June 2025

We’ve had a fantastic start to summer! We’ve been living our best pool lives. Philip’s parents got us a pool pass as a Christmas gift, and we’ve already used it enough to pay for it 😅. Some days are better than others, but it’s mostly a welcome break from reality. The boys both wear flotation devices, but I can’t leave them unsupervised, which means I can do nothing but live in the moment with them. I can’t get anything done while we’re there, and that sometimes makes me feel anxious about being behind at home, but for the most part, I’m enjoying it as much as they are. Well, except for the bruises I’ve acquired from tiny toes using me as a launching pad, and the soreness that comes from dragging people around the pool and then lifting them out of it. They have an anywhere but here mindset, always wanting to do something for precisely five seconds, and then onto the next thing. It feels suspiciously like they just use the opportunity to boss me around 😅. Ash is a complete maniac, running around, never seeming to run out of energy. He could hang all day, I think. I’m pretty sure Quinn inherited his dad’s poor circulation and he often needs breaks to warm up. It could be 90 degrees with a real feel of 103 and this poor lips will still quiver. The water has warmed up a lot since the first week, so he’s needing fewer intermissions. I don’t mind when he gets out because it reduces the amount of times that I hear, “Wanna see something?,” and “Mama, watch this!” They say it about 104 times each visit 🫠. I’m a tough audience for Ash’s head dunking trick since it’s also a bathtub favorite, but Quinn said, “I’m really impressed he can do that!” 😂. 

You know what I’m impressed with? Pool diapers. They actually hold pee! I had no clue. I thought they were more for poop insurance, but I was wrong. I’m happy to know they do this, but there’s gotta be a trick to getting them off that I don’t know about 😂. They’re not absorbent in any way, so there’s just a puddle of pee inside when you go to take them off. Pulling them down, like a pull-up, is a hazard to the floor. Ripping them off while he seats on the toilet has been the best bet, but I’ve dropped it into the toilet water more than once 😭. I can’t wait until this phase is over 😂. I’m not even sure how we got to year three on the second kid before I knew this. They’ve both worn them before but miraculously didn’t pee in them, I guess. To be fair, this is the most we’ve ever gone to the pool in a summer before, so I guess that has something to do with it 😆. 

There’s something about crossing that dressing room threshold into the pool that unlocks their third stomach. In their entire lives, I’ve never seen my kids eat as much as they do at the pool. I make them eat before we leave, and bring a ton of snacks, but they still always want to go to the concession stand. I let them go one time each visit. During our first visit, I noticed Ash wasn’t biting his popsicle with his front teeth, but was instead sticking it clear back to his molars. He has a chip in his front tooth, and has since he was 12 months old, but it has never seemed to bother him before. I mentioned it to the dentist when the three of us had our appointments earlier this month, and Dr. Justice thinks we should fill it since he seems to have some sensitivity with it. He’ll be getting that done in August. This was his first time having an effective dental cleaning, all other attempts have failed. Of course, I forgot my phone at home and didn’t even get to take a pic of him being such a big boy 🥰. They both did so well, I was super proud of them! Their appointments were at the same time, which meant dividing them up, and I wasn’t sure that was going to go over well. Marci and Maddie did a fantastic job with them! Marcie is a familiar face from walking the bike trail at our old house, and she made Quinn feel at ease by talking to him about Sophie and our old dog, Sansa. I mostly stayed with Ash, but he was fine whenever I would pop over with Quinn for a sec. Neither of them have had any cavities yet, so if not for the broken front tooth, we would be good to go. I hope they don’t have as many teeth problems as I did as a kid, which is why Philip and I are still helping with brushing their teeth. I think the recommendation is for parents to go over what kids do until the age of 6 or 7. I also think their electric toothbrushes help a lot. Well, Quinn anyway, Ash rarely lets us turn his on 🙄. 

