we4keenes

Yard Work Weekend

Jim put yard work weekends on the calendar lonnnnng ago. We were nervous because the weather didn’t look good at first, but things cleared up. Jim spread moss killer the weekend before, so we were ready to thatch, aerate, and spread 18 yards of top soil before sprinkling new grass seed and rolling out peatContinue reading “Yard Work Weekend”

Home Craft Kit

We ordered some at-home crafting kits from Coffee Convo Craft, a small business from Maple Valley that was started by two ladies I know just before we moved away. They are advertising home create kits as a way to recover some business during the COVID-19 closures, so we ordered three. It was really fun!

Easter at Home

To be honest, it was maybe the most relaxing Easter ever! We started with a yummy breakfast: frittata, donuts, and berries. Then we enjoyed streaming our church service and worshipping together. The day was bright and cheery, and we got some nice outside time. I told the kids I wanted one photo, and of courseContinue reading “Easter at Home”

Hoverboards

JT and Haley save a lot of money, because they hardly ever want to buy anything. We could look at it that they aren’t greedy people, or that they have everything they need or want… either way, they save and save and save. Every once in awhile, one of them will decide they want to splurgeContinue reading “Hoverboards”

The Fort

Because the kids are home all day every day now, with no sports or activities, they have a little more time on their hands than usual. We have school at home daily 8:30-12, and then we have a lunch break and dog walk together, then they do some chores. But around 1:30 or 2 theyContinue reading “The Fort”

Remotely Being

We’ve been doing a lot of adjusting lately to doing things remotely that we used to do in person. Haley’s gymnastics meets M/W/F for an hour over Zoom. I workout and walk with friends… from six feet away. Some of our friends can’t even come over, so we Teams call them into art activities withContinue reading “Remotely Being”

School at Home

Schools in our area announced closures for six weeks starting on March 16, the day we brought Maverick home. So we decided to do some school-at-home similar to summer time, but a little more organized. Soon I had all three fifth grade boys and two third grade girls in the neighborhood enrolled in my remoteContinue reading “School at Home”

Our new addition: Maverick

We had considered getting a new family pet sometime in June, when we knew the kids and I would be home all summer to train a puppy. Jim has wanted a pale yellow lab named Maverick (and another one named Goose) for as long as I can remember. When he heard school was cancelled, andContinue reading “Our new addition: Maverick”

Field Trip to the Art Museum

I was able to chaperone Haley’s field trip to the Tacoma Art Museum today, and we had a great time. The museum docents did an amazing job. Our first station was reading the book Blue is My Happy, which I now love. Then we talked about how color evokes emotion, and we analyzed this paintingContinue reading “Field Trip to the Art Museum”

Finally, a weekend at Crystal!

Last year, we spent one weekend a month camping at Crystal Mountain, which we love to do. This year, we’ve been a little busy (ha) and haven’t made it up there until this weekend. The kids love playing in the snow after the ski day is done. We also went on a “snow walk” toContinue reading “Finally, a weekend at Crystal!”