Summer Holidays Begin

The last day of school arrived.  The kids only had half a day, or less, seeing as part of that half was taken up by the closing assembly.  It is tradition that we go out for ice cream on the last day of school.  Since that evening we were going to be babysitting a few extra rugrats it was decided to go out for lunch and ice cream.  So we headed off to the Grand Island BBQ.  It was a bit cold yet to be eating outside since that had not been our original plan and so we were not dressed accordingly, (hard to believe now that we’ve had such a hot summer, but for a time there we thought summer was never going to come since spring was so wet and cold … wet and cold enough that the farmers in the area did not get on the fields for planting until the middle of June), but we snuggled up close and gobbled up our lunch and then took our ice cream to go as we were running out of time.

The first weekend of the summer holidays was spent at Dave and Ange’s babysitting their kids (and ours).  Dave and Ange got to enjoy a weekend away and we took over the troops.  At this time Brent was still in a wheelchair, unable to put any pressure on his leg.  He had just been told that he no longer needed the sling for his broken collarbone, so this meant he was able to wheel the wheelchair on his own now.  It also gave him more balance to hop around so that he could go to the bathroom himself, or do short hopping trips here and there.  By this time he no longer needed a nap since he couldn’t sleep then, he was no longer getting headaches and his nerve pain medication had the nerve pain in his foot under control.  So really it wasn’t a very difficult weekend, we got to enjoy a nice spacious house with a newly finished basement, a deck (Rob loved that part) and lots of water (a luxury for us).  The kids got to enjoy lots of TV (since Brent’s activities and energy level were limited TV was used a lot more) and lots of Wii, as well as having lots of fun together.

The kids played so nicely together that it was really easy.  They were mostly busy playing Little House on the Prairie all together, including Matthew and Vivian, and then they became busy with writing their own play.  So a good part of the time they were quietly entertaining themselves and I didn’t hear boo or baa from them, which is usually the case when they get together.  The kids had figured out how to master Brent’s wheelchair and I didn’t even have to help with that.  One minute they would be inside, the next they would be outside.

Matthew with his best friend, Vivian.  Showing Vivian how to play on the computer … something he’s quite the master at

   

Wheelchair fun.  They would take turns pushing each other around.

Wii time

A rare moment where the girls are actually getting along and doing something together … had to get a picture of that, just to remind myself that it is possible

 

Dave and Ange were back Sunday evening … the house was still standing and the kids were still alive … and even still getting along.