It's a Friday night so another week is in the books. My work trip went well, although I was a little discourage by the lack of masks that I saw on my travels. I did enjoy a night to myself and I love driving around Wyoming this time of year and seeing all of the green grass. We are all ready for the weekend. We have our first busy weekend in a while! Dance practice, baseball practice, some low-key birthday bbq's, painting the vanities in the bathrooms, gardening, jogging, yeehaw! Oh and Will gets to be a reader for the Zoom church service. He's a little nervous but we'll practice beforehand and he'll be ready.
This week, Will had to make a siege weapon for his tech ed (shop) class. He chose a trebuchet and Glenn helped him in construct a mini-version in the garage. These are the types of projects that Glenn goes all-in on and he, I mean Will, was pretty happy with the results. Glenn would like to find a reason to make a larger-scale model for the backyard but thankfully we have no need for medieval defenses.
Glenn and I were talking tonight about it being June in just a few days. When all of this started in mid-March, I couldn't have fathomed that we'd still be working from home on June 1. We are still limiting our in-person shopping (not limiting our online shopping and curbside pick-up! $$$) and paying more attention to hygiene and masks when we go out. The kids are playing with friends outside. Reina went to a friend's house today but both of his parents are doctors and I figured if they are comfortable with it, so am I. Traveling this week made me even more conscious of being careful about germs and I hope I've managed to stay healthy. Wyoming now has 682 confirmed cases and 209 probables, unfortunately with 16 deaths.
Friday, May 29, 2020
Wednesday, May 27, 2020
Day 74
Just time for another list/blog tonight.
1. One more week of school! Final grades are starting to roll in and the kids are in good shape.
2. Reina's drama camp was officially canceled today so she is camp-less for the summer. We will find some creative, energetic, stuff for her to do. We are disappointed but it's the right call.
3. Frontier Days is canceled too. First time in the 124 year history. Again, disappointed but it's the right call.
4. I'm on my first work trip since mid-February. It feels weird to be away from home but it's a necessary quick trip. We'll all be happy to see each other when I get back.
5. Trigger is having back and neck problems, just like he did last year. This morning he couldn't walk or stand very well so we called the vet and made an appointment to take him in at noon. Glenn and I carried him out to the car on his bed. We set the bed down on the ground to open up the car door and Trigger stood up and jumped into the car. He yelped the whole time I carried him into the vet's office but then tried to dash out the door when Glenn took the other dogs for a walk. So. A dramatic dog? Selective paralysis? Desire for walks that surpasses pain tolerance? Probably a little bit of all of those. I just hope he starts to feel better.
1. One more week of school! Final grades are starting to roll in and the kids are in good shape.
2. Reina's drama camp was officially canceled today so she is camp-less for the summer. We will find some creative, energetic, stuff for her to do. We are disappointed but it's the right call.
3. Frontier Days is canceled too. First time in the 124 year history. Again, disappointed but it's the right call.
4. I'm on my first work trip since mid-February. It feels weird to be away from home but it's a necessary quick trip. We'll all be happy to see each other when I get back.
5. Trigger is having back and neck problems, just like he did last year. This morning he couldn't walk or stand very well so we called the vet and made an appointment to take him in at noon. Glenn and I carried him out to the car on his bed. We set the bed down on the ground to open up the car door and Trigger stood up and jumped into the car. He yelped the whole time I carried him into the vet's office but then tried to dash out the door when Glenn took the other dogs for a walk. So. A dramatic dog? Selective paralysis? Desire for walks that surpasses pain tolerance? Probably a little bit of all of those. I just hope he starts to feel better.
Monday, May 25, 2020
Day 72
It's Memorial Day! It was nice to have a three day weekend but this one definitely looked a little different than previous Memorial Days. The weather wasn't great. Saturday was the warmest day but that was only in the 70's. Yesterday it rained on and off and today didn't make it out of the 60's. But we have a nice forecast for the rest of the week so hopefully our gardens and flowers will start to grow.
