Six years ago
1/23/18 – brain surgery
1/23/24 – sent kids off to school, going grocery shopping this morning, and I get to play volleyball tonight.
Today looks very different from six years ago. đŠś
Tag: Shecklet #1
A good run
All good things must come to an end.
The Shecks had a good 17.5 year run.
A kid got left at church after Family Formation tonight.
Text from child left behind: Where are you?
Parent #1 replies : In the kitchen.
Kid goes to kitchen at church and replies: I don’t see you.
Meanwhile, Parent #2 realizes what is going on and says to Parent #1,
“How did you and #4 not realize #1 wasn’t with you when you left the church?”
Motherâs Day 2023
5/14/23
Today is sandwiched between a day I remember as a painfully low day and one that brought immense joy. Three years ago on 5/13/20, we found out that Astrid had died. Tomorrow is her older brotherâs birthday. And though it will get its own post, I will briefly mention that Astridâs birth day is the next day, 5/16.
Next year it looks like I will be spared the aligning of her non-heartbeat day with Motherâs Day. Iâm grateful for that. As the parent of a child who died before they âshouldâ have, these Hallmark holidays can be especially difficult. Itâs a fine line to walk being excited to have kids around and yet recognizing things are not complete. Someone is missing. (Two someones, actually.) And while I do want to be upbeat and cheery for my four Shecklets, my melancholic self tends to notice who is missing. And that makes me sad.
I canât believe it has been three years since we lost Astrid. The times I imagine her as the age she âshouldâ be are fewer than in the past, but I do tend to picture her as an almost three year old around this time of year. I see my four kids getting older, growing in independence, and I enjoy each one of the so much. And yet, when I stop and look, I realize my picture is not complete. Someone is missing.
HBD Gma Patti! đ
All of the grandkids were able to help Grandma Patti celebrate her birthday today! đđ
2nd Snow Day of 2023!
Day 2 of school being cancelled for the girls and this time Shecklet #2’s district cancelled as well. Shecklet #1’s school won’t ever cancel due to weather since he’s online, but Wednesdays are not usually a heavy day for him, so he got to enjoy the snow along with his siblings.
I think the final total from this latest snowstorm ended up being around 14 inches.
The snow was perfect for packing, so naturally, Jake and the kids built a sledding track. And not just any sledding track, but one that has been talked about for years. They piled the snow up and over the back fence.
Day 2 in STL – 2022
It rained again overnight and was still muggy when we got our day started. We planned to meet our friends at the City Museum at 12:30, which gave us just enough time to do a quick run through the STL Zoo. And when I say run, I’m only exaggerating a bit. My kids questioned my speed-walking on a couple of occasions as we navigated the strollers and animal seekers on the zoo paths.
On our way back to the truck we stopped outside the art museum. Shecklet #1’s current thoughts on his future career include being an electrician, so of course I had to have him stand next to the giant electrical plug!
The last time we visited the City Museum was September of 2016. Our kids have grown a bit since then and were able to venture off by themselves for a good portion of our time today. They came back with lots of stories about where they went and how much fun it was to explore on their own. The rooftop was closed (because it’s winter) but the outside was open for climbing. The kids spent a good portion of their time out there as well as inside in the caves.
After saying goodbye to our friends, we made a quick stop at the Cathedral to see our friend Fr. J. We are heading home tomorrow and he will be returning to school in Rome in a few days. I am so glad it worked out for us to get to see him!
It won’t be long and Shecklet #3 will be taller than her Godfather!
Day 1 in STL – 2022
This morning, Shecklet #4 and I went on a walk in search of decent coffee. Hotel coffee leaves much to be desired. I never thought of my self as a coffee snob, but the longer I drink it, the more particular I become. Perhaps that’s because I don’t like strong coffee and I miss my daily cup from the Keurig.
Our journey took us down the “Historic Main Street” of St. Charles, MO. The temps were pleasant (much nicer than back home) and it was a bit muggy from having rained overnight. After several blocks, we found a cute coffee shop where I ordered a vanilla latte and then we headed back to our hotel.
Our friend, (Shecklet #3’s Godfather) who is in STL for the Christmas season, met us at Immaculata Catholic Church and said Mass for our family and our friends, who were also in STL for the week. The church was beautiful. (Photo credit below goes to Shecklet #2 who asked to take photos of it after Mass.)
After Mass, we gathered in the rectory for lunch. Msgr. Gardin was kind enough to open his kitchen and dining room to our group. Fr. J. and Jake grilled steaks and burgers and Fr. J. prepared sea bass and sides. It was wonderful to get to share a meal with this great group! Sometimes God does show you why things don’t work out like you originally planned.
After lunch, Jake took the teenagers and tweens to the mall to see a movie – Avatar 2 in 3D. I went with our friends to the other side of the river (Troy, IL,) for a few hours. Before returning to MO, we drove down the highly-decorated street of our friend’s brother. The houses in the cul-de-sac go all-out and even have lights choreographed to music on a radio station. It is quite the sight!
After the movie ended, our group went to The Hill in search of a restaurant. We ended up at an authentic pizza place. Shecklet #2 said the pizza was some of the best he’s ever had. For dessert, we crossed the street and had gelato. Yum!
December 2022 road trip revived!
We loaded up the suburban this morning and pointed it south, with a final destination of STL programmed into the GPS.
The roads in southern MN and northern IA were particularly crummy and we considered turning around when we stopped for lunch in Clear Lake. However, we decided to give it until Cedar Rapids before we turned around. Jake said there were a few slick spots on overpasses, but overall the roads were mostly clear and we were able to drive at posted speeds.
We made a stop in Cedar Rapids for gas and to get shoes for the girls. We discovered about an hour or so into the trip that they only brought their crocs. This wouldnât have been a huge issue if we werenât planning some activities that require more secure footwear. Thankfully Target had what we needed.
We have a hotel booked in St. Charles for the duration of our stay.
The girls went for a quick swim before the pool closed for the night. I know I havenât done much, just sat shotgun the whole day, but Iâm looking forward to a good nightâs sleep. đ´
Christmas 2022
Our plans for Christmas break changed from road trip to homebound thanks to snow, sub-zero wind chills, and poor road conditions.
We had originally planned on traveling to STL on 12/23 to visit Shecklet #3’s godfather, then on to GA to visit family, and finally to FL to visit friends. On 12/21, the house was minimally decorated for Christmas, I was caught up on laundry, and we had minimal items left in the fridge.
School ended up being cancelled for Shecklet #2 on 12/22, so we we considered getting on the road a day early. However, IA looked like this:
We made the adult decision to stay safe and not risk the stress or potential car trouble while in a “towing not recommended” zone. Our cancelled plans meant we were able to play games as a family, decorate sugar cookies, and shovel lots of snow.
We were also able to attend Christmas Eve Mass at our parish.
Jake shopped for heavy appetizers earlier in the day for our after-mass Christmas Eve meal.
Christmas morning we opened gifts and relaxed for a few hours. Shecklet #1 assembled his LEGO set, we hung Shecklet #4’s new cork board, and Shecklet #3 got to work figuring out classic rock melodies on her guitar. Shecklet #2 had to wait to try his new goggles.
We headed to Jake’s parents house around 3pm for dinner and opening gifts. The Shecklets enjoyed getting to see their cousins.
