Summer Vacation ~ Day 49

Thursday, July 10

Sleep update: 2 minutes shy of my 8 hour goal last night. 

We are going to a wedding tomorrow.  Walmart delivered socks for BK yesterday. Amazon delivered three short-sleeve oxford shirts for BK today.  (He's a growing boy, he's at camp this week and unable to go shopping, and there are free returns.) Another example of my just-in-time parenting strategy for this summer...

I dropped LM off at daycare (& 5-day club) at 9. Jim left while I was on a 9.30-10 zoom. 10.01 AM found me reveling in the quiet of having the house to myself. Aaahh! The question is ... would I finish my goals? 

I love nothing more than to organize (when I'm undistracted), and I had plenty to organize!! The bags from our last trip, the piles on the dining room table, packing for our next two trips, preparing all we need for the wedding tomorrow, preparing all we need for the swim meet on Saturday morning, etc.!! 

But I got distracted almost immediately in my desire to start the laundry.  I went on a massive scavenger hunt in the kids' rooms to find dirty socks and underwear.  (Why?!?)  In the process I found a book that belongs to a school teacher, some cups & bowls (?!), etc.! 

While the never-ending laundry piles moved through the washer and dryer, I spent 25 minutes on the phone with insurance (3 questions), and 10 minutes on the phone with a provider whose claim is now being re-processed.  

Of course, I had to do a little Japanese practice on Duolingo to keep BK's streak going while he's at camp. :) That has actually turned into a fun activity in my summer.  

After day care LM had a haircut, playtime, bath time, and bed time (my favorite!). 

Summer Vacation ~ Day 48

Wednesday, July 9

Another 8+ hours of sleep. We skipped swim team practice in lieu of "Bible club," a 5-day club by Child Evangelism Fellowship.  

While LM was there, I went to the pool anyway (!) to drop off money that was due, to leave some info for another mom, to pick up 3 (!) ribbons which LM won last night, and to look for a lost shoe. 

One pair of shoes was lost last week at the foam party (but found the next day at the 4th of July festivities' lost & found tent). One shoe was left behind at the swim meet last night.  Three phone calls later, and it is now being held in the principal's office, from where Jim will pick it up tomorrow when he goes to the farm office in that town. Whew! 

After lunch, LM and I had an appointment in town, followed by a few errands.  Home around 4.  Laundry (always laundry!), a 1st floor pickup, and I did the 1st floor vacuuming, sweeping, and mopping.  

I also spent 15 minutes looking through hand-me-downs in the basement and have two bags ready to pass on (could probably fill several more!), and also was pleased to find four items for LM to use now: a pair of Nike sneakers (with velcro), a pair of Keen water sandals, a white sweater to wear with a sleeveless dress to a wedding this weekend, and a good quality fleece zip-up jacket. Thank you, Lord! 

(No tutoring because LM has either a virus or allergies, and her tutor cannot afford to get sick.)

Summer Vacation ~ Day 47

Tuesday, July 8

Well, this is turning into a sleep-tracker blog (Ha!), but the big news is that I slept 9 hr 15 min ... and still feel tired.  

While LM swam laps in swim team practice, I drove 10 minutes to the nearest grocery store.  Another day, and another activity where I dropped her off and left the premises until pickup time! Skills & abilities!

We visited the grandparents and then she went to daycare. And I had lots of housework waiting for me, as well as a phone call with my mom's insurance, appealing their decision that she only qualifies for 3 more days at the rehab hospital.  We (and her therapists and the assisted living staff) want her to stay until she can independently transfer in & out of a wheelchair. That's tricky when you don't yet have medical clearance to move your right shoulder much less bear weight on that arm. 

Lunch, rest, Zoom, prep for a swim meet, pick LM up at 4.30, and then 5 PM - 9 PM at a swim meet 30 minutes away (because we live 30 minutes from everywhere it seems). 

This was the first indoor swim meet for LM. So she was on the pool deck with her friends, and I was up in the stands. I could see her but not communicate with her. More skills & abilities!!

