Sunday brought worship service and Sunday School classes. All of the children took afternoon naps to help counter the effects of being out late to the concert Saturday night and the rest of the late afternoon and evening were spent outside.
Monday was Labor Day. Mike should have been off work but wasn't, because it seems this is the life that is about us right now. I was able to slip away with my sister, Andrea, to go up to see my niece at college and we had a great day. We did a bit of shopping to get Emma set up for an upcoming career fair and I had my first tour of ISU. What a beautiful campus. Emma is doing great brave and wonderful things up there and I'm excited for her.
Poor thing was stuck with the least fashion conscious aunt of all time to do her shopping. Luckily we had snapchat on our side to confer with Lauren, Andrea, and Grandma to cheer us on. Andrea did come in for a few stores - she's sure a trooper on those crutches.
Mike kept the children amidst the event he had Monday and helped them do the school they needed to accomplish.
Mike was on nights this week, which didn't seem to mean much. He worked days. He worked nights. He worked holidays. He worked until 1 a.m. one morning and 11:30 another night.
Natalee had early morning PT on Tuesday and then we fell into our school routine.
We are continuing our philosophy of "if it can be done outside, do it outside." The mornings and evenings feel like crisp fall the the middays of this week felt like summer.
Zayden works very well at that little table under the tree.
Evalynn was having a moment of pout on the tree swing.
Evalynn doesn't ask to do preschool everyday, and I certainly don't insist it, but I do try to offer it. We took her Cubbie book outside on Tuesday to get her lesson worked through and color her pictures.
Right after lunch Evie's little nose pressed against the window from outside as I had stepped in to take dishes and said, "Mom, can we have sno cones?" Why not - sure felt like summer!
I can't with her...
Tuesday night supper.
A bit more work Tuesday evening.
Xavier chose Wednesday morning's game - Headbands. Not my favorite but I did play. Mom points.
While I was doing read alouds, Evalynn wound slime through her hair. Love that for me. This picture was the last bit but there was quite a lot more. Hot tip - vinegar helps slime out of clothes, furniture, and hair.
Wednesday was a flutter of excitement. Everyone had a great night at church. Evalynn and Zayden got their big books and vests, and Evie got a patch! So much excitement! Mia and Zayden will get those next week, we think.
Evie is making sweet little friends.
No one was more excited about their book that this boy. He's memorized and worked and read. I caught him with it outdoors already. I love his excitement.
Natalee's PT has been using cupping in her sessions and asked us to do it at home also. We are struggling to know how to fit this in our days but we're working on it.
Thursday we moved our morning time up and didn't do the game but enjoyed our time before we headed out to hippotherapy.
I brought Evalynn's "school" things along. The others were working on school so I had her work with me rather than ride her scooter so she wasn't such a distraction.
Natalee had a great session and the time flew. Back home we came. Natalee and Xavier made oven pancakes (Dutch baby or hootenanny, they are also called) for lunch, and we commenced with school before releasing the tribe out into the wild. Mia and Zayden learned about archeologists this week in history and played a grand scheme of being archeologists. They had Zayden's seated tonka digger out, a little broom, small shovels, and they dug and cleaned and dug for hours. The ground under the tree swing is a mess, but their hearts were full and they found an orange bead, a broken bead, and a small white stone. I love these memories.
I love when kids take books and turn them into play. It's my favorite.
Mike was off work Friday after working ten hour days and the night shift. He spent through midday at home with us (and slept in a bit, which he needed!).
Ev had what I thought was a mosquito bite, but Friday morning Mike pulled a stinger out of it. She got it Wednesday and never cried or drew attention to it so I never thought to look. Lesson learned.
The swelling went down quickly after he took it out.
Mike headed to Missouri to his folks' Friday midday to help them prepare for a yard sale. He carried, cleaned, sorted, tossed, and worked hard until after dark Friday, slept out at my folks', and then headed back early Saturday morning to help some more.
I spent a lot of Friday finishing my prep for my preschool and K-3 classes for our homeschool co-op.
That led to cleaning out a file box and creating more mess for myself. As per my norm.
The kids and I got up and had breakfast and then headed to Missouri ourselves, to spend the day. Yard sales at Grandma Betty's were a part of Mike's family culture. Grandma Betty's house was sold last year so this was yard sale day at Grammy and Papa's but the same concept. The entire family all just really enjoy a yard sale day. I try to be a good sport, be a helper, and do genuinely enjoy getting to see people and visit with family. Kea and the girls came up and Aunt Penny was there, plus I got to see some of my extended family, so it was a nice day! We kept busy all day and got *mostly* cleaned up before rain came.
Mike's Grandpa Dale's 1930 Model A Ford is stored in Phil and Sara's garage (it's Phil's now). They had pushed it out and covered it for the yard sale, and we were working to quick get it pushed in before the rain came. Xavier drew the straw of getting to steer it. He was nervous to not make a mistake and it's hard to steer, but he did a great job and the push/pull crew did a great job, too. (The truck doesn't currently run, but Mike sure wishes it did!)
ready for this flashback?
........
Can you even!? When Natalee and Xavier were little we took the truck out and took pictures of the kids with it. 2012
The hat Xavier is wearing is Dale's, too.
So sweet it'll make your teeth hurt...
that says keep on trucking... ;)
Mike and I left the wedding in the back of the truck. I can't find a picture of us without getting up and digging, but I have this....
My handsome groom. 2005.
Photo from a family session in 2007.
2013...the kids got to ride in a parade
Oops...that spiraled. Ha.
Okay, back to present day.
Evie had a birthday present from Granny & Papa and Kea, Miguel & the girls to open before it was time to head home!
Her *own* house for her critters. Such a happy girl!
It was dark and rainy when we headed back north to the Iowa. Evie slept most of the way home and had just enough energy to play with her house for awhile before showering and getting to bed.
It was a good week - busy on both ends, but fulfilling and sweet.
Bonus...
My folks spent the week with mom's family in North Dakota for my cousin's wedding.
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