zoom - me

I'm amused by how zoom has increased my vanity.  I thought I looked so awesome during these zoom meetings that I took a screen shot.  Wow.

bike ride and don't ask why

Yesterday a hitch was delivered for the new van.  P got it all ready to install and I helped hold it in place while he did the bolts.  I love how we work together. 

We took the kids on a bike ride and ate at a park out in Armstrong.  It was a lovely ride.  As a child I saw people riding the trail by the DC temple and always dreamed that was so exotic.  P has made that dream come true for our large family.  I'm very grateful that he is so deliberate about creating beautiful family memories and traditions.

A bit of advice that I'm trying to follow, about ending manipulation, is to stop asking why.  When a child is acting in a way that bothers other people, it doesn't matter why.  They just need to stop.  Asking them why invites them to invent some reason, which is manipulation.  Anything that we think allows us to act less good than we can, is manipulation.  Don't think you have to follow rules?  Manipulation.  Other people have to pick up the slack and cover for you?  Manipulation. 

The children have been responsive to the Stop-Pause-Redirect instructions.  I need to stay firm on this.  Sometimes the children didn't hear me.  OK.  But they still get paused and re-directed.  I like that re-directed can just mean, told again.  It can also mean that they are sent to do something else.  I like that the pause gives me time to calm down so that when I re-direct them, I usually do so in a whisper, and just tell them what to do, instead of being all mad...

Freezer organization

 I cleaned took everything out of the freezer to defrost the unit.  Putting everything back in I organized it into categories so I can find things and also so that when I'm shopping I will be able to tell what we already have.

 In the trays we have a lot of butter, cool whip and ice pops.  In the right tray is random spice vegetation, chimichangas and frozen cookie dough.

 In the middle we have meat and frozen veggies.

On the right we have pizza things like sauce, cheese and toppings.  We also have containers of P's soup that he makes up in large batches and eats for lunch.

On the right we have a huge box for bread.  Whether it is left over pizza, puff pastry or dinner rolls, it goes in this box.  I really like having it visible to know if we have a lot or a little.

In the drawer freezer we keep ice cream and cheese.  Yay!

groundhog day

I finally searched the netflix and found that I could watch groundhog day so I am.  It's interesting to watch the first part of the movie, and think that this is the part he doesn't get to re-do.  He just has that one day.

I recently read a book where 2 characters are given the opportunity to go back and do things again, prioritize other things.  In some ways the book is sweet but other ways it's too steamy for me.  Most books are.

We are addressing a leak in the kids bathroom, replacing the wax seal on the toilet.  Moisture got into the Vinyl and it was molding, gross.  I had some remnants I meant to use for the other bathroom, but they worked for doing a repair.  The seam was terrible but we knew we'd re-do the whole floor eventually.  The goal for the time being is just to resolve the moisture and toilet wax seal.

I'm glad I can do hard, gross, necessary things.  P and I work well together and save the family hundreds of dollars on a regular basis.  I'm very grateful for P who had to use the dremel to cut off the bolts for the toilet that were rusted.  Ugh.  That's a long time bent over awkwardly in a gross place. 

Drive by love

We participated in a Drive By graduation celebration.  M and I played Pomp and Circumstance on the F and Eb horns.  About 10 cars from our ward all drove by the houses of 2 seniors from the ward.

Today we did a drive by condolances for a the YW president whose father passed away.  Everyone else got out and stood on the lawn together.  Some hugged.  It's OK for different people to do different things.  P, M and I stayed in the van and talked through the window.

shopping

I try not to shop very often.  I went as long as 2 weeks between store trips once but usually milk runs out or eggs.  I'm doing a big run tomorrow including a walmart pick-up.  I realized that I could do a pick up and a Save a lot run and combine the sanitation process.  I have two warring desires.  1-infrequent trips to the store.  2-not buying an entire cart overflowing with groceries.  These desires can not co-exist. I figure by shopping at 2 stores I can actually have a reasonable purchase size from each store.  Heh heh heh.

Similarly, people who want the economy to open up again, and don't want to wear masks or social distance...  It makes no sense.

Choices

During this Corona virus crisis I am struck by the range of choices people make.  I wear a mask when I go shopping.  Others are oppressed by the mask wearing, it scares them, they don't want to live in fear so they don't wear a mask.  The mask doesn't protect the people wearing them.  Masks keep our gems to ourselves.  So not wearing a mask is a breach of the social contract...

Some people fear vaccines more than the illnesses they prevent.

Some people fear being the victim of a gun crime so they carry a gun. 

I fear the illnesses, so I get my kids vaccinated.  I fear gun violence so I don't have a gun and don't want my children around them.

It is interesting to see groups that would usually be against personal choice when it endangers a vulnerable person, suddenly saying "my body my choice."

Mothers Day

We drove to Gtown and visited our family there through the glass.

P made a movie with the children and it is awesome.

gardening

I don't have a picture yet, but I am visiting my community garden plot daily to water the pumpkin and flower seeds we planted.  I found my watering can in the shed at the garden and also found a sprinkling stick to attach to the hose there.  It's nice to go and see the plot looking better each day.  We had 2 cool days so the dirt didn't get so dry and it looked nice and dark when I arrived today.  I contoured the dirt to hopefully increase the surface area and hold more water. 

Daddy Hour

We got a Spangler science subscription this year.  Yay for dad working an extra job so there is extra money to do fun things.  P takes the kids at 2pm every weekday and does fun things like Mo Wilems art videos, board games, science experiments and cultural education.  It's so awesome.    The recent experiment involved this 30 foot trash bag, running around the yard and seeing it inflate as the sun hit the black plastic.  He also had plastic beads that changed color with UV exposure.  So cool.

 Our old tent was dying so P chose this tent to be a replacement and last a long time.  The old tent lasted about 5-6 years and we camped out several times a year, sometimes a lot more when we were on a road trip.  It was a good tent and P trained the children to set it up so I don't think I ever did more than look on and smile.

In this picture we are using a selfie stick.  P is dubious.