Broken Stuff, Starting School

I don't remember if I said that James installed a new dishwasher last Tuesday. On Thursday, the washing machine broke. Thankfully, I was finished with 2/3 of the laundry, so I took the last load to the laundromat on Saturday. I took the older boys with me, and we also got some breakfast as a reward for them keeping up on their chores. (I still need to work on motivating Katie, but we'll get there.) I also bought them new shoes for school.

We played games with some friends on Saturday night. I really love hanging out with other teachers. We played Betrayal at House on the Hill. Everyone won but me because I was the traitor.

Monday was Back to School night. I took Katie and Kenny to the elementary school, and James took Joseph to the middle school. I think everyone was kind of nervous, but it worked out.

I went to yoga on Tuesday for the first time in a while. It was really nice. The thought I came away with was that I really don't want to hate anyone. It takes way too much energy. I have to keep unfollowing people on social media, but it's completely worth it so I can maintain my boundaries.

School officially started on Wednesday. So far, the biggest challenge is getting up earlier to cook breakfast for Joseph. His bus comes at 6:55 while the elementary bus comes at 8:00. That means everyone wakes up earlier, and that's led to some grouchiness and fighting. 

Kenny didn't feel well yesterday, which is a common morning thing but is usually resolved with food. He made a miraculous recovery after I gave him an antacid. I still kept him home to be safe, but I think he's inherited my acid reflux. I used to throw up pretty often in the mornings before school (sometimes on the bus) because of acid reflux, but no one knew that's what it was at the time. I didn't make the connection until I started suffering from it during pregnancy. (It went away by 5th grade and didn't reappear until pregnancy.) It's a bit frustrating to think about now because I suffered a whole lot, and it's a pretty easy problem to treat.

Lewis is doing Upstart, the same online preschool that Katie did a few years ago. He seems to like it so far. I hope by next week we can settle into a good schedule, just the little kids and me. This week has been weird so far. The kids do have school at home on Fridays again this year, which I like.

Nash should arrive tomorrow night, and he's going to fix my washing machine. Yay! It's one more trip to the laundromat till then.

Last Days of Summer, A Small Rant

We went to a couple of fun things this past week. The kids had been asking to go to the splash park in Naples, so we took them and hung out for an hour. I had a new book from the library to enjoy while the kids were playing. Even Samantha got a little bit wet.

Our ward/neighborhood had a party down at the Allreds' house, and that was fun too. I managed to be polite to everyone, even those I've had to unfollow on social media for being contentious. Though there aren't many, their online voices are very loud and grating. I just use social media so I can know how people and their families are doing.

I went to the temple on Tuesday, and I had mixed feelings about it. The email for the appointment confirmation clearly stated that we should wear masks. All the temple workers did, but only 1/4 of the patrons had masks. Not for the first time, I'm disappointed in my town's lack of belief in the pandemic, especially members of the church. They've ignored counsel from every layer of church authority, claiming that they know best. Suddenly, the prophet's counsel is "only a suggestion." I could go on, but I don't want to keep being angry over it. The best I can do is keep taking care of family. It's not like this is the first time that others' stupid decisions have affected me, and it won't be the last.

A Boring Week at Home

It's been an okay week, but almost too boring after so much excitement. We still have a broken dishwasher, but I at least got a new sink aerator so the water wouldn't spray all over the kitchen. I've done a few small projects like sorting through the kids' clothes and buying a few new things for school, getting school supplies, and fixing an armchair in the cabin. I've also got a good book series to read. Other than that, everything is good.

Cross Country Trip Part 3: From Apex to Vernal

It was bittersweet to say goodbye to everyone on Sunday, but it was time. We left Monday morning and headed to Indianapolis that day, stopping a few times at some random places like Pilot Mountain State Park and a little park in Jamestown, OH, around dinnertime. We told the older 4 kids they'd get to choose the food each day, so Katie chose to eat pancakes. The IHOP we stopped at was really understaffed, but they took care of us anyway. We went through 5 states that day: NC, VA, WV, OH, and IN. It was amazing to finally reach the hotel.

