Week in Review (August 18-24)

Week in Review: August 18-24

Watched:  Jack have a blast messing around in the stream of Lake Olathe. This inspired us so much that we went to Hillsdale Lake, which was much warmer than I would have thought. Also, the water was extremely shallow and Jack could walk out about 100 yards before getting up to his chin. We played in the with rocks, did some high water throws, played with a huge piece of driftwood, and felt the mud squish below our toes.

Read:  With the library's due date looming over me, I finally pushed through and finished Children of the Jacaranda Tree. This book did nothing for me. There were too many characters told in a disjointed fashion. I was thinking that this book would move me to tears thinking about the liberty that we have in the US and how fortunate we are to have such a place to speak our mind. Instead, I was left with a bunch of half stories that left me feeling wholly unsatisfied. Not a book I would recommend.  I also began The Shining Girls and I am loving that. Sadly, I have went to bed so exhausted this week that I didn't get very far, but I am loving it.

Listened:  Since I am going back and forth to work so much these next couple weeks, I am sure I will make good progress on my new audiobook,.  I first saw this author when she appeared on The Daily Show. Her voices annoys me a bit, but she gets all of the perfect inflections to tell her stories, so I am adapting to it.

Made: A new recipe from Pinterest because I wanted to use up this chicken that had been in our freezer. It was a crockpot meal so it had been smelling wonderful all day. So at close to dinner time when I sample it, I am sadden to learn that chicken had gotten that freezer burnt taste and was not edible!  So, we turned off the crockpot and went out to eat. When I was cleaning up the kitchen, I decided to give it the chicken to Barley. He was in hog heaven!  So while we didn't eat the food, it didn't go to waste!

Felt:  Busy. This week had a lot of work functions that I had to be at and lots of things I needed to wrap up for work at home. Jack also needs to be on a much more tight schedule and so it has been interesting to get it all in and working.  I've been waking up early to have my downtime.  Less sleep, but I think the time I spend relaxing is necessary for my brain!

Planned: On doing something fun for Nick's birthday, but then life just got in the way!  He is such an awesome husband and dad that I really think he deserves a special day to know how wonderful we think he is.  So while we didn't do much out of the ordinary, I hope he enjoyed just chilling with us.  I know that we enjoyed it!

Loved: Snuggles. I know as Jack gets older the snuggles will stop, so I try to remember to thoroughly enjoy these moments. Like Monday, when I had been up and moving early, he woke up and came to find me-- just to curl up in my arms and fall asleep.  I love just staring at his face while he is lost in sleep. There is no more peaceful way to start a hectic week.

Here are the pics for the week:

Here Jack channels the Virgin Mary at Christmas look.  Well, she most likely wasn't ever topless, but you get the drift. 

Jack in the stream. It was a lot of fun!

A Week in Review (August 11-17)

A Week in Review (August 11-17)

Watched: Jack sink two hole in one putts to win us two free mini golf games from Cool Crest. We have been reading a Curious George book about mini golf and we decided that would be a fun way to spend one of our last summer days. He had several hole in one putts!  It was a great time.

Read:  I finished up Fly Away.  I really enjoyed this story about redemption and forgiveness. I know that some people did not enjoy the back and forth, but I thought it was a good segue between this andFirefly Lane. I cried like a baby at the end of the book. It just made me so sad for when the time comes that I have to say goodbye to my mother. This book just made me want to reach out and hug all those people important to me. Great follow up book! I enjoyed it more :)  Didn't make much progress on my other two books. Back to school always slows the reading pace way down.

Listened: To Jack ask almost all of the KU players to write To Jack along with their autograph. It was interesting to see the different players reactions.  Most were very good with the younger set. Jake Heaps, who should be this year's starting QB, wrote his name huge up in the corner and was very talkative. Another player said he was going to call him Big Jack and addressed it as such.  Hoping to have more than a 1 win season this year!

Made: A Happy 1st Day of Kindergarten goodie bag. It had a crystal making kit from the dollar store, a bigger bouncy ball with a light inside, a bunch of hair ties (so hopefully he will stop picking up the random ones he finds!), a pack of gum, and some hugs. He loved it all and I was happy to help him celebrate his special day.

Felt: Glad to have our entertainment back. With Nick having limited mobility, we really missed having Jack around to provide the energy in the house. He has been great about Nick's knee, even getting down and helping him do his exercises.

