Sam's fourth grade class learns about a different fungus every Friday. While I was there volunteering last month (sorting take-home papers), the teacher asked the class "Should we sing our song for Sam's mom?" They broke into joyful chorus. I barely got my camera out in time to catch any of it:

Apparently Sam is so skilled at reading aloud the mushroom facts, including scientific names, that he became the official mushroom reader. One day his friend sang the Muffin Man song as joke, and it took off amongst the students. Now they sing this song every week before learning about the featured fungus.

Jack was very excited to play one of the boom-whackers at the in-school holiday concert. This holiday card from the teacher has a video of the performance. Jack was front and center, so enjoy!

Click the link, click "Read Now" and then open the card to play the video in the holiday card.

In case the card link expires, I also swiped the video directly:

Sam participated in the spelling bee today. A pre-test determined the top two spellers from each class and he made the cut. He did great today!

Sam made it to the third round before messing up. He correctly spelled "chunks" and "waist" before erring with "bossiness." We laughed it off together because he said this was the same word he missed on the pre-test in the same way: with a y in place of the i.

Boy, I hate the spelling bee. So much anxiety, so much emotion! I was glad I didn't have to stay to the end, and extra happy that Sam had a good attitude about it! He genuinely only wanted to do it for fun and was happy with his participation ribbon. He's a total champ to me!

Just a fun piece of writing that Sam brought home from school.

December was a busy, festive month!

As you saw, we had heating problems. A serviceman reset the flame roll-out switch, saying it was tripped on a false alarm and should be safe and good now. It worked for another week, lasting through the deep freeze that blanketed the country. Then at 5pm on Christmas Eve the boiler stopped working again. I spent hours trying to get a technician, but no one could come out sooner than Monday after Christmas. I started a roaring fire and Ben rummaged the open stores for some space heaters.

We finally got the boiler repaired the next week. It turns out the other company didn't really do anything to address the problem that tripped the switch. The boiler had to be taken apart, mineral build up cleaned out, and the expansion tank system replaced. Also he discovered the flue had rusty cracks, so it was replaced too. Also the regulator for the upstairs thermostat wasn't working, so that was replaced too. After all that work we have a heating system that works better than it has in years. But it was quite stressful to have so many problems needing repair, and it was a terrible time for it all to break down.

We had also been planning a trip to Seattle to celebrate Ben's birthday. There was a winter storm that Southwest Airlines completely failed to manage. Our flights were canceled and we had to reschedule our trip for later in January. I'm actually happy that we moved the trip, but it was another huge source of stress the week of Christmas, wondering if we were going to travel or not.

All that aside, Christmas was bright and jolly and fun for all. Andy was cat-sitting for Amanda. It was so nice to have him join us for Christmas dinner, as well as a couple other visits. We watched Glass Onion together and played a board game (after I solved the mystery of the locked garage and freed his car).

We didn't get to go to Seattle, so instead we celebrated a quiet 42nd birthday at home. Presents and cake, a classic combo.

There's a Japanese bakery in Broomfield that makes Osechi, the traditional New Year's meal eaten in Japan. I surprised Ben with a full osechi, to be eaten for 3 days at the New Year "so you don't anger the gods by working in the kitchen." Each element of the meal is highly symbolic and full of flavors that I hate, so Ben rarely gets to enjoy them! Fish, soy, mushrooms, burdock, blech. But he absolutely loved it. He told his penpals in Japan and they were shocked that he had an osechi, let alone that we even knew about them! Ben says his two penpals both eat a quick, small version of osechi for the holiday when they have the chance. It was so cool to share that with them, plus Ben really loved the food.

I made his favorite cake three years in row now - "Italian Cream Cake" with pecans and coconut.

Happy 42 years, Ben!

Sam's class at school got to work with Makey Makey kits, having a lot of fun creating circuits to play games and make music. He was excited to get his own kit for Christmas.

Jack got an electric violin for Christmas. He will be turning in his rented violin for a cello (when they get them restocked) so it will be great for him to still have a violin for fun.

For Ben's birthday he wanted to visit Seattle with the family. We had plans to go over his birthday weekend, but our airline had a meltdown of dysfunction, so we rebooked tickets for later. The time had come!

We had an easy and comfortable flight over via Delta. We took a car to the airport and settled into the hotel. The kids really enjoyed the breakfast buffet included in our stay.

