I'm Stuck With Them

Carrie's started to post pictures of the kittens tagged as #barncatfail.

She's not wrong.

They've moved in.

They're both high energy and adventurous. Aria ("My cat") takes the lead....and gets up and into all sorts of places.

Including surprising ones! Carrie heard noises coming from the cabinetry and found Aria on the inside.

She shut the door, perhaps in disbelief, and when she opened it again Aria was on a different level!

It seemed impossible, but Carrie discovered the builders left a kitten highway with priority access doors. Aria taught Tsuki her trick and the kittens have accessed the shelves through the top and the bottom.

They're brazen about jumping up on counters and looking for food. No matter how many times I drop them off, they seem to hop right back up.

I've caught them standing in the sink......and yes, I turned on the water. They still come back!

Thankfully, no one has jumped in the trash can (but I caught Aria looking!).

I would have thought Carrie would be more concerned about the kittens clawing and climbing up the couch, but kittens get a pass no other species does (Rank favoritism, I say!).

Morning and night, the kittens get an attack of the 'zoomies' and start tearing around. I sleep through it, because I shut the bedroom door. Sometimes Carrie falls asleep on the couch and wakes to a kitten ricocheting off her chest as her sister jumps over her head in pursuit.

 Carrie's started to let them outside for morning barn chores to run off some energy.

And she's been letting Max join them.

That surprised me. Carrie is such a cautious person it seemed odd at first.

However, it makes sense. Max is 14 years old. There's no telling how many years she has left and she loves being outside. She leads the kittens to the door and starts singing and pawing.

So far, she's always come back. She ranges farther than the kittens and I had to herd her away from the corn one day (I was worried she'd lose track of where she was if she ventured in!).

Happy doesn't get to join the outdoor festivities. She ran off into the woods once and we're not chancing a repeat. That was a rough night with Carrie having a panic attack, Shane crying, and me tromping through the woods on a winter's night that I'd prefer only happen once in my l ife.

She's adapted to the inside life. We've given her a middle name due to her jelly rolls: Happy Fat Cat.

Loki loves all his feline friends. Carrie's taken to throwing him out with them in the mornings.

By himself, Carrie will sit on the porch when let out. With the cats, he will happily romp around and use the bathroom. If anything, he'll herd the kittens back closer to the house at times!

He doesn't think it's fair that Carrie secludes him to dry off when he comes inside.

Not that we have the crate inside anymore, because Aria has started to pee on anything that smells like wet dog.

We don't know why. Cat pee is a terrible thing, so the crate and dog bed went outside. Loki hates them, so don't worry about him.

If there was any drama, I'd have grounds to return the kittens to barn cat status. But all the cats get along famously with each other and the dog.

Max, Aria, and Tsuki even eat together.

Happy is the odd cat out, but she's usually sleeping somewhere and doesn't seem to care.

The only drama worth mentioning is comical. Sometimes Max gets fed up with Loki and he takes it as a cue to play. She'll growl, hiss, and charge.....and he'll end up bounding after her. He'll try to imitate her swipes and paws the air!

Shane's on permanent litter patrol, but I end up doing a lot of double-checking. With him at Nana and Pop's it's somehow become my job again.

Carrie does take care of a lot of things I don't want to do. Like worming. Her vet tech training comes in handy.

And Aria's curiosity earned her second place in line.

Happy didn't learn much from Aria's mistake either!

Learning when to make yourself scarce was an important part of my childhood.

So.....4 cats. That wasn't in the marriage vows, but if it keeps Carrie sane and I get to keep my dog it's the way it's going to be. 

Carrie's Trailer Daze

 Monday (10/5) we woke up at dark o'clock.

Carrie and Laura were trailering Ernie to Virginia Tech for surgery. 

Laura decided it was time to de-nerve him in the front. She'd struggled with the decision for weeks if not months. He'd been on pain medications for years and it was a quality of life issue.

With two horse women there wasn't much for me to do except document and provide moral support.

Carrie did have me run up and open the gate.

And I had the joy of doing all the morning horse chores once they left, too!

Their trip was uneventful. The techs came outside to get Ernie. Carrie and Laura had to remain outside as a COVID precaution, so they said their farewells in the parking lot.

