Happy Birthday James and Grandpa!

"Today is the oldest you have been, and the youngest you will ever be. Make the most of it!"
-Nicky Gumbel

James turned eight this week!  Since we couldn’t have a party this year we decided to do something a little different for the presents.  James wanted to open all this presents as soon as we woke up but instead he came down to an empty table.  We got some donuts, and after breakfast he was given the first clue for a scavenger hunt that sent him and the kids running through the house and yards collecting additional clues and presents along the way.

The scavenger hunt was a lot of fun, but to cap off the day we went to Nina and Papa’s in the afternoon so the kids could go swimming.  We spent most of afternoon there before coming back home for some wind down time before bed.  It wasn’t the birthday party he originally wanted, but he thought it was a good day.

The next day we setup a slip n’ slide and let the kids go crazy in the back yard.  They made a mess, but at least the grass got plenty of water.

Grandpa’s birthday was Sunday so he and Grandma came over for some brunch out on the porch.  The kids played with some of James’s new toys while the adult’s talked.  Then Isla talked Grandma into playing some games for a bit.  The visit reminded all of us how much we miss being able to visit with family like we used to, but we’ll have to make due for now.

Happy birthday James and Grandpa!!

A quiet Father’s Day…

"There should be a children's song: 'If you're happy and you  know it, keep it to yourself and let your Dad sleep.'"
-Jim Gaffigan

The week leading up to Father’s Day was a slow one, the Coronavirus cases started to rise and we hunkered down to continue riding it out.  The kids found a few ways to entertain themselves, including spinning in a chair using a blower.

The kittens are settling in well.  They get lots of attention from the kids and even found a friend in Sadie.

And then Father’s Day came, it was a quieter affair than normal. PePa came over for some breakfast and we spent the rest of the day relaxing at the house.  We’ll see Grandpa and Papa next week.

Painting, cooking, and losing teeth…

"I ripped my tooth out!"
-Isla

Ashlyn decided to spend some time this week making paintings for James and Isla.  She took the time to make them special for her siblings, each one took over an hour to make.  James got a space theme while Isla’s took on a more colorful rainbow pattern.  James and Isla both loved the final results and the paintings will soon be hung in their rooms.

A friend came over this week for some social distancing socializing.  The kids thought it would be fun to make cookies and were very happy with the results.

Ashlyn decided to make dinner this week and it was easily the most complicated meal she’s made.  She had three pots going at once and served up some tasty corn on the cob, noodles, and shrimp scampi.

Isla had the most exciting news of the week.  She went from holding a cat to holding a tooth and was very excited to finally be losing her baby teeth.  She has another one that’s also loose and we expect she’ll be keeping the tooth fairy busy in the coming months.

Kittens and swimming…

"I like to go for a walk or swimming or in the garden when I can. It's a busy kind of life, but I guess I'm lucky."
-Brian May

Our house welcomed two new pets this week.  A calico and tortoiseshell made the journey from Cleburne to Bedford with Mommy and arrived to an exited welcome from the kids.  The kids instantly fell in love and since the kittens arrived they have been practically inseparable.

This was a week for swimming.  It started with the kids filling as many water balloons as they could and putting them into the backyard pool.  Afterwards, they invented various games to play with the balloons which all ended with someone getting either sprayed or splashed. 

The main swimming event came on Sunday when we went over to Nina and Papa’s to swim in the big pool.  PePa joined as well so it was nice to catch up with them while the kids swam.  The kids did well keeping their distance and it was a lot of fun to watch them play away from our house for a change.