Friday morning we went to Fremont to explore their weird sculptures and meet up with Ben's old friend, Ant. He works nearby, so he took a short day and toured the area with us.

The kids and their friends enjoy a game that Ant helped to create, Astroneers. We saw their office displays and took home some freebies with download codes. It was a very cold morning with misty rain. We marveled at the street art and poked in a few shops (not much was open though).

Back in the main part of Seattle, Ben got chowder at Ivar's on the waterfront (not pictured). Sam developed cold symptoms during the morning and was slow and chilly. I got him a souvenir hoodie to layer up, and we fueled him with french fries. Slightly energized, Sam was ready for us all to do an underground tour "Beneath the Streets." It had some interesting facts about the city and its history. We certainly learned a lot, but it was a tad underwhelming and not as "cool" as we thought it might be. A solid "meh." We went to a nearby cafe to warm up.

Next we went shopping. There was a cool toy store nearby where Sam got a folding cube (sounds lame but it's a sweet fidgety thing). Then Ant drove us to the International district to browse Kinokuniya bookstore and Uwajimaya grocery store. I ate an amaaaaaazing taiyaki. When she passed it to me she said "Be sure to give your fish a name before you bite off its head." You were delicious, Marissa.

That's about it for the night. Sam was out of steam and we were all pretty chilly. We said see ya soon to Ant, and went back to the hotel to rest. The kids got boring Subway sandwiches, while Ben and I had some delicious dumplings from Dough Zone Dumpling House. We also gave Sam a covid test (negative).

Saturday was a social day. After hotel breakfast, we took a car down to the Fauntleroy ferry dock. Sam, feeling better but still sick, loooooved the ferry.

Ant and his family live on Vashon island. His wife and I have always hit it off well, and our kids our the same age and similarly well-matched. We were enchanted by the mossy, dense woods of Vashon. The kids were stoked to spend the day playing video games with other kids. I didn't take many pictures. We had yummy teriyaki chicken for lunch, and they cooked up Japanese curry for our dinner. Then we took a chilly ferry ride back to the mainland.

One extra stop - I wanted to get vegan ice cream from Salt and Straw. Despite the cold rain, it was delicious.

Sunday was our touristy day. Our first destination was the Museum of Pop Culture. We thought it would be a brief visit, but there was so much to see!

Outside the museum was a climbing playground. Sam wanted to play a long time, we had to drag him away because the rest of us were cold and hungry. We also took some quick pics with the Space Needle. Lunch was in the Armory where a live band was playing in the food court.

We rode the monorail across town to meet our friends at Pike's Place. Lots of fun shops to browse, lots of treats to fill our bellies, and a disgusting Gum Wall where Ben, Jack, and Sam all contributed to the public art installation.

Our bellies filled, we walked to the aquarium. It was on the pier and had a great mix of indoor and outdoor exhibits.

I made everyone visit the kitschy pier shops with me. I bought a Christmas ornament and the kids road the carousel next to a creepy animatronic shooting gallery.

Finally we went back to the International District for dinner. Ant showed us how to use the lightrail, and we passed the Seattle Art Museum (photo-op). Jack wanted ramen in town, so they brought us to Samurai Noodles. It was a hole-in-the-wall place that we never would have tried on our own, so we gladly took our friend's direction. Jack said it was really really good. I was stuffed and ordered vegan gyoza to be polite, but ate it all because it was so good. We squeezed in last call at the Beanfish taiyaki stall. Finally it was time to say farewell.

We took our time getting to the airport and still had plenty of time to kill. Jack got a hoodie, after not finding any souvenirs prior in the trip. Ben had a final meal of fish and chowder. Our flight home was crowded but smooth. It was an easy end to a fun trip! Ben had a fantastic time soaking up the Seattle vibes and seeing his good friend again. I survived the chill and hardly ate for three days after because we had so much good food. Sam was feeling pretty healthy by the time we got home. Overall we had a great vacation!

Jack went on an overnight winter camping trip with the deacons from church. He wasn’t keen to go, but I encouraged him to try it at least once, and to be a good example as the group’s youth president. He ultimately decided to go, and it was definitely a learning experience.

The camping part was cold and uncomfortable for him. He texted me that night “Never been able to understand Bilbo’s misery in the Hobbit more.”

