Shipshewana

Sunday Penny decided to brave church but she didn't last past sacrament because her arm was hurting. We ended up going home and I missed an exciting relief Society. My mom told me some one stormed out during the lesson. A sister had shared how she felt she had been neglected by her ministers and when someone else commented that she shouldn't judge her ministers because she may not know what challenges they are facing, this really offended her and she left church. Honestly knowing who it was, this is par for course for her. On a better note, Lucy came home from church with a care package from the Young Women for Penny. I know Elaine was behind it and I felt very grateful for her kindness because I was honestly feeling a bit neglected by my ward.

Monday I woke up in not a great mood, likely caused by Ruby not sleeping well again. Ruby then proceeded to make working out challenging and to whine all morning. And to add to my bad mood, Lucy was in the shower when I wanted to be in there and then later I couldn't find Ruby's shorts anywhere. I was really crabby and I took my angry feelings out on pretty much everyone. It wasn't pretty. 

After lunch, we my mom, me and and the girls headed to Shipshewana for a little get away. My bad mood was still in tact and I had shared it with Lucy, who sitting next to a whiney Ruby, began to go off on her. The car ride wasn't great listening to the ails of Ruby and Lucy, but at least it was short. We ended up listening to part of Pride and Prejudice during the drive. Not my favorite but their are some funny moments to it- like the mother and her tender nerves and Colin proposing to Elizabeth. 

We made it to our airbnb around 3:30 and it was a cute place. It had a oval path through the living room and kitchen that Ruby immediately started running. Her mood seemed to change for the better and so did mine.

 Since everything here closes at 5pm, we needed to figure out what to get for dinner quickly, before it all closed. We ended up walking to Yoder's barn. Google maps was being weird but we ended up finding it, it was only like an 8 minute walk. Weather was in the 90s though so that felt pretty hot to us. Once there we found some frozen meals that sounded good and picked up some rolls.

When we got back from the market, we found board games at the bnb what we decided to play while we waited for the food to cook. I played Scrabble with my mom and then Candy Land and a dice game with Penny.  The games contiuned to improve my mood. I was feeling much better ar this point.

The games entertained us until dinner was ready. After eating, we drove to a Meijers to pick up breakfast and lunch for tomorrow. We needed a little more variety than what we found at Yoder's- mostly because of Ruby. On our drive back, the driver in front of us was swerving and was holding his arm out his window with his middle finger raised. The kids thought it was funny but it made me very nervous. I left a lot of distance between us and I was very happy when he pulled into a hotel parking lot.

When we arrived back at the bnb, the girls put a movie on and then I started the long process of putting Ruby to bed. It took an hour to get her to bed and I am pretty sure that she only fell asleep because it was finally dark in the room.Once she was asleep, my mom and I chatted outside. 

Monday we got up and at it and then walked down to the Shipshewana Flea Market. It was a short walk but another warm day. At the market we strolled the different wares and ended up spending most of our money in a little shop that had crochet animals and other cute things. I got Lucy a chicken, Ruby a little pink bee, and Penny got a crochet hanging plant. I also got cactus earrings (thanks mom!) and a cute little hair tie. At another store I found a very small tea set for Ruby. It was only $3 so I couldn't resist it. We also got delicious pretzels and then later, snow cones because they girls were roasting and getting grumpy. Ruby ended up soaking her bum and stroller with melted sticky ice so that was fun. Near the end, we discovered a stall with puppies and the girls spent a long time playing with the puppies. When they finished with the puppies, we were all super hot so we decided to walk back to the airbnb.

We were taking a bit of a break when Grams got something lodged in her throat so I walked to a nearby candy shop to get her a coke. I ended up getting her a glass bottle Coke and was dumb about getting the cap off. I was trying to do it on the counter but my hand slipped and I bruised my arm really good. After injuring myself, my mom found an actual bottle opener. I probably should have looked for that first. 

