Category: Roman

Beach: Day 6…

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I ran 6 miles this morning, and that’s it for my running this week…I’m trying to keep it right at 15 miles a week, a good and maintainable jumping off point in case I want to start training for another half or full marathon in the fall/winter.

Then, Xander, Roman, and I hit up the pool, while Tom and Jonas took advantage of the yellow ocean flag (medium hazard) to swim out to the sand bar and dodge some waves. After lunch, I drove out to Port St. Joe to grab a few things from the grocery store for the trip home and to pick up my book from the post office. I’ve read two books so far this week, and this will be my third…The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes (A Hunger Games Novel) by Suzanne Collins. Whee!!! We all took one last dip in the pool before dinner, headed out for one last ice cream cone, and hung out on the beach one last time.

This trip has been such a blessing…Jonas even told Tom, “Dad, I really needed this vacation. I’ve been so stressed.”

Bless his heart…us too. I’m so grateful that we had this time together to relax, restore, and renew.

Beach: Day 5…

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This morning we went to Happy Ours Kayak and Bike Outpost to do some kayaking and snorkeling in the bay. The boys loved it in the past, but today they were CRABBY. Jonas and Xander both helped paddle and took to it pretty well, which was great…they love to race. But, when it came to snorkeling, none of the boys were into it for some reason and preferred to sit on the boat and whine, which just sort of put a damper on things because they were pouting and asking to go home. I just ignored them and enjoyed snorkeling, but Tom ended up having a Come to Jesus with them. I think it helped a little, as they all ended up getting in for a little bit and checking things out. We saw horseshoe crab shells, scallops, a starfish, several schools of little fish, and lots of interesting coral. After lunch and quiet time, we went out for some ice cream at Cape Coffee and Ice Cream (a small local ice cream shop, where if you don’t time it right…will have you waiting in a line wrapped around the parking lot). So yummy! We swam in the pool until dinner time and then headed down to the beach at sunset for a game of football and one more round of pictures (we needed to get a good one of the whole family).

Beach: Day 4…

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I went for a 5 mile run this morning. It worked so much better to do a few of the miles in the state park, as it’s shaded a little bit by palm trees…AND I even saw three deer! (I had no idea there were deer in Florida.) Then, Xander and Roman and I hung out the pool, while Tom took Jonas down to the beach. After lunch and quiet time, we went back for another round of the pool and the beach. We relaxed after dinner and got ready for pictures. We ended up taking pictures on the beach ourselves, which was no easy feat given the varying lighting at the different stages of sunset and the varying moods of our boys. But, we did it!!! And I think they turned out really well…

Beach: Day 3…

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Today was a rainy day. So, we had a leisurely morning and drove out to Port St. Joe for lunch at Sisters. We ate there last year and loved it…the boys were begging to go back. It’s owned by several southern women who call you “honey” and “darlin'”, serve the best home cooked meals and home baked cakes/pies (that you get a slice of for free with your meal!), and make you feel right at home. We stopped at a few souvenir shops on the way back, and then hit up the beach and the pool for the rest of the afternoon. After dinner, the boys cozed up and watched a show while Tom and I took a quick walk on the beach. We even saw a fisherman reel in a huge stingray…Tom helped get him back in the water! We couldn’t wait to tell the boys about it when we got home (especially Xander because he’s such a lover of marine life). Then, Tom rounded them up for an impromptu pool competition (I love his ability to create fun)…he was the judge and I was the audience. The boys competed for Best Jump, Most Creative Underwater Movement, and Most Skilled Swimming Stroke. There are always a few come aparts because our boys are SO competitive, but it was still fun to watch/do.

Beach: Day 1…

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We are so grateful to be back at the beach in Cape San Blas, FL! We’re staying at the same place we stayed last year, which we love because it’s quiet and close to the pool and the beach. When we arrived yesterday, it was raining. So, it was the perfect time to unpack and unwind after a long drive.

