1/10/21 Happy New Year and Back to (virtual) school

We had a great break.  I was a little consumed with the garage project, which let me devote a lot of time to Gary Sr.....which we needed, but it also let the kids roam free and without me a little.  I wish I had just a few days to take Lily shopping (she kept begging me toe go).

New Years was great, our quiet family.  Lots of fireworks.   First time we stayed up until midnight EVER. The highlight was Grant wanting to make snowmen to put in his hot chocolate.  They turned our pretty cute.

New Years day, Gary Jr. who was lighting a candle from the stove burner (so he could then light fireworks from) held a firework with the same hand? and accidently lit it off in the house.  It was pretty terrifying to see sparks shooting from his hand as he ran for the door. No burns and no home destruction, close call. 

This week was back to school.  Monday was pretty stinky.  Lots of tech problems from computer, internet, and school internet....but which one.....was the tricky guess.  Kids had melt downs at piano lessons that day from a day toooo long.  But overall, okay.

Tuesday- Thursday were seamless.  Big Boys set up desks in the playroom (12 year old boys can not be in their bedrooms with a computer. Video games are toooooo tempting during virtual school)  Rachel we moved to her bedroom, which has been perfect actually, so she doesn't need to wear headphones.  And Grant stays in the kitchen with me to keep him on task. 

Friday....I took the day off.  I have been planning this for months.  When you can't get away with your family or husband, this was the next best thing. My tennis team was doing a retreat at the Marriott up in Scottsdale.  They stayed thurs-sat, but I just came up Friday (partly because of my demanding family and partly because I didn't want to stay with people during Covid).  It was great day of tennis lessons and great playing.   I learned what it felt like to wear a mask when others weren't (like in the hotel room between tennis sessions) and at lunch (which I request we eat outside) which is something I have been expecting of my older kids at school and church activities.  It does make you feel a little like an outsider.  But AZ is booming with Covid right now) And I can't Not do what I am asking them to. 

It was a great day. And I also realized, those ladies (a lot single, divorced, or with older kids) I wasn't jealous of.  I got to come home to an amazing family, and truly tending to their needs is where I want to be.  Sometimes it is good to get away for the day to just remind myself of that....actually I need to do it about every 6 months.

However, about half way through the day, the state of AZ decided to cancel Lily's soccer season.  Hopefully she will still get to go to practices....(she doesn't really leave her room during the day because of virtual school....which doesn't sound healthy) and practices were a good thing for her. She did go out twice this weekend, so I don't worry for her socially, but kids should not be in their room all day online...... We don't have another place (with 4 other students and a toddler) for her to concentrate like she wants to. We'll see what this week determine. 

We have about finished the garage.....just hardware..... I am excited for it to be done! We also finished this giant puzzle.  And took Charli to feed the ducks again this week.  It is her happy moment. 

12/27/20 Christmas break

Well this break has been interesting.  I so looking forward to this year to ski at my Gma's house, but that wasn't really realistic with Covid.  After last year (Gary had liver surgery Dec 17th), I was looking forward to the Christmas festivities that I have come to love.

Twas not to be.  I didn't want to feel sad again, so I have encouraged Gary in his projects and threw myself into them as well, namely,  redoing our garage.

So far we have:

1) cleaned the garage out.

2) Learned to use a paint sprayer and painted the garage.  (with that thing it went SO fast)

3) Installed epoxy floor on the garage (we hired this one out)

4) Started building one giant wall of garage cabinets and cubbies in them to hold specific items.

We have yet to:

Finish said cabinets, and paint the mudroom and cabinet doors.

It has been a good way to bond with Gary.  We have needed some alone time lately.  Our backyard has looked liked a hoarder took over, but as we are slowly finding a cabinet cubby for each item, it is getting cleaner and cleaner.  Gary and I bought a giant tool shelf on clearance at Lowe's yesterday and I think that will suffice for all the tools.  Hopefully the back porch is once again free of stuff tomorrow (which is when we can roll the toolbox on the new epoxy floor).

Christmas was simple.  Prime rib roast was cooked this year and is now my new favorite.  (The Ham on Christmas Eve, I think I will not do anymore....too salty, and no one really gobbled it).  

Not many treats....my kids have done a lot of the cooking, especially Ben.  Helping me make toffee, but really I didn't do a ton of desserts like in years past.  I don't know that anyone really missed it.  The kids got bags on Lindor chocolate for xmas....Grant ate his xmas day and was sick, forcing me to implement a better diet for all involved with spinach smoothies and veggies again.   Freedom of choice is so short lived. 

