August

Sunday the 2nd of August we did the church thing and other usual things. At 10 am I went to see my sweet friend Julie Whitehead. We had a Diet Dr. Pepper together and caught up on the last three years of our lives. I couldn’t believe it had really been that long since I had seen her. I got home just after noon and the rest of the day was spent quite chilled out. We were trying to soak up as much of the last few days we had left of our summer vacation. We did play dominoes after dinner, but other than that we didn’t have a lot of excitement in the day. 

On Monday the 3rd the kids start Rio Swim Club. 

They loved it, although we kind of had to force Jack initially. He felt if he did swimming he couldn’t do basketball. Although he will have to focus on one sport in a few years, we assured him we would do the best we could to keep him involved in both sports for now. Hope we aren’t proved to be liars. 

Tuesday Millie went to Gold Medal Gymnastics. She went for a trial and they said she would most likely be in the beginners class. Well, wouldn’t you know it? She was moved to the intermediate class. So we got her signed up for classes. She was so excited to be starting, as well as to have met Amanda Borden, the owner of the gym and a former Olympic Gold Medalist who was a part of the Magnificent Seven at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Georgia. She was on cloud nine. 

She was meant to be involved in gymnastics. 

Wednesday was our first day of school. The kids both went with Stuart. Grammie and Pop got up to send all of us off. 

First day of school pancakes, of course. 

The masks were ready!

Clearly Jack was motivated his first day. 

Millie looks a bit more engaged. 

After School the kids had swimming. We then came home and had dinner. I then went to get her helium balloons for her birthday so they would be there the following morning. 

We also blew up about 30 balloons and laid them on her floor while she was asleep. Who doesn’t love a room full of balloons? 

The table was ready. 

And there were plenty of presents. 

Thursday morning I was up early making cinnamon rolls. Millie opened some presents and then we headed off to school. The kids were still doing pretty well with Stuart at school. However, I assumed it was only a matter of time until I would have one with me and the other would be with Stuart. It was only fair. 

We were home by 4:15 pm ready to open presents. The birthday dinner commenced at 5 pm because we had to be finished for Millie’s surprise ‘drive by’ from some of her (our) friends. It’s tough to live in a place and have a birthday when you turn nine, but not really have any friends. We did our best to make it special, spending about as much money as we would at Christmas. In the end, I think she cashed in. 

Our friend Jenny made her cake, which she loved. John and Jen came early and John did magic tricks for Millie. They had masks on, but did come in the house. It was a bit awkward feeling so awkward. 

Sue and Tim drove by and brought her some adorable unicorn things. She carries her little back pack full of doll clothes and her new make up that we got her is in the little unicorn make-up pouch. 

Grammie and Pop helped with festivities and then Pop enjoyed cake. 

John and Jen were the stars. Jen has an amazing flare with cake making and John is forever the comedian. 

Maytee, Ken, Gigi and Lexi also made it, even though Gigi had to scoot off to archery, I think. 

And naturally, it would not be a party without Gavin and Maddax, and of course Vicki. I think it was a successful birthday

Friday we finished up our first three days of school and we were exhausted. I got home and it was reported that  Millie and Jack had been goofing around at the end of the school day. We headed to Ken and Maytee’s for the evening. On the way, Millie flipped out because she was mad that I hadn’t yelled at Jack for bringing his phone. I told her that I never said he couldn’t bring it. She claimed that the only reason I didn’t shout at him and I would at her was because she was adopted. That girl can cut straight to my heart. I know she doesn’t understand the impact of what she says, but hope one day she does realize that we love them both as much as the other. 

We got to Ken and Maytee’s for dinner. They had a little birthday celebration for Millie, which surprised her. The kids went swimming at Laurie and John’s and we didn’t get home until nearly midnight. It was a late, but very enjoyable evening. 

