Uncle Adam and Aunt Leanne officially have new neighbors
tonight. Uncle Mark and Aunt Grace are
staying in their new home tonight; though they’re only doing that because
getting the master bedroom set up was a priority today. They’ll be getting daily deliveries for the
rest of the week; and still have rooms full of boxes to unpack from the
truckload of Aunt Grace’s things that were delivered today.
While they’re busy with moving, I haven’t gotten to spend
much time with Uncle Mark or Aunt Grace yet, but it is nice to get to see them
every day; and I was busy today too.
It was nice being back by the river for Tai Chi again this
morning – and with Mom, Dad, Ethan, and Ehlana.
Michael and the twins have learned the basic short form postures we
started their lessons with, so we’re able to work through that form every
morning now; and their lessons will continue to build from there on both the
physical and mental aspects of Tai Chi.
That was another really special start to our day, and then Michael went
home while I helped Mom and Violet with Ethan and Ehlana and making breakfast
while Dad got ready for work. He and I
were the clean-up crew after we ate so that Mom and Violet could get ready to
help out with the moving adventures today.
I took a turn having a shower and getting dressed for a play day after
that, and was ready to go in time to help out with the goodbye hugs and kisses
for Dad when he left for work.
Mom waited until Alicia came over before she and Violet left
to meet up with Uncle Mark and Aunt Grace at their house; and when Rowen joined
us; she and I took over taking care of Ethan and Ehlana while Alicia supervised
us and did some of her other regular work around the house. Naomi and Aiden were both dropped off over the
next hour. Aiden was last because his
parents weren’t able to start working on their house until most of the baking
for the day was finished at the Olde Bakery.
Rowen and I played with all four kids in the back yard for a while, and
then we had a snack break in the kitchen.
That was when we decided to have a picnic lunch at the park. Alicia helped us to put our picnic together;
and we had all four kids ready to spend a couple of hours at the park by the
time that Michael came over again to spend the rest of the day with us after
helping out around his house again this morning.
There were a lot of kids at the park, and a handful of
tweens; but not many teens – except for the few who had babysitting jobs like
Alicia. She hadn’t come with us, and was
going to help out with the lunch Mom and Grandma were providing for some of the
movers today; but we knew where to find her if there were any emergencies. Some parents were at the playground too when
we first got there, but they started taking their kids home for lunch not long
after that; and we had almost no waiting time for swings or slides by noon.
I get teased now and then about having a brother and sister
who are ten years younger than I am, and I do sometimes wonder what it would
have been like to have siblings closer in age; but it’s also really amazing
being old enough to have my perspective on watching Ethan and Ehlana growing
up. There’s nine months difference
between Naomi and Aiden, with the twins nearly half-way between them. That’s already starting to make less and less
of a difference now that it has so far; and probably not even as big of a deal
with how they play as their individual personalities are.
Naomi often leads because she’s the closest to me when it
comes to being fired up and outgoing; not because she’s the oldest. Ethan and Ehlana, as I’ve mentioned before,
are somewhere in the middle between Mom and Dad and me on that scale; and Aiden
probably isn’t the quietest just because he’s younger than his friends. After all, I’m younger than Michael and
Rowen; but am usually more hyper-active than both of them combined. Aiden needs more help to keep up with their
little games, but even that won’t be a problem by next summer.
Moving on with the report, we played for over an hour; cooled
off in the river for a while; and then sat under one of the big oaks while
having our lunch. By the time we’d
finished eating, there were more kids running around the park again, so we
joined in to play until it was time to go home and check in with Alicia. While we were there, Tim stopped in to see
what we were up to while Nora and Vanessa were off doing something ‘girly’ and
birthday-related. Vanessa will join the
‘teen’ club on Thursday, but that event isn’t really anything I’ve been
thinking about; since Michael, Rowen, and I were not on the guest list, and
hadn’t expected to be.
Since he had some free time, we invited him to help us take
Ethan, Ehlana, Naomi, and Aiden for a canoe ride. The boys took one canoe, and Rowen and I had
Ehlana and Naomi with us. Michael and I
knelt in the stern of our canoes with Ethan and Ehlana sitting directly in
front of us while Tim and Rowen knelt just behind the bow seats and had Aiden
and Naomi sit on those seats. We paddled
toward the falls; made a stop downtown for an Emporium ice cream break; and
then paddled home again before going for another swim.
We had to move over to Uncle Adam and Aunt Leanne’s house
after that. Alicia was finished work for
the day, and Mom, Grandma, Grandpa, Uncle Nick, and Aunt Deborah were leading
the dinner work crew. They were feeding
most of the people helping out with the Everett, Seager, and Draper moves, and
while we continued our babysitting duties; we also helped out with getting
tables and chairs set up in the back yard too.