Today, we hit the beach in the morning for some metal detecting, sand castle building, and wave dodging on the shore. Then, we spent some time at the pool (the boys had fun rescuing little frogs!) before heading back in for lunch and quiet time. In the afternoon, Roman and I hung out at the pool while Tom took Jonas and Xander down to the beach. Afterwards, we got cleaned up and went out to dinner in Port St. Joe at Pepper’s, a Mexican restaurant that was packed (which was a little crazy for me, honestly…we’ve definitely not been used to being surrounded by that many people in more than three months). Roman did not make it long, which I was actually grateful for, because it was loud with music and conversations and I was feeling done too. He started covering his ears right after he finished his meal, and I knew the sensory meltdown was coming. Thankfully, he was able to be a big guy and use his words to say, “Mom, can we get out of here? The sound is driving me crazy!” instead of flipping into full meltdown mode. I was so proud of him! We walked down the street and window shopped (Jonas and Xander ended up joining us too) until Tom was able to box up the leftovers and pay the bill. Then, Tom walked with the boys down the street and to the ocean to hang out, while I did the grocery shopping. When we got back home, Tom and I put a movie on for the boys and took a short but wonderful sunset walk on the beach.

Camp Beans…

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One of Petra’s favorite places in the world is Camp Beans. As much as she can whenever we go out of town, Jeanne takes care of Petra for us. All we have to do is mention Aunt Beans’ and Riley’s names, and Petra’s ears perk up and she’s looking at the door, ready to jump in the van when we say the word “go”. We dropped Petra off this morning and got to spend a little bit of time, visiting with Aunt Beans, hanging out in her backyard, and checking out the coolest ever chicken coupe next door that her neighbor has been working on during the quarantine. It’s such a blessing to know that Petra will be in the best and most loving hands ever while we’re out of town…AND she’ll be keeping Aunt Beans and Riley company. Win. Win.

End of the Year Boating Celebration…

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We went out on the boat this afternoon for a little end of the year/beginning of summer celebration!

We took Petra, which is always fun because she’s just so in her element when she’s in the great outdoors with her people. When we stop off at wooded islands to explore, she’ll grab a stick and drop it at our feet and jump up and down until we throw it out in the water…then she’ll sprint out and swim to catch it and bring it back to shore, shake all the water off, and do it all over again.

Tom and the boys love cliff jumping. Petra was whining so much in the boat when she saw that the boys were swimming over to the cliffs…she just wanted to be with them. So, Tom put her in the water, and she swam all the way over…I think she would’ve jumped in with them, if they had gotten the timing right. She eventually kind of misstepped off of one of the lower rocks, landed in the water, and swam back to the boat. Sweet girl. What a great dog!

We also loved taking the Big Mabel out for a spin. Jonas and Xander could do it all day long, going super fast over bumpy waters, doing continual donuts, and/or hanging off the side. Roman and I, on the other hand, get a little nervous/nauseous and prefer to stick to the basics (sit down, hold on for dear life, and go as slow as possible)…so we make a good team. We’re looking to more summer fun on the boat…it was a great way to end the school ring in the summer this afternoon.

Creek Stomping…

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We REALLY enjoyed creek stomping this afternoon with the sweet, fun Grant Family. The water was really low, which made for some interesting exploring. We saw snakes, crayfish skeletons, water bugs, and minnows. Roman and Xander both caught fish with their nets…they were so excited…Roman, so much so that he had a hard time releasing his fish back into the creek. But he did (albeit with tears)…sweet buddy. It was such a great way to end the school year and ring in the summer. We all needed a little bit of free forming with friends, and it lifted our spirits. Thank God for time spent in the great outdoors with kindred spirits!

Reverse Parade…

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NES had a Reverse Parade today! It was so sweet…all of the teachers lined the sidewalks around the school and smiled and waved at the kids as we drove by…one of the many reasons why I love our school…what heart!

(Xander was not into having his picture taken…even for posterity…oh well.)

Homeschooling: Day 39 (Old School)…

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Mommy didn’t have a lot of energy today…honestly, I’ve been struggling mentally and emotionally for the past few weeks.

So, we did old school homeschool today. The boys spent time coding (Jonas and Xander on Khan Academy and Roman on Kano Code), reading (on Epic), working on math skills (on Beast and Khan Academy), and checking out some Mystery Science videos. We didn’t really have it in us to do specifics today, so we went free form. And we skipped Mommy and Me Time to try to get through schooling quickly.

The highlight of our day was going to Aunt Julie’s house to meet her two new kittens, Bowie and Hendrix!!! Uncle Ken was so great to hang out with two of the boys outside at a time, playing with a remote control car and throwing the frisbee with them, while one of the boys hung out with the kitties, Aunt Julie, Jordan, and I inside. It worked really well (great idea, Aunt Julie!) to keep the energy level down. Of course, one of the kittens fell asleep in Xander’s lap (he’s our resident animal whisperer). Look at the preciousness…

Weekend: Grandma and Grandpa’s…

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We went to VA this weekend to visit Grandma and Grandpa. They are putting their house on the market this summer that they’ve lived in for over 20 years. I’m so grateful that we were able to spend time together one last time in a house that holds so many memories for all of us.

