Quarantine Week 8 - May 3 - 9

Sunday, May 3
Today the girls did primary and almost had a war. Kate's sisters embarrass her and make her crazy, and then she acts on that, and it isn't good. However, we got past it and had a lovely family church service.

It was a stunning day outside so we decided to venture out while the frozen lasagna was cooking. We drove around and found ourselves at Duffins Creek educational centre. We had such a fun time. It was so great. The place was virtually empty and we walked through the trees and on the paths and with was perfect and magical. We all felt amazing after our walk.

After dinner Ken and Fiona and Alice made dole whip. This is basically pineapple ice cream and it was yummy!

Monday, May 4th
May the FOURTH be with you! I love Star Wars Day. Our good friend Amelie is born on this day. We sent her happy birthday messages, and I posted my favourite cello wars/star wars Piano Guys video to my Google Music Classroom.

Here's the week at a glance of costume fun!

I found these super fun Star Wars masks for the girls to take their pictures for Star Wars day.

Kate spent the morning making necklaces. I suggested that she give one to Hannah, so we drove over to the Penney's to drop it off. Kate is so cute, and wanted to drive over in her costume, so we did. When we were driving up our street a kid waved at her. The funny thing is she knows the kid, but I can't imagine he recognized her. I assume he was just waving at Darth Vader!

Alice was feeling sad and anxious today, so I suggested we go on a bike ride just the two of us to the far away "small" Rock Concert. So we did. Alice was tired, and I pushed her. She didn't want to turn around, so we didn't.

After finally getting a picture of the small rock concert I told her I wanted to go see the water. We'd been there before, but not in a while, and I think Alice forgot about this place. She felt like she was in a magic world - the swans on the water were just perfect. Alice was so happy. We had such a fun little outing. One on one time with the girls, this is something we never did enough of. It's been important for them.

Tuesday, May 5th
Ken was a little glum this morning so the two of us went out for a walk. I just love that there is flexibility in my schedule to do things like this. I never really got to know my neighbourhood before, and getting to know it now, I'm so blessed that we live where we live.  There are all these fun streets, and paths and trails (and the lake) to walk around and it's such a blessing.

Today was Dr. Seuss day. At first I wasn't sure what we were going to do. I thought about Thing 1 Thing 2... I thought about trying to get bristol board and making Cat in the Hat hats, but I wasn't sure how that was going to work. But then, I had a stroke of inspiration! Hop on Pop! I had each of the girls pick a page to re-create, except Fiona. We figured that she was small enough to actually hop on pop, so her page was pre-assigned. I was really, really happy with how the pages turned out!

It was so much fun. Ken and Fiona took so many pictures to get the shot just right. Kate and Alice were awesome. Some theme days are so much fun!

Wednesday, May 6th
I don't honestly remember much about this day. It was Villain Day today. So we have the Queen of Mean, the Wicked Queen, and a Wicked Witch - in Repose.

Thursday, May 7th
Rainbow Day. We made the rainbow - Alice and I and then the girls fought about taking the picture. But we did get a cute pic.

Going on bike rides with Alice and Fiona makes my heart happy.

Friday, May 8th
Today was Wild West Day. I did not have an idea for this, and then Heidi (who comes up with the days each week) suggested wanted posters. Fiona didn't want to be a bad guy, so she was the sheriff instead. Alice and Kate did an awesome job posing for their wanted posters! This made me smile!

Going for family walks makes me very happy. We don't do it enough, but when we do get out, it's awesome! (Albeit, the girls do fuss about it, and we drag them out anyway, and it ends well, but doesn't always begin well!)

Saturday, May 9th
Fiona and this stroller make me giggle. That she is six (almost seven) and still sits in it amuses me. I also love watching her play and taking pics of her playing when she doesn't know that I am. I love the way she talks to her toys. I have loved listening to all of the girls engage in their play. I hear them discuss things, I hear the therapy in their play, I hear them processing their world, and I love it.

Ken's a rock star and did yard work in the front today, while it snowed. Because it snowed today, because why wouldn't it with everything going on!

He did go to Home Depot to do a curbside pick-up of a new BBQ. That was awesome. The BBQ we had we inherited from my parents when they moved from McKelvey in 2011. It had one burner that worked, and it didn't work well! Ken is a very happy man! (And I'm happy too, I love it when Ken BBQs!

Another week has flown by... the ups, the downs, the ugliness and the beauty. I'm grateful for my mostly happy chaos and for our health and safety.

Quarantine Week 7 - April 26 - May 2

Sunday, April 26th
Church. We're still trying to figure it out. The girls watched Zoom primary and seemed to be okay. Then we asked them to watch the zoom devotional, which they sort of did. Then we had our own meeting, which stopped halfway through with anger and sadness. It was not good. We need to figure out what to do to have the spirit and be uplifted and meet the needs of all involved.

It was announced today that the school closure was extended again. Schools in Ontario are now closed through to the end of May. Everyone is wondering when they're just going to call the year done. Online learning is tricky, the girls don't like it, it's a lot of work, I miss my classroom, but it doesn't make sense to send people back into the world if you can't keep them safe!