And due to vacation schedules it was the last time she would see her best friend from swim team. :( The friend's mom gave me her contact info so we can get the girls together. <3 

ZZZ. Wonder what my sleep tracker will say tomorrow morning? Ha! :) 

Summer Vacation ~ Day 46

Monday, July 7

Praying BK has a good week at camp! 

I got 9 hours sleep, but it seems like it's never enough, and yes, I will be asking about possible reasons at my annual physical ... 

While LM swam laps at swim team practice from 9.30-10.30, I sat in the shade of a nearby picnic shelter, and caught up over the phone with a nearby friend whom I usually see weekly but haven't been able to see all summer.  

After lunch, we went to tumbling. For the first time, I dropped LM off, and she also came out afterward on her own. Skills & abilities!! 

While she was at tumbling, in addition to getting a card for BK at Dollar General & mailing it at the post office in that town, I made four phone calls about four different medical situations.  It's never-ending.

No tutoring today because the tutor had her grandchildren. 

It seemed like the perfect afternoon to go buy a carton of ice cream at DG!  And after supper, LM and I played bags or cornhole or whatever it's called where you are from. :) 

Throughout the day, I tried to do bits of housecleaning - laundry, dishes, cleaning out the van, etc.  But I also took advantage of the opportunity to rest!

Hidden in My Heart

Have you heard the Hidden in my Heart albums? We call it LM's "calm down music," and our whole family has listened to the Scripture lullabies many times on our way home when it's past her bedtime.  Music is always a great way to hide God's Word in our heart!

Verse cards work well, too.  BK recently received his namesake great-grandfather's wallet (from Jim, who had received it at the time of his death decades ago).  Inside the wallet we found insurance cards, his social security card (!), etc. AND memory verse cards! 

What a treasure! That is the real inheritance he left ... a life of faith in Jesus Christ his Savior.  

 

Summer Vacation ~ Day 45

Sunday, July 6th

Jim was on hog chore duty since his brother was out of town, so we ended up driving separately to church.

BK helped carry in a few paper ALDI bags of hand-me-downs. We left them in the lobby off the gym.  After the service, we took a garbage bag waiting for us in the same spot.  BK's clothes go to a younger boy in our church (and then on to an even younger boy in another family - Bonus! I saw him wearing one of BK's church shirts today!). His big sister's clothes get passed down to LM. :) 

After lunch, Jim dropped BK off at CEF camp.  It's his fourth year going there.

LM & I had a slow afternoon/evening while Jim did farm chores again.  She played a lot outside while I read a book my cousin wrote about his parents' decades in Cyprus & Lebanon. 

Summer Vacation ~ Day 44

Saturday, July 5

We ALL slept in... BK until after 10.  Granted, he had been at the festivities from 9.30 AM until 10.30 PM yesterday! 

First order of business was for LM and me to take the van to a tire shop to get a tire repaired before they closed at noon.  30 minutes and $25 later, we were on our way. 

All I wanted to do was go to bed, but I made lunch first.  It's a hard recovery after a day and a half of celebrating ... after a full week ... after a roadtrip ... after a full summer.  We need rest! 

Summer Vacation ~ Day 43

Friday, July 4th 

At the last minute (as in, while I was still sleeping in), BK decided he did in fact want to ride on the baseball team's float in the parade.  So, Jim had to make that happen. I still had to wake up, eat breakfast (slowly), oversee LM getting dressed & hair brushed, etc., and get presentable myself.  

The van tire which was low last night was undriveable this morning, so Jim dropped BK off and then came back to get me.  

Unlike previous years, our family (both immediate & extended) was spread out around the parade route.  LM sat with second cousins and their cousins. BK was on a float.  I sat with one of Jim's cousins and her 90+ year old dad.  Jim sat with his brother, nephew, and cousin.  

After lunch in the park (pork chops for the second day in a row!), we left BK to enjoy a full day of festivities in the heat, while the rest of us came home and napped.  I needed sleep! 

LM rested on the couch most of the afternoon after her nap.  I completed one summer project - framed and hung a series of four seasons paintings of Jim’s hometown done by a local lady. And realized one of the mats I purchased is different from the rest.  That will be a project for another day!