He said the fishing part was fun. They went ice fishing at Pine Valley, near Conifer. He was the first to catch a fish, and the only kid to catch two fish! Here he is with his first trout:

And here’s his other catch, where he was more hands on:

It was a rough night that I’m sure “built character.” The adult leaders said he was a great kid, he set a mature example, and he was helpful and fun.

He's back at home this morning. After getting clean and starting laundry, I’m letting him enjoy the comforts of home. I think he's been playing Hogwarts Legacy nonstop - his latest game obsession.

Last night Sam “babysat” himself for the first time at night while Ben and I saw Ant-Man Quantumania at the Alamo with friends. Meh movie, but nice to get out for a change, and always good to see friends. Sam did great on his own.

Today I’m trying to get some 3D prints to work after not printing anything for a year or two. It's a project request for Sam’s class from the teacher. I'm semi-successful so far.

I also dashed off to Boulder for a hip hop class. Today's piece was set to a classic anthem by DJ Khalid:

Tonight we’re getting Indian take-out for dinner, and maybe Ben and will I start a Chinese drama series.

I finished Sam’s sweater this week. Now I need to decide whether to finish a pair of socks next, start a new pair of socks with my Seattle yarn, or start Jack’s sweater. I should do Jack’s sweater, but I have to do maaaaath the start. Ugh. At least I have Sam’s sweater measurements to base it on.

Sam bought a sewing kit in Seattle for one of his souvenirs. He was so excited to start making it when we got home. He did and amazing job for a first sewing project!

He learned so many of the fundamental skills with this kit. I upgraded some of the supplies and gave him some tips that weren’t in the instructions. He was doing most of it by himself by the end of the project. Look how great it turned out!

I turned 41 this year, woot!

I had a fun day with lots of love from family and friends. The kids made a birthday banner and cards, and together with Ben they showered me with presents. I met Amanda and Becca for lunch and we had a nice, long visit. I quickly frosted my cake, checked on the 3D prints, and went to Boulder for my usual class. The instructor took my playlist requests, so I got to do my favorite dances. I ate tots and nuggets from Birdcall on the drive home, where I ended the cake with cake and a chorus of smiles from my boys. A great day! (I wore the crown to lunch and to the dance studio. It came off after the warm-up song so I could shake freely!) The best part was that r throughout the day I got texts and calls from loved ones 🥰 Birthdays are great.

Jack has been working hard on his science fair project for the last month. He had a difficult time coordinating with the school schedule to get data from fellow orchestra students, but in the end he put together a really great project. He measured the decibel levels of the orchestra stringed instruments to see which was the loudest.

Recently Sam's class had another Makey-Makey STEM unit. They built talking boards. He immediately came home to make his own. He noted how great it was that I had cardstock and even metal brads in our office supplies, and Scratch Jr coding already on his home chromebook - it helps to have a crafty mother and nerdy father.

He demoed the board to Ben, and then he lost the data on his computer before I could see it. Poor guy was disheartened. Kids these days rely on auto-save too much! Meanwhile, I had been 3d printing cases for the classroom Makey-Makey sets. When I got a new printer bed (it had cracked), I made a case for Sam's Makey-Makey out of special glow-in-the-dark PLA filament.

That gave him the motivated he needed to rebuild the code. Once complete again I had him give me a full tour of his project:

Tonight I attended Jack's winter concert. This was his first concert playing the cello. He did excellent! No surprise, given that he was recently awarded the first chair position. I took videos, sorry if they are blurry from the low lights.

We emerged from the school into our own snowy woods, with fat wet flakes falling fast. At home, Jack enjoyed a Blizzard ice cream that Ben brought him to celebrate the concert.

Last weekend we went to Salt Lake City to have a fun day with our friends, Nate and Miranda. No other reason, just that I missed them and asked for us all to get together for a short trip.

SLC is such a cute city. We went from cafe to shop to restaurant all day. Lots of catching up and laughter with good friends. I had a great time. Only it made me miss the days when we could hang out casually all the time.

The kids did very well taking care of themselves and the cats while we were gone for 48 hours. Amanda kindly stopped by to check on their health and safety, before taking them to throw axes and eat donuts. What a good aunt!

Continuing our streak of plumbing disasters, the morning after we returned from Seattle, Ben found a large puddle/mini floor in the basement.

