Mike got to stay with us a couple more days before heading back north, Landon got his drivers license (you've been warned), and the kids witnessed inspiration in the midst of tragedy.
Hallie seriously cannot get enough of Brooklyn. Can you blame her?
Tuesday came too quickly. After taking care of some chores and errands over the weekend, Mike had to head back up to Missoula, his car full of little luxuries he didn't have for the last couple of weeks. He won't be back south for a few weeks, so he needed to make sure to say goodbye to Ferg. After some nine hours on the road taking a scenic route through Idaho and Montana's Bitterroot Valley, he made it back in time to put his boxes in his office and his apartment.
We didn't realize it, but Kai came only minutes after Mike left. Boo! Well, at least the two didn't have to fight over Mike's side of the bed. Kai is always happy to be reunited with his favorite toys.
Eliza came back on Monday evening from the residential care facility. We're still in a quandary about what our next steps are, and we had another couple of hiccups with tech and honesty during the week, but we hope we're making at least a little progress.
On Tuesday Eliza worked nearly five hours at Creekside. She rode three different horses and did a lot of cleaning. Echo (the white pony) is one Eliza has ridden in the past, and she did quite well with him.
Landon passed his driving test and is now licensed. However, he will need to wait some more before getting insured and being able to drive. Once he turns 18, he'll have even more privileges and headaches that come with driving.
Jocie, already an accomplished musician, likes Landon's guitar. He's learning new tunes to accompany her.
Eliza is using her phone to make new and interesting selfies and collages.
Here's an update of Mike's office with some of the knickknacks from his travels.
Hallie was thrilled to be chosen by Fergus yet again this week!
While Eliza was at taekwondo Hallie went to Poppy Books. Hallie enjoyed her time.
Partway through the week while Landon was at work, he witnessed and helped detain an individual who hit and killed a young newlywed, Matthew Daines, who courageously got his wife out of harm's way. Local news crews interviewed Landon and a co-worker who also provided aid. Landon noted that he found Mr. Daines' actions inspirational.
Later in the day, he, Jocie, Amanda, and Hallie hung out at Starbucks and ate Reece's peanut butter flavored Oreo cookies, which Landon did not enjoy. Later Hallie found the package empty. I guess they weren’t so bad after all.
Alicia asked if Hallie could watch Brooklyn for a bit. Twist her arm!
The kids got together for a little bit to play some music together. Hopefully this can become a regular thing.
In Missoula, the fist Friday of each month brings out several arts-related activities. Earlier in the week, he got notice that he won an "ultimate accessories bundle" for use with Cricut and other like devices. Hopefully he can make some time to explore some options at the UC and the Missoula Public Library maker spaces. In the meantime, he enjoyed First Friday Activities comprising the
Fáilte Montana Irish Festival at Caras Park, a visit to the
Montana Museum of Art and Culture, and the UM School of Music's Faculty Showcase.
Fergus loves making biscuits.
Here are a couple of Eliza's collages.
Eliza loves it when people play games with her, so we broke out the Bridgewater-opoly game we got from Gma and Gpa Dorey. Fun! Eliza won!
Landon invited Jocie to Homecoming (Hoco), which will be this coming Saturday. She said yes!
Coming home Saturday from his errands about town, Mike startled the little herd of neighborhood deer. They stayed in the yard, and he got to sit quietly while they grazed for a bit.
Hallie loves seeing Kai cuddle with his toys.
Among his errands, Mike got a flu shot. He wasn't feeling so great by day's end and went to bed early to sleep it off. Prior to that, he started on a LEGO set, which he finished on Sunday. This Evolution of STEM set has all sorts of Easter eggs.
While out on a bike ride, Eliza came across some horses that appeared to be neglected. She got quite upset about it. Eliza has such a caring heart and deep passion for those things that matter to her. Sometimes seeing her struggle with waiting for grownups to take action can be a challenge.
