We had a lot of activities going on this week as some of the summer activities begin along with end-of-the-school-year activities. The weather stayed nice for us most of the week so the kids spent a lot of time outside. Lincoln and Ty played together a lot. They are really enjoying playing with each other, with a few fights mixed in. They also like to dress like each other whether it is both putting on jeans and cowboy boots or a baseball hat or even some winter gloves. The LaBeths had some grading done on their yard on Monday and Tiffany set Lincoln and Ty up in front row seats. They were very excited.
We also had our last of our busy Monday afternoon/evenings because Ellie had her last ball practice before the season starts. Today is Jackson's last Monday swim practice before their summer schedule starts and Ellie only has two more dance classes before her recital. I spent Monday night trying to get everything organized and ready for the next day because I was going to be gone most of the day and Mary was going to be watching the twins and Lincoln for me. I spent some time Monday night, like I do most nights, searching for Miles and Bennett's sippy cups. After searching for a while I remembered that I had heard the noise of something being thrown into the washer earlier as Miles and Bennett were playing. And then I realized it was probably the sippy cup. But I had decided to do a load of laundry before I went to bed since I was going to be gone the next day and laundry quickly gets out of control here. So I opened it up mid-cycle and found the sippy cup. This is why I try so hard to have all of our doors closed-they are always into something. But they are growing in different ways each day. They both like to say "no" now and Bennett says "clean up" with the same inflection as the Clean Up song the kids sing when it is time to clean up at school. If you ask Miles for a hug, he will lean in towards you. They both have scraped up legs and knees from playing and falling outside. They don't let it bother them too much though. They just love being able to get out there. They also like to randomly tackle people and each other. Sometimes it is for fun, sometimes not.
Tuesday was an earlier morning for us as I had to be in Ellie's classroom by 8. Mary showed up around 7:40, I told her about the plan for the day, and we headed out. All the kindergarten classes take turns going out to Thousand Hills for the day to do activities to finish up their habitat unit. There were two classes going out this day and they divided the kids up into Troop Groups. I had the privilege of being Ellie's Troop Group leader and led the group through their different activities throughout the day. Thankfully we also had a few other parent volunteers helping out because our group was a little rowdy. Even though it got pretty warm and the kids were done by the end of the day, I enjoyed getting to spend the day with Ellie.
I think everything went pretty well with Mary and the kids. Lincoln told Tiffany that he really liked his Granny and she was a really good Granny. Just as she was leaving I got a call from Washington University in St. Louis about signing the twins up for a study. They had sent some stuff in the mail about it saying they would call. I thought it could be kind of interesting plus we get paid for it :-). Tuesday evening it was warm enough that the Rourkes got their water slide out and the kids had a fun time playing with it. Then my parents stopped by with souvenirs for the kids from their trip to Disney World. Jackson got a stuffed Yeti from the Expedition Everest Ride along with a Donald Duck quacker. Ellie got some fancy new Minnie Mouse ears. Lincoln got a pair of big, stuffed Micky Mouse gloves that he was a little unsure of at first but they grew on him. Miles and Bennett each got a little Mickey Mouse car and football and they loved playing with both of them. Before they went to bed that night they all had a dance party and this is the picture I got of Jackson doing the sprinkler in the Mickey Mouse gloves.
On Wednesday Jackson got to go tour Ray Miller Elementary. It is hard to believe that he is almost done with the Primary School and is moving on. Ray Miller is the school that I am the least familiar with because I never went there. I think I have only been in the school once and I get a little nervous for him. I asked him what he thought about all of it and his only response was that he was excited that they get 2 recesses there. While they were at school I spent part of the day getting everything prepared for ball games that night and putting together a care package to send to Lanie in the hospital. Ellie had made her a couple of cards that I included with it. Lanie is having a rough go of it during the healing process and could really use some prayers. If anyone would like to send her a card or care package, the address is.
University of Minnesota Children's Amplatz Hospital
Patient Care Unit 5
C/O Alaina Hettinger
2450 Riverside Avenue S
Minneapolis, MN 55454
You can also follow along on Facebook at the Living Thru Lanie page.
