Robin's Nest

 It is another holiday that has been stolen from its' original intent. At least in my eyes it has been. The meaning is not lost on some but on other it has been. Camping and barbecues have taken the place of remembrance for many. As I get up this morning it is chilly, and the wind is blowing relentlessly. The chickens have been generous the past few days on the eggs, and I have a duck that is sitting contentedly on a nest of eggs. That is unless DH kicked her out and shut the duck door. When I go out to water the trees and the rhubarb I will check. Here it is almost June and I have no seeds started for the summer. My heart just isn't in it. I think I know why, but it is still something that I should get done. It is the end of the day the sink is full again and I did not accomplish all that much. Couldn't water because someone disconnected my hose, and it is not one that I can get back on very easily. Now it is close to dark and the youngest and I will go for a bike ride soo...

 Tomorrow the kiddos leave school for the summer, and then my work really begins. We have activities lined up, but I am sure things will not go as planned, just based on previous years. My to do list has been by the wayside for several days. The teen grandchild is under the weather, and I have had the toddler grandchild underfoot. Makes for a slow-moving day. Have to go pick the other teen grandchild up from school at 1100. In addition, I need to take SIL to get her glasses ordered and it is chilly out there right now. Too chilly to go without an outer layer. (hint) We turn the heat off inside during the spring days and that makes it too chilly to go without an outer layer inside too. (hint, hint)  Dogs have been busy digging to China, only to find the route blocked by slate. In anticipation of a planned escape DH buried some pieces of slate below the fence for them to find. They found. Working away from home is daunting sometimes. I know I will come to a half-eaten piece of f...

 It started out early, much too early. I rolled out of bed expecting the grandkids to be in beds, not on the couch. So much for expectations. As I released the dogs from their kennels, the barking woke the grandson. That may have been for the good, he has to leave the house by 0645 to be on time for school. The next thing you know my daughter is here with her two kids and a request that the baby stay here because she has a fever and preschool won't keep her. After about half an hour I realized all my bio-grandkids were in the room without their parents. I am not sure that has ever happened in the past three years. All the kiddos were loaded and off to school by 0645. Left behind, the toddler, the teen and a nine-year-old. The morning progressed without any fanfare. Until that fateful moment when the phone rang... It was the care center. SIL had fallen, no one knows when, no one knows how. But she has a bump on the head, and I need to come and get her and take her to be seen. Okay, ...

 This morning we are on day four of constipation with the 9-year-old. What makes it harder is that this child will not take any medication. Part of her personality, but also common in children with ADHD. This makes getting things moving a bit trickier than it needs to be. I have already used MiraLAX in the drinks and have had no results. Really don't want to move to the next route but I might have too if things don't get moving along. She has also run a low-grade fever since Friday, this means Monday may be another absence. Not a great thing but if she is sick what can I do? Other than continue playing games? During the height of the pandemic, we "game-schooled" a bit. It helps to keep them learning while having fun. Yes, it is a real thing. Jenga actually is teaches lots of different things, to include spatial awareness, gravity, opposing forces. It improves strategic thinking, eye-hand coordination and problem solving, without a boring textbook! Geometry is also add...

  Snow has been elusive this year. So, to get a little is a treat! I mean that literally as I prepare to go scoop some to make snow ice cream. It is still coming down although, it is a finer, more sleet like version. It is welcome either way. Yesterday evening SIL had a complete break with reality, and I was thankful the facility did not send her to the hospital. If they were going to send her at any point, last night would have been justifiable. It took listening to her crying her eyes out for 45 minutes in order to finally convince her that we were not dead. Mind you I had just been there the day before to visit and pick up her glasses to take to the eye doctor. That, due to her perception of time, was months ago. The phone call ended with me ordering a pizza and a bottle of soda for her through delivery service. She, like us, has always lived outside of delivery pizza areas. She could not wrap her brain around the idea of the possibility. The reality occurred about 6ish hopefull...

 I can hardly wait! I am looking forward to being able to get on my knee again. So having a stitch or two in the way is annoying. Off to see the doctor!!! I have since returned from the visit, I forgot the surgical photos, the work release, the trampoline release and anything else that I needed to get while at that appointment. Perhaps I was just excited to get out and drive again. Not sure what prompted the rush to go and the forgetting of everything I was supposed to do while out, I am sure it had nothing to do with feeling guilty for not visiting SIL yesterday, or today. The petting area at FOTF kid's day Ordering treats at Whit's End Actually, I am pretty sure it had everything to do with that, but not much I can do about it. It is now Tuesday and in about an hour I am going to head to Denver to take SIL to a long-awaited eye appointment. I have a caregiver to go with me. The temp is supposed to be near 85 today. There is no air conditioning in either minivan. That is a sto...

  This school year seems to have dragged on by. It has taken forever to get to the end. I am not sure why I wanted to get to the end of the year, but I did. The summer is going to drag on in my opinion. I did sign the kids up for activities and summer school, partially because I plan to work and partially because I know they will be bored out of their gourds. The kids want to go to Disney World but in light of recent events that will not be happening.  We will instead travel to see family at least once. Auntie and Uncle sold their home and will be looking to move to Alabama. Aunt Jewel and Uncle Dale live in Oklahoma, and we could see them on the way to Alabama. So, most likely that will be our first trip. The rest of May will be spent getting the party van up to par for traveling. I don't think we will pull the camper behind us this trip. I would prefer to pull this camper on a shorter trip first. Auntie and Uncle will close on the home they are selling on Thursday ...

 Maybe I shouldn't be, but it was fun. I will have to pay for the fun later. I will most likely head back to work next week. Perhaps the return will help me process the frustration of not being able to get Kim to take her pills this afternoon. I was really sad that I couldn't get her to take them. I was sadder that I couldn't stay longer and convince her to take the pills. Makes me wonder how she will be any different in her own place. I guess we will only know if we try. In the meantime, DH has been working on the fence three days in a row! I think he feels I am a slavedriver, but I do feel with multiple unfinished projects in the yard, getting the approval of the neighbors is less likely. Yesterday, we discussed my expectations for completion this summer. Priority was the fence. There are also 2 outbuildings in disrepair and another that has been under construction for 15+ years. One of these is expected to be finished by the end of summer. I am not picky about which gets...

 It has been a busy month so actually I have left several weeks in the dust! So, as I start week 33 on a Friday, Friday the 13th in fact, I have tons to catch you up on. We celebrated the 11-year-old turning 12 with a day in the park. A day that covered 3 out of 4 seasons. It started out calm but cool, and the games were played without any frostbite. As soon as we opened gifts the weather moved in, and it went from 57 degrees and sort of sunny to 35 and snowing in less than 20 minutes. Only one guest from school showed up, well until it came to smashing the piñata. We had just started when another child and her brother showed up. Of course, family showed and that is always good. Another family was invited, and they showed as we were cleaning up and the rain had started. As the party planner, I was actually relieved to have only one guest. When you are throwing a party for a child on the spectrum, a big crowd can be a disaster. In years past we have only had family at our parties fo...