Laid Back Fun

 Yesterday was a day of rest for the Cousin Crew. Everybody was tired after the marathon drive to visit the cemetery. It turns out that ten hours in the car is exhausting for everybody, not just the driver.  

I wanted to keep the day relatively calm but I still wanted to have some fun. We opted to go bowling, which is always a fun activity for everybody. The bowling alley owners went to such impressive efforts to create a safe environment that I am happy to make several trips with the kids.

Adventure Time

Yesterday the Cousin Crew (minus Timmy) piled into our rented mini van and headed west. I was cautiously optimistic about the drive. I knew that we would be safe, but I worried that the kids would easily become bored and start bickering.  To my surprise, the opposite happened.

Not only were the kids not bored during our 9 hour drive (round-trip), but they laughed, told stories and played games the entire way. The van was filled with giggles and roaring laughter throughout the drive. With the exception of when we pulled up to the cemetery, the kids were giddy and never stopped laughing. Even though it was a long drive, the fact that the kids were having so much fun definitely made it enjoyable.

I approached the cemetery with dread. The last time I visited my Dad was when his headstone was unveiled three years ago. I was disgusted by the stone that his widow picked out for him. Proudly proclaiming her name on his stone, with little mention of any other relationship in his life. was in poor taste and hurt us deeply.

To my absolute delight, it turns out that I wasn't the only one who was horrified by the original stone. Sometime in the past three years, my Dad's stone received an upgrade. Her name and wording remains, but underneath "LOVING FATHER, GRANDFATHER, AND BROTHER" is etched in black. My Dad was so much more than a husband, and I'm thrilled that his stone is now more reflective. The mystery engraver remains a mystery, although I have a suspicion as to the identity. (I know that it was not his widow.)

While the Cousin Crew was cruising in a van, Timmy was having an adventure of his own. He went with my sister and her new husband's house to swim and play for the day.  He lifted weights (a favorite activity), swam in the pool, played in a lake and rode a horse. He was smiling from ear-to-ear in every photo I received and I could tell that he had a phenomenal adventure of his own. 

Long Drive Day

Yesterday was relatively laid back. After playing outside for most of the night, the Cousins didn't wake up until early afternoon. When everybody was finally awake I took the kids to shop for school supplies. Never a coveted activity, but they had fun because they were doing it together. 

This year we had another shopper on our list. Timmy is enrolled in kindergarten (gulp). While the big kids gathered their notebooks, backpacks and folders, Timmy and I selected crayons, colored pencils and glue sticks. Because all classes are virtual this year we took an educated guess as to what would be needed. I probably could have waited until classes started, but I wanted to try to build school days excitement for Timmy.

Last night the Cousin Crew painted rocks to leave on Candy Papaw's grave. Despite asking for years, they haven't yet seen my Dad's headstone. Today we are making the long drive to Butler so that the kids can "visit" their Candy Papaw. I am sure that they will have a good time on the drive, but the cemetery is sure to be an emotional experience.  They all miss him dearly.

Bowling Adventure

There is nothing that brings me as much happiness as hearing my kids laughing and giggling for hours. We are visiting my mom's house, and the Cousin Crew is finally reunited. Although our summer adventures are different because of social distancing, the kids have found unique and creative ways to become silly and have fun. It is impossible to feel sad or overwhelmed when the house is overflowing with laughter and mischief!

Yesterday afternoon I packed up the Cousin Crew and we headed bowling. The local bowling alley has gone to herculean efforts to provide a safe environment to play during the pandemic. They installed barriers between between every lane, they are thoroughly disinfect each ball after use. Each lane is pre-filled with a selection of bowling balls, eliminating the need to go and try to find your own. Every group of bowlers are distanced from another by at least two empty lanes. Between the barriers blocking us into our lane and the distance between other bowlers, we felt like we had the entire alley to ourselves.

In the evening, after our traditional card games and Bomb! trivia, the Crew took to the yard for an epic glow battle. They laughed and played outside into the wee hours of the morning. Between the full moon and the pre-storm stillness, it was the perfect time for outdoor glow games.

Today is raining, but I have no doubt that we will find something fun to do!

 

Showman

Although he was nervous, Robby took to the stage like a seasoned professional. He was poised and confident as he struck the first strings on his guitar. After the first few notes I could see his shoulders begin to relax and he started to thoroughly enjoy the experience.

This band went through a lot of obstacles to make it to the stage. The pandemic forced rehearsals online, which is difficult for emerging musicians. The songs were not as tight because the band was only able to practice in person two times. Considering all of the issues faced, the kids did a fantastic job. More importantly, Robby had fun!

Enjoy.

(Here is the YouTube Link:  https://youtu.be/Aqrt9QuVXdc

Ready to Rock!

We are all eagerly looking forward to tomorrow when Robby's band "Technicolor" finally takes to the stage. The kids have been rehearsing since February. They modified and began to practice through Zoom during the thick of the pandemic and only began in-person rehearsals two weeks ago. Although they haven't been together in person for long, I know that they are all looking forward to showcasing their songs. 

Robby has been practicing several times a day in preparation for the show. Unlike the last performance, this time he is seasoned. He knows what to expect and he is more excited than he is scared. I'm sure tomorrow morning he will be nervous, but I don't think he will have the bone-numbing terror that he experienced last time. 

In preparation for the big show, yesterday I took him for a hair cut. He hasn't had a trim since before quarantine and was long overdue. He opted to keep a shaggy, rock-n-roll look and the stylist did a fantastic job of bringing his vision to life. He even had colorful highlights to finish his look. Streaked with fire truck red, electric blue and Big Bird yellow, he is ready to rock for Technicolor!

Check back tomorrow evening- I'm going to try to upload a video of his show. 

Bad Moods

Some days are better than others. Yesterday was definitely not one of the best days in our family. Despite it being our anniversary, the day was wrought with bickering, meltdowns, pouting and just global sour moods. Everybody was edgy, including Scott and me, which only served to exacerbate rather than diffuse.

We all ended up going to bed early and I'm hoping that moods have been elevated by good sleep. I know that I'm feeling better, so I already know that today will be better. For the first time in weeks, I didn't have any phantom pain when I was going to sleep. The absence of pain feels liberating! Even if the boys are still cranky, I'm optimistic that I'll have the energy to try to quell any growing irritants before they implode. 

I know that everybody is beginning to fatigue of being stuck at home. As much as I've tried to provide fun activities and home-based adventures, my efforts are falling short compared to our previous vacations. We need a change of scenery to break up the monotony of social distancing. The boys were delighted when I mentioned that we could pack up and go visit Nana and the Cousin Crew. 

Robby's performance is on Saturday. After his show is over we are going to pack up the car and head to Pennsylvania for a few days (or a week or two, we haven't really decided yet). Scott will stay home to decompress by himself and to look after the cats.

In a few weeks Scott has to return to the "virtual" classroom.  I know that he needs some time to figure out what that looks like for his students. Even though he won't admit it, I know that he needs some time away from the chaos and clutter of the kids during quarantine. 

We are all looking forward to our mini-vacation!