That’s a Wrap

Our week with the fam bam ended today in Paris,

(Oh now I wish I was about to type France) Tennessee, home of the biggest fish fry and a replica of the Eiffel Tower. The boys and I made the drive to watch Mallory guest play in a tournament for a local softball team. 

She got an out, a hit, and a stolen base while we were there to watch. I’m pretty sure that now means we are her good luck charms. I’ve told her this means she must come back to Tennessee to play again. She whole heartedly agrees!

Meanwhile Wes stayed home so the floor company could reseal our floors that were damaged by the paint team. That’s a wrap with home repair projects for the year. I have a list started for the next round of projects, but that is on hold until next May as I do not want any more strangers in my house and I’m out of money!

My house is quiet. The dog is calm. The floors are clean. I’m not cooking. My plan is now to sleep the rest of the weekend. 

Rainy Days Fun

The second half of our week with family was full of either extreme heat or thunder storms, so we did as much as we could indoors. We ventured out between storms. We played miniature golf, rode go carts, walked the streets of downtown Nashville, had ice cream, shopped at the mall, jumped at the indoor trampoline place, made cookies, had a movie night, created some art, and watched the Rangers and Mavericks return to play. The kids even christened the pool with a quick swim even though we have no pump and dirty water!

This week is so different from what we originally planned, but we are all COVID free and able to be together! 

It’s Not Banff

It’s not Banff; it’s not even Canada. But we are together for a week of summer vacation. First up on the agenda was a float down the Harpeth River. 

The girls wanted to know where the rapids were. The float didn’t have much excitement until we got to the rope swing. The snakes added some more drama, too. 

Monday we spent the day at Cheatam Dam so the boys could fish and the girls could swim.

Keagan is holding a rod and this will probably never happen again. We made sure to take a pic.

Mallory decided she wanted to be buried in the sand. Caroline obliged. Just as the last scoop of sand was piled on, we hear, “You girls need to be careful of sand tick fleas.” 

“Ticks?”

“Uh, huh. Tick fleas.”

“Fleas?”

“Uh,huh. Tick fleas.”

“Tick fleas?”

I have never seen two girls rinse off so quickly! After four hours of sand and water fun, we had to pull them out of the water. 

We have all had a bit too much of the sun and the extreme heat real feels. We will need a day indoors tomorrow. 

COVID Canceled Those Plans

Today we were to fly to Canada for the first day of our scheduled week in Banff. If COVID hadn’t occurred and the borders hadn’t closed, we would be landing in Calgary right about now. 

This is what I was hoping to see while there. We had hiking, biking, canoeing, and rafting on the itinerary, and I got a super sweet deal with our hotel reservations. I hated to have to give it up and waited until the last minute to cancel hoping the Canadian government might have a change of heart and open the border. No such luck!

Instead of the lake, though, this happened today. 

That’s right. Our pool was finally delivered! Two more weeks, and I’ll be in this baby for hours on end!

Ingenuity

This is a mind at work. 

When your brother isn’t around to play defense, you secure a ladder. 

Ingenuity at its finest. Love him big!

Celebrating 18 in July

Summer has been extended by three weeks. Soccer training is still on hold. And the pool has been delayed until I-don’t-know-when. What does a 17 year old do with all of this extra free time? 

Evan gets an early birthday present!

He’s ready to kayak and fish for the next month! 

Checkin’ In

This happened today. Keagan enrolled in online banking, opened a checking account, and applied for his first debit card. When the bank rep asked if we wanted to apply for non-card payment (think Apple Pay), I knew that was a big fat no. My baby and money are a dangerous pair.  (Look at him, though. He’s so yummy!)

We opened the new account with $100. I told him he had to use the money for driving related expenses - like gas - not online purchases of shoes. I know he’s in the midst of redefining his image, so I made sure he understood I can track his spending on my phone. 

Besides being super handsome, he’s funny, too. While the rep walked away from the desk, we had this convo. 

Keagan: How much is gas? Like $5 or something?

