Quarantine and chill and kindness chatty clubhouse: Jump in and join the conversation! All is welcome!

[apirateslifeforme]

I'm finally back! We have been busy this weekend! First off, on Saturday morning, DH reminded me that it was the 10-year anniversary of our engagement! On September 5, 2010, we went to the Winsor Dam/Quabbin Reservoir in Belchertown, MA and he proposed! We've been planning to return on the 10-year anniversary and take another photo in the same spot, only this time, with our "baby" in it with us. So we did exactly that! We took Josh's new bike and he rode it from one end of the dam to the other - lots of other little kids were riding their bikes as well. We recreated our engagement photo, just with Josh between us with his eyes closed (more from the sun being in his face, not because Mommy and Daddy were kissing ), and later when we compared, we noticed that not only were we literally in EXACTLY the same spot, DH and I have barely changed! My hair is even the exact same color and style! I'd say the only real difference, aside from the child, is that the skin under my chin is clearly looser

After that, Josh rode his bike/we walked back across the dam and drove around to the other side to see the Quabbin Tower and the Enfield Overlook, where back in the 1930s, 4 towns were dismantled and relocated in order to flood the area for the reservoir. We also stopped in the Quabbin Park Cemetery, as my kid is a creeper like me and LOVES cemeteries. There's a statue there that I swear is haunted...we visited 9 years ago, and while taking a photo of this one statue, I got a really horrible feeling and my insides turned to jelly, I swear. I hightailed it out of there really fast. Now, we drove by and I wouldn't get out of the car, but I took a photo of the same statue. Got a heavy feeling in my chest and started to feel like I was choking. So I said yep, time to move on...

Josh's school iPad finally populated correctly on Saturday evening, so that's done. I hope Teams works the same way on that that it does on the computer. I guess we'll find out on Wednesday when everyone needs to use it! I still can't fill out the forms in "powerschool," though; it keeps telling me that it's unable to find the record associated with his ID. Yesterday we visited my in-laws and he rode his new bike for them as well. We were very proud that he wore real underpants all day and didn't pee in them once! Later in the evening, his teacher finally emailed the schedule - apparently she had emailed it on Friday evening, but nobody received it. But Josh will only have to get online 4-5 times per day for about 15 minutes at a time. Unfortunately, these times are from 8:55 in the morning until about 2:15 in the afternoon, so I still won't be able to make any appointments on those days. But at least it's not much all at once.

Today we had our busy day...I gave him and DH haircuts first. Then I did the ironing, so I could iron the name tags into Josh's school masks. Charged up his iPad and packed up his backpack. Man, that thing is heavy for a kindergartener, and I don't even have his lunch in it yet! iPad, headphones, a bag of clean clothes (2 pairs of bottoms and underpants, just in case), 2 extra masks, pack of tissues, and then he'll have his lunch and a water bottle as well. I also made him a little ID tag with all his info on it. He knows his teacher, room number, and bus number. I'm just concerned about how many busses will be waiting outside at the end of the day, but I've told him not to be embarrassed if he needs to ask the bus driver if it's the correct bus. And so far, today he's wearing underwear again and he has gone in the potty every time. Keeping my fingers crossed!

DH will be going to work late tomorrow so he can see Josh off to school, then he'll go to work for 4 hours and come home early so he can greet the bus in the afternoon. Right now, I'm feeling all *zen* about him actually going to school. Now I'm getting nervous about the online stuff the rest of the week!

Yes, they were good! The lady at the farm stand told me to just roast them the same way you would an acorn squash, and I liked how they came out.

You can stuff them if you like, but be forewarned they don’t hold as much as an acorn, because only one end has seeds to scoop out.

We're going to try them next time we go to this store! They sound so good!

Awful tower.... soo cute!! And I love that skull...is a yard sign? I love sugar skulls.