After that fun, we decided to go to Menno Hoff. It was a nearby cultural center/museum. The tour they offered was not really meant for toddlers so Ruby spent most of her time coloring on my phone, but I found it really interesting. I think the girls found parts of it interesting as well but it may have been a little long for them. We learned how rules can vary greatly between different Amish or Mennonite communities. Each group consists of about 20 families and a Bishop is the leader of the community. The Bishop and people basically get to decide what technology they should accept based on how they feel it will support(or hinder) their traditional family and faith or rather how it might threaten their religious or moral values. Some use generators because at least they don't have wires connecting them to the world. Some are ok with solar power. Some use cars while others don't because they don't want to risk harming others with their vehicle and they don't want to pollute the earth and deplete natural resources. We also learned that the Amish people originated from Anibaptists- they did not believe in baptizing babies and many were killed for this belief. It was neat to see that we shared that belief. I really enjoyed the whole thing, despite my wriggly toddler. At the very end of the tour, there was a play area that was a lot of fun for Ruby but of course not so much for the older girls. I wish I could have left Ruby there during the duration of the tour/presentations so we all could have had a better time.

After the museum we went out for a late lunch at Wana Cup. Ruby spilled her lemonade all over the table and floor pretty much right when she got it, but they were very nice about it. The food was good, very fresh,and we all gobbled it down. When we were done eating,we went back to the bnb. The girls rotted their brains while my mom and I hit a couple shops. She was looking for things for her yard and I was looking for puzzles to do with Ben. Neither of us had success. Then we came back and I decided I was going to take Ruby to the carousel at Davis Mercantile- Penny tagged along. I thought it didn't close until 5pm so we would make it there in plenty of time (it was 4pm). Unfortunately I was wrong because when we got there, it was closed. To make up for Ruby's disappointment, we went to the candy store and I bought her a sucker. To make up for my disappointment, Penny and I shared a pretzel. 

When Grams and I had been out earlier I had noticed a thrift store and since it was the one thing that was open past 5pm (it was open until 6pm) I decided I wanted to go there next. Lucy was uninterested but Penny, Ruby and Grams came with me. It was fun to see all the Amish dresses there. I had the best luck and found a puzzle that I had been wanting to get for me and Ben to do- a castle one. It was only $3 instead of the $18 new so that was quite the steal. I also found a fun car parking garage/car wash thing for Ruby for $5. I love thrifting. 

We called it day after that. We had TV dinners, watched "The Devil Wears Prada" and Ruby and I even spent a little time hanging out outside. That night I decided to not even try to put Ruby to bed until 9pm. That was a wise decision. It meant I only spent a half an hour with her until she fell asleep since again, once it got dark, she passed right out. Maybe summer is just hard with her in general because her body really is ruled by the sunshine. 

Wednesday morning we got up and got ourselves packed and out the door. We decided to hit the Shipshewana Flea Market one last time since there were a few things Grams had seen that she decided she did indeed want. We had a bit of a hard time finding a dish towel (one that hangs on the oven) that we had seen the day before but we did find it and she got me one too. Yay! I also got a bag for plastic bags that unfortunately never made it back with me. I have no idea what happened to it. After that, Ruby played on a playground while Lucy and Penny hung with the puppies again. Meanwhile Grams hunted down a fun potted plant holder she had seen the day before- it was pig on a bicycle  with a basket on the back for a pot. 

Grams came back with her potted plant holder and we did a little bit more strolling. I ended up finding these cool twisted metal weapons for the kids. And I also got some pretty flowers. It was a cool booth with lots of neat things at fair prices.

After leaving the market, we headed back home to Michigan. We listened some more to "Pride and Prejudice" and had a smooth ride home. When I got home, I discovered that Ben had finished the puzzle we had been working on. It was a tricky puzzle so I was quite impressed.

Thursday the smoke from the Canadian wildfires blew in. This year it feels worse- you can even smell it- so we have opted to stay inside. Ruby has not loved being stuck inside but I did take her to the libary that night so she could get some wiggles out and not die from cabin fever. I am starting to feel like living in Michigan means never going outside due to various things like freezing cold temps, rain, humidity, wildfires, etc.

Also Thursday I went and got my hair done by Grace. I wanted a chesnut brown for a change but it ended up really really dark. Hopefully it will fade some, but I am also sure I will adjust to it. I also got bangs again because I just really love the way they look on me- even if they really just drive me crazy. Grace and I had a good chat while she did my hair and we caught up on all the gossip. 

Friday was another day of wildfire smoke. We ended up going to Target to look at school stuff. It felt much too early to look at school stuff but in the past, when we wait, it all clears out fast. After Target we went to Marshalls to look at a few things. And pretty much that was the most exciting part of Friday.

