Day 74: And So Long This Week

Y'all. It's Friday and I have never been as ready to be done with a week as I am with this one. For real.

We got word this week that Issa's dance season is over over. They had hoped that they would be able to do an end of the year something to dance together one last time, and that's not going to happen. We are hoping for a picnic in July where the seniors will dance their solos, but that will be it. One of Issa's closest friends is graduating this year, and she is so sad she won't get to dance with her again.

And...Mountain Quest is officially off. We completely understand why, but it was a major blow for our whole family. The dojo is working on a plan for the black belt candidates, and once we know what that is Evan will decide if he wants to do that or wait and test on the Mountain next year. 

It's been a hard week. I've held both of my kids while they cried. We know we are so lucky in so many ways, but these cancellations cut deep.

But...we are looking forward to next week and lots of celebrating:

Onward and upward...

Day 73: Issa's Heading to High School

 Yesterday, Issa and I went to her drive-through final hurrah. They didn't call it a graduation because there are still three weeks left of school; they just did it early so they could take each student's picture and create a final gift for the class.

Never in my life would I have thought her eight grade graduation would look like this:

 All masked up in our car. The first few stations were to drop off library books, chorus music, etc. I was fine as we were pulling in. We were laughing about the whole situation. Then we got to the principal, who got a little choked up when he saw Issa and said, "This one is hard. Not ready to see her go yet." Cue the tears--from me, not Issa.

The last stop was a photo booth with all of her teachers:

She got her certificate and a little graduation tassel key ring. She was so excited to see them all, and I fought the tears as I saw them fight theirs. They were so excited to see their students, but to not be able to give them a final hug or do all the normal end of year things--I know that heartbreak. I was so excited that Issa was so happy, and I will be forever grateful to this team that put themselves through this wringer to do it.

And there you have it:

Our girl is headed to high school!

Day 72: Giggles

When this whole thing started in March, we kept normal bed times, assuming we would be heading back to school and not wanted to be too far out of the routine. When they announced school was closing for the year, though, we made a deal with the children. If they are ahead on their work at the end of the day, they can stay up later and sleep in a little longer. They both love this new plan.

The end result, though, is most days they work ahead, so they get to stay up later. The only hitch is I am toast by about 9:30 these days. I tell them goodnight and make good choices and crash.

Last night, as I was drifting off, I could hear the two of them in Issa's room giggling hysterically. I have no idea what was so funny, but after the Monday night we had, it was just so, so good to hear such laughter. I am also so grateful that they are so close. They have their moments, but most of the time they are thick as thieves, and I hope that never changes.

Day 71: A Different Kind of Memorial Day

We had a very quiet day yesterday. Brad and Evan played a lot of video games. Issa and I took a walk and watched West Side Story and Romeo and Juliet. (I could not sell her on West Side Story.) 

Mom and Shannon came over for burgers on the grill, which was lovely, and we planned a little beach get-away for as soon as school is out.

Honestly, looking forward to the beach may be all that has us holding on right now. This should have been recital week, and we had more summer plans cancel this weekend. It's absolutely the right call, but it's hard. When we started this is in March, I don't think any of us had any idea how long it would last, and I think a summer of social distancing is just sounding hard right now.

We will rally. We always do. And for now, we are talking about the beach a lot. I'm sure once I finish this three-week intensive course and the kids finish should we will all settle into a new normal summer routine and all will be well again. For now, though, I'm willing to let everyone feel all the feelings for a while.

Days 68-70: A Very Quiet Weekend

We had a very exciting Friday followed by a very quiet weekend! 

Issa's big news is I let her come with me to grocery Friday morning. She has been getting some serious cabin fever, and the grocery was so much more pleasant with help.

Evan's big news is his teacher stopped by:

 She brought him his fifth grade graduate sign, which was very exciting. He was glad to see her--and her dog.

Issa and I spent part of the weekend geming, and I finished my first project:

 Buddy spent most of the weekend sleeping:

 He really thinks he is a human.

Issa also made fabulous cupcakes:

The rest of the weekend was spent reading, puzzling, playing, and just being. We had exactly zero plans, and it was kind of lovely. We are all taking this Memorial Day off, which is really lovely before another crazy week!

Day 67: Issa Cooks Again

On Thursdays, we bake, and yesterday Issa made brownies; I only tangentially helped. It was bar none the strangest recipe for brownies ever, but they were also amazing. You made them on the stove, and they only had 2/3 cup of flour. We were very impressed.

I also needed the brownie because I took Evan to the optometrist yesterday afternoon. It was the first time we had to have our temperatures checked to enter somewhere. It was just very surreal. Evan was completely fine, but I'm still adjusting to this new normal.

Issa also made dinner last night:

It was her first solo stir-fry, and it was quite possibly the best Mongolian stir-fry I've ever had. She did a great job with all of the chopping and timing the adding of ingredients so everything was the perfect texture at the end!

Day 66: So Much Rain

We are looking at our third straight day of rain and temperatures in the 50s, and we are not amused. Our family has gotten very used to afternoon walks and working on the porch, and those things have been right out the window. We are hoping that there might be a small break this afternoon, where we can sneak in a walk, but it's not looking fabulous.