Monday, April 27th

Welcome to Anger and Sadness Ranch. Farmer Day. Trying to take a cute picture of the three girls proved impossible. Kate and Fiona were determined to be awful, so awful they were, hence, anger and sadness ranch!

After the anger and sadness I wanted to take a bike ride. I wanted to go with Alice and Fiona on an epic bike ride. So we did. We rode South on Pickering Beach road to the beach and then all the way along the beach to Shoal Point Road. Next we turned north. We went past the "big" Rock Concert, and then along Spiers to the third gate. This is when things took a turn. Alice was ahead of us the entire time. I thought once we got to the gate she knew the rest of the way. She gave me the thumbs up, and took off, and Fiona and I kept going well behind her. Fiona and I got all the way home, but no Alice. We walked over to the neighbours who were all outside on their lawn and no Alice. I hopped back on my bike and retraced the ride, and when I got to Cluett, I found my Alice. She was walking with an older couple who were helping her, and when she saw me she put her bike down and ran to my arms and sobbed.

Alice should have cycled across the bridge. She didn't think it was the right bridge so she kept going. She came out another gate and didn't know where she was. She rode back to the other gate, along Spiers and back to Shoal Point. She started to cry, and met the couple. They asked her what was wrong and she said she didn't know where her Mom was. They were bringing her back home when I found them. I didn't know them, and honestly I don't even remember much of what they said, except that they were helping her. I hope I said thank you, but I was so focused on Alice, I'm not honestly sure what I said!

When we got home we joined the lawn party at the Stahlers. It was a social distancing lawn party to say goodbye to the Grants. Holly, Jeff, Abi, and James are going to London to stay with Holly's parents while their house gets built in Caledonia. Us grown ups stayed six feet apart, but the kids sure didn't! It was fun!

I had a long interesting chat with my Mom tonight - on messenger. She told me a few weeks ago (who knows how long ago - but not that long - it was just before her birthday I think) that she met a guy on match.com a Korean man called CJ. Tonight Mom confessed that she's in love with him, and I think that they want to get married, but little hitch, his divorce was never finalized in Korea. Mom is a giddy teenager, it's weird. I'm happy for Mom, but concerned about how quick this is that she's fallen head over heals. 

Tuesday, April 28th
Today was Disney day, but no one wanted to do anything. Alice and Fiona watched videos on old phones under their coats lying on the trampoline.

We found out about the Rock Garden they're starting at the school. It was actually Alice's teacher Mme. Clarke who started it. I had the girls pick out some of our egg rocks, and I sprayed them and then after dinner we all rode our bikes over to the school and left our rocks.

Wednesday, April 29th
Today was career day. Alice and Kate didn't want to do anything, but Fiona and I had already started talking about it so she was game. Fiona loves to build. She comes up with the most creative designs for duplo and for magnatiles. I've told her several times that she should be an architect so that's what she is. We found a blue piece of paper for her "blue" prints and then she re-built her house to follow the plan.

I had my zoom book club meeting, and when I was done I looked out the window to see what all the noise was. It was a cold, slightly rainy day and Alice and Fiona had the sun umbrellas out and a tarp. 

Thursday, April 30th
Fiona got mail today. We've all been writing more letters. Kate's gotten a letter from Hannah, and this was from Hazel, who got the letter we sent her today! Getting and writing letters in the mail has always been something I've loved so much. It's fun to see a bit of a resurgence of this.

It was last week that a few things happened. The girls were fighting over Duplo platforms, Fiona was starting to worry that her birthday would be a pandemic birthday and I looked at the Duplo website. I saw this adorable house, while I was looking for a platform, and I wanted to get it for Fiona. I showed it to her and asked her if she wanted an early birthday present and she was super excited. I figured it would take the ten days they said it would, and it would be a month early, but it came today! Fiona and Alice were so excited.

It was mostly Alice that built the house for Fiona - I think Fiona helped a little, but it was so cute! Alice loves to take care of Fiona and Fiona loves to be taken care of!

It was pirate day, and Alice knows how to make pirate hats, so she made them out of newspaper. I found a pirate symbol online and printed a few. The girls used the trampoline box as a boat, and voila, the girls are navigating the treacherous "Sea of Toys". Then they were going to play, but instead they fought, a lot. It was lovely. 

Friday, May 1st 
Today was Harry Potter Day. The days are really kind of a blur. Trying to get my school work done. Trying to get the girls to be quiet when Ken has a meeting. Trying to get the girls to do their school work. Meals, meals and more meals. The weeks are a blur. I'm grateful for my job, but sometimes I find myself wishing I had more free time. I don't have a commute any more but my days are so full of work!

Kate was so excited about  Harry Potter Day. This was one of her suggestions and she was excited today. I'm feeling pretty proud of us, coming up with all of these costumes with just what we have around the house. Kate is Harry, Alice is Ron and Fiona is Hermione.

I love sneaking off for walks with my Ken! 

Saturday, May 2nd

Today was a nothing day. The girls did what they wanted. I worked on a mother's day gift for my Mom. Ken worked all day. I found this note today, and I think it was from pirate day. There was much fighting about the boats lol! 

Another week down. How many more to go? That's anyone's guess!