Time has once again passed by so quickly. As a child to me time passed slowly; I felt as if summer would never end. Now as an adult, before you know it you’re elderly.
I’ve settled quite nicely into my job at the hospital and doing community work;
Patterns has taken more to gardening than to inventing; although he does still invent, its just now his part-time job while gardening and caring for the animals and bees has become his full time occupation.
Cali has become best friends with her second cousin River, Aspen’s daughter, and a neighborhood boy named Ethan Parrot. Ethan or River sometimes both are at our home, or Cali is over at their home.
Cali also plays a lot with her cousins, Alaska’s triplets Jeanu, Kodiak, and Fairbanks. They also come over for dinner. Because Alaska lives on the other side of town, the triplets don’t come over that often.
Jeanu and Cali doing homework together
Alaska’s triplets over for dinner
Our first Fall in Appaloosa Plains Cali and Jeanu went trick or treating together.
And my nephew Scotty, one of Ari’s sons, threw a really nice costume party.
I signed Cali up for ballet and I now feel like a “dance mom”. In addition to ballet practice after school, I also take Cali to the gym on the weekends so that she can practice. I even get on the barre and practice too. Of course I’m not professionally trained but Cali’s a beginner I can’t mess her up that bad.
The first year in Appaloosa Plains went by so fast. A lot of times it was just us three, Cali, Patterns and I; as Colorado was sleeping or it was inappropriate to bring him along. Cali also plays well alone when she’s not hanging out with her friends.
And then Colorado aged up a couple years after moving to Appaloosa Plains…
Happy Birthday Colorado
Make a wish!
Colorado now child
Don’t get me wrong, he isn’t a bad child. My only experience is with a single son who was raised primarily around adults. And then a couple years with just Cali and a toddler. I’m sure Alaska and Ari have tons of stories to tell considering they each have 6 children and are used to a full house with all children close in age.
Cali was great on her own; however adding Rado to the mix definitely made the house more exciting. There is just something about the two of them together that makes things a bit more challenging. I think Rado brought out Cali’s more playful/ mischievous side. These two are always getting into something.
When they aren’t playing practical jokes, usually at their father’s expense..
They are pranking each other
Sometimes the pranks go too far
There’s something under the bed
Run!!!!!!!
Which usually leaves
Cali sleeping with daddy,
Me sleeping in Cali’s bed
and Rado sleeping the sleep of babies
Rado isn’t a evil kid at all, he’s just very playful and brings much joy to the family.
Rado also evened us out too. We could all compete against each other at the season festivals! no more having to grab a 4th member.
The children are also best friends and love to play together and spend time together.
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We decided to keep Gift day to just the immediate family. Ugh long gone are the days of watching and waiting for 20 people to open their gift. Don’t get me wrong, I miss our big Gift Day get-togethers that we had back in Riverview but the family is just getting too big. Sun has one child, Aspen has one child, Scotty has 4 children, Alaska has 6, and Conn has 1 and Tia and Darrick still live with Ari. Too many people!
It was nice celebrating Gift Day with just my husband and children. I spent the entire day baking. Cosmo brought over the turkey
We spent the rest of the night exchanging presents and dancing.
Spooky Day or Feast Day is the new Love Day in our family. It wasn’t long after Gift Day that I found out that Sun, Janice (Aspen’s wife) and Debbie(Solomon’s wife) were all expecting! Sun dropped by to tell me the news.
And before I knew it, Alaska’s twin babies, Willow and Fox Hollow were toddlers. It seems just as soon as a baby or child ages up, another baby is born into the family.
Coolest of all is that A’s little girl, Willow has blonde hair just like me! Yay, I’m no longer the only blonde in the family.
Alaska’s children aren’t the only ones to age up. My granddaughter Bristol aged up to toddler. I must say that her grandfather and I have completely stolen her from her parents. Patterns works from home, and I work half days. Both her parents work full time and long hours. Ok that’s our justification and we’re sticking with it.
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I think Summer is our favorite season. The days are longer and there is plenty to do. We don’t have a pool at our new home because we live right across the street from the community pool. Have I mentioned the community pool here is larger than the one in Riverview? I think I have.
We threw another Summer Pool party and without bragging I have to say this was the Summer Pool Party to end all Summer Pool Parties. Well until next year.
My brother, and sister came. My nieces and nephews came. My new co-workers came. Really we had a blast. We danced
Ate all day and night
the kids swam and played on the playground
We partied all day and half the night
But the fun of the summer didn’t end there. We played at the beach. Went Windsurfing.
Stuffed ourselves at the summer festival
Patterns surprised us with a weekend camping trip. We went fishing, roasted marshmellows, and told ghost stories in the rain. Despite the rain, it was a great weekend getaway.
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Patterns tells me that the animals on the farm can do some interesting things. Funny, I’ve never had them do anything with me. But he swears he can play tic-tac-toe with the dairy cow, and talk with the rooster.
He also bought himself a tractor to help with gardening. As it was, it was taking him days just to tend the garden.
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Like I’ve previously said, a group in the family ages up, and someone else in the family gives birth. Cosmo wasn’t part of the previous baby boom, when Sun, Janice, and Debbie were all pregnant; she became pregnant later.
I do find it awkward that I’m a mother of school age children and a grandmother to a school age little girl. Cosmo gave birth to two twins, whom they named Ashford and Avon, and Bristol aged up to school age.
Of course the entire family had to go over and see the twins. We even stayed the night so that we could help Conn and Cosmo at night.
And just like when she was a toddler, Bristol spends more time at our home than she does with her parents. They have enough on their plate with the twin babies; that’s my story and I’m sticking to it. Bristol follows Auntie Cali around everywhere; wants to play with her all the time.
Despite our busy lives with raising children, work, tending the farm, spending time with friends and family Patterns and I still take time out to spend together, anyway we can…
The State Legacy 