One more week of break with the kids, but Gary does go back to work.  I am thinking of getting Netflix and watching some shows with Lily.  

The sad haircut....still no one has confessed

The picture I painted with some extra time this week. 

Freshly painted garage....learning to use the paint sprayer. 

 12/13/20    

Last week was Lily's birthday. 15!!! Grandma Corinne's death by Chocolate cake. Yum!

Also the piano recital was last weekend.

The week was about school and home projects!

Lily made the JV soccer team at Mountain View high school last Friday. Way to go Lily....but with school finals next and weekend, end of year concerts, exams, lessons, and 2 hours of soccer practice nightly has made tensions high for her.

My goal was help Gary raise his Chinese and Algebra grade.  Algebra was accomplished, Chinese was not.  Unfortunately these are the two that will carry into high school.  I resorted to hiring Lily to tutor him.  He was paid handsomely Lesson better learned at this age, but hard for my perfectionist personality.  It is like butting heads sometimes.

On the other hand my other student, Ben who loves to serve and please  did accomplish the straight A's and based on where we were at the start of the semester (with a new difficult school and virtual learning) I could be prouder.  Truly I am really proud the progress I have seen in both of them, and let's face it Chinese is just a hard language....and I would rather him challenge himself and get a B then do something easy just to make and A. 

Projects were the other agenda item this week....Gary installed fans on the patio....which I love and have been on my bucket list for 5 years. Gary and I decided to put in a epoxy garage floor ...therefore requiring us to clean out the garage. The patio now looks like the new garage...and hoarders delight. Also I am putting up a gallery wall, it took me 3 hours to hang 3 pictures, only to decided I needed to have the photos in them before I go any farther....a project for maybe next week.

I also finished packaged gifts for a refugee family we are sponsoring for Christmas.  We will deliver them today.  I have sponsored kids in the past, but this family wanted cleaning supplies, towels, a vacuum, shoes....just the basics, it was pretty humbling and good for my kids.  Grant accompanied me to goodwill to look for a jacket for the mom....makes me feel the need to be not so worldly. 

Also I have had lots of snuggle time with this little lady.  She had a "2-year-old" day on Thursday and exhausted me (well in the morning, the teenage did that in the evening), but Friday I took some time for myself and slammed tennis balls and came home and really just cherished her, snuggled, Sound of music until she fell asleep in my arms, and it made me just appreciate this moment in time I have with this last little toddler.  

I needed the break, to see the blessing. I need to remember that more often. 

I have had a study on hope this week, Christmas season puts me into that frame of reference. It makes me have so much more peace and calm. It feels good to feel peace. 

11/29/20 Thanksgiving Week

Thanksgiving week was here and now gone, too quick. Last Thursday night my parents came and we got to enjoy the whole weekend with them. We did sunrise trail hike (my mom had some trouble feeling like she was going to pass out). We also biked Rio Salado trail Friday and took a trail from Chaparral Park in Scottsdale on Tuesday with Gary about 15 miles down to Tempe town lake. It was a pretty awesome trail. 

Lily played "More Holiness give me" in church Sunday....with the new cello. She has played the song before, but it is just beautiful. 

 We were going back and forth all weekend whether or not to go to Colorado....as were they. Because of blasted COVID. In the end, they decided to go because they had to pick up Ella and Quinn to take them to Louisville for a couple weeks. We decided not to, mainly because of the large group joining together and the Colorado governor requesting that households could not get together for Thanksgiving. 

I was pretty depressed. It is always hard for me to have my family come, because I realize how they are not a part of my everyday life and they don't know my children well. So when they come, I get so sad...especially seeing them leave to be together in Colorado...and because of Gary's opinions and our fear of COVID, once again I am left out. But I digress, no one wants to be around a sad person. 

 I dwelt on my sadness for Wednesday morning and decided to throw myself into pie making. Each of my children picked out a pie and we had a great time. Grant chose Cherry...Lily - coconut cream, Ben- Apple Custard, Gary- Pecan. I helped them each make their pie. The apple custard crust was the flakiest I have ever made. Complete success. I waited to make that one (the crust was in the fridge the night before) until Thanksgiving day so it could still be warm. Oh, it was divine. We had a quiet Thanksgiving with Corinne and Les outside on the porch.  One funny note, the turkey Gary cooked he forgot to tie the legs together...so it looked like it was having a baby... pretty disturbing, tasted delish though!

