April 23, 2024
No summer school
April 19, 2024
Friday things, 4/19
1. Jett is having some health issues. He has a mass that needs to be removed and another one that likely needs to be biopsied and removed. They told us, last week, that it was basically the end of things for him. When the bloodwork came back, they seemed shocked to see that it was "good" and better than normal for a 10 year old dog, even. He's a candidate for surgery so I'm taking him to a surgeon in a few weeks. They will tell us what we should do. He is acting *fine* at this point and I'm just praying that continues because my nerves seriously can't take this. He is on an antibiotic and I started a series of anti-inflammatory supplements. He's not young but Brittanys usually live 14 or 15 years. We would really appreciate any prayers you have for Jett.
It was a really long weekend, basically, sorting out what to do for him. He's acting normal but I feel like some pricey medical procedure + recovery time is coming.
2. A always favorite I don't share enough: I bought a recent refill on this and it's the only kitchen spray I like to use. There is one grocery store here that sells it but Amazon is usually where you can find it. The parsley one is a favorite but it's really hard to find, which is so odd. I started buying that one when we lived in Colorado.
April 17, 2024
The best $20 I've ever spent.
When Wells was born, we didn't buy a highchair because I'd heard you didn't need one til they were like 6 months old and then we were going to move when he was about 5 months old and so I figured I'd worry about that later. We just used the bumbo when he started solid food at 4 months.
I ordered this antilop high chair from Ikea in February 2019 when we moved to Pittsburgh. I had gotten used to ordering online, having lived in Colorado and Wyoming, so it never occurred to me that I could've driven 30 minutes to Ikea and picked it up.
When I told them it was missing legs, they said that happens all the time and grabbed me four legs from a backroom.
I *love* that they say you can take it apart to take along to restaurants. It's not THAT convenient. They didn't have this tray 5 years ago. I'd get that today if I were buying it again, along with a foot rest. I know the foot rest is important for traction while chewing and all. However, it would also give them more traction to climb out. Sutton has become an expert at trying to climb out of this high chair.
We used this highchair all during our time in Pittsburgh and then we packed it into storage and moved it to Kansas. It does have a really wide footprint so it took up a lot of space in our tiny Pittsburgh kitchen. Wells was 23 months at that point and he just started sitting at the counter in Kanas and we never used the highchair. It came with us to Missouri and lived in the barn for a bit. When Sutton was probably 6 months old, I dug it out and cleaned it up and it's been in our kitchen ever since.
Since she is over two now, I would like to pack it away again. I mean, you can only look at a piece of Ikea plastic for so long if it's not super useful and she prefers the counter. She, most days, actually refuses to sit in it. But once in awhile, she wants in it. As soon as I tried to take the legs off this weekend, she started trying to climb in. She also can't climb up a bar stool yet on her own.
It's my personal opinion that you don't need a fancy highchair and when I see moms buying the $$$ ones, I cringe. This looks *just* as nice as a Stokke or Tripp Trapp, you know? It's also a million times easier to clean and you won't be (as) sad to pack it away because it wasn't a huge investment. Packing up baby gear you feel you didn't get your money's worth from is a terrible feeling.
However, I'll warn you: you will be watching Youtube videos on how to remove the tray, probably more than once. (also, white plastic stains easily: I've used bleach spray and then soaked in clean water to rinse and it always looks brand new)
April 15, 2024
Photos lately.
Building a cheetah habitat. I do enjoy it when teachers give parents homework.(not really). He did do this himself. I wrapped up the box in paper, bought the cheetahs, and used the hot glue gun after he had it all arranged. Scott said *I* did it, when I definitely did not. I provided no guidance because as soon as I handed him the box, he got started and I didn't have a chance. He used a whole roll of tape on that den there.
April 10, 2024
Church-less Easter (+ military life thoughts)
...which is actually our norm. We went to church on Easter last year for the first time since 2013. It has nothing to do with what we've believed in and has everything to do with location.
This Easter, and I feel like people who don't live near family might not understand, was just similar to any other Sunday. Scott was mid-roof replacement. I wasn't going to make a giant dinner for us. We didn't have anywhere to go or anywhere to be. We also weren't invited anywhere which is something I didn't realize until I was typing this. Often, in the military, you find yourself invited somewhere by someone.
Last year, we went to a church near our house from about February til September-ish. At that point, Sutton was at the height of clinginess and attending church was something I physically didn't have the capacity for. The bigger reason was that I did some digging into doctrine and I realized I didn't believe what this denomination believed. Scott didn't believe it. No one I knew believed it. I asked a lot of people a lot of questions. I read a lot of books, articles, and listened to more Youtube videos that I care to remember. I was looking for every reason to prove that I was right and this church was wrong.
In the end, I realized it didn't matter. I don't believe the denomination is right. I don't believe they're backed up by the Bible. And I spent a lot of time trying to figure out if the hundreds of people who attend (good people, wonderful people) even know that this is what the denomination believes or if it's just cultural church, a small town, a family-based Sunday activity with grandparents, cousins, aunts, and uncles.
In the end, again, it didn't matter. We could stop going. We could go somewhere else. I didn't need to prove anyone wrong. I did prove myself right but it didn't matter; the denominational beliefs are the denominational beliefs so I wasn't going to change anyone's mind.
Back to the point of this post:
Scott has been replacing the roof entirely on his own. He started the week of spring break. I picked stuff up. I threw things in the dumpster. I kept the kids busy for weeks while he worked. Wells and Sutton picked up nails.
Almost 3 years ago, when Scott replaced the back half of the roof, his friend drove in from Colorado to help him. This time, the same friend (who we didn't expect to come help again, by the way) asked "wow you don't have anyone to help you?" and we realized we didn't.
"Church" in the sense of being the hands and feet of Jesus would, I think, look like neighbors and friends offering to help Scott with the roof. I don't want to think we're entitled to help and I don't want to pull that "Christians don't act like Jesus" talk because it's not true. It just doesn't seem right that *we* are not going to Easter egg hunts and potlucks with everyone else simply because we are busy with a 2-3 man project that Scott is accomplishing all on his own. I don't want to be petty but it's just another reminder that we are not of this small town in the same way we're not of this world. That's what military life feels like, often. That you don't really belong anywhere. I do not want to live on a military base. But at least if you live there, everyone is in the same boat.
I don't want Wells to forget that even though this is where we live now, this is not how it will always be. They were talking about adding grandparents' day breakfast to the school schedule for next September, and saying it didn't matter if some kids didn't have grandparents because other kids should get to have breakfast with their grandparents. That was another reminder that maybe Wells should just be in a military school, after all. They'd never have that attitude there. I still remember Wells crying when he was 3 in preschool because he didn't have grandparents to eat breakfast with.
Anyway. That was just all going through my head when Wells asked why we didn't go to church on Easter. I don't know how you could try to, or even want to, make a 5 year old understand all of that.
April 8, 2024
Products lately.
I recently placed an order with A'del Natural Cosmetics again. About a year ago, I got loose powder from them instead of buying Bare Minerals. I liked it so much better! I'm almost out now because it lasts forever. This is what I got from them this time:
I kept going back and forth about whether I should order products from Beauty Counter or from A'del. The truth is that A'del is a Christian company started by one woman and the products are superior. They just really are. This is not drugstore make-up. It also has all the "free" labels on it and it's not terrible for you.
Granted, Beauty Counter is also a clean option and I do like their products a lot; they're just a lot more expensive and I don't know where my money is going aside from into the MLM infrastructure.
The selling point to A'del for me personally though, is that they give a military discount. TWENTY PERCENT. It makes such a difference.
Here's my order from A'del:
This is what a similar product order would look like from Beauty Counter:
April 5, 2024
Amazon lately. (January-March)
We're just running on a quarterly system these days.
This is a toddler sleep sack that would've worked wonderfully for toddler Wells. Toddler Sutton hates it, so I don't think I ever even got it on her. But these giant Ziplock totes are perfect for storing baby clothes and toys and going under beds. The sleep sack is already in one.