It's funny how we have gotten so used to this new routine that it feels odd to have it disrupted. Our governor announced more things are opening beginning tomorrow, but dance studios and dojos are still on the firmly closed list until at least the end of June. We are in no rush to be some of the first folks anywhere. I think because we have developed these routines, we are less anxious to risk anything.

That said, Evan has his annual eye exam tomorrow, and Issa is going grocery shopping with me tomorrow. Issa is just ready to see some new walls, and we have to start taking baby steps sometime--even in the rain.

Day 65: One Done!

Issa and I have slowly been working on our gem painting kits. Usually, a few late afternoons a week we both have our work finished and settle in for a little gem time. (Evan has decided he is not a fan, and Issa and I are not mad about having some extra kits to do.)

Yesterday, Issa finished her first kit:

The picture really doesn't do it justice. You can see how the light catches, and the farther away you get the prettier it is! She has already started her second canvas, and I'm hoping to finish my first this week! With all this rain, I have a feeling we will be spending more cozy time crafting.

Day 64: I Have Cool Kids

Yesterday I got to see just how creative and capable my kiddos are.

I had to go get gas and crickets for Leo, so I got to use one of Issa's new masks:

 It is so much more comfortable than my tied version, and it fits perfectly! I also love that it is made from this fabric. I originally purchased it years ago to make a table runner for Gram. I now have the runner, but wearing this makes me feel like I have a little piece of her calm with me during this crazy.

Evan made dinner last night! The original plan was homemade Chinese dumplings, but we couldn't find all of the exact flours for the gluten free wrappers. I had some I thought would work, but we just couldn't get them thin enough. So...we pivoted to mushu pork:

I was so proud of Evan. He never got frustrated, and he was fun to cook with last night. And...the end result was absolutely delicious!

Days 62-63: Very Domestic

We had a very domestic weekend around here. Since Issa and I chose a very complicated recipe last week, we moved our baking days to Friday and Saturday and made gluten-free croissants! They need some tweaking, but Brad was beyond thrilled. Issa and I got really good at laminating the butter into the dough:

 And they came out really well:

 We think the oven temp was too high, though, because they got super brown:

 They are also all gone now, so we must have done something right! Brad has also requested them for Father's Day.

Issa spent most of the weekend sewing. Now that it's sounding like masks will be recommended for the summer, we realized the tied ones that I made are not going to cut it. None of us love having them tied around our heads, so Issa started researching making ear loop masks:

 She ultimately moved downstairs and used my sewing machine to make us all a set of masks. She also made some to mail friends. I am super impressed by how well she did, and I can't wait to use my new mask when I go to get crickets for Leo today.

We are all set up for the week:

One more month of school! Two more weeks of my class! We can do it!

Days 60-61: Pure Craziness

I very rarely blog on the weekend, but the last two days have just been a blur of crazy. It's not bad--just my routine went flying out the window.

Issa has been working do hard on her dance auditions. Thursday was tap, and yesterday was lyrical. The best dad ever put a tap board in Issa's room, but it meant we all spent all day listening to tap, and Inks got kicked out of Issa's room. She was not pleased:

 When she realized I was in the room, she went and meowed outside Issa's room to be let in. When I wouldn't let, she ran back to my chair and this is the look I got:

 I spent a lot of the past two days talking with Issa, assuring her she was doing well, and then filming. Auditions are always a nervous time, but having to do them this way just added to the angst. Today she has her live ballet audition on Zoom, and I think we are looking forward to closing this chapter.

Yesterday was also bulk pick-up day for the neighborhood. When we were out walking Thursday, Evan claimed a new-to-him desk chair:

 We were quite the production rolling this chair through the neighborhood. It did inspire him to clean his room, though, which is where my day went yesterday. But, it looks so nice now:

 The closet doors even shut:

It was a good two days, but I did not get much crossed off my list! So...I'm sitting down for some quality time with my laptop today.

Day 59: Firsts and Lasts

Yesterday was just a weird day.

Issa started her first virtual Company auditions. She received videos of the combos, and she will record herself doing them and send them back. Saturday, her ballet audition will be live via Zoom. In true Issa fashion, she is doing one combo a day, and she started with the most difficult yesterday. She worked so hard to learn and clean it, and then we moved furniture so she could go full-out and I could video. When we finished, she cried. She did really, really well, but it didn't feel right. "This is when we are supposed to be in a giant cuddle puddle complaining about how everything hurts."

My heart broke. I am so, so grateful that the studio is finding ways to keep them dancing, but I know it's so hard to not see her dance family. It's just hard.

Then, I went to my last every elementary PTSA meeting. I'm not going to lie: I am not sad about that. I feel like I've been doing elementary for forever, and I'm tired. It's time for someone else to run that race, and I was more than happy to pass that baton. I will absolutely miss the school and especially the teachers, but I'm so over elementary. One more month...

Day 58: So Much Building

Yesterday, Evan barely left the living room. He spent the entire day building his newest Labo kit:

They really are the coolest things. Some cardboard and rubberbands turn into super cool interactive pieces for his Switch. In this kit, he made an airplane:

 And a car:

 The gas pedal really works, and he loved "driving" his race car.