My sister set up my nieces home classroom today and it's just looks soo cute. View attachment 524167

I like sugar skulls, too, but my mother isn't into them. I couldn't get close enough to the one at the store to see if it was a yard stake...I think you can see a chain in the photo, so maybe it was something to hang. Front door, or possibly around a lamppost...?

I love that home classroom! I wish I had the space to do something like that. We're probably just going to sit at the dining room table...I need to sit with Josh to keep him on task. He's way too easily distracted, even for a 15-minute lesson. I can't let him sit at a desk by himself, as I know he'll be looking all over the place except where he's supposed to be looking!

You guys - can I brag a bit??? My kids won a fishing tournament today. They won so much that after splitting it the eldest has almost enough for settlement costs for future home and is just so much closer to that goal!
Almost

I'm so tickled for them both!! Happy Dance, Happy Dance!!!

Congratulations! That's awesome!

Also wanted to share a photo of my MIL's wind chimes - I know this will be appreciated in this group!

 

[Snowysmom]

@apirateslifeforme How nice to go back to where you were engaged, now with your DS. I have not been there but that sounds like a beautiful place. Once all the online issues with school get sorted out things will go smoothly. The start up is the hardest part. Best wishes for a great first day of school.

@flyingdumbo127 Glad to hear you were able to order your chair.

All the pictures are beautiful. The waterfall is impressive. I love the NH pictures. My favorite area.

We saw the whole family yesterday and celebrated the 2 birthdays with yummy cake. I enjoy talking with my sons and playing with the grandkids. The oldest DGS is extremely smart like his Dad. He is 3 and writes and reads words and loves numbers. He asked how old I was (crazy kid, you never ask a woman how old she is! LOL!) I told him, he repeated it, and then wrote it in the air. He probably won't let me forget either. The littlest one is so sweet and so mischevious. For 18 months old she can move fast and climb before you know it. My oldest DGD is the leader of the pack. Her brother knows it and goes along with it. Youngest DGS is a little tough guy. He is cute but he can yell and pout at any time. He is only 2 so it goes with the age. He is adorable any way.

Today it is sunny and around 80. I am trying to chill out a bit as it has been a busy weekend. DH is cooking on the grill tonight so we will be eating hamburgers, hot dogs, and turkey tips all week. Cookouts are the only time I eat this food so I enjoy it while it lasts. I am in charge of the sides, corn tonight and salad the rest of the week.

 

[flyingdumbo127]

I quietly admit that I don't like pumpkin or butterscotch! I'd probably like butterscotch more because I do like Werther's hard candy. Tasty picture though, Meriweather.

Aww, I love that you, your DH, and Josh took that picture, apirateslifeforme! What a neat experience to get to share with Josh. Yay Josh for doing so well in his underwear. Many prayers for him tomorrow, my friend. Love your Mickey windchimes

Thank you, Snowysmom. I am so happy to hear you had a happy double celebration!

 

[lynxstch]

@apirateslifeforme That was so great that you went to Quabbin and 'recreated' your engagement photo. I was there many times in the past. Glad that Josh had a good time riding his bike while there. I am glad you are a little more zen about his going to school, wow to the weight of his backpack though, lol
Where did your MIL get those windchimes please? I want to get one!

Its sunny and 82 degrees here. I decided that it would be NON Labor Day in this house. Only chores that got done were dishes, and sweeping the kitchen floor (cats track litter even with an anti track mat, lol). Stepson left to head back to Salisbury very early this morning, but it was good to be able to see him after not seeing him for months and months and months. He promised they would be back to visit soon, and with at least 2 of the granddaughters (they start virtual school tomorrow..it's all virtual for them until at least January). We are having crab cakes with corn on the cob and some garden tomatoes (while we still have some). All that rain we had 2 weeks ago, caused a lot of the ones left on the vine to rot. I guess one chore this week will be pulling out the plants and stakes, tilling the soil and getting it ready for winter. Sad to think that the whole summer has gone by already. Such a strange 6 months this has been.
We decided to just chill and watch movies this afternoon. Hubby finally got to see Disney's Hunchback of Notre Dame. He always thought he wouldn't like it, but he really enjoyed it!
I hope you all had a great labor day. Good luck to all of the 'going back to school' this week for kids !

