Our trip to Indiana was wonderful. Oliver is a great baby and the parents are doing a wonderful job. Even though Steve was only able to join us for 2 days, the rest of us were there for 9 days. I was able to provide morning breakfasts and/or child care so they could sleep a bit extra. He’s a good boy. Sleeps 7 hour stretches. And he is adorable of course!
The boys were able to help Nick with many outside projects including installing a new patio door off the bedroom. The old French style doors leaked air. They also cut and cleared some trees that fell in a storm last summer on their gazebo. They burned off the garden. Xavier got his try at using a fire extinguisher due to Nick being a volunteer firefighter now. Xavier also learned about battery and alternator replacement so Nick could get his truck up and running. And changed the oil in his lawnmower! Great life skills. Xavier is really coming along nicely.
I spent time inside cooking of course with my mini helper. I had taken quite a few things knowing we would not be going out in the community even to grocery shop due to the Covid-19 outbreak. We had a traditional boiled dinner for St. Patrick's Day and a vegetarian Irish stew. The next day we had Reubens. Its kind of a tradition to have fish tacos when we get together so we had those along with corn salsa, lime rice, and some homemade guacamole along with this sumptuous white sauce.
I delivered the recyclables to this God-forsaken waste management place in the rain. Never again. I was soaked like a rat. My van was completely full so it had to be done.
I also deep cleaned the master bedroom. We acquired a king size bed frame locally here on freecycle.org last fall and finally by taking two vans delivered it. It’s mission style and well-loved but looks very nice. My mother made a quilt for the new bed. We took down the cloth roman style shades and hung some inexpensive blinds (thanks Xavier!). It really came together nicely with the previous decor chosen when they moved in. And the new door they will really enjoy!
I also spent time making cloth wipes from flannel and 2 cute cloth diaper pail liners. Angie then started using cloth instead of paper diapers. We experimented with the best cleaning of them and they are now in a routine. Breastfed diapers get the whitest if sun-dried! I am going to make her some additional diaper inserts.
When Steve came on 2 of the Sundays the guys cut up trees and replaced the wood on two of the steps outside the doors. And replaced a piece of siding that came down in a summer storm in 2019!
Just typing all of this illustrates to me how much we accomplished. Nick has a job lead in Peoria so we pray they will be closer eventually. All these things will benefit the future sale of the house. He is busy writing his master's project.
I love my family.
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