Saturday was another fairly chill day. Tyler ended up finishing our flooring for the front living room, kitchen and dining room so now everything is back to normal and that feels good. That night Tyler and I went out to dinner and a movie with Grace and Jason. We went to the Filling Station, it is one of our favorite places to eat. Jason was kind of rude to the waiter and complained about the wait. It is a small place and the waiter is always the same person so now I am not sure we can go back. After that we picked up treats at the Dollar Tree and we all went to see "The Odyssey". We missed the first 10 minutes of the movie but other than that, the movie was good. It had enough action and violence to keep me from falling asleep. But I did not like the part where the witch turned the soldiers into pigs- that part was revolting. Poppy also called us during the movie and gave me a panic attack because I thought for sure something terrible must have happened to one of my kids for him to be calling at 10:30 at night while we were out. Thankfully all my kids were safe and sound and he was just worried about a water leak.

Funny Ruby this week- she has been very interested in bones since Penny broke her arm. I showed her some xrays on google and she will ask to see them on my phone. She will also randomly declare "I have bones!" or ask someone to touch the bumpy bones on her spine. I found some books about our different body systems at the libary and she has been reading them with me often. I love her curiosity.

Broken Again

Monday morning I took Lucy for one final visit to the cat she was watching. I am so glad to be done chauffering her to that. Grams and Ruby tagged along because after the visit we were going to Hobby Lobby. I needed wrapping paper and it's always fun to stroll the aisles of Hobby Lobby. It is less fun to buy things because the checkout line is always long and slow. After we purchased our things, we went to Chick Fil A. Ruby was a bit disappointed because the play area was closed but her chocolate milk helped soften that blow. 

That afternoon I had dr's appointment that made me miss my old primary care doctor- I felt like this new doctor could care less about me. After my appointment I dropped Lucy and Penny off for a sleepover at Geli and Luna's Grandparent's house in Northville. Then when I came back Tyler, Ruby and I headed to Chili's with my parents for a birthday dinner. 

We were having a nice time and were about halfway through our food when Tyler got a call from Geli's dad. I had my phone in my purse and knew immediately something was very wrong if they were so desperately trying to get ahold of us. Penny had fallen off a scooter and they thought her right arm might be broken. Our nice dinner was now over. We paid for the bill, got boxes for food and then rushed to meet them at the hospital in Novi. We were 40 minutes away from that hospital and that drive felt long and stressful. I could not believe this was happening again. 

Tyler dropped me off at the hospital and then took Grams, Poppy and Ruby home. I felt surprisingly level headed while I was alone getting her checked in and taken back. When we got into the room she kept apologizing. She felt bad about costing us money and about the family she had fallen in front of (she was sure she had traumatized the kids). I felt bad that we had joked about her expensive arm last year. I kept having to tell her that this was just a bad accident and she had nothing to apologize for and we would figure it out. But inside I was dying because we just bought a car and paid for braces and went to Italy and all our extra funds for the year were wiped and I do not know if our finances will be ok. Still I hated that she felt like she had done something bad. Accidents are just that, accidents.

I had been housing hope on the drive there that everyone was exaggerating her injuries but when I got there, I saw that they were not. Her arm definitely did not look right. They didn't make us wait too long for xrays and I as I peeked at the xrays I could see that she had clearly broken one bone in her arm (I later learned it was her radius). I felt relieved a bit because it was just one bone instead of both. I thought maybe this time would be easier. 

And honestly it all seemed to flow easier. Tyler came not too long after the xrays. They told us they were waiting to see the results on her wrist and then they would set her bone. Results were fine so they got to setting it. They gave her the ketamine, kicked us out, and got to work. We weren't gone too long before they came back and said it had been successful. They said it seemed to click together.  We all felt super good about the whole thing and had fun with the sassy, silly Penny that the Ketamine produced. Some highlights of things she said- I smell mom, it's just a temporary accessory (the pulse monitor on her finger), never again woman (referring to me), you cannot say my lines (when we repeated what she said), take it away servant (referring to me taking away her water), all the other patients are dead, I was the only one they could save (when I told her to quiet down). She also made me count my fingers, she booped me on my nose, made fun of Tyler's bald head, and she called us stupid and then remarked how she had just cussed. 

And when the ketamine wore off and she seemed sad again and it was time to go home (about midnight so we had been there about 5 hours). The next day I called and scheduled an appointment with the orthopedic surgeon (for Wednesday) and I was sure that when we went, they would just cast her arm and all would be well. Spoiler alert, it did not go as planned.

