The month of May in Massachusetts was WARM! And that means we went out and did things!
Todd has been growing out his long, flowing locks which he hasn't cut since October. When he puts a baseball hat on, he could pass for a member of the Red Sox.
EXACTLY two weeks after my friend Heather (not pictured here cause she was sitting next to me) got her second vaccine (which was the day after me), we met up with Sara and Michele and we FINALLY got to hug each other AND eat INSIDE OF A RESTAURANT.
THIS was the moment I had been waiting for. Finally, someone brought me a beer that I didn't have to pour myself!
Meanwhile, the kids had a sleepover in the back porch of the Tally house. At one point, they all came outside and jumped on the trampoline! Let's just say, it was a LONG night.
In May, I also got the garden all cleaned up and ready for some mulching.
YOU GUYS IT'S GETTING WORSE.
We ALSO finally had 8 windows replaced in our house! We ordered these windows in October, but the supply chain has been so backed up, we didn't get them until May.
Out with the old metal, difficult-to-open, potential fire hazard windows!
I went for a midday walk around the neighborhood and they were trying to get our living room window out. Apparently, they said it was quite difficult to pop these windows out! It took a long time, and a lot of loud power tools!
We had to clean the house pretty good after all of this because the open windows just let all the pollen in. Thankfully it wasn't too hot outside yet.
I spotted a turkey on another one of my walks!
He finally met up with his turkey friends for a stroll.
My evergreen azaleas were blooming nicely this spring!
One of the COOLEST things to happen to me (and a few other friends) in May was that we became Maker's Mark Ambassador's For Life. Unfortunately, my barrel matured during Covid and I couldn't go to Loretto, Kentucky to tap it. I think it's time for another barrel!
I was gone for actual Mother's Day because I was in Florida visiting my own mom. BUT... when I got back, this was waiting at my dining room seat. Notice how Todd gave me the crossword and Sudoku from the Sunday Globe!
Todd also finally got fully vaccinated! Two out of four are done!
However, it pretty much leveled him (as it did me) the day after he got the shot. No worries, he definitely hated laying on the couch and watching TV all day.
And THEN they approved the Pfizer vaccine for kids ages 12-15! So we literally went on the second day she was eligible to get Natalie her FIRST Covid vaccine! We're almost there! Poor Grant though. He isn't eligible yet!
One evening in May, Grant and Kelsie were out all evening filming a movie trailer for their movie, "Luck Lunch 3" (whatever that means!) on the iPad. It turned out so well and was hilarious!
The house was really starting to come together by mid May as we finally had some mulch delivered (and installed... I ain't messing with all of that!) It really made the front yard look so much prettier.
They cut a border on the left here where the garden meets the grass.
One day on one of my walks, I spotted some virga in the sky. Virga is just rain that evaporates before it hits the ground.
And on yet another day while I was walking, I came across this little guy WAY down at the corner of Brimstone and Carriage House Path, well away from the pond where they all live. He got nervous and froze when I approached him.
Fortunately, my neighbor Lauren and her curious dog Jasper were on their way to the pond, so she grabbed the little guy and took him home.
And of course, the return of warm weather means the return of the ice cream truck! Natalie, Kelsie and Grant got some treats on this particular day.
But of COURSE the Bolts are back in the Stanley Cup playoffs. This was just the first round, but it was a good series with many fights! You can tell Todd cares little for the Bolts as he was busy building his D&D world.
I mentioned it was quite warm in May, too. Warm enough for Todd to make a pollen-y sweat angel in the front driveway.
We also got to go to Ashland Middle School and see a Midsummer Night's Dream that Natalie and the drama club worked so hard to put on.
They only allowed each student to bring 3 family members, and we were all spaced out by rows and had to wear masks.
Natalie was, of course, the star of the show. She played both Theseus, the Duke of Athens and Oberon, the King of the Fairies.
You can see how everyone was spaced out here. The high school drama students helped out with set design.
When Natalie came out first as Theseus, she spoke with a British accent... and of course, Todd and I looked at each other like, "What??" But as soon as she came out later as Oberon and spoke in her normal voice, we realized she was doing that to show that these were two different characters.
Titiana says, talk to the hand, Oberon!
Demetrius was insistent that he could love none other than Hermia.
Natalie with Puck, and the rest of the fairies.
Theseus comforting his dear Hyppolyta.
It was a really good play! These kids worked hard! Take a bow, Natalie!
It's always tradition to give the star a bouquet of flowers. We made Grant give it to her because we knew he would love that. Ha!
After the play, we celebrated with some s'mores on the back deck!
The day after Natalie's play, we all went to Lookout Farm for some lunch. Notice one person isn't wearing sunglasses like the rest of us - so here, I present, "Natalie in a Series."
It's too bright!
She couldn't even keep her eyes open!
Prost, to a beautiful May afternoon at Lookout Farm!
Of course, Todd sent this one to his buddy Kern.
Best. Chicken. Sandwich. EVER. It has a gooey amount of honey butter on it.
It's bigger than my head, and I ate the whole thing.
My cuties at Lookout Farm in Natick. I love how they space everyone SO far apart here!
Mama's boys.
Then, for some reason, we decided to arm wrestle before we left.
I only wanted this picture cause my arm looks jacked.
Todd's hair is finally long enough for a pony tail!
After lunch at the farm, we went on the back deck and played a little giant Jenga. Grant doesn't play very often, but he and our neighbor AB played a couple of rounds with us.
Lunch at Lookout Farm and Todd's crazy long hair is great, but let's get back to important things like the peonies blooming in my garden!
Here are your late May US Covid numbers. Booo. We went over 600,000.
I took this picture one evening of our house and the "runway lights" that Todd had installed down the driveway. I think they're funny, given our love of traveling. But our neighborhood is incredibly dark at night, so this helps me find my way home when I'm out past sunset!
Last but not least, there is an ALL OUT WAR going on here at the Bailey house. These little guys, as cute as they are, are digging up my newly mulched garden! They're digging big tunnels both under the gym garage and over near the front door. If you hear explosions coming from my house, just ignore them... I'm blowing things up, Bill Murray style! BOOM!