Jackson and Ellie both had their first ball games Wednesday night. Andrew wasn't able to be there until later because he had a trial that day, so I dropped Jackson off first for his pictures and the rest of us walked over to Ellie's field for her game. The twins were doing okay in their stroller until my parents showed up and then they really wanted out. We were able to keep them entertained for a bit and watch Ellie. She was so excited because she was able to hit without the tee the whole game and she also made a few plays in the field. When the twins started getting really restless, I headed over to catch the beginning of Jackson's game. Andrew had showed up by that point and could stay at Ellie's game. I made the mistake of letting the twins out of their stroller at Jackson's field. They were starting to scream more and were getting kind of distracting. Well the field Jackson plays on now is right by the parking lot. It was really hard to watch any of the game and keep them from heading towards the parking lot. I tried giving them all the snacks I had in my bag, brought out balls for them to play with, nothing was working. Eventually my parents, Andrew, and Mary ended up at Jackson's game too and my parents decided maybe it would just be best if they took them back to their house. I guess we need to come up with a better plan. Jackson had a decent game. You could tell he was pretty nervous. This was a whole new game. The kids start pitching at this age level and they were more intense. There were also more rules to follow. I did see Jackson get a single, but I think he struck out with his other couple at-bats. I think as the season goes on, his confidence will grow.
I did forget to mention that Jackson was named his class' Kirk Kid of the month of April for good behavior. I didn't even know it until I saw his picture in the paper at my parents' house. He brought home his certificate the other day and was pretty proud of it and we are proud of him.
Thursday was another early morning since I had to be at the football field at 8. I had to take the twins to my parents' house, drop Ellie and Jackson off at school and then go to the field. The second graders were having their field day and I got to help out with Jackson's class. Jackson was sure it was going to be rained out but the chances of rain diminished overnight. It started out overcast, but was nice it sunny by the time it was over. They had five events, the 50 yard dash, baseball throw, sack race, soccer kick, and long jump. The parents got to help out with the timing and measuring. Each class did each event and the top two finishers from that event went on to the finals. Jackson made the finals in the 50 yard dash, baseball throw, and long jump. It was fun to watch him get all serious about it-he really wanted to win. It was also nice to get to spend the morning with him. Although he didn't place in any of the finals, he tried hard and that is enough for me.
I left field day after Jackson finished his last event. I had to do some quick grocery shopping so that I could get the twins picked up and get them home for a nap. When we got home, Lincoln was excited to see a skid loader out in front of the LaBeth's house. He then was disappointed because the guy wasn't using it yet. But as soon as he heard it start up, he did a little yelp and ran outside to watch. He actually ended up over on the LaBeths front porch in their little rocking chair and they weren't even home. After dinner that night, Andrew decided it would be a good time to get a bike ride in. As I was cleaning up the dinner mess, I get a call from him saying that he got a flat and I needed to come pick him up. He was out off of Old 6 on his way to Thousand Hills. It took a while though the get the twins cleaned up, out of their high chairs, and into the car and gather the others that were out playing. So he waited on the side of the road for about 20 minutes for us. He decided to try and stop by a house on Osteopathy that had a sign in their yard for bike repair. The guy said he thought he could fix it, so Andrew said to just leave him and he would ride back to the house. Jackson and Ellie wanted to meet him at the front of our neighborhood and ride back with him so they headed that way a little after we got back. But then I got a text from Andrew saying it would be a little longer. And a little while later he comes walking through the door breathing heavily. The guy couldn't fix the tire that night so Andrew decided to just run home. He was hurting and it was not fun, but he did it and I'm proud of him.
On Friday Andrew decided to head to Columbia on Friday in search of a new truck. His truck has had lots of problems lately and the repairs would just be too much with all the miles he has on his truck. He actually just stopped by the dealership in Columbia to see what they had but had planned on heading over to Fulton to look at some used ones they had there. He was able to get an awesome deal though on a new one, so that is what he went with. He is still talking about how great of a deal it was-you know he is quite the negotiator. It is another F-150 and is a dark brown, almost black color. It is pretty much just the basic package, but the best thing about it is (well actually two, it gets better gas mileage than his old one) the front seat is a bench seat with a fold down console. Which means that he can fit all five kids in it! With him being out of town, our schedule proved a little difficult. Jackson had a birthday party after school that he was just able to walk to. So I picked up Ellie and then got super prepared for her ball game that night. I had all sorts of snacks and toys for the twins to play with because I thought I would be on my own. I also had to get Ellie packed up because we decided last-minute to let her go with my parents down to Bentonville to watch Bella's dance recital (did I mention that Sara and family have now moved back to St. Louis-I know a very excited aunt). Ellie ended up having team pictures at 5:30, the same time that I was supposed to pick Jackson up from the party. And then her game wasn't until 6:45. So Tiffany saved the day and took Ellie for me since she and Ty are on the same team. So I picked up Jackson and then picked up some Sonic for us for dinner. I had to get some teacher gift cards there anyways so it worked. I was going to pick up Ellie so she could eat real quick before her game, but Tiffany said they were eating popcorn and having a fun time. So we ran by my parents since they live close to the ball fields so I could feed everyone else. My parents were trying to get some things done before they left for the weekend including my dad trying to get the pool opened and cleaned so the Aquatic Center lifeguards could use it for certification since the city pool was having trouble with leaks. So they decided to not go to the game but were fine with Jackson and Lincoln staying there. The twins were another story. But Andrew got back just as we were getting ready to head to the game. Andrew parents also came and Mary tried her hardest to keep the twins happy. They started crying as soon as we got there, so the stroller didn't last long. It is going to be a long season. Thankfully at Ellie's field we are away from the road or parking lot. Ellie had to use the tee most of the time this game, so she was a little frustrated. She did some good fielding though and is always excited when people come watch her.