Tuesday was Tyler's birthday. He had to be a grown up and work and then after work he went with the boys for a 'Weird Al' Concert in Saginaw so we didn't really get to do any celebrating. He did open up some gifts before he left. Ben had got him a Lego set, Lucy a Lego hotdog keychain, Penny had gotten him some treats and I got him the Extended Edition of all the Lord of the Rings on DVD and some fancy knives for cooking. 

Since his birthday is also Grace's birthday, Grace and I celebrated her birthday by going thrift shopping. I love thrifting with Grace. I managed to find a couple tank tops that cover the new garments and a book that I thought Penny might like. After we went thrifting, I treated her to lunch. It was a nice outing after a rough previous night. She allowed me to vent and I got to hear about some crazy things going on with her bro in law.

Later Tuesday, while the boys were at their concert, I took the girls to the library for a craft I had registered them for awhile back. Grams was nice and came to watch Ruby so I could help Penny. Crafts are tricky when you only have one hand. Penny made an acorn keychain and a mushroom shadow box and a nature journal. Lucy made the nature journal as well and a bracelet.

Wednesday morning we went over to the new family in the ward's house (the harrisons). They have chickens and new chicks so that was fun. Then we went inside for snacks, games and a chat. Ruby hit it off with their 5 year old daughter Violet. Violet took her under her wing and they played the whole time. The girls all played Taboo upstairs. I chatted with their mom about homeschooling and family and things. After our hang out it was time for Penny's orthopedic appointment so we headed there feeling optomistic, but it didn't take long for our hopes to get dashed. He took her xrays and immediately determined the bones were not set well. We later found out that the splint the ER doctor had put on her arm had not been done correctly and it never would have held her bones in place- even if they had aligned her radius correctly. He then told us we would need to go to the ER at a children's hospital and try to get it set again. He suggested we go to the hospital in Detroit because the orthopedic doctor who had done her surgery before was on call and he had given her a heads up to expect Penny. Spoiler alert- that doctor was not in fact on call, her resident attendee was.

I debated just going there or going home first but after calling my mom, I decided to just go and get it done with. It was sort of a disaster from the beginning. Finding our way to the ER from the parking garage was complicated. And then they definitely had no heads up that Penny was coming- not just because that doctor wasn't actually there but also, ER and orthopedic doctors do not talk until after xrays determine you need an ortho dr. When we got back they wanted to take xrays which annoyed me because we had just gotten xrays at the orthopedic office. Then a lady came to bill us ($1800) before we had even received any care. That was wild. I was feeling frustrated and overwhelemed and frankly just emotional and was pretty much near tears every time I spoke to someone. It was not my finest day. Poor Penny was not doing well either. She did not want to go through all this again either.

After hours of waiting, they gave her the Ketamine and then the resident attendee attempted to set her bone----and failed. I was furious that they had put Penny through this again for what felt like absolutely no reason. I was not nice to the doctor who came to tell me the news and that she would have to get surgery. Penny was not her fun self (that I had told everyone she would be) after the procedure. This time the ketamine made her sad and angry. She screamed, she yelled, she cried. It was awful. She told me she wanted to go home, it hurt, everything hurt, she was hungry (I later found out she had not eaten lunch before our appt), she was thirsty and that was pretty much all the things she yelled and screamed at me. It was the roughest hours of my life and maybe hers too- except she can't remember them. She even told me her arm hurt like hell and that was shocking because she refuses to even read the word 'hell' in the scriptures. I eventually calmed her down by talking about apps and games she plays (which lets be honest, is really boring conversation). And after ages of trying to get her help for the pain and the hunger, they basically satisfied those needs right before they let us go. They gave her pain meds and then a sandwich and apple juice. Since she hates bread that felt like such the perfect conclusion to a crap day. They did not wheel chair her out and we had to walk up and down steps to get to the car but thankfully we made it with no incidents. Not thankfully I had forgotten to get the parking ticket validated so I after paying then hospital $1800, I also had to give them $5 for parking. But after being there for 6 hours, we were both happy to leave.

Thursday Penny and I needed a distraction from the awfulness of it all so we went with my parents and Ruby to Ikea. Ruby loved sitting on all the chairs and couches and laying in all the beds. She would take off her shoes and try to climb under the covers saying "This is my bed!". She is a fan of Ikea. We had lunch and ice cream there so it was an all around nice outing.