We got this highback booster for Wells in our extra vehicle since he's outgrown our extra carseat. File under things I'll never understand: why do some carseats and boosters cost $487 and some cost $60? Why are some systems $900-1200 while some are $150? WHY? (we also finally threw away our infant seat system which has definitely served us well for 6 years...I don't know why it makes me so sad to throw it away. It's expired. It can never be used again, so it's not like we can
The phone case was an impulse buy. I like Speck a lot but it was $13, not $25. I don't know, guys: I've had two really great phone cases in my life: one bought at Fred Meyer for an iPhone 4 and one bought at Walmart for an iPhone 8. I've been chasing that high ever since.
For Valentine's Day...
New pajamas for both kids. I like these a lot. They weren't impressed with my pink and red color scheme.
The Daniel Tiger Colorforms was more trouble than it was worth for an almost 2 year old. Maybe for a 4 year old they'd be better.
The Lego set brought a lot of joy though, per usual.
Water bottle for Sutton. Thee are my favorite water bottles for kids. They last forever.
April 4, 2024
Currently in April...
Loving... that it's cold out again. I will take snow and sleet over humidity and thunderstorms any day. I could really use another snow day too. Rumor was that they might cancel school on eclipse day next week so...fingers crossed.
Looking forward to... Summer vacation. 6 more weeks. I don't love the crazy, jam-packed schedules that accompany the end of the school year, but I'm ready for a break and this is the only way to get there.
Buying... I've been on a bit of a spending spree. Let's see, I got some sandals I'm still deciding on, a bunch of new bath towels (it's been 2-3 years), I got an order from JCrew Factory, some skincare items, and I ordered a few things from CJLA. No pictures yet. but what I really want is a new pair of white sneakers. I've tried several pairs and haven't liked any of them.
Planting... definitely nothing yet. Again, I welcome the snow back gladly.
Cleaning... We spent Easter Sunday cleaning up the yard because Scott is, he says, done with the hard part of the roof replacement and now just needs to put the metal sheets on. The company came to pick up the dumpster yesterday so we had gotten rid of a LOT of random big trash items (old windows, old falling apart toys, etc) while we had that opportunity.
I also cleaned out a closet this past weekend and found one of the lunch boxes I was talking about.
We've had a bit of a stressful (few) weekend(s) and this week has been a mess, so my posting is definitely delayed because effort is hard. Last week the roof leaked, we had a nasty storm this week, and we spend our overnight hours negotiating with Sutton and she does not see reason.
March 28, 2024
Other Stuff I Can't Find
If you wanted an update, I've found nothing that I wrote about last time. Not the skirt, not the paper for school, and not the Daniel Tiger trolley toy and characters.
So.
If you think you're going insane, I still think about that skirt every day.
But onto other things I can't find...
I had my blue and white striped lunchbox when we moved into this house. I used it two years ago, when I was teaching. When I went back to work this year: gone. I feel like I packed it with snacks and sent it on a day trip with Scott and Wells once but it's not in a vehicle, a garage, a barn, etc. I did check the camper too. It used to hang on a hook in the garage. It's not there.
So, I think about that a lot.
Then, at the beginning of this school year, I ended up taking Wells' lunchbox each day. Just a plain blue sack thing I got at Target in 2021 for $11. Wasn't quite big enough but it did the job. Then, after Christmas, I couldn't find.
I literally haven't seen it since.
So I've been lunchbox-less since Christmas, which means I throw random food into my multiple bags and hope for the best each day.
I am digging my heels in on this so much that I refuse to buy more lunchboxes. I have one more storage space to check. Reorganizing the laundry room closet this weekend (a task that must be done sooner rather than later) might just lead to the discovery of both.
Luckily my parents sent Sutton a little lunchbox for her birthday and I'm seriously considering just using it.
March 27, 2024
1st Quarter Books. (Jan-March)
My reading has been subpar. I pine for the days of newborn Sutton. I was reading like 2-3 books a week at that time. It was great. Toddler life is not conducive to reading, unless it's an audiobook.