We were in a frenzy trying to get everything taken care of with our pulverized van, while trying to shop for a new one, while trying to prepare Shad to go to Basic Training and Tech School, while trying to prepare me and 5 kids to hit the road for nearly 3 weeks. Yay, life!
I came out of my bathroom one morning and found these humans waiting for me to feed them breakfast.
We enjoyed our last forest day for several weeks.
We drove to Denver for our last weekend so that we could a) have a last meal with Shad's family, b) buy a van, c) have a date of our own (early anniversary celebration) because Shad's sister Ruth wanted to have all the kids for a sleepover and who says no to that? And so, we bought a 2007 Honda Odyssey touring that has everything we were looking for (DVD player, navigation, leather seats) except for the 8th seat, which I still need to look into adding. We named this van Quicksilver after the X-Men character, and Dancy named the navigation voice Emily because everything that can be named Emily gets named Emily. This touring trim comes with a few bonus features we weren't even looking for, but will definitely enjoy: the heated mirror button works, remote tailgate, memory seating, more dashboard info reporting on vehicle conditions.
After buying the van, we picked up the kids from my mom's house where they were having Grandma time while we shopped. We had dinner at Dan & Tabitha's house with Vern, Pris, Levi, Ruth, Coltyn, Dan, Tabitha, Ryan and Will. All the kids but Sam and Will slept in a tent in the backyard. In the morning, Ryan went to karate while our family hung around, then Shad and I took all of the kids (Ryan included) to Ruth and Coltyn's apartment for their sleepover.
Shad and I ate a late lunch at Jerusalem, then went to Elitch's on our date and were pleasantly surprised to find that we can still ride roller coasters!
We had a blissful sleep, waking up naturally and peacefully at 9 am. No doors slamming, no crying. Since we missed the hotel breakfast, we ate at Ikea, then got to Ruth and Coltyn so we could play Scythe with them.
Monday was spent doing all the last things that needed done. Shad had a date with Samson, but I don't have those pictures because I didn't get them off Shad's phone. I don't remember exactly what they did...Dancy says it was bowling, Katie says it was football at Target followed by a hotdog and smoothie at Costco. Either way, that little boy was so thrilled to have his first Dadda date. And because he missed his nap, this is how I found him later that night when I was getting everyone packed for our first roadtrip.
Shad's been making sure to get dates with all of the kids before he leaves.
He and Katie played Glo-golf at the mall.
And saw a monster truck.
Shad and Tommy went to see Ant-Man and the Wasp. They enjoyed it, though Tommy was confused the whole time, wondering where The Wasp was. Apparently he had a different picture in mind of who The Wasp would be, so he just kept waiting and waiting for The Wasp to show up. Shad told him at the end and Tommy had an "Ohhhhh!" moment.
From Wednesday at 4:30--
Thora has been stuffed up since Sunday. Came into my room that morning to ask, "Mom, would you please check my beaver?" She meant fever 😂 Seemed fine Monday, but then being wet and cold for hours after the hail storm didn't help, so she's back to not feeling well. She woke crying from her nap after only an hour. So she and I have been in my rocking chair for an hour. She keeps waking and falling back asleep. And I'm still waiting for my van to be towed home and for a rental car to come in, both of which I was told would happen last night.
It continued for another hour.
I just don't know why smoothies are hard.
But then apparently he was playing a drinking game where he dropped a peanut in his cup and had to drink to find it. This is him telling me he found the peanut!
I didn't teach them Chubby Bunny. Apparently it's an intuitive game that doesn't need to be taught.
Dancy picked mini golf, too, and Shad persuaded her to go for a real mini golf course instead of the glo-golf. The orange zebra sold the deal.
We took the kids bowling, which is now a well-known and loved activity. We've done it many times this summer.
Shad worked with getting Sam and Thora off using the slide. Dancy still wanted it though.
I didn't keep track of how everyone did, but Dancy knows she got 5 strikes. Everyone always got really excited over strikes and spares. And Tommy lost a tooth! It was such a surprise, I had to ask him if he tripped or got hit with a ball. Nope, just loose enough that a little push of the tongue finished the job.
Shad and I needed to get a tube for my bike and the kids enjoyed the striders.
And then had fun playing in the fountain outside the store. Watch Sam...
Katie has such a fun sense of style!
Just this morning Thora showed me this fantastic new trick of hers.
Van update: My van got towed back to our house Wednesday at 9:15 pm, not only 26 hours after I was told it would be towed, but also with no call prior to make sure I was home, awake, dressed, etc. We finally got a rental Friday morning, which luckily had enough seats for us because even though I called Hertz to tell them I need 7 passengers, they didn't know that. Happy accidents :) Yesterday, the State Farm inspector came. "Well this takes the cake. This is the worst one I've seen." It's totaled and now we will be shopping, buying, and registering a new van before Shad leaves in 7 days! Roadtrips are still a go.
So...big news! If you haven't already heard, Shad joined the Air Force reserves on July 31! This is something we've actually talked about for over 8 years and it's really just about freakin' time. The first time we discussed it, I was pregnant with Tommy, which I think was the ultimate reason we didn't follow through. Also, we were looking at going through the ROTC for the officers' program and the ROTC just didn't want to give us any information or answer any questions. Later when we discussed it again, I think we were at 3 kids and were in Kansas far from any AF base. So that put a damper on things...and it kinda scared the crap out of me to realize that me being pregnant, caring for 3 kids, giving birth and caring for a newborn could be a very real situation that might happen with Shad gone. Then when it came up again the last time, Shad realized he was just past the cutoff age, and the whole thing felt like a regrettable missed opportunity.