Thursday afternoon Asher came over for a bit. They are such frenamies, At first they fought and then they ran up to her room and had a good time making a mess of all the doll stuff that was up there. I vented to Julie about the week that I had been having and she was nice to listen. I think I was actually the one to talk the most this time.

Friday morning Tyler took Penny to the hospital and everything went smoothly. She got one incision and one rod and now she is back on the path of recovery. She spent most of the dayWhile they were off at the hospital I took Lucy to mow, and then I had to take Ben to a Minute Clinic because his ear was hurting. He had an infection so he got some antibiotics for that. He also sleeping which was a good thing. has waxy ears like me so he gave him some drops for cleaning them out. So much doctor stuff this week. After that we ran a couple of errands and I felt exhausted from life this week.

Friday evening I took Lucy and Ben to the temple. Reggie had needed a ride and since the last time Ben picked Reggie up, he got in an accident, I just couldn't repeat that situation. I know Ben has driven plenty since then with no incidents, but for some reason, it just felt like tempting fate. So I drove them. And anyways, it was nice to be in a peaceful place and it was nice having people check in on us and make sure we were all ok. I think I needed all that.

Saturday Penny had more pain but she didn't whine too much about it- she's pretty tough. She spent most of the day on the couch. That morning I made a chicken salad and chip dip for Tyler and Grace's birthday party that night. Then I ran to Kroger's to pick up some Vitamin D supplements for Penny because apparently she her Vitamin D levels are prety low and that could be a reason for easy bone breaks. Later I went to Costco because we were low on diapers and I regretted it- Costco on a Saturday is pertty peopley. After I got back from that my brain kind of died. I knew that maybe I should make something else or pick up something else for the party but I couldn't make a decision on what. I ended up not getting or making any more food and that ended up being a good decision. It wasn't needed.

Tyler and Grace's birthday party ended up going really well. The Bloomfields, Jones, Townes, and Kellie Davies joined us to celebrate. We ate lots of pickley food, answered some trivia questions about pickles. taste tested 3 different kinds of pickles to determine the best brand and then painted pictures of a pickle. I am not sure Tyler loved any of it but he was good sport. And I didn't feel like I said anything embarrassing so that was good.

The Fourth

Ruby picks the world's worst times to say her favorite awkward phrase "I like your boobies." This time it was during the sacrament closing prayer on Sunday. She is crazy. Later Sunday I was telling her not to say that and telling her other things she could say instead like "I like your hair or your eyes". Then she said,  "I like your tongue." I groaned "no!" and then she said "That's awkward". Yes, yes that was. 

Besides Ruby's awkwardness, Sunday was pretty restorative. I was able to take a nap, Tyler cooked dinner and then I cleaned the house while the older 3 were at a fireside. Cleaning may not seem restful but a clean house just soothes my soul. Plus not having to worry about cleaning it during the week is really helpful. 

Monday I took the middle 3 to the Mall. Ben needed new shoes and the other two came along for the Auntie Anne's pretzels. Without a toddler in tow (Tyler was off work for the week so he watched her) it was really nice. We chatted, ate pretzels, got banana candy from the coin machines, we checked out the Lego store, and, of course, we bought Ben new shoes. It was a good outing. 

After the mall, Tyler and I went to a car dealership and got our new, obligatory Equinox (as part of the deal of him getting a company car, we have to own a new car). They were offering 0% APR so we felt we needed to jump on that deal.  This was our first time financing a new car (we've always bought used) , but spending a lot of money isn't exactly fun. It involves lots of paperwork. The car is a pretty blue and has some fancy features. The only drawbacks are: I think the ac/heater vents are ugly and the trunk isn't automatic. But it truly is nice to have a car that I know won't give me grief for a long while.

Leaving the lot I almost hit another car as I was pulling out of my spot (I swear it came out of nowhere) and then I almost hit the lady who sold it to us (she zigged when I thought she was going to zag). That felt like a bit of a bad omen so later when I took my new car to the airport to pick up Grams and Poppy, I was a little bit nervous about wrecking it. Thankfully we all ended up back home safely and now Grams and Poppy are back to being our neighbors.