Tuesday, Carrie shipped out later. This time, it was Huck. I didn't get many pictures, because I was hands on and helping.

Carrie started Huck's training, but it was time for him to go to a trainer who'd work with him more on riding. We weren't the best fit for that and we needed to make room for Nibs to come home. It was simply the right time for him to go.

This time Loki helped me open the gate.

Huck was a shorter jaunt than Virginia Tech. The new barn was within an hour one way.

What those pictures don't show if that Carrie discovered a nail in the rearmost driver's side tire on the trailer. She was worried about it, but after some pressure tests I convinced her it was fine to drive on for now.

It was, but when Carrie tried to check the other tires after she got back one of the tire stems broke! "This is a trade-in!" she said.

Of course, I was teaching class and unaware as this happened. Carrie took the trailer to the tire place that bought the Volvo and they fixed the tire stem and switched the nail tire with the spare. It was already said and done by the time I heard of it.

And the trailer trips weren't even done! Wednesday, Carrie and Laura were off to Virginia Tech again. The brought Ernie back bandaged up, but frisky.

Really frisky.

I heard them unloading near the end of my Honors Geometry class. The notes and most of the work were done, but I have kids who stay on for help.

"What's that noise?" I said. "Oh, it's my wife and our boarder unloading the horse that had surgery. Wait a minute...where's his lead rope? Did they let him off without..."

"Sorry kids, gotta go! Loose horse!"

I ditched my class and ran outside. Ernie ran straight for the mares' field to greet everyone. The ladies herded him and I sprinted to close the front gate. Ernie foolishly ran into the barn to greet Maddie and was captured quickly. 

I got back to my class half out of breath. "So that...was exciting...Where...were we?"

It was an opportune week for Carrie's new truck tags to arrive.

It'd be nice if the trailer and truck worked to help pay themselves off. Carrie almost had a paid gig trailering a horse to Lexington recently, but it fell through. Everything this week was pro-bono (though I think Laura paid for gas). 

While Carrie was done hauling the trailer for the week, she had a different driving project on Thursday. That crop duster dusted our arena with seeds. And they were growing.

Rather than weed the whole arena by hand, Carrie raked it with the gator. I took a peek at her progress in a lull between my afternoon classes!

I would have had Shane solo and been trying to teach the first three days of the week, so it was great that he was at Nana and Pop's! Nana had a funny story to tell about how well he paid attention, but that's a different post.

Shane's at Camp Nana-Pop....and the timing was perfect

Shane got to spend two weeks at Nana and Pop's. He's been living it large with cousins, trampolines, fast food, and grandparents! Nana and Pop have him call many nights and he talks about how wonderful it is.

Meanwhile, it was been hectic and busy at the barn. Shane got a ticket to paradise that left the station just before the stress express came in behind!

It started with Carrie trailering horses three days in a row and me picking up the chores while she did so. Ernie had surgery and then gave us all a scare by starting to colic. Carrie was especially scared, because she'd recommended the surgery and the owner's dad went into the hospital and into hospice at the same time all this was happening! Throw some other ongoing issues/conflicts in and Carrie was at her limit.

So I picked up whatever slack I could and stayed busy the whole time. I didn't write a single thing. If I ever realized I had the energy and focus to write, I quickly spent it on something else (like work emails!).

My own virtual school workload has continued to increase throughout. No longer is it "less work, but more draining." It is now "more work, because everything takes longer and I'm still not able to help everybody." 

It's still going well for what it is, but the work/home divide was destroyed when I started having zoom meetings 6 or 7 days a week (Only 5 days are required, but I've had 30 minute chats here and there on Saturday and Sundays to help kids).

And that's why I'm two weeks behind on the blog. The only reason I'm catching up now is, because Carrie and Shane are both out of town and I'm two weeks behind! 

Consider this the "tip of the iceberg" post. 

Grandparents Galore!

Our weekend was full of grandparents. Grandma and Grandpa came over Saturday. 

You'd think I'd start with Shane, but Grandpa and Max got reacquainted. Max is nearly 15 years old. She started her life at Grandma and Grandpa's and the only way she likes to be carried is the way Grandpa does it.

And from there I'm going to segue to horses. Carrie excused herself after a short chat to go to the barn. Then she called and said, "Come onto the porch. I'm going to do a thing."