Glenn went turkey hunting on Friday and surprised us by coming back early on Saturday night. Reina spent the night at the Pauley grandparents after Alena came up on Saturday afternoon and she and I hiked/jogged some trails up at Curt Gowdy. I think half the county was up there on Saturday and afterwards I felt a little guilty about traipsing around such a crowded place. We tried to keep our distance but some of the trails were pretty packed. Hopefully our jogging help us outdistance any germs. On Sunday, Glenn and Will went down to pick up Reina so I had a blissful few hours in the house by myself. What did I do? Walked the dogs in the rain, put away some laundry and took a nap. So basically a regular Sunday afternoon.
Today we ran a few errands, Glenn and Will mowed the yard and then we had the little cousins come over for the afternoon. It was the first time since quarantine started and it was so fun to have them back. Even though it has been a few months, the preschool cousin remembered the books we always read before nap and he even asked me to take a nap with him. OF COURSE I WILL! As we were reading, he told me that if you don't wear a shirt when it's raining, you can get coronavirus. Clearly the kid is headed for the medical profession. Kindergarten cousin and I made a little batch of cookies and she washed dishes which is still one of her favorite things to do at our house. She reminds me to make sure there aren't any knives in the sink - safety first! Before naptime, all four cousins were setting up a big car race in the living room featuring all of Will's Cars collection. It was fun to see all of them together, even though it inevitably ended in arguing between the two oldest cousins (mine) and then everyone else getting distracted by other toys and pets.
The kids have about a week and a half of school left. I have my first work trip in months this week. I'm a little on edge about the traveling but I'm going to take some precautions so I can be as safe as possible. When I ran my errands today, I saw a lot of people wearing masks and I thought that was encouraging. I view wearing the masks as an act of kindness, not an act of fear. I've tried to adapt as many of my errands and shopping for curbside pick-up whenever possible but sometimes I still have to go inside to buy potting soil or toilet paper or cat food. Or especially M&M's. I can never get a regular sized bag of M&M's in my Target to-go order. Maybe they are trying to tell me something?
So that's where we are. On the cusp of summer with a lot of things that still look different. But so thankful for cousin time and green grass.
Glenn went turkey hunting on Friday and surprised us by coming back early on Saturday night. Reina spent the night at the Pauley grandparents after Alena came up on Saturday afternoon and she and I hiked/jogged some trails up at Curt Gowdy. I think half the county was up there on Saturday and afterwards I felt a little guilty about traipsing around such a crowded place. We tried to keep our distance but some of the trails were pretty packed. Hopefully our jogging help us outdistance any germs. On Sunday, Glenn and Will went down to pick up Reina so I had a blissful few hours in the house by myself. What did I do? Walked the dogs in the rain, put away some laundry and took a nap. So basically a regular Sunday afternoon.
Today we ran a few errands, Glenn and Will mowed the yard and then we had the little cousins come over for the afternoon. It was the first time since quarantine started and it was so fun to have them back. Even though it has been a few months, the preschool cousin remembered the books we always read before nap and he even asked me to take a nap with him. OF COURSE I WILL! As we were reading, he told me that if you don't wear a shirt when it's raining, you can get coronavirus. Clearly the kid is headed for the medical profession. Kindergarten cousin and I made a little batch of cookies and she washed dishes which is still one of her favorite things to do at our house. She reminds me to make sure there aren't any knives in the sink - safety first! Before naptime, all four cousins were setting up a big car race in the living room featuring all of Will's Cars collection. It was fun to see all of them together, even though it inevitably ended in arguing between the two oldest cousins (mine) and then everyone else getting distracted by other toys and pets.
The kids have about a week and a half of school left. I have my first work trip in months this week. I'm a little on edge about the traveling but I'm going to take some precautions so I can be as safe as possible. When I ran my errands today, I saw a lot of people wearing masks and I thought that was encouraging. I view wearing the masks as an act of kindness, not an act of fear. I've tried to adapt as many of my errands and shopping for curbside pick-up whenever possible but sometimes I still have to go inside to buy potting soil or toilet paper or cat food. Or especially M&M's. I can never get a regular sized bag of M&M's in my Target to-go order. Maybe they are trying to tell me something?
