Waterboard Meetings, Bike Crashes, and Knee Surgery

Recently, to my surprise and happiness, Mike arrived home earlier than usual from work. My excitement was short-lived, however, as he had only come home early ... so he could attend our local waterboard meeting.

"You can come," he offered. 

"Come?" I asked, aghast. "To the waterboard meeting?"

I know we aren't living in the 1800s. Still, I felt the waterboard meeting was no place for a female! 

Perhaps, if I were a strong-minded woman, husbandless, and, against all convention, running my land on my own, I'd pull up my bootstraps (hard--since I don't know exactly what bootstraps are ... or if I even have them on my boots), and, with dirt under my nails, march confidently into the waterboard meeting to demand my opinions on canal water usage and the like (???) be heard along with everyone else's. I'd demand their respect. And they'd be forced to give it.

But since I do not currently need to rise to the standard of that fearless woman, ... I did not attend the waterboard meeting. (Mike told me after that there were indeed two women there. One who kept the minutes. [Reasonable.] And one who simply came. Well. I am certain she knew about pulling up her bootstraps! (And I will too ... if life ever necessitates that I do. But not a moment before. The waterboard meeting. Goodness!)

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Our Hansie had quite the bike crash last weekend. Poor kid. Here he is being bandaged up by Mike. When I commented on how strange it was that he had road rash and open wounds in so many different areas, Hans said, "Yah. That's because I skipped just like a stone when you throw it across water." And then he sort of demonstrated by hand his body going "bounce bounce bounce." Haha. Good explanation. Poor little adored fella.

Speaking of bouncing. We have finally pretty much cleared out our big storage unit. (Which now means our garage is completely full. Weep.) The kids have been having fun pulling out things that have been stored away for nearly three years. 

And speaking of Hans: here he is doing a little science experimenting for his upcoming 3rd-grade science fair.

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In telling me what she wanted for lunch the other day, Starling asked for "one of those eggs that stays in a 3D circle permanently". (As opposed to scrambled or fried.)

Also, shortly after getting the kids their fair goats, Mike decided to get Starling a goat as well. Starling is too young to show goats at the fair yet, but maybe we will keep this one to produce future fair goats. In the meantime, Starling, after a great deal of private consideration, has named her Kristy. And become quite capable at bottle feeding her all by herself. (Though Mette is feeding Kristy here.)

The little list of names she was considering.

Starling lost two teeth last week. One of them almost caused a major meltdown when it fell down the drain. But siblings, who had experienced lost teeth of their own, assured her the tooth fairy would be fine with just a note.

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What else is going on around here?

Oh, I know! Me! I had knee surgery. 

Comforting to see they made certain to do the correct knee. ... 

I actually feel like "knee surgery" (for a torn meniscus) might be too big of a term. True I was put to sleep, and true I'm still swollen and sore and hobbling two weeks later, but the incisions are only two puny x's (one for a tiny camera and one for a scalpel or ... some other sort of instrument). It feels more like I should say I had a "knee procedure". (Especially because Mike's aunt [who lives up here by us] is on her second full knee replacement and has to go back for an emergency third surgery because somehow her kneecap is displaced. Yes, we best just call mine a "minor knee procedure". Still, this procedure is a "between a rock and a hard place" sort of thing. The surgery itself can actually increase the likelihood of future problems (booo), but I was going on about eight months of not being able to do much with my knee as it was--which didn't seem a great option for life either. So I was finally forced to just cross my fingers and dive in ... hoping this will get me back to normal activity soon.

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Abe often changes our family group text name (based on various things that have come up in family happenings or conversations). Here are two of our recent group names:

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And now, perhaps, a jumble of the other photos I have sitting about.

My friend Jessica from Vegas came up to visit.

Mette making meatloaf for dinner. (Since I love meatloaf ... and Mike doesn't, she also made snickerdoodles. [As Mike likes them and I don't particularly.]) Abe reminded me that it was when I had foot surgery years ago that I first instituted the after-dinner chore chart. Surgery must be the inspiration for all such things because, being down for a few days, I quickly realized how much I was doing that the kids should be helping with. Which has caused me to have a family meeting to tell them about a new official Saturday chore chart. Mike also suggested they start making dinners occasionally. Hence the meatloaf. (Mette likes working in the kitchen. I'm guessing many of their meals will be along the lines of macaroni.)

Kids around the house. (The family room has finally pretty much taken shape. I'm eager to start working on walls.)

Kids and ... kids.

(Everything is looking so green at the farm right now! It seemed impossible even a month ago! I'm sure it won't last long with this drought we are in, but it sure looks pretty!)

The reading room. 

The End.