Good afternoon!
This time I am writing a bit later just because I slept late and already had a video call with Ian. Leah is planing on going grocery shopping for us on Wednesday and he wanted to know if I could send his acrylic paints with Mama. I will make up a satchel filled with his paints and supplies...absolutely!
****
Anyways, big excitement for Ian this past week! He got his first real pedal bicycle! You may remember he had a little balance bike without pedals first so he really seems to have learned how to ride this bike quickly. :)
He has to wait until there aren't people on the sidewalks and he can also go practice in the empty church parking lot behind their house. I remember how exciting it was to get a bike and learn how to ride!
****
Leah sent me some pictures. I love this one where they both have matching "best brother" pajamas--LOL!
****
I just asked him what this picture was Mama had sent and I think I have forgotten one already--LOL!
He said it was a transporter machine and an underwater fort and something else. (Senior moment or fibro brain--take your pick.) Just a blanket and some pillows on the couch to hold it up. Creative.
****
But the project I was soooo impressed by that they worked on this week was the cardboard kitchen!!
Mama helped, of course. But this is just made from boxes, masking tape, scissors, and markers. There's an oven on the left side with a rack inside, a sink with a faucet in the middle, and a dishwasher on the right hand side.
That's a square saucepan with a handle on the stove. There's rags in the sink that represent foods and various other items. And even a blender made from an egg carton and a really large plastic cup on the right.
They even decided they needed a trash can--so that is what is on the end there.
On a video call they also showed me a round saucepan, plates, and Ian was cutting out cookies, bacon, brats, hotdogs...and there was a baking tray, too, that fit in the oven. Can you see the burners drawn on the stove?
****
What fun to make and they are having a lot of fun playing with it. Ian keeps coming up with more items they should figure out how to create. Last I heard was they needed a ketchup bottle. Gramma is thoroughly impressed!!
****
Here at my place...my excitement was Amazon boxes coming day after day with all the cleaning supplies and other necessities. :) Every three days I opened boxes as they came out of quarantine and set things all over the kitchen counter for another day. (This is only a fraction!)
Then little by little I worked at reorganizing one side under my kitchen sink...
...and under the middle of the bathroom sink. (Amazon boxes come in handy for other things, too--LOL!)
I would get so far every day and have to leave it because my back would say--enough already.
Was a lot of bending, hauling, and climbing stools so I had to spread it out over the week. I was shocked that the majority of the Amazon packages came a day earlier than they said! Wow! I only have one left to arrive--a watering can. I've been using old pop bottles for years. About time.
****
I didn't do all the stocking up due to the virus. I did it because I'm on a very limited budget and to someone basically pretty poor like me...well, having extra toothpaste and laundry soap makes me feel like Scrooge McDuck counting my gold coins--ROFL! It's a feeling of security. Can't explain it very well, but makes me so very happy.
****
We had drizzly rain for a couple of days and the grass greened right up!
It was warmer (60s) so Annie and I were thrilled to have the place opened up for a few days.
I have shut down the Critter Cafe, though, and Annie seems to wonder where the birds have gone.
When it gets warmer I will put out the bird water dish...and I have been known to toss food out in the grass on occasion. ;)
****
I finally got things put away up over the washer and dryer, too.
I have other areas I want to purge and reorganize...but nothing is a big hurry with that. I did bring in more things from the garage last week. The pot I use to keep the hose in on the patio, a tall fan, the bird water dish (sitting on the as yet unopened new humidifier below), and the three bins of summer clothes...that only made it this far--LOL!
I really need to do a better job Maria Kondoing this year. I never got around to going through the clothes last fall and here I am again making the seasonal switch. So, this year I do plan on taking my time and going through everything...so you know that could take me weeks. But since it has been cold enough to snow again, doesn't seem like there's a real rush. I think it's supposed to get down to 27 degrees tonight (-3 C).
****
Called my mom for Mother's Day yesterday. She's doing fine. More adjusted to this temporary new life, I guess. There has been one employee and two residents with the virus in her building. Didn't sound like anyone new infected in two weeks, so maybe they caught it early? They've been very strict there--not even letting family in to visit. (Unless it is an end of life situation, but that's in another building--they have independent, assisted living, and nursing home kind of strung together--huge place--so don't know which area the infected people were from.) Mom does get assistance now since lockdown, so fingers crossed. They wear masks and such. Mom seemed in pretty good spirits and we had a nice long chat.
****
My marigolds--the ones who did show up--are growing pretty well.
Quite a few empty peat pots and I put three seeds in each one. Not great results, but I do have some plants coming along.
The coleus seeds. Not a single seedling. I put some more seeds in the empty pots, but I have little hope of anything emerging. So, when Leah goes grocery shopping she will look at Costco to see what they have, if anything. We have bought starter plants from Costco before. Maybe they'll have some coleus and/or geraniums. Those all do well for me here with only about 6 inches of soil depth. My planters are shallow. Whenever I am able to replace these I hope to get deeper ones--but they are pretty expensive (been peeking). Meanwhile--I have my terra cotta colored duct tape for this year to mend cracks and holes--LOL!
****
Oh, this Gramma Day (Sat) Ian read to me!! He read me two books all by himself. Afterwards, we figured out (with Leah's help) how he could show me a bit of his new favorite show Octonauts on YouTube sharing the screen. Then I read him the rest of Comet in Moominland. When he gets all the paint supplies we can do a video call while he paints one afternoon. Be the closest thing we can get to a Gramma Craft Day. ;)
****
Well, that was another week in isolation. Day 61 for McFamily and me. Leah's sister may have the virus. She's only been grocery shopping and wears a mask, as far as I know. Mild case if she has it but she had shortness of breath, splitting headache--even if it didn't seem to last long. No testing if you aren't sick enough. She's self-isolating, of course--but with her husband and two little boys. I hope she and her family will all be well.