She jumped off a horse. 

At a canter.

It's called an emergency dismount. None of us saw it coming, either. 

It started yesterday. 

Heidi came to visit and Carrie's been talking to her about proper mounting and dismounting. Heidi's previous trainers would let her dismount with a foot in the stirrup. That was a big no-no according to Carrie's training (and Heidi had fall when she got her foot stuck dismounting just before all her major health problems began).

I don't know how that led to Carrie demonstrating an emergency dismount, but Heidi told Barbara and Barbara said, "I heard you did a thing."

"I want to see, too."

Thanks for the near heart attack, Barbara. Carrie did the thing.

She stuck the landing, but it was a surprise!

Of course, Shane had turned away. "What happened?" he asked.

Grandpa, Grandpa, Shane and I hung out in the house together while the riding went on. I tried to teach Grandpa and Grandma how to play The Crew. It's a trick-taking game and they like cards, so I figured it'd go over well.

However, Shane excused himself to hunt for ants and Grandma and Grandpa started to reminisce about a different game altogether.

The game was a bust, and we spent our time talking instead. Carrie rejoined us and she dragged Shane in saying, "No more holes in the yard!"

The next day, Shane and I parked at the Cook Out off Emmett St. 

We were awaiting the arrival of Nana and Pop!

Shane was scheduled to go to SC for a week. He'd been talking about it non-stop (even with Grandpa and Grandma!). He could not wait to see all of his cousins.

Normally, I'd have met Nana and Pop in Greensboro, but they were already driving through. They'd gone up to visit Jama and sort out her medicines for the next months. Since they were driving through they picked up Shane on the way.

They were nice enough to buy Shane and I lunch and we all ate together. We chatted for an hour before I told Shane "Happy trails."

I should've gone to Costco to get gas, but I drove alongside them on their way south. I'm going to miss Shane, but I don't know if he'll ever get another mid-Fall opportunity to spend a week with the family AND be in school. Virtual school isn't the best, but there are definite perks for us!

The Soccer Update

It's been three weeks without a post about soccer. Time to fix that.

Shane's 2nd practice was rained out, but we made it to the next two.

I am loving the drive. It's the easiest thing in the world.

Shane's been enjoying practice. He's not fond of everyone's attitude, but you can tell he's thrilled to be around kids in general. He's been running more and trying harder from what I see....from the car. 

It's both good and bad sitting in the car while Shane practices. I don't really hear if the coach is focusing on any particular skills, but I'm also more "on break."

And it rained at practice #4! The car was dry!

And whatever else happens this season, the rainy practice may have made it all worthwhile. There was no lightning, so the show went on. The coach had them in an endless scrimmage.

Every kid needs a chance to play a big game of something slipping around in the rain!

The games are an equally amazing commute. I'm already planning on doing the local league next Fall, too! Shane's been eager to gear up each Saturday.

I found a yellow shirt to show my support!

Shane's been a little more frustrated at the games, though. Shane was hoping they'd win by now. However, a boy showed up on the blue team who'd missed the first week and was a clear level above everyone else on the field.

The kid can dribble on the run, change directions, pass, and shoot from near midfield if no one covers him! The opposing coach clearly lets him go on offense the first half and then parks him on defense the second half of the game to keep it competitive. 

For the most part, I've been really happy with how Shane's played. We're there for the experience and the joy of the game.

He gets frustrated when he gets scored on, but that's not a bad thing unless he throws a fit or gives up hope. If a little frustration drives him to do better and to celebrate when things do go right then it's a healthy ingredient mixed in to the experience. 

I'm pretty sure Shane's one of the youngest kids on the field. He doesn't turn 10 until after the season's over, so I would have thought he'd be a U10 instead of a U12. Most of the kids aren't in his grade and he said some of them "went" to Scottsville Elementary.

I've brought that up before when encouraging Shane to do his best. I want him to have the attitude that's he's going to do his best regardless of the odds and find victories where he can.

Which sometimes are "don't make the same mistake two games in a row."

The second game, Shane got called out by the ref three times for trying to kick the ball from the ground. The final time he was in the goal box and the other team got a penalty kick.

He didn't repeat the mistake the third game.

He did draw a new penalty for kicking the ball twice in a row after a free kick. 

