Splash - November 2023

This splash photo was taken at Thanksgiving at my brother Eric's house.  We have been gathering there for years now, at least since we have moved to Maryland.  This year we have much to be grateful for.

This photo was taken on the back porch, after the fire they built in the backyard had died out and it was time for to come inside for pie.  They just happen to be standing in birth order here - from left to right, we have, Rachel (25), Samantha (24), Charlotte (20), Josephine (19) and JMichael (15).  Ezamay is right in front of the column and she just turned four last month.

Splash - August 2023

 

The August Splash was taken at church.  Look at these five in a row - from front to back, or left to right, we have Josephine (18), JMichael (15), Samantha (24), Rachel (25) and Charlotte (20).  If you look closely between Josephine and JMichael, you will see a little hand at about JMichael's elbow.  That is Ezamay (3), who was being very good but did not manage to make it into the photo.  My brother's wife was getting baptized and we all were there to support her.  And no, Josephine does not have a tattoo.

Splash - November 2022

 This Splash was taken at our new house!  This is moving day - everyone has been working hard and there are still boxes everywhere and no one can find anything yet - but we are in a new place.  This one is cozy; it's in town on a quiet street, close to stuff and still private.  We have a fireplace for the first time in my life - and the kids lives - and we are loving it.  Especially the shower - RAIN HEAD.  That is all.  Love it.  Love them.  November 2022.

Ezamay usually gets her own picture in the Splash.  But do you see her?  On the left.  We have Samantha, Ezamay, Rachel, JMichael, Josephine and Charlotte.  It was so cute to watch Ezamay help with the move.  She was all about it.  Picking up stuff and putting stuff away.  She calls Samantha Manfa and Rachel is Rae.  We love her.

COVID

James is not pictured on the blog enough.  It's about the kids, true, but, look at my handsome husband.  

I made him the pictures in this post because we had COVID together.  He is certain that we got it from a doordash customer who came to James' drivers side window to get his delivery instead of waiting for me to take it to his door.  I mean, he was politely walking over, he saved me a trip, but James believes that contact - which is not supposed to happen - transmitted COVID from the customer to James.

We took the kids to Tilghman for a Saturday afternoon picnic.  The September splash is the picture from that day.  We had fun.  Beautiful weather; great company; watermelon.

By the time we got home Saturday afternoon, James said I should take Charlotte dashing because he was not feeling well.  He went to bed.  I dashed.  On Sunday, he did not get out of bed all day; neither did I.  We stayed in our room, moaning and achy and miserable.  The kids all brought us food and asked it we were still living - from the threshold of the door only.  No closer.  No Ezamay.  Just COVID.

I texted Justin on Sunday evening and said I was not feeling good.  He said, you should get a COVID test.  We did.  We had it.  Ugh.  James and I spent the whole week in bed.  Days went by and we didn't pick up our phones, watch any tv or even eat.  The only time I felt alive was while a HOT shower was soothing my soul  It was more horrible than I can explain.  And I don't want to go there again anyway.

The second week at home was better, but hardly a good time.  We slowly regained the will to interact with each other, let alone the world at large.  I missed two full weeks of work and we missed two full weeks of dashing.  Once we felt like we could work again, it sure was necessary.

I remember early in the COVID experience I had remarked that we should all just contract it and build antibodies and get over it.  Oh how wrong that is.  It was the closest I think I've been to death and it was not anything I care to repeat.

Still, here we are.  Alive and healthy and over it.  The hard way.

COVID had a bit of unsuspected collateral damage - a move.  Since I was late paying our rent that month, due to my sudden lack of funds, our landlord decided that our "excuses" were too much for her and she evicted us.  We paid our rent - let the records show - with a late fee.  Still, she said get out.  So we did.  And now we are in a new place (by November) and better off.

Splash - September 2022

 

The September splash was taken at the end of the world.  That's what we call Tilghman Island, Maryland.  It's the end point of the road - after that it's just the Chesapeake Bay.  We like to hang out there and watch the boats go by or at night the stars are AMAZING.  No lights anywhere, just the calm lap of the water and the breeze of the currents.  And fishermen.  By day this place is great for fishing, 'cause we have seen some whoppers reeled in.  We had sandwiches and watermelon - your basic Ball Team picnic.

And here's Ezamay.  Eating herself some delicious watermelon - the last one we bought this season.  She will be three next month - so here she is rocking two.

Splash - August 2022

This splash was taken at our favorite beach - Slaughter Beach, Delaware.  It doesn't sound nice at all, does it?  It really isn't actually.  It's littered with the remains of horseshoe crabs, very rocky and accessed only by a walk through the dunes.  We love it because it is deserted.  We will occasionally see someone jogging or walking a dog, but, we have NEVER seen other beach goers there.  'Cause it's our beach.  Miles and miles of shoreline, no tourists, no little kids running in the sand.  Just the BallTeam and the seagulls (air-rats).

Right across the street for the parking area is a nature trail.  Out there in the marshes the Department of Natural Resources has built nests for the eagles and osprey.  You can see them with binoculars, set up from the trail.  After our day at the beach, we walked the nature trail.  As you can see from this photo, there is precious little traffic.  (I don't think there's even a convenience store in this little coastal town.)  We did some poses in the street - this one is Ezamay (two years old) and Josephine (17), mimicking Samantha, egging her on to pose for the cameras!

Splash - July 2022

Our July splash was intended to show patriotic support.  But, it's hot out here.

Still, Happy Birthday America.

And our sweet rascal.  Giving me the thumbs up (that's my tuft of grey hair in the front seat) as we cruise along the byways - Poppy is driving us.  She can say about three dozen sayings, knows tons of words and will sweetly say, you ok? if you say ow around her.  She sings, laughs and talks all day.  Well, not all day...girl has to have her cheese and juice.  She will be three in October, so here she is 33 months old.  How time flies.