So that's where we are. On the cusp of summer with a lot of things that still look different. But so thankful for cousin time and green grass.
Thursday, May 21, 2020
Day 68
Day 68 can be summed as follows:
While I was cleaning up dinner, Coco snuck out the door behind Glenn as he went to sit on the front porch and talk to a friend on the phone about turkey hunting. Unbeknownst to the rest of us, Coco shimmied up the tallest aspen tree in our front yard. This tree is tall. The other aspen are in front of the house and lead to the roof but this one is on it's own. Glenn gets off the phone and says "Hey Lucy, you should come out and see this." I think he's talking about a family of hawks who've been hanging out nearby but instead I see Coco perched in the top of the tree, think it's cute for about 30 seconds and then start to panic about my weird calico cat and a two-story plunge to the ground. She tries heading down the tree a few times but can't find solid footing so immediately turns back up the tree and climbs a little higher. She also keeps getting distracted by the birds flying by so she's not really too concerned about her predicament. Naturally. I start to panic. Reina starts to panic. Will and Glenn are calm but I do notice a little bit of tension in Will's voice when he asks Glenn to get the ladder after Glenn tried climbing the tree himself. Coco starts to meow. I start to cry which makes Reina howl. Right before this, Reina ran to our neighbor's to ask if they have a really tall ladder (our neighbors are saints, truly. We have more crises than the average neighbor and 90% of our crises involve pets getting out or four-square balls stuck in tall trees.) Anyway, I'm calling for Coco to come towards us while also trying to figure out where I should stand so I can catch her if she loses her grip, she's meowing, Glenn's insisting that she can get down on her own (I know she probably could but I couldn't leave her out there to try). Will suggests using a big 2x4 to see if she'll climb down that. It doesn't reach her spot from the ground but Glenn climbs up our ladder and holds the board in place. After a little investigation and coaxing, she starts to walk down the board to Glenn. He grabs her, hands the board to Will, hands the cat to me and is the hero of the day. All's well that end's well. Phew.
While I was cleaning up dinner, Coco snuck out the door behind Glenn as he went to sit on the front porch and talk to a friend on the phone about turkey hunting. Unbeknownst to the rest of us, Coco shimmied up the tallest aspen tree in our front yard. This tree is tall. The other aspen are in front of the house and lead to the roof but this one is on it's own. Glenn gets off the phone and says "Hey Lucy, you should come out and see this." I think he's talking about a family of hawks who've been hanging out nearby but instead I see Coco perched in the top of the tree, think it's cute for about 30 seconds and then start to panic about my weird calico cat and a two-story plunge to the ground. She tries heading down the tree a few times but can't find solid footing so immediately turns back up the tree and climbs a little higher. She also keeps getting distracted by the birds flying by so she's not really too concerned about her predicament. Naturally. I start to panic. Reina starts to panic. Will and Glenn are calm but I do notice a little bit of tension in Will's voice when he asks Glenn to get the ladder after Glenn tried climbing the tree himself. Coco starts to meow. I start to cry which makes Reina howl. Right before this, Reina ran to our neighbor's to ask if they have a really tall ladder (our neighbors are saints, truly. We have more crises than the average neighbor and 90% of our crises involve pets getting out or four-square balls stuck in tall trees.) Anyway, I'm calling for Coco to come towards us while also trying to figure out where I should stand so I can catch her if she loses her grip, she's meowing, Glenn's insisting that she can get down on her own (I know she probably could but I couldn't leave her out there to try). Will suggests using a big 2x4 to see if she'll climb down that. It doesn't reach her spot from the ground but Glenn climbs up our ladder and holds the board in place. After a little investigation and coaxing, she starts to walk down the board to Glenn. He grabs her, hands the board to Will, hands the cat to me and is the hero of the day. All's well that end's well. Phew.
