February Birthday Party

We celebrated Beth, Peyton, and Jake having February birthdays.  Everyone had a great time hanging out together.  Maggie got bored with the people and laid down on the floor with Peg's new cat, Gypsy.

 

4H Awards Ceremony

The girls each earned their 3 year membership pins.  Rabbits R Us, the club the girls were members of, earned an excellence award.  We were glad we went, but woah, it was a lot longer than we anticipated!  We left after an hour and a half when they got their awards.  It was a school night so a little crazy to be out later.

 

Happy Valentine's Day!

Our tradition is that I make a heart shaped pizza for dinner.  I had already baked the crust when I realized that I'd forgotten to shape the crust.  So I improvised and used a cookie cutter to make heart shaped pieces for each of us.  I also gave them each a pair of hoop earrings with screw on backs so they can't fall out.  We celebrated the Saturday before because they would be at their dad's on Valentine's Day.

 

Maggie's Bedroom

We sold Maggie's loft bed and she took the bookcase headboard that I used to have in my bedroom.  We brought the metal desk upstairs for her to use.  She's rearranged a bit since this picture was taken but she's really liking sleeping nearer to the floor and she's getting used to the smaller desk.

 

Those Darn Shades!

Philomena was home sick by herself.  When I went on plan time, I received a phone call telling me that she couldn't get the shade to go back up.  She'd pulled it so far out that it started coming off the left side of the roll!  These cheap shades are not easy to use!! hahahaha

 

Goodbye Harbor; Hello Waterford

This picture was taken of my mom and dad when they had a going away party for him at Harbor Senior Care on January 31st.  Dad is now at Waterford Memory Care facility.  It's a lot cheaper, gives him his own bedroom, and has a lot more room for him to walk around with his walker.  At first the move to Waterford was stressful due to the number of times he was falling, but as the staff got to know him and hospice got safety measures set up for the facility, things have improved.  As of March 2023, Dad is starting to show some balance and motor improvements in walking with a wheeled walker now that he has more room to practice.  Cognitively, he's also starting to improve but with vascular brain disease we just don't know when he'll take another downturn in his thinking or moving abilities.  So we're thankful for what we have.  The girls and I continue to visit him on Sundays when they return to my house and on Saturdays at the end of my week with the girls.

 

New Year's Eve

The girls wanted to go shopping with their Christmas money.  Philomena bought her first pair of Birkenstocks and then a few smaller things at Walmart.  Maggie did all her shopping at Walmart and used the calculator on her phone to make sure she know how much everything was coming to.  I'm so proud of how both girls are learning to shop on a budget and make wise choices.

Philomena dressed up to celebrate NYE wearing her new Birkenstocks.  Maggie decided to do her makeup to look like the Alpha in Zombies 2.  I made a chicken pot pie for supper and Mom joined us for supper and homemade ice cream.

We had a series of activities that we each planned a part to surprise the others.  First, Maggie brought out origami supplies and we each made a dove and a swan.  Second, Philomena had a charades game based on NYE words.  Third, I had a puzzle from the dollar store.  Fourth, Maggie had made each of us a "2022 in Review" journals with different questions for us to answer.  Fifth, Philomena had two truths and a lie with 2023 resolutions, and a page to answer what our goals and dreams are for 2023.  Sixth, I brought out "Left, Center, Right."  We played the game twice and Maggie won both times.

The games brought us up to the 11 pm ball dropping in New York.  Maggie put herself to bed between 11 and 11:30 pm.  I was tired but stayed up with Philomena until midnight.  Both times I tried to snap the picture when the tv showed the countdown, but I was fumbling at midnight and they went back to the crowd of people by the time I snapped the picture.  Oh well.  The concept is there.

We all slept in on New Year's Day.  I dropped the girls off at their dad's between 11:30 and 11:45 before I met Amy for lunch.