All the Fun!

Aside from just school, and sports, and band, we've been having fun doing other fun things too!

Emily loved my school days book so much (when I was able to pull out my 8th grade (I don't know what happened to my 7th grade) class schedule from Jr. High to show them) that she wanted to make one for herself. 

We had collected a few things to make one ourselves out of a spiral, and my "secret plan" was to buy her a real one for Christmas.

Somehow, when we went to the thrift store that morning, she found one, barely used, written in only pencil, for 90 cents.  Y'all, this girl is soooo lucky!  So far, she's used fancy photo corners to put in past pictures, and collected all of her cross country tags and class schedule to slide in the envelope.

I found a new battery organizer!  My only complaint is the tiny button battery storage area, so I still have to keep my basket with those.  It is so much faster to grab what I need, and I really love the tester too!

We learned this year that chippunks climb bushes!

2 weeks after the little ones started, and one week after the big girls started, I had three sick ones home in one day!!!  They all rested and recovered quickly.

Then, I went down.  I was much slower to recover.  Once I tested positive, Billy had to test, and he had it to.  The Covid got us.  = (  It wasn't awful, and we all lived, but it wasn't fun.  It seems that Emily and William managed to escape completely or perhaps suffered the least.

Halloween decorations at Menard's make me curse my lack of outdoor plugs all the more.

We were at Menard's because Billy built me a raised bed garden to extend into next year!!!! I loved all of our cucumbers and tomatoes and onions and pumpkins, so we're going to do even more next year!

The ladybug colony loved sunning every morning when we were out on the playground waiting for school to start.

I found a heart shaped chip for Emily to present (the night before school started, judging by the pile of snacks on Juliet's computer cabinet.)

Once everyone had their lockers in working order at the big girls' school, students were no longer allowed to carry backpacks.  This was a point of annoyance for Emily, since she had to carry everything loose.  Apparently, this problem is prominent enough that 5 star makes a GIANT binder that can hold a chromebook, file folders, papers, and a pencil bag.   Sadly, they were sold out, of the color scheme of Emily's preference, online everywhere (except for double price on Amazon.)  I sent a plea to my mom and sisters and Avia delivered!!!  

It wasn't the navy and pink request that she sent to me, but grey and pink was good enough, that on day one she even dressed to match! = )

As a footnote, Alice has been offered the same, but has so far declined.

Juliet was so sad when her hoodie, whose service has been appreciated for several years, was too short in the sleeves.  We pulled out an old hoodie of Alice's, but there were still tears.  So, this picture was the goodbye small jacket, we love you picture.  The new hoodie has served her well so far. = )

As a family, we are rough on furniture.  The last free recliner, that we were gifted, served us for many years, but was slowly decaying.  It was to the point that the floor was more comfortable than the chair.  

Once again, Avia came to the rescue and found us a new recliner. It is not nearly as fancy, but its comfort is far superior.  After initiating it into our house, we put our old chair out for trash pick-up.  Since it was around Labor Day, trash was strange, so we let it sit out for 3 weeks before I called the village office to find out what needed to happen to get it picked up.  

Turns out, we had to pay a fee (not that big of a deal) but to even find out the price I was to create, yet another, account with the trash service*, which is a deal breaker.

So, I told William that he was on destruction duty, which was right up his alley. ; ) He spent many fifteen-minute rounds tearing up the chair, so that the pieces would fit into our trash can.  He did a fantastic job, but after he exhausted the easy bits, and I took some scissors to the upholstery, Billy had to step in with his Axe and finish it off.

Speaking of our little village, we have had two new art installations this year!  We missed the dedication of the first, though it is lovely, but we were able to go to the party that accompanied the second.  Well, some of us did.  Emily was at cross country, and so it was just Grace, and Billy and Me.

After listening to some live music, we headed to unveiling.

It is such a perfect piece, and I'm thankful that it was designed by someone who loves this village as much as we do.

I don't recall how Grace wanted her hair, but I recommended the clip going up against her skull, holding the braid.  Much to my surprise, it was still in place when she came home!!

