Good morning!
I've felt better since last Monday. So much so that I have been busy-busy for most of the week catching up on the to-do list. Got lots done.
We had snow the beginning of the week.
Keanna didn't show up on Tuesday. We're not allowed to exchange numbers with this company's rules. Her boss called and apologized on Wednesday because it was her fault that she did not remember to call me to tell me Keanna wouldn't be there. Keanna did come over to clean on Thursday afternoon.
They make their haul...and can pick out a few things to keep. The rest goes with Dagan to work to give away to everybody there--at least that is what they used to do and that hasn't changed as far as I know.
Then they turn the lights off and the boys search for Keto candies hidden all over the house!
That way they get the fun of going trick or treating but not all of the sugar. :)
McFamily got home on Tuesday and the boys started at Montessori on Wednesday. Wednesday Leah dropped off a few groceries for me and stayed around till it was time to pick up the boys from their first day at school. I had a video call with two happy but tired boys on their way home.
It has warmed up into the 40s during the day. The snow is all gone.
There is folded up paper towels running through all the five glasses. Red water (food coloring), plain water, yellow water, plain water, and blue water. They had to be patient to see that eventually the plain water between the red and yellow turned orange and the plain water between the yellow and blue turned green. What fun!
Before they headed to Warroad to visit Dagan's half brother, Bryan, Leah took a picture of their gorgeous tiger's eye bush by the corner of their garage. She was glad she did because by the time they got home after all the snow and freezing temps day after day...
Was gorgeous while it lasted, though.
McFamily in the big window seat.
Liam holding Evie's hand to help her down the long stairs.
McFamily was staying at a hotel that had a kiddy pool...so, of course, the kids had a great time playing in there!
When they got home on Tuesday it was Halloween! Their pumpkins were carved...
...and the front yard got decorated.
This year the boys were Creepers from the Minecraft game. (I had to ask because Gramma is in the dark about these things--lol!)
Apparently they creep up behind you and explode.
This was in front of the neighbor's house. Liam did not like the mask part zipped up but Ian kept it closed the whole time. See the glow-rings they wear (neck, wrists, and ankles)?
Earlier Dagan had to bug Blink to make her wear one--lol!
Allie is in for it when we move--lol! Dagan likes to pester cats. But so far when he comes over Allie likes the attention from Dagan. She is one who kind of likes a little roughhousing. In the mornings she likes me to rub and scratch her all over with both hands while telling her good morning, for example. She likes a vigorous greeting in the morning--lol! She and Dagan will probably get along famously.
I've got some pics from Leah.
I wanted to include these just because I think it is a cool experiment for kids...even if Leah forgot to take a picture of the end result--lol!
...this is all that was left--lol! This bush dropped all the small branches and leaves all at once!
Bryan took them on a short tour of the remodeled Marvin Windows offices where he works. Liam, Evie (turned three), and Ian.
The boys home after trick or treating.
Wednesday the boys started school and I did a video call with them on their way home.
Thursday Keanna came to clean and it was Dagan's birthday! Hard to believe that he is 49 years old!! His choice was to go to Izumi's for dinner. It's a sushi restaurant and the boys also love sushi!
Happy birthday, Dagan!
You can't get me to eat raw fish, but those boys love sushi, too! So it was a special treat for everybody.
Friday Dagan and Leah came over after Dagan got home from work (his half day) and they worked at reorganizing my garage until it was time to pick up the boys from school. They got all the IKEA boxes stacked over on the pallets that Leah picked up for free. Then they came back here--with dinner (for me, too) from Wendy's--and took out the stuff I had ready for the garage before they left (clothes bins, etc).
Saturday I was pretty well shot after a busy week, but so glad to be getting caught up on my endless to-do list. I did make some stew in the crock pot and had gotten a few letters written this last week. Still am way behind, but things will slow down this coming week, I think. I hope. I definitely need some down time for some paper chats.
Sunday Leah dropped off some apples for me. I have been craving some nice crisp apples. Must be the time of year, eh? I thought she had forgotten, but she picked up a variety for me to try. :)
The boys have school their first full week this coming week and Leah starts her new job on Tuesday.
I know I didn't explain much about the big shift of Leah working. Years ago they had planned for the boys to go to Montessori preschool and Leah to go back to work when they were both in public school full time. Covid kind of altered their plans big time. Ian tried public school online when everyone was confined to home but it didn't go well for him. So that was when they decided to homeschool.
