CDL day 4

Ava has been working so hard this week. Wednesdays the school decided would be basically independent work days. Ava’s teacher sent me a list of her assignments, and when I went to enter them into her planner, she already had two of them written there. I wasn’t expecting that, but I was very pleased. She got started right away after her morning meeting and kept at it until everything was crossed off. Consequently, she was able to play the rest of the afternoon.

Today, she was able to log into all of her zoom classes on her own, and got set up for her tutor. When she is on, she does very well. I hope this carries on, but I anticipate that at some point it will overwhelm her. Until then, I intend to praise her well!

Wes continued to struggle, but did get into a Bingo game and scavenger hunt during one of his classes.

Taylor and Liv had a good day. Tay was eager to share what he learned in Marine biology. Liv was feeling better about math, but likes their Tuesday Friday schedule better.

Surviving summer 2020

Side note, Happy 22nd Birthday Evan! Wish we could be there celebrating!

So COVID-19 rages on. For the most part, we have maintained a strict social distance and relative isolation. Last Tuesday we took a family trip to the coast. We chose a less popular beach and a weekday hoping to have more distance and few human interactions. We were pretty successful in that pursuit. We did get too much sun.

All of us have a pretty significant sunburn. Taylor’s is probably the worst as he chose to sit out in the sun most of the day and only applied sunblock once. I tried to tell him, but teenagers.

A few weeks ago Jon, Liv, and I went on a long hike. We meant to travel to the coast, but we misread the length of that journey and did not go prepared for a hike that long. So we did a shorter loop and had a lot of fun and exercise doing it.

Tay and Liv participated in a virtual summer camp through our local community college. Here Tay explains one of his projects. Wes loved that his program caused a light to blink and change colors. They both had a lot of fun.

Ava created this my little pony puppet out of construction paper and toilet paper tubes. She ran out of pink paper right in the middle but creatively solved her problem.

Anyway, a few ways that we are passing the time. Our schools will start 100% virtual in a couple of weeks. They will stay that way until at least Nov, then the district will re-evaluate. Wish us luck!

Fudgy

To my Dad at 80

Dear Dad,

Today is your 80th birthday. Even though you’ve been gone for so long, I miss you like it was just yesterday. If you were here, there is so much I would share with you.

Every day I regret that you never met Ava and Wes. Ava is a spit fire, I think she would have been your favorite. I can picture you in my most vivid imagination tapping her in her opposite shoulder, tickling her, and teasing her. She looks just like me, but got all of Amy’s sass ;)

Wes would have worried you, he worries us all. Still his contagious laughter and giggle would have swept you up. I can see you out in a boat trying to fish, but having no luck because Wes and Ava cannot be quiet.

On the boat, Taylor is your man. Yup, “man”, I said. At 13 now, he has really grown into his own. He is tall (at least for us Massey’s) and only just beginning to grow. His voice has changed and his upper lip is covered in a fine peach fuzz. Taylor is quiet. He soaks in his surroundings and contemplates quietly in his time. I know how worried you were for him back when he was 1 and still quite sick. But all of that is past now. He likes to help us around the house, especially if it involves power tools.

I don't think Liv would surprise you too much. She works hard, does so well in school and loves to draw. She is funny and smart. You would believe that she was ever that tiny baby you met!

At 80, I would have preferred so much more for you here with us. Of course now there are so many of your loved ones with you on the other side. It seems selfish to wish you were still here. Yet I do.

Here is to being in a better place, even if it’s away from us.

Much love,

J

Do you want to build a snowman?

Yes, I know its summer, well spring... I know this even if mother nature would rather it stay Frozen! We were riding in the car on our way to pick up Jon's bib number on Saturday when our children broke out in song.  The second round was not a good as the first spontaneous round... but you get the idea of the crazy, awesomeness that can be our family.

My kids, like nearly every kid everywhere, are totally obsessed with this movie.  They love Ana and Elsa and the snowman.  Often times I hear them role playing and pretending to be the characters.  I am going to have to find time to watch this movie if I want to know what it is that my children are up to. 

Kids do say the funniest things

I'm in the kitchen trying to tidy up after a long week, and Ava comes out of the bathroom...  "Momma!!!!!  There was corn stuck to my poopy!!! Did you hear me?  Corn!!!!"

I'm sure she wasn't seeing things... we had corn with our dinner last night... 

Westli: "I want to open the umbrella" as he hands me my umbrella. 

Me: "No, we are not going to do that right now Wes."

Westli:  "Come on now Buddy..."

I bought Taylor some new shoes.  His first pair with laces as he learned how to tie them in the last couple weeks.  He was whining that he couldn't get his foot in it, so I showed him how to pull the laces so that they were loose enough to get his foot in.  Then I told him to push this foot on my knee hard so that his foot would drop into the shoe... "Its okay Taylor, you can push hard on my knee." Taylor: "I know, you're a girl!"

Ham

Ava was a total ham during our photo shoot on Mother's Day.  There were a hundred photos that look just as adorable as this one.  She loved having her hair curled and her moments in the spotlight. She is simply a natural!

The other kids took more work, but as Kay put it, they all really projected their unique personalities... it is one of the reasons I absolutely love the photos from this shoot!

More from the Love shoot

Powder my nose

Last Sunday we made our own flour tortillas to have with fajitas in celebration of the cinco de mayo.  Unfortunately, we used a little bit too much flour when rolling them out and so when you ate one you got covered in flour... like Ava here. I think I also over cooked them initially, so they were more like quesadilla fajitas.  Anyway...  

Finally done with this week, felt really really long.  We have so much we want to get done this weekend too... since we didn't get anything done during the week... so it doesn't look like its going to cool down anytime soon.