Saturday we got up and went out for a bit to pick up two dolls Grammie had purchased for Millie. She was so excited. We then went to Target for some needed accessories for the new dolls. Millie spent her own money on an outfit, and of course Grammie bought her an outfit. Then when we got home Millie used one of her Amazon gift cards she got for her birthday to order some clothes for her new boy doll. 

Jack had basketball and Stuart, Millie and I ran some errands. Jack didn’t end up staying long because there were too many people at the gym. So he was home way before we got him. Later in the afternoon we went to Ryan and Vicki’s for dinner. Jack ended up staying the night. Stuart, Millie and I came home for a movie night. We watched the new Lady and the Tramp. It was so cute. Millie went to bed after the movie, and so did Stuart and I. 

Sunday morning we got up and went to pick up Jack. We took donuts. We were home just after noon because we made a stop at Costco to get stuff for dinner. We did lunch on our own and then Stuart fixed a roast dinner. I spent most of the afternoon watching the show of my choice back in the bedroom. 

Monday was my last day at school without a child. 

This is the main reason once child had to come with me. It seems Millie popped into Jack’s class meeting the previous week. It also seems that Stuart was frustrated and the technology wasn’t cooperating. So it was decided that Millie would come with me the following day. Monday after school we took the kids to swimming and went to Pier 1. I found a rug I liked, but decided to think on it as we won’t be in our house for a little while. We’d just have to store it. Once we picked the kids up it was home, showers and dinner. 

Tuesday Millie came to school with me. She just got on with her work, thank goodness. She has A LOT of work. It seems a bit overwhelming for a 3rd grader, but she is meticulous thankfully. Although she has some hyper activity in her, it plays in her favor with school it seems. 

I took Jack to basketball and couldn’t help but yelling while he played. I was encouraging, but I just wanted to correct his bad habits. He is behind in skill at this point. But I do believe that the opportunities we have our kids in the seven years we lived out of the country outweigh being up to date on his athletic skills. Don’t get me wrong, I want him to be competitive and able to participate in sports in junior high, high school, and possibly college, but it’s not the end all. I just want both kids to enjoy anything he chooses to do. 

Millie had a tough day with me on Wednesday and I told her she would have to go back with Stuart on Thursday, but in the end I decided that was a bit of a rejection to her and that wasn’t helpful. 

Wednesday evening the kids had swimming again. Stuart and I just hung around the shopping area close by. It doesn’t seem like much, but that hour together helps us to decompress. 

Thursday Millie came back with me to school. She had a much better day at school. We had a staff meeting at the end of the day that just threw a bunch of new things at us. It seems everyday something changes. It’s our new ‘normal’ I suppose. 

After school we had a bite to eat and then Jack was taken to basketball by Grammie and Pop. Stuart and I were able to stay home with Millie. Millie was in bed by 7:30 pm and Stuart and I just had some time together. 

Friday Millie came back to school with me. My team felt we had a better grip on our daily routine, now that we were 8 days into the school year. Since we had knew this would be our lives until at least the middle of October, it helped to feel more settled. We had  to change the format of our Google Classroom to something more user friendly for our students. After school, Stuart and Jack came up from Ryan Elementary. We took Millie to her first official gymnastics class. She was so excited.  We then went to Joe’s BBQ for dinner. We sat in a booth that had plexiglass all around it. It seemed relatively safe. The food was amazing. 

Jack has a half rack of ribs. 

Millie had a baked potato. She ate nearly the whole thing, and it was huge!!!!

Saturday we were up and doing a lot of nothing. Millie had gymnastics, and Jack was supposed to go to practice basketball at the gym. Instead he and Pop came to Millie’s gymnastics as the basketball gym didn’t have an available court. Grammie, Millie and I headed to WinCo after gymnastics and Jack and Pop headed home. Stuart has the afternoon to himself. The rest of the afternoon was spent just doing our normal Saturday things. 