 Although the kids were off school and Gary off work...we kinda just hung around. (Wednesday we did a little S

aguaro lake hike)...but because Gary jr. was about 2 weeks behind in school and he spend the whole weekend redoing assignments and we didn't do much. Blah! 

 Finally Saturday, we decided to get out and went and hiked the famous Fossil Springs. Permits are not needed in the winter and the parking is much more available. It was a 40 minute unpaved road....I was nervous to pop a tire...but we didn't. The hike was only 2 miles. The waterfall was beautiful and kayakers came and kayaked over the falls, which was really fun especially for the boys to see.

11/15/20

 Well this week, I was very appreciative of NOT being in quarantine.  Grateful for my health, the ability to go to church (despite the masks ), and the ability to leave my house without fearing we had COVID.   

The week had a holiday right in the middle.   My boys have purchased the previous scout troops flags and sold flag subscriptions throughout the neighborhood.  There first assignment was Wednesday (Veteran's day) and they really enjoyed the opportunity to work and earn money.  They were forced to canvas the neighborhood for money/subscriptions, but in the end, a facebook post and groupme post got them the vast majority of their subscriptions.  Social media does it again. Also the neighborhood HOA purchased 8 to line the front of our neighborhood, and they looked really good. Excited for them to earn this...a little bummed to have to be here every holiday (really only bummed about 4th of July), but opportunities always have costs....right?

We took off for the holiday and hiked in Sedona.  The colors were beautiful on Devil's bridge hike, however, there were far too many people for my Covid comfort level.   In fact there was a 30-person line to get a picture of the bridge...so we didn't, it was pretty cool though.  It was still really fun, we also walked around the town a little, which we had never done.

Saturday we took the kids mountain biking, which I loved. They did really well.  We took them on TWR, which Gary and I mountain bike regularly.  It was amazing weather.  Can hardly wait to take my parents next week.  

We also decided we probably are not purchasing a boat.  A used boat that we were looking for came up, but we decided against it, Thanks to this post.  I understand the pros/cons, but needless to say I have been pretty bummed about our decision. It would have involved a hefty financial commitment, however that I clearly see we are not ready to make.  

Sunday the kids made bao again.  They are obsessed.  Gary jr mostly....He may have caught one of my beautiful tea towels on fire during the steaming, but all in all, they were delicious, and I think it is kind of cool they are doing it. 

It always remind me of Bao on Disney Plus short.  Kinda hilarious.   My parents come next week, so that should be fun.....Looking forward to it:)

11/8/20 COVID Scare of 2020

 What a week.  Definitely stressful, emotional, and heavy.  I lost some weight.   And now the week is over. 

So Tuesday out of precaution because my parents were coming on Friday, Gary requested we all get COVID tested.  I wasn't concerned at all, no one has any symptoms.... but thought we were being respectful and cautious.  My tennis team captain had been diagnosed with COVID the previous week and Lily had someone in her classes with COVID as well.  Not likely, but we wanted to be precautious. Well Wednesday evening we get back the results ....Charli has tested positive!  

Our world upended a little.  I felt like if anyone were to test positive it would be Lily or I. It didn't seem logical with no symptoms.  But statements go through your head like...most kids are asymptomatic, she did have a cold 3 weeks ago, what if it was COVID and the virus is still lingering in her body.  Could this be an inaccurate test?  

We shut down.  Cancelled carpool, cancelled school, cancelled orthdontist appointments, Gary stayed home from work, he was supposed to get a injection for his back...he cancelled. Cancelled tumbling, cancelled my tennis, life cancelled....

Gary had not been tested and had taken Charli hiking on Monday for 12 hours with her in a car with him and hiking in pack breathing down his neck.....immediately he felt like he needed to be tested and to make sure of Charli's weird result... we wanted to retest Charli.  

We are hoping against hope there is a mistake....meanwhile my parents are driving across the country to my house. And hoping for this reason the test would come back Thursday night/Friday morning....

But the assay has 97% specificity....not likely inaccurate......1/1000 chance of being wrong.

So we spent the next 2 days quarantining, me not sleeping, and cleaning everything, the car, carseat, sheets, doorknobs, her room.....while now the kids are home from school to destroy everything.  We all had to wear mask 24/7.  And I am trying to keep a very affectionate 21 month old from touching anyone or anything.  IMPOSSIBLE!  

