June highlights

 I split up my summer highlight video.  

This is all (some of) the stuff we did in June.  Perhaps I will get July and August done soon.  One thing is for certain, I take a boatload of photos.  And my photography skills are not top notch, but even bad quality photos make me happy!  

June 2025- you were fun!  

First day and bonus pics

Today is the first day of school for k-9 grades.  Idk why.  I quit asking questions.  

That being said, Harper got an extra day off.  She used it to clean, so I think I am good with it. 

Today is Saige’s first day of 8th grade.  I asked her to have her dad take a first day photo, as when I had to leave she wasn’t dressed yet.  Instead of doing that, she woke up Harper.  I mean if Saige had to get up, Harper ought to be up too right? I laughed when Harper said if she knew her room was the backdrop for first day photos, she would have cleaned up a little.  

Saige was excited about going back to school. About seeing her friends and about getting back on a schedule.  I asked her if she wanted me to give her the “big dog in the meat house” speech that Larry Lang gave me in the 8th grade.  She gave me a solid pass.  

Evelyn started 1st grade.  She has one of the best teachers SFT has to offer.  I foresee this as a great year for her!  She was pretty excited!  

This is the beginning of year 10 on driving a yellow screamer for me.  I was up early, out the door on time - before the sun - and I had no real problems - except I read  a text as will not ride today and it was actually will ride.  Who sends a text to say they will ride?  Apparently that one dad.  Who reads carefully at 5 am?  Apparently not me.  I apologized and I will do better tomorrow I guess.  

Not to be left out of the first day photos, Madison is babysitting this year, and taking them all with her.  She crazy!

And since GG retired, there is a new driver on her route.  She got summoned to ride along until he learns the route.   That means she was able to take Clayton’s first day photo!  I Can't believe he’s a freshman already. Geez these kids grew up too fast.  

I love Evie’s  teacher. 

I guess Cameron didn’t want to be left out of the first day photos.  He said the bank got them all new shirts and then required them to wear them today.  I told him since they were all twinning, he really should wear his name tag- I can’t tell which one is him.  

Spencer and Colin are impressed with the Irish breakfasts.  They sent me a picture.  Spencer said they also offered baked beans.  She said that doesn’t seem like a good idea this early in the day!  Colin is looking a little rough - I suggested maybe some beans would help.  He said that he thinks he is allergic to something over there - his eyes are swollen.  He has always been allergic to certain. Grasses and pollen.  Maybe something is blooming.  

And finally- this is my morning glory. I never think to take a picture when it has open flowers in the morning, but I am so happy it is climbing the rock wall like I wanted it to.  I’ve been trying to grow it for 2 years now!  The flowers are purple and amazing!  I love it!  

And now, because bus driving means my day is split into chunks, I must roll back out.  It’s gonna be a great year!  

 

Saddest day

Today is the official saddest day of the year.  The end of summer break.  I mean, perhaps for some people it isn’t sad.  But for me….sad.  

I know technically summer isn’t over for another month. Weather wise, definitely not over.  But that is really part of the problem.  Buses don’t have air.  I spend a lot of time outside. As long as the air is moving, I am generally ok.  But the kids who I haul?  I find that they spend very little time out of the air conditioning.  They are miserable and I do worry about them. Plus, I like the schedule-free summer carelessness.  Basically- the school schedule cramps my style.  Will I get over it?  Of course.  But not before I whine a little. 