Sunday we ended up going to Ken and Maytee’s for dinner and swimming. Stuart helped put together a couple of desks. He also agreed to go over after the kids swam on Monday evening to help put the trundle beds together that they bought for the girls. After swimming Monday we headed back to the Green’s house after stopping at Jack in the Box for a very nutritious dinner. Ken and I sat and chatted while Stuart and Maytee put beds together. I think Ken and I had the easy part. We got home quite late, which is never good for Millie, but Jack was the one who was still awake after 11 pm. 

Millie went with me to school on Monday and Tuesday, then it was back with dad.  We did our normal Tuesday night routine with Jack and his basketball academy. 

On Wednesday I delivered materials to the students in my class. It was so great to see the kids in person. I felt it was the personal touch that was needed for me to connect to my class a bit more, especially in these uncertain times in history. It was hot and I found I had kids that live way out of our boundaries, but it was well worth it to see their faces. 

We took the kids to swimming as is now our routine for Wednesdays. When we got back from swimming, the kids showered and ate dinner. Then it was bed for all. 

Thursday it was school as normal. I then took Jack to basketball and it was pointed out to me that he is way behind the curve when it comes to his skill and knowledge of basketball. We stopped to get ice cream at Safeway. Grammie and Pop went in and I spoke with Jack about his basketball abilities. I assured him that if he decided he didn’t want to play it would be fine with us. I told him he was most likely a bit behind because we had not been in the states for him to play basketball all this time. But I also reminded him that the trade off was that he was able to travel all over the world and his life experiences will always mean more to me than a career in any sport. He assured me he wanted to play basketball and he would do the best he could to catch up with the other kids his age. Our main goals for him are that he is involved in some sport, no matter which one that may be, that he stays active, and that he has fun. If he can accomplish those three goals we will be happy. 

Friday was school and then Jack and I met Millie and Stuart for a snack. I then took Millie to gymnastics while Stuart and Jack headed back to the house. Millie had another successful practice. We headed home and had some dinner before Millie took a shower. 

Saturday we were up and went to the supermarket. The kids stayed home with Grammie and Pop. Millie had gymnastics and Stuart and Grammie went with us. At the end of gymnastics we went to Dick’s Sporting Goods for Grammie to try to find some new tennis shoes. As her feet have been feeling better, she has started walking again and needs some new tennis shoes. Millie needed a new swim suit for swim club and a new pair of flip flops. 

We were home for the rest of the afternoon. Stuart and I hung out in the bedroom and then sat on the porch in the heat. There was a lightning show, which was kind of exciting. We went to bed shortly after Jack was in bed. We find these days that there are no real reasons to stay awake, so sleep is in order. 

Sunday we were up for church. I then ironed my clothes for the week. It was a very different experience from the previous week when I burned a hole in one of my dresses. I clearly was never meant to iron any clothes. 

Around noon, the kids and I went to lunch with my friend Debi and her boys. We had Wendy’s food before going to Uptown Jungle in Chandler, which is a trampoline, climbing park for kids. They had to wear their masks as they walked around the place, but then were free to jump without their masks. Debi and I had over two hours of catching up. It was so good for my soul. 

When we got home the kids decided they wanted to order pizza. So we got Pizza Hut and then Stuart discovered that Jack had a ton of missing assignments from school. So much for being trustworthy with your assignments. It seems that Mr Jack would rather watch YouTube videos than do his work. Well, guess who lost the privilege to watch anything on the computer during school hours from now on? Shame! So I spent the rest of Sunday evening helping him catch up. 

Monday Jack went to school with me. I was videoed for the Chandler Facebook page. Crazy post. Upsetting. Both kids had swimming. Home, food and bed shortly after. 

Sue and I walked on Tuesday instead of Wednesday of this week as it was her birthday and she and her family were going on a trip up north, with all the Tharalsons meeting up for a meal and some time together. 

School was better for Jack as he got all of his assignments finished. Millie had an epic meltdown after school. We are seeing family counseling next week as we are at a loss as to what we need to do to help her control her emotions. I pray that we will get some answers prior to puberty. 