The boys have been doing well with homeschooling and once the schools opened back up they decided to just continue with it. Liam has had speech problems all along and that might not have been easy to deal with in public school. You may remember when his front teeth were coming in they came in completely behind his baby teeth. Turns out his baby front teeth were so far forward and tilted outward that THAT has been why he has had speech problems. His new permanent front teeth came in where and how they were supposed to and he suddenly could talk quite a bit better! Now it is a matter of retraining his habits from the only teeth he ever knew--lol! He's been making a lot of positive progress! (And Gramma can understand him a lot of the time vs hardly ever--lol!)
When this job fell in Leah's lap--and she would make enough they can send the boys to Montessori through 6th grade...Liam's speech is improving...and the Montessori way of teaching would fit more what the boys are used to now...it just seemed meant to be. Especially since Dagan works for a company that is beyond my comprehension, to be honest.
They are so good to their employees and so accommodating--it is just not something I have ever known...or Leah...or even Dagan for that matter. Leah can alter her hours so she can drop the boys off at school in the morning and work later. Dagan can leave and pick them up and work the rest of the day from home...if he isn't already working from home. They leave it up to him if he wants to work from home or come in. They know if he physically has to repair an actual computer he will be in, regardless. When covid was an issue they let him go in after hours when the office was closed whenever he needed to.
They have always been so great about him needing time off to go to Minneapolis for his heart checkups or surgeries. He does have to go out of town for a week a few times a year or work Saturdays sometimes, but he doesn't mind that at all. Whatever they need. Because they treat their employees so well.
I assumed I would have to get to my appointments on my own from now on and had looked up the senior bus system here in town right away to find out how much it costs now. (Haven't had to use it for about a decade since Leah insisted on bringing me to appointments--back when they were few and far between--lol!) But when I told Leah they had only gone up a dollar each way...she said--oh, no-no-no! Either Dagan or I will be able to leave work to take you to your appointments. Don't worry about it. We'll be taking you. ???? (But I do like knowing there is a backup with the senior bus system if needed.)
Just amazing! No wonder people don't leave there--lol! I hope it will go as smoothly as they think it will. But it sounds like maybe Leah discussed these kind of issues at those interviews? She is so confident. (No wonder she said she could imagine working there until she retires!)
Anyways, Ian is in third grade and Liam is in kindergarten. They have a few years till Ian would be going into 7th grade. Then he'd probably be switched over to public school. That's a ways off, though.
Will all these changes speed up the construction or slow it down further? I don't know. Can't get much slower--lol! They only worked one day in October. Whatever. That is out of my hands and Dagan and Leah can't do anything without Trent, either...and we can't afford to pay a company to build it...so if it takes a lot longer than originally planned...not much to be done about it, I guess. Allie and I are fine here.
For myself, I just can't let myself get all excited about the move anymore, to be honest. Because then I get to feeling frustrated and disappointed that things are going so slowly. I could be here another year for all I know. So, I have put the P&P on hold for now. I'm just focusing on catching up on other tasks around here and doing things like getting the Christmas cards finished. Since I caught up on the other stuff this past week, now I can get back to extra stuff this week. Christmas cards are on top of the list.
I am feeling decent and sleeping well (at night!), so I have gotten on top of the household stuff again--whoohoo! Ready to do some fun stuff--kind of basically through till New Year's and beyond to be honest. There's just no rush anymore. I especially want to work on cards...Christmas, birthday, just for fun cards. Use a lot of the goodies we got on sale when K&Krafts closed, you know? I want to have some time for more paper chatting, card making, and probably some types of art play. My spirits have really been a bit low and this is just what I need.
Honestly--any P&P I finish before I move can wait till spring--and it is not the end of the world if I don't even get around to it at all. I would just deal with the rst of the purging on the other end, right? I've been focusing on trying to feel better and get on a good sleep pattern again--and now here I am! And this lady definitely, absolutely, positively needs some playtime! ;)
So that is my plan for the future.
My word for the year was relax. I have reminded myself of that so many times--lol!
Oh! Funny-funny-funny! In our weekly newsletter (sheet of paper they hang outside our door on Fridays), they warned that residents have reported smelling in the hallway and elevator that somebody is smoking illegal substances, and warned that this is a non-smoking complex--legal or illegal. So...some senior or seniors have been smoking grass or hashish or something in the complex--lol! And we also have some seniors who know what that smells like. Interesting! Can't say it is always dull in a senior complex, eh? Maybe they're even having MaryJane parties, for all we know. ROFL! Cracks me up!
Oh, and I am most thoroughly impressed with the natural antibiotic qualities of the oil of oregano!! It was amazing! Leah and I are both going to keep some on hand for anything that might need antibiotics. It worked fantastically for me! I'd never heard of using oil of oregano as a natural antibiotic before. Shall not forget it in future, that's for sure.