We couldn't see an obvious source for the water. We always suspected there was a drain in the floor, so I started slashing away the carpet. Nothing. Just ancient vinyl and a concrete floor. I slashed farther, trying to find the dry borders. Not the walls, not the fridge, not the boiler-room...we had no idea where it came from. We set up fans to dry the room and puzzled on the source.

Later I showed the kids the problem and noticed a slightly raised portion after it had dried out. I dug into the spot and lo, a drain! Huzzah! The concrete had been blended into some kind of subfloor, maybe gypsum board, to make a level surface over the drain.

We had a plumber snake the drain, as well as the main line leaving the house. We decided to repair the floors ourselves. It took a long time, devoting an afternoon here, a morning there, to each step of the repairs.

I'm very happy to have the project done, 7 1/2 weeks after the flood. We're happy to have the drain uncovered and waterproof flooring around it. Curses to the previous homeowners who thought covering a drain is a good idea!! Idiots!

Two weeks ago I got to take another weekend excursion for k-pop, friends, and city wandering. This time we got to see NCT Dream. Amanda and Jason tagged along as cultural observers. Originally we planned to see a show at Lookingglass Theater the same weekend, until they unfortunately ended the show run early. So sad! Even so, Chicago had more than enough activities to fill a day.

Thursday night Amanda and I took an evening flight out of Denver. Our hotel was very close to the airport and the arena, so we easily checked in and had a good night's sleep. Friday we chatted and watched k-pop while wearing our crowns (because why not??). Jason arrived midday. We continued visiting at the hotel until forced to adventure out for lunch. I found a unique place nearby called Jibarito Time. They claim to be a Chicago specialty, making Puerto Rico style sandwiches on plantains instead of bread. I love sandwiches, local specialities, and enthusiastic employees who are proud of their food, so this was a total win for me.

Back at the hotel, we took a short rest. I walked next door to Target for some toiletries and gawked at the enormous line outside the arena that had already formed for GA tickets and early merch booth. I forced Amanda and Jason out of their naps for some concert prep - temporary tattoos! They stopped for dinner at the Naf Naf Grill on our way to the show.

We joined the line for seated tickets and admired all the outfits by fellow concert-goers. I love how everyone dresses up for the shows! Once inside, I found a merch booth and bought a T-shirt (with free photocard!). The crowd seemed to skew younger and more predominantly female than the other k-pop concerts I've attended. They were polite and excited and friendly, passing out lots of freebies. I picked up a bracelet, fake photocard, and banner while standing in line.

Time for the show!

Hmm, this was a fun show, but I had to admit that Seventeen are far superior. As I taught Amanda and Jason in my pre-trip messages, NCT Dream are a weird group from a weird company. The members are very young and I don't think they were very good at working a live audience. The dancing and singing were EXCELLENT, as expected. The sound mixing wasn't great. I had a hard time hearing the music compared to other shows. Overall kind of muffled (but still blaring loud - earplugs required!). Still, the music was great and they performed almost all my favorite NCT Dream songs.

Once again I got a lightstick for the show and it was so fun. Being a part of the light show is such a great way to enhance concert experiences.

The dancing was really good. I expected them to cop out on some of the harder choreo, but they did My First and Last full out! They got serious air on all the jumps in Trigger the Fever - I was so scared for them slipping on the confetti, but somehow they danced that one to the max as well.

They took a group selfie and I spotted the three of us. Open full image in a new tab to see. They also posted some official photos taken during the concert, and I found us there too!

I had a fabulous time. I love seeing and talking with the fans, interacting with other people who love this music as much as much as I do. I love sharing k-pop with friends and showing them this weird slice of culture.

기다렸어 어서 와 I've been waiting, come on
어디든 we're coming together Wherever we're coming together
아무 걱정 하지 마 don't worry about anything
잘 될 거야 hello future It will be fine, hello future

After a late night of music and dance and talking, we slept in Saturday morning. Once again, desire for lunch got us out of the hotel and into an uber, whisking us to downtown Chicago. We had lunch at Nando's. Ben and I had a great meal there when we came to Chicago a few years ago. The service was terrible and the food a little cold by the time everything came out. Still pretty tasty!

Next we walked through Millennium Park to spend a couples hours in the Art Institute. We breezed through the impressionists to study the interior furnishings gallery. I made a point to see my favorite piece from my last visit, Meekness by Eustache LeSueur. It's quite stunning. I'd love to get a print of it with gold foil so it shines like the original.

I saw several young women I suspected of being fellow nctizens. I approached this group in the architecture gallery to compliment their photocard keychains. They lit up like Christmas lights and eagerly gushed with me about the concert. They were from Buffalo, NY and quite impressed I had come from Colorado. We talked about NCT Dream and other groups have seen live, or wish we had seen live. They were so cute, I'm glad Amanda took a secret picture of us.

I ducked into Uniqlo and indulged a few pieces - so sad that the Uniqlo in Denver closed! Then we took a car to the Magnificent Mile for dinner at Sayat Nova Armenian Restaurant. We almost walked into the gay bar next door, but a friendly stranger re-oriented us just in time (would have been fun!). I've never had Armenian food, but it was similar to other Middle Eastern fare. The food was plentiful and delicious. My star item was a simple lentil and carrot soup - so good!

We walked a few blocks to Eataly for dessert. I was enticed by the chocolate truffles and fancy candied fruits as well, taking some home to enjoy later.

Stuffed and exhausted, it was time to return to the hotel. We had early flights the next day so we couldn't stay up all night again.

I had such a fun trip! I'm so happy Amanda and Jason came with me to the concert and guided me around Chicago. I see why Amanda loves to travel with Jason. I really hadn't spent much time with him before. He's a delightful travel companion and conversationalist. All in all, it was a fabulous mini-vacation!

Whoops - I posted before I had any concert videos ready to share. Enjoy these jiggly videos of me flailing and zooming in on distant dancing.

Jack did his first school musical this spring! He was on the "build crew" run by his beloved shop teacher, Ms. Nelson. He built several pieces for the set of Mary Poppins. Then he was picked from the whole pool of stage crew to be on the "running crew" where they do the set changes during the show.

It was a stressful 3 weeks going up to the show. The directors were not very good at communicating, and they brought in the running crew during the most stressful time of a show's rehearsals. Jack put in many long hours after school to fulfill his commitment. After all that hard work he was planning to retire from the stage, and only do build crew again.

But lo, the magic of theater enchanted him. Once they had an audience and rehearsals were done, he had a great time doing the show. He also made some good friends that he's sad will be moving on to other schools next year. I'm glad that he had a good experience in the end, with fond feelings for the experience. We'll see whether he wants to do the running crew again next year. They are changing school hours from 7:20-2:20 to 9:00-4:00. So the club schedules are a mystery for now.

Since I started taking classes at Alchemy of Movement in Boulder I've been trying to improve my hip hop skills. I never studied the genre before. I'm expanding my vocabulary of steps, learning new transitions, picking up choreo faster, and generally loosening up my muscle carriage.

Today I took a 2 hour workshop aimed at the intermediate/advanced level. It was so fun! Exhausting and super sweaty too, but totally fun. We danced for over 2 hours. The only breaks were for 3 minutes of ab crunches routine on the floor, and another "break" with strutting/posing across the floor to refresh our brains.

We were told to wear baggy pants, a tight/small top, and an oversized jacket/coat/vest. For the small group filmed performances she separated us by jacket type and my vest group was relatively small. So I took the chance (with open doors and fans blowing) to dance without a mask for the first time in forever. Eep!

How fun was this?!?

Here's some other choreo class videos from this spring:

Jack turned 13 this year! He didn't want to do anything special, so we celebrated quietly at home. He had a friend come over to play video games all day Saturday. Ben took them to the mall to wander and get lunch. I made "Butts Pie" by request (butterscotch-cinnamon pie as seen in the Undertale video game).

Sunday the Waterhouses were visiting. We opened presents together, ate lots of food, and caught up on all our adventures. Jack kept his nose in the new Zelda game most of the day. The kid doesn't seem to have a limit for wanting to play Zelda!

I saw a joke about the "meat arrow" combination on Zelda and had to serve it to Jack as a joke.

(Linked here, in case the embedded video doesn't work)

It got a smirk, which I call a win for a 13 year old audience. He was also impressed that I scored a Tears of the Kingdom Link amiibo and the limited edition wood print from GameStop. I painted him a custom hoodie per his specifications (forest green zip-up with a triforce on the front side). He said it was "exactly what I wanted" and that made me so happy to hear. It's hard to impress teenagers!

The cake was a "Monster Cake" as seen in Zelda. Jack requested chocolate cake with strawberry frosting. I also put in a layer of raspberry coulis.

Happy Birthday, Jack! We love you so much.

