DPP2021Day 12 and 13 - The surprise video at the end.....

 

This photo was definitely the most artistic of our two day cycle so it wins as top photo.   Our Sunday started very busy with two final basketball games of the Fall session followed by church.  After that, the Sunday was ours to create and enjoy.  As is the custom of this time of year, my list was long and overly ambitious.   I always think I can get more done in a day that what I actually do.   However, I did make some major headway on Christmas shopping and other household to dos.   Every Sunday, I also meal plan for a few meals for my parents.  This Sunday, I finally got smart and made two of everything so that our family would have some meals too.   It has been a long run of Chef Boyardee, Frozen pizza, and mac and cheese with mom gone so much.  

On the menu this week, is a chicken pot pie casserole and a baked cheese ravioli.   My parents have people bringing food a few times a week but I like to make sure they have easy main dishes to grab for lunches and dinners on the nights food isn't coming.  It makes it easier on Dad to make sure they are getting good solid meals every day.  Last week was beefy black bean chili and tuna casserole.  I think my Dad could eat tuna casserole every day if given the opportunity.  I also usually make him oatmeal cookies but unfortunately, I ran out of time!  I will have to owe him one.  He very much loves mom's recipe for oatmeal cookies which won the blue ribbon at the country fair and the purple ribbon at the state fair.  Mom can't cook anymore without help so he was pleasantly surprised to find that I knew how to make her recipe.  When I was young, I didn't think about the lessons I was learning when I helped mom in the kitchen.  There may be some things I never master because I never had the patience to learn her or Mamo's way of doing it (*ahem, pie crust, *ahem) but at least most of our family recipes, I can carry forward.  

Big B, at my suggestion, made plans to go to a movie with a friend.  Big B isn't great at instigating activities as he is so content to just be in his room.  Sometimes he just needs these little reminders about how much he enjoys hanging with friends - inertia is powerful in teenagers, dontcha know? I don't know why it is there are times when things strike me as these ah-ha moments of the kiddos growing up but today was one of them.  With Covid, Big B hasn't had as many times of being dropped off places with friends because it just wasn't an option for so long.  So watching him walk away made my mama heart skip a little at the thought of only about one more year that I get to watch him walk away from the car and need pick ups and drop offs.   E and I logged so much time driving to all her basketball things.  When she turned 16, what I missed most was our chats or joking around or singing loudly in the car.  I still miss it.   Today, I just felt that passing time was more palpable than normal.   I will continue to let him walk away but it doesn't mean I don't get to lament the little boy who is walking away into the past as well.   

Speaking of teenagers, a funny moment happened today with a sneak attack hug that I just happened to have my camera out to take a photo of the food I was making and caught the sneak attack on camera.   

E and Rich have this hilarious relationship because they both have the same sense of humor and give each other endless grief.  From competing on who is the tallest (it is E - though Rich held on the title for sooooo long) or who is the smartest or who is the fastest or who K likes best or anything else they can dream up to compete with each other on.  So it only stands to reason that if Dad wants a hug, E must not want to give one because she knows that he instantly make a game of it and she usually is able to dodge and weave and make an exit with an evil villian "A ha!" laugh.   The look on her face is so funny as she is clearly both surprised, amused, and suddenly aware that he won this round.  Shortly after this photo, she dropped to the ground for the escape.  The giggles and screeching was quite the entertainment in the middle of my kitchen while I tried to make meals.  But these are things that keep my life so interesting.   

At the end of day 12, the two littles asked that I take their photo and then posed like this.  I found this hilarious! I always think they will get tired of this blog.  I have been doing it for 8 years now.   But they don't.   They actively participate and make note when a story belongs on the blog.  And every now and then, we get a cheesy posed photo in their eagerness to participate.  I am here for all of it because I love their spirit.   These two either are the bestest of buds or archenemies.   There isn’t much in between with them.  Fortunately, most of the time they are best buds.  A fun thing I want to remember right now is their innovative spirit.   They are both creative and innovative.  Lil B is a leader of people and he has the charisma to convince people this is a business is worth their time and K is the one that brings him back down to the tasks at hand.  They have developed a new business where they are crumbling up candy and mixing and matching it to create new concoctions.  I call this a win because it means a whole bunch of that Halloween candy is being smashed up to create new creations of inventory.   One night, we went up and and they had "set the table" (three tv trays with plates, silverware and drinks) and served us a four course meal of different powdered and reconstituted candies.   I don't know how they dreamt this up but it provides them with hours of entertainment while keeping them off of screens.   I take a little mess to know their little brains are working away and developing those entrepreneur skills.  

Day 13 started a little rough as Mondays do.   Everyone was tired and trying to find their rhythm in the morning routine.  I just happened to be walking by to see Big B move from his bed to sitting on the floor so that he could have a morning chat with Teds before heading off to school.  The relationship B has with Teddy is pretty sweet.  B doesn't ever force Teds to do anything and as a reward, Teds gravitates towards B a lot of the time.  B, of course, loves that which only further encourages his spoiling of Teds.   

This photos pretty much summarized our Monday.   E wasn't feeling great but had a presentation that was a be there or get 50% type of situation.   A little light headed and clammy but she wasn't about to not be there.  She doesn't complain about not feeling well often so I was a bit worried but she rebounded quickly. I think she just has just run herself down.   As the day went on, she felt better and her project we well too.   I love that she cares so much about her schooling and her future.  But sometimes she has to be reminded to sleep and to take care of herself too.  This has been especially true in this semester with AP Lang and Physics keeping her on her toes.  B was just tired.  He has worked hard this semester and is ready for break.  He continues to power through but he doesn't have to like it.  

The last thing is a video.   She gave us permission to post which is HUGE for her.  She hasn't been one to be willing to sing in front of others.  She has been able to carry a tune (even when her brothers are singing loudly and off key) since she was very little.   She sings constantly around the house.  And when she asked for me to put this on my blog, I about fell over.   So if you are reading this and you take the time to listen to her short little video - leave K a little note in the comments here, or on Facebook or Instagram.   And is there anything cuter than a young singer singing the words as her brain heard them?  This takes bravery for her and I am so proud of her for moving towards being more comfortable singing all the time.  Baby Steps.  

Then when I tried to teach her the words,  I just screwed up her vibe. Even so, you can hear her confidence increasing....💖