My cleaning appointment was right after theirs, which, had it not been, the experience would have been perfect 😅. I must have had 10 years worth of plaque on my teeth, or the hygienist is a picker like me, because she just kept going at them 🫠. The boys were very patient at first, but then they started getting rowdy, so I was very okay with her just leaving some for next time 😂. I was still having frequent brain zaps at the time, and getting stressed only made them worse. After 6 weeks, I’m finally to the point where if they happen, which isn’t often, I’m like, “Oh yeah, those suck.” It seemed like they would never end, so it’s hard to believe that I’ve already forgotten about them. 

Now that my mind is clearing up, I’m frustrated that I waited so long to go off of my medicine. It’s really hard to explain how differently I feel in every way. It obviously wasn’t the right medicine for me, and hopefully I won’t need any other one anytime soon! Philip likes to get on my nerves, so I said to him the other day, “I don’t know why you’re messing with me so much, you know  I’m untamed, you’re gonna be in danger.” He said, “I’m not messing with you anymore than normal.” I said, “Oh, you 100% are,” to which he replied, “Well, maybe I am because you’re more fun now.” 😂 I really need to stop telling him I’m going to punch him (I’m not really, we don’t do that here) before the boys pick that up 🫠. I call Asher, Ash the Antagonizer, and he definitely gets it from his dad. Aside from picking at his brother (who does his own fair share of it), he antagonizes the shit out of me. I can’t take his rapid fire question asking, and his three year old know-it-all persona is not my favorite. I forgot how annoying this phase is 🤬. 

I recently cut off about 11 inches of my hair. I know it seems like a questionable decision given the recent termination of taking my mental med, but I don’t feel as though the two are related. What actually inspired my actions was the freaking heat. I couldn’t take it anymore. I hadn’t cut my hair more than a trim in over 10 years, so it was due. It feels so much cooler and healthier! However, it didn’t come without some self-reflection. I was afraid I was going to have an identify crisis. For so many years, I’ve felt like my most defining physical feature was having extremely long hair. It was surely a trait people would use to describe me. When you take that away, it feels very exposing, and you really have to be okay with your face to have short hair 😆. I’m still getting used to it, but I don’t regret doing it. I might wish I wouldn’t have gone quite as short, but you know the good thing about hair? It grows back. I’ll ponytail it for summer, and come fall, it will be close to perfect. 

I told my stylist, “I will never do what you did, but it looks nice!” 😅

I’m not looking forward to Fall, I’m enjoying being blissfully unbusy. I will likely only have one more summer after this one unemployed with my kiddos. Once Ash goes to school full time, I plan to reenter the workforce, and who knows what that will bring, considering I don’t know what I want to be when I grow up. I need these good days with them. The days where we get to enjoy the warm weather, going to the pool, taking walks, playing at the park. All of that simplicity. I asked Quinn if he wants to play any sports this fall, and he’s still undecided at the moment, but I’m okay either way. 

A mid-morning walk with friends 

 Quinn has mastered all of the local monkey bars 🙂

He attended a basketball camp this month, his first time doing something like that. He said he loved it, despite not knowing any of the kids in his age group. He even had a pee accident at lunch on the second day, which is weird because he hasn’t ever done that in public since he became potty trained. He said he didn’t know he was allowed to go to the bathroom, and he held it too long, not going during breaks. Luckily, no one made him feel bad about it, and since the camp was at the school, they had resources available to give him a change of clothes. 

He told me the night before camp that he was excited to go but he didn’t think he would learn anything because he is already good at basketball. I had to take a deep breath to keep from crushing his spirit because he literally has no experience playing basketball, aside from shooting hoops next door at Mandy’s house 🙄. I don’t know where he gets that confidence from, but good for him, I guess. It isn’t just basketball that he’s so self-assured about it. We will be on an outing and at any given crossroads, they will both walk so confidently in whichever direction they want, without any context for making their choices. Like, why, (why?!🤬) do they assume they know where they’re going?! I may start letting them just go forth and see what happens when we don’t follow. That would maybe be a solid plan if not for Ash’s recently acquired abandonment fear. Well, now that I’m thinking of it, that may be an excellent way to drive that point home. I don’t use leaving as a motivator for my kids because I think it’s cruel, and I would never follow through with it. I don’t like making false threats. I can’t even walk ahead of Ash down the stairs at home without him screaming and crying to “get” him. He has even freaked out a couple times at the pool because he got turned around and didn’t know where I was, despite me being within arms’ reach. If nothing else, I know that Ash sure loves me, even if it is an annoying AF way to show it 😂.