Tuesday afternoon the girls and I met Stacey, Jenna, Marin, Cherish, Geli and Luna at our beach. The girls played with Ruby for a bit so I was able to catch up with Stacey and Cherish. Eventually though, they got tired of Ruby and then Ruby started to make friends with a random mom at the beach. This mom was really nice and humored Ruby for a little bit, but then this mom's own daughter needed help so I needed to intervene and take over Ruby duty. This mom ended up letting Ruby play with their inner tube so I spent the rest of the time pulling Ruby around the water in it. This meant I did not get to socialize any more with my friends but I am glad I invited 2 friends so they could socialize with each other while I was busy with the toddler. 

Wednesday morning I had a dentist appointment. I have been having a random ache that I can't quite pinpoint so I wanted to get it checked out. I went to a dentist office by our home that Tyler uses because I am tired of the commute to Novi. The dentist did an xray and didn't see anything that he felt would be causing the ache. He said I had a cavity but it was small and he didn't think that was the source. He said it could also be a previous root canal gone bad but they don't have the proper x ray equipment to see the whole root so I would have to go to a specialist if I thought this might be it. Then he shaved my tooth a bit because he also thought it might be that my bite was off. I don't know, he honestly made me feel like I am crazy and making up the ache. I am not sure if I will spend the money to go to a specialist...

Wednesday evening the ym and yw were at different places so I had the privilege of driving the girls to their activity at a leaders home. Ruby and I hung out there while the girls made candles. I sat and chatted with other leaders while Ruby played with another kiddo that was there. I am trying to figure out two of the newer to the ward ladies that were there. They both are very well off. Money and expensive hobbies seem to be at the center of all their conversations so I am not sure these people will be my people.

Thursday morning I took Ben, Ruby and Penny to Chuck E Cheese. Ruby really loves dancing with Chuck E and she gets so excited when that giant rat comes out. We got some bonus tickets and ended up getting a fun little Playmobil toy for Ruby and cotton candy for everyone. After coming home and getting lunch, Grams and I took the girls to get pretzels at the new Auntie Anne's by Walmart. It was a long wait for the pretzels because they literally didn't start making the pretzels until after we ordered. SO the long wait was lame but the pretzels are cheaper than they are at the mall and they really are delicious when they are warm and fresh.

Thursday evening Penny had VBS with a friend. Lucy had been taking care of a cat that week for someone in the ward so after we dropped off Penny, we went to take care of the cat. The cat's house was so hot. It had been in the 90's that day and their house was also in the 90's. It was awful, but when I sent them a text about it, they didn't seem too concerned. Ruby had come along with us and while we were there, I made a mistake and left Ruby alone with the cat while I was helping Lucy with something. I don't know what Ruby did but for the short moment I was away, the cat scratched up Ruby's arm. She was devastated and spent the rest of the time there and the drive home crying and talking about what a bully the cat was.

Friday morning I took Lucy to go mow her lawn. Ruby and I walked down to the park while she mowed. It was another warm day and we were pretty sweaty by the time we returned. After lunch, I decided to take Ruby to the beach- just us two since no one else wanted to come. The water was warm and it was actually a nice outing just the two of us. There was a nice family there when we arrived and they had a 4 year old who was as friendly as Ruby. They also had a floatie that Ruby loved and they let her use. I had bought Ruby her own floatie but of course she likes everyone elses stuff better. After that family left, another family came but they were less fun. The kids were fighting and the dad wanted to tell me all about it. It was a bit awkward so we left shortly after their arrival. 

Friday afternoon I took the girls to the Orr's house to swim. They were going to stay until 8pm but at 7pm I got a text from Lucy telling me that Penny was melting down because she wasn't feeling well. Penny melts down a lot so I was skeptical but I left to go pick her up. Shortly after I arrived at their home, Penny threw up on their tile floor. Thankfully it was a small load and easily cleaned up but it still felt super awkward. It ended up just being a one off so I think maybe she had too much sun and not enough water.

Saturday was the Fourth of July. We woke up and went to the parade in Northville- we got there an hour early which always seems to be the best timing. The weather was cloudy and had cooled down some and I was very grateful for that. The Mays were going to come but cancelled on us, but the Eakins still came with us. Ruby loves Miss Grace and spent most of the parade sitting with her (and looking at the candy in her bag). The kids especially loved the tooth fairy, the goats in tutus and the person in a moose costume. We did have this mom and kids that somehow inserted themselves into our space and she was kind of obnoxiously loud about everything but it was fine. Penny was nice to this lady's kids so this lady expressed her gratitude to Penny. After the parade Ruby wanted to play in the newly redone park (everyone else wnet home in Tyler's car). The sun had come out at that point so it felt like the longest 15 minutes of my life. I was grateful when I was finally able to convince her to leave.