 

[flyingdumbo127]

What a great idea, Lynxstch! A non LABOR day, I like that

 

[lynxstch]

Just bringing it back to page one for the evening crowd!

 

[Kirby]

Today was a good day, I have felt good yesterday and today. Very thankful!

DH and I went to Buc-ee's today to get some preserves for my mom. The place was hopping. Buc-ee's is a gigantic gas station with very clean restrooms, things to buy, eat, drink. People come from all over just to stop and check it out. Then we headed to El Fenix, our favorite mexican food restaurant for lunch. The chips there are amazing, they are so thin and crisp, you can make a meal out of them and their salsa. After we got home, Carol and I went to Pier One to check out the store closing sales. Nothing there for me but I did buy a Fall pillow at Kohls.

Dinner tonight was spaghetti and a salad.

 

[Bianca and Bernard]

Today we had our busy day...I gave him and DH haircuts first. Then I did the ironing, so I could iron the name tags into Josh's school masks. Charged up his iPad and packed up his backpack. Man, that thing is heavy for a kindergartener, and I don't even have his lunch in it yet! iPad, headphones, a bag of clean clothes (2 pairs of bottoms and underpants, just in case), 2 extra masks, pack of tissues, and then he'll have his lunch and a water bottle as well. I also made him a little ID tag with all his info on it. He knows his teacher, room number, and bus number. I'm just concerned about how many busses will be waiting outside at the end of the day, but I've told him not to be embarrassed if he needs to ask the bus driver if it's the correct bus. And so far, today he's wearing underwear again and he has gone in the potty every time. Keeping my fingers crossed!

When DS was younger, he had bladder issues. We were able to leave changes of clothing at the nurses office; she had cubbies filled with ziplock bags of clothes, all labeled by grade, then name, for accidents. Maybe you could see if that is a possibility, just to empty the backpack out a little bit?

Also, here, they had tags the first few weeks of school, and the kids were led to their buses, and tags verified, before the kids hopped on. The buses all had colored symbols (green circle, for example, or red square) to help those who were still not reading numbers/letters yet. We only had the one stop for DS's bus (a big apartment complex, filled 1 1/2 buses for the elementary school alone), so we didn't have to worry about getting off at the wrong stop, just getting on the right bus.

DS's first day of kinder, I was all set to take him back and forth to school. He told me "nope, mama, I'm a big boy, I ride the school bus." Hopped right on (and yes, I followed to make sure he got there ok, I know, I know); DH went up after school to make sure he got on the right bus home, and I met him at the bus stop. Easy Peasy.

 

[Breezy_Carol]

Hello all.. Reading but not remembering everything.

Beautiful weekend. Sunday after online church, hiked in White Clay Creek Park to the arc corner marker of DE/PA. Today DH worked on the fence again and I got ready for visitors. DD and family, including the dog, came for a little cook out tonight. DGD and the dog like our larger backyard. Now watching American Ninja Warrior.

Yesterday DH and I pulled out the old Yatzee game and figured out how to play it.

All that rain we had 2 weeks ago, caused a lot of the ones left on the vine to rot.

I've been having that problem also. I pick them before they are totally ripe and let them finish on the sill on the porch. So many green ones still on the vine.

 

[flyingdumbo127]

Thanks, Lynxstch for rescuing our thread.

So glad you are feeling better, Kirby! I like the pillow, too

All good suggestions, Bianca and Bernard! I like that the bus was color coded for younger kids and that was kind of the nurse to do that. A perfect solution!

to a nice weekend including a doggie visitor and Yahtzee fun, too, Carol.

Sleep well everyone and sweet dreams!