Back to the park around 6 PM.  Both children rode a few rides.  I worked the pop stand from 8-8.50. We set up our bag chairs with cousins & other extended family.  Then LM and I walked to Grandpa's to wait while the rest of the family watched the fireworks.  It was a LATE night. I think it was close to 11 when I got in bed. 

Summer Vacation ~ Day 42

Thursday, July 3

8.30-10.30 AM swim team practice. Both children were happy to find a handful of ribbons from recent meets waiting for them. :) 

A quick stop by a pharmacy ten minutes further away. Home long enough to unload the dishwasher and put in a load of laundry. 

Post office (to pick up 9 days' of mail!). 

Pool with church friends from 1.30-3.  

Move the laundry through.  Zoom from 4-5. 

Have you seen any time in there for rest or sitting still?  Neither have I.  

And, hold onto your horses, because 5.30 PM on July 3rd starts a very full 29 hours with extended family AND 1,000 or so of our closest friends at the park in the next town.  (Think vendor booths, carnival rides, lunch & supper at the concession stand, parade, fireworks, softball games, tractor pulls, and all the sights and sounds associated with all of that!) 

I have a bad history with intensive times of having to be an extrovert.  Maybe I should just wear noise-cancelling earphones, park my folding chair under a tree, give the children each an Airtag bracelet and tell them to check in with me every hour. :) (Just kidding! ... Sort of!)

Summer Vacation ~ Day 41

Wednesday, July 2nd

We skipped swim team practice.  Jim dropped LM off at daycare around 9.10. 

BK and I left at 8.55 and came home at 4.30 briefly. 

• Quick checkup on a lingering cough.
• CFA breakfast.
• Hobby Lobby - pick up frames on rain check.
• Kohls - return 6 tops that didn't work for my mom.
• Drive an hour. 
• Gas at Sam's.
• Run in the kids' consignment store to see if there was anything that we needed.
• Walmart - stock up on health & beauty aids.
• Amazing used bookstore - found some great books for summer reading.
• Pediatric hearing clinic - annual hearing test. Hearing loss is stable! Praise God!
• Drive an hour. 
• ALDI (to restock our fridge) - I tripped on the curb from the parking lot to the carts and landed on my left palm and also banged up my left knee. :( 
• Home at 4.30 - food in the fridge & freezer.
• Pharmacy - pick up 5 prescriptions.
• Daycare - pick up LM. 
• Grandparents - proof of life (of us) after our vacation. 

Then I went to bed shortly after 6 to rest my knee.  

Summer Vacation ~ Day 40

Tuesday, July 1 

We woke up in Lexington, KY, in time to go down for breakfast at 8 AM ... and eat with my oldest cousin and his wife! They live in SC, but were on their way home from GA, IN, and IL! We live in IL and were on our way home from TN! What a fun surprise!

We we were all glad to arrive home around 2.30, after gaining an hour. 

4 PM found the children and me headed to an away swim meet! Can't let a day go by without swimming. :) 

We left the meet after what I thought was our family's last event, #61, and redeemed Culver's free scoop coupons. As we were driving home, another mom texted to see if we were still there.  I knew what that meant ... I had missed a relay event that one of the children was to swim in.  Oh, my! Event #76, a 200 meter relay.  My bad, as the young ones say.  He wasn't listed as being in that event on the sheets posted at morning swim practice (which another mom had taken photos of and sent me), and I didn't double check on the sheets posted at the event.  Lesson learned!

Home around 9.30 PM (10.30 PM Eastern time).  ZZZZ

Summer Vacation ~ Day 39

Monday, June 30

Ran an errand at the bank as soon as it opened at 7.30. Swung by assisted living to return an item, pick up some items, and unsuccessfully try to hang Mom's birthday gift on the wall.  

Back to the AirBNB. Packed up. Stripped the beds & emptied the garbage.

On to see Mom.  From there, Jim and the children checked out the sensory gym they have visited previously, while I spent the morning with Mom. 