After the parade we went home. I baked a cake for Poppy and then took a break with Ruby. Then at 4pm we headed to our beach for a BBQ with friends. We had the Mays, the Eakins, the Bloomfields (just their boys), my parents, and the Townes. At first I wasn't having the best time, the conversation was centered around drama stories and I wasn't feeling it, but then the Townes came and I just really appreciate their presence. They are fun and uplifting. Unfortunately about half way in, after Ruby had been watched by various siblings and Tyler, it became my turn for Ruby duty. I spent the last half in the water with her. We did get rained on twice while there but the rain never lasted long. At the end of the night the kids lit up some sparklers as per tradition. The boys used their sparklers to explode ants on the grill so that was gross.

The last event for us was the fireworks on Long Lake. We left Ruby at home with Steven because it had been a long day and I could tell she was not up for staying up way past her bedtime. This year there ended up only being a couple other cars where we parked (one car was the Eakins). I think the forecasted rain was partially to blame. They also started the fireworks at 9:50 (instead of 10:15) so I am glad we got there early. I think the rainy forecast was again to blame for the early start. The show was a good one and I especially love the golden fireworks that look like willow tree branches and the glitter bombs. It was a good but exhausting holiday.

Also this week, Tyler began reflooring our downstairs. He managed to get our living room by our front door and the dining room replaced with vinyl flooring. Right now our kitchen has half the floor ripped up. I don't know when the rest will get done. I know the other living room is going to be quite the ordeal because there is so much furniture to move. But I also know that once it is done it is going to be so nice. 

Home

Sunday we woke up and packed up, it was time to check out of the airbnb. Since I had purchased 2 day tickets, and it was father's day and Tyler wanted to see some more races, we hit the race track again. First we stopped at the museum gift shop where at last, all the kids found something. Lucy and Penny got shirts, Steven got a small toy car, and Ruby got a flag (which she used to poke everybody with on the ride home). After the museum we parked in that same middle area and then this time we decided to try a different view- we went and sat in the Grand Stands. We were at the end of the first straight. Ruby again panicked a bit with the noise and fought the earmuffs but once she had them on, she calmed down. The stands were less entertaining for her so we had to walk back to the car to get some toys. I often find myself behaving like a rookie mom- like of course, bringing toys to a boring adult thing is always a good idea. Once we sat back down with her toys she was good for quite awhile. She seemed to enjoy pushing her toy cars from one side of the bench below us to the other.

This view was a little less exciting to me but I did a better job of paying attention to who was in lead and how the beginning positions were changing. Unfortunately two of the races we watched had crashes that had to be cleaned up which meant yellow flags and for some reason the clean ups were very long and it took forever for the cars to be allowed to get back up to speed.

After watching 3 races, we said goodbye to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and went to get lunch at Freddy's. 

When we finished eating, it was time to head back home. Ruby was a little more squirmy on the ride home but overall did good. She however, never feel asleep which was quite astonishing to me. I really thought she would take a car nap after the long weekend she had had. It was a good trip in the end. Tyler thinks we should go back next year and see the races. I honestly wouldn't mind. They were fun to watch.

Monday was busy catching up on life. I cleaned the house, did the laundry caught up on this blog, ordered groceries, ran a quick errand to Krogers, and even baked a cake for book club... all that with a toddler making new messes behind me. At least she wasn't begging for attention like she can sometimes. I think she was happy to be back with all her toys and just wanted to play with all of them.  Also today, I took her with me to the library (I was stealing unpainted stones from library rock snake for a book club craft idea). While we were there, she pretty quickly made friends with an older girl. The older girl was happy to boss her around, or rather enlist her help in making a house from the large magnetic tiles at the library. Ruby was just talking away to this older girl and while talking, Ruby told her that she was sick and that her tummy had been hurting her. Yes, Ruby has had a runny nose and some sneezing...but her tummy? Her new friend looked a little worried but thankfully it was just Ruby making up things because she had zero tummy issues the rest of the day.

