This was me last week.
This is me this week.
The weather will consume a large part of my narrative this week because it sucked! And it's amazing how all important the weather is when you're stuck inside all day, every day for an entire week (or forever for that matter - names of days are optional at this point). Add to that the early week and end of the week spring snow storm and you have the makings for honest to goodness depression. No sun in sight, people. It was bad. And cold. And gray. And cold. You get the idea.
Actually, I lied. The sun did come out on Friday after the 8+ inches of snow we accumulated the day before. But it was frigid. I forgot all about spring, and bird sounds, and feeling warm - those were distant memories. But on a quick run up to the grocery store, I drove past this amazing site and had to get out of the car to behold the beauty of nature in all her splendor. Even though I still wanted to be grouchy because...snow. I couldn't. Not when the sun's reflection off the snow and water created beautiful art right before my eyes. I appreciate art in all its forms. Even when it involves freezing temperatures and snow (believe it or not).
The weather afforded us plenty of time paint this week - twice to be exact.
I find the puzzle choice this week rather coincidental. This one was finished in record time by Dad and Bennett. This was our fantasy destination this week. The weather seeps into every area of our life.
It also gave the kids oodles of time to devote to the world of Minecraft.
This is actually a joint effort of Chloe and Bennett.
They just prefer to work in different rooms. This is an incredibly creative city they are creating. It involves a roller coaster, water ways, outdoor markets, and stunning architecture. They spent several hours a day building this world from scratch in a desert biome, mind you. The kids can build a world in any environment and they chose the sunniest, hottest place they could find. See...the weather invades our every thought in this house - even how we play video games.
One of the sweetest things to happen this week was this. Chloe's friend Maggie turned 16. Their group of friends decided to surprise her with a drive-by. There was a line of 7 cars waiting to drop off gifts and well wishes on this special day.
Lucky for us, book club resumed again via Google Hangouts. We were enjoying it in style.
I am rather proud of this accomplishment. It proves I've been diligent about learning something new everyday for 4 weeks. This is how Duolingo encourages you to stay the course.
Taboo was played multiple times. It is a maddening game about trying to get your partner to say a specific word without using certain (key) words to describe it. Certain teams are better than others. Chuck and I don't make a great team. Surprisingly, Chloe and Bennett are fantastic teammates. Considering this is a game primarily about communication - I'm shocked! The word could be "elephant" and the only clue Chloe would give would be, "the opposite of a hippo" and Bennett would guess "elephant." I tell you, it's maddening.
Another game we gave considerable time to this week was Codenames. Again, this is another "word guessing partner game" where you are trying to get your partner to chose several words that relate to each other. And again, Chuck and I are THE WORST partners for this game. We simply cannot convey the message to each other and it makes me want to pull out all my hair. Thus, only Chloe and I can be partners. In full disclosure, I'm horrible at this game too. I like fast-paced card games that require eye hand coordination (like nertz). But Bennett has taken that away from me too. If there is a game, he will win it. As a rather competitive person, I don't like that and resort to trash talking. But I can never seem to penetrate his mind.
This is the book I chose to read this week. It is over 500 pages at 8 point font. It's a monster, but a very interesting one. As one who loves social justice, this is a perspective that is necessary and important to read. We must question everything, even the version of history that's been promulgated through our schooling. If we only learn the side of history that originates with the victors, we've only heard one side. We need to balance that out with the version of history as explained by the oppressed, outcast, forgotten. I'll be chewing on this book for at least another week.
Again...we ate food every day. This menu never ceases to amaze me. I honestly have no idea how we have come up with this many meals to eat at home consistently. And that doesn't even count lunch! My people don't just eat a sandwich and chips. I've got people frying things up on the stove left and right during lunchtime! Can you believe it?! And we still don't run out of food. Maybe that's because I have to go to the store twice a week just to keep enough fruit and vegetables in stock. The most incredible part of all this to me is: we've done this as vegetarians this whole time. The few bites of chicken in the chicken soup is the first meat I've had in months. The only other meat allowance that Chuck and Bennett will never give up is pepperoni on their homemade pizzas. I'm so proud of my people and how they've chosen to eat healthy when it's super easy not to right now.
This is us. Every. Single. Night. I'm usually in the spot under that red blanket. For some reason, Chuck loves the floor. He actually chooses the floor. There's plenty of room on the sofa, but he's a floor guy. We just go with it. Anyways...this is where we wait out the last few hours of the endless day. This week it involved 2 episodes of "All American" every night. And yes, that is a giant bear sitting on the sofa with Chloe. We all have our 'thing.'
Speaking of our 'thing'...one of Chloe's things is to change outfits 3-5 times a day. I have no earthly idea why. But this is what her closet usually looks like. Clothes strewn everywhere. This is a rather mild version, usually the piles are much higher and fewer clothes are actually hanging on hangers. By the way, did you know it's optional to hang your clothes up inside out or outside right? I did not. It actually never crossed my mind until I witnessed each of my children do it. Please don't judge my parenting abilities based on the way my kids keep their closets.
This was supposed to be Bennett's UCCS Orientation Day. Since all university campuses are still closed, it became an online orientation. Not what he was hoping for, but informative none-the-less.
Lastly, the "Husband of the Year" decided I needed a pedicure today and spent an hour pampering my feet. There are no words. He's simply the best.
