March

 

Austin was beyond excited to spend the evening with Erin and Evan, "I am going to have so much except for the boring basketball game and terrible pizza." The expression on Erin's face was priceless. She picked up the boys for a fun night out and he shot it all down in one declaration. Despite the premonition, they had a great time. 

They ordered beer cheese with pretzels and Austin freaked out on Ty for eating it. "You cannot have that! You aren't 21." This child misses nothing. He was so irate, Erin had to text me assurance Ty was not consuming alcohol.

Each of his classmates wrote something about Austin on his Happy Birthday board at school 

We celebrated Austin's seventh birthday throughout the weekend. He was so excited about the theme of a golden birthday that he insisted upon a golden hammer he saw at Harbour Freight. Dean had it engraved with his name to make it more special. His dad sent large fake gold chains and a hat with a gold dollar sign. He looked like a little thug but was glowing. We suffered through terrible pizza so he could sit by the train and then enjoyed a gorgeous day at the zoo together. Our favorite human is seven. This seems completely impossible.

She said she needed a new hobby so I introduced her to my knitting needles. At first, she was certain this was a disaster but quickly got the hang of it. Now some little friends are placing custom orders.

Paw Patrol 

Ty and I still slip away for dinner on Wednesday nights. The time invested is decision I am beyond grateful for as he opens up and lets me in on his worries, joys and humor. Feeding him is expensive but the reward is priceless.

He recently shared how he became friends with Elijah. They had the same Spider-Man hoodie in kindergarten and wore it on the same day. Then Elijah beatboxed a song about them being twins on the bus. Fast forward nine years; they ride bikes to school together and secretly still like Spiderman.

Ty had some blood work run this month and his vitamin d was so low his pediatrician laughingly asked me to send him to Florida. We elected a high dose supplement instead but the idea of soaking in some sunshine sounds very appealing. Ty looked so hopeful as he pointed out, "doctor's orders." This is the same office where the now retired lead pediatrician used to insist upon ice cream for sore throats. My kids loved him.

The hardest hitting hail storm any of us have ever experienced blew through here early one Saturday morning and left a mess of damage in it's wake. We are currently navigating insurance claims adjusters and contractors for jobs that weren't already on the lengthy repair list. 

A few hours later, Greg and I left town to visit a friend and saw this on the way out of the neighborhood. It is not snow. It was sixty five degrees. The hail pile on our porch lasted over twenty-four hours despite the warm weather. It was wild. 

I accepted an internal job change and started with an Immediate Care Center working three days a week. Twelve hour days are long but having weekdays off to manage life is a refreshing change of pace. I am keeping the same benefits in a smaller facility with a strong management team. The decision was an easy one for me to make despite having some friends as coworkers at the Neuroscience Institute. Some of those friends had some feelings about me leaving. 

I was warmly received at the Immediate Care Center. The management team seems strong and the coworkers are thus far welcoming. Walking in my first morning to streamers, gifts and a welcome sign blew me away. I was already thrilled with the schedule and now I am also delighted about the team. 

Ty goes out for lengthy bike rides and sometimes reports his adventures with video evidence.....

He makes me nervous; yet, has no idea why I would oppose a motorcycle. 🤦

I'm glad someone appreciates the cozy dog bed. Diesel finds it insulting.

We gathered for brunch to celebrate Erin and Greg. Birthdays since Erin's birth have been mostly in her favor. Greg has accepted this unconditionally. He gained a daughter thirty years ago and has since hosted tea parties, shared pink cakes and gone with the flow of whatever she decided. They spent a few years having a drink over wings too. I love their relationship. But this year, my parents and sister joined us and the laughter around our table was perfect. 

Mr. Potato Head Casserole for the win. (Hash brown casserole, scrambled eggs, sausage, queso, shredded cheese, salsa and sour cream. Layer as you choose.)

Some kittens were sent to timeout over the table decorations. They aren't allowed up there but flowers proved entirely too tempting.

Lemon cake with "30 & Fabulous" topper.

All animals love my dad.

Ty and Austin were on Spring Break my first week on my new job so I had two days off to hang out with my favorite boys. We had lunch, went hiking along an abandoned train track and stopped for a treat on the way home. We all enjoyed the day. The flexibility my new schedule provides is pretty awesome.

Greg and I wrapped the month with a quick road trip to see his family. It was a quiet day for a long drive and quality time together. His parents are suddenly aging despite their very active retirement. It's a bit unnerving to witness the decline. At times we wish we lived closer to help shoulder some of the caretaking that's landed on Brad and Jessica. One daughter recently reflected, "Grandma and Grandpa are more human in their vulnerability." The relationship has been difficult to navigate over the years so this just adds another layer to sort through. We hope to always land on the side of grace. 

This little peanut needed nine month photos taken and was an absolute pro. By the end of the session, she was ready to be behind the camera too. I am grateful to her grandma for capturing the moment.