Another Week of Summer - June 15-18, 2020

This week started out well. We went for a hike at Knock Knolls and met some hiking friends on the trail. We also took some time to play in the river a little bit. The kids had a ball. It was also nice to see friends and still be able to physically distance while still being social. The kids also worked on getting their hammocks hung in our swingset. They have enjoyed sleeping out in the backyard. It has been cooling off plenty in the evenings. Now that our AC is installed, I was able to list all of our window units. I was able to sell 2 of them almost instantly. Now just 2 more to go.

Tuesday the kids and I planned on doing a mom younger three kayak day. Josh was able to take us out at lunch and drop us off. We used our neighbor's kayaks and kayaked 2 to a kayak. We had a ball. They fly through the water. The kids definitely want a longer run next time. The river we have been kayaking is super shallow, so the kids got out and walked part of the way. I love that we have been finding ways to have fun at home. We are also doing lots of reading, learning, and discussing. All of us are reading books that paint a truer version of our history and have been able to have deep discussions and continue to learn. I am thankful that we are all working to change the future for all, and certainly for POC in our country.

Wednesday was a day at Grandma and Papa's at the pool. Brayden had some school work and then work today, so he stayed home with Josh. We went down around lunch. I had to teach SUPER early this morning and then took a quick morning nap before we headed down. We will conquer more school work and 4-H projects tomorrow. We worked in the garden, but also enjoyed the pool. It was a great day.

Friday Eve was a hot one. Today was a school day for us. Micah even helped Emerson with his math. Ella is working on her math as well as writing her blog. This afternoon I took my friend Christina on a kayak trip down the river. It was nice. We enjoyed the cool water and opportunity to float and talk for a bit. Christina made it a memorable trip, but I won't embarrass her with how. No we did not dump. We had a great time outside while still keeping our distance. Josh also taught Ella to make a latte. It was a heartwarming sight to watch her so intent listening to her Daddy and taking it all in. Tonight was a family friendly Black Lives Matter March in Plainfield. Ella has wanted to attend a march for quite awhile. Her role model for about the past year has been Malala. She is very adamant that all people be treated fairly. She made a sign from the last line of a poem she wrote. I think it is pretty profound that our 11 year old is so wise for her years. We went to view the march, but didn't participate so that we could still stay safe with the COVID restrictions. It took place a block from our home, so we were able to view the march and then take a walk and talk. It was quite a learning experience. I will continue to learn. I will leave you with the last line of Ella's poem. "I may be white, but I will stand up for what is right" and the picture of the sign Ella made.