Squirrel!

A few weeks ago we watched this very interesting squirrel obstacle course video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hFZFjoX2cGg

Joshua was inspired and made a squirrel with a walnut and some of the obstacles.  I thought they turned out really well.

If you ended up watching the video, here's a follow-up picture: https://www.youtube.com/post/UgweYZ5AYil6iEcqYfR4AaABCQ

Tuesday: Lego

There were a lot of Lego creations made in the house today.

Joshua's first bad robot with a captured mini-fig.  The mini-fig isn't comfortable because he's laying on rocks.

Time out for a cold beach play.  It's surprising how it was rather cold today, but perhaps because of the huge dust storm from Africa?  The boys buried a bunch of beach toys are were so excited about it.

Isaac made a 3D marble maze.  It was quite good.

Joshua made a house to welcome Ben home.

Isaac made a house that had a sign and treats inside to welcome Ben.

Joshua made a skyscraper.

Bonus: on why our sons are crying

Ah, just to keep it real.  And because I find myself with a little bit of extra time.

Yesterday afternoon we cleaned up the basement.  I asked Joshua to walk instead of roll while doing it and he refused.  blah blah blah we eventually had a conversation.

A: Do you know why you lost screen time?

J: because my legs wouldn't work.

A: no.  Two seconds after I told you that you lost screen time you ran up the stairs

J: but my legs weren't working!

Last night Joshua came into the office:

J: next chore?

A: what's in your mouth?

J: nothing.

A: ...what's in your mouth?

J: nothing

A: come here

Joshua takes out a magnetic marble and stick.

A: what did you do wrong?

J: something I can't remember but was funny

A: no, the problem is that you lied.  There need to be consequences for that.  

This morning we told the boys they had to go to Larry and Cheryl's for a while.  There were a few questions about screen time and breakfast and a few minutes later I hear Isaac crying in the basement.

A: what's wrong?

I: I'm going to be apart from Tornado.

A: what? really?  Well, you can spend some time with him right now.

a few minutes later Isaac is crying on the couch

A: what's up?

I: Tornado kept leaving me!

Isaac and Tornado were reunited this evening.  Isaac said he didn't miss Tornado too much.

Saturday: stu visser, ladder skills

This morning Joshua and I took Isaac to Stu Visser trails.  It was even more flooded than it has been in the past.  We waded through one mini-stream, but the rest looked too deep or too yucky.

Here we are in our normal picture place.  The first one was early September last year, so I think we've hit all the seasons.  (Fall might have missed the colors though, because the colors went fast and it was rainy and cold so much.)

Horizon is still getting himself stuck in the rafters.  I put a ladder for him to come down because he hates having us help him down.  Remember, the cats know how to use the ladder due to ladder skills week?  Yeah, it didn't work.  But it did get us higher up so we could grab him better.

Friday: screen day

This morning Joshua decided to use his screen time day (it applies to both boys though).  It ended up being an excellent day to use it based on some of the other things I had to do.

Both boys ended up spending quite a bit of time coding their own video games.  Joshua even worked on his own after watching Isaac for a little bit, which was awesome.

Isaac's was pretty complicated, but it was interesting to figure out how to do things as I went though it.  At the end I did give up, but it was still good.  Joshua coded one with a lot of bosses and many minions.  He also added a feature that gave you infinite lives, which was rather nice.

Thursday: made it

I had my annual physical today.  They were able to get my blood numbers from a finger poke, so I got them back before I left.  Everything looks good!  My knee area had been giving me a bit of trouble at the beginning of quarantine, but it's gotten mostly better and the person said that she didn't feel anything wrong.

Joshua was in a bit of a mood at the end of "school."  I don't make them do school things, but if they don't do them they have to be bored and can't play.  I kept hearing, "I'm bored and I can't play.  I'm hungry and it's so long until lunch."  I finally called him out to do a tiny bit of yard work with me and that got us to lunch.

We went swimming in the lake.  During this time the painters were working on the deck and the lawn people mowed and I felt a bit weird about it all.  Isaac and Joshua got themselves into a bit of a situation when they both tried going on the duck only to realize that the donut wasn't attached.  They worked together and managed to bring both home though. 

This evening Isaac and I went to an outside karate class with our bo-staves.  The bo staves help keep everyone far enough apart.  It was a beautiful night to be out.  (I was afraid it would be too hot, but we were in the 6:30 class and there was a nice breeze by that time.)

Wednesday: in pictures

Isaac made a water run that spun a pinwheel.

He also made some merengue cookies.  I helped him find the recipe, but made him do some of it too.  Then he suddenly started it while I was reading to Joshua.  I decided to see what would happen.  He didn't completely get the directions correct, but we could salvage it.  He also didn't check to see if we had all the ingredients first.  We substituted lemon juice for lemon extract, but they didn't end up very lemon-y.

We also learned that after they're done cooling in the oven they need to be removed so that I don't turn the oven on for dinner and burn half of them.

The deck is all washed and I'm hoping to put the plants back out soon.  The cats have been enjoying them though.

Joshua did some sword training during karate today.