Protector

We have a hawk in the neighborhood, so Gracie needs a chaperone when she goes out now. Jason was up for the job. Usually, he has his nerf gun for extra support. lol

Sunny Day

This girl was enjoying some time outside on a bright sunny day. She was deliberately turning away from the camera every time I tried to take a shot. lol

Gracie Girl

Our Gracie girl is looking so much better today! We're so happy!

She's taking very good care of her ouchie.

Friday Five

Well, the boys made it through their first week back at school. It was a long week, though, and we were all ready for a three-day weekend.

~~~

Our Gracie girl has an abscess on her face today. Poor thing. She's doing okay, but it sure does look yucky.

~~~

Jason's new walker came in this week! It came all the way from Canada, too. It is taking some getting used to, but it is amazing how much a few inches can really change his gait. 

~~~

We are still waiting for Shawn's glasses. I'm frustrated that it is taking this long, and the mail service used hasn't been the most forthright with information. I think they are now in Whittier...maybe they'll get here before the end of the week. 

~~~

After not getting a single notification about COVID at the boys' schools, we got exposure notice calls both Thursday and Friday this week. We aren't exactly sure who was exposed (don't get me started on that), but we haven't seen any symptoms in anyone yet. Fingers crossed it stays that way.

Mostly Wordless Wednesday - Gracie Girl

This little girlie has been keeping us on our toes lately. She's having some medical issues and has become super picky with her food. (She prefers fresh cooked turkey or chicken, thank you very much!) She's also wanting to spend loads of time on mom. She's such a silly girl, and so very loved by all of us!

Also, somehow I have miscalculated her age. I thought she had just turned 15 years old. Imagine my surprise when it dawned on my that she isn't 15, she is 17! She's looking pretty spry for 17!

Friday Five

The third week of school is in the books. Yay! I think we are falling into a groove, too, which is nice.

~~~

The big boys had their Back to School Night this week. Unfortunately it was on the same night as mine, so we didn't get to go. They did, however, get to enjoy their first minimum day of the year though! They really liked that. lol

~~~

Jack continues to enjoy eating as much Jell-o as we will make for him. I don't know what turned him on to it (because for a long time, he didn't care for it), but he now wants to try all the flavors he can. lol

~~~

Gracie decided that she would hop on Shawn's bed this week and let him pet her there. This is HUGE. I think Shawn has worn her down. He loves to go give her a rub and some kisses, so I guess she's finally decided she needs to return the favor. 

Shawn could care less why she is doing it, though. He is just enjoying her loving on him.

~~~

We planted some more beans and peas in our garden a few weeks ago. They are doing so well! It is so exciting to see them thriving this time around. Last time, they fizzled out and died on us.

Friday Five

Week #2 is in the books! It was our first full week of school, so we were all ready for the weekend by today. Three day weekend, baby!

~~~

The week went well for the boys, so we had our weekly trip to Target today. They all enjoyed being out of the house and getting a small treat for their hard work. :)

~~~

We've also been enjoying the Paralympics on television! It is so fun to see all of the diversity on TV!

~~~

One thing that has come up that we've not really been dealing with since the pandemic began is overflowing laundry. I had to buy everyone more pants because I couldn't keep up with washing them during the week. I had forgotten about the endless laundry. During our distance learning, the boys pretty much lived in their pajamas! We're having to get used to real clothes again!

~~~

Next week we have Shawn's IEP to iron out. Hopefully that will bring a positive change for his classes. Our time in distance learning has proven that our boy is quite smart when he is accommodated so he can shine. School has consistently had problems with the individual part of his IEP. Mama and Papa Bear mode has been activated, so we expect that to change very soon.

~~~

Our Gracie girl turned 17 years young this week! She celebrated by bed hopping so she could get lots of love. ;) Wishing you 17 more years, Gracie girl!

Friday Five

Well, now we are in August, and we can feel the leisure of our summer slipping away every minute. :( With that also comes the uncertainty of the Covid surge that is steadily increasing around us. It definitely makes it uncomfortable to send our kids back to in-person school without them being vaccinated. We've had sleepless nights over it all. Sigh.