Okay--that's about it for this week. May you all have a wonderful, relaxing week--LOL! Till next time, my friends.
*love and hugs from Fargo*
15 comments:
Everything I have ever heard about Montessori schools has been positive, so I am sure those young boys are in good hands.
Looks like the boys had a great Halloween! I would not have known what those costumes were either. Leah's job sounds great, in fact both of their jobs sound awesome. Hope the boys like their new schools!
A very upbeat post, Rita. Things seem to be going well in your neck of the woods, other than the slowdown with the construction of your new home. Thanks for the detailed commentary, I enjoyed it all. :-)
Looks like fun and lots of things to do.
I'm glad you're feeling better. You've been so busy! I know it's hard to Relax in the midst of it all. Snow!!! We're having highs in the 80s, which is warmer than normal for us for this time of year, but still... The water/towel experiment looks like fun.
Stew sounds good. I need to add the meat to my grocery list. It'll be a good meal for next week.
Happy Birthday to your Dagan! You had a very busy week! Some old ladies never lose their sense of smell:)
I'm so glad that you're feeling well enough to get things accomplished. I always envy the way you are neatly organized. The snow is pretty and I'm so happy that the feathered critters are being fed. The photos of your family are adorable. Take care.
Rita, before I comment more on this post, wanted you to know the post date reads October 6 and sure you meant November 6.
Wow you really have had a great burst of energy in getting so much done with changing out seasonal clothes, clearing off the patio, bill paying and so on. We've been home from our travels just under a week and I am still working on catching up, so in some ways you are ahead of me!
Good to read about what McFamily has been doing from the road trip, starting school, and celebrating Halloween. I don't now anything about Minecraft either, so you are not alone. That neighbor's house really looked all decked out for the 1-day event. Trick or treating with light snow on the ground was different as well.
Sounds like good news all around, except your housekeeper coming two days late.
Loved that experiment with the paper towels and enjoyed seeing the boys swimming and having fun. You got a LOT done yourself with the winter and summer clothes exchange. Have a super great week, dear Rita, and yes, good companies treat their employees well.
My goodness! The boys got a lot of candy! Sounds like a good idea to keep a few and give away the rest. I wouldn't have known what their costumes meant either. The company Dagan and now Leah are working for sounds wonderful. It's rare to find a place where you can work and still take care of yourself and your family's needs. That's pretty funny about someone or somebodies smoking weed in your complex. I know that scent. Sometimes I step outside when the man who lives next door has friends over and they're watching a football game and I know what they're smoking while they watch! I'm glad you feel better and have been sleeping at night. A letter is on the way.
Love,
Janie
Relax... yes, I completely agree with you... done enough in life... now beauty in body and mind is celebrated.
Experimenting with the colors your grandchildren is great.
Many greetings to you.
Lots of love for you.
It is nice when we feel good and get some stuff done, so many lovely photos that made me smile. I am not one who would be able to homeschool as I don't have the patience to do so, which is why I am please that there are some good schools around, in fact most schools are good.
Hi Rita. Boy, you have been busy this past week. I hope the boys like and do well at the Montessori school. I am sure that they will. I looked into Montessori school for Josh when he was little, but finally decided to keep him in public school. I hope Leah likes her job and that her going back to work won't delay the basement apartment project by much. We got rain here, but we have snow in the mountains. I hope you have a good week. See you again soon!
I'm glad you're so much better now. And I think RELAX is a great mantra. I always love to see what McFamily is doing. I know that Montessori schools are excellent, and lucky kids to be going. I am so glad that's going to be possible. A great idea to let the kids choose a few things and then share it around at work. Not only does it include others in the festivities, but it's also better for everyone's health and teeth to share it around. I was interested to hear about the oil of oregano. I believe that many oils have antiseptic properties - they're pretty strong, some of these oils. My favourite "natural" antiseptic is salt. It doesn't smell of much but it even works better than anything else for me. Those kids look both cute and funny in their green suits! What lovely boys they are. I know I say that every time, but i THINK it every time I read one of your posts!
The tiger's eye bush is beautiful! What a vibrant color. The Montessori schools have a great educational philosophy. If I wasn't able to homeschool my daughters, I would have chose either Montessori or Waldorf school for them. You had quite the early snowfall there. Sorry to hear that construction is going so slow. That would be frustrating. I'm glad you're able to get your mind off the delay. The boys got a ton of candy at Halloween! Those sushi boats are huge! What a fun birthday experience!
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