****
Oh, and this crazy morning for me. I woke up about 9am but was so comfortable that I didn't want to move. Me--comfortable! Felt almost pain free (after all I've been doing the past few weeks it was heaven not to feel sharp back pain)...so I thought I would just lie there for a little bit longer...but slept till 11:45am!! Good grief--I went to bed at 11pm!!
****
Annie never cries or bothers me to wake up. She does start crying for her wet/canned food and follow me around as soon as I am up, but she has never once tried to wake me up. But there she was--crying almost right in my face this morning--LOL! I never sleep that long. Maybe she thought something was really wrong with me? So funny! She seemed absolutely delighted to see me rise up from my nearly comatose state of peace--ROFL! And my back doesn't hurt so bad today. Whoohoo!! Happy dance!
****
Meanwhile--now she's conked out in her chair next to me. Do you think I should wake her up? LOL! Not fair as cats so rarely seem to be fully asleep.
****
Well, another week has flown by. It's sunny but chilly today. As usual, I have lots of projects lined up. Always have many more than I can manage to finish even in a week...or a month, for that matter--LOL! Keeps me busy and out of trouble. Stay safe everyone!! :)
****
"Listen to your life. See it for the fathomless mystery that it is. In the boredom and pain of it, no less than in the excitement and gladness...because in the last analysis all moments are key moments and life itself is grace."
Frederick Buechner
12 comments:
My comment to get your comments. :)
How fun to see Ian on his pedal bike! How well I remember those days with my boys. I love the kitchen they made. When my granddaughter was little and used to spend the weekends with us we made a stove out of a box and she just loved it. It is so fun and creative for kids to make things like that. I understand exactly how you feel when you get stocked up on things like you have been doing. It does feel like having money in the bank! We hardly ever get stocked ahead like that but I would like to. I'm glad to hear you had a good night's sleep. Our cats are excited when we get up in the morning too. Take care Rita!
To have such a long and restful and comfortable sleep Rita is a treasure - good thing you wrote about it so you can look back... and hope your back doesn't hurt so much even with all the work you are doing to get things in place (plus bringing in the spring/summer things and taking out the winter things to your garage).
I know the very satisfying feeling of seeing the basic supplies I need and use and know I have enough to last a good long time. For me it is laundry soap and toothpaste first.
Good to hear that your Mom is doing well and is getting the care she needs. I have managed to overwater several tiny starter plants and sort of did them in. I know I will be writing about them in one of my future posts. Wow - a pedal bike for Ian and he is going like the wind. How lovely to hear Ian read to you - it is like the schools right now - Zoom classes and other ways of teaching and sharing finished work and not being with classmates. Great kitchen with all its many accessories created by the boys (with Leah's help) - ownership because they made it themselves. Good that Leah is picking up your groceries for you. Keep taking care, be safe, keeping space and keeping home. We are doing that every day, forgot to say washing hands a lot every day too. I am the grocery person in my little family, the other two have been seriously ill in the past year with other health issues too and they need to stay at home and isolate. I sure wash my hands a lot!
Hugs.
Joy
It looks like Ian is doing great on his new bicycle. I remember when I got my first bike. I crashed into a neighbor's mailbox and it was completely bent out of shape. I hurried home and never told anybody what happened. To this day I still feel guilty.....
You're fortunate that Annie doesn't wake you up. Both of my cats wake me at the crack of dawn and keep pestering me until I finally crawl out of bed.
Glad to hear your Mom is doing okay. There was frost here on Mother's Day - it got down to 27 degrees at night!
Well, that was quite a report. That kitchen is so impressive, and your reorganizing is very impressive. Congrats on the good sleep and the diminution of pain.
We have been having a warm spell, but I think it broke overnight with some rain. You know I don't do well when it's hot, but I did get out yesterday for a nice walk. Glad to hear you slept so well and so long! :-)
Bicycle excitement! Fun! The kitchen is a treasure, and it'll be the source of hours and hours of play. It's unseasonably cold here -with a high today predicted for the upper 50s- and rain :( Brrr! I'm glad your mom is doing well. It's good to hear you're staying connected with family :) and the read-alouds are going great! Your poor coleus :( It sounds like you slept the sleep of magical healing :)
The boys have a great kitchen there I loved the square pot with the handle on the stove. Maybe they will make food next! I hope you have a good week! Pain free days are good. Wowza you got quite an order good for you it is good to be stocked up! :)
The clip of Ian on his bike made me think of my girls and grandchildren learning to ride up and downour driveway.Matching pj's are always cute more or less
I can still remember learning to ride my first two-wheeler and telling my dad not to hold on to the back! I wanted to do it on my own but I do remember falling off too, and gravel really hurts.
Hi Rita, nice to read this update and Kudos to Ian on his 2-wheeler riding now. Earlier this morning, there was a post of our youngest grandchild, Lilliana in PA, also riding her first bike, but hers still has the training wheels and she did a tip over. That is quite the kitchen and utensils that he and his brother made with Leah's help. Glad to see that you are getting well stocked up and putting everything away sure can be tiring, but once it's done, all is good. Glad your mom is doing OK too. Good that both you and Annie had nice long rests.
I have no idea why my comment isn't here! I'm sure I pressed 'publish' - but have been known to press the the wrong box!!! I loved seeing Ian on his bike! They certainly seem to be inventive with their play too. Good that you get to video call !
Going back to the latest post which is where I started! Hugs, Chrisx
Post a Comment