Summer Notes: June 11th - June 20th

Tuesday was 'office day' for me. I was filling out paperwork for various things, listing phone calls that needed made, and paying bills. The kids enjoyed their summer day with minimal fussing at one another. The Instant Pot beef stew recipe we made was delicious for dinner, with a side of fresh rolls.

Wednesday was 'phone day' for me. I spent several hours on the phone, on hold or talking with people at various doctor's offices, insurance, etc. Almost everything on my list was taken care of by the end of it. Today was also Makayla's official birthday. I'm the parent of an adult. Crazy.

Thursday's physical therapy was a lot of fun. Mason liked exploring the new gym and equipment. Beyond that, the day had a lot of cranky kids who were getting on each others' nerves. It kept raining off and on and we were stuck inside.

Friday - I'm sure we did something on this day, but I have no notes.

Saturday we headed to The Works with the kids. It was a great morning for it because we nearly had the place to ourselves. Most of the kids spent their time in the tech center taking apart different donated machines. The youngest kids spent time in the little kid play area with me. It is full of costumes, puppets, and pretend play areas (firetruck, science lab, grocery, ice cream shop, puppet stage).

Sunday we had a peaceful day at church where even the littlest ones managed to make it through the first hour of services (family service). I began a new calling today, secretary in the Primary (children's church). That means I get to spend time with the large group of children we have at church. It is such a sweet place to be, hearing them learn and testify of what they know to be true, as well as enjoying the singing time.

Monday we started the week of daily rain. The kids are NOT impressed. Most of them only have one pair of shoes, so they can't play outside in the mud and ruin their only pair of shoes. We're stuck inside. That means trying to find different fun things to do each day.

Tuesday's fun activity laid out on the table after breakfast was exploring our rock collections. The kids did their summer reading and math time, then play ensued until lunch. Then the day took a downward dive because Samuel threw up. Vomit is a large family mom nemesis, because it increases cleaning, laundry, and work.

Wednesday is a blur because I was up all night Tuesday with sick kids, sick myself, and tired. Half the family was in various states of being sick, though vomit was limited.

It is Thursday morning. I dropped Joseph and Emma off at the church to travel to youth conference (they are in the non-sick half of the family). They will return on Saturday. It is raining and I'm still tired. We're about 25 hours out from the last person throwing up, but I still have a handful of people who haven't gotten sick yet, so that may change. Today will probably be a day of movies while people lay around in various states of illness. I think today will be a great day to watch Newsies.