Planned: On Nick being able to drive himself by the end of the week, but he still isn't comfortable doing that. He had his staples removed on Friday.  Right now, he is paranoid about still splitting his wound open by putting to much pressure on it. He is looking forward to showering without being all covered up on his leg, but he has to wait until Sunday morning for that!

Loved:  Watching Jack start his official school career with such ease.  He had no jitters at all. By the 2nd day, he was fine walking himself in and back to his classroom. Having done his last two years at a public school, I think the hustle and the bustle just feels normal. All last year, he wanted to walk himself in and now that he gets to, he feels very proud.

Here are the pics for the week:

Leg Lifts

Jack's First Hole in One!

Jack's First Day of School

Jack and Jake Heaps

Week in Review (August 4-10)

Week in Review (August 4-10)

Watched: A lot of Breaking Bad.  Nick picked up this show when he first got injured and we were out of town.  Since he has been laid up, I have been watching it with him.  We have gotten totally caught up and are looking forward to the new episodes which begin Sunday night.

Read:  Finished up The Lightning Thief. Maybe I just heard too much hype surrounding this story before I read it. I did think it was a good read and would be a good recommendation for a young adult struggling to find something to read. I am sure that I will complete the rest of the series, but I don't have a burning desire to rush right out and do that. I also began Fly Away.  I am enjoying it and have a feeling I will be wrapping it up in the coming week.

Listened:  To the doctor give me a good report on Nick's surgery.  He said that he felt the repair was made easily and he was able to clean up the damage to the other area as well.

Made: A fun little welcome present for my students. Since I am also in charge of getting things together for the office, I won't be in the rooms for my students to meet me. Hopefully, they will each come say hello and get this fun treat for me. 

Felt: Thankful for all the wonderful support we received this week.  Nick's Aunt Debbie and Uncle Kevin came and brought us Oklahoma Joe's and some movies.  We also had several people check on us and offer help.  It means the world to us to know we have so many people who care.

Planned: All Nick's physical therapy sessions. We aren't sure when he will be able to drive so it was hard to get times that worked for in everyone's schedule. Glad that's done for now!

Loved: Nick getting out his femeral nerve block out. It was such a huge hassle to deal with. He was much happier when he could actually bear a little weight on his leg.  He also was sick of carrying the bag around too. I think it was worth it, but glad that portion of the event is over.

Here are the pics for the week:

Jack and his cousins fast asleep. Aren't they so cute?!?

Nick and his sexy shaved leg!  I won't post the after pics. They are a bit gruesome!

My view for most of the week

My Krazy glad creation

Loved coming home to this fun sign in the yard. What a great way to build the school/home relationship.

Week in Review (July 28-Aug 3)

Week in Review (July 28-Aug 3)

Watched: 4 bands play at Buzz Under the Stars, Night 2.  The first three bands were horrible sounding.  The balance between the vocals and the instruments were really far off. They seem to have fixed it for The Killers, which is the real reason why we went.  The show was totally awesome!  They had an amazing laser show. It is one of the coolest things Nick and I have ever seen. They also sang I Think We're Alone Now. Talk about zapping me back to my youth. I was quite enthusiastic and Nick decided to take a video. You can see it HERE. 

Read:  I didn't finish up anything this week. I did start Children of the Jacaranda Tree and it is going to be some intense reading. I can't read to much of it one sitting or it brings me down. 

Listened: To Nick state a pretty funny truth to Jack. I mentioned I had a mosquito bite and Jack asked if it was bleeding (I had a scab come loose the previous day that had made one bleed). Before I could answer, Nick pops up and says "Not yet. But it will be!"  I guess he knows me pretty well. 

Made: A huge to-do list for Nick and I to check off as we prepare for his surgery.  Since he is our Mr Fix-It, we tried to think of things that would be better done before surgery than after it. 

Felt:  Thankful that Nick's family is in the area and is willing to help us out with Jack.  They have agreed to take him for 10 days so that we can check off that to-do list without going insane.  I know that 10 days is a long time for everyone and I am extremely grateful to them. 