~~~

That said, I'm preparing for the return to school in a few short weeks. I purchased some school supplies and backpacks for everyone. We had to get everyone new pants because they don't have anything that fits anymore. I got them some kn95 masks to wear during school. Eek.

~~~

We got a new mattress topper this week, so that has meant that our old mattress topper is now on the floor in the living room. The boys LOVE it because they can rough house and tumble on the soft ground. (Sure beats vinyl tile over concrete for that kind of thing!) We fold it up and move it to the side when it isn't being played on, but I can only take it for so long before I have to get rid of it. We'll see how long it lasts!

~~~

Gracie girl continues to look pretty dang amazing after her scare two weeks ago. You'd never know that she was so ill to look at her now. We're very happy about that. But, because of our Gracie scare, I have put off planning a trip away somewhere. I didn't feel comfortable leaving her alone. We *might* be able to squeeze something in before school starts if she continues to look so good. Yay!

~~~

We picked our first cucumber from the garden! Yay!

Friday Five

This week of the month means we have only one more month of summer left before school starts. We are not ready for summer to end!

~~~

There were big plans for all that we would accomplish this summer. We had done absolutely none of those plans. lol. There have been lazy days of ipad, pool playing, television watching, and boredom (when the previous items are not in play). We have done zero schoolwork. Our reading has been limited. We hit the wall and have stepped back from demands for the time being.

Let me just say, it has been a WELCOMED and NEEDED change. That being said, it might be time for us to get back into the swing of things...maybe. Soonish. Or not. We shall see.

~~~

We have been watching LOTS of the Olympics, or as Shawn calls it, "The Sportathon". It has been fun to see all the different events. Fun!

~~~

Gracie got pretty sick last weekend. I tried everything to get her into a vet, but there were no appointments to be had. Even the vet emergency clinics wouldn't see us! We were all very worried that it might be the end for our Gracie girl.

Somehow, our girlie turned it around. We pushed water and gourmet food (real chicken!) and lots of loving. Today, you'd be amazed to see her. She looks so good! Now we wait for the first appointment I could get her at the end of August.

~~~

Speaking of sick, we had a bit of a COVID scare this week. Despite vaccination, double masking, and being very careful, somehow Isaac managed to come down with three symptoms this week. He got his test, and we waited on pins and needles for the results. Thankfully it was negative. 

Our area has had a rapid increase of infections and they are seeing some breakthrough cases of COVID among vaccinated people. This has been yet another reminder to continue to be vigilant to keep ourselves safe. 

It also brings up the worry about what will happen with school...sigh.

Mostly Wordless Wednesday

This girl has decided she now needs a daily romp around the yard. For being an inside cat all of her life, this was quite the change to the routine. She goes out and walks the perimeter of the yard (probably on look out for those dang rats), smells all the things, and rolls around in the grass. Then she struts back into the house once she is done.

This afternoon, she went out for a second stroll. The birds in the tree were not pleased. She, on the other hand, WAS quite pleased. lol

Friday Five

6 weeks of school left! Woohoo!

~~~

The boys found the rubic's cubes and have been playing with them this week. They are still learning how to solve them, but I think they're having fun while they learn.

~~~

Jack is reading the story By the Great Horn Spoon in class. He says it's good because they're sailing on a boat and they dig for gold. lol. It goes with their social studies unit on the California Gold Rush. 

Shawn's class is still finishing their reading of The Outsiders. They just had to write an essay comparing and contrasting the novel to the movie. (He liked the movie best.)

Jason's class is reading The Giver. He says the book is "okay" because he can't seem to get in to it, he says.

~~~

Jason is learning about probability in his math class this week. He got to do the coin flip experiment - where he flips two coins to see what his results were at the end.

Shawn is learning about ratios and proportions (graphing and whether linear lines are proportional or not).

Jack is finishing up his unit on long division. He'll be heading into fractions next.

~~~

Lastly, Gracie continues to be less than thrilled that I have returned to work M-Th. She is all over me from the moment I get home. I wondered if she would have a hard time with me going back after having me here at all times for 13 months. Poor girl. 

This Cat

After a year of having me here every minute of every day, she is not a fan of my return to work this week. Now, she is glued to my hip at every chance. Poor girl!

Silly Cat

This silly girl keeps forgetting she's a cat, particularly when it comes to food I am eating. Here she is enjoying some of the lemon bars I was eating. LOL

Tent

Jason made Gracie a pillow tent.

As you can see, she is THRILLED about it. LOL