On Friday's Wade has free choice and can pick his activities from a list. Last week one of the choices was to draw a sidewalk chalk mural. We looked up chalk murals and Wade picked this one. We've been out of sidewalk chalk (I've already refilled our stash 3x this year), so we went on an adventure (any time the kids leave the house it's been dubbed an adventure). Everywhere is out of sidewalk chalk. Go figure. So we got regular chalk and created this.
Very messy. There's pink chalk residue rub off going up my stairs.
I LOVE his teacher and so appreciate all that she has done - transitioning to home learning has been smooth. It's not the ideal situation. Wade misses school. I miss Wade going to school. But Wade's teacher has been beyond amazing. The assignments she assigns are varied and fun. She does morning meetings each day so everyone can see each other. Wednesday's we have off as a mental health day (I'm not sure if that's a school, district, state or just Mrs. Dodd's decisions, but it's been amazing). Listening to Wade read is such a source of joy. We read before distant learning, duh, but he's just grown leaps and bounds in the last 2 months. Another note about home learning: watching Wade write is torturous. Misspelled words (um, I spent misspelled wrong at first), forgetting what he's writing, not being able to read what he wrote afterwards. Or when he's over reading and he's looking at the ceiling trying to figure out what a word is. Torture.
Adventures often include a stop to get ICEE's. Especially if it's a boring mom adventure.
Girls always want their hair down. Y'know, so the wind can blow through it. So they always look raggedy. The fix? Braid your hair so they want to match. (Wade was grouchy over something and told us he wouldn't take our picture, so this is what we've got).
Oh, hi Blake. She was hiding here being upset about something and eating her banana in peace. Kids get along great, but they don't get breaks from each other. It's hard. I know, I don't get breaks from them either.
I'm a liar! I have been getting breaks from the kids. Sort of. Bryan is taking them each out individually this week to take them golfing. Wade was Tuesday and Jac was yesterday. When Jac got home yesterday her eyes were alight with pure joy - it was the favorite part of my day. Bryan says they each did really well. Wade was the best, and Bryan let him drive the cart a little. I guess Jac kept goofing off, she loves to clown.
This happened. Luckily I found it and threw it away. What if a kid decided to make themselves a sandwich!? Perils of self-sufficient little people. Wade also walked down from his room one day with a thing of whipping cream. We're barbarians.
We've got strawberries visible! Wade thinks they'll be ready in 5 days. I think we'll wait a few more.
Kids were helping me clean. They were upstairs doing their rooms and the playroom. I finished vacuuming the TV room and Jac came down and informed me she was going to clean up the TV room. Little stinker, saw the room cleaned and thought "I'll help in there." Ha, ha. I sent her back upstairs.
Wade's recycling can looting has escalated. Every can, bottle, container that can hold water has been confiscated. And then everything gets cut up. Tin cans, hard plastic. His room is a danger zone. He uses everything to create whatever is in his mind. (He just came down and announced he can't wait for a milk jug to be ready and that he needed more cans for pipes). Recently his creations require water - which has to be done outside. I showed him once that you can use cling wrap to tape around and make something more waterproof - which was obviously me making an open invitation to the cling wrap. I try to ignore the chaos cause it makes him so happy, and the wheels in his head are turning. (He's at the sink rinsing cans and saying "these are going to make nice pipes). But it all drives me slightly crazy...then my friend pointed out that Wade has me "create" mind. See something, figure out how to do it myself + cheaper, then do it. And Bryan has to try to ignore my chaos.
And I created so much chaos this week.
Saturday was my grandpa Stan's funeral. With COVID, I chose not to go, which made me sadder than I expected. I was able to watch the funeral, which was so special, but I didn't expect to feel so profoundly lonely. Mourn with those that mourn - I wish I would've just gone, kept my distance, and mourned with my family. Or, truly, celebrated his life with my family. At the funeral it was talked about how everything was just a project to grandpa - if he didn't know how to do something, he'd figure it out (long before youtube and google). With that reminder I put my lonely grief into something more productive and started (attacked really) my project list.
Started painting the kid bathroom.
Started paneling the girls room.
Bought paneling for my room.
Finished my garden trellis's.
Made an outdoor wood holder.
Planted my outdoor pots (going for more dirt 3 times).
And I made dinner each night and did laundry yesterday (not folded. I'm still me). I keep thinking "it's just a project." I've had some of these projects on my list for ages and something was stopping me, but why, it's just a project.
When Wade went golfing Blake said she wanted to do something fun too, so we did mom style fun. I had paint for their room, so we started (which was extremely hard for me!).
But I've really wanted to panel their room, and once the paint was up I just wanted to see my whole vision come about. So we hopped in the car to Home Depot.
They cut my boards to 12" and I cut them down further with my brother in law. Then I put up this wall! Now to finish painting. Probably sans girls help this time.
I found these comparison pictures. This is my yard today. Trellis's up, fire pit, wood holder. So excited to see it grow up this year.
This is the same exact spot 4 years ago. That tree we're next to fell when another tree fell on top of it, and you can barely see it's stump right between the fire pit and garden box.
And I'll leave you there, with your brain exploding.
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