First broken bone

Insert sad face.

As if 2020 wasn't going stinky enough...

Alison was hover boarding in the street one evening; Colin was running next to her and they were pumping some jams (it can play music).  She decided to go a little further down the street, where there is a hill...the hover board started going too fast and all I know is there was an epic fall.  Alison knew she was hurt, but didn't react like it was serious at all.  She carried her hover board back home and calmly walked into the house to tell us she crashed.  We cleaned up the scraps and put ice on her wrist.  If it wasn't for Covid, I would have taken her to prompt care just to make sure everything was okay.  We decided to see how it was in the morning.  Alison must have one high pain tolerance, because she didn't complain about it, but if we asked if it hurt, she would say yes, it hurt a lot.  When the pain wasn't leaving, I decided to call the doctor...who told us to come in right away.  He took one look at her wrist and sent us to get x-rays and then called to tell us to come back right away.  He put her in a splint until we could see the orthopedic specialists the next day.

4 doctors appointments in 24 hours during Covid=we need a prize!  My thoughts were definitely with the people who have to wear masks all day!

We had time to go to piano lessons before seeing the specialist.  Seeing Kailey and Lindsey brightened our day, but was also a little sad that Alison only got in ONE lesson before being decommissioned for who knows how long.  She's been working so hard over quarantine and now can't play.

Alison fractured her scaphoid bone; the bone connecting her thumb to her wrist.  She said, "No wonder my thumb felt so weird!".  Unfortunately, they say it's not an easy heal and one that will most likely take a long time.

-Insert super sad face-

She chose a black cast because it goes with more things.  She will most likely get to try several different colors, as we have to go back every couple of weeks to x-ray it and make sure it's healing okay.  He didn't say what would happen if it wasn't, so fingers crossed she stays on the right path.

 We went to get Mister Softees afterwards, because by that point, we just needed some ice cream!  I'll say it for Alison, this has been such a bummer.  Life was already feeling restricted and now even what she could do, was taken away.

First Day of School

We took six weeks off of school, but it didn't feel much like a summer break.  I can't pinpoint way this break didn't feel like summer.  Perhaps it's because Ben is still under tight restrictions or maybe because we weren't at the beach once a week with friends and the library isn't even open to do the reading program.  Life is feeling a little better, but it still feels kinda weird.

We eased into the school year, starting math on the 10th and then added some writing later on in that week.  We started full force on the 17th, but because the ball was already rolling, it was a pretty seamless day.  The kids all expressed that they were actually ready to start and enjoyed have some more structure.  I guess that means that our break was successful...it's good to have times to be lazy and relax and it's good to have times of working hard and getting things done.

I have always been thankful that our homeschool has given our kids consistency and boy is that ever true this year!  Even the homeschool group we were a part of last year isn't allowed to meet.  You can't even pay tutors in California right now because the tutors will be held liable if the student gets sick AND they will get in trouble for offering a child "an upper hand" in education.  It's beyond ridiculous.  Again, thankfully, I had already decided to not to do the homeschool group this year and wasn't counting on it.  The first day of school, Ben and I sat the kids down and shared with them what school looks like all over the world and told them that they have an extrememly rare opportunity this year.  While everyone else is "virtual" learning and about a year behind in school, nothing has changed for them.  They are the few students in America right now who's school looks exactly the same as it always has.

Point in case: the kids chose to make their own signs because the only printables we could find said "First day of virtual school"

The only change for us is that Ben is working from home, except for a couple of hours a week.  We've had to make some adjustments, but it also means that he's home to take these pictures and he's going to be teaching Alison's literature class!

Ha!  I just realized Eli missed the 'r' in 'grade'.  We may be retaking this.

You can do hard things

I tell the kids this often and I'm a firm believer in practicing what I preach.  I purposely do something every once in awhile that scares me just a little; something that is definitely outside of my comfort zone.  We have hiked a mile up the Ray Miller Trail a handful of times with the kids and people visiting and I had the goal of one day running that route.  Every time we went, I would think, "Before we move, I'm going to run up this thing."  Was that scary?  Yes.  Ben runs this trail (like 16 miles of it!) all the time and he asked if he could go with me.  We picked a day and he gave a talk about how it was okay to go REALLY slow and walk when I needed to.  I assured him that I could run the whole way up...and I did!

 We got to the spot where we always stop with the kids and I said, "HA!  I did it!" 

 We ran another mile and a half up, further than I've ever gone up the mountain just hiking, without stoping.  And you know what?  It was amazing.

This is why it's so amazing to push yourself outside of your comfort zone.  It's so thrilling to see what you are actually capable of and to discover you might actually really love the thing that slightly scares you.