Planned: On getting back to work soon, but it has hit me like a ton of bricks. I couldn't believe how much stuff I needed to get done. I went to work in the office, while Jack had a blast at The Fun in the Sun camp.  Since Jack was in Wichita, I went back for 2 nine hour days and I feel much more comfortable. I still have a big list, but is stuff that I can conquer from home. 

Loved: Finding a new doggy door at The Habitat for Humanity restore. We got one years ago at a garage sale and it wasn't ever in very good shape. However, it was so convenient that we just made do. After visitng the Overland Park Farmer's Market, I told Nick I had always wanted to stop in and see what it was like in there. My overall impression is that thugs were very overpriced, but we stumbled upon a new dog door that was in excellent condition and priced right!  We brought it home and I love the way it looks!  It almost makes me wish that I had bought a full price one years ago!

Here are the pics for the week:  

A pic of me and my sweetie as listened to the screeching of the opening acts before The Killers. 

Me in front of the stage with some of the lasers and smoke going. 

A Week in Review (July 21-27)

A Week in Review (July 21-27)

Watched: We went to the Boulevard Drive-In again. This time we took the air mattress that Jack had seen other people have.  We had a bit of problem airing it up as I had brought only part of the converter that allows a car to have an electrical outlet.  But luckily Nick has a McGyver-like brain and he was able to strip the wires and use jumper cables to power it.  Jack loved it.  We watched Turbo and Wolverine.  Jack loved Turbo. I thought it was good and Nick thought it was only okay. Jack fell asleep almost immediately at the beginning of Wolverine, but Nick and I finished it.  I liked it, but Nick didn't think it was a good as other X-Men movies.

Read: I started up and finished Amelia's Story.  I was not a fan of this story.  As a survivor of abuse, I always try to empower myself where as the author constantly seemed to be struggling with thinking of herself as the victim.  It remind me of an Everclear lyric that says "You make yourself a victim, almost every single day.".  I also started up What about Kansas City and The Lightning Thief.  When I started The Lightning Thief, I had no idea that a movie with the 2nd book was coming out.  I keep seeing these previews and it is throwing me off.  I don't want to know what happens because I haven't read the books yet!

Listened: Even though I almost never alone in the car, I started the audiobook of A Prayer for Owen Meany .  I am not sure how it ever made it on my TBR list, but my July partner chose it for me and I am really enjoying it.  I had no idea that it was the novel that the movie Simon Birch was based around.  I am interested into seeing the more detailed character developments that a novel can provide.

Made: Plans for several playdates. Jack got to hang out with our old neighbor and they probably got along better than they ever had!  It was nice to see them enjoying each other's company.  We also were invited to a gymnastics open play place by a family who will be Scarborough, as well.  Even though this child will be attending the afternoon Kindergarten, it is still nice to get to know other families in the school.  Who knows, the boys could be in first grade together!

Felt: Perfectly full after our wonderful anniversary dinner at The Melting Pot.  When we were making reservations, Jack insisted that he didn't want to eat there because he wanted Mac and Cheese. I told him that he didn't have to eat anything they offered and he could just say No Thank You. But once we got there he was totally engrossed. I think he ate as much as Nick and I did. He is already talking about when we can go there again!

Planned: On using the travel trip listed on the duck picture below. But instead of using candy, I'll be using quarters or dollar bills!

Loved: Celebrating our 12th wedding anniversary with such a wonderful man. I am truly blessed to have found such an excellent partner to share my life with.  

Here are the pics for the week:

Week in Review (July 14-20)

Week in Review (July 14-20)

Watched: More American Ninja Warrior. This is a fun little show for the family to watch. We make it more interactive by guessing which obstacle each contestant will go out on.  The person who has picked the most things correctly gets $1 from each of the other players.

Read: I did finish up  Beautiful Ruins and I loved it. It was a story that hooked you from the beginning!  The conclusion about books without a true climax can be difficult, but this author wrapped it up in such a satisfying way. He told you just as much as you needed to know and not an ounce more.  I also blew through Garden Spells. It is a quick summer read.  Sarah Addison Allen  books are generally quite predictable, but  I still enjoy the journey. If you are looking for a quick, light read, this might be just the book for you. 

Listened: To Jack create several different handles for his foam lightsabers. He found he could create them using a PVC connecting joint and then this would allow him to easily switch out the handle for different situations.

