The first week of school is coming to an end and I just keep thinking "I hardly blogged about a thing this summer!" Looking over my blog history, it's true. There's only a handful of posts about our summer activities. This means I need a quick take (or two or three)!
1. Our Garden
After one or two good harvests, our garden pooped out on us. There was soooooo much rain that our plants turned yellow, brown, and died. There were so many big beautiful green fruits on our tomato plants that the yellowing and then browning of the stems and leaves really broke my heart.
Half our zucchinis just rotted right there on the plant. Our Kale has held up though, that stuff seems pretty weatherproof.
But even before the weather got to us, there were bunnies and birds. I really didn't think bunnies could jump over our boxes, but they did. And they ate all our beans. So we put a fence up around it and replanted. Turns out birds can destroy bean plants as well. I know I grew some in the ground successfully our second summer in this home ... so it really makes no sense to me how the rabbits and birds gave us such a beating this time around.
2. Long Car Rides + Books on Tape = Movie Night
After finishing James and the Giant Peach on tape, we had to have a movie night. It's always interesting to see an artistic interpretation of a piece of literature after we've read it with our kids. Reid is sure to pick up on all his favorite missing pieces. Gotta teach some truths young. Books > Movies.
3. Vacation Bible School
I don't actually have any pictures of this, but it is worth documenting. Out neighbor and good friend is a Methodist Pastor and he invited Reid and Nell to go along with him and his 5-year-old son to vacation bible school. I was a little hesitant at first, but they both loved the idea. My only concern was that they might be told mean things about our own beliefs. Knowing our friend would be there each day helped those worries subside.
When I told my parents about it I immediately remembered that my own mother had childhood memories of attending her Methodist Church's Summer Bible School as a young girl in Kearns, Ut. That special connection seemed a little tender. My dad's response to my fears was to remind me that any hurt feelings my kids may experience would be similar to many hurt feelings non-mormon kids feel in Utah. It seemed like a fair point.
The kids learned a lot, made new friends, and were even invited to perform in the Sunday services that weekend. Reid wasn't feeling well that morning (more on that below), so only Nell, Coraline, and I went. It was a lovely service, and they were nice enough to let Coraline follow Nell to the front for their special musical numbers. They were both so proud.
4. Exotic Animal show at the Zoo
The top photo is a fat armadillo (the kids were able to pet him). Then there is a Coati (which I'd never even heard of), some giant lizard, a fennec fox, and a big african frog (or toad, both were present, only one is pictured).
There were a lot of other really cool animals, and each of the kids had a favorite they went on and on about, but now that it's been six weeks I really don't remember much of it. Oops. I do remember that my budding animal explorers (that's what both Reid and Nell want to be when they grow up) were pretty whiny about the heat. I thought this show would capture them, but I suppose we should have arrived early and found some shade. Also, this was the beginning of Reid's mouth sores (I'm getting to that story, I promise), so he probably really wasn't up for it. It did serve as a good distraction from all his pain, though.
We actually met friends (the Taylors) there and ended up taking a stroll along the real zoo. I think we caught our best view of the Wolves to date. Coraline loved the Baboons, of course. After the zoo we spent some time at the park across the street. It was nice to do at least one play date type activity this summer (though technically, it was our second). I can't believe how infrequently we went out with other kids and their mom. Life sure changes once you have four kids -- but I digress.
5. Sickies
Ben took him to the Dr the next morning because I thought it might be strep. He'd been complaining that his throat hurt and had refused all food for nearly 24 hours. The Dr sent him home, thinking it might be hand foot mouth.
I took Mara in for her 9 month check up three days later and asked our Doctor (who was not Sunday's on call Doctor) to take a look at him. After the nurse took both kids stats, Doctor Budiasih burst in to the room "He's lost four pounds!" I didn't realize it right away, but she meant he'd lost four pounds in the span of three days!
We came home with a prescription to fight the initial virus and another to fight the spreading infections. As she put it, with sores like that his mouth had become a hot bed for infection. It was so hard to watch him struggle to eat anything. He didn't even enjoy yogurt or pudding pops. He lost a tooth during the whole ordeal and even an extra dollar from the tooth fairy didn't seem to cheer him up. The pain (and bleeding) was pretty bad.
6. New Callings
Ben and I both received new callings in Church. I am now the 2nd Counselor in the Relief Society and he is the 2nd Counselor in the Bishopric. (Envision gritted teeth as I say:) We'll see how this goes!