They picked me up between 1 & 2, and we made it to our motel around 7.  After a swim by the children, we all got a good night's sleep.  

Summer Vacation ~ Day 38

Sunday, June 29 

A short visit with Mom at the rehab hospital before going to my childhood church.  Oh, the memories that come flooding back in that sanctuary! Bonus! My childhood pastor was preaching. :)

Jim and I stood in the aisle of the sanctuary after the service talking with the husband of the family who bought my childhood home. We felt like we were talking with an old friend, and could have talked all day.  It's so good to hear how they are making the house their own and pouring life into it!

Lunch at my sister's with all the family (except Mom) and our childhood pastor and his wife.  

We drove by the farm and house to see what changes were visible. 

A short rest, and then we all gathered at the rehab hospital for a family celebration of Mom's 91st birthday a few weeks early. :) 

Summer Vacation ~ Day 37

Saturday, June 28

Leisurely morning at the AirBNB. I fried eggs, finished the load of laundry from last night, and (surprise! surprise!) packed the swim bag. :) 

We visited my mom for about 30 minutes before her lunch.

Jim and the children left me with her at the rehab hospital and went to the pool! 

One of my sisters brought Chipotle (and a locally famous sweet tea) to me, and we visited until Mom went to supper.  

She was back from supper awhile when Jim and the children picked me up. 

We ate in at the AirBNB - pork chops, two types of frozen vegetables, Bob Evan's mashed potatoes, and Sister Schubert's rolls. 

Our time here is flying by!

Summer Vacation ~ Day 36

Friday, June 27

I was up early, partly because I always am and partly because I had planned to meet a family friend at Mom's room at 9 AM.  The rest of our day was full! 

• Visit mom as a family. 
• Pool for Jim & the children. 
• Pick up lunch for myself.
• Visit Mom for the afternoon. 
• Pick up Jim & the children at the pool. 
• Rest for 10 minutes at the AirBNB.
• Head to Tennessee's oldest town for dinner and Music on the Square. 

What better way to close out our day than by listening to the Empty Bottle String Band?! :)  LM made new friends while clogging! 

Summer Vacation ~ Day 35

Thursday, June 26

All four of us were eager to see my mom for the first time in almost 6 months!  We were relieved to see her doing well at the rehab hospital. And she was happy to see how much her grandchildren have grown!

We left just before lunch.  After we ate, I dropped the family off at the pool, stopped by assisted living to get some things she wanted, ran by Dollar General for a few packs of cards for her,  and picked up a fresh bouquet at Kroger, and some hot tea for myself. 

I spent a couple hours visiting & attending the family meeting about her care plan.  A lot is up in the air.  When I had stopped by assisted living, everyone from residents to administration to nursing staff to cafeteria staff, wanted to know how she is and when she'll be back and told me how much they miss her!  ❤️  Our prayer is that she can be in optimal condition for returning to assisted living, that insurance will pay for most if not all days she needs at rehab for that to happen, and that she can continue with twice weekly PT the rest of her life, to maintain (& even increase) strength and to have good quality of life!

After picking the rest of the family up from the pool, we rested back at the AirBNB for 30 minutes, and then met one of my sisters for supper.  

Jim and BK had fun building a fire in the fire pit. I enjoyed the front porch until the smoke made it hard to breathe.  A late night! 

School

My mind is turning toward school. 

In keeping with my just-in-time parenting reality this summer, school shopping will probably take place on our way to back-to-school night. Oh, well! I can't even get it together to look at the lists and make an online Walmart order. 

I've scheduled the necessary appointments for BK to get a new pair of hearing aids (and thought ahead to what it would entail for the university hearing itinerant services to switch the teacher's microphone receiver) ... only to find out that our insurance policy changed from covering a new pair every 2 years to every 3 years.  (Obviously, we would sacrifice & pay out of pocket if he absolutely needed new hearing aids, but I'm confirming with the audiologist that his are still sufficient.)

I'm looking forward to Moms in Prayer and beginning to "advertise" on Facebook, in hopes of finding more moms who want to pray. 