Jack had tryouts for the Reach club team. He was so excited. He did well and was to find out by Thursday if he made the team. I think he will, which just means more money out of our pockets. As long as he likes it, we will do it. 

Wednesday at school I had a team meeting that I actually forgot about. When the meeting started I was delivering headphones to one of my students. Thank goodness I wasn’t out getting lunch. My principal is so positive and encouraging of our efforts, which is so good for our morale right now. 

We got home in time to go to the swim club. On the way, I read an email and found out Jack made the Reach club team. He was beyond excited. After we dropped the kids off, we went back home to collect Grammie and Pop. We were given struck directions not to tell Pop that Jack had made the team. 

We picked the kids up from swimming, they changed and we headed to the Digital Drive In Cinema in Mesa because Jack won us tickets on the radio the previous week. The game on KEZ was to ask a question of Beth and see if she could be stumped. Jack was very eloquent and actually stumped her by asking her what the Burj Khalifa was. He had to inform her that it was the tallest building in the world in Dubai. She had a really long conversation with him about school and how he felt about being online. He then proceeded to tell her our story of the last 5 months and how he didn’t really have any friends here. I nearly cried. The movie was Sing, which we have seen a lot, but he won’t the tickets so he was very pleased with himself. We took a picnic, which apparently was against the rules, but no one checked so we got away with it. We didn’t get home until well after 9 pm. I insisted the kids shower and then they went straight to bed. 

Thursday was a difficult get up for all of us. It was business as usual at school and then home for a bit before Stuart took Jack to basketball. Millie and I stayed home and watched a bit of Madagascar 2. Grammie and Pop has left that morning for a weekend anniversary trip to Showlow. Jack has a successful practice and was very pleased to be a member of a proper basketball team. 

Friday morning we were up and out for our Friday donut run. Jack and I tried Dunkin Donuts as they are now serving all pumpkin stuff. Jack wasn’t terribly impressed with his pumpkin latte, but I thought it was delightful. The day came and went and then we met Stuart and Millie in order to exchange children and I took Millie to gymnastics. She was so pleased with herself as she showed her class how she could walk on her hands. 

When we got home we had went to Ken and Maytee’s for the evening. We didn’t get home until after 11 pm and the kids talked me into watching an episode of Fuller House before they went to bed. I stayed up until late, watching my trash shows. It’s what I like to do. 

On Saturday morning we lounged around the house. Stuart made bacon, eggs and toast for breakfast. We then sat in the living room and watched television. The kids played in their rooms and it was a lazy morning. Millie and I went to gymnastics, which was her last class on a Saturday as she was able to get into the Tuesday and Thursday classes, which will be easier for all of us. 

Once we were home, after a shopping trip to Old Navy and dollars later, we watched Jurassic Park. Our friends John and Jenny came over for dinner. John brought his puppet, Eli, and now guess who wants a puppet for his birthday? 

He decided this was the best way to be a ventriloquist. 

Another month is in the books. Sometimes it feels as if we live a version of the movie Groundhog’s Day. It’s definitely a monumental, life changing time in history. 

July

Grammie and Pop arrived safely on Sunday the 5th and it was back to usual business; puzzles, games, television game shows and hot lunches. 

That entire week we spent time in our classrooms to prepare them for the coming school year, whatever that may look like. On Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday we worked in my classroom. Grammie helped the first two days, but decided to sit out the last day. Sue helped all three days and made sure she prefaced everything she said with ‘Now these are just suggestions. Feel free to say no when you like’, which of course I never did as I loved all of her suggestions. I haven’t decorated a classroom in 12 years. The past two years I have had a teaching assistant who has done all of that for me. So getting back in and remembering you need to use push pins BEFORE you bugger something up with a staple and have to redo it, was something I needed assistance with. 

Any idea what the theme to my classroom is?