Me: $1.89 a gallon. Your truck will hold about 20 gallons of gas. 

Keagan: That’s $40 to fill up with gas! $40 every time!! How often do I need to buy it? 

Me: Your truck will get about 12 miles for every gallon. It’s about 12 miles to Madilyn’s house. 

Keagan: what?!?! It will cost me $2 to just drive to her house.

Me: And $2 to get home, plus your drive to school

Keagan: You’re paying, right? Cause that $100 will be gone in a week.

Operation Koi Pond

Wes has been adamant about building a koi pond. He tried to justify it by telling me koi eat mosquito larvae, and since I’m bitten every time I step off the porch, I agreed to the project. This week he began the dig with a real feel of 96 degrees. He and Evan worked all through the heat of the day, but they got the hole dug and the pond set in the ground by dinner time.

All of that sun exposure gave Wes a headache. He told me he knew he must be old because he could remember the days he was able to easily do hard labor in the heat while hungover and with only four hours of sleep. 

Tuesday Wes and Evan set the gravel, stones, and rock. I pulled weeds, and Keagan supervised from the second floor of the house while playing FIFA. By dinner time we had a pond with a working pump and filter. 

On Wednesday we added water plants. 

Upon further research we found the koi fish are too big for our pond, so today we added three goldfish. 

Now get to work on those larvae!!

This Week in Home Renovation

The upstairs bathroom is complete. Keagan has a new bathroom with a beautiful navy vanity with a white marble counter, a new bath tub and tiled insert surround, new tile floors that don’t squeak, and the new and improved shower head. There is no more ducking to get that soap out of his hair. 

I’m so pleased with this renovation project; the pictures don’t do it justice.

Next up is the front door. Here is the before. 

The ‘grandma’s house’ storm door was removed, and the door was primed today. 

After a coat or two of Sherwin Williams Tricorn Black, I have a stunning entry. 

I can’t even believe this is my house!

Kayaking on the Harpeth

We were up very early today to be the first ones on the Harpeth River. The boys were not happy about such an early morning, but Keagan has wanted to kayak for the past month. We were the only ones on the water this early in the morning. 

Evan has been a champ this weekend. His mouth is still swollen from the extractions, but he’s acting like nothing happened. I know it has to hurt.

Wes has found his happy place!

Keagan found a rope swing and his day was made! 

We chose the 2.5 hour float and made it to the take out point in an hour. It was way too short! After the upstairs bathroom, the kitchen floors, and the front door are finished, we have decided we are buying kayaks. 

More of this is in our future. 

Lost My Wisdom

Poor Evan had his wisdom teeth removed Thursday. 

Wes was up bright and early getting him his favorite chicken biscuts for breakfast before his seven hour fast. 

All four were taken out in less than 45 minutes. As Evan said immediately after the surgery and still under anesthesia, “They were efficient. That’s how they make their money. They get people in and out of there fast.”

He was so talkative when I got him in the car and on the ride home. Here are some of my favorite quotes. 

Me: I need to stop by the jewelry store to pick up my watch. Are you ok with a quick stop?

Evan: Yeah. That’s fine. Did you get a Rolex? 

Me: You need to put your phone away. I don’t want you texting; you might say the wrong thing.

Evan: I still have my common sense. I just lost my wisdom.

Evan: When I get home I’m playing COD. I want to play somebody and get 20 kills, and then tell ‘em ‘You suck!’ They might be good, but I’m better.

Evan: Mom, the Redskins have to change their name.

Me: To what?

Evan: I don’t know, but it should be the Ghettos because that’s all they have there. Ghettos and Smithsonians.

Evan: All girls want to do is FaceTime. ‘Let’s FaceTime. FaceTime. FaceTime.’ I don’t have time for that. I want to play soccer and play basketball. I’ll text, but I’m not going to FaceTime.

He had icecream and applesauce for dinner. Friday he was eating pasta and meat sauce and shooting hoops. I think he’s recovered.