Mid-October

{I hate getting 5 months behind on blogging. The last month has been infuriating--I haven't been able to get pictures from my phone to upload to blogger or my computer. Instagram, text, and email, sure. Blogger and computer, no. I still need to figure out what the problem is, but for now, removing my SD card and inserting it in my computer is working. However less convenient than simply using the Blogger app. Now to figure out my glitch with YouTube...}

Back to October:

The day after the unicorn party, I had a funeral I was going to with my mom and Lori. I went early with Mom to the family reception and then stayed late to help with the lunch.

My dear friend "Pepper" came in a little late and I moved to sit by her. I love her and it was good to have "Salty" and "Pepper" together again, named thusly as a consequence of Bonnie Doxey, who's funeral we were attending. Behind Pepper in the blue suit in Zach Coria, my Downs Syndrome buddy from 15 years ago. He didn't remember me, but it did my heart good to see him again.

While I was at the funeral, Shad entertained the kids by taking them to Wizard's Chest.

{One}

{Five}

{Three}

When we were ready to go home, we stopped at our favorite store on the way: The Lego Store!

This photobomb is hilarious to me. The kid came and posed on the figure, completely oblivious to me taking pictures until his mom told him to get out of the way!

Five entered the "Backpacks are awesome and I wear them everywhere!" phase.

Batman rocking his Cat in the Hat backpack.

And that backpack is always filled with books and play food.

The kids remembered from last year that we're supposed to keep the street and gutters clear and happily attended to it. At one point, they had Five buried in the leaf pile. It was coming out of his clothes and diaper the rest of the day!

{One, Five, Two}

I revisited the Manitou Incline to prove to it and myself that I could do better than I did in July 2017 when I wanted to die on it. And I brought One with me.

The boy beat me up the Incline, leading far ahead of me but keeping me in eyesight. Then once I made it to the top, I was ready to turn and run down the trail, but he wasn't up for it.

Pictures of Two and Three's artwork.

We listened to Hatchet and drew pictures of parts of the book.

Two's doll Lindsey lost a leg when we were at the zoo during the hailstorm. Not that the leg broke off because of the storm, just happened then. Shad and Two worked together to fix it and rig a pair of shoes to stay on a skateboard.

My friend Rick gave me a piano! Let's be honest: Shad getting disqualified from the Air Force Reserves sucked. We lost the next 6 years of our lives we had planned out, the GI bill we were planning to reserve to split between our kids, and the rest of the 6 months of travel I had planned. It was incredibly stressful and emotional returning to normal life. It felt like I had gained such momentum with my traveling with the kids, like a boulder rolling down a hill, and then just hit a wall partway. You are done now. And Shad has had PTSD, anxiety, and panic attacks from the hell hole that Med Hold is. And not knowing how to proceed with life. So I tried to vent on my keyboard, but it wasn't full-size and I couldn't play any of my music properly. Rick said he had a piano he'd wanted to get rid of for a couple years and would even deliver it. It's not possible to take a selfie and flash double peace signs, but supa happy! That's pretty much the entire reason I haven't blogged in 3 months. I've been filling my soul with my piano music.

And Scarlet came to cuddle under my foot.

Shad made a list of "date in" ideas we could do after the kids go to bed. One night I was in a down mood and so he picked "prank kids."