Summer vacation has officially begun! The kids both got sick the last week of school and had to miss a day. They were glad to recover in time for the last few days.

On the last day they held the 7th Grade Awards. Jack was honored multiple times for music and good grades. I was happy to see so many of his friends recognized as well, and how much they supported each other with applause. He has found a great group of friends.

Sam burst out of class ready for the summer. He went home and immediately made the Kool-aid his teacher gave to her 4th grade students.

Happy Summer Break!

They are kings of the schools this year - Jack is 8th grade and Sam is 5th grade. Everything looks set for them to a great final year at their schools.

Jack officially starts tomorrow. Today he went as a WEB Leader - 8th graders who will help 6th graders get started, and support them throughout the year. So he only had a half day as part of the club, while 6th graders had orientation.

Sam had an assignment to write us a letter about the day:

"My first day of 5th grade was awesome! My favorite part was lunch because i saw all my freinds. I'm exited for the classes we skipped to prepare. We learned all the rules of the classroom. We also did a fire drill drill. a drill for a drill. in all, it was really fun."

A proper photoset of Jack's first day outfit as an 8th grader, being teased by his father.

Scene - Jack has been complaining and exaggerating about his school schedule since getting home late on his first day of 8th grade. Hyperbole increases on the phone with his grandmother.

Me: "Stop being so dramatic."

Jack: "I'm going to be as dramatic as I want!"

Ben snuck into the groceries I had left on the countertop and improved the label 🤣

He knows the way to my carat heart ❤️ 💎

Today I started the RN Refresher program at Red Rocks. I’m dipping my toes in returning to bedside nursing care.

I think it will be a good way to gain confidence and rebuild my med/surg nursing skills. It’s a small class (11 students) and, very lucky for me, the campus is close to home. I was able to come home for lunch break and changed into our scrubs, after they recommended we wear them to class for the skills lab. We have a full day class every Thursday through October, then ten 12 hour shifts of clinical work through mid December, and then we are done! It sounds like a relaxed course, and I’ll be super ready to return to working in a hospital if that’s what I want at the end of this.

So here’s a couple pics of my “back-to-school.”

This year we did a huge project that we've been wanting for years - transforming the front and side yards to a xeriscape garden. Ben had a friend with a new landscaping company, so after meeting with them in the fall to go over plans, they started tearing up the yard in the spring.

I didn't take any real "before" pictures. It was bare lawn, with a half-height fence between the front and side yard.) Here's some pictures as the workers started tearing out grass and installing a brick edge.

And here are some beauty shots from August!

One of my favorite parts of the big landscaping project was expanding and refining our vegetable plot. We had two 3x3' shallow raised beds in the grassy lawn on the east side of the house. I wanted to have more planter beds, and to replace the grass with clover.

We took out a half-height fence that divided the front and side yards. I used that fence to build new planters. Mom donated some old cedar posts for me to use too. Lastly, I took apart my old beds to make a larger, taller bed with stabilized corners.

I got a new circular saw and it did the task better than my jigsaw. I used decking screws to assemble the beds. Sam helped a lot! He was great with the drill.

I also really wanted trellised arches in my garden. I wanted an arbor to replace the fence, with a trumpet vine (like Grandma Cook had) and lilac bushes flanking the portal. I didn't like the shape or quality of any arbors online. I toyed with the idea of making a Japanese-style arbor, inspired by tori gates. Ben loved the idea and encouraged me to make one. For this project I bought new wood. Again, with Ben's encouragement, I chose a bright red sealer to color and protect the arbor. I had plenty leftover, so the planters were painted to match. Finally, I installed the arbor to the existing posts that were a part of the old fence gate.

Most recently the kids helped me make stepping stones so that I don't feel bad crushing the clover every day.

I started the vegetables inside in trays. Nimbus kept eating the sprouts, and it took me a couple tries with different contraptions to keep her out.

The trumpet vines are coming in very slowly, but hopefully in a few years I'll have a beautiful archway.

The clover took off like mad. I sprinkled in some buckwheat, and I'm delighted by the combination.

