Earth Day 2020.

I never really celebrate Earth Day unless its something required by the boys school, an activity or something.  I think the last time we did something Earth Day related Theo was in pre-Kindergarten.  We made a dinosaur using recycled materials.  Or I made the dinosaur at my work desk and brought to his class.  Ha.

So this year, being home with the quarantine, and dying to do something creative and non-screen related, I Pinterest ideas.  Suncatchers, made from products at home or 'recycled' or 'recyclable' products. 

I should have looked around the house more closely for the materials to really incorporate the recycled approach to this project.  But oh well....

We colored clear plastic cups with permanent marker.  We placed them on a cookie sheet covered in parchment paper, baked for about eight minutes at 350 degrees.  We sat in front of the oven to watch them melt to these discs.  Boys went outside to find sticks, and then cut some to size.  I attached them and hung each catcher we made in our rooms. 

Best part of this project?  Spending quiet time with the boys at the kitchen table coloring, and letting the boys use the tools and their creativity to get all the pieces we needed.  I want to remember this. 

We've finally hit the depths of winter.  Freezing cold, snow, ice, frozen tundra temperatures.  By no means am I annoyed with it, its just, winter. 

I am so thankful my boys appreciate all types of weather.  I sure hope its because I appreciate them myself.  So with that, I make sure we enjoy festivities for each season.  Lately, its been sledding. 

Boys and I went Halloween Camping this weekend at our favorite KOA campground.  We always have a great time when we camp, let alone at this campground and with our besties, Dawn and Mason.  This year we added Anna, Jon and Jonathan.

Weekend started out crappy with rain on Friday night, but that ended around 8:30pm, so we pulled out the s'mores and kicked off the weekend right.  It was super cold, for camping, coffee was in an abundance.  Max and I had to leave for a bit for a soccer game (which he scored and played his heart out), but we came back and it was right back into the activities ... the best part ... the trick-or-treating.

I keep going back to this particular campground because its far enough away and its very family friendly.  Next summer we will venture out to others, but for Halloween, we will be back.  I am super blessed we have these friends to have these experiences with.

The thing about my parenting style is, is that I am a fun parent.  I make sure the boys get to experience as much as they can where we can.  We camp, we visit museums and take road trips.  We go to the library, explore our backyard.  We appreciate simplicity and the off-beaten path.

This weekend was no different.  We went to a pumpkin farm for the fun.  They had jumping pillows, barrel rides, corn maze and pits, hay bales stacked two stories tall for climbing.  Needless to say the boys had fun!





I've been reflecting a lot lately about how life would have been with Tony, I even found a journal note to myself back in August about how Tony doesnt have any sense of adventure nor has any desire to try new things.  I think I knew the inevitable was coming then.  Thank goodness.

 








One of the best things we did this summer, Scout Day at the Dirt Oval 66 Demolition Derby.  The racetrack put together a day of events for the scouts.  Time spent in 'Automotive Class', a obstacle course using various barrels, tires and other items from the derby, and then painting a derby car.

I really enjoyed the time there with our pack and the other parents.  Our boys get along great.  Before the start of the derby, the boys were able to do meet and greets with the drivers.

Its probably good to mention, this was also one of the hottest days and we all had a wicked case of the Hot Bitchies.  I was not the best version of myself or best mother.  Poor fellas.  But, regardless they boys had fun and that is all that matters. 

(tony was with us this day and like i said the Hot Bitchies took over my body, and instead of working with me, he became defensive.  he spent a lot of time on his phone and when i needed him to look for theo he stood still in a place (per my instruction) but didnt look for theo, just stood there and texted his friends.  when i called him out on it, his exact rebuttal: 'how dare you speak to me that way. who do you think you are'  that didnt settle well with me.  i spoke very little to him for the remainder of the evening.  all i asked was for help me look for my child, someone who you say you care for.  i believe it was that night as i drove home i was slowly seeing the future of us diminish.)

August 15th, 2018.  First day of 3rd and 1st grade for these two.  They wouldnt tell you or show you but they were excited for school to start.  I love they love school.  They love the routine and all the opportunities that come with going to school.  They love their friends. 

They attend a great school in our town.  Its by no means the best, but its the best for us.  I know they are learning all they can and are supposed to.  I am so grateful they will be able to stay here and cherish their school years here.  The teachers here that we have had so far have been absolutely wonderful.  I am not sure if we would have this experience anywhere else. 

When I say I am so grateful I am not uprooting them from their school, I mean I am grateful to my core.  It is not what I had wanted for them.  I have always wanted to have them stay in a school system with friends, and in our community. 

Troll Hunt, Morton Arboretum July 2018

I recently read this:

I’m holding my calendar loosely – saying Yes more than No. I’m opening the screen door to my neighbor’s granddaughter, sending her home with an armful of watermelon. Visiting neighbors, delivering muffins. 

I am realizing that I have spent years successfully whittling down my life in the name of simplicity that I had forgotten to add back in a few essentials: the element of surprise, sweat on your brow, a good old-fashioned inconvenience for the sake of another.

And now, slowly, with much debris – the road is beginning to widen.

Its about one woman who simplified her life to a very thin path, if you will.  As stages of life change, the width of one's path also changes.  This resonates with me.

Boys are older and more active in extra-curricular activities.  This is great, helps with their own development, but I worry they will not know what home feels like, or what it feels like to tinker around their rooms for an afternoon.  I want to encourage that development as well.

Will I hurt them more if they dont go to a birthday party?  Will they still find friends and bond with them to make long-lasting friendships?  Will they look back and be happy they spent time outside?

Right now with Summer starting to wind down, and the nights are slowly getting cooler, we will be outside, we will google things to do and then put the phone down.  We will have popsicles until we have brain freezes.  We will also explore our world and learn about all the things we can.

In this current stage, that is what we are going to do, be outside, be creative, be in motion. 

Troll Hunt, Morton Arboretum July 2018