Jonas and Xander wanted to say goodbye to the fort they built with their cousins…

Roman wanted to go for a paddle boat ride on the lake…

And, of course, we had to get a picture of Grandma and Grandpa with the boys on the front steps…

Here’s to so many more memories in the new house!!!

Homeschooling: Day 37…

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Today was a rough day for me. We didn’t get started homeschooling until after 1000 am and skipped Mommy and Me Time so the boys could get through their work at a decent time. Xander, who is usually my fairly compliant child, pushed back quite a bit today which really wore me out. Homeschooling during this time is a lot…add kid pushback/attitude times three to mommy fatigue/overwhelm, and it’s a recipe for…gosh, I don’t know what…whatever this is. I think the boys are done, and I am too…which makes it tough to push through.

Jonas worked on Quarantine Picture Writing, progressed at his own pace on Beast Academy, watched a video/read on Khan Academy about relationships between scientific ideas in a text (say that three times fast), and completed slides on Matter and American Reconstruction.

Xander watched a video/did an activity on Flocabulary about Quotation Marks, progressed at his own pace on Beast Academy, read a book, and watched videos on BrainPop about Potential and Kinetic Energy.

Roman watched a few videos about Jane Goodall (I told him he’d love her because she was all about monkeys), progressed at his own pace on Beast Academy, and read a book.

Homeschooling: Day 36…

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We’re starting week 7 of homeschooling…I think we are ALL (more than) ready to cross that finish line.

Jonas watched a video on and brainstormed ideas for a book project, progressed at his own pace on Beast and Khan Academy, read on Epic, and completed slides on Matter and American Reconstruction. For Mommy and Me Time, we cuddled up in bed and read together.

Xander responded to his online classroom discussion question and watched a video/answered questions on BrainPop about Dialogue, completed a GoMath lesson on Line Plots and progressed at his own pace on Beast Academy, read on Epic, and watched a Mystery Science video on roller coasters. For Mommy and Me Time, I helped him take apart one version of his new Lego Creator set and put together another one.

Roman watched a video on Timelines and took a spelling test, progressed at his own pace on Beast Academy, read a book, and watched a Mystery Science video on Excavators. For Mommy and Me Time, we played Kubb.

Homeschooling: Day 34…

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Just as we were gearing up to homeschool this morning, I got a text from one of my dearest friends asking if we wanted to join her and her kids at Long Hunter State Park for a walk around the lake trail and a picnic. Her son, Ethan, is Jonas’ best friend and her son, Owen, is Roman’s best friend. They surprised the boys, but Xander’s face fell immediately when he saw them and he started to tear up. I knew what his heart needed, so I knocked on our neighbor’s door and asked if her son, Jeremy, could come with us (he’s Xander’s best friend). And he could! It was the most social interaction we’ve had for months, and it was so nice be together with friends in the great outdoors.

The kids ran and ran and explored the woods off of the 2 mile lake trail at Long Hunter State Park. The scenery and the weather was just beautiful. We saw a box turtle and a snake!!! Afterwards, we enjoyed a picnic under the trees.

Thank God for friends…what a true blessing they are.

When we got home, we homeschooled until dinner. It was a good day.

Homeschooling: Day 32…

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Today was pretty uneventful, which was nice.

Jonas wrote about pictures from a Quarantine Picture Writing slideshow his teacher put together, progressed at his own pace on Beast and Khan Academy, read on Epic, and completed slides on Genetics and American Reconstruction. For Mommy and Me Time, we curled up on the couch together and read.

Xander watched a video his teacher put together on finding books to read on his dashboard and watched a video/answered questions on Brainpop about idioms, did a math lesson on units of length and progressed at his own pace on Beast and Khan Academy, reviewed theme and read on Epic, and watched a video on acceleration and read a NewsELA article about bumper cars. For Mommy and Me Time, we made cinnamon streusel muffins and played Mexican Train Dominoes.

Roman did a bit more research on Elon Musk for his biography, progressed at his own pace on Beast Academy, watched an animation of “Knuffle Bunny” and talked through a problem/solution chart with me and read on Epic, and did some Mystery Science. For Mommy and Me Time, we played Kubb and took turns trying to get AhAh into the basketball goal.