Jim took me to get my bus this morning.  I do not know the last time I was so angry. Whoever drove that bus last left it trashed.  And not just a little. It was GROSS in there.  Rotten food, sticky,  trash, smashed peanut butter all over the seats, more school supplies than I bought for my kids to start school, and clothes.  It literally took me 2 hours to get it clean, and it isn’t the kind of clean I’d like, but it’s good enough for tomorrow.  We were told to turn them in clean.  I spent over an hour cleaning an already clean bus before I dropped it off in May.  Madison got my old bus, and she did thank me for not leaving her a mess.  I want my old bus back!  I guess he should have been checking when they were turned in because not everyone did the job. But more than that - those buses sat out there all summer- we paid a bus maintenance person and this is what I get?  Not only that but they told me to watch my tires because they were really low.  I told them I was not picking it up until they had the tires checked.  They told me they did….but if they drove it someplace they sure should have seen how dirty it was. It should have been cleaned.  And not only that but there are lights on the dash that don’t turn off - and he told me not to worry so much.  Sigh.  I’m sure it will be about 2 days until the first breakdown.  And I unequivocally have too much of my father (and mother too for that matter) running through my blood because I wanted to drive it back out there and tell them to do it right, or cram it.  If I win the lottery, that is exactly what I will do!

GG took Evelyn to get her nails done for school.  Evie has Ms O this year.  She is an amazing, awesome teacher and I can’t wait to watch Evelyn bloom under her!   

Evie and this one start tomorrow.  Harper starts on Friday.  Not sure why, but I guess we are rolling with it.  Today, she has picked an outfit, whitened her teeth, been relieved because her new shoes arrived in the mail, and packed her bag.  She’s ready for 8th grade.  I’m having a hard time digesting that my “baby” is in her last year of grade school.  

Last weekend, I had Jim and the girls help me plan a menu- goal being as we are getting on schedule we don’t have to think about what to cook.  Saige picked corn dogs.  Today she begged to flip around  the menu com so that we could have the corn dogs as her “last supper.”   I told her ok, and asked what side dish she wanted.  She said “uhhh how about ketchup?”  Clearly her pallet isn’t maturing as fast as the rest of her!  

After being stuck in Chicago, and having to take separate flights to Ireland, I think these 2 are finally having the trip they dreamed of!  I love the photos!   I asked how cold it is there since they seem to be wearing jackets and long sleeves.  Spencer said it was 62 with a brisk north wind. She said after leaving where it was 100ish - it feels downright chilly.  

Last year for Christmas, I gave Spencer’s parents some Irish whiskey from this distillery.  I think it’s neat that they got to see it!   

Also I have always been a sucker for a castle. Or a castle shaped building.  Or anything medieval looking.  I am living  vicariously through them this week  

Mallory sent me her “first day” photo.  She had her first day with kids today.  

Her dean sent me this photo.  I love that she is working under him. He is absolutely amazing.  I couldn’t be happier for her. I hope this job is all she dreams it to be. 

This one is about to get back to her job as a bus para.  I hope it cools down a little bit for her sake!

I tried really hard to do a summer highlight slide show.  I made one, but it was too large to download to the blog.  Editing out my highlights made me feel sad.  We had a great summer!  Got in a lot of family time, Evelyn lost her first tooth. We took a nice vacation. Attended our son’s beautiful wedding to a girl we all love,  showed goats, raised a garden, swam, played, Jim retired from the city, Hatper got her learners permit, raised meat chickens, put fruit in the freezer and made jelly, my mom recovered nicely from hip replacement, we grew beautiful flowers and planted trees.  I wish we could do it all over again!  No matter how many years I live, summer will never be long enough.    

 

Weekend stuff

Colin and Spencer left on their honeymoon to Ireland..  Cameron took them to Waffle House, and then to the airport.  He sent me this photo. They look excited.  Interestingly, my boss and his wife texted to say they saw Colin at the airport!  Everyone’s hanging in Ireland and watching the Cats play football against Iowa I guess.   I did hear from Colin that they were delayed in Kansas City, and then ended up missing their flight in Chicago, so they will spending their first day in Chicago rather than Ireland.  I guess maybe a Chicago dog will make it better?  Or not.  

The rest of us hung around the house all weekend.    

Sort of.  

I ran a ton of errands.  I delivered things to adult children, and then took Quincy to pick up her new(ish) car.  She is happy about having something that the tranny isn’t going out of.  Anyone want a slightly used. Buick?  A friend of ours had this car that their daughter had used as a high school car.  She got a new car for college and they were selling this one cheap.  Quincy named her Helen (the a/c is out so it is hotter than Helen there)!  I’m just hopeful it will get Quincy through for a while so she can save for something a little better.  