🥰

Ash told me the other day, “I love you all of the way across the beach, all of the way to Walmart, all of the way to Wucky Duck, and all of the way to Dollar Tree!” Another time he said, “I love you all of the way to the pool, and to Goodwill, and to the pickup order!” Ash’s measurements of his love always spark a competition with Quinn, who gives me similar proclamations, but his usually involve a little more distance, like the highlands, or the beach, since he understands that a little bit better. 

Quinn is getting so big, he’s about to turn six! This summer has been tremendously better than last year, in a huge part due to Quinn’s ability to regulate his emotions. He’s becoming, dare I say, slightly reasonable? He has a very hard time recovering once he has committed to having a bad time, but he’s learning to turn his mood around. I’d like to think it’s with my and Philip’s coaching, but I don’t actually believe that. Well, not from mine, anyway. I’m pretty sure he doesn’t absorb much of what I tell him at all 😂. 

 What better way to welcome June than a bike ride?

Gas station slushies 

Homemade slushies with cousins 

Ice is entertaining in many ways, one of which is using it to freeze toys for an excavation activity 🙂.

We did another cool temperature change activity using these super cool crocodile toys I got. They lose their bright colors by putting them in warm water (making them the perfect bath toys!), and they change back to bright with cold water. 

I kept my youngest nephews one day. They stayed busy with a split pea, bug themed sensory bin, the slip and slide, playing basketball, and target practice 🏈 🏀 

I got to see my oldest nephew when he came home for his birthday. I miss seeing his face 😢. 

We celebrated Father’s Day with a waffle bar. I’m so grateful that my kids have such a great dad!

So many pool days 😍 ☀️💧🛝🍦

No worries if Ash can’t finish his ice cream because of his tooth, Quinn is always more than willing to help him eat it 😑. 

At least he shares his own, too 😅. 

He was double fisting, alternating bites of pizza and watermelon Silly Tube 🤮😂. 

💦 😃

Sharing some handy tricks I use. 

1. Extra brand gum container is perfect for keeping track of pool passes, money, and your debit card (they are able to take them now! Yay!)

2. Bringing snacks from home is essential, unless you’re made of money, because my bank account is no match for those pool stomachs. Using PB and PB Fit jars to hold crunchable foods, like Doritos and Goldfish, help us keep food intact 🙂.

We had a triple treat, fun filled day at the beginning of the month. 

Sheriff’s Community Picnic

Hanging out with little Kevin during Dino Day at The Book Store

Enjoying free fishing weekend. This was their first time fishing for more than like a second. Quinn absolutely loved it (which is in disagreement with his impatient personality 😂), but Ash was not a fan. Once he reached peak boredness, I walked with him around the pond to give Quinn more time to fish. He kept saying to me, “Outside is not fun, can we go to the mall?” 🤣. 

We got to see some cool animals at the Paden City library during their Oglebay Zoo to You program. 

The last time we went to this, Ash was 3 months old 😢

Philip was off for Juneteenth, so we went on an adventure to Discovery Center and took Iris with us. She had never been there before and it seemed to be a hit! 

Before and after 😂

Ash got try putt putt golf for the first time. He wasn’t able to control the club very well yet, so he started just rolling his ball after the first few holes. Quinn did okay. He needs more practice 😉. 

Sophie PUPdate 🐾:

The standard is so low…she just has to be touching somebody… anybody 😂. 

Quinn takes every opportunity to make sure that person is him. 

That’s my seat 👀. Does she care?

 No. 