I have 3 kinds of carrots, 4 kinds of green beans, cucumbers, shishito peppers, jalapeños, mini bell peppers, banana peppers, pea pods, 2 kinds of lettuce, and 4 kinds of pumpkin. I LOVE my pumpkin arch. I got a cattle panel from the Tractor Supply store. I installed 4 T posts and zip tied the panel to them. The pumpkins are super happy and the effect is so whimsical. In amongst all the vegetables I have rosemary, oregano, nasturtiums, marigolds, and calendula. On the ground around my planters I also have alyssum, sage, regular strawberries, alpine strawberries, leeks, parsley, asparagus, chives, thyme, spearmint, peppermint, a blueberry bush, and two raspberry bushes.

After getting most of the yard done, I continued to tear out grass. We carved out a space for the kids to own. Jack planted lettuce, peppers, and a watermelon that's M.I.A. I think a rabbit ate the sprout. Sam planted strawberries and a kangaroo paw plant. We sprinkled clover all over too.

Under the locust I wanted a little shade garden and short-cut pathway. Using up the last of our fence posts and some landscaping spikes, Sam laid out a "rustic" path and together we Jack we installed it. I planted some adorable coral bells, sweet woodruff, columbines, forget-me-nots, lupine, leadwort, and creeping myrtle.

A family of skunks have been digging for grubs in the garden, and caused a lot of damage to the plants. Combined with the late July heat, the plants are looking a bit ragged. I have high hopes that they will recover and we'll have a lovely shady border in a couple years.

This is just a collection of our garden visitors. It's so fun seeing who comes! Some are more welcome than others ;-)

Here's some photos I didn't share yet of the landscaping work. I dumped them in no particular order, sorry! They sort of go backwards in time, so scroll backwards for a happier viewing ;-)

We had some gorgeous lighting from storms today, so I took some updated photos of the garden. I think it's fun to see how it changes over time, and in most of the photos I shared yesterday my plants seemed so small. I also took pictures where the "after" was missing.

Stepping stones installed:

My battered shade garden:

Trumpet vine progress:

Wide shots of the yard:

Small features and beautiful morning rain:

Sam had a wonderful birthday last month. He asked for a fantasy adventure party to play his ongoing RPG with his two best friends. We decorated the living room for a medieval atmosphere. He had a wonderful afternoon playing with his pals!

On the actual day of his birthday we opened presents in the morning. The big gift was a new chromebook that he knew was coming and he loves it. But we surprised him with an electric scooter to help him commute home from school. It works great and suits him perfectly!

It was a regular school day after presents. He asked for me to cook a spaghetti meatball dinner, and we took them to Dairy Queen after their piano lessons.

Happy Birthday Sam! You are such a cool, kind, and clever kid!

Tonight we all attended Jack's first concert of his 8th grade year. They held it in the gym because the younger grade orchestras are so big, the auditorium couldn't accommodate them.

Jack enjoyed being the only cello in the 8th grade group (aside from one girl who mainly plays viola, but joined him for one song as a beginner).

I think he sounds really great! He loves that vibrato and really goes for it. I hope the video sounds good - in person we could clearly hear his instrument on the parts when it was only cello+bass.

I forgot the name of one song. I'll try to update it when he tells me later.

We enjoyed a GORGEOUS fall this year, until a big snow storm two days before Halloween :-D Oh well, you can't kill the Halloween spirit in these kids!

We had a quiet, restful Thanksgiving at home this year. The boys helped me cook more than ever! It was so nice to have their help in the kitchen and getting ready. We didn't do anything unusual.

We watched the parade and the dog show. I had a fun new puzzle. We ate a traditional dinner with turkey and cranberries. We had pumpkin pie and played a new dice game.

I proposed a new tradition - a Mario Kart Grand Prix! The kids were super excited to compete. I'm pleased that Ben won the tournament, but he has some real competition coming his way!

The day after Thanksgiving we had a beautiful snow. I went to Boulder for a charity dance jam (90 minutes, multiple teachers, all proceeds and time donated). The kids once again were a big help in getting Christmas decorations up indoors. Ben and I did some Christmas shopping on Saturday.

The holiday was wonderfully peaceful and fun. I only wish we could have teleported to visit more family, and that the break was longer. It was VERY hard to get out of my cozy bed this morning. Luckily the next holiday break is only a few weeks away!

Sam's fifth grade orchestra and band performed for parents and their whole school today. The audience were definitely hyped for winter break starting tomorrow afternoon!

Sam took his warm-up seriously while the classes filed in.

Then they performed a short program, with narration by the principal. Please enjoy!

Jack finished his course of orthodontics and had his braces removed today! Woohoo! What a handsome fella!