The kit also made a submarine and a spray paint can. He can now personalize any of his vehicles, and the coolest thing is when you shake the cardboard can it really sounds like a metal spray paint can.

He had so much fun building and playing. He had to do some trouble shooting at a couple of points, but he figured it out completely on his own. I have a feeling I will be hearing a lot of racing in the future.

Day 57: A Lot of Work

I started teaching my summer intensive yesterday. It's a semester long course in three weeks; we meet all morning, every morning. It's brutal for everyone, but it is a great opportunity for students to catch up who may have come to teaching a little later in the game. I realized yesterday I have been teaching this course in both the summer and semester for literally a decade now. This is the first time it's fully online, though, and I'm not a fan. I miss being in a classroom with students. This is working, and I have no doubt they are learning, but I will never be a fan of fully online instruction.

After class, I had more work to do, and both kids spent the day working ahead for the week. Evan was desperate to have huge chunks of time to work on his Labo kit, so he did two days or work yesterday so he could do nothing but build today. Issa is trying to knock out her schoolwork early this week so she can focus on dance auditions at the end of the week. I think this has been the greatest gift of quarantine: my kiddos are learning time management in a whole new way that will serve them well in college.

Last night was also Evan's turn to cook! He made us bean burritos:

They were so yummy! Issa will make us lettuce wraps tonight, but for now I'm off to teach!

Days 54-56: Happy Mother's Day!

We had an absolutely lovely weekend! Saturday, we took Aunt Shannon to hike Occaneechee. She likes to hike fast, and I like to go slow and look at all of the plants. We decided that next time Nana would come along to take the slow hike with me and the rest of them can do the loop twice.

Sunday, I woke up to breakfast in bed and sweet cards made by the kiddos. We spent most of the morning lounging about, which was lovely. After lunch, though, we decided to go check out a trail near us with the intent of going slow and enjoying a nature walk. It was a really lovely trail, and we found the old car that everyone said you should look for on the hike:

 Evan has become quite the car guy, and he was fascinated:

 The boys did a lot of speculating about all kinds of car things:

 And we managed to grab a good family selfie:

 We came home, and I read on the porch while Brad prepped dinner. We had Mom and Shannon over for burgers and loaded tots, and every bit was amazing. Evan was also very excited to recieve another birthday gift from Nana (they've been trickling in through the mail). This one was wrapped with 11 kinds of paper:

It was a really lovely, quiet Mother's Day with my people, which was lovely, and now we are ready for the next week:

I start teaching my first summer course this morning, so here we go!

Day 53: Happy Birthday, Evan!

 We had a great day celebrating Evan yesterday!

His day started with his gifts from Issa, Brad, and I. Issa spent extra time wrapping hers, complete with a pull-tab for the first layer of paper:

 After he got through all seven layers, he was thrilled to find a Munch Box:

 Each month, he will receive a box of five snacks from around the world. He was especially excited to discover that three of his snacks this month were from Japan!

Brad and I gave him a FitBit Charge 3:

 He was ready to graduate from his VivoFit for kids, and he spent the rest of the day updating us on his numbers of steps and flights of stairs.

After his requested monkey bread for breakfast, he and Issa did his pinata. I took no pictures because I am not insane. A stick wouldn't break it, so they tried shooting it with a nerf gun, a wooden sword, a muscle roller, and finally got it with a shoe!

Issa helped me bake the cake this year:

 And Brad went to get the requested Wendy's for lunch. Thankfully ours still had burgers at that point! They were out by dinner last night.

After our lunch walk, we broke out the big surprise. We had gotten an escape room kit for the afternoon:

 The premise is that you are caught in a mummy's tomb, and each box had a different puzzle to solve:

 Issa's knowledge from her sixth grade unit on Egyptian history and mythology was very helpful, and once they got going they had fun solving the puzzles:

 The last one required a lot of spatial relationships, but they got it:

 We made hibachi for dinner, and Nana and Shannon were able to join us for his Audi R8 cake:

 I never get good cake pictures, but miracles happened this year!

 He had all kinds of calls and texts and Hangout messages from his friends yesterday, and he proclaimed it the best birthday ever last night. Even a pandemic can't keep us from celebrating our boy.

Day 52: Birthday Prep

All anyone could really talk about yesterday was Evan's birthday today! In fact, when we were sharing the best parts of our day around dinner, Evan's response was, "My birthday is tomorrow!"

We have really been planning this birthday. When your birthday hits in a pandemic in a family that takes birthdays very seriously, it's a big deal! Brad and I managed to basically clear our calendars for today, and both kids worked ahead on school and chores so they could basically take today off.

I think the celebration actually started last night when the two of them stayed up until 11:11 since he was turning 11! (Since they had worked ahead and didn't have school today, we let the school bedtimes go out the window.)

This morning, Evan woke up to find his gifts from Issa and us at his breakfast place.

 Buddy the Elf and friends had brought fun balloons for the mantle:

 And we hung a pinata in his doorway!

 Today will be all about this:

And I'll post the celebration pictures tomorrow!