While the boys are practicing baseball, the girls are out walking!
The girls are out walking!
Category Archives: Kids
Big chair, little girl
We went out to dinner for Tom’s birthday (early) and this chair was at the restaurant!
This is how I got her to shower this morning without major drama.
Owen’s homeroom!
We had Curriculum Night tonight. And really it was just me because they were limiting the number of people in person…but barely anyone even showed up! I pulled in early to make sure I got a parking spot (because these nights are generally a hot mess) and the lot was practically empty! I didn’t see one person in the halls the entire walk to his classroom! The good thing is that his Homeroom teacher arrived a few minutes later so I got to have a good 10 minutes with her!
Anyway, he seems to have some great teachers! And here’s some pics of his hallway and classroom!
Owen needs braces again.
The orthodontist has an even fancier system for tooth models now! It’s a tiny little camera she just moves around his mouth and it turns it into a 3D model!
https://youtube.com/shorts/SYxHvNj7IDM
His last adult tooth (red X) is trying to come in on top of another tooth. So they have to move the tooth that’s currently there to the empty spot (green arrow). This means six months of full braces on the top and then likely two years of Invisalign after.
Why Invisalign? Owen asked for it and since he did really well keeping track of his retainer the past two years, we said we’d think about it. Unfortunately it’s more expensive, to the tune of about $6k. We’re still waiting on the price for regular braces because we are out of insurance benefits (we were out from Day 1—benefits max out at like $1750 and we have already paid that much ourselves).
This is not a band-aid.
GRRRR!! KATIE! I needed a band-aid and pulled out the box from under the sink. Nope. Makeup. So this means she used ALL OF THEM and then not only didn’t tell us, but stored her own crap in there.
KIDS!!!
I asked to take a pic because she was cute.
And this is what she gave me.
First day of 4th and 7th!
These two are zonked!
Back-to-school Katie cut!
Katie’s getting a back to school cut…and I get to sit with her purse because she doesn’t need me standing next to her anymore. Cue motherly crying.
Her hair is FINALLY getting longer! It seriously didn’t grow forever—it was so strange! This is only her fourth cut in her life and every time was just a tiny trim. Needless to say she’s excited!
Biking for donuts!
Tom and Katie biked to Dunkin Donuts this morning for a breakfast date.
Kayaking for almost all of us!
Anna wanted to take a guided kayak tour at Starved Rock campground and invited us. I know my limits and Katie’s limits (after her kayak meltdown at Grannie and Papa’s earlier this summer) so I passed…but Tom and Owen went. They had a great time! (And I had a good time taking Katie shopping!)
And lunch!
She gave the hearts back.
We were having a dramatic issue with Katie (OMG she can be such a drama queen) and I found this pile outside our bedroom.
These were the hearts we wrote for her and put on her door leading up to Valentine’s Day this year.
She loves these hearts.
I asked why she did it… “I DONT NEED LOVE.” I told her to throw them away and she refused, saying she still likes them.
Kids. Sigh.
Sometimes Maggie gets a special treat!
Sunday morning slide!
Maggie loves sleeping with her girl
Kid retrieval!
Lunch and kid exchange, goodbye hugs, and proving that Owen is officially taller than Grannie now!
We’re down to the final hours.
Or picking up the kids from two weeks of grandparent camp. Which happens today. In a few hours.
Don’t get me wrong. I love my children dearly. But I absolutely do not miss them while they’re gone for these two weeks. Aside from the fact I know they’re having a great time with their grandparents and making awesome memories…our house is soooo quiet and there’s no whining or arguing or drama or asking for snacks and I don’t have to do any parenting, which we all know is mentally exhausting.
FYI Tom says he misses them the whole time. I say it’s because he wasn’t the only one home with them for their entire lives (minus this past Covid timeline).
The pontoon experience!
Owen got to drive for the first time!
Katie got a chance, too!
The family house on Eagle Harbor
Linda’s Aunt Carol’s house right across from Eagle Harbor. The kids have been there more than we have!
The little house for changing and showering.
Eagle Harbor Light House
I’d enjoy this mini overnight getaway a little more if…
- We weren’t picking up our kids from Grandparent Camp tomorrow.
- This was an ocean view on a cruise ship. These windows are awesome but the view is…meh.
What’s the story? We were meeting my dad and Linda in Wausau to make the exchange…and Tom decided he would rather drive up the night before and stay overnight instead of having to get up and on the road super early. I was fine with that.
Last time at Mark’s!
Last time the kids went swimming at Mark’s!
Owen swimming under the dock.
Last time in Mark’s hot tub.
Katie almost fits in Grannie’s shoes.
I know someone else who loved shoes…
Hiking with Papa and Grannie
From Linda:
North point outer shore on the Big Lake (Lake Superior). The day before Owen and Grannie kayaked from south shore, around middle point, through the channel between outer point and the island. On to two more islands and between those on the Big Lake. A little fish was jumping out of the water around the bow of Owen’s kayak. Also saw two loons. Great ride. Owen is stronger than Grannie.
Katie’s Room: Done
We pulled out two bags of garbage (sooooo much paper and candy wrappers and broken crayons), did about four loads of laundry, and removed two garbage bags of outgrown clothes. I cleaned the carpet TWICE (but alas it will never be clean because Katie loves to play with makeup and dye and markers and God knows what else and it has permanent stains).
She got a new ceiling fan, curtains, and princess netting, plus we finally hung her initials. Tom will eventually build a window seat with bookshelves IF she can keep it picked up. If not, the new rule is “If you don’t keep it picked up, I will remove the things so you don’t have to worry about it.”
Katie built a creative fort in the bed.
The ongoing Monopoly game!
Grannie said they played forever—and Owen eventually had hotels on everything but he just kept giving Katie money so she could keep playing!
Esrey Park
Outer Point in the background where Owen had kayaked.
The kids are on a boat!
From Grannie: Heading out on pontoon boat. Going to LacLaBelle. Through lake out to Lake Superior. Bringing sandwiches + for supper
Failure and Fun
Linda let us know it wasn’t all fun and games…
I asked what they were watching. First answer- nothing. Did not accept that. Another ask. Mumble. Another ask. Not a teacher for nothing.
We were watching something Bob. No clue to me. O said mom and dad don’t like it. So maybe you shouldn’t be watching it. Yah. Give me the remote. He hands it nicely. K is totally quiet, unless I ask her specific questions. Me, you lost the privilege of watching tv downstairs.
It was bedtime. K goes to her room. O asks to talk with me. Said it wasn’t really Bob (?) they were watching. Something worse…? Norman, maybe. I thanked him for being honest. Tried the why questions. Did tell him he was the big brother. Both in tears. O really meant sorry. K not so much. I have hidden both remotes for the rest of the week. Told them we would not continue to discuss it.
Fun: Nanc, Tim, Anna, Liz, and my cousin Colleen, her husband Randy, and her brother Randy came over for muffins, coffee, juice. Liz played darts with OK. They also visited. One of my cousins talked about people from Chicago being fibbers? O didn’t like it and left. They have had lunch. Waiting for ham to come out of oven. O prepped it. I made good potatoes. Mark and Julie coming for supper. Once ham out O and I going kayaking. Then to the beach. Hazy today.