Tuesday evening was my book club. Our book was Crocodiles on the Sandbank by Elizabeth Peters. I wasn't expecting too many people to come and then 3 people dropped out at the last minute- all people who had told me they had read the book and were looking forward to meeting up. It was frustrating because I had put effort into the meeting. I had made a Victorian Sponge Cake and I had made a dorky powerpoint with some facts about the book and discussion questions. I even got supplies so we could paint hieroglyphs on rocks. Thankfully we still ended up with a decent sized group- Sandra, Grace, Cherish and Carli attended the meeting. It ended up being a nice meeting. I know I have been to past book clubs where the book was never discussed, so it was nice that we actually discussed the book and they felt like good discussions. And I think the rock painting was a fun addition.

Wednesday I was going to take the kids to Dave and Buster so we could enjoy some half priced games with the giftcard we still have from Christmas. Unfortunately Tyler took the carseat with him to work so that did not happen. Instead I ended up going on a walk to seven eleven with the younger 4. There is now sidewalks all the way there and that made the walk so much better. We also had a nice chat while walking. It is fun having older kids that I can have real conversations with. 

Thursday I had to drive the oldest 3 kids out to Detroit for Stake Youth Conference. They had to be there at 9am so we hit some obnoxious traffic on our way there. They also were being obnoxious with each other. Someone would say something, then someone would make a rude comment about what they said- repeat, repeat, repeat. I was honestly quite relieved when we got there and I could say "goodbye" to my fighting teenagers. 

After I got back from dropping them off I took Ruby and Penny to Chuck E Cheese. It is really so boring to just follow Ruby around as she goes on the same rides or plays the same games over and over, but they had a good time. Afterwards we went to Costco to pick up a couple things and so the girls could have smoothies. Costco is good for some cheap lunch treats. Then since it had cooled a bit outside, I decided it was a good day to vacuum my car. I am really trying to keep it nice! Ruby played around in Gram and Poppy's garage while I vacuumed. It made me aware of how many Ruby things I am using their garage to store. They are very nice to let me do that.

Later Ruby and I went on a walk with Asher. They went and dipped their toesies into the water at the boat launch. Except Ruby ended up fully submerging herself in the water. I had taken her dress off but her diaper totally inflated so I ended up letting her play commando in the water (don't worry she had on a pair of shorts). Thankfully she didn't poop and I don't think she peed either. On our walk back home we saw a free Little Trike Truck at the end of someone's driveway. We ended up taking it. Pushing a stroller and the truck back to my house was lots of fun. Once we got home I washed it up- it was really gross. I think it may have been a bad decision to get it because they next morning she wanted to drive it, but was getting so frustrated with her inability to maneuver it.

Friday Penny had her friend Luna over at noon. We went on another outing to Chuck E. I ended up having a bonus of 30 play points for the girls so I gave Ruby the 30 and then Luna and Penny split our normal 100 play points. Not the best choice because Ruby ran out of points before them and was getting bored and frustrated. I think Penny and Luna had a good time though.

After we finished up at Chuck E we went to Target. I ended up getting Penny and Luna matching shirts and some candy. Ruby wanted me to buy her everything so I offered to take pictures of what she wanted for her bbirthday. I took a lot of pictures but here are a couple. She basically just wanted a picture with everything within her reach.

For dinner, we ended up going to Culver's. Luna was nice and helped me convince Ruby to eat her grilled cheese sandwich. You can tell she has her own little sister.

The day was long...Ruby was a lot all day and proceeded to be a lot the rest of the evening. It probably didn't help that she was up during the night which meant neither of us slept well. I was pretty crabby by the time I went to bed. I don't even know how late Penny and Luna stayed up because I was done with everyone by the time I put Ruby to bed. The crabbiness bled over into Saturday. We ended up meeting Julie and her boys at the beach that morning and Ruby had an epic meltdown because she wanted to play with Penny and Luna out at the dock but also she was scared of the dock. We spent the first half of the beach hang out with her crying. Thankfully when I got over myself and finally sat down with her and distracted her with making sand castles, she calmed down. Then I was able to have a nice time hanging with Julie and Ruby ended up having a nice time hanging with Asher. And Luna and Penny were able to play out in the water without a screaming toddler guilting them. These toddler years are tough.

As a reminder that these toddler years can also be fun...a funny thing Ruby has been doing lately is asking "What time is it?" We will tell her but I am not sure why she wants to know. She literally has no concept of time. Also I love her drawings: