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.

The Last Dinner

The struggle with maintaining the various eating habits of eight people has been real this weekend. We eat one big meal a day. She eats two meals he a day. He eats three big meals a day. They eat five meals a day. I won’t lie. The food shortage, having the appropriate food, and the timing of meals has been difficult for me to manage. So we went out to eat for lunch today. We drove to downtown Franklin and had lunch at one of the locals’ favorite places. After our fill of southern food, we played a game of Top Golf. 

Today we said goodbye. The cousins had a great time playing Apples to Apples, a video game or two, and hide-and-go-seek. 

I’m off to plan today’s lunch for a party of four. 

Down on the River

After church this morning, we spent the afternoon at The Narrows of the Harpeth. We hiked to the top of the overlook for a beautiful view.  

To Wes’s great dismay, the kiddos literally sat on the edge of the precipice. 

Climbing back down was easier than going up, but we had to hike our way back up on the second trail that took us to a small waterfall. We skipped rocks, got in the water to cool off, and climbed to the top of the waterfall. 

After stopping at the creamery for double scoops of ice cream, we are headed home before the storm hits.