I met with an educational tester and consultant, and determined that having LM tested for dyslexia would not help in our situation. Instead, she gave me some questions to ask the school and some action points to consider in hopes of helping her get the interventions that would be most helpful. 

I have phone calls in to three different offices at the state university. (Do other moms have the numbers for these offices saved?) Can we get LM back in the speech clinic, even if it means taking her out of school to do so? Would low-gain hearing aids & a teacher's microphone help with her auditory processing disorder? Could their testing center test for dyslexia and would that be helpful in the long run? 

Lots of questions. Lots of prayer. No clue what the best answer is in any of these situations. I'm not an expert. But I keep learning. And I'm sure the Lord will guide us.  

Summer Vacation ~ Day 34

Wednesday June 25

My alarm went off at 5:45. Given a quiet house, within 35 minutes, I had everything done except for gathering six things from upstairs and having the children collect their last minute items. And then I sat down! I. Needed. Breakfast! 

We set out for the 600 mile trip to Tennessee around 9 AM (an hour later than planned). A quiet ride, as BK slept & LM did activities and listened to PlayAways.  Jim and I were glad to catch up on conversation that has been missing since school was out. 

Lunch at Culver's. A stop at the Kentucky welcome center.  

A late afternoon stop at the last Chick-fil-A on the route where I splurged on a frosted lemonade. The heat was unbearable! Everyone else got supper at Kroger before the tunnel. I placed a Walmart order to be delivered tomorrow morning at our AirBNB.

LM asked, "Are we here yet?"

I replied, "Well, dad hasn't stopped, so we're not there yet." 

Pause. 

LM: "Dad, can you please stop?" :) 

 

We arrived just after 9. The children always enjoy exploring a new Airbnb, and finding where the bedrooms are.  I told Jim it’s the most unique house floor plan I have ever seen and he said, "Unique is being very diplomatic." 

But it suits our needs. It's obviously (& we knew it from the listing) someone's home, unlike the other two we have stayed in so far here in my hometown, which are obviously full-time rental properties.  

We chose it because it's near Mom's assisted living, but alas, she is not there. We will be visiting her at the rehab hospital.  

Summer Vacation ~ Day 33

Tuesday, June 24

Today's stats are that I got 16,000 steps and for lunch I ate some chips & a Reese's while driving and for supper I had a boiled egg, a string cheese, and some pineapple at a swim meet. 

• 8.30-10.30 swim team practice
• pharmacy pickup & Casey's run for lunch
• appointment
• drop BK & LM off at a big city pool with water slides from 1.10-4 PM with their adult cousins
• 5-8.15 PM at a swim meet
• (It goes without saying that all of that involves MUCH driving)

5:32 PM at the swim meet 

7:13 at the swim meet

And I started (and tried to finish -ha!) packing for our trip to TN at 8 AM tomorrow morning. Whew! 

Summer Vacation ~ Day 32

Monday, June 23

Happy Summer Solstice 2 days late! LM celebrated by waking up at 5.30 (despite two layers of sun-blocking curtains).  So my morning started early ... sigh!

Swim team practice from 8.30-10.30.  It was HOT!! Thankfully I found some shade to sit in, but so did a whole lot of other moms, so it wasn't my usual down time, as I couldn't help but overhear their conversations. :)

Tumbling at 1 PM. Tutoring at 4 PM. Back to the pool for team photos at 6.30. 

It was a full day and we all had big emotions.  Tomorrow is a new day, and the Lord's mercies are new every morning! 

Summer Vacation ~ Day 31

Sunday, June 22

I stayed home with a sick child with a 24-hour bug.  Thankful for livestream of our church service! And a great sermon on what it means to proclaim Christ!

My heart is heavy for a sister in Christ whose country was bombed by ours last night.  My heart is heavy for her entire family who are still in their home country and do not yet know the Savior.  My heart is heavy for her immense burden for their physical & spiritual well-being.  

Jim brought home Culver's for lunch.  I stayed in my pajamas until mid-afternoon. Yay! 