On a whim, I called and got in for a haircut.  That was a mistake, as following most of my whims tends to be.  Oh well - the only difference between a good haircut and a bad hair cut is 2 weeks right?  Right......?   I also ran to Lawrence and got groceries and picked up some elderberry bushes.  As I was running around, I had a call from Preston.  He and Sunny were in Springfield.  Sunny's boss had paid to get them box seats at a minor league game, and they had fun but had decided to come home and spend the rest of the weekend with us.  I was happy about it - I know they will be moving back to KSU and starting classes, and their time will get limited.  It was good to have them home and get to spend a little time with them.  I am also glad he called when he did, as Checkers had some good stuff on sale, and I was able to pick up a few groceries to send with them to their new apartment.  Nothing makes me happier than feeding people.  

I also had to spend some time fixing fences, as these little beggars kept getting out.  I swear I love having goats, but that old saying about "if you can throw water through the fence, a goat can get out" is absolutely 100W% accurate.  They can squeeze their butts through places you would never think they could fit!  

I was in town alone.  Lawrence recently got a Whataburger (don't tell Jim), and I love their jalapeno burger.  I decided I was going to eat before I went to get groceries.  As I was eating, in the car by myself in the glorious silence, I looked up and saw this store.  It cracked me up.  Am I easily amused?  Yes.  But this is funny!  I decided I was going to run home and get all the stuff my kids/husband have broken this summer and take it all in there.  

Sunny was sweet and sent me some pics from the game they attended. 

She is a sweet girl.  My boy is pretty sweet as well, and I appreciate the work he has done the last week that he has been here.  

While I was in town, I also got a text from Colin telling me how they had ordered jerseys for the KSU game they are attending in Ireland - and that he had to chase the mailman down to get them!  Worth it!  Super cute jerseys!

As you may recall, I have been on a mission this summer to establish a few fruiting plants that will come back.  I have planted fruit trees (apple and peach), blackberries, blueberries, raspberries and strawberries in raised beds, and have the start of an herb garden with perineal herbs.  I have been wanting to add elderberries to my little project.  On a mission, I had permission from the neighbor to take some cuttings from the ones that grow wild in his field behind our house.  Problem - I can only identify them when they have leaves on them, and when you take the cuttings to propagate them, is the early spring - I cannot identify them from sticks amongst the other brushy plant sticks out there.  By the time they leaf out, it is too late.  But I found a woman online who was selling some that she had potted up.  I asked her opinion on if it is the wrong time to plant them in the ground and she told me they are impossible to kill, as long as I keep them watered.  So I drug them home.  Last week, I drug home more raspberry bushes, so I am watering daily anyway.  So far, they seem unaffected by being transplanted.  I am hopeful that they will be ok, even being planted in the heat!  I know that they are poisonous, and that they can make you sick if you don't cook the berries, and I intend to learn more, but I know some people.  I intend to make my own cough syrup and maybe some wine or jelly.  The possibilities are just endless.  IF I can keep them alive!   

My tiny little sticks when I brought them home are now taller than the cages we built to keep the goats out.  I am proud of how these little, tiny peach trees have taken off!   I think I have a guy who is going to put a beehive on our property, so hopefully they will help me pollinate all this stuff!  The apple trees are growing, but not nearly as quickly as the peaches.  My mom pointed out that it will be years before I get fruit off of any of them.  That is fine, I have time, and I am enjoying watching them grow.  Besides, isn't there some old saying about how planting trees is for the future generation?  

We enjoyed seeing the girls for a while, and having Sunday lunch together.  We has some time in the pool, and thanks to Jim's amazing wasp spraying skills, we didn't even get stung!  