Tim was invited to join us for dinner, and accepted after
checking in with his mother first. We
had fun, but after we were all teased a bit about looking like four couples
while sitting together at the kids table; I’m not sure whether he had any regrets
or not. Those jokes may have been partly
my fault – and Michael’s; but even though we wanted to sit together, that
doesn’t explain why Ethan ended up sitting next to Naomi and Ehlana was with
Aiden. While Tim may not have liked
being teased about him and Rowen making a cute couple too, he also didn’t mind
sitting next to her and having fun with us.
We were on the clean-up crew after dinner, but that was
mostly because it was looking like rain was imminent; and everyone pitched in
to at least get the outdoor part of the work finished quickly. Another cool off swim in the river followed
the blast of work; but most of us were out of the water and getting dried off
by the time the first spits of rain rolled in.
It’s been raining more on than off since then, and after
stopping in to see how Uncle Mark and Aunt Grace’s place is coming along; we
went home with Mom and Dad – all eight of us.
Dad had work to do, and Mom wanted to work in the office; so Michael,
Tim, Rowen, and I took the four younger kids up to the lounge to keep them
entertained until bedtime. Naomi and
Aiden were staying for a sleepover while their parents were busy – or needing
extra sleep while trying to keep up with work and getting moved.
The four boys started out with some video gaming action
while Rowen and I played some music and games with Ehlana and Naomi. We didn’t have time for a movie, but we
watched a cartoon that the boys picked out before it was time to get started on
the toddler bedtime routine. Michael and
I took care of most of that while Tim and Rowen played a video game; but they
joined us for the bedtime snack and story in the office with Mom and Dad; and
helped to get the younger kids tucked in on our way back up to the lounge.
Michael had lent me his first student guitar to practice
with, and he borrowed Dad’s so he could do another lesson with me while Rowen
and Tim went back to playing video games again while we practiced chords and a
couple of simple songs for a half hour or so.
Michael took over from Rowen on the gaming after that, while I cuddled
with him on one half of the sectional sofa and we all talked together. Rowen and Tim weren’t cuddling, but I don’t
think either of them even noticed that they were sitting close enough together
to touch legs and arms; and weren’t at all uncomfortable about the contact.
It was already past-time for Michael and Rowen to head home
when Tim got a call from Nora that sent him jumping and on his way. We didn’t hear her end of their short
conversation, but he advised us that he was late; and she wasn’t happy about
that – or having to call around to track him down. While he didn’t wait to leave, Michael and
Rowen helped carry our glasses and snack dishes down to the kitchen before going
home too. We all went out onto the front
porch together, and Rowen left first; but she must have looked back toward us
at least twice.
I know that, Rowen, because I heard those quiet, happy
laughs even though you tried to muffle them with your hands. For the record, you weren’t witnessing one
extended kiss; not that it really makes much difference whether Michael and I
shared one goodnight kiss or several. He
was walking home by the time you waved at me from your front porch.
Once I’d watched Michael until he waved at me from his front
porch too, I went inside and had a short visit with Mom and Dad before coming
up to my room again. I wanted to have
another soak in my Jacuzzi, but this time I multi-tasked the first part of the
family business work I wanted to get done tonight. Violet was home comparatively early tonight
too, and since I was still up sitting in my window alcove with my computer
then; she borrowed my Jacuzzi before having a little girl chat with me once she
was finished having a long soak.
She and Dillon are really getting excited about going away
to college, but other than doing helping Uncle Mark and Aunt Grace a bit more
this week; they’re both planning on putting in extra work over the next two
weeks because they’ll be taking the last week off before they leave to spend
time with us and with their families here and in Woodvale. Violet doesn’t have to worry about money, and
will keep her part-time job while she’s away; but Dillon wants to make a bit
extra while he can.
We have plans to help him over the next five years; but that
won’t really get started until next summer; and he doesn’t need the help this
year anyway.
Rowen and I are helping out with babysitting in the morning
again, but then she’s going to work at the store in the afternoon; and Michael
asked me to go with him to help out with Ryan Bassett’s sixth birthday
party. I’ll need to make a shopping trip
part of my morning babysitting plans because Ryan hadn’t been on my last
birthday gift shopping list; but I’m sure we can find something for him at the
Emporium or maybe at the Fix-it Shop.
Mom and Dad have their co-ed ball practice tomorrow night too, so it’s
going to be another long, busy day; and I really should wrap this up and get
some sleep. Violet went to bed nearly a
half hour ago after we both heard Mom and Dad on the stairs when they finished
working for the night. There are wards
up in both bedrooms, so I’m not the only person still awake in the house, but I
don’t need to be the last; and I’m getting tired now anyway, so...
...until next time, this is Magi Master Cassie Proctor;
logging out!
