Days 33-35: Very Productive Weekend

This was a very productive weekend around our house! Brad and Issa finished the redo of her room. The biggest product was handing her black hole decal:

 Since she has popcorn ceilings, they had to mount it to a piece of plexiglass, but it looks so cool in her reading corner:

 They also finished her cork tile wall:

 She is so thrilled with how her room came out, and now we can't get her out of her room.

We also decided that each kid is going to take a turn making dinner from a recipe every week. This time seems like an ideal window to build their culinary skills. Evan went first this weekend with veggie roll-ups:

 He thought he was big stuff using the food processor, and I loved the finished results:

 Not everyone else was so enamored with the meal, but it happens.

The biggest accomplishment was finishing our puzzle:

 We also had some quality time with the pets. Frosty has decided that water tastes better out of the dog bowl:

 Neela is trying to decide how she feels about this. The biggest project with them, though, was baths:

 I took no pictures of the process, but we now have two clean dogs with trimmed nails.

We all set up for the week:

Now we just have to do all of the things.

Day 32: On Thursdays We Bake

Yesterday was a pretty typical Thursday around here. My day started with my weekly Thursday at 7 am trip to the grocery. I am there right when they open. Things are stocked, and people are sane. I had some special items to get this week. Our neighborhood organized a thank you for those who are first responders on the front lines of this pandemic. They entered their names into a form, and the rest of us entered ours in another. One of the neighbors matched us up so we could leave a thank you treat on the responders front porch:

 The kids had a good time delivering it, and it's nice to be able to do something little to help and say thank you.

Issa and I have also decided we will try a new baking experience every Thursday. Yesterday, she wanted to try her first layer cake! We have been looking for a good gluten-free completely from scratch cake. We have some good boxes, but we finally found a from scratch recipe! The secret: arrow root! Issa has become a really good baker:

 She decided the cake needed a chocolate chip garnish:

 And Evan arrived just in time to help with that part:

 She was pretty proud of her finished project:

And it was absolutely delicious!

Day 31: We Got Fancy

For her English class, Issa has been reading Anne of Green Gables, which is one of my very favorite books. She started to read it a couple of years ago, but she wasn't a fan. Thankfully, this time she fell in love with Anne Shirley. My work here is done.

Yesterday, she finished her final project for it, a game:

 We spent part of the afternoon playing the game, and then we celebrated with a tea party for dinner! I even broke out the good china. We served cucumber sandwiches with edible flower garnish:

 Deviled eggs--Evan's request:

 And bacon-wrapped asparagus:

Evan was very relieved I didn't make everyone dress up, too:

 Brad and I decided to make it a Royal Tea with some prosecco:

I added a little lavender syrup to mine after we finished eating, and it was the perfect dessert for me. Everyone else had chocolates, and Issa and Dad had coffee foams:

These have become quite a thing around here. You whip instant coffee, sugar, and hot water and then float it over almond milk. It's shockingly good!

Today is much less fancy, but it was fun for a day.

Day 30: Simple Pleasures

Yesterday was a day when we took a little time to just enjoy the simple things. Evan and I started a puzzle:

 We got the edge finished in no time, but I think it's going to be quite the puzzle:

 I took some time to read on the front porch, and I was quite amused to look up and see this:

 Issa has rekindled her love of sidewalk chalk:

 The boys had two great dojo classes, and Issa and I participated in her studio's spirit challenge. Parents had to recreate one of the child's on-stage looks. I think I nailed Ursula:

Today is cold and rainy, so we are snuggling in for another productive day of school and work!

Day 29: The One with the Bizarre Start

Yesterday morning, Brad woke me up two minutes before my alarm: we had a tornado warning.

Being from the midwest, we don't get overly worked up about these things. It was super stormy and windy, so we weren't too concerned. That said, we now have a routine. Brad stands at the window; I watch the local news. By 6:15, Brad decided it was time to empty the cupboard under the stairs and wake the kids. By 6:40, all four of us plus the two dogs were in the closet. Once WRAL specifically says our neighborhood, we go to the closet until the all clear. So there were stood.

We got the all clear at 7 and wandered out to start our day. The kids played a game of UNO Flip before school started. I started digging out of my inbox because I actually took the weekend off. Brad started his day a little earlier than usual.

It was a blustery day all day yesterday, but the sun came out and we were able to take our evening walk. We also took the opportunity to sort and reorganize our little cupboard under the stairs, which is never a bad thing.

Today is off to a much more typical start, and I'll take that.

Days 26-28: Happy Easter!

Although this Easter was certainly very different, it was also lovely. 

