The boys have also been busy lately.
They made dog biscuits for themselves and some friends:
They took baths:
Rusty gave himself some pep talks:
Toby posed adorably:
Rusty rediscovered his favourite pink ball (that he stole from Toby):
They tried [chocolate free] s’mores at their first bonfire:
Toby took a porch nap:
They cuddled:
And took more naps:
I know it’s not quite summer yet but, the weather lately has been very summery and it’s making me oh so happy!
Warmer weather + sunshine = Happy Merritts
Summer is on its way but Winter is still gripping its talons into it. We fluctuate between a series of 45 degree days and then, surprise, a random warm 65 degree day! When the sun comes out and the air is warm(ish) I try to spend as much time as possible outside.
I made a makeshift shelf from some random pavers and an extra board from my compost project. It’s the perfect size for a few potted pants who are just as desperate for sun as I am.
We got this grill from Melissa’s grandmother for our wedding. I was finally able to get it out of the box and fire it up!
We are all desperate for warm days full of sunshine and the smell of fresh cut grass.
Soon.
The first sunshiny day we’ve had in a long time called for a long walk around the reservoir.
Rusty is terrified of thunderstorms (and loud noises in general). His little brother helped comfort him and then he slept snuggled between his two Mamas (his most favourite place).
Our Boys
IT. WAS. SO. COLD. Also, yes, that is a poop bag attached to Rusty’s harness. And yes it has poop in it. Rusty decided to poop AFTER we passed the ONLY trash can at the reservoir. So we made him carry it. Everyone pulls their own weight in this family.
Melissa has, thankfully, been able to and will continue to be able to work during all of this due to the nature of her job. I, however, haven’t been so lucky. Schools are closed and will probably continue to be closed for the remainder of the year. As a substitute this means I don’t work. No work = no income from me. I can file for unemployment, which I am in the process of, however, due to the high traffic it has been difficult. We are OKAY, for now, on Melissa’s income. We don’t have a lot of big expenses and we are financially responsible. We are doing okay on Melissa’s salary alone. We paid all of our big expenses (car payments, mortgage, insurance, etc) up until May/June. So we can relax during April.
I was in the process of applying for jobs when this all hit. I had thought about continuing however, due to health reasons, we decided it would be best for me to just stay home. I am in the “high risk” category due to an autoimmune disease and asthma. Our Governor just announced today that as of 11:59pm today a “stay home” order will be enacted. So I’m assuming most organisations are not hiring as of now.
Hopefully this ends soon so I can resume my job search and we can get back to normal life.
In the meantime, Melissa and I have decided to share some humour with our friends and family. Melissa posts “Rusty and the Pandemic” posts and I post “Toby and Franklin the Fish Quarantine Naps” posts. Hers are much more entertaining than mine.
“Rusty loves social distancing. He was born for this.”
“Rusty and the pandemic. So far his quarantine activities have included playing scrabble and building legos.”
“Rusty’s tips and tricks on social distancing. Anytime someone gets within 6ft of you, bark very loudly until they back away.”
“Day 3 of Self-Quarantine: He brought his fish up with him to snuggle. He’s OBSESSED with this fish toy. I’ve named him Franklin.”
“Day 4 of Self-Quarantine: Toby wanted to snuggle with me on the couch. He didn’t want Franklin the Fish to miss out (or get jealous…).”
“Day 5 of Self-Quarantine: Toby and Franklin the Fish must have gotten into a fight. I hope it blows over soon.”
I hope you enjoyed. I’ll be sure to post new ones.
Stay safe and healthy!
Melissa: “I thought you said you’d never be that Mum that dresses her kids in the same outfits…”
Me: “Ummm…I meant our human kids.”
This handsome little boy is 3 years old today!
Since we will be in NC on actual Christmas we decided to celebrate it early with our little family.
The boys in their Christmas pajamas waiting for Mum to get home from work so we could celebrate Christmas.
Toby got a new hoodie and Rusty got a new flannel:
I got Melissa a nice metal toolbox, some LEGOS, and some chocolates.
She got me this:
Tomorrow we leave for NC!
Just some cute photos of the boys over the past couple of months.
An Awfully Big Adventure 