Which brings us to April, which is when the topic was brought up again. It was my fault. We were on a date (translation: able to have a thoughtful conversation without a million interruptions) and I was pining for a nomad lifestyle and not knowing how to achieve it and provide for our family (now I know there are support groups for this!). Shad brought up military and said that the age for enlistment had been extended and now included him. Military life, to me, is a compromise between nomadism and stability. And it appeals to me greatly. Even before I met Shad. I think that concept stems back to high school, actually. Anyway, we both got really excited talking about it and agreed to research our options between Army, Air Force, and Air Force reserves. Shad doesn't much like open water or want to be on a boat for months, so out with Navy and Marines. We spent months talking to friends in those branches, Army recruiters, Air Force reserves recruiter, internet reading, etc. Everyone except the Army recruiters said the Air Force is better...treat the soldier and family better. And the Air Force didn't even want to talk to Shad because he has 6 dependents. So Air Force reserves wins!
The day of Shad's swearing-in, Dancy wanted to read this book during Tommy's speech appointment. She's so proud of her "Air Force buddy"!
Shad swearing in.
Signing the papers to make it official.
Shad leaves August 21 for basic training in San Antonio, followed by 4 months of tech school (I know I said 6, but I was wrong), and then 2 months of seasoning (working full-time to get trained on-site) at Buckley AFB in Aurora. We're excited and nervous.
* * *
Thora can do this cool thing with her fingers that I can't do without pain...I flashed the "I love you" sign at her during lunch one day and she responded with her own sign. Katie told her mine meant "I love you." Thora responded so happily that hers means, "I hate you!"
Because I love traveling and planning travel, I planned 5 road trips to take with the kids during Shad's absence.
Shad sees hot air balloons most mornings at work.
We had a park day and Tommy was really excited at being successful on these monkey bars. He practiced and practiced and practiced!
Meanwhile, Katie lost a dangly earring, and the adjustable elastic band on Dancy's skirt came undone and sucked all the way back into the waistband. I found someone with a knife and cut a slit to get it out and wearable until we got home and I could really fix it.
Because children exist to give their mothers heart attacks. Sam and I were hanging out in the forest together and he was walking the beam of the bridge over the creek while I was sitting there watching, and he fell in. It's not deep, but he couldn't get up out of it. He might've been face first in there for 10-ish seconds while I dropped my phone, jumped in, and pulled him out. After we both calmed our breathing and heart rates, he said he'd like a towel and a snack. Okay, buddy.
Shad and I joined Aly, Hiram, Heather, Ryan, and Christianna for Pho-nomenal and Mission Impossible: Fallout to celebrate Aly's birthday. Samson and Katie helped me finish off the pho leftovers for breakfast while Shad and Thora were out.
I took a picture of Shad and Samson gaming together, then when I reviewed the picture and saw Shad's face, I laughed. Then I looked up and laughed harder because he was still making the same face. Must just be his "Infamous" face.
"I'm Darth Vader!" And even Darth Vader says, "Cheese!"
Shad had his first reserve weekend last weekend, learning soldier stuff at Peterson on Saturday and Sunday. He was able to get off in time for our date Saturday night. We had reservations for an escape room with our friends Ethan and Kerri. Then we went to HuHot for dinner, followed by MarioKart and GoldenEye on N64 after they picked up their kids and brought them over.
We succeeded in escaping the room and only had to ask for one clue to solve the riddles.
Thora looked all fancy for church with her outfit and a braid I succeeded in doing. I wanted to take a picture for Shad since I knew it'd be all messed up after her nap. Dancy happily asked for a picture, too...
while Thora provided a good contrast. Lightie and Darkie, both in color and personality!
The thing I love most about traveling is that it makes you appreciate your life more. So that the same old things don't feel monotonous and you're actually glad to resume routine. And when you resume that routine with a fresh attitude of excitement, creativity abounds!
Like listening to Georges Bizet's Les Toreadors (Bullfighter) from Carmen.
And going to the park dressed like this so you can wear a little pouch on the belt.
And finding new ways to use a ladder.
And devising new pirate fashion statements.
"Look at me, Megan! I'm a pirate!"
(He's been calling me by my first name since at least April. It was 50/50 then, but then he picked Megan. I love it. It's indicative of our close relationship.)
And having the option to choose to sleep on the floor instead of your bed.
And then coming back to the Educational Resource Center at the library and discovering that they got a hydraulics kit while you've been gone! We built a lift!
There's a new church that's taking up residence in the elementary school across the street and they invited the community out to a carnival night.
Hooray for ring pops!
And face painting!
{Katie, Dancy, Thora, Tommy, Samson}
Tough girl showing off her face paint AND friendship bracelet she made.
Tommy's friend Tucker came, too.
Katie and Taylor got matching face paint.
Dancy is annoyed that I'm making her show me her manicure when she's got a Capri Sun she needs her hands to hold.
Hey, kids, here's how you can tell when your parents are ready to go home. We were still exhausted from Utah.
Then we took this one just so we all know we enjoyed the night, too.
And those clouds!
Scarlet didn't get much time out of her cage while we were in Utah, which is to be expected, bunny. So one morning I decided I'd let her out of her cage at the end of my yoga session. Having a furball nuzzle my hands and feet during final resting pose would be preferable to hearing her rattle her cage, right? I failed to take into account that this was her first time to have access to my hair.