After the game, we dropped Ellie off at my parents to stay the night since they were leaving early the next morning. But Andrew thought she was staying there for a sleepover and was asking where she was Saturday evening. I guess he missed the part about her going down to Bentonville. The kids ended up staying out playing out front until past dark. Jackson used some rubberbands to attach flashlights and his reading light to his rip stick and scooter to use in the dark. It was just a fun night and I'm sure there will be more of those to come this summer. I see some night games in the future. Oh the memories.
Andrew went for another ride early Saturday morning. I was able to track him on my computer which was fun. I ran on the treadmill for a bit and cleaned bathrooms while he was gone. And the he took Jackson and Lincoln out to the ranch when he got home. They had a good day out and capped it off with a little fishing with Ashlyn.
After they got back from the ranch, Andrew mowed the yard. Lincoln really wanted to ride with him and at first Andrew didn't notice him. I got a cute picture of Lincoln just waiting until he did notice him.
Andrew went to the office for a bit after he mowed and then we ate an early dinner so I could get a bike ride in that evening. I went a little farther this time at a similar speed as last time. My speed would have been a little faster except I had to stop several times for traffic and then while I was biking down Franklin Street, I hit a bump and then heard something metal fall. So I stopped and walked the bike back to where I heard the metal because I was afraid something had fallen off the bike. And then I saw what it was-a metal fork. Yes, a fork in the road :-). I felt pretty good after I was done, so that was good. And then we spent the rest of the evening just watching the boys play outside and talking. It was a nice, quiet, enjoyable evening.
We ended up going to the second service at church on Sunday since Andrew had to work the booth then. So I ran to the grocery stores after he got back from the office. He had to leave when I got back since I still had to put the groceries away. He took Jackson and Lincoln and I got there later with Miles and Bennett. We ate a quick lunch after church and then headed to Home Depot to get some flowers and a tree for his office. I got some urn-type pots at Aldi for him a few weeks ago and he still hadn't planted the boxwoods we got from Van's. He picked up a small evergreen to plant next to the boxwoods and I got the flowers I needed and we got to work. It is hard to tell from this picture Andrew took, but here is our work (I just noticed the evergreen got cropped out). I have learned that I tend to plant too many plants in an area since they all start out so small, so I tried not to do that this time. It does look a little sparse right now though.
The storms started rolling in later that night. My parents and Ellie were on their way home and we were worried they would get caught in the middle of it. Thankfully, they fared pretty well. Our power went out a little after 9 and stayed off for around three hours. Jackson ended up joining me in the family room. With the power out, one of our smoke detectors had a low battery and started beeping. So he helped me replace that battery and then we passed the time doing some other things. I suggested that he could prep his lunch for the next day, so he got right to work on that while I cleaned the floors by flashlight. He eventually passed out on the couch around 10:30. My parents called a little before that to say there were in town but couldn't get to our house. We only have one street coming into our neighborhood and there was a tree down across it blocking the road. So they ended up taking Ellie home and having her stay the night there. I was missing her but knew that was probably the best choice at the moment. Andrew was able to pick her up the next morning and she was looking all cute with a french braid my mom did for her. They saw several downed trees on their way home including a huge evergreen on Osteopathy that was totally uprooted.
And I have one last picture of Miles that Andrew sent to me sometime last week. He is determined to get a ball through the hoop.
No comments:
Post a Comment