Friday bullets, June 28, 2019

Let's see if I can remember everything I was going to share with you.

• TM is back safe and sound from Ecuador. He had a great experience and took some amazing pictures (of course). Here are a few of them. The cathedral in Quito

Which they climbed up and up

to the top.

He also got to walk on the equator.

• Aster was extremely happy to see him when he got home. She was a good dog while he was gone, but she missed her boy.
• I realize I never shared D.'s birthday photos.

• And speaking of D., a friend sent this the other day. This is D. in the middle surrounded by a H-S family child an M. family child.

• Last weekend some of us took a walk around the forest preserve. The trouble is, because of our less than ideal weather, the hay field between it and our house is still waiting to be mowed. It made the walking a little challenging for Y., but she did it. That was about the equivalent of months' worth of therapy there, having to lift her feet up and over the grass for the entire field.

• R. continues to struggle, particularly at night or in the too-early morning (ie 4am). It means her parents struggle, too. Some days it feels a little hopeless as communication can be challenging.
• Rosebud, the new barn cat was able to be let out of her crate today, since she had spent the required amount of time acclimating her to her new home. She did some exploring, let various children scratch her on the head, went off to explore further afield, and was then back looking for her dinner. Diesel is still in confinement.

• We finally succumbed to the heat and turned on the air-conditioning. Olive thought we didn't do it soon enough.

• H. and L. have finished their reading game cards. The week for the collection of the first prizes isn't until mid-July. I'm thinking the library's reading game method is not terribly challenging for some of my children.
• I have dug out the dozens of letters from my great-grandmother and great-grandfather to my grandmother. I am slowly transcribing them so we have readable, digital versions. It is fascinating and I may be a little obsessed by them. They are from the years between 1923 and 1954. 
• K. is off with the junior high youth group this weekend for a summer retreat. He was very excited to be able to go, and at least one of his buddies was going as well. But it also reminded me that once a child has experienced extreme hunger, it changes them forever. Before he left, he was with me on some errands, and he quizzed me on what meals he was going to eat and who would be providing them. He has a real need to know that future meals are planned for. It kind of breaks my heart.
• G. continues to be a reliable barn helper and is up every morning, waiting to go to the barn with me.
• I finally looked up Emmy's foaling date on her registry papers. It turns out she shares a birthday with Olive. We'll have to make a bigger to-do out of it next year. Maybe they can both wear party hats.
• When your oldest child owns a ball python and also happens to live at home for the time being, it means that sometimes you go into your utility room and discover a frozen mouse thawing in your utility sink.

And now I'm about to fall asleep on the keyboard, so I'll end here. Happy weekend everyone!