We Left Our Hearts in Georgia

Our grandson called regularly for weeks before our visit with requests. He created quite a bucket list for our four short days together. We not only tackled all but the zoo, we added a visit with the police to see a cruiser including how to turn on lights and an excursion to the park to our agenda. We are saving the zoo for his next visit to our house to avoid a long drive. So we ate sushi, had Cook Out, visited the new house lot, got ice cream, opened presents, went to the trampoline park, bought new shoes, had a picnic in the back yard, did yoga with his new mat, and took a trip to Target. It was a busy couple of days with our favorite three year old.

Checking out deer tracks with Pops

The pollen in Georgia is no joke. From the time we left the Atlanta area, the air was yellow. Allergies were suffered but we didn't let that slow us down.

Little man insisted he use the taller basketball goal.

Cook Out doesn't yet allow inside dining so we improvised. Ty loves Cook Out and requests corn dogs with a side of corn dogs every visit. We also love their iced tea. We are simple people.

Austin loves Carlos, the beta fish and is often requiring an audience while he cares for him.

Pops, Aunt Kate, Uncle Ty and Austin got new shoes. 

I simply couldn't narrow down my photos. I love this little family so much. Lauren and Taylor are great parents and building a beautiful life together. We treasure these visits and can't help but wish they were more frequent.

Eye on the Prize

Last Friday evening Kate, Makenna and I went shopping for some spring clothing. Kate needed items last year but we never made any purchases, citing our inability to leave the house as reason enough to save money. Given how few fitting rooms are open, we still struggled but Kate is ready for Georgia anyway. The outing was delightful and included salads in a restaurant as if the world was not still mad.

Saturday, Ty and I cleaned his room so thoroughly it is almost unrecognizable. He packed away a 30 gallon tote full of Legos, signaling the end of a lengthy era. The only toys remaining are Nerf guns, his robot and a couple costumes. It's strange watching this boy transition into a young man. I suppose a momma's heart is never quite ready. 

Greg spent Saturday celebrating the upcoming nuptials of a buddy. Bourbon tours, firing ranges and incredible food occupied a very long but enjoyable day. He needed it. 

A new friend started kindergarten Monday. I got to work with him one-on-one to assess his reading level and what goals we needed to set for him. He and I knew each other for about five minutes when he told me he had a girlfriend in Kansas City.  I asked her name. He couldn't recall. I love him already. 

Tuesday we celebrated Erin. Twenty-six is lovely. My parents came to town to join us for birthday dinner. Erin requested Mr. Potato Head Casserole and it appears my parents may now also ask for it during future visits. It was was a success despite the controversial name. Insert eye roll here.

Wednesday we celebrated Greg. I teased he has aged like fine wine. He countered, "fermented, stinky and yucky?" He is a bourbon guy. But I asked the kids to pretend we all like each other and captured the response. Here we are, in all our dysfunctional glory. 

I love this man and our crazy life.

Ty used the last of his Christmas gift cards to the local trampoline park this week with his sister and a buddy. I forgot to bring my book so Kate spent a great amount of her time hanging out with me watching little ones having a blast. But our almost famous youtuber was surrounded by fans the entire time they jumped with their ipod in hand. "Being famous makes it hard to just jump", Ty David, the celebrity.

We survived the final week of school and work but it was not without some attention deficit. You see, we have a long weekend planned with Austin, Lauren and Taylor. We simply couldn't reach this time quickly enough. Spring break has officially kicked off.

Spring is in the Air

I finally added a sticker to my chart, at the insistence of Amanda. Apparently tapping out and telling your husband you need him to deal with the follow-up on unfulfilled requests because you are too depleted to handle it well is self care. Who knew? I thought I was looking out for the boy who didn't deserve a frustrated mom after a long day of kindergarten. But I went to Bible study and the boy did what was asked. I heard no drama. This was a win. And apparently, also a sticker.

Erin went home last Thursday night after a hard, emotional week. She is much stronger now and returned to work today. Her four weeks medical leave flew by. As we processed the three lesions located in her uterus, we all had moments of strong emotions. She quite literally was the ticking time bomb she used to describe her situation. Now that she has won the battle for her health, she is understanding the cost. My girl is tough but this is hard. She has already lost a relationship due to the loss of potential future children. Timing could have been better, to say the least.

I celebrated Hump Day with two of my favorites this week with our first trip to the local ice cream shoppe of the season. The nosy neighbor watching the drive thru is adorable. My kids fell in love. We'll be back.

Kate sometimes assists me in pre-k at church. We are failing at social distancing. Thank goodness.

Ty spent the week in quarantine again. He was identified as a close contact at school. He hasn't left the house since last Friday with the exception of a drive thru once. So we have been looking for more indoor entertainment. Yes Day on Netflix was cute and a great movie to watch together. It isn't often we find things that appeal to all of us. But anytime I can get both Kate and Ty to snuggle, I'm in.

Lauren sent this photo Tuesday from one of their morning jam sessions. They sing and dance all the time. Greg and I just love watching Lauren and Taylor. They clearly enjoy being parents. We wish we could have relaxed and enjoyed the ride as much as they do. Our grandson is one lucky kiddo.