She’s so entitled 😂. 

Anytime one of the kids puts a food wrapper or gum in the trash can in my office, Sophie always hangs out by it for awhile, just to make sure I don’t need her to do something about it. I don’t. 🙄

She may guard the trash can just fine, but she isn’t that good at guarding the soccer goal ⚽️ 🥅 😂

May 2025

May has been a wild ride. After ten years (ish, I’m not exactly sure), I decided to go off of my antidepressant. I’d been considering it for a while, but I knew it was going to suck since I get withdrawal symptoms as soon as I miss a dose. It’s hard to commit to doing it, like when is it ever a good time to feel like shit, ya know? I’ve always taken meds at night because they often cause stomach upset, so i just take them right before I’m ready to sleep. I started with a half dose on a Tuesday night, and then took half for the next two nights, followed by a quarter on the fourth night. The first few days weren’t bad at all, just some brain zaps, which I expected in abundance, when I got tired. Due to the mild reaction, I was too optimistic and set myself up 😅😭. The day following my cut to a quarter dose didn’t bring any new, awful consequences, so I jumped the gun and went cold turkey. While it expedited the process, I regretted it immensely the next day. I had an entire day of brain zaps (consider yourself lucky if you have no idea what I’m talking about. The best way I can describe them is like that moment where you jolt awake, only you’re awake the entire time and it just keeps happening over and over again), uncontrollable crying, and nausea so bad that you wish you just could puke to make it stop. Even the leftover Zofran from Ash’s pregnancy didn’t touch it. It’s probably expired by now, but still. I think ten years worth of unspent tears leaked from my face in one day. The brain zaps came, expectedly, from moving my head (well, really just my eyes, even), and unexpectedly, from drinking water that was too cold. It has been almost four weeks, and whenever I get really tired, stressed, or hungry, I’m still having some. Dr. Google tells me this is normal 😵‍💫. I knew the detox would be awful, but I underestimated the severity and length. Truthfully, had I known, I may not have gone through with it, so I’m kinda glad I didn’t. 

Everyone whom I’ve told that I stopped taking my medicine has asked the same question: why? First and foremost, I felt like it has acted as a personality suppressant for a very long time. Granted, at the height of my depression, my personality was pretty shitty, so that wasn’t all bad. However, I became so…I don’t even know the right word, passive? maybe? that I struggled with setting boundaries with people. I couldn’t say things that needed to be said because I couldn’t find the words. That was a whole problem in another way, too. I felt like my vocabulary, which used to be quite extensive, had shrank. I had constant brain fog that led to me asking other moms if that was a parenting side effect or a medicine side effect. I lost my sass, and that’s like 50% of my identity. I just hadn’t felt like ME in so long. 

The journey to finding a medicine that worked for me was so, so long that once I did, I never wanted to go off of it. I’ve definitely said to other friends who take similar medications that I never planned to stop. However, after moving last year, and different life changes, I thought it would be a good idea to see what life was like now, unmedicated. The changes I’ve felt are unbelievable. I’ve laughed so much. I enjoy music again, which used to be just another contribution to the constant noise that consumes my mothering life. I literally had the best time shampooing my carpet and listening to Taylor Swift one day 😆. I can feel intense emotions again, which is a welcome change at the moment. Each day feels like my brain works a little better. I still have some brain fog, but it clears much more quickly as time goes on, like I have a faster reaction time. It was so strong during those first days of cold turkey that I wouldn’t even drive. I am certain that it would’ve been comparable to driving drunk, despite never having done that. Sometimes I cry whenever I get frustrated, but it’s a good release, and then I can refocus and let it go (Quinn needs to works on this. More on that later 😑). 

The timing of this experiment gave me some pause because Quinn finished school and my life got more stressful 🫠. There are definitely days that I struggle, but I’m enjoying being untamed 😅. Even Philip said to me that he feels like I’m a whole different person, like back to my old self. I’m fully aware that I could need to take something in the future, and I’m willing to do so. However, I will probably try different options before I use prescription ones again. I think it was the right choice to use at the time, but I’ve lost myself so slowly over time that I didn’t even realize how much was gone. 

