Neighborhood Egg Hunt

Our neighborhood Easter egg hunt looked different this year. Instead of hunting real eggs we all colored paper Easter eggs and hung them in our windows around our house. Then we went around and counted them. Most people put out treats at the end the their driveways too for the kids. It wasn’t the same but it was still fun for us to walk around and talk to neighbors (from a distance)while we were all walking around and counting eggs. 

We counted 137! We’ve all had a lot of extra time to sit and color Easter eggs this years!

Essential

So far Brent has been able to work most days. And for that we are extremely grateful. It’s a scary time right now to be small business owners. 

But we also have an asthmatic child so we decided to make sure Brent isn’t bringing any virus germs into our house

The kids had so much fun doing this one day. They waited all day for Brent to come home so they could ambush him.  Normally Brent comes home and leaves his shoes in the garage and showers as soon as he gets home

School

Norah calls me Mrs. Goedecke during our school time. Joel is keeping up with absentee and tardy slips. They are striving for a student of the week prize. Norah and Joel show up each morning with their backpacks on ready for learning. We are getting into a pretty consistent routine of school work from 9-12 in the mornings.

Norah and I have piano lessons through FaceTime. We’d both rather have Miss Melissa sitting right next to us. 

Afternoons are spent outside and lately Colin and Joel have been building massive LEGO bases.  

And we’ve taken several car rides together to enjoy getting out of the house.

April

So our calendar is filled already this month with Corona Virus. Usually its all filled with different activities and school stuff. Joel is excited for National Banana Day so we will celebrate that. The funny thing is that Chesapeake is still observing spring break. Its not like we can go anywhere. Then after spring break all learning goes online. Right now they are working on worksheet packets. 

The day after the governor closed schools for the year we went to the botanical gardens to walk around and forget life for a little.  The kids were all devastated to know they aren't going back to school. As Colin said he had no clue that Friday when he left that he wouldn't ever be back. Its hard to make sense of all of this right now.

There have been many tears from everyone.  The kids are grieving in their own ways I think. Joel misses his teacher and his friends. Colin broke down gut wrenching crying the other night. Norah has been very emotional as well and misses her friends.  She and I went with the other girl scout leaders the other day to all our scouts houses in a car parade and had the girls hold signs out of our sunroofs and wave to the girls. It was great to see all of them and helped a lot.

Until they close we hope to go to the botanical gardens as much as we can. Its good for all of us to just walk around and get outside.

We took the kids down to the beach the other afternoon and it lifted all of our spirits to just walk up and down the beach. The kids were excited to get to do their school work in the mornings and then go down to the beach in the afternoons. And then the governor closed the beaches until June 10 and that was another hard concept to deal with.

I have a feeling things will get worse before this is all over but I do hope when the kids look back at this crazy time in their lives it will be filled with memories of carefree afternoons spent together.

Homeschooling

We’ve been thrown into homeschooling thanks to the Corona Virus. It’s always something we bring up each year as a possibility. Yet as Colin told me today it wasn’t a choice we even had so it all feels strange. And no end date if there will be an end date. The school has sent work that we are doing and I’m having Colin do extra Geometry assignments that I make for him. And Joel and Norah are weaker in math so we are doing lots of math here. I think they wish their mother wasn’t a math major right now. 

I do love having them home all day with me. If I wasn’t so worried Brent won’t be able to work then it wouldn’t be as stressful not knowing the end of all this. 

 They miss their teachers and routine and friends. We are finding our grove and actually Joel and Norah are pleasantly not pushing each other’s buttons as much. You’d think the opposite that since they are around each other they would fight more. The boys have also played way too much Xbox - can it count as schooling because that’s how they chat their their school friends? Ha! But they’ve also been playing all afternoon outside with the neighbors. It’s rare we are all home so much so they are enjoying that.

I did tell them today jokingly that I will start having a student of the week and Joel whispered to me that he already knows he would be the last student in the house to get it! Norah heard student of the week and has asked several times when I will get a treasure box that the student of the week can pick from.

Horse back riding

Back in January when Norah starting having trouble going to school again I made a deal with her that if she didn’t cry in the mornings then I would take her horse back riding on the beach. We always see the horses but have never done it. The crying stopped. I should’ve looked into the cost because it is expensive but was cheaper than counseling so we kept it. She’s mentioned it several times and I kept adding more time to it.  Last week when things were cancelling I booked a slot for her and I. And said it was a birthday party.  And her school reward  since she might not go back to school the rest of the year. As she kept reminding me “she was happy in the mornings and I promised!” 