Why? Because it's hard to put any power behind a kick when you're too busy showboating.

Shane's not a power-kicker and he knows it. I think he wanted to be fancy and 'trick' the other team, but got lost in the excitement of everyone watching him!

He didn't make the mistake again on the third game (It's all about baby steps...baby steps...).

I caught a fun video of Shane warming-up in goal. He's got a style o

He gets along well with most of his teammates, too. He started a team yell of "Banana Slammas!" He's told me other running jokes with the girls that make plenty of sense to him (one of the girls call herself "Dead Girl" and likes zombies?). He certainly looks like he has fun dancing around (notice how much taller the other kids are?).

There's one other boy, but Shane says he's "rude" and berates him. 

The goalie on the other team is Shane's friend, Peter, from after-school. We ended up behind him in line for pictures.

All-in-all, it's been a good experience. My only regret about Shane getting to visit Nana and Pop next week is that he'll miss soccer....but did I mention that? That's another story that kicks off tomorrow.

Side note: The train tracks are right by the field. I hear a train go by and several kids spectating ran up the hill to watch it go by.

First you see it....

Virtual school puts me in its own little world.

Which can lead to surprises when I come out. Carrie cleaned out the whole garage on Monday. 

She was cleaning the Volvo when I came out to grab a Clif bar for lunch.

The Volvo was sold before my last class.

I was caught between stunned and thankful.

The Volvo has been a growing problem. We parked it in the pole barn while the garage. Heavy rains had a tendency to seep in somehow (despite hearing several times "It's fixed"), so we wanted it under cover.

Only the moisture found a way in.

After a month of collecting humidity and cooking it, mold moved in.

A 120k miles, hidden leak, mold, intermittent AC, alignment issue, worn tires, and the need for a safety inspection? I thought the scratches and paint chips were minor while leaned towards major, but there were some of those, too. 

It screamed mechanic's special. For us to pay for the repairs would be costly, but someone with the tools, time, and know-how could pay themselves to fix it for a turnaround. 

We talked about it. I was open to the idea. Carrie was gung-ho. We looked at each other and said, "$1,000?"

I meant to do more research, but that fateful day I logged off the computer and found it was already all done! 

Hence the "stunned and thankful." I would have liked to have been in the process and known exactly what we could have got. I was also glad I didn't have to be in the process when I was already busy enough with other things and Carrie handled it all!

I've settled on thankful, by the way. I don't know when I would've handled it had it been left to me!

Carrie said that she felt compelled to tackle the Volvo. She intended to do a quick rinse, but an inner voice kept urging her on. So she tackled the inside and cleaned out all of Shane's old food crumbs and pulled lost board game bits from between the seat cushions.

Once it was sparkling, she drove it to a local tire shop to get the nail fixed Costco wouldn't patch ($25). She asked the owner where she could get a state inspection, and said, "One more thing done before it can be sold!"

The owner started to ask more questions.

"How much were you looking for?" he asked.

"$1,500" Carrie replied.

She told him about the issues and he took the Volvo for a spin while Carrie played with the shop cat (which she fell in love with).

He came back and said, "Sold."

Thankfully, the cat wasn't part of the deal.

Carrie went by the tire shop later with Shane to drop off all the keys (while I was still unaware and at work!). She said she saw the owner hard at work prettying up the Volvo. 

I'm curious if he's planning to keep it or flip it, so I'll have to check online to see if it's for sale at some point.

That's a lot of crazy coincidences. Plenty of reasons to be thankful! Carrie did a great job and I decided to get over being stunned once I heard the whole story.

"So this means you're willing to give me a truck key now?" I asked.

"We'll need to buy one from the dealership," Carrie said.

Miracles do happen!

Virtual School Updates

I've lucked out with co-teachers so far at Monticello. I was sad to see my partner last year, Mary, move to a different program. My new partner in crime, Marcell, is with me for two classes a day. He's passed the good sense of humor check so far!

We started a check-in program to get kids to talk one-on-one. I borrowed Marcel's likeness for extra motivation on our class page. He offered to make a goofier picture, but that could just be a disguised retaliation. 

Either way it's amusing.

I feel like we've adapted really well to teaching virtually. It's not what we chose, but it's what we got, so the plan is to make it the best it can be! It's trying to reach the kids who don't try that's rough.