BK received a gift card in the mail this week and asked if I could buy him a wallet. I suggested he could buy himself a wallet. :) He asked Jim if he had an old one. :) And lo and behold! Jim had his grandfather's wallet (which still had his social security card in it - oops!).  Not only did BK save $ ... but now he has the wallet of his namesake! 

We ended the day with pizza at the grandparents'.  

Summer Vacation ~ Day 30

Saturday, June 21

Jim left shortly after 7 AM to pick BK up from camp.  LM slept in for the first time in forever ... until 8.30 AM. :)

As soon as they got home, LM went to tutoring from 10.30-12. 

We headed to the pool around 1.30. One of BK's classmates was there and his younger brother who is in LM's class.  I declared we would leave at 4.  But just before that, friends from church showed up, with children both BK & LM's ages.  So I said we could stay one more hour.  As we were leaving at 5, more friends from church (with children BK & LM's ages) showed up after a double-header at the adjoining ball field. We could not keep on staying every time someone we knew showed up. :) 

Home for baths or showers and REST! :)   A low-key day. 

Summer Vacation ~ Day 29

Friday, June 20

I was gone 8.30 AM - 4 PM. Whew! 

LM went to daycare (& VBS & a field trip to a splash pad in the rain!). 

I went to an oil change, Hobby Lobby for frames for two projects, an online garage sale pickup, and lunch out with Jim!! 

Then I went to the big city library, updated our reciprocal cards which had expired, got into a long conversation with a librarian about being a POA & in the sandwich generation (if you're a praying person, take a moment & pray for this lady?), checked out a bunch of Playaways for the children (audiobook mp3 players), ran by ALDI & dropped almost $200 (How?!?), picked LM up from daycare, came home, and logged into a Zoom, and then took a 5 minute time-out to put groceries in the fridge & freezer. Whew!!

At 5, I logged out, started one of two loads of laundry (I want to be caught up before BK comes home from camp) :) and did this fun project: 

I rescued these four antique postcards (3 from Switzerland and 1 from Belgium) from my parents' house last year.  My mom is a huge fan of still life paintings of fruit, and even won a blue ribbon at the county fair once for a painting she did! I was delighted to find these colorful frames that are made of distressed wood.  We plan to give them to Mom for her birthday gift.  

1000 Gifts, Vol. 7, #58

561.  a good trip to Tennessee

562.  time with family & friends

563.  getting to meet the man of the family that purchased our family farm there

564.  unexpected visit with cousins on the way home

565.  fellowship with extended family over the 4th

566.  an "easy" way for me to volunteer for our small town rec league ~ an hour shift selling drinks on the 4th

567.  a day to be still yesterday ... and rest 

568.  air conditioning!

569.  a small town tire shop to repair a tire with a nail in it

570.  Sunday matters! (book by that title here; I am cheap, and so just read his FB posts)

Halfway Mark of Summer

A few years back I started blogging every day of summer vacation. One reason is to help me remember. These days are oh, so very full! 

I'm glad I did. And I'm glad I've continued.  I pray we're making good decisions with our days and hours and summers.  

"Unless the Lord builds the house, they labor in vain that build it." 

Before summer vacation, I wrote of some of our plans.  Spoiler alert: not all of them have happened.  

What has filled our days?

Swim team, baseball, gymnastics, yard mowing (for BK), daycare (for LM), tutoring (for LM), VBS (for LM), two camps (for BK), and so far one trip to WI and one trip to TN.   

Summer is one big sprint for me.  During the school year is when I get my respite.  I have almost had a nervous breakdown twice this summer.  We find it very hard to find ways for me to get rest during the summer.  Someone asked me if I get any breaks, and I said, "Well, I do the NYT puzzles, and drink hot tea every morning." :-/

Prayer appreciated! Ideas welcome, if you filter them through the Holy Spirit, first. :) (I don't have a lot of margin during these summer days.)

Summer Vacation ~ Day 28

Thursday, June 19

My nurse was here by 8 AM, and the "liquid gold" was flowing into my veins by 8.15. 

Jim took LM to daycare (including VBS) at 8.30. 