Once of the saddest days of my year: winterizing my sandals.  I slather on the lotion, and it sits all winter, so that the water damage of the summer can heal a bit.  Looks like it's closed toed shoes for me for the forseeable future.

We attended our first school skate night since 2019? possibly 2020?  It was so.busy.  apparently, this was the first one they've had since the shutdown, and everyone showed up for it!  We were able to bring 4/5 pairs of skates**, share a pizza and have a lovely time.  We'd forgotten so many of the details, that we can't wait until next time so that we don't' feel like such noobs!

I don't know if it's being back among people we've missed, or just feeling like we're 'vested' in Michigan, but it's been a wonderful couple of months, despite any hardships^.  I'm feeling hopeful, despite the looming winter, I hope it sticks.

later days

 *the village provides trash service, so we don't have an individual account.

**I'm lacking a pair for Emily's size.

^like Emily's brutal afterschool cross country schedule, lol.

Hello November!

239th Day of Quarantine.

Today the high was 72F.

I woke up after a solid 11 hours of sleep!  This week was the busiest we've had in forever.  The cases of covid are increasing, and yet, we managed to go more places than we've been in forever. = /  Not the best combination.  

Billy and I enjoyed a full breakfast, thanks to our shopping trip Friday evening. We readied to go quickly, and ran to Sam's to pick up a surprise for William. (He saw a toy he wanted on our Wednesday trip, and I didn't get it, telling myself that I'd buy it online.  When I went out to order it, they carry it in store only!) = (  So, we made a special trip just for this birthday surprise. = )

After that, we went by Wendy's to pick up the lunch we ordered online.  It wasn't quite ready, so we waited for a while.  While we were in line the monthly siren test went off. In consideration of the announcement of Biden winning the presidential election, and our proximity to the capitol building, I'll admit, it freaked me out just a bit.  

It sounded exactly like the air raid sirens in the old war films, and my psyche is less stable than I've enjoyed for the majority of my life.  January 21st is a long way away.  Do I sound paranoid? I feel paranoid.  

This year has been a tough one.  

Between covid and presidential elections and governor kidnapping schemes and homeschool and cancelled everything and a weird Halloween I feel isolated.  Hopefully January will help restore some normalcy, or be long enough in this rut that it will start to feel normal.

For dinner we had a charcuterie board of all the things Billy and I failed to finish, as well as some of the bonus items we didn't even open Friday night.  

We finished the Hunger Games series, and watched Honey, I Shrunk the Kids.

------

238th Day of Quarantine.

The high today reached a lovely 74F!

I took advantage of the warmer temperatures to burn all of yesterday's tree trimmings, and then did some more raking!  There are so many leaves, I gave it an entire hour, and there are still leaves everywhere.

The vacuum truck came through before I could get the big girls back out for pictures, so we went out today after my leaf clean up.  Emily was a willing model, Alice not so much.

My mom came by after our dinner of cheesy chicken noodles, and surprised the kids.  She's been her in quarantine for 2 weeks, and I managed to not tell them!

She took them for a night at Aunt Rocky's for my birthday. Billy and I went on a "date" to Horrocks to get some tasty treats for a night in.

We watched the third hunger games movie, but were both so tired, we went to bed at our usual bed time, despite being kid free!  

------

237th Day of Quarantine.

The high today was a lovely 65F.

It was our final day of Term 1 exams, and the big girls continued to plug away at their math.  Emily finished her third grade review*! And my amazing Alice worked through 3 units in 3 days!  

We took a break, with the unseasonably warm weather, to trim some of the low hanging tree and bush branches.  Also, I spent time raking up some leaves to the curb, and had a few helpers come help me. = )

For dinner we had teriyaki chicken with rice.

*A poor understanding of the software, led to much more than a review of her old material, and pretty much the big girls are completing an entire year of material in mere months. = 0 But, as we come close to the end of the year, we desperately need to get started on their current grade, so the rush is on.  

------

236th Day of Quarantine.

The high today was a pleasant 72F!

After exams for school today, William and I headed out to his appointment with the orthopedic doctor.  The traffic wasn't bad (and there were no road blocks) so we arrived my 15 comfortable minutes early.

