Sunday April 5th
Yesterday President Nelson announced that we would have a Hosanna shout. Gerrit W. Gong spoke about this in his talk last night. We read about it with the girls in the morning before Conference. I cut up a white pillow case so everyone would have a white handkerchief to wave.
Elder Gong said: On Palm Sunday, Jesus entered Jerusalem in ways the faithful recognized as fulfillment of prophecy. As Zechariah
and the Psalmist prophetically foretold, our Lord entered Jerusalem
riding a colt as multitudes knowingly cried, “Hosanna in the highest." Hosanna means “save now.”
Then, as now, we rejoice, “Blessed be he that cometh in the name of the Lord.”
It hit me when he said this, how much we need to be saved - we continually need to be saved from this mortal existence. I want to be saved. I am so grateful for a living prophet.
The hosanna shout brought tears to my eyes. It felt like the warm up to the fast that the prophet announced, save us, hear us, we need Thee!
Kate and I went on a walk between sessions. No one else wanted to go. It's nice to be able to spend time one on one. The sign now says, now enforcing, no parking, no groups. There's no parking signs all down the road. No one was actually parked on Lakeview Blvd. the road that runs parallel to the lake, but the first side street - Poplar, was filled with cars! They even went so far as to close off the section of road in front of the park with a big cement barricade. It's weird to see the physical evidence of the pandemic. We are blessed to be so removed from it, so it's weird to see barricades.
As the last session was ending, and President Nelson announced more temples, I cried a little. I didn't want it to end. I needed conference so much this weekend. I needed these messages from my Father in Heaven.
After the final session of conference the girls helped me make a happy birthday sign. I decided that even though the advice is not to go on drives, to just stay home, that we would go to Grandma's building tomorrow and say hi from below for her birthday. I hope the sign is big enough for her to see!
Monday April 6th
Heidi - our friend and neighbour came up with another week of spirit wear. Today was Beach Day.
It was seven degrees celcius this morning but the girls were committed! I told them to change before we went to Grandma's but only Fiona wanted to!
I don't get scared driving, and I wasn't scared driving, but I prayed the whole way there that we wouldn't break down or get in an accident, that we wouldn't be a burden to the first responders. I didn't want this act of fun to be a selfish thing! And thankfully we were safe, and there were no issues.
When we got there I phoned Mom and the first thing she said was "are you outside?" It was cute. Mom came outside and she was very happy! Gaby came out too, and snapped the pic of us. The girls were excited and we sang Happy Birthday, waved hello, talked for a few minutes and then it was over and we were on our way home.
After the Grandma fun it was school time for real! The girls all had posted work, I posted work. I helped the girls, I answered posts from students. I felt overwhelmed and a little crazy.
We had a family chat on Facebook with Mom for her birthday so that was fun. It was a busy day, but a good day. My head is still swimming, I don't feel on top of online school, I posted some things for kids, but I'm not absolutely sure what to do for all of the grades. The class rooms are filling up with kids though, and it is so nice to "hear" their voices. So much character can come through even in a written message on a screen.
Tuesday April 7th
It was Jersey Day. I'm honestly so thankful for this excuse to dress up, otherwise I fear every day would be PJ day!
Today was more school, play, work, brain on overdrive, but we're muddling through. I'm so thankful for technology, and for my girls wonderful teachers, and for my wonderful students!
Kate helped me make some videos for my grade sevens, and I felt more hopeful by the end of today about my ability to deliver some meaningful content. And I took a picture of pretty carrots. Ken bought heirloom carrots last week, and their pretty colours made me happy.
Wednesday April 8th
Today was birthday party day. Heidi posted a cute pic of her kids in homemade birthday hats, but none of the girls were even a little bit interested! They wore what they would wear to a party.
The girls and I went on a late afternoon bike ride to the beach to go get rocks. We (I) decided that in light of everything with the pandemic, I just didn't want to waste food, so instead of dying Easter eggs we would paint rocks.
I hadn't taken any pictures of caution taped playgrounds so I rode across the street and snapped a couple of pics.
Sis. Yates stopped by with an Easter treat bag for the girls. Some candy, and three tiny stuffed bunnies each in their own egg. The girls loved them!
This is often our bedtime routine, all squished on Fiona's bed. We read some scriptures, there's fighting and loving, there's silliness and reverence. I hope the girls are laying the foundations for their own testimonies. I hope they want their own testimonies. They are such good girls, and each have their own understandings, and they share such sweet things - sometimes! I'm so grateful to be quarantined with this crazy crew, like so thankful. I would be so miserable if I was alone right now.
Thursday April 9th.
