Does this have a happy ending?!

The girls were watching a movie the other day (something we do A LOT of right now) and it started getting to that point in all kid movies where it looks like things aren't going to work out. Addie asked worriedly, "Does this have a happy ending?!" I walked by and assured her that all kid movies have happy endings. I hadn't really thought about that until I said it out loud. I'm holding out for the happy ending to this nightmare of a year. At least as a believer of Jesus, I know that eventually, we will be with Him. The ultimate happy ending.

After several days of reading posts and comments and opposing posts and comments, posts about peace and posts about hate, I went to bed one night completely exhausted and defeated. That probably has a lot to do with my inner peacemaker enneagram-9-ness. But that's a whole other story.

I deleted my FaceBook and Instagram apps on my phone around midnight after not being able to sleep. 

The negative feelings social media is bringing with it right now are too much to carry. My first and most important priority should always be my family. It helps to just focus on that right now. Sorry to be such a Debbie Downer. I'm actually feeling much better after a few days free of social media. I highly recommend it (these days).

So for now, I'm continuing to write this blog because I still enjoy writing and keeping a running account of our lives in pictures. But in the future, I probably won't share it on FaceBook for a while. If you want to get an email, subscribe to Wagmommy. I believe that's how it works. Otherwise, you can just save wagmommy.blogspot.com to your home screen on your phone or search the link every week or so to see new posts. 

On to pics from the last couple weeks. 

Winter can put down food like a grown man. I know I've mentioned that before but I'm continually awestruck by the amount of food my skinny 9-year-old consumes every single day. It's just amazing.

I almost deleted the pic below because it shows a little too unashamedly Angus's dirty croc wearing feet and his ripped pjs he was probably wearing the previous night and all day that day. My dirty kids. In case you are worried about their hygiene, they do bathe. And normally if I see feet like this, I make them wash them before bed. But not this night obviously.

The reason I took this pic, though, was because I wanted to point out that they are sleeping in the same bed. All of my kids would share beds every night if I let them. I limit them to slumber parties once a week because they don't sleep as soundly and always wake up earlier with another body in the bed. But it's amazing that they are spending SO VERY MUCH time together and they still want to spend their nights sleeping next to each other.

They are getting along pretty well these days.

Last week, Dan and I went out on a date for the first time since February. We hired a very healthy COVID free babysitter to watch the kids and went down to the beach for dinner followed by a walk on the beach, then sitting down to watch the sunset. We grabbed a picnic mat out of the car for warmth because we forgot how cold it gets around sunset. It was more lovely than I could say with words. I loved it so much that I took the kids back there yesterday. More on that below.

Dan worked the day we had to go to school to return everything and collect the kids' belongings. So I took all four. I knew it probably wouldn't go well considering it was the first time they wore masks. Angus dropped to the floor as soon as I put a mask on him. He burst into tears and said it smelled. So I found a bandana and put that on him and told him he was a robber for the day. The novelty quickly wore off.

But the day got better when a neighbor brought us cupcakes.

How much does Angus look like a miniature teenager here?

Big sis letting her little bro play dominoes with her. So sweet. Also, most of the kids don't wear shirts these days.

I took the kids to Newport yesterday. It was predicted to be almost 100 degrees in my neck of the woods so I figured it would be a good day for it. I mean despite the risk of getting a killer virus and the danger of angry people both protesting and not. I figured if we got there early enough we could get out of there before the beach got crowded and the protests got out of hand. So I said a prayer for protection and drove down there. 

I was nervous about the crowds and the parking and the angry people, so I was on edge the whole drive down even though we sang loudly to Disney songs which always seems to cheer me up. After driving around for a while I found a miracle spot on the street and thanks to my back up camera I was able to squeeze in. 

This is the poop bucket. I'm so sorry to gross you out but I wanted you to have this idea in your back pocket for camping or something. I wanted to park way down by the less busy side of Newport farthest away from the pier because it would be less crowded and finding parking would be easier. The only problem is that the bathrooms are at the pier. And half the time, someone has to poop as soon as we get out on the beach. So I took a 5-gallon bucket and lined it with two plastic bags.  I also brought baby wipes and extra bags. I left it in the trunk. I didn't take it to the beach in case that's what you were thinking. There's no way I'd use this thing but I was pretty sure my littles would in a pinch. Thankfully no one needed to use it. I did tell them about it to encourage holding it till we got home.

On our walk from the car to the beach, there was an angry guy yelling profanities at someone and the kids all stopped and stared. He apologized and sheepishly waved to us and I told the kids to keep walking as my anxiety grew.

But as soon as we got out to the water, I instantly felt all the tension leave my shoulders and just sat there and breathed and watched the ocean (and my kids). I don't have a lot of pics of Winter and Mya because we borrowed boogie boards from our lovely neighbors and they were in the ocean for 3 hours straight coming back every once in a while for a snack or water.

We got to the beach around 9:30 and left around 1:00. It was getting really crowded and hot by then so it was the perfect time to go. Before we left, a surfer was taken away in a lifeguard truck because he was stung by a stingray. He was surfing pretty close to my girls. I felt really bad for him but thanked God for answering my prayer of protection against stingrays. 

I also learned later that an angry anti-protester drove his car through a crowd of Newport protesters (on the street I was parked on) which was mixed with people on bikes including children. Thankfully no one was hurt. Crazy times just doesn't begin to describe these days does it? There are really no words but also so many words. 

Well friends, one day at a time. Happy Thursday.