, sad for me - as he is great to have around. I’m gonna miss him.  I have a feeling with faces like these around, he will be home to visit a lot.  How can you resist this? 

Tomorrow we have a title 9 meeting for the problems that we had with Saige last school year.  Although I am dreading it, and would really prefer to drop the ball at this point, it is extremely important to me to teach our kids (and particularly our daughters) to stand up for what is right.  We discussed the importance of advocating for yourself, and how sometimes the right thing to do is not the easy thing to do.  I will be glad to close this chapter, however I am no fool, I know we will likely face more adversity in life.  I am just hoping this is somehow preparing our kids for the future.