Wednesday, May 20, 2020
Day 67
Reina came downstairs this morning, looked out the window and proclaimed, "Mom! Look how pretty it is outside, it's a beautiful day!" She pointed out all of the leaves that are budding and all the greenness in my yard. I was delighted to hear her feel cheerful. She knows summer is just around the corner. On our quick walk this morning she said that she knows this summer is going to look different because Water World is closed and there might not be any camps but she's going to have some fun. Wise words from our girl.
Reina told Glenn that when he's texting on his phone he looks so serious, like he's trying to find the cure for COVID. She's not wrong.
We had a good day. Weather was nice. We had threats of severe weather tonight but nothing (so far) came out of it. Glenn and I are both pretty busy with work this week and that makes the days go a little faster.
We are getting more of the garden planted and that's always one of my favorite parts of the spring. So far just a pumpkin, zucchini and a bunch of beets and carrots. Everything else will go in this weekend.
Will is a little sore from sprints and stretches at baseball practice but he's ready to go back tomorrow. Day 67 was a good one.
Reina told Glenn that when he's texting on his phone he looks so serious, like he's trying to find the cure for COVID. She's not wrong.
We had a good day. Weather was nice. We had threats of severe weather tonight but nothing (so far) came out of it. Glenn and I are both pretty busy with work this week and that makes the days go a little faster.
We are getting more of the garden planted and that's always one of my favorite parts of the spring. So far just a pumpkin, zucchini and a bunch of beets and carrots. Everything else will go in this weekend.
Will is a little sore from sprints and stretches at baseball practice but he's ready to go back tomorrow. Day 67 was a good one.
Tuesday, May 19, 2020
Day 66
It's late for an update, so this will be a list instead of beautiful writing.
Highlights for Day 66:
1. Glenn and Will racing each other in the 40 yd dash in the street outside our house. I was pulled away from my work to judge the second race because they couldn't agree on a winner. (Glenn will want it noted in the official record that he swears he won.) Will won (by just a foot) the next two races that I oversaw but I know Glenn has big plans for a rematch on Thursday. The race drew some spectators and most of them were cheering for Glenn because most of them are older than Glenn and therefore wanted him to beat the fast teenager. Who knew that sprinting would be part of our quarantine entertainment. But yahoo for no one needing a trip to the ER.
2. Reina babysitting the cousins this afternoon. While we've been really careful with keeping our contact to a minimum with the little cousins and Aunt Vicky, we've reached the point where lending a helping hand and getting Reina out of the house is important too. Plus everybody is feeling good so we were all comfortable with it. Reina played the role of mother's helper/ older cousin playdate and she came home tired so all was a success.
3. Will practicing baseball on an actual baseball field. Another big milestone for Spring 2020. Will's team had their first practice all together since I don't know... early March? The boys had to use a lot of hand sanitizer and the coaches tried to keep everyone spread out. Will told us when we came home that he liked being back with his teammates, so that's good for his mental health too. While he practiced, Glenn and I walked Charlie around the park and then Glenn went home to get dinner started and Charlie and I kept walking. The park wasn't super busy because there was a constant threat of rain but it felt like the beginnings of summer and that was good for my mental health too.
4. The temp hitting 80 degrees. We know it won't last but it was a nice preview of coming attractions.
5. Coco managing to catch a bird while still inside her cat tent. We didn't witness it so I don't know if she bounced the tent across the yard or the poor bird just happened to get too close. Either way, she's been extremely proud of herself tonight and also a little tired. She was fast asleep until the moths started to make an appearance as we turned off more lights and now she and Soxy will probably spend the evening stalking the nightlights in the bathroom and knocking stuff off the counters. So helpful.
Highlights for Day 66:
1. Glenn and Will racing each other in the 40 yd dash in the street outside our house. I was pulled away from my work to judge the second race because they couldn't agree on a winner. (Glenn will want it noted in the official record that he swears he won.) Will won (by just a foot) the next two races that I oversaw but I know Glenn has big plans for a rematch on Thursday. The race drew some spectators and most of them were cheering for Glenn because most of them are older than Glenn and therefore wanted him to beat the fast teenager. Who knew that sprinting would be part of our quarantine entertainment. But yahoo for no one needing a trip to the ER.