The withdrawal has been so harsh and so sucky, and I can say, without a doubt, I wouldn’t have continued doing it if not for Philip. He held down the fort alone that first day while I sat on the couch and cried all of the liquid out of my body. He asked me that morning if I was okay and I just looked at him, sobbing, and said “I just can’t stop.” I was completely useless for that 24 hours. I’m so grateful to have a partner and coparent who can do it all on his own, giving me the space I needed to recover. The kids knew I wasn’t feeling well, but the household ran seamlessly anyway. 

The second day was still neurologically bad, but the crying had stopped. Well, until Quinn brought home his nap time blanket from school because he wouldn’t need it anymore 😅. Something about the finality of that set me off. His pre-k gradation fell on day three of my detox, and I was very much still brain zapping and the struggle was real keeping myself together during the ceremony. I managed to not shed any tears, but they pooled in my eyes several times. The pics are posted below. 

So, the good news is, so far, I’m so much happier than I’ve been in a long time. I’m a little volatile, but I prefer it. The bad news is, if you haven’t liked me in the last several years, that may or may not get any better 😂. 

My biggest struggle, emotionally, is dealing with anger. These kids push my buttons like no one else, but I’m working on remembering that they’re just little. That won’t stop me from enforcing rules and teaching them life lessons, but sometimes it’s important to give them a little bit of grace. That little one sure is cute, but man, I forgot how frustrating three year olds can be. Ash is in the ask-me-the-same-question-a-million-times stage of life. Sometimes he doesn’t even wait for an answer, he just asks on repeat until my head explodes, and sometimes he keeps asking, hoping to get a different answer. I remember I used to not tell Quinn things were happening until right before because I didn’t want to be asked if it was time to go. We are back to that, assuming Quinn doesn’t know already. If Quinn asks in the morning if we are doing something that day, then I’m screwed 😂. He, at least, has learned how to ask Siri those annoying questions instead of me. As long as he knows what time we’re leaving he can say, “Hey Siri, how many minutes until one o’clock?” It’s very handy. Idk why he cares because he has only the slightest possible grip on the concept of time anyway, but as long as people aren’t nagging me, I like it. 

I don’t know why these children think that all questions have to go through me. Like, they will ask me questions about someone else IN SAME THE ROOM. “Hey Mom, does Dad like xyz?” “I don’t know, maybe you should ask him SINCE HE’S RIGHT THERE!” I probably do know, but I won’t answer on principle 😂. It drives me nuts. 

Annoying questions are nothing compared to the three year old’s disregard for other people’s bodies and the incessant need to argue 🤬. If I could detach his feet for the next year, I’d do it today. Right now. Where do I sign? 😂. Ash has been in time out more times this month than he probably has his entire life, and it’s been primarily for kicking his brother. 

I don’t know where that child gets the audacity to question my grown up sense of direction, but he had better put it back 😂. We’ll be driving somewhere (like, in town, but not that that should matter to the person who knows how to get exactly nowhere), and Asher will say, “Mama, are you sure this is how to get to the park?” Oh, you mean the park that I’ve been to and taken you to a million times before? Yes. 🙄. 

He has redeeming qualities, like his boo boo recovery time is minimal 😅. He comes to me, crying, blubbering about whatever it is that happened that I can’t understand, and like 10 seconds later he’ll say, “I wanna go play with Quinn.” Alright 😂. Thanks for sharing, I guess. 

As I mentioned, Quinn has trouble letting go of his anger, but Ash has such a different temperament and he’ll say, “Quinn needs to take a deep breath.” 🤣. He cracks me up. You just never know what he’s going to say. He brought me a Blow Pop with half of the wrapper off one day and asked me to take off the rest of it. I asked how he got it open and he said, “I’m the world’s strongest man,” without missing a beat 😅. 