This says ‘S’more Good Work’.

And this is my reading corner. There were still some little touches left to do, but I was very pleased with the look of everything when we left on Wednesday. It was just very important to me to get my mind in the right place and be prepared for the children to come back into school, whenever that may be. 

Thursday and Friday we spent time working in Stuart’s room. I stopped in to have a chat with Diane, the principal at Ryan, who used to be my boss. Then I carried on to help Stuart. His room was cleaner than mine, so he could almost get right to the decorating part. 

I made this board and decided I would need a smaller one in my classroom as well. Because we study Arizona history in 4th grande, it made sense to have an Arizona flag as a display board, until we discovered that no longer do 4th graders study Arizona history, but that has moved to 3rd grade. 

Here is Stuart’s reading corner. 

We spent some time in the first week of July sorting out Jack and his feelings about life at this time. He had some really sad times and his sadness made me very sad. He is really a very social kid, as is Millie, but he’s at a different stage in his social life and we do worry about him in a different way through these unsure times. Millie is able to entertain herself a bit more and likes friends, but doesn’t NEED them. Jack NEEDS friends. I’m just in constant prayer that these feelings resolve and subside. We are definitely committing more time to talking with both of the kids and just being together with them. 

Our second week in July started with Jack having a basketball training session with Desmond Howard, a former college player and brother to some of Russ’s former players. Jack enjoyed it but felt he would be better off going to a session with himself and a few more kids. He is driven by competition with others. So we put that on the calendar for the following week. 

We then headed to my school to drop off the treasures we had found on our Saturday Goodwill tour, which included my mom, Stuart, Sue and myself  trolling the Goodwills of the east valley to get cheap children’s books. Stuart and Millie headed to his school while Jack and I went to the basketball court. Stuart ended up taking down the Arizona flag and getting some more things organized. Monday afternoon we decided to take the kids out for a drive and walk around a couple of furniture stores. When we arrived at Living Spaces, something horrible happened to our car. It was a loud noise and the air conditioner started to blow hot air. We decided to go on in and walk around and when we came back out, we drove straight to our mechanic and dropped the car off. That turned out to be a bit of an expense, but Pop decided he would pay the bill. It was the car we bought from him. He definitely did us a huge favor. Our situation with our previous job turned sour after the school year was over, so the help with the car was much appreciated. 

I walked with Sue Tuesday morning and she told me about a basketball camp Chandler was having for the remainder of the week. We decided to take Jack and Millie. We left the house in time to get cash and get them to Payne Junior High by 1 pm. We had discussed that the kids’ mental well-being was going to have to take priority from now on. Stuart and I did some errands and then when we picked them up. The first thing Millie said to me when she saw me was, ‘Mom, can we come again tomorrow?’  I was so thrilled they enjoyed themselves. We felt we had made the right decision for them.  

While they had their basketball Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, Stuart and I took some time to ourselves, just driving around, getting food to eat and a walk around Wal Mart as well as San Tan Village. Although it was smokin’ hot, it gave us something to do. It was nice to just be by ourselves. 

Wednesday evening of that week we went to swim at John and Laurie’s as they were in California and we could go in through the back gate with Ken and Maytee. The kids enjoyed connecting with Gigi and Lexi. 

Thursday my niece was meant to have flown into Phoenix and I was to pick her up. Her fiancé was then going to collect her from Grammie and Pop’s. But in the end it turned out he didn’t have to work and could pick her up instead. It was arranged that they would come back to the QC on the 26th and spend the night before she returned home on the 27th. 

Friday we went to Ryan and Vicki’s to have dinner and let the kids play. We all had such an amazing time. We decided to let both kids sleepover. Saturday morning we went to pick them up. We stopped to get donuts and then ended up staying for lunch. We got salads from Salads and Go, which were delightful. 

Sunday was the 19th, and my birthday. 

I had requested taco salads and jello dessert instead of a cake. I don’t really like cake. 

