I'm Shrinking

I now have two children that have surpassed me in height.

When There's Love at Home

As we count down to the end of our Sundays doing church at home (nine left!), I am trying to savor them. Yes, I definitely am ready to be back in person, but there have been many blessings to doing church at home.

Photo Op

Me: Hmm. I wonder where my phone is.

Cooper and Topher:

Fruits and Veggies

On Saturday morning the girls were snuggled up together under a blanket, watching cartoons. Topher was sitting with me on the other side of the room, also watching TV. Peter walked in and the following conversation took place.

Sophie: Look! We're couch potatoes!

Peter: Topher, are you a couch potato too?

Topher: No, I'm an ottoman banana.

Homebodies

Remember last Friday when I wrote about all the parks we'd been to? Want to know how many parks we visited this week?

Zero.

None.

Zip.

On Tuesday we drove to a friend's house to pick up some extra produce she had. When I pulled out of our garage the van felt like it was driving a little funny. I even got out of the car to check the tires. On the way home from our errand the van began to feel less responsive, then the check engine light came on. I pulled over to check the manual to make sure I was okay to keep driving, then prayed and willed us home as the van became more and more unresponsive. It was an exciting six minute trip.

So now the van isn't working and the shop can't get us in until the week after next. Bryan's car is fine, but it only fits five. It's tricky to get to the park when we can't all fit in the available vehicle. So we stayed at home. We played in the backyard and went on walks, so we still got outside, just not to any parks.

If we had realized we would be stuck at home for the foreseeable future, we probably would have found even more parks to visit last week.

Spoilers

We were on our way to the park recently when Phoebe realized she didn't have her Kindle. Convinced she had brought it out to the car, she began searching around her seat. With a hint of panic in her voice she asked if any of us had done anything with her Kindle. Topher responded:

Topher: Phoebe, we murdered your Kindle.

Everyone else in the van: (in total shock) What?! Topher! Gasp!`

Topher: (chuckling to himself) Oh right, sorry, no spoilers.

I can happily report that the Kindle was discovered at home. And no, I have no idea where his answer came from.

On the Nose

"Mom, aren't these good noses? It's a mom and her daughter." -Sophie, after experimenting with a new drawing style.

Time Flies

Bryan went into the office yesterday. He got home just in time to finish the bedtime routine with Topher. After that Bryan and I caught up on all the talking we couldn't do throughout the day because he was at work and I was surrounded by people that want to talk more than they want to listen. Before I realized it, two hours had gone by and we still had plenty to share.

I love that after more than twenty years of being married, he's still the person I most want to talk with. 

At the Car Wash

Bryan gave the kids a lesson in hard work on Saturday afternoon. Some of them got pretty soggy. One highlight of the van washing was Bryan's discovery of two small wasps nests INSIDE the back door of the van. I'm sorry, no, that wasn't a highlight. At least they're gone now!

Park Hopping

We've been spending hours outside this summer. I figured that once we had our own backyard we wouldn't go to parks as often. I was wrong. We still go to parks (only empty parks for now, which are a little tricky to find), but we also play in the backyard. We're going through more sunscreen than ever before, and even then we've got tan lines and new freckles.

We had one day this week where we park hopped. After the fourth park in one day we were all sticky and dirty from so much outdoor fun.

Last night when Topher said his prayers he included these words, "And please help us to wake up in the morning and go to five parks."

Park 1:

Park 2:

Park 3:

This slide is enormous. I'm standing and reaching up as high as I can to point to where Topher climbed (very quickly) on the outside of this slide. He only stopped when I used my danger voice. Peter had to retrieve him because I couldn't properly reach him.

Park 4:

Still park 4, but the next day: