2020 :: week 37

September 6

We went for a drive Sunday evening to the Grinter Farm in Lawrence and checked out the sunflowers. The sunflower field hysteria has grown over the years here and if you go in the evening you will see photographers and people dressed up and perfectly coiffed attempting to get the perfect picture. I enjoy a good photo op as much as anybody, but the crowds detract a bit from the natural beauty. The John kids had fun walking up and down the rows, counting bees and collecting caterpillars. I did make them pose for a sibling pic. I felt so content as we drove home, listening to pretty music and watching the sun set.

September 7

It was a strange Labor Day. Our ward traditionally holds a picnic for lunch and then we spend the afternoon and evening at the pool before it closes for the season. This year with no picnic and no pool we found ourselves with a lot of time on our hands. Will and the neighbors played baseball on our driveway and listened to the Royals game.

September 8

The first day of school this year looked a little different than it did in years past. Due to COVID the start date was pushed back almost a month (from August 12 --> September 8), so it was the first time it felt "chilly" on the first day of school. Our school district is starting remote, with plans to move to hybrid, then in-person for elementary schools in October. All the plans are "subject to change," so it remains to be seen what will happen. Lauren has Mrs. Dearing and Will has Mrs. Breckenridge. Mrs. Dearing is pregnant with a baby due this week, so she was online Tuesday, but Mrs. Riley is going to be the long-term sub that is taking over things until December. My hat goes off to all the teachers this year, and especially to the substitute taking on a long-term job. To get the kids in the zone I made them walk around the block with me before they logged in. I have loved our morning walks up to the school together, and I think they help them wake up and get some energy out so they are ready to learn. It remains to be seen how long we keep this up. 

September 9

At times I can be very indecisive. I have wanted to get a sectional couch for our TV room ever since we knocked down the wall between our kitchen and family room in late 2017. Due to the configuration of the room it has been surprisingly difficult to find one that fits the narrow space and isn't absurdly expensive. My friend Stephanie helped me find this one at World Market recently. To save 10% I ordered online and had it delivered to the store. My dad helped me pick it up Tuesday evening, and after we brought it home and opened the boxes we realized there was a small puncture in the front of the sofa half of the couch. Though frustrating, we were able to exchange that piece the next day and get a $90 refund in the process.

September 10

Lately I have been feeling so grateful for Will. He makes being a his mom very easy. He is obedient, hard-working, diligent and helpful. On Thursday morning he had "gym" and the teacher wanted them to "practice" for the monthly running tests they will have when (if!) they ever return to school. The teacher said that he knew it was raining outside so they could do it later in the day and the kids essentially had a free 30 minutes before they had to log back in to their classroom. Will told me he was going to go ahead and run outside now because it wasn't raining that hard and he just wanted to get it done. He ran back and forth up and down our driveway for exactly 10 minutes. Then he came in and asked if it was okay to spend the last 20 minutes of his free time playing his new RBI baseball game on his Switch. I very much appreciate how responsible he is and that I can trust him implicitly. 

September 11

I was able to schedule Miles' 18 month and Elliott's 5 year well-child check-ups at the same time. The brothers are growing and developing nicely. Both are small, but what they lack in size they make up for in personality. Miles weighs 21 lbs 8 oz and is  30 1/4 inches tall. Elliott is 36 lbs and is 40 1/4 inches tall. They received 7 shots between them, but cried for less than a minute each. Miles seemed to be more upset by the betrayal of the situation than the pain. Elliott made the nurse smile after she asked what Royals players he likes (he was wearing a Royals shirt) and he listed off the entire starting lineup.  

September 12

I love watching Lauren play soccer. It is fun to see how she transforms on the field and is confident and gets in the middle of the action. She spent most of this game on defense and made several great stops. She played forward at the end of the second half and came *this close* to scoring a goal. This was Lauren's soccer game since last fall and she came home exhilarated and determined to practice and get better. In the evening Will went out front with her and they worked on passing the ball to each other. I love watching the two of them help each other meet their goals.