We started Saturday with out egg coloring!

 This year, we actually Zoomed with all of my cousins for the decorating. We all used to go to Grandma's to color when we were little, and it was fun to all be back together. Even Brad got in on the decorating this year:

 He made his egg a little robot suit:

 Issa made egg tutus:

 It was fun to see everyone's eggs on screen:

After the egg coloring, we enjoyed a Greek feast that Shannon and Mom prepared. I really think it was the best falafel I've ever had in my life.

Sunday morning, Buddy arrived with cute bunny garland for our mantel:

 We went to Mom's again, where the Bunny had visited:

 The favorite basket treat were these logic puzzles:

 Before brunch and church online, we headed outside to get some Easter photos. My two goofballs shoved huge pieces of monkey bread in their mouths on the way out the door:

 But we did get some great pics:

 After egg bake, we watch the service from the National Cathedral:

 Bishop Curry's message about "It's Easter Anyway" was exactly what I needed to hear yesterday.

After church, Nana and Aunt Shannon surprised up with a second egg hunt upstairs:

 Grandma Luzny used to hide the little Hershey eggs, and they continued that tradition. It's more of a grown-up egg hunt, and I think it will be making a comeback next year. This year they played nice; next year, I have a feeling the old tricks of unwrapping eggs and using tacky-tuff to hide them at odd angles will be back!

We spent the afternoon doing a puzzle and just being. The Wooden Nickel delivered a killer ham dinner, and we ended our day with a new card game that the Bunny left.

It was a very different Easter, but I wouldn't have traded a minute!

Now, the school schedule is up for the week:

Here we go!

Day 25: Making Time

Yesterday was another pretty "normal" day around here. Evan actually worked ahead and finished his school work for the week, and he and Brad did bo staff work in the home dojo. Issa has just a little bit left for the week, and she is loving doing all of her dance work in her room with her ballet bar. Brad and I both worked full, full days. By the time I signed off the computer at 7, I was toast, but all of the work yesterday was typical--no pandemic planning.

After our evening walk around the neighborhood, the kids wanted to play basketball in the driveway. Brad and I decided to take our new spring beverage, a lavender G&T, out on the front porch:

I missed the peak color, but it was lovely watching the sun set. I am trying to soak in these moments of extra time, and I want to make time for them once we all leave our homes again.

Day 24: Blissfully Normal

Yesterday was just a blissfully "normal" day. The kids did school without incident, including online sessions with their teachers. Issa had a dance class. Brad and I worked full days.

I tried a new recipe for dinner, and it was absolutely awful. Like inedible. We ate a mess of little bits of leftovers for dinner and sat around the table laughing. No one mentioned the virus.

The boys ended the day with their Dungeons and Dragons game with friends online. Issa and I watched Downton.

In the midst of so much crazy, it was truly blissful to have just--normal. I don't ever want to take that for granted again.

Day 23: On the Upswing

Yesterday was a much better day around here. For starters, the kids' spring break surprise finally arrived:

 We love sparkling water around here, so we finally purchased a Soda Stream:

 We have never been so hydrated:

 Bubbling water is just a nice treat, and we are able to flavor it however we would like. We are currently enjoying a dab of lemon oil in ours.

Issa and I also got her room very. very closed to finished! We moved her bed away from her wall, so she now has nightstands on both sides and easier access to her tea kettle and refrigerator from bed:

 Her trophies are now all on her window boxes:

 And her dresser has all of her favorite things:

 The new bookshelf let us organize all her craft supplies, and the old rocker made a reappearance:

 Her bookshelf got a major reorganization, too:

She has a lot more floor space now, and she is a much happier kid now that all of her nice things are back in her space. The only thing left is the cork wall and mounting of her black hole, but those are both Issa and Dad projects. I know my limits.

Day 22: Not So Shiny

Yesterday was one of those days were staying home was not quite so fun. As the kids settled back in to their schoolwork, they both realized that this may be what happens for the rest of the year. Although they are connecting with their teachers virtually, it's not the same. Issa also realized her dance competition season is likely over, which is a bummer. Although she is doing dance on Zoom, it's not the same as being in the studio. It was a rough day for our girl.

And then we all realized this is the only way we know what day it is:

The days are starting to run together, which is hard.

It's just hard, and that's okay. This morning everyone seems to be in a better mind-space, and we are excited to finish the clean out of Issa's room today. We are in the tedious part of that project, and I think we will all get an energy boost from finishing that one.

We are still very lucky, and I'm actually grateful that we take some time for all of the feelings. Life doesn't have to be shiny all the time.