October 31

We finally got pumpkins and carved them last night. This was our first year not getting to a pumpkin patch. There just never was time for it and the weather yesterday was rainy. 

October 30

Grandpa Carroll and Nonna arrived this afternoon.

October 29

Clay went to the annual suit rolling at the gym last night, where they shred each other’s suits as they do jiu jitsu. He always looks forward to it.

October 28

Lucy and Elliott watched an open heart surgery while completing other schoolwork yesterday. It was both fascinating and disgusting. It’s safe to say that neither of them desires to be a heart surgeon.

Elliott dressed as Elliott for the youth group Fall party. He won an award for Most Creative.

Lucy had fun at Bible Drills and Skills

October 27

Lucy and I headed to Shannon’s house after meeting Kat and Elliott’s carpool to CEC. Isaiah decided Lucy needed a break from her math. 

Shannon and I went to church for Mom2Mom. Lucy, Amelia, and Sarah got their schoolwork done.


Lucy is enjoying gymnastics. Coach Rick barely spots her for her back tuck.

Elliott was home for a total of one hour all day long. As soon as we got home from CEC, he had to leave for jiu jitsu. He goes directly from jiu jitsu to wrestling. Busy busy! 

Julia, Kat, and Elliott all had tests yesterday and all got 100%! 

October 26

Yesterday was “Dress Like Somebody Else” day at co-op.

Working on their Civil War lap book in Story of the World class.



We played a fun new review game in Physical Science class. A teammate from each team would stand in the square while I read the question. Then they had to find the answer on the wall and hit it with the fly swatter. First one to hit the word got the point. The kids were sweaty by the end of the game. 

We did an experiment on Plate Tectonics in Physical Science class.

Peyton, Ashlyn, and Lucy having fun after co-op.

After school on Mondays is usually pretty busy. Julia has e-sports. I try and prep my co-op classes for the next week so I have a week to gather experiment supplies. Elliott has jiu jitsu and wrestling. Between all that, doing laundry, fixing supper, and working on the co-op yearbook, I had overdone it. I went to bed at 9pm with a headache and nausea. I really think it was exhaustion from not getting enough sleep the night before and having zero downtown yesterday. My body gave out (getting old is fun). The good news is that I slept great and feel fine this morning.

October 25

Elliott was given tickets to see For King and Country for Christmas in 2019. Then the world shut down. The concert was rescheduled three different times. We finally got to see the show last night. It was great! However, we didn’t get home until 12:45am, so we are both tired today.

He has had a big month: UK football game, Dude Perfect, Holiday World, concert, etc. His November is going to be boring! 

October 24

Lucy had a sleepover at Clara’s Friday night and then went to the pumpkin patch yesterday.


Julia and Raymond spent their anniversary out and about on the town.

Kat took the ACT yesterday. I just wanted her to get a feel for the test. She realized right before it started that she forgot her calculator at home. I had started asking her about pencils, IDs, etc before we left and she got rude with me, so I waited in the car for her. Sometimes natural consequences are the best teachers. Thankfully we aren’t too worried about how well she did on the test as a tenth grader. I bet she remembers her calculator the next time she takes it!

October 23

We had mummy dogs for dinner

Fred and Daphne volunteered to hand out candy to trick-or-treaters at the zoo last night.

October 22

Elliott had his well-child appointment yesterday. He is in the 21st percentile for height (56.5 inches) and weighs 91 pounds. He had to fill out a questionnaire for the doctor. “Hey Mom, what’s DOB?” Ha ha ha!

I put on my big girls pants and replaced my engine air filter yesterday all by myself (well, with Google’s help). I am totally a mechanic now.

October 21

Our local government is giving out free at-home Covid-19 tests to certain zip codes. These boogers are hard to find right now… kind of like toilet paper last year. I ordered some in my name and Clay’s. We should be set now.

Lucy spent some more time drawing outside with chalk. She is feeling fine. Today she will be able to play outside with neighbors again. She has really missed her friends.

I spent a relaxing evening reading on the front porch. We stayed home from church again just to be sure nobody else has strep.

October 20

Lucy woke up fever free yesterday and got her schoolwork done. I took her temperature again after lunch and it was back up to 100. Strep throat! Thankfully Clay was able to leave work early to take her to the doctor. She doesn’t feel bad, so that’s good… and weird. 

I spent the afternoon driving to CEC (it took over an hour to get there because of traffic and accidents). While we waited for Kat’s Honor Society Meeting, Elliott and Ethan threw a football. After we dropped Ethan off, we ran home so Elliott could get ready for wrestling. After I dropped him off at wrestling, I grabbed fast food for dinner and then headed to Kroger for Lucy’s prescription and groceries. 

Meanwhile, Julia had tutoring after school. The Honor Society kids provide weekly tutoring. Then she and Raymond worked on an FBLA service project. Thanks goodness she can drive herself! 

Clay cut the grass and then took Elliott to get his second covid shot after wrestling practice. 

Life is busy busy busy! Now if I can just keep everyone else from getting strep! I bought all new toothbrushes, gave each kid their own tube off toothpaste, and sprayed every surface with Lysol! 

October 19

Elliott made an edible animal cell for his science class.

We couldn’t go to co-op because Lucy had a fever Sunday and Monday, so Kat (and Elliott) tuned into their co-op classes virtually. Chemistry labs aren’t quite as fun this way, but at least Kat was able to keep up with her class.

Lucy enjoyed a little fresh air and some chalk art yesterday afternoon. She was feeling cooped up after two days of lying around watching tv.

Lucy’s symptoms never follow the rest of the kids. For example, everyone else runs a fever and complains of a sore throat with strep. Lucy might not run a fever and may complain that an ear hurts when she has strep. Everyone else that had this virus had the fever (of around 100 degrees) for 24 hours. Lucy, on day 2 of the virus, had a 102. It was down to 100 when she went to bed last night and it was 99 this morning. Hopefully we are all on the mend now.

October 18

Clay took Elliott, Julia, Kat, Raymond, and Madi to Holiday World yesterday.

Lucy and I were supposed to go too, but… it was her turn to have the fever. Poor kiddo! We stayed home and watched A LOT of TV. 

October 17

Elliott had his last meet yesterday. He ran the 3k in 16:09, which is an 8 1/2 minute mile. He really enjoyed his first season of cross country.

We celebrated Old Mamaw’s birthday yesterday afternoon. Everyone was able to be there except Kat. She didn’t have a fever, but she didn’t feel 100% either.

We hope you had a nice day, Old Mamaw! You are very loved.