I had to stop and get some more stuff for the new fish tank, and Maude got a Frankenstein toy.  She loves it so much, she had to take a nap with it.  Of course, tearing the squeaker out and the feet off took a lot of her energy!  The new tank looks amazing.  I was able to get some water plants on clearance.  I hope that they will spread and take off!  I am now ready to start on the next project - the free tank I got when I purchased the living room tank.  I have some exciting plans for it!  

It was a great weekend.  The last weekend of summer break.  We have a lot to be thankful for, but summer ending is not 'it'!  

 

Last full week of summer -

This  was the last full week of summer break.  School starts for some on Thursday, and the rest on Friday next week. Stupidly, I thought if I could live through the fair, we would have some down time.  I’ve always been told  that I do not get paid to think.  

This week has been absolutely brutal, trying to catch up at work from the last month of being in and out.  Helping Quincy purchase another car (the Buick has transmission issues and seems like fixing it will be more than the car is worth). Starting the fiasco of notifying parents of times for bus riding, contracts for bus jobs, school shopping, meetings, and other tomfoolery.   At this point, I am extremely thankful that I quit working at the liquor store so I can have 2 days to recover!  

Madison and her crew spent this week in Branson with some friends.  Their trip looked like lots of fun. I can’t wait to see the girls tomorrow. I have missed them, and I got them some cool new school clothes when I took Harper and Saige school shopping.  Let me be perfectly clear, 6 and 2 year old clothes are so much more fun to buy than 13 and 15 year old clothes.  Last year, I learned that jeans can be “too pockety” this year, I learned that the current style is best described as “slutty Little House on the Prairie!”   I mean it is an accurate description - and I was left looking At these tiny scraps of fabric they want me to dress my daughters in, and thinking why?  Why are we so afraid add lengths of  fabric to girl clothes?  Why do they assume girls want a v neck that goes to their knees?  Why do you assume that girls want their cooter and cheeks to hang out?   Why does every single shirt need a flower, or a bird or a strange geometric pattern?   It is horrible out there folks, and I do feel truly sorry for people who have to dress nicely.  I  remember why I tend to grab clothes from the men’s section.   We are plain clothes type people I guess.  We didn’t even tackle shoe shopping.  We saved that for online bonding time with dad.  At least it’s done now.  I loathe clothes shopping.  Also, at what point did stores stop stocking large amounts of goods?  I realize school started in topeka,  but it hasn’t in the outlying areas.  There were no school supplies left.  I am glad my girls are old enough that all they needed was paper and pens.  I can’t imagine where I would have had to go if they needed paint or crayons.  Anyway if you wanna shop with me, we can go buy crafts, or home goods. Or even hardware.  We can buy cleaning supplies and brushes.  Sure!  Groceries - necessary.  Blah to the rest.  Not to mention it is just too people-y in town. I like my goats and chickens much more!  (I like keeping it real here In Blog world-  I am a reclusive, home loving, craft and project-a-holic who would rather never go off of my own property). 

And who can blame me?  I have it all here - smiling dogs, a husband who indulges my weirdness, and a lifetime of projects.  

Speaking of husbands, he didn’t even blink when I told him I blew all the school supply money on a giant moving light up skeleton.  He just texted back “cool.”   I think by now he knows that I generally follow rules and don’t do anything too crazy without him.  This skeleton is cool though. It moves. It has lights.  It looks like it’s crawling out of the ground. If it hadn’t been $200 bucks, I totally would have grabbed it.  

Mallory started her new job officially.  She is loving it so far.  She is excited and loves the new atmosphere.  We are happy for her and glad she made the change. I told her the best revenge is to go off and find joy and happiness and live it.  

Tonight Harper  and I were dishwashers in Garnett at some theatre company.  It was a fundraiser for her CWF trip.   I’m not sure how lucrative it will be, but this trip is expensive and every penny counts.  Plus doing some activities with the kids she will be traveling with allows her to get to know them, and that’s a good thing as well.  

The sun is setting on our summer break.  I hate how fast it went, but we have accomplished a lot,  learned some new things, and had some fun.  I hope someday, our children look back with fondness and happiness and know that we loved having them around.