7. Cicadas
1. Our Garden
Half our zucchinis just rotted right there on the plant. Our Kale has held up though, that stuff seems pretty weatherproof.
But even before the weather got to us, there were bunnies and birds. I really didn't think bunnies could jump over our boxes, but they did. And they ate all our beans. So we put a fence up around it and replanted. Turns out birds can destroy bean plants as well. I know I grew some in the ground successfully our second summer in this home ... so it really makes no sense to me how the rabbits and birds gave us such a beating this time around.
2. Long Car Rides + Books on Tape = Movie Night
3. Vacation Bible School
I don't actually have any pictures of this, but it is worth documenting. Out neighbor and good friend is a Methodist Pastor and he invited Reid and Nell to go along with him and his 5-year-old son to vacation bible school. I was a little hesitant at first, but they both loved the idea. My only concern was that they might be told mean things about our own beliefs. Knowing our friend would be there each day helped those worries subside.
When I told my parents about it I immediately remembered that my own mother had childhood memories of attending her Methodist Church's Summer Bible School as a young girl in Kearns, Ut. That special connection seemed a little tender. My dad's response to my fears was to remind me that any hurt feelings my kids may experience would be similar to many hurt feelings non-mormon kids feel in Utah. It seemed like a fair point.
The kids learned a lot, made new friends, and were even invited to perform in the Sunday services that weekend. Reid wasn't feeling well that morning (more on that below), so only Nell, Coraline, and I went. It was a lovely service, and they were nice enough to let Coraline follow Nell to the front for their special musical numbers. They were both so proud.
4. Exotic Animal show at the Zoo
There were a lot of other really cool animals, and each of the kids had a favorite they went on and on about, but now that it's been six weeks I really don't remember much of it. Oops. I do remember that my budding animal explorers (that's what both Reid and Nell want to be when they grow up) were pretty whiny about the heat. I thought this show would capture them, but I suppose we should have arrived early and found some shade. Also, this was the beginning of Reid's mouth sores (I'm getting to that story, I promise), so he probably really wasn't up for it. It did serve as a good distraction from all his pain, though.
We actually met friends (the Taylors) there and ended up taking a stroll along the real zoo. I think we caught our best view of the Wolves to date. Coraline loved the Baboons, of course. After the zoo we spent some time at the park across the street. It was nice to do at least one play date type activity this summer (though technically, it was our second). I can't believe how infrequently we went out with other kids and their mom. Life sure changes once you have four kids -- but I digress.
5. Sickies
Reid started running a fever the Saturday after VBS. We agreed to watch some friends' kids that night and were extra excited because these friends (the Robys) were about to move to Utah. Reid's fever snuck up so sudden and so quick we couldn't even warn them. Half way through the night he asked to take a nap. That's when I knew it was serious; he preferred sleep to rough and tough play with Ben! I gave him some medicine and checked him over. I could see some sores and swelling on the back of his throat. But after about a 20 minute snooze he was back up and playing -- fever mostly subsided.
I took Mara in for her 9 month check up three days later and asked our Doctor (who was not Sunday's on call Doctor) to take a look at him. After the nurse took both kids stats, Doctor Budiasih burst in to the room "He's lost four pounds!" I didn't realize it right away, but she meant he'd lost four pounds in the span of three days!
We came home with a prescription to fight the initial virus and another to fight the spreading infections. As she put it, with sores like that his mouth had become a hot bed for infection. It was so hard to watch him struggle to eat anything. He didn't even enjoy yogurt or pudding pops. He lost a tooth during the whole ordeal and even an extra dollar from the tooth fairy didn't seem to cheer him up. The pain (and bleeding) was pretty bad.
6. New Callings
Ben and I both received new callings in Church. I am now the 2nd Counselor in the Relief Society and he is the 2nd Counselor in the Bishopric. (Envision gritted teeth as I say:) We'll see how this goes!
7. Cicadas
Our big backyard tree was home to dozens of cicadas. The kids loved going out and finding new ones each day. We even watched some as they came out of their dead skin. It was a pretty cool real time science lesson.
I could have also titled this section "We love Dougie" as Reid and Nell (and even Coraline) have spent hours and hours playing with him all summer long. We're sad to see summer go, but excited for the new adventures ahead.
1 comment:
Gardens! Some years are good, some not so! Loved the photos of the exotic animals! I wanted to hold and cuddle them all! Especially Reid, Nell, and Coraline!
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