Tuesday, we left after a bagged breakfast at the hotel and drove to Carthage, IL. The tour of Carthage Jail was really good, especially when the guy played "A Poor Wayfaring Man of Grief" on the harmonica in the room where Joseph Smith died. The kids were mostly good, but Samantha and Lewis got antsy toward the end. It just so happened that the rest of our tour group was also from Vernal! The odds of that are 1 in a million! It's also one of those tender mercies: a gentle reminder that I am going to survive the next few days and make it home. Kenny chose McDonald's for lunch, and it felt like a miracle to even find one. We drove through a lot of fields in IL, but not many towns. We then headed to Nauvoo to look around. The kids loved playing old pioneer games while a group of missionaries serenaded us with hymns and fun songs. We walked around a little, but the kids got grouchy, so we went inside the visitor's center instead. They all got Nauvoo bricks for doing the scavenger hunt. We decided to get back to the hotel early to eat dinner and gets kids to bed on time. It was worth it. After most of the kids were in bed, James took Joseph to get some drone shots of the temple while I sat and did nothing! (It's really nice to get a break sometimes, even if the kids are still technically yelling in the other room.) James also brought back some fun snacks for a mini date, something we hadn't done in a few weeks.

Wednesday, we went back to see the Nauvoo temple in the morning. It was beautiful and not too hot outside. We then headed toward our Air BnB in Nebraska, but everything changed when we got a text from a family member saying she tested positive for Covid. Ack! James and I had some very mild cold symptoms, but Joseph had been coughing a lot, so we got him tested at an urgent care in Lincoln, NE. It was negative! Despite that, we made sure to be extra careful about doing outdoor activities and switched from an AirBnb to a hotel. (The AirBnb was in someone's house with some shared space, so it didn't seem like a good idea.) God was with us, and we easily found pizza with a park next door, plus a cheap hotel where we could sneak in and out with almost no contact with people. Our phones weren't working super well at this point, so it really was a miracle to find all these places "by chance."

After a quick breakfast in our hotel room, we left to go to Vernal on Thursday. It was a really long day, and Katie had a really big meltdown during the afternoon. It was a bummer not being able to stop anywhere to see attractions because there were a lot of things along the way that looked pretty interesting. We settled on pictures instead and only went inside, masked, for bathrooms. We finally made it home around 9 P.M., clocking in at almost exactly 5,000 miles on the the trip odometer. We traveled through 15 states on the way and went as high at 11,158 feet!

It was a really fun trip, but it's amazing to be home.

Cross Country Trip Part 2: The Triangle Area and the Beach

We had a lot of fun during our week in Apex. Saturday was a relaxing day, and it helped a lot when we were recovering from all the travel. A few kids didn't feel well at first, but with some proper hydration and rest, they were as good as new by Sunday lunch. I got to hang out with Mara and her girls for most of Saturday, which was great! Kaya let me hold her for an entire 10 minutes. The Clipp family and Myles and Skyla also came over for dinner. I hadn't seen the Clipps since I was a teen. I used to babysit for them in Florida.

James did at-home church with Kenny and Samantha so she could get a nap (an essential part of keeping everyone happy). I really enjoyed church. I don't know many people there since the ward has split so many times, but it's comforting to see that the format is the same wherever I go. The Relief Society lesson really touched me and helped me feel peaceful about our trip overall. We had a nice Sunday dinner, studied the scriptures as a family, and then played some games with Christian and Rachel. (Myles and Skyla had already left at this point.)

Monday, we headed over to Pullen Park in Raleigh with the Blomquists and Christian and Rachel. Not only is the park gorgeous, it has an indoor carousel, train, and pedal boats. Though we couldn't do the boats (closed down), the other 2 rides were really fun and not too expensive. We enjoyed a picnic lunch under the pavilion and then headed to Target to replace 2 lost pairs of shoes (Kenny's broken flip flops and Lewis's shoes he left in Kansas). After a couple of hours of rest at Grandma's house, we headed to Sanford to eat dinner and swim with the Blomquists. Samantha was a little whiney in the pool, but it was a really fun, refreshing experience once James got in. I couldn't believe how warm the water was!