Swim, Piano, TV

A family from church asked if we were interested in swim lessons...um, YES!  Somehow she scored private lessons with the Lynn.  I had heard rumors of this famous swim instructor on the Camarillo Facebook page and I have no idea how Bonnie was able to even get on her calendar, but she did and she had room for more students.  This lady has been teaching swim lessons for 40 years and comes to Camarillo every summer just to teach.  She lives in Washington and has homeschooled her 4 kids all the way through and even lived on a boat for a season of life...she was a very interesting person to get to know!  Colin went for a week by himself, then all 3 kids went for a week.  It was well worth it.  Being by the ocean, it's really important that all the kids are strong swimmers.

Okay, I just have to take a moment and vent some frustration...BLOGGER!  You may not update and not tell people how to use you!!!  Making this post is taking me a century!  My kids will be grown by the time I finish it.

We finally got to go back to piano lessons this week!  Ms. Erin wore a mask during lessons, but she let us watch the kids!  This picture is actually a HUGE honor because she hasn't let anyone hold Kailey...like not even family and I've held her 3 times now.  Wouldn't it be great if I could move pictures or type in between them?  Nope.  So you get one long paragraph and then you can look at pictures stuck on the side of the page.  Because Kailey hasn't left her mom at any moment of her 6 months of life, she was a little unsure about what was happening.  Alison had the magic touch with her and Colin loved pushing her around the yard.  He said, "This is the first time I've pushed a stroller!  You've never trusted me before."  That's true.  I felt like rolling through the grass was pretty safe.

Eli's inventions continue and this week he decided he needed a TV in his room.  This is how I found him yesterday and I felt like I was looking into his teenage years.

 This morning he added to it and I just had to snap a picture of him...doesn't he suddenly look older?!?!

Happy 13th to Alison!

Alison contained her excitement pretty well leading up to her birthday, but apparently it all came out the morning of, as she was up at 3 am ready to party!  She may be 13, but some of her traits have stayed the same...like not wanting to sleep...ever.

We had breakfast together as a family; hashbrowns and grapes were her request, and then we let her open presents.

Ben found some Bath and Body Works hand sanitizer at the exchange.  That's a pretty big deal in 2020.

I think her gifts sum up pretty well a 13 year old Alison: sidewalk chalk (which also almost impossible to find right now), a bath bomb with a toy inside, make up brushes, candy, 2 books, a travel bag, a necklace, smash ball (a beach game), money to redecorate her room AND...

a hover board!

Funny parts of this video:

Ben wrote, from: everyone, but mostly daddy.

And after she opens it, Eli says, "Well, we're going to be on AFV"

While the hover board was charging and Daddy and the boys were at worship practice for church, Alison and I went out to do some shopping.  I let her pick where we went and lead the way.  Her first stop was to Starbucks and Target.

Then we went to Michael's to buy this wreath that she has been dying to get for her room.

Then we went up to Thousand Oaks and found a couple of thrift stores.  Did you know that thrifting is all the rage now?  She always stops to see if there's a designer bag hidden in there.

Then we picked up Chick-fil-A.  We had to eat in the car, but it was still fun.  Alison has always wanted to try ALL of their sauces, so we made that happen.

Then it was time to get ready to party.  Ben helped the kids figure out the hover board and then they were all super excited to make the punch.  Apparently we need to make punch more because it was a very novel idea to them.

You know you are living in a weird time in history, when what I'm about to post is considered pretty scandalous.  

We invited a few families from church over for a luau.

We had a hulu hoop contest and relay obstacle course race in the back yard to kick off the party.  Alison creamed everyone in the hulu hoop contest.

We had dinner; Alison requested appetizers and Ben smoked some meat to put on Hawaiian rolls for the adults.

This also sums up Alison...she invited Morgan and Noelle (her whole family came) and it was really important to her that Lindsey was there too.  Not many teens want a two year old at their party, but Alison was SO excited that Lindsey was there with them.

Then the kids played smashball

And we had cake!

Remember when Alison couldn't take a picture without posing?  It must be an age thing, because now Colin has it, but is choosing weird poses...

Alison said to me that day, "Good job, mom!  You've kept me alive for 13 years."  To which I answered, "Thanks!  You haven't always made that easy."

Which is true.  It's a miracle we survived Alison's first year of life, but maybe she got out all of the hard stuff early on because she is becoming the most remarkable young lady.  

Welcome to the teen years, my little girl!

A box can be many things

We have had a book for years, called 'A Box Can be Many Things'. Eli must have reread it recently because he has taken it quite to heart. It all began with an amazing skittles vending machine, followed by a snickers machine. 





 Then he made a "Nintendo Switch". His creativity was abounding, right along with the explosion of cardboard in the garage.





This is evidence why breaks from school and some boredom is GREAT for kids. Within a few days, he had built 4 games and set up his room as an arcade. 









His grand finale of the arcade was a car game!



Boxes can also be walls and signs and soon the arcade turned into a "plaza" with a restaurant and
 more prizes.




 When the boys weren't in the arcade, they were building a car and pushing each other down the road.



Yes, that is a box on 2 skate boards...and I did make them put helmets on. 



Said car eventually became a bed and then another wall.