April Happenings

We are still under social distancing guidelines through the end of April. We are still working hard with school.  When you already attend a hybrid school you are already set up for learning at home.  It's been a big adjustment for me as a teacher to get our normal school days set up for learning at home, but the girls have been rock stars. They do get down at times thinking about how their days are still full compared to stories we are hearing from public school kids, but I keep reminding them that they will be entering the next grade level prepared.  There won't be any catching up to do in their learning. I'm not sure how much that helps their perspective, but as an educator I'm grateful.

The girls have these chalk balls.  They are basically chalk dust inside of fabric.  You throw them at the ground and they make marks on the concrete.  Riley thought it was a ball and grabbed one. 

Finally DDS opened back up again.  They were scheduling a a few appointments for permits, and Kayla passed her test with flying colors! There was no wait at all - definitely the easiest visit I've ever had there.

 

Her sisters surprised her with a silly string attack when she got home.

 

Making boats.

Doing some outdoor spring cleaning.

And another weekend picnic.  I'm LOVING our weekly tradition of picking up some food and heading to the park.  It is something that I look forward to every week. The weather has been absolutely perfect this month.

The girls learned how hard it is to keep a kite up when you aren't at the beach.

Dance recitals are still "postponed," but they had their dress rehearsals via zoom.

 

 I'm not sure what she was trying to do with her hair, but she clearly had a plan.

 So that's a wrap on April.  As of today we've been at home for 50 days. The only places we've been are grocery stores, restaurants for take-out, and the park. I'm ready for a change of scenery.

Easter 2020

This was definitely a first for me.  We celebrated Easter at home, on our couch. There was one particular girl that wanted her picture taken in pajamas rather than an Easter outfit.  We obliged and then told her to get changed to celebrate Easter.

Resurrection rolls were a hit. It has been a few years since we've made them, and the girls sure did love making and eating them.

Just a quiet, simple lunch.  We pulled the fancy plates out and the girls were so excited. I should definitely do that more often. 

It hasn't been our typical Easter celebrating, but no matter what the circumstances are in this life, no matter how challenging things might feel, Jesus is everything.  He was not caught off guard.  He is worthy of celebration no matter our circumstances, and for Him I am grateful.

Continual COVID Isolation

Day 39 of Self-Isolating

When you are home every day, all day, you have to get creative in your spare time.  Sometimes that means doing a themed fashion show.

Sometimes that means cake pop baking and decorating.

Sometimes that means starting traditions of lunch and the park on Fridays.

Sometimes that means pulling out the slip and slide.

Sometimes that means taking your 15 year old to the church parking lot to start learning how to drive even though everything is shut down and she can't get her permit yet.

And sometimes that means trying to teach your dog how to get a frisbee and bring it back. 

Sometimes you just take time to enjoy this season of life and embrace the simple things. 

Fifteen in Quarantine!

Kayla celebrated her 15th birthday sheltering in place.  Getting presents proved to be a challenge as there were many delays in shipping.  Even our reliable 2 day shipping was prioritized for essential items.  Birthday gifts for a teenager do not usually fall under the essential category, but we managed.  There is still one company that has been ordered to shut down in Massachusetts, so she'll get her final gift once they open back up for shipping.

We've pretty much just lived in pajamas and comfy clothes, but we all made an effort to get dressed this morning. Special days call for special actions. ha!

Kayla has grown up so much this year.  She's easy to laugh with, excels at school, texts all the time with her friends, and is the biggest help around the house.  She's always jumping in to help in the kitchen, fold clothes, empty the trash, and she's taken it upon herself to clear the dirty dishes from the table and put away leftovers. Being bored is not her favorite thing, so she'll usually jump at the chance to do anything other than lay around.  Don't get me wrong, she can chill with the best of them!

Two of her best friends surprised her with a drive-in celebration.  They were so sweet to surprise her, and I really think that was the highlight of her day.

Celebrating social distancing style.

Staying safe and following the rules.

Having conversations with friends was much needed and much enjoyed.  They hung around for over an hour talking, and it was so good for the soul.

We picked up lunch and headed to the park for a picnic.  The girls rode bikes and we just enjoyed the amazing day celebrating Miss Kayla.

There were no decorated cookie cakes, but Marc and I managed to pull this off.  Marc is our official name writer on cakes because of his years of writing on Bruster's cakes. I am our official icing squirter because of my years of icing their cakes when they were little.

Kayla, 

You have such a sweet spirit and servant's heart.  Your willingness to help me with anything is such a blessing.  You work hard in school, you are a loyal friend, you love your sisters fiercely, and you even know how to push their buttons at just the right time. You are an absolute joy, and while being your mom has challenges at time, you make my job easy.  You are the glue that keeps your sisters together, and I am thrilled to be celebrating you today. You are easy to celebrate. 

Love forever and always, 

Mama