We waited for a while in the waiting room, and then even longer in the exam room.  It was an hour past his appointment time by the time we finally saw the doctor.  Thankfully, it was good news. He said William's ankles have improved, even more than the last time that he saw him!  This means that he is now released from this doctor (unless of course we have issues.)  So yay!

From there we went to QD to try and turn in a registration for my card, but they no longer accept them in person, so I am going to have to call.

Our final stop was Sam's to return a box of exploded cocoa (on and in a few other items.)  It was simple enough.  I also tried to swap out a package of dented chicken in a can, but the order wasn't finished in their system (or something) and they didn't have any in stock to trade out.  So, we bought our few items, thankfully the scan and go app was working, and then drove around to pick up our order.  Then, we found out that their system was also not working for the pick up and ended up in the customer service line a third time in one night.

By the time we finally got our groceries it was dark and I was tired and hungry. Billy fed the girls the sloppy joes I had planned, and William and I filled up on the Doritos he had picked out at Sam's.  I do not enjoy unloading groceries at the end of a busy, frustrating day.

But, we made it happen!  Now it's time for shots (of course) and then a quick bedtime for all! 

------

235th day in quarantine. 

The high today was a pleasant and unseasonal 64F today.

For dinner we had Salisbury steak and potatoes.

------

234th Day in Quarantine.

The expected high today was 47F, but it seriously felt colder than that, and I could hear each and every time the heater kicked on, since we were doing exams, which are a little quieter at the table one-on-one.

We finished around the time we usually do, but the big girls are knocking out some extra math (30 minutes worth) each day, so that they can get started on their current grade math.  I had them review, last summer, and thought that they would quickly move through the material, but it was so.much. And we weren't familiar enough for them to use the 'shortcuts.' So, now they are both in some end of year material that they weren't taught last year, and so the end is going slow, and we are playing catch up.  I'm hoping that they will progress quickly this week, since they are allowed to work on math when they are not testing.

I went to pick up my car this afternoon. Grace came with me, since she left her glasses on the floor yesterday with disappointing consequences. So, our next stop was the glasses shop.  We picked up my car first, then her broken glasses were given a temporary fix, and new frames ordered.  We were halfway home when the light came on in my car that we just paid $2500 to repair.... So, we turned around and dropped it back off, picking up Billy's car that we had left in the lot to retrieve once he got off of work.

I was angry and sad and annoyed. So, I tried messaging and calling Billy, but since his phone is not working, it made me feel even worse.  I ended up emailing his work account, so that he could contact me so that I could at least retrieve dinner while we were out.

For dinner we had Taco Bell.

I also read today that coronavirus cases are ticking up, again.  Many European nations are reinstating their lockdowns.  Here, in America, we are not. With the election coming up tomorrow, and coronavirus on the loose, I have an unusually high stress level.

Here's hoping for a happier birthday.

------

233rd day in Quarantine.

I could hear the rain blowing in as it cooled way down overnight, leaving us with just a 37F high for today. = (

After church, Billy went to pick up the groceries and then went to the cell phone shop to see if they could help fix his connectivity issues.  The problem: his phone is too old. = /

We got some non-sticking snow today, first snow of the season.  I am still not ready.

We listed some of his 3D printed numbers in my Etsy shop today, maybe people will like them as much as we do!

For lunch I made a quiche, and for dinner we had chicken fajitas. 

-----

later days

Leaves

I spent literal hours raking up the leaves this year.  I'm not sure why it felt like so much more than last year, but I feel like it was.  Now that we are out of the season, they look kind of pretty again.

Our little village has a truck that comes through with a leaf vacuum.  So, all we have to do is rake our leaves to the curb, and they go away!

Wet leaves.  Before & after.

happy fall?

later days

Fall Days

In addition to doctors, we've done a handful of other things.

Alice claimed all of the gum in the Halloween candy bowl, since she can now blow bubbles.

One cold Saturday, Emily and I went shopping for a gift from her to William for his birthday, and shoes for me.  Since we were practically next door, we had breakfast at the new Panera that just opened up. = )  We sat right next to the fireplace and shared my birthday treat.

