Catch-Up

Benjamin is back!!!  His mom had to report for work on July 24.  Her agency had to be back a week and a half earlier than the other county teachers in her school.  She and Benjamin spent the night with us four nights while our SIL was in Haiti on a mission trip.

In the pic below, Benjamin is eating out of a reusable food pouch.  He does not want anyone to feed him but will eat well with these.  Foods that can be picked up with his fingers make him happy.  He can get a toddler spoon and fork to his mouth but the food falls off about half the time.

 

We are going to have lots of fun this year because he is capable of doing so much more - - - like learning to draw with markers!  You can see he got some on the paper but he also thought they looked good enough to taste - - which I discouraged immediately.  (Paint smock was found at Michael's Craft Store.)

In addition to regular indoor play with musical instruments, blocks, bouncing balls, etc., other great fun has included going to the playground, walking inside the mall on the hottest day, going to the public library and enjoying visits to Smoothie King.

 Instead of baby seats and exersaucers, this year we have added this set from Step 2.  I am so very thankful my daughter was here to assemble it when it arrived.  Working with pre-K, she knew the puzzle of putting the chairs together as well as having the strength to stretch the back supports apart in order to snap the backrest in place.

 Our covered screened back deck is on the second floor.  To make it safer, we stapled plastic fencing around the bottom today.  It probably would have been easier with an electric staple gun but we strengthened our muscles and bones using the manual one (trying to put the positive spin on this labor of love in the heat and humidity).

Our carpets needed cleaning, too, before "school" started back.  Our previous machine had said, "Enough," so we got another from the same company - - a better machine for less money than we paid years ago.  We were very pleased at how well it extracted the water.  We shampooed over a couple of weekends.  The carpets were completely dry within 1 - 2 hours.

In the midst of everything else, my windshield got a small "ping" with cracks.  It was down in the lower left of the windshield - - not in my line of vision.  Safelite was a great company to work with on this.  They were here - - at my house - - I didn't have to go to a shop - - within two days, confirmed appointments times, and even sent a picture of the man who would do the work.

 I did not know that cleaning all the windows was included as well as vacuuming my front carpets.  He told me that I would probably still see the small cracks but they wouldn't spread - - - but they are barely, barely visible.   It was one of the easiest repairs ever to our car.

And that about catches you up with our life.  We are all adjusting to and enjoying our schedule - - and maybe - - I might have time to catch up with many of your posts from this past week!!!

Show me how you work, God; School me in your ways.  Psalm 25:4