I got some money from Grammie and Pop and the kids and Stuart got me a lovely wallet and new hand bag. 
I love them both. My birthday celebration was really nice. I am not a huge fan of birthdays anymore, but it was a good day. 

After the birthday weekend I had, it didn’t take long on Monday to be bored and want to get out of the house. We were starting school on the 22nd, so we still had two days to fill. So Top Golf it was. We had an amazing time. The kids loved it and actually didn’t argue one bit. 

Jack was a star!

Millie was just intertwining the entire time. 

Tuesday I had coffee with my friend Lisa while the kids went with Stuart to his school. He decided quickly that once we started instruction it would be a bad idea for both of our little darlings to go with him to school. 

Wednesday was our first official day back to school. It was pretty overwhelming, as we were required to do all of our professional development online. This will be a year to remember for sure. We feel very fortunate that this online thing is really not new to us. 

When we got home from school, new masks had arrived. They say ‘I will teach here and there, I will teach anywhere’. It’s true!

When we got home Thursday after school, we had Crazy dinner night. Millie, Jack, Grammie and Pop was dressed crazy (Jack wouldn’t let me take his picture) and the dinner table was set crazily.  

The napkins were all wrinkled up and the silverware wasn’t in the right place. It was a cute idea and kept the kids occupied all day. 

After dinner Grammie, Pop and I took Jack to Sossoman Junior High to have a trial run with Reach basketball academy. This was the program he had attended the previous week. He had decided he wanted to give it a shot. His group basketball session the beginning of this week was not what he wanted. He felt it was too intense for him and he wasn’t ready for that type of training. We had also discussed that Pop would try to find a gym where he could take him to work out. 

Jack said he liked it for the most part. He was able to articulate that he thought it would get easier as time went on. He’s out of shape and has been sitting around for the past 4 months so we knew it would take some time for him to get back into shape. 

Friday is our day to wear our school t-shirts. So I spotted my new school shirt. I’m a Shumway Star. I am very happy with my position and really look forward to making a difference this year. 

Our first few days of work were tolerable. We did our best to work through the online training needed to get prepared for our new normal. We were certainly ready for the weekend when it came. 

Saturday we got up and took off with the kids to run errands. We went to Costco and then just walked around some shops before getting some food at Buffalo Wild Wings. We then met Pop at a gym where we were told Jack would be able to be worked out by Pop. The cost would be $45 an hour which would be a bit steep for us. In the end, the guy who ran the gym worked with Russ for years and just told Pop that if the gym was available he could use it for free. Free is way better than $45 an hour. So we have Jack sorted for sports and now we need to get Millie sorted. My plan was to look into gymnastics for her in the new week. 

Sunday my niece, Morgan, and her fiancée Donavin came to the QC for the day and to spend the night. We decided we would order food from Oreganos. It was a special treat for sure. I ordered their gluten free pizza, which was nice. We spent the evening just chatting with Donavin and Morgan. We had a good time. Morgan is such an amazing person. I’m so happy for her and Donavin. Morgan took on the challenge of reading Millie’s changing body book. Morgan asked me what I DIDN’T want her to tell Millie. All I knew to tell her was ‘well, don’t tell her anything that is not in the book’. I hope that was the right answer. 

Monday morning I got up to do my normal walk. We were off to school by 7 am. Grammie and Pop took the kids for a swim evaluation. We had decided that since they were on their swim squad in the UAE, it might be nice to get them involved in a swim club here.  I called Grammie and she gave me their results, which were decent. I then called the swim school to find out what the process was for getting them involved. I was at school until 4:30 pm and then had to fill up my tires on the way home because my tire pressure light went on. Filling up your tires when it is 117 degrees outside is really fun!

When we got home, we spoke to the kids about their thoughts with the swim school. Jack wasn’t so keen, but in the end we talked him into at least giving it a shot for a month. He agreed, but suspected we thought he wasn’t going to do well with basketball, so we wanted him to do swimming instead. That wasn’t our thinking. Instead, we just want him involved and to try to make some connections with other kids. 