They love to argue and blame things on each other, and I’m already done with that, this early in the summer. I’m tired of trying to decide who’s telling the truth, so they both get a consequence. Quinn gets realllllly mad when he feels he’s been unjustly punished and he’ll hold a grudge for days. We’ve had many conversations about how he needs to take a deep breath, let it go, and move on with our day. He thinks he’s going to get “payback,” but he’s not. If I’m wrong, and I know it, I apologize to him. If I’ve told them to stop wrestling a million times, and they continue, and then I say, “If you’re not gonna stop, then if someone gets hurt, you’re both going to time out,” and then Ash cries, that’s what they get. Right or not, it usually works to get them to knock it off after one time out session. 

When they’re not fighting, they play together pretty well, so that’s like 15% of the time, I guess 😂. They’ve had to adjust to being around each other 24/7 again. Before school was out, Ash and I went to Dollar Tree one day. I got a quarter out at the register in anticipation of him wanting to get a gum ball out of the machine. That day he chose to get a bouncy ball instead, and then he asked if we could get one for Quinn 🥹. I love when they think of being kind to one another, even when they aren’t together. 

Quinn gets so mad at me sometimes (and vice versa! 😝), but we usually reconnect at bedtime. That boy uses me like a pillow whenever he’s tired. I’m not the biggest fan of clinginess, but I sure do feel loved with him draped over me, as if I’m his security object. Many nights, he’ll say back to me what I try to remember to say often to him: “I will always love you, no matter what.” I want him to know that I’m always in his corner, even when he’s driving me crazy. 

Our month in review 

Stalder’s Creamery hosted the Barnyard Boogie, an event that got moved inside the Parlor on Main because of the weather. Live music inside a space that echos is on my top ten list of things I don’t wish to experience again 😵‍💫. The boys had fun though!

I had a great Mother’s Day weekend picking strawberries at Stacy Family Farm 🍓, 

And having a cookout with Philip’s side of the family. All kids, big and little, love our water table. Emma is a goober and her video doorbell pic cracks me up 😂. 

The middle of May brought the start of market season, and while I’m not managing it anymore, I still like to go and support it (It’s also a social club, if I’m being honest 😄). The boys like to support Patrick the most, since he makes cookies the size of their heads! The smores brownies he makes are delicious and some of the messiest treats we’ve ever had 🫠. Thank goodness I travel with wipes. I also travel with just a wagon stroller with no storage, but it doesn’t stop me from buying a flat of seedlings 🌱 🤦🏻‍♀️. Thank goodness for friends who offer to help whenever they see you struggling. John saved me from humiliation  by driving my crap to our house 😅. I’m sure it would’ve ended up on Route 2 otherwise 🫠. 

Quinn had his last Pre-K field trip. They went to Oglebay Zoo. He’s been there many times before, so at first, he said he didn’t want to go. We were fine with letting him skip it if he really didn’t want to go, but I talked to him about how it would be a different experience going with his school friends, so then he decided to go. They had made shirts earlier in the year for the trip, and I knew he wouldn’t want to wear it. He changed as soon as he got home from school that day, and Ash asked if he could have his shirt, and Quinn said yes 😆. He was complaining about having had to wear it and I asked if he told his teachers he didn’t want to, and he said yes, but they told him too bad, he had to 😂. I’m just happy I didn’t have to fight that battle with him. 

Our big boy graduated from Pre-K! He hated every second of the ceremony 😆. It was a repeat of his Little Red Schoolhouse graduation—no dancing, singing, or participating of any kind. I only got a smile when he was presented with his diploma because he’s conditioned to it and I yelled, “Smile for your mother!” 😂

We planned to have a fun day as a celebration of him being done with school, so we headed up to Grandpa Joe’s Candy Shop in Wheeling. They have an amazing assortment of candy, ice cream, and sensory toys. It was super cool!

They also have these awesome (sometimes accurate) socks 😅. 