Today was mismatched costume day - my favourite so far. I present Pumpkin Pig, the Wonder Queen of Mean, and Ninja Ballerina.
Fiona then changed into all stripes, which was its own kind of special!
Alice worked really diligently on her school work today. She's been doing lots of hands on stuff which is great.
There were many tears today, but Fiona got her journal done!
And there was much fun playing with duplo. I love that my girls haven't outgrown duplo and they have no interest in lego. It makes me smile.
Ken had a zoom boys night and we hadn't been out all day, so the girls and I took a twilight walk, and then came home and happily watched another episode of The Little House on the Prairie.
I'm glad that our first week of online learning was only four days! They were four long days, ups and downs, but more ups than downs. I don't know if we have a groove yet, but we made it through, and I think it felt good over all!
Friday April 10th
The first thing I thought this morning - was of Heidi and her birthday! Oof I miss her! I posted this pic on Instagram and tagged her. I'm glad we have the pics that we do, but sometimes I wish I had more pics of my youth, but I'm glad that social media didn't exist!
I feel a little bit like we spent all day doing egg rocks? We didn't, but kind of. We got the table organized - complete with protective snowman table cloth, we washed the rocks, we dried the rocks - making sure not to mix up anyone's rocks. We did the base coats.
After the base coats were done, it was time for the spirit week pic. It was Peter Rabbit day, so we accumulated our massive collection of stuffed bunnies and the girls all put on their dreamies!
The other thing that I did, well, had done... my sweet Ken put henna in my hair. YAY KEN! Before pic of me in the light of the window from the stairs.
With henna in my hair, and the base coat dry, we painted our rocks. Kate's rocks, Fiona's, mine, and Alice's. We all had such a lovely time painting today.
At some point this afternoon the Penney's dropped off a sweet little Easter present! I love tulips!
We watched Hugo as a family tonight. Ken suggested it, and I wasn't sure I wanted to watch it again. Ken and I watched it - I have no idea when, it came out in 2011, the year Alice was born. Anyway, the girls loved it, we all loved it. Having family movie nights on our sectional couch in the basement makes me very happy. (We watched Onward - a new Disney Pixar movie this week too - it was so so good!)
After the girls went to bed - well sort of, Alice had one of her bad nights tonight. I don't think she was asleep until 12:30? Maybe 1? She falls asleep, and then when Ken or I leave she wakes up, and then she spirals and can't go back to sleep. It isn't good. Anyway, Ken eventually had to sit with her, and I got the Easter Egg Hunt ready for the girls.
Saturday, April 11th
Before everyone went to sleep there was an agreement made that no one would wake anyone up! So much for that! Kate woke up her sisters at 7 a.m. Ken is a saint and got up with them to document. Needless to say, the girls LOVED their Easter Egg Hunt! Oh, and a little aside. I've probably mentioned this in years previous, but Easter, I know that Easter is Sunday, but the whole weekend is Easter. We've usually always done our egg fun on Saturday, because in our house Saturday is for the bunny, and Sunday is for Jesus.
Grandma stopped by to wave hello and drop off some Kinder Eggs for the girls. Before my Mom came Fiona asked "We can't hug Grandma right? We have to stay six feet away? I miss Grandma." Honestly, the social distancing hasn't been too difficult really, but every once in a while it hits hard - not being able to hug Grandma on Easter is not cool.
Alice was really over-tired, wouldn't come to say hi to Grandma, then had an absolute melt down after she left. I spent a long time talking to Alice in her room after she calmed down. The ups and downs of this business! And we took selfies with cute messenger filters which is of course part of the talking process?!
I took an after shot of my hair - not a huge change, but the little bits of gray are gone, and that makes me happy!
This afternoon Fiona and I went on a bike ride and it was epic. Ken teases me about how many pictures I take, and so today when we went on said bike ride my phone was charging so I didn't bring it with us, for which thing, I am SAD! Fiona and I rode over to the Alton's house because it was Dawn's birthday today and I wanted to sing her happy birthday. I just looked on maps - it was 5 kms round trip, the farthest we've gone on our bikes yet. Fiona was an awesome traveling companion, we found a second "rock concert" and the first rock concert is ENORMOUS! I am also realizing that I don't yet have a pic of me on my bike - or of my bike. I don't even know if I wrote about getting a bike? I picked it out from Canadian Tire based on online reviews, and I've been really happy with it. Ken picked it up a few Saturdays ago, once it was apparent that we are now a family of bike riding people! Fiona was super cute too, she really appreciated the fact that it was just the two of us.
Tonight the girls were all asleep by a reasonable time because of the excitement of the day. We had a busy week, but a good week. I'm so thankful for my little family!