 

[Caseheidi]

So the Disboards dislike me lol - tried to insert quotes, and I just can't seem to make it work. Anyway, @apirateslifeforme the schools are really good about getting the little kids on the right buses. At DD's school, even through the older grades, they go bus by bus with the kids and a list of which children should be on which bus. I am sure your little will do great. So exciting to be starting school. We have another week, and then DD starts online next Monday. We chose the online academy for a more consistent school experience for our girl. Our Governor here in Oregon is being pretty strict (which tbh I really don't mind) and decided the numbers were not controlled enough for in person school yet. So everyone is still doing distance learning through the first term. We had a good experience last spring with distance learning, but tbh I heard bad things about many other teachers, and was worried about a bad experience. So we chose a program that already has a proven track record with online learning. Eager to see if we made the right choice.

We were productive today - in other words we labored this labor day. DH and I chose a portion of the garage to clean (you know it is bad when you have to choose a portion ) We did it clean sweep style, and pulled everything out, made three piles; garbage, donate and sort. Then put things back in. Then DH and I did a dump trip and a Goodwill trip. I can now walk through my garage again. Wonderful.

We then had some excitement after dinner. DH and I took showers from our work, and were lying in bed reading and enjoying the AC when we heard a Boom and the power went out. It came back on, but went out again a few minutes later. I got up to check on DD, and found my mother looking out the front door, at the smoke billowing across the street. We have a cul da sac across from us, and behind them is a field. The transformer there blew, and sparked a grass fire. We were 90 degrees today, and have a "wind event" going on, with strong winds and gusts up to 75 mph (suppose to last until sometime Wednesday). We could see flames over 6 feet high between the houses. Thank goodness the fire department arrived in about 10 minutes and had it contained and out in about 30. And no houses received any sparks starting another fire. We were only inconvenienced with no power for a few hours. DD cracked me up, because she was all excited and talking about how much fun it was to have no power, and then she realized no TV, no computer, no internet! And then it got dark, which she does not like. I got down the oil lamp, and we read together off my iPad for a while. Fun times.

Anyway, it is now time to put DD to bed. Good night all, and hope you have a great Tuesday.
Heidi

 

[apirateslifeforme]

...And he's off. My big boy is a kindergartener now. Once we figured out that it was the correct bus...the driver tried to talk to me but I couldn't hear her (I'm half deaf), so I turned and snapped at DH and my mom. Not meaning to, but they were hanging so far back...I hope the driver didn't think I was snapping at her. Maybe I can apologize to her this afternoon. I was nervous (and I'm sure she knew that). Josh didn't see me start crying, but the driver did and said "He'll be okay." I didn't get to go over anything with him about where to go, what to do, so I hope he remembers...


I'm sorry to not follow up any previous posts or questions right now, but I'll be back on later. I promise.

 

[PollyannaMom]

Love the pics @apirateslifeforme!

 

[Kirby]

@Caseheidi , how nerve wracking to have a fire that close to where you live even though the fire department was able to put it out so quickly. We have lots of fields around us and know how quickly they can get out of hand.

@apirateslifeforme , such cute pictures! I love the one of him in the t-shirt. I will have to show that one to Carol, Lil Joe starts kindergarten next year.

 

[lynxstch]

@apirateslifeforme Oh my, your big boy looks so sweet, off for his first day of school. I hope he loves it!
I am making up for not doing much on Labor Day, lol. 10:30 am and the whole garden has been torn out Weather took a real toll on it this year, but we got a lot of tomatoes out of it. Still have a big bowl full of them on the counter. Off to weedwack the edges around the inside and outside of the fence. Laundry is done , sun is shining, temp will be 84 today. Enjoy the day DIS family!

 

[flyingdumbo127]

Wow, how scary, Heidi! So glad the fire department came quickly and all was okay.

Aww, adorable pictures, apirateslifeforme! I also love the green T shirt and look forward to seeing Josh in 2033 wearing it! Enjoy so much the time in between! Hug.

 

[easyas123]

And he's off.

