Sunday, March 7, 2021

Day 360

It's beginning to look a lot like Easter! The girls and foster babies headed off to church at o-dark-thirty. Jamie followed for security, and so it went. Cyndy is visiting Colorado this week, so she and Rachel came down for lunch after church. Thank you Vaqueros for "catering." The kids played marvelously all around us as we talked, and one of the foster twins spent some time bedazzling us all with stickers. At one point, the big box just moved, no one realized a kid had been in there quietly for quite a while! Had a great, albeit short, visit, and off they went. Jamie got some time in with Sarna (another Torah commentator). Tonight's movie: War with Grandpa (now that the Heartland series has ended).


Much activity in the dining room today...



Saturday, March 6, 2021

Day 359

The day started out with a very excited AJ to get at his Science Kit from Mel Science. We did two demonstrations this morning: electrolysis of water into hydrogen and oxygen and recombining to water in a small explosion, and filtering polluted water with charcoal. Jonnie got in on the filtering towards the end and then he went downstairs and built a train layout. The photo below was about the 1/3-waypoint. He finished everything in the room pictured then went all the way down the hall (upper left) and back. Jamie did his Parlor Car Chat this morning on the speeder excursions on the SMVRR in 2008-2010 (click here). Matt and Jamie took five of the kids to the pool! Jamie drove Lynn to Walmart to pick up film for an instamatic camera for Sunday School tomorrow morning and "while we were up there" close to Monument, we went to Bistro on 2nd for dinner. We soon realized we had never had dinner here before, just lunch. Dinner is a whole new ball game. Fabulous! And we discovered they have a second floor with two small dining rooms up there; very fun. Check out the food (below)! Everything was new and wonderful flavors. Not pictured was a cherry crumb creme brulee - tasted just like mixing cherry pie and creme brulee - also excellent.


Electrolysis apparatus

Charcoal filtering



Second floor at Bistro on 2nd.




Calabrian Peppers and Shrimp

Lynn had the venison (top).
Jamie had the stuffed pork special (bottom).
Beneath the pork is a roasted pineapple slice - wow.

Jonnie joined in.

The recording is here.


Friday, March 5, 2021

Day 358

I think it went into the 60s today. First time out front enjoying the weather without a fire to support the activity! The older three girls took the foster babies to a visitation this morning and did some shopping for Sunday School materials while they were at it. Jamie and Lynn's big outing of the day was to Black Forest to pick up a vesuvianite stone that was left at a jeweler for a custom design but nothing ever materialized over a few years, and then try out a new restaurant. The latter was a huge hit: Black Forest Bistro. Interesting story, definitely on the gourmet side, live music (flute and mandolin/guitar), wonderful staff, great experience. We're going back next Thursday for a special Luau night! Their regular hours are quite limited at the moment: Friday and Saturday dinner, that's it.



The Bacon Maple Old Fashioned was great!
So were the Potstickers.

Beef Tenderloin Tips on top.
Korean Sticky Street Noodle at bottom.



Thursday, March 4, 2021

Day 357

David and Jonnie joined AJ and me for the walk to school today! After dropping off the paperwork for Jamie's CHP downtown, he and Lynn went to Four by Brother Luck for lunch. Had a great time, thoroughly enjoyed everything: rosemary old fashioneds, mushroom philly cheese sandwich, perfectly balanced jalapeno poppers, excellent broccoli/cheese soup, and tres leches for dessert with some scrumptious cardamon ice cream. More snow! First time at the fire pit with blowing snow swirling around. We shoveled some of the driveway before retiring to bed; there will be more shoveling in the morning... One week from today marks the one-year anniversary of "2 weeks to flatten the curve" lockdowns.

Herb garden in the kitchen.





Wednesday, March 3, 2021

Day 356

Late-start Wednesday. David joined AJ and Papa for the walk to school! A beautiful 60-degree day that allowed the first night-time fire experience in a long while. Fina had a bunch of her school cohorts over for study hall, including P.E. (basketball). Matt spent all day babying some ribs that turned out delicious. Megan visited late afternoon and evening.





Tuesday, March 2, 2021

Day 355

AJ and Papa found a rather interesting snow/ice formation on the walk to school. Papa also started organizing all his Torah notes, all 500+ pages of notes from listening to Prager's lectures. It's beginning to look a lot like Easter at the stores. Matteo asked to go fishing when he got in the car at the van stop. OK. You can imagine our surprise when we crested the hill approaching Monument Lake and realized that ice fishing would be the only choice! The boys ended up spending more time exploring the surface of the lake than actually fishing. In fact, AJ walked clear to the other side and back.









Monday, March 1, 2021

Day 353 and 354

Sunday-Monday. Sunday got by with no pictures at all. Church all morning, of course. Jamie was quite focused on finishing the Torah lectures which he did by Monday afternoon! Champagne time! Nana turned in a little bio of herself for the quilt guild's newsletter, so we had to get a current photo of a current project. Boxes are always magical. Dinner was pretty rowdy. Seems everyone has a boyfriend or girlfriend starting with Lexi! Matteo was the only sane person in the bunch. Olive Garden dinner, very white, very good. And then there's Tracy when she gets out of the house (see the last pic below).