Saturday, March 12, 2022, MN

My monthly art class with Genevieve was Tuesday afternoon and we did beading this time.  I chose to make a memory bracelet and necklace. Next month, we are going to learn needle felting and do an Easter project.

My beading projects.

Well, the Minneapolis Teachers went on strike, starting on Tuesday this week and that meant that the Grandmas had to help out with the girls. I was there on Wednesday and again for a few hours on Friday.  I had a hard time getting them to cooperate with school work, reading (they were given no assignments by the teacher), or any kind of structure on Wednesday and Rachael (family friend and Mom to girls’ friends) offered to take them from 2-5pm, so It wasn’t quite a full day.  On Friday, they did individual reading and we did Math together for quite a while. I’m impressed that my 2nd grade girls are doing 3rd grade Math and having no problems with addition, subtraction and even some multiplication.  Jill took off work early so she could reciprocate and have Rachael’s girls over in the afternoon.  

Charlotte, who had been chewing on her nails recently, agreed to give it up for one month and her incentive and reward was to have her friends Riley and Violet over for a Greek dinner (she is all into learning about Greek Gods and Goddesses these days) and to watch the 1980s version of “The Clash of the Titans” on Friday night. 

Did I say there is a whole lot more activity going on in that family than I can manage most days. Ben said that Norah and Camille were to take Yoshi for a walk and they did a quick walk (it was only about 15° out and they returned home in about five minutes.  When they got back home, Camille realized that she had lost one of her good ski mittens along the way, so they headed out to trace their steps to find it, only to return in another five minutes thinking that they needed to check the house - just in case she left it there before they headed out with Yoshi. Nope - it was nowhere to be found, so they had to go out looking for it again.  This time, they reassured me that it might take a little bit longer and after being gone for almost 15 minutes, I got nervous - not knowing where they were allowed to walk and how long their normal walks would take, so I decided to drive around and look for them. Just as I turned my car around in front of the house and was heading for the lake, I saw them coming down the alley heading for home - with Camille’s mitten on her hand. See - it’s always an adventure and even though Mom and Dad are comfortable with them walking designated areas in the neighborhood alone, it makes me real nervous.

I sold a painting and a pet travel carrier on Facebook Marketplace this week and also found a nice nightstand for next to my bed that I picked up today. I’ve been looking for one for a long time and my patience paid off today - the stand I bought is exactly the size and type of wood that I wanted and I got it for $5.  It pays to be patient.  

I shopped for yarn to make myself a throw blanket - just don’t make things for myself so now is the time.

Our weather has been brutally cold since Tuesday with a warmup arriving on Saturday. It was 1° when I woke up Friday morning. I’m so ready for some signs of spring and it looks like next week will bring it. Daylight Savings Time ends today, so we set our clocks ahead once again.