Games, exercise, and crafts…

"When will it be summer?  I want the corona to be over."
-Isla

As much fun as staying home from school might sound to the kids, we can tell it’s taking a toll.  The inability to see their friends, go out to eat, go to trampoline parks, or do anything other than what’s available at the house is slowly making them realize that this might not be the great vacation they originally thought it was.  They’re making the best of it, but it means a different routine than normal.  For example, part of every day is spent going through an exercise routine since we can’t go to soccer or gymnastics.

We also spend time playing games together.  Siblings may not be as much as fun as friends, but they’ll do when no other options are available.

It’s been raining a lot lately, but on the nice days the kids will get outside for bike rides or walks around the pond.

And then there’s arts and crafts.  One of this week’s projects was creating mouse pads for the computers so they could do their online learning in style.

While this hasn’t been easy, and doesn’t look to be ending soon, we’re incredibly grateful for being in the position we’re in.  We’ve stayed healthy, we have food, and the kids have each other.  If we have to be quarantined, it’s good to be quarantined together.

The quarantine begins…

"I trust the crackers, they're always delicious."
-James

Knowing the kids weren’t going to school for quite some time, we needed a way to organize the days and encourage the kids to continue learning.  Ashlyn, with Mommy making recommendations, devised an activity tracking board with prizes at the end.  Hopefully this will encourage the kids keep a semblance of structure during the week.

Being stuck in the house can lead to some interesting activities.  This week’s activities included making a makeshift piñata filled with extra candy we had in the pantry.  It also involved Ashlyn creating a pully system in her room for an unknown purpose.

Luckily for us walks outside are still permitted as long as we don’t go within six feet of someone else.  The pond area is perfect for this because it doesn’t get a lot of traffic.  It’s good for the pets to get outside too, even the cat which often follows the kids on their adventures.

And of course there will be art.  Lots of art.  I suspect over the next few weeks the blog will feature multiple sections of art.

Games, zoos, and art…

"A healthy body is not easily infected by external bacteria and viruses, a healthy mind too is not easily infected by external insults and undesirable events."
-Awdhesh Singh

The kids got their last adventure to an entertainment place early this week before the coronavirus concerns increased.  They played laser tag, games, and bumper cars.  We hope they had fun, because public places are going to be out of the question for awhile.

Even though enclosed places are not an option, that doesn’t mean the kids can’t get out and have fun.  They took a trip to Fossil Rim with a friend to see and feed the animals.  A lot of other people had the same idea, and for the first time ever the animals were so full that few came to the car to eat.  The kids still have fun though, and that was the goal.

Grandma came over to show the kids how to make some egg art.  The next hour was then spent creating elaborate and colorful eggs which now decorate our house.  Later in the afternoon Amazon was kind enough to deliver a lot of art supplies, which are going to come in handy over the next several weeks now that school has been cancelled due to the virus going around.

Gymnastics and garden construction…

Daddy:  "Why doesn't anybody love me?" (said after kids refused to give hugs)
Isla:  "Sadie does!"

Isla started her first week with the level 1 competitive team this week at gymnastics.  Earlier in the week she said she was scared to start the new team, but it was time for the first practice she was excited enough to try on different leotards.  The class itself went great, and we’re looking forward to seeing her learn the new skills.

One of Isla’s favorite things to do while her siblings are at school is take the pets for a walk.  Nala still joins in on occasion and all three of them seem to enjoy it.

Dr. Seuss’s birthday was this week and James had a green eggs and ham event at school.  Mommy volunteered to help out, and I assume she was going over the details with Sadie in the picture below.  I really have no idea, I just liked the picture and needed an excuse to include it.  James had  fun at the event and wanted a big helping of the green eggs.

It’s getting close to planting time in the garden and this year we wanted to put up a frame for the cucumbers.  The kids were happy to help.  The frame was finished and there were no injuries during construction, so I’d say it was an all around success.

Climbing, painting, and glasses…

"I can't think without my glasses."
-Vivienne Westwood

Isla continues to be determined to be reading and writing before she starts school in the fall.  She’ll practice her reading anywhere, including the floor and hanging over the couch.  Why these spots are better than a table is a mystery to me, but I can’t fault her for trying.

In other Isla news, she finally climbed to the top of wall at Urban Air.  One of our friends had to bribe her with a dollar to get her to do it, but when money was on the line she mustered up the courage and made it all the way to the top.  She was a little bit prouder and a little bit richer after it was over.

Ashlyn was in a creative mood.  Nina and Papa came over to visit and Ashlyn showed off her painting skills for them.  After they left, Ashlyn crushed up spicy Cheetos and covered pickles with the crumbs.  I have no words.

James usually runs away from the camera when he sees us taking a picture, but when he put on some new aviator glasses he was too cool to run away.  Lookin’ good buddy.