Highlights were....us quarantining for school only to discover Grant has snuck out to the park after school
to play with his friends....AND when we were in shock when we first found out the kids taught Charli to jump around the house like a leprechaun saying "I have COVID, I have COVID".....

Here is the Covid vector quarantined outside.

Gary only kept me sane by taking me on multiple bike rides!

So Friday we are awaiting results.  10am, 12 pm, 2 pm....no results.  My parents have to make a call whether to come or go now to my Gma Malin's.....they can't come if she has COVID....(still no one has any symptoms and Gary Sr. is walking around by golly taking everyone's temperature 4-5 times a day)....I tell my parents to go on to Gma Malins. 

9:20pm they both come back (Gary and Charli)  NEGATIVE....

The assay is 1/1000 false positive? What happened? To cause out lives to upend so much?

Here are my theories each one unlikely as the next:.

They didn't bring enough vials to car to test my kids.  They had stuck a label for each person on the vial except Lily, and when they reached Lily and Charli, seeing Charli was a baby and wanting to do her last (because I would probably have to pin her down), they ripped her label off one vial and stuck on Lily's sticker so Charli could go last. Then the worker went back into the tent to get a new vial for Charli.....

1) Could she have touched something on the way to contaminate Charli's sample? I doubt she regloved....

2) Could Charli's ripped off label not stuck to her sample and when they found it on the floor they decided to say positive out of an abundance of precaution?

3) Could Charli just been in the 1/1000 false positives?

4) Could Charli had had the infection a few weeks ago, we didn't know and she was clearing it.....although her tests were too close together (about 36 hours) to make this likely?

5) Could the 2nd test be a false negative? And she does have COVID and is asymptomatic carrier?.....Could Charli be the next Typhoid Mary...aka Covid Charli? but no one else in my family was positive? .....but the assay is 97% specificity though.....

I don't know, I think I am going to go with #2.....

Anyway, laying low for the weekend....sending all my peeps back in to normal life...except Charli, she has no reason to be out and we prefer to lay low anyway. 

I have reflected why this happened.  Such a little thing to upend my life so much....Gary keeps saying maybe my parents weren't supposed to come?  Maybe Charli was clearing this and my parents could have gotten it?   I am more likely to believe it is just one of those things in life Heavenly Father sometimes just lets you deal with.  I connected with with the last section of this quote this week.

My parents rearranged their trip so they are coming later which actually may be better. And I had been feeling a little trapped with a toddler (it has been 15 years of little kids folks), and not being able to hug or kiss my daughter without fear has made me more appreciate this little soul and the limited time I have to be the mom of such a loving amazing toddler. Opportunity in the midst of Opposition....

What a week....

Halloween 2020

 What a week.

Soccer ended this week.  As I prayed to know what to do with kids this fall with Covid, quarantine, etc.  I felt okay about putting them in soccer and it has been such a delightful season.  Grant practiced at the park in front of my house, Ben rode his bike to the park next door.  Each having coaches in our ward that I love and respect.  Lily and Gary were fortunate enough with combined number and Coed due to Covid to play on the same team with the coach that Lily has had the past 2 years.  I really like him as a mentor.  They had a great season. 

Grant grew to really do better with the running game (he grew into his legs a bit).  He discovered he is really midfielder or forward, not so much defense. He was early to every practice, so excited to get to do something with friends.

Ben tried out goalie (aggressive) and played midfield too.  I don't think soccer is his main love, but he loved us watching him and yelling for him too.

Lily and Gary being on the same team really has bonded them.  Having a pretty talented sister (who scores nearly every game) was fun for Gary.  He really grew into the larger field.  And ran his tail off.  It was so fun to see him play.  Lily can do anything she sets her mind to.  High School tryouts are in a few weeks.

Halloween had the usual flare.  Except no parent volunteers in the classes. We had our yummy dinner with apple cider/dry ice of course.  This year was witches fingers (breadsticks) and monster eyeballs (meatballs and noodles).  Lily had some girls over for a movie and pumpkin carving.  A neighbor had a creepy haunted house. 

We finished off the week with fast Sunday.  I had some questions on my mind about not being able to meet all the needs of my children, and at tithing settlement today the bishop assured me that my kids were lucky to live in the family that did.  It made me feel good about what I have accomplished (despite having to divide my time between children).  I have always put them first and I feel good about that. 

I have a few goals I would love to make too.  I think starting a class is in order.  I really would like a masters eventually.