In Which Jake Tries to Earn a Little Extra Cash

The big thing with the sixth grade boys this summer has been starting mini businesses. Lawn mowing, weeding, pet sitting, etc…  Jake came to me a few weeks ago wanting to start a business like this and wanting to advertise around the neighborhood. He suggested lawn mowing. However, since he is not an expert yet (he just started doing ours a few months ago) and also since lugging a lawn mower across town does not sound like fun, I encouraged him to think of other ideas. When stumped I asked him to tell me what he likes to do. He said sports. I also asked him what he feels he is good at. He said entertaining little kids. Bam. He had a business idea. Within an hour or two he had typed up this flyer advertising JakeZ SportZ SkillZ for KidZ.  He paid me to run copies for him and he started delivering them to folks throughout the neighborhood. He put one up in the Merc and one up in the local library, then he asked me to post it on the neighborhood Facebook page.  He had his first client last week and it went really well. He got a rave review on FB stating that “it was the best $7.00 spent all summer”.  He is taking it very seriously and is learning so much about running a business. I love it. 

Chicago, Seattle, and Horsethief… oh my!

We returned from our Utah trip and a day later I left for Chicago for 8 days. We flew Mary out to help Brian with the kids and I think everyone had a really good time. There were many games of Old Maid and War and Phase 10, puzzle making, cupcake baking, trips to the pool, and other grandma related activities. I don’t think they really missed me despite the fact it was the longest I have ever been away from the family!  THANKS, MARY!! 

While I was gone Brian started his summer NBLL season with his team, The Bombers, and Jake continued his AAU Summer Ball. They each have 1-2 practices a week with 1-2 games per week, too.  Faith and Jake also decided to play parts in the community production of Peter Pan that a few teenage girls are directing this summer as a benefit for the Hidden Springs Library. Those practices started while I was in Chicago, too. Faith is a mermaid and Jake is Captain Hook. So far they are having a lot of fun with it. The production will be put on in the barn on August 17^th. 

By the time I got back Sheila and Wayne had arrived for the summer and we started things off right with a really fun night out to see Matt Nathanson. It was the third year in a row that we have seen him at the Knitting Factory.  

We also, finally, got Faith on her bike. After countless attempts (usually with tears) over the last year, we decided enough is enough. OK. So I bribed her. I took her out and told her if she could ride her bike on her own by the end of the day I’d take her out to buy her a new bike helmet of her choice and a Littlest Pet Shop guy for her collection. Apparently that did it. Brian and I took turns running behind her and beside her, on the grassy hills and on the streets around our house and the Merc. While she is certainly no expert (stopping continues to be an issue) she made a lot of progress and ended up riding around the block by herself (with one of us jogging next to her).

Both Brian and I took a day off in late June so we could go to Roaring Springs. They kids earned a free ticket there by doing a reading program thru the library this spring. We spent an afternoon there and Jake hung out with one of his friends that happened to go on the same day as we did. We barely saw him between the hours of 11-3. He rode most of the slides and, being the preteen that he is, hardly deigned to say hello to us. We rode several slides with Tanner and Faith stayed in the wave pool mostly. It was a chilly day (well.. it was 70 degrees but cold for a waterslide park) so we didn’t do too much overall. 

 We celebrated the 4^th of July with the annual parade, concert on the green, a BBQ at a friend’s house, and fireworks at the Hawks game with mom and Sheila and Wayne. It was a hot day but a perfect night for a baseball game.  They lost (I think they have lost every game we have ever seen) but the fireworks show was amazing. It was really long and way better than last year’s show. 

Evenings have been spent at the pool mostly, or in the backyard with the sprinklers on the trampoline. In the few weekends we have actually been home, Brian and I have finished the backyard. Only thing left to do now is build furniture for around the fire pit. We want to make some benches or seats out of pallets eventually.  We’ve got a pretty good yard for both adults and kids: the patio with table and chairs for entertaining or eating, fire pit area, the hammock area, a basketball hoop, and the trampoline.  I’m so glad to be almost done with it. Now if we could just manage to keep the plants and trees alive. Our thumbs are much more black than green unfortunately!

Brian had to travel to Seattle for work this past week and Tanner had his week at YMCA camp. Mom, Faith, Jake and I drove him up to Horsethief Resevoir on Monday morning. It was so hard to drop him off. He was so excited to go and only seemed a little nervous when we said goodbye. I, however, was near tears, and mom had to remind me not to cry. He just seemed so young to be leaving for 6 days! But I managed to depart without tears and we spent the rest of the day in McCall just bumming around, getting ice cream and coffee, shopping a little, and enjoying the day. We didn’t get back until 730 that night. With Brian and Tanner gone it was only the three of us for the next 3 days. My work was crazy busy but the evenings were really fun and we had a double sleepover one night, went to a movie together, and took several late evening trips to the pool. All the while I missed Tanner but also realized that sadly, one of the children will have to be sold. Or given away. Wow. Two kids is SO MUCH EASIER than three! We still haven’t decided which one we will have to say goodbye to. The threat is out there, though, so they all better be on their best behavior.

I got the news on Thursday that they needed me back in Chicago this week so I am typing this from 30,000 feet up. When we were there in June we launched TTM in 96 Chicago public schools and they need some last minute additional support so I’m on my way back to help out. I’ll be gone Sun through mid afternoon on Thursday.  It’s been a bit of scramble to get things set up that quickly- both for travel purposes and for the kids while I am gone. 

The hardest part about leaving on business again so soon though was that after missing Tanner all last week, I just got him back yesterday. It was just Brian and I driving up to Cascade this time. Jake and Faith had play practice so we left them at home. We listened to great music all the way and eagerly anticipated Tanner’s reaction to seeing us and to his first sleep away camp experience. We guessed, in true Tanner fashion, that he would run and hide when we arrived. Nope. He saw me and came running full speed into my arms and gave me the biggest, tightest, longest hug ever. And, yes, I ate it up. He took us on a tour of camp and tried to answer all our questions (although the answer to many was “I don’t know”). He looked exhausted and was filthy but he had a great time and is already looking forward to next year. He fell asleep in the car on the way home and was ready for bed by about 6PM last night. It’s going to take him a few days to fully recuperate, I think.  

The summer is going by far too quickly. By the time I return home it will officially be “mid-July” and before we know it the days of baseball and bball will be over and it will be time to return to the football field.  But, seriously, all the ads for “Back to School” are really, really premature. There’s still a lot of fun summer adventures to be had.