I resumed a daily walk with a neighbor who can meet right after school. We only get in about a half hour each day but I appreciate being able to stretch and catch up with a friend without giving up meal prep time and evenings with the family. The fact we didn't need coats? Perfect. 

Friday morning I booked a trip and surprised Ty that afternoon. I was so excited to tell him because I knew he would be shocked.

It was so much fun planning. I can't wait for our weekend. 

One Year

A year ago,  I was dancing with my kindergarten class to Baby Shark when the calls rolled in. School was shutting down for two weeks. We knew deep down, we would not be returning for the remainder of the school year. My day ended before being able to say goodbye to my little friends because we were protecting them for as long as possible. 

In the last year, we watched people destroy relationships over differing opinions and lock away loved ones for their "own good". Holidays and birthdays were not celebrated to protect one another. Hugs were reserved and essential workers were emotionally depleted, in every working category. 

This last year left many marks but we learned a lot. Our calendar will not be as full as it was prior to the "two week shut down to flatten the curve". We simply don't miss being busy. And despite a lot of curve balls, we can still invest in the lives of those we love, even if from a distance. 

I wonder often how the kids at school will recall this last year. Will they remember masks, social distancing, rules and cleaning or will they recall zombie arms for distancing and colorful spots on the floor for dance parties? What will stand out as they reflect five or ten years from now? My prayer is the latter. 

We were confident most of this was behind us as those who choose to be vaccinated are getting shots and numbers are declining. And then at eight o'clock yesterday morning we learned Ty was once again being sent home from school as an identified close contact. He is well versed in quarantine and announced with pride he doesn't have to do laundry now because he has lots of pajamas. He is living his best life and I have all but given up on this year being one of academic growth. He has instead, learned to work independently and confidently. In this year of chaos, I am accepting it will be what it will be. 

Kate says this should be a national holiday. She misses the first shut down. She liked the family time full of simple pleasures like sidewalk chalk, sitting in the sunshine and hikes. She is grateful we had decent snow to play in recently and has not missed being in school. She also states she is glad only one of us got sick and it wasn't serious. I think she has the right idea.

I have no deep thoughts to share, simply needed to reflect. My prayer for the coming months is to see the dust settle and life to get back to normal. I miss hugs. I am weary of debates. I hate wearing a mask all day every day. But I am grateful for the clarity that in the end, my little family is my top priority and the time we spend together will always prevail over all the things pulling for our attention. 

 

Post-Op Week Two

"I have been assaulted by the US Postal Service." Erin declared after swinging by her condo to check on mail. She had an FMLA denial letter accompanied by a termination notice for a part-time job she loved for the last two and a half years (part time employees cannot remain on staff if they cannot work for thirty days), a claim denial for her hospital stay from her health insurance company and her hacked debit card replacement had still not arrived. Sister was not having a good day. However, her recovery has been smooth. She needed motrin and Tylenol for a few days post-op but has been free of both for over a week. She is easily worn out and occasionally has some cramping she can ease with a heating pad. She has declared herself relieved to be finished with treatment and ready to move on with her life. Her post op appointment this morning went well once we eliminated the possibility of a blood clot in her leg. A tiny bit of drama ended with us having lunch out together celebrating. It is over. However, she is spending only the weekend home alone before deciding what the following weeks will hold. Her initial plan to have a friend stay with her has fallen through. 

Ty took his role of caretaker very seriously. As he walked in the door from school one afternoon, Erin requested chocolate chip pancakes and he immediately started pulling out ingredients, before even removing his backpack. She was served a full plate in bed. As we prepared to leave for church Sunday morning, Ty blew up. "Who is going to babysit Erin?" She had planned to join us but needed assistance getting out of bed and worried the chairs in church could prove to be too much. He is usually fairly oblivious to most of what is happening around him at home but loves that particular sister well.

Erin and I took a walk on a gorgeous afternoon and planned meals together. Having her with us these last two weeks, a stark contrast to the past year of limited visits. We loved the change. Kate especially appreciated having company during the day and they found they make excellent study partners. Although a certain biology teacher regrets asking his class about their weekend now. My daughters often fail to consider the full impact of their humor. "I watched TV with my sister because she got her uterus cut out."

Someone hacked the contact list in my phone.

I confessed to a friend about accepting help on two occasions last week and how I hated doing it, but I also told someone else no. I could have made a situation work but it had me pushing it beyond what was necessary and I found myself saying it simply wasn't going to work and offering a solution that better suited me. This is rare. This is incredibly rare. It is so rare my friend made me a sticker chart to reflect how much I need to improve in this area. Amanda is a teacher. Can you tell? But laughing, I called to tell Kristin about it and she has appointed herself in charge of orchestrating the reward portion of the sticker chart. Hilarious. 

Lauren and Taylor are under contract for a new home! We are so excited for them and their commitment to remaining in Georgia where we can see them a few times a year without too much travel. Rumor has it our curious grandson is getting some dump trucks for his birthday this weekend. Evening playtime on their lot will be so much fun.

In other news, Piper is a very interesting creature. This is not good news. Ty's bedroom door remains closed a lot these days.