Emily and the twins also made some personalized birthday cards for William.

"Look! It's the top part of Michigan" (the UP.)  And, I totally see it.

The prequel (or maybe sequel) to the princess bride?

My first thought was why would you need to put down paper for an exam?  I quickly realized it was not for a school exam. lol.

I made a recipe that came from one of our mentor moms in Houston.  Taco Soup.  It was so good!  Though, my children were not fans, so I had the leftovers several times.

There was a racoon in our yard in the middle of the morning.  When I called out animal control, they sent out the county sheriff.  It was slow moving, but had escaped into our neighbors yard, then climbed a tree.  The sheriff said that he couldn't do anything while it was in the tree, but if I saw it again to give them another call.  Apparently lots of racoons have been getting sick, from something unknown.  Hopefully I don't see him again.

Whenever Billy finds a new magic trick, the kids all love to see if they can figure out 'how' he did it. = )

It is still technically fall, but it is winter cold as far as I'm concerned. brr.

later days

Seasonal Fun

At a yard sale, Emily and I scored a couple of old, gimpy tents.  The kids loved playing in them in the back yard.  They had their tablets and popcorn and dolls all snuggled up.  Even Alice, though she had already moved on when I took these pictures.

 We pulled out the Halloween bin, and played with a giant bear head.  The twins turned into some creepy four legged four armed monster. = )

The rubber bats have a new home.

and I broke out a cute little neon sign.  We found a second little ghost in Alice's computer cabinet to display on the other side of the sign.  But as of right now, they are both MIA. = /

I made up my grandmother's cottage pie recipe.  It was just perfect. = )  I even brought one to share with my MOPS ladies!

later days

Around the House this time of Year

We are almost to November, and I still feel like we "just started" school.  We have been busy.  These are pictures to remind me what my "golden year*" looked like.

A pretty sunset.

I finished the game, Detective, that Billy bought me for my birthday last year.  It had been a while since we had played, so I went back through every case, took new notes, and categorized the cards.  I did figure out who did it, and in time!  However, there was an unfortunate typo that sent us straight to the end of the game, so it put a substantial damper on my victory.  = (

Alice made another recipe from a library cookbook: Monkey Pudding!

Emily also joined the cookbook 'club' and made a chocolate chip pizza (but not on the same night as Alice.)

William regularly gives me a run for my money, but sometimes he is so unexpectedly wonderful, I know he will be a great man one day.  He was wiping off his bike seat before school, so I told him to just toss the rag onto the stairs in the mudroom, and I would take care of it later.

When I went out in the mud room later, I saw that not only had he put it in the mud room, but he hung it up to dry on the mitten drying line. <3

Emily wanted to bring a 'healthier' treat for her class.  The recipe called for peanut butter, but to avoid the potential allergen, we used caramel.  On round one, we tried melting our own (it didn't work very well.)  Round two we used a caramel dip.  It also didn't work very well. = (  They were super cute until they slid apart!

Grace practicing the piano with her froggy while William plays a 'coding' game.

Emily woke up early on picture day so that we could do something 'special' to her hair.   You couldn't see it in the pictures, but she felt beautiful anyhow. = )

William accidentally spilled some apple juice on his homework, so he had to read his story on the inside drying line.  Luckily his math was all done!

Grace and Molly.

Every package is bigger from Sam's, but I found the disparity between the actual size of the muffins (L- Sams, R- Kroger) interesting.  They are the same brand.

The kids regularly request "magic" tricks from Billy.  He's found some pretty good ones lately.

My dishwasher is drying again!  It took four technician visits from two repair companies, but look at the beautiful steam!

We had a chance to host the Mitterlings for some Gumbo and games.  Carter (one of their twins) was quite the celebrity to my poor, baby deprived, children.

It's been a fun fall, now I'm just hoping that winter will treat us as well.

later days

*This is the first and final year that all 5 of my children will be at the same school.  One pick up time, all the field trips are staggered, I see all of their teachers multiple times a week.  My golden year.