 I wasn’t sure if it would still be open and went back and forth about canceling it but I’m glad I didn’t. They cleaned everything- saddles, bridles, helmets, etc so thoroughly and said that the health department had been out watching them all day. But the health dept should’ve been stopping  large groups of college kids congregating. Norah would loudly point out every group over 10! Ha!

Colin wanted to go too so I got him the last spot. Joel decided last minute he wanted to go but it was sold out. They only have 5 horses  with the virus going around. Colin got nipped in the leg by a horse in the very beginning. The horses were all together and then we started towards the water and I guess colins horse was too close to another horse. Colin told me halfway through and his leg was already bruising. Poor thing! He said it was fun and worth it though. But now Joel is very glad he stayed home with Brent! 

Norah was a natural. Led her horse better than the rest of us.

 She was so excited to not be led around in a little circle! She had full control and could lead her horse all by herself.

 She said the entire way home that this was the best birthday ever!

It was fun and such a beautiful night to be out on the beach.

This morning she told me that horseback riding was magical.

8 is great!

This sweet girl turned 8 today. We had planned on taking her out of school early and head to DC for our annual Wizards weekend. She and I were going to go to the American Girl Store and get her doll pampered and eat at the restaurant again. She had already figured out exactly what outfit she was going to buy for her doll. I told her after we could have a small party with her friends in a week or so but hadn’t gotten around to planning it. 

Then corona virus hit the United States and everyone lost their minds. 

So we are social distancing and staying home. But amid all that upheaval this girl has been so easy going and laid back with essentially her birthday plans cancelled. We have since received the new American girl catalogue so her list is growing daily about all she wants from the store. If we ever get to go she will be picking more than one outfit! Ha! 

I asked her how she felt about having her birthday during a global pandemic! I think we all feel that way right now! 

She did all her Thursday assignments yesterday so she wouldn’t have any schoolwork on her birthday. The boys agreed and they also didn’t do any work! Homeschooling at its best I guess. They will catch up tomorrow. 

She opened presents, FaceTimed with Ant Ant and Ma-am-Maa and Grandpa. 

And then she went outside to play all afternoon. 

She’s looking way too old lately and asks deep and hard life questions. She tells me weekly that she can’t wait to go to heaven because then she wouldn’t ever have to be afraid. She loves to snuggle, play with her dolls and legos, Netflix, and reading books. 

When she’s asked to describe herself she will usually say that she is brave. Makes me tear up each time. But I also can’t think of any other way to describe her. She is very brave. And wise beyond her years. 

She still comes in our room each night around 1:30/2:00. She claims she sleepwalks but I’m

soaking it all up because it won’t last forever. I snuggle with her and get her back to sleep. She is still so tiny to carry around. I tell her she needs to soak that up because that will soon be stopping as she’s growing so fast. 

Happy birthday sweet girl! You bring so much joy and laughter to our lives. 

School

Second grade is going great for this girl. She did have trouble after Christmas break. They had a lock down drill where two classes had to go hide in the handicapped bathroom and one of the teachers had to tell one boy not to throw up. So that set off Norah for a few weeks. (Can’t really blame her after that!) She refused to get out of the car one day in the parent drop off. Thankfully the security guard noticed and ran over to get her and walked her to class. Then Norah got to have lunch with her and watch all the tv security monitors to see that no one gets in or out without them seeing it. She is also now going to go the guidance counselor right before any lock down drills and that has calmed a lot of her fears. The security guard always sees me drive by after I drop off Norah and I see her checking on Norah. She told me recently that she watches how Norah walks in and if Norah looks apprehensive she will text the special ed teacher who has a classroom next to Norah and that teacher will go and make sure she’s out in the hall greeting Norah with a big hug before she gets to her classroom. It really takes a village and we’ve been thankful for all the teachers looking out for Norah. 

This week was Dr. Seuss week and when Olivias mom texted me to see if Norah wanted to be thing 2 I quickly said yes. Anything to keep Norah excited about school! Olivia is also in our Girl Scout troop! Sweet girl! Another mom made their shirts. I’ve only been going into lunch each Wednesday but this time I went in to see the girls and have lunch with them.  

It doesn’t ever get old seeing her so happy at lunch. A far cry from last year when she would sit and cry in my lap the entire time. 

Student of the month

Joel came home so excited that he had gotten student of the month. He has wanted this for the past 3 years. We didn’t realize when Colin got it what an honor it really was. We are so proud of Joel!