I bet he has a blast! Good luck to him!

and the whole garden has been torn out

Ugh, this is where we are at, haven't done it yet but it needs to be done. I was able to scrounge up a tomato or two over the weekend for a BLT and bugers, but, as Breezy Carol mentioned up-thread, ours are splitting & rotting a bit while still green on the vine. Cherry tomatoes haven't produced in about a week. I just think the vines are done.
I did get some of my fall type decor out. It's mostly a bag full of faux gourds I dump in a decorative bowl and some silk flowers I put in a vase. Oh and a brown wicker pumpkin that lights up...I'm not huge into changing the whole look of my house for a season, so I just do a few things here and there. I did get out the container with the fall type napkins and table clothes and stuff like that out, too. We were in Home Depot yesterday, and saw this for sale:

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Home-Ac...ized-Skeleton-with-LifeEyes-5124738/312513260
Now, we don't get trick or treaters, and live almost in the middle of nowhere, and I never bother to decorate for Halloween. BUT there is something about this decoration that is calling me to buy it! It's eyes light up and it's HUGE! It would look awesome up on the roof of the house, or hanging out of a barn!?!?! I'm tempted to buy it in case we ever have another Halloween time frame bonfire party. I probably won't, although I admit
I may watch to see if it goes on clearance....Mind you, as I type this we have a full size skeleton shoved in a storage area of the basement that we bought for one of our bonfire parties that hasn't seen the light of day for 2 years, so honestly I have no business buying another!

We have a busy weekend coming up. We've got some guys coming over on Saturday to do start rebuilding the dock. I've got two cords of firewood I need to start stacking up- We have these pallet-like "containers" that we stack the wood onto, and then we store the containers in one of the barns. As we need firewood we can pick up a container at a time with the tractor forks and bring it up to the back of the house. Plus we are holding my BIL & SIL Sunday afternoon for dinner, and are supposed to pick up our niece Sunday morning to take her out for lunch and get a b'day gift (fishing pole). I'm not yet sure what to make for dinner Sunday - was supposed to ask the b'day girl, but at 4 her choices are all over the place! I'm big on kids eating a regular meal, what the rest of the dinner table is eating, so I never make her anything different. Luckily she is a good eater and not picky. I may take the easy route and go grilled chicken, pasta salad & corn bread, especially if we are going to be out & about that morning.

T-Minus 5 weeks until we skip town for a few days of R & R. I'm ready for it.

 

[Meriweather]

This is the Halloween decoration I'm eying, but it doesn't fit with out theme,......BUT

 

[Breezy_Carol]

@Caseheidi how scary about the fire.

@apirateslifeforme , I am sure Josh will be fine. When DD was in Kindergarten, she had to ride the bus home 3 days a week and I picked her up the other two because of a conflict with DS's preschool. I had a card in the front of her backpack with a picture of my car or a bus so she knew which to do.

DGD started back to daycare today. She was so excited to go and see her friends. DD has 2 more weeks of maternity leave and is going to try to get the 3 month old on a sleep schedule and start pumping and giving bottles. I don't think they are sure if he is going to daycare or not yet.

I am not into Halloween at all so minimal fall decorations here.

Went to the MVA this morning and returned tags. Now to cancel insurance on the car we sold.

@easyas123 , I haven't pulled out the garden yet. I think I'll get a few more tomatoes and the flowers are still pretty.

T-Minus 5 weeks until we skip town for a few days of R & R. I'm ready for it.

Maybe I missed but where are you going?

 

[Pea-n-Me]

@apirateslifeforme Aww! Emotions were running high, for sure. Just make sure you give the bus driver a big smile and wave tomorrow, and all will be forgotten! He is a handsome young man!

Funny with the skeletons! We actually have a dog one! Its jaws flap and it shakes and makes scary noises! Some of the really little trick or treaters are a little afraid, but we make it fun (and our real dog wears a costume). Year round it sits in our living room with our Toto’s holiday neckwear around it’s neck. When my sister first saw it she said “I always wondered who bought those types of things”!Yup, those of us who like to have a little fun on Halloween!