September 10, 2021

(click for today's pictures) 

• I was reminded today why I worked so hard on Wednesday to finish everyone's school-this was a nice day off. I am not too sure that I should exactly call it a day off, but it was a nice day not doing school. Well, I can't really say that it was a nice day not doing school since I did have to help Reagan and Anderson. I guess I should say that it was just a nice day.
• I still felt like I needed to wake up all of the kids today. I did let them sleep a little bit, but we can't get that much out of our routine. I think that most folks did wake up pretty quickly. Now, I did have to wake Reagan a few times to make sure that she did get up to start on her school work.
• I spent most of the day trying to clean and straighten this place. I did stop to make a sweatshirt with Campbell and to make our monthly grandparents dessert with Graham. Even though I did a lot of cleaning, I did skip out on the most important job-cleaning the potties.
• Late this afternoon, Robby did decide that we needed to pick up some sticks. I gave the kids the option to help outside or inside. Campbell, Graham and Keaton were already outside so of course they volunteered to help outside-all of them wanted a turn driving the tractor.
• That left Reagan and Anderson inside. They both opted to clean 2 potties each instead of the outside work. I am not sure how well they did-I haven't looked at a potty tonight so hopefully they did decent. 
• And Whitman heard the deal I made with Reagan that she would have to clean two potties inside, so he was quick to offer himself to clean a potty. I had already talked to Anderson who chose the upstairs potties leaving Whitman no potties to clean. Now, since he can't clean the potties yet, I was quick to urge him to go help outside. 
• My outside people didn't mind at all their task. Robby drove the tractor around while they threw sticks/logs in the back. After about 3 or 4 trips we finished, and they were able to drive the tractor some. 
• That is when Keaton, Graham and I dropped off our desserts. Graham made dole whip. It was good, yet it needed some more pineapple flavoring. I followed the directions when it said to fill to the line for milk-but I think that was a bit to much. However, my people went to town on the bit that was leftover at our house.
• When we returned home tonight, Robby had pizzas from the oven ready for us. We ate before he and I went to let Annie out for a little bit. Annie was incredibly calm tonight. Meanwhile, I have decided that ole Bentley has entered her adolescent stage.
• I have been reading about this-they say dogs just stare at you, they are defiant and get into trouble during this teenage stage. Well, that is Bentley right now. Yesterday, she shredded a pink feather boa in the girls' room. (The girls didn't think it was funny, but I did find the humor in it-it looked like she had killed 5 pink chickens up there with feathers scattered all over their room.) Today she got into a bag of trash and spread it around the bonus room. 
• Now all of this is really our faults since we aren't as careful with making sure that doors are closed to block her way. However, right now she is sleeping soundly on top of my feet, so I can't complain too much at all.