After I answered all the questions my nurse had for charting, I slept for most of the infusion: 

Jim had errands in the city, I continued resting, read some, and then picked LM up from daycare around 5, and visited the grandparents before coming home.  

I talked a while with our next-door neighbor while taking the garbage out to the street, and LM rode her bike up and down the sidewalk, eventually stopping to help a widow a few houses up the street weed her flower garden. 

A slow day.  We miss BK. <3 

Mid-year

More than half of 2025 is in the rear view mirror. 

Where has it gone? And how have I (& we) used it?

What stands out to me? 

January & February included all the closings on my parents' farm ... and all that that entailed!

February we drove to Florida & back. 

In March I had a monumental IEP meeting for LM. And in May I had BK's transitional IEP meeting to middle school. 

In May my rheumatologist in Chicago said my disease has stopped progressing!! 

In March the family celebrated Jim's dad's 95th!!

In June my mom fell, had surgery on a broken elbow, and was discharged to the rehab hospital for an as-yet-undetermined period of time. 

As always, my highlight was Moms in Prayer!  

What will the second half of 2025 hold?  Truly only the Lord knows.  May He find us faithful. 

Summer Vacation ~ Day 27

Wednesday, June 18

Another morning that it was hard for LM to get up (at 8 AM!). 

VBS from 9-11.30. 

We were under a tornado watch most of the day.  We had lots of hard rain, including while doing VBS pickup.  They moved it from the park to the Christian school, and we parents automatically formed a car line at pickup. The leaders sent out one family at a time to make a mad dash for their car. 

Air fryer chicken tenders for lunch.  LM told us about her Bible story and songs.  She learned a song from Numbers 6.24-25 that I cannot find online anywhere. One of Jim's high school classmates is (?was) a farmer who became a pastor in the last decade or so, and he always teaches the Bible lesson at this community VBS.  

I read a book, a WW2 novel, The Librarian Spy.  While I enjoy WW2 novels, and a little espionage is exciting (to read about), this one was a little too realistic (in terms of torture & death of the Resistance) for my tastes.  If you have any recommendations, let me know ... and I'll put them on my to-read list for the next time BK is at camp. :) 

LM and I read and made doughnuts and then she went to tutoring.  A low key day. 

Summer Vacation ~ Day 26

Tuesday, June 17

I slept in (after 7 = sleeping in for me), but LM has not had many sleep-in (as long as she wants) days this summer ... Every morning is a struggle...

Off to daycare at 8.30.  She was excited to walk to VBS with her daycare friends. :)

I had a 10-11 Zoom, made some phone calls, and quickly cooked some chicken tenders in the air fryer for Jim's lunch before heading to my 12-2 hair appointment. More phone calls (scheduling more places to go for myself).  

And then I S.A.T. D.O.W.N. with a mug of hot tea and a few chocolate chip cookies to dunk.  I then had 50 minutes to read before picking LM up and heading to an away swim meet.  

I have eaten my share of food from concessions stands at baseball games & swim meets around the central part of our state, so here's my pro tip. If your child's team has an away sports event at a country club, you will eat well! I sprang $15 for the buffet and enjoyed the best burger I have ever had, along with fruit salad, lettuce salad, and an Arnold Palmer.  (So much better than the usual popcorn, hot dogs, and candy from concession stands!). I skipped the homemade chips (but tasted a few of LM's) and cookie.  She enjoyed mac & cheese (definitely not from the blue & yellow box) and a brat. 

Oh, and she swam the 25 backstroke, and swam in two 100 yard relays.  One was free and in the other she swam the breaststroke.  She had the best time hanging out with three other girls in her age group, eating, playing, cheering each other on, etc.! Love my little swimmer (and her big brother swimmer, too)!

And we all miss BK and pray he is having a great week at camp!  When I opened the back of the van on our way to the swim meet, I discovered his daypack for camp. Uh-oh. We had also used it to pack his Bible, notebook, two water bottles, and travel case for his hearing aids. Well, I went to camp multiple weeks a summer for years and never took a water bottle...