2. Reina babysitting the cousins this afternoon. While we've been really careful with keeping our contact to a minimum with the little cousins and Aunt Vicky, we've reached the point where lending a helping hand and getting Reina out of the house is important too. Plus everybody is feeling good so we were all comfortable with it. Reina played the role of mother's helper/ older cousin playdate and she came home tired so all was a success.
3. Will practicing baseball on an actual baseball field. Another big milestone for Spring 2020. Will's team had their first practice all together since I don't know... early March? The boys had to use a lot of hand sanitizer and the coaches tried to keep everyone spread out. Will told us when we came home that he liked being back with his teammates, so that's good for his mental health too. While he practiced, Glenn and I walked Charlie around the park and then Glenn went home to get dinner started and Charlie and I kept walking. The park wasn't super busy because there was a constant threat of rain but it felt like the beginnings of summer and that was good for my mental health too.
4. The temp hitting 80 degrees. We know it won't last but it was a nice preview of coming attractions.
5. Coco managing to catch a bird while still inside her cat tent. We didn't witness it so I don't know if she bounced the tent across the yard or the poor bird just happened to get too close. Either way, she's been extremely proud of herself tonight and also a little tired. She was fast asleep until the moths started to make an appearance as we turned off more lights and now she and Soxy will probably spend the evening stalking the nightlights in the bathroom and knocking stuff off the counters. So helpful.
Monday, May 18, 2020
Day 65
Wow - we've been doing this for 65 days now. Sometimes that feels about right. Sometimes it feels like February and the Mountain West basketball tournament (when the Cowboys made an exciting run but fell just a little short) were a few years ago. But here we are.
We had a really nice weekend. Saturday was spent painting the downstairs bathroom - marshmallow. It's basically white but a little gray? taupe-ish? Basically white. We had a new tile shower surround put in and a backsplash so it needed new paint to match. We also put in a row of beets and swiss chard into the garden. It's still a little early for the delicate plants but soon - soon!
Sunday, we went hiking up by Curt Gowdy again. Cousin Alena joined us for a picnic and it felt so great to be out in the sun. The bonus is that the dogs are still tired.
The kids have about 11 or 12 days left of school. Some of Will's classes are wrapping up this week. Reina will probably have work up until the end. We are starting to look at a summer without any camps and classes that Reina normally likes to do - we'll have to be creative in coming up ways to keep her busy and entertained.
Will and I were mildly arguing about schoolwork or lack of delicious breakfast foods (I don't know) and I was apparently a little snappy because he said to me "apparently you didn't get a good sleep last night?" Oh passive-agressive teenager, welcome to the world.
It's been a pretty Wyoming May day. Happy Monday!
We had a really nice weekend. Saturday was spent painting the downstairs bathroom - marshmallow. It's basically white but a little gray? taupe-ish? Basically white. We had a new tile shower surround put in and a backsplash so it needed new paint to match. We also put in a row of beets and swiss chard into the garden. It's still a little early for the delicate plants but soon - soon!
Sunday, we went hiking up by Curt Gowdy again. Cousin Alena joined us for a picnic and it felt so great to be out in the sun. The bonus is that the dogs are still tired.
The kids have about 11 or 12 days left of school. Some of Will's classes are wrapping up this week. Reina will probably have work up until the end. We are starting to look at a summer without any camps and classes that Reina normally likes to do - we'll have to be creative in coming up ways to keep her busy and entertained.
Will and I were mildly arguing about schoolwork or lack of delicious breakfast foods (I don't know) and I was apparently a little snappy because he said to me "apparently you didn't get a good sleep last night?" Oh passive-agressive teenager, welcome to the world.
It's been a pretty Wyoming May day. Happy Monday!
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