Tuesday, we went over to the JC Raulston Arboretum at NC State. Christian and Rachel came, along with Brinson and Ceci. It was really fun to see all the beautiful plants. Rachel took some pictures of our family which will hopefully make me not look too sweaty. :) We got some lunch at Cookout with Brinson and Ceci and ate it at a nearby park. Then, we came back to rest for a few hours before going over to Christian and Rachel's house. We enjoyed a yummy meal of grilled shish kebabs while the kids played on the slip and slide. I even played a little badminton and wasn't terrible at it. We drove home without James since he was staying to play video games with the other guys till late. I hung out with my mom and sisters and watched a little TV before going to bed.

Wednesday, we went to the art museum in Raleigh. It wasn't the most engaging activity for the kids, but I enjoyed it. There were lots of things to look at. We returned home for lunch and a rest, except for James, who went out with Dad again for service calls (like they did on Mon. and Tue.). It was this day that Samantha and Lewis had their first big meltdowns. The rest really helped, though, and I was able to get the laundry done. We went over to Myles and Skyla's for dinner, and Myles kindly installed a new alternator in the car. Unfortunately, it still had a tiny misfire, but Dad cleaned out a dirty air filter and gave us fuel injector cleaner and Heet to hopefully get things running perfectly smooth again.

Thursday, James went to Walmart to get stuff for our trip home while I packed up for the beach. We met up with Brinson and Ceci at Myles and Skyla's for some leftovers for lunch and then headed to the battleship North Carolina for a tour. I'm not sure I've ever been so hot and sweaty, but it was a really interesting tour. The kids made it through 75% of it before starting to complain, which was a miracle. We then drove to Southport to the beach house we'd be staying in. We all unpacked while I was cooking dinner and then ate, relaxed, and played some games after the kids went to bed. James and I were lucky enough to claim the master bedroom, which has a king bed and a huge shower/sauna that would fit the whole family! It was also nice to get a break from the double at Mom and Dad's house. A shower and a good night of sleep were especially welcome after such a sweaty day.

Friday, I woke up a little early, but not on purpose. After a delicious breakfast made by Mara, we headed over to Oak Island (Caswell Beach). It took a little while to find the beach access with a shower, but we got settled in by 10 and stayed till 2. It was a perfect day. The kids all loved the sand and waves. No one came close to drowning, and no one got bored. Ceci brought a yummy lunch for us to enjoy, and we even managed to keep most of the sand out of the food. It was breezy and not too sunny. The kids made a couple of sand castles and collected lots of shells, too. Unfortunately, I got some sunburn. I didn't do as good of a job with sunscreen since I needed to reapply but forgot. I should've worn a shirt, too, but I'll survive. (Everyone else is fine, of course.) We headed back to the beach house (aka Crazy Birds) to shower and relax before dinner. We all walked down to the pier to eat seafood, and I now feel like I've fulfilled a life dream to eat dinner right on the water. Seriously, it was so cool to look out and see the lighthouse on Oak Island. If the kids had been less whiny/picky, it would've been even better.

Saturday, we enjoyed a breakfast from Skyla and packed up to get ready for the ferry. Everything worked out really well. The ferry ride over to Ft. Fisher was nice, and we then enjoyed the aquarium. It was small enough that the kids weren't too bored/tired by the time we needed to leave. We drove back to Apex and had a quiet(ish) dinner while I got laundry and grocery shopping done (to pick up on Friday). I got the kids registered for school and even shopped for their supplies!

Now it's Sunday, our last day in NC. My sunburn is starting to feel a bit better, and our folder full of tickets has now been replaced with memorabilia. Today, most of the family (except Carmel and Lars) will gather for a family dinner and picture at the temple afterward. It should be a relaxing day, the perfect ending to a very busy week. Tomorrow, we start our journey back to Vernal.