After the candy store, we hit up Four Seasons pool in Moundsville, which was also fun 🏊‍♂️ 🏊‍♂️ 🏊‍♀️ 

We finished up our celebration with a trip to Peking. Quinn saw another kid from his class there and didn’t know what to do with himself 😂. He kept wanting to see hi but he was being too shy. 

Aunt Lulu got Quinn a graduation present that included candy. He had already had a ton the day he got it, and he asked to go to the high school track to run, so we told him he could have a piece for every lap he ran 😂. He did 3 and Ash did 4 (in Crocs 🤦🏻‍♀️), which is equal to one mile!

We got to see this pretty girl’s last softball game 🥎, and boy did they get the win. The 15 run rule shut the game down in the fourth inning! 

I’d say she takes after me, but that would be a lie because I sucked 😂. My name is first on that sign, but if the names were in order of skill, I should’ve been dead last. I had a lot of fun though, and isn’t that what matters? 🤪. 

Speaking of high school, this year marks 20 years since I graduated and I’m officially old 🫠. 

Ash and I got to watch Harper’s spring choir concert. Quinn hadn’t behaved well and wasn’t allowed to go. He wasn’t that upset about it, so to make it more of a punishment, I told him there would be a concession stand there 🤣🤣. He loves a concession stand. There wasn’t really, of course. Philip said Ash would probably have more fun staying home, but I said, “Yeah, but so would Quinn, so he’s going” 😂. He wanted to go anyway. Luckily, Rowan was there to keep him entertained ❤️. He loves her. 

A little rain didn’t stop us from bike riding with our Clegg friends! We hadn’t seen them in a while, but you wouldn’t know it, we always just pick right back up, like good friends do! 😊

We had some cookie dipping fun with their Preston cousins for Memorial Day. 

Some other tasty treats 🤤 

We had a get together with Philip’s family, too, but the only pics I got were of Emma and I trying out Anetia’s crazy hair curler. That thing slurps your hair in like it’s a spaghetti noodle, which is a little scary 🫣. 

But the results are very nice. I just did two facing framing ones like it was 2002 again 🤪. 

Ash was a bit lost because his counterpart wasn’t there. He already had plans to hang with his friend, Merritt that day. They went to the mall, had pizza, played at Merritt’s house, and then went to play putt putt golf. He had a great day!

Thanks to Nathan bringing his truck and his oldest son 😆, we were able to bring our clubhouse from our old house, to our new without having to rent a U-Haul 🙂. I had to trim the hedges to have a place to put it 😅. I’m hoping to paint it in the next couple of weeks. 

Activities 

I’ll be honest, we haven’t done much in the way of learning lately. My Pristiq detox has left us mostly surviving rather than thriving, but we’ve done a few activities. 

A Five Little Speckled Frogs themed sensory bin with homemade play dough, hot glue letters and numbers, and a “hollow log” I created from an oatmeal container, hot glue “bark,” and paint. 

We painted some pretty pots and have enjoyed watching our sunflower seeds grow. Can’t wait for blooms! 🌻 🌻 🌻 

We painted more pots, but we turned them into wind chimes. If you asked them, I’m pretty sure they’d say the hair dryer was the best part of that craft 😆. 

Bean practiced putting the letters of his name in the right order around a flower  🌼 

They practiced matching lowercase letters to uppercase in flowerpots. 

Sophie PUPdate 🐾: 

Quinn: “SOPHIE! You’re blocking the tv!” 😂

Paw Patrol 🐾  watching the kids. 

Anything can be a pillow if your standards are low enough 🤷🏻‍♀️. 

Same for forts. 

All of the kids in this house love forts.

She intentionally laid on both of our feet 🙄

She’s a really good nap partner. 

Quinn is ALWAYS wanting to pose with Sophie, so now Ash wants to, too. 

Quinn walked her for the entire walk with just us supervising one evening. He thinks he’s a hot shot now 😜. 

If you made it this far, you’re a dedicated reader and I appreciate you ❤️. I know it was a lot. I have the best intentions to write less, more often 😅.