Tuesday I finished all of my professional development classes. I got the kids signed up for swimming two nights a week and Millie a gymnastics trial class for the following week. I felt very accomplished and happy that we were getting the kids sorted and involved. Jack had basketball Tuesday evening. He had a lot more confidence, which made me happy. 

He also became official when he got his jersey. 

This boy sweats....A LOT!

Wednesday I met Sue at 5 am for our weekly walk. The sprinklers were on at the park, so we had to be a bit more creative. I continue to feel that Sue is my counselor that is free. I so appreciate all of her conversation and tips for school and just life. 

All teachers had to come back to school on Wednesday the 29th of July. We had a staff meeting around 10:30 that was full of too much information. The rest of the day we were able to work in our rooms, which was nice. I piddled around and cut out some of my laminating. I am doing my best to take one day at a time. It’s about the only choice at this point. The relief for me is my teammates, who are a great deal younger than me, are really nice girls. 

On Thursday I went to pick up food for lunch and went to Sanborn Elementary and had lunch with my friend Jennifer, or as I refer to her, Bennifer. It was great to catch up with her. I was gone a bit longer than I should have been, but during our work days it seems not many are fussed about it. 

The week seemed to drag on a bit, and we were ready for the weekend for sure once Friday, 3 pm hit. Stuart and I met at WinCo on Friday after school, mainly because we had never been there. I am thinking we will most likely shop there once we are back in our own house. I was supposed to meet up with an old roommate, but she canceled at the last minute as she is opening a new school as a principal this year and was swamped with everything, which I absolutely understood. 

On my way home from WinCo, my air conditioner in the car started blowing hot. I turned it off and rolled down the windows. The air outside was only 120 degrees. Ugh! After about 5 miles I turned it back on and it worked like a charm. I had called the mechanic to tell them I would be bringing the call in on Saturday morning. These cars! When we finally got home on Friday night, the kids and Grammie had planned a ‘picnic’ inside for us. Because we arrived a bit earlier then Millie was ready for, she had a bit of a meltdown. She rebounded and we had our little picnic, which was sweet. 

Saturday morning I got up and walked with Marion and Susan. We pretty much walked down the middle of the streets of our neighborhood. It was good to catch up with both of them. They are part of the Bunco Babes that used to be together, but have all kind of gone in different directions. 

Once I had showered, we took my car to the mechanic, then headed on to Home Depot to get a huge sheet of whiteboard cut into 32 pieces. It was super cheap at $14. It was an exciting outing. When we returned to the house, we grabbed the kids and went to Target to do some school supply shopping. We got everything they needed, and maybe a few things they didn’t. Of course Millie had to show us the My Generation dolls and accessories that she wanted. When we had finished shopping, Jack asked me if he and I could sneak away and he could buy her something for her birthday. He said, ‘I will use my own money’, which I wasn’t going to let him do as he really doesn’t have much money. But he thought that was going to be the case. And the fact that he was willing to spend his own money made me very happy and warmed my heart. We bought her the dog house and puppy she wanted and then put it in a gift bag so she wouldn’t see it. Jack was so pleased with himself. 

When we got home, the kids played a video game together. We fed them both and Jack was off to workout with Pop. Stuart and I headed out to run a few more errands while Millie stayed home with Grammie. We ended up needing to pick up a few things from Wal Mart. I went down one aisle and saw two women who had both taken their masks off. One said to the other, ‘It’s all political. After the election this whole thing will be over.’ I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. It’s sometimes more than I can stand. 

Once back home, I made enchiladas and went into my room to watch some television with Stuart. I had a bit of a snooze as well. Dinner was delightful, we finished another puzzle, played a game of dominoes, the kids showered and went to bed, while I ended the night with some mindless watching of game shows. What a life!