Made: A delicious dinner with lamb kabobs and a garden fresh tomato with feta and basil on it. Nick grilled his tomato, but I left mine raw. We were both huge fans. 

Felt: Longing for the relaxing vacation we were supposed to be on. I am sure we will get to enjoy a trip there sometime, but it was so weird because our week was wide open, which doesn't happen very often in the summer.

Planned: My first ever trip to the Farmer's Market in Olathe. It was nice small number of vendors and perfect for walking with Nick's knee. Jack found the most darling little cupcake that was better to look at then it was to eat for him.

Loved: The mild summer we have been having. It is such a nice contrast to the extreme heat of last year. We spend several hours outside each day. I just wish I could bottle the excess Vitamin D for the winter!

Here are the pics for the week:  Sorry not many!

Jack's super cute cupcake that he found at the Farmer's Market

Jack and two of the handles he created. We had to take a picture to text to Dad so we could know which one he liked better. 

Week in Review (July 7-July 13)

Week in Review (July 7-July 13)

Watched: Despicable Me 2 at the Boulevard Drive-in. I haven't been to a drive-in since Toy Story was playing in theaters, so it's been a while. We chose the Boulevard because it was the closest to home. The gates open at 7 and the movie doesn't start until 9:10. It is my recommendation, at least for a Saturday night, you arrive early as you can. We arrived at 7:17 and got one of the last spots of first row, which I would also recommend getting. They have the only 4K digital projector going at any drive-in, national wide, which is cool, but didn't change the overall experience for me. They do have an awesome play area that was populated by a ton of kids so the wait before the movie was enjoyable for the kids and allowed them to get a lot of energy out before the movie started. The people beside us brought an air mattress and Jack was jealous. I think I will take one when we go again. The movie was cute, but nothing I would write home about. The minions got a much bigger part and they were popular with the kids. We also stayed for about 30 minutes of The Lone Ranger and it really looked like Pirates of the Caribbean done Cowboy and Indian style to me. 

Read: I finished up Zero at the Bone: The Playboy, the Prostitute, and the Murder of Bobby Greenlease.  I usually reserve 1 star reviews for books that I can't finish. And while I did complete this book, it was only for a reading challenge. The writing was redundant and disjointed. The best thing about this book was the title. I wouldn't waste your time, even if you are from KC and think it would be more interesting because of that.   I also kept working on Beautiful Ruins.  Still really enjoying it.

Listened: To Jack say the most hilarious thing the other day. He said "I learned something about girls today."  And so I "Oh yeah, what?"  And he says "You can't see girls ears because they have long hair." So I say, "You just realized this?"  He looks at me incredulously and goes "Yes"

Made: A crutch bag for Nick.  He was frustrated not being able to carry anything for himself and so when it became apparent that we were going to be doing this for a while, we decided to come up with something. They had several options online, but neither Walgreens nor the medical supply store had anything, so we had to rig something up.  I ended up finding a nice plastic coated gift bag at Michaels.  We cut the handles and punctured them with an ice pick so that we could thread it through the screw that holds that hand grip on. It's not the most beautiful thing, but it serves its purpose quite well. 

Felt: Grateful for all the people who have given us support and words of encouragement during Nick's knee ordeal. It has been nice knowing that everyone is rooting for him to make a speedy recovery.

Planned: On knowing a date for Nick's surgery, but was told that he needed to give his knee time to heal from the original trauma before adding more trauma to it with surgery. They claim this will shorten the overall process. I sure hope that they know what they are talking about. 

Loved: Watching Jack at his Jedi camp performance. He was able to stay all day this year and he really enjoyed it. It did take him a while to get into the groove, especially at lunch time, but once he did, he really rocked it.  He was supposed to have an epic battle, but the stage pits got in the way.  At least his fall looks pretty epic.  HERE is a link to the video.  Sorry that it is inverted wrong, I just took a quick video from my iphone so that I could show it off.  

Here are the pics for the week:

Jack dressed up for Jedi day at camp. He won best costume and got something for free from the snack bar. 

Here is his day of performance. I asked him to give me his best Jedi look and this is what I got. He said it was because Tuscan raiders where after him. 

After the performance, he combined all his lightsabers to make a "supersabsr"

Here is a picture of the crutch bag, just in case you ever need to have a quick idea. 

The last two are from the playground area of the drive-in.