Easter

Yes, easter looked different this year. But, we were the people that booked a camping trip last year on easter not realizing it was easter. Haha! So it's not like we are so stooped in tradition that it bothers us. It was more of a slow and enjoyable day. 

We all ate breakfast together and the kids got their easter baskets. Then we all watched church on the tv. We played legos while church was going. Then, it was time for the backyard egg hunt. At first, I was going to make each kid get a certain number of eggs, but I decided to just let them go for it and all worked out. Sure, Willa ended up with two eggs. But she was sure proud of those two eggs! And toward the end, I helped Callum find some of the eggs, as the older two had a bunch more than him. After that, we had lunch, then went for a walk in our neighborhood. 

Next, we cruised by Ian's parents house for a social distancing egg hunt in the front yard. His parents watched as the kids hunted for eggs, then we left and headed for home...where we ate a traditional easter meal of orange chicken, haha! 

All it all, it was a really enjoyable, slow paced and drama free day. Quite enjoyable in fact. 

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That Time We Made Bread

I'm not a baker. I'll just level with you. I love to cook, but baking, not so much. But I saw this recipe that my amazing baker friend (and author!!!) posted. It seemed "easy enough". That is, until I started it, haha! It really isn't difficult. I shouldn't say that. I guess I just didn't realize how many steps there are to making bread. And just how much the dough has to be left. But not for too long. We accidentally let ours rise for far too long there at the end. We prepared it, then let it sit while we went to a birthday parade and boy oh boy did it get ginormous. That didn't affect the flavor at all though. And I have to say, I felt rather accomplished with Connor and I for doing this. And I feel like our friend Bonnie would be proud because we weighed out all the ingredients instead of measuring...even if all we had was a salt grinder and had to grind up 20 grams of salt. Connor and I had to take turns with the salt grinder for all that salt! And doing something like this with only one kid that can do most the steps by himself is also pretty dang awesome. 

Just look at that HUGE loaf! I braided it because we don't have any loaf pans. I accidentally let it sit for twice as long as it needed and it certainly got big. 

In case you missed it, here is the link to Alchemy Bread's recipe for kindergarten honey wheat bread.

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Scenes from Quarantine {week four}

The news is an interesting thing to read right now. So many opinions flying about and no one really knows the future. Maybe this will last a few more weeks, maybe months, maybe years...please God, NO, not years!!! My news loving self still isn't reading news like I used to. So much of it seems subjective these days and I am just not into that. 

Two months ago, I was thinking about life after busy season. Then a bomb was dropped in our life, all our lives. I've heard my four year old say "coronavirus" in the most adorable voice, yet also cry about not getting to go to the playground or see his grandparents. My ten year old asked to listen to a podcast on the virus and my eight year old says she misses school and her friends. I really enjoy not having to set an alarm in the morning. Many days hum along easily, while some have siblings fighting all day, leaving me wanting to pull out my hair. 

This season isn't what I expected. It isn't what any of us have expected. But that doesn't mean there isn't good in it. Willa has pretty much perfected walking. The kids actually play together well a lot of the time (but when they don't...oh man!). Ian is working from home and gets to eat dinner with us every night, something that doesn't happen during a normal busy season. I've begun taking more pictures of our daily life and I like that. Of course that doesn't mean there aren't real challenges either. Life certainly isn't normal. Learning to breathe calmly behind a mask while grocery shopping can be counted as one of those not normal things. I literally felt like I was suffocating for the first couple minutes before I calmed down. 

I now know two people personally who have tested positive for the virus and many that suspected to have it. Neither live right by me. Both say it's the most sick they have ever been and that it was very scary for several days. Going out a degree, I know of two people that have been on a ventilator for it and one person that died. But honestly, what scares me the most, is people I know that aren't taking it seriously at all. Even if they don't die from it, they can keep the spread going and that bothers me. 

If you care to see my thoughts and perspectives change over the weeks - my first post about covid-19, week one, week two and week three.

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A Walk in the Rain

We went for a walk in the rain a few days ago for several reasons. One is, I love the rain and I love being out in the rain and I figured the kids would too. Spoiler alert, they did! But I also went out then because I figured no one would be out. And I was correct. We live right by this amazing walking/biking path. But I have had to avoid it because during social distancing, it has been covered in people and that, my friends, is not social distancing. I saw this funny meme the other day saying it's a good thing the virus doesn't travel sideways. Seriously though. People walk right next to each other, not even thinking about six feet. Oh well. Let me get off my soap box.

Rain. I love the rain. Kids love puddles. While walking, it turned into a significant downpour and we decided to turn back toward home. Mostly because I didn't want to get super far from the house in the pouring rain and have a kid meltdown about it. Anyway, the walk home took a long time, as the kids played in the puddles. Isla jumped in every puddle she saw, filling her boots and soaking herself. Callum rode his trike through them. Willa slept in her stroller the whole time, haha! Both Callum and Isla had to be drug home, as they didn't want to stop playing. But, as any good play in the rain sesh goes, it ended with warm showers and comfy clothes.

We haven't got much rain this year and this fun walk in the rain made me sad that we didn't. Rain just bring the best smells, the coziest of the cozys and fun play times...also, it keeps California out of a drought.

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Scenes from Quarintine {week three}

Turns out I have hit my stride. Things seem to be humming along here nicely. And my soul has calmed down a bit too. However, I would say I am a bit...bored?

It's hard to say I am bored when I literally never stop moving. Four kids. Helping with schooling. Keeping the kids fed...and all those dishes done. Plus picking up the house. And the laundry. More dishes. More cooking. And the walks I make the kids take. I'm really not bored. I would just like a change in scenery, I guess.

Connor's "new" computer arrived this week. It is a Macintosh plus from 1986. He is totally loving it...and even cleaned out his desk to make room for it. So that's a win for me too. We went by Isla's best friend's house to drop off a present for her and give her the birthday banner the kids made her. The kids weren't too happy that I wouldn't let them out of the car. But, standing there (well, me anyway) talking to actual people outside of my family for a few minutes was pretty dang amazing. We went and dropped off a present for my nephew on his first birthday too. Pool Callum was none-too-pleased that I wouldn't let him out of the car to play with his cousins. Callum has been taking the cushions off the couch every day to both jump on the couch springs and to make a nest of sorts to lay in.

We are obeying orders and staying in. I feel safer that way. Going too close to people gives me anxiety. Even out walking, I don't like being on the trail by our house because too many people are on it. I just find it easier avoiding stores and staying home for my own sanity. Though we did take a drive around town just to get out one day and that was nice.

Three weeks down...eight to go? That's just a guess. I don't really know.

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One Last Day Trip

On Saturday we took a trip to the snow. A trip that will be the last trip we take for a long while. In hindsight, I am so, so glad we took it. But, I was hesitant to go. I didn't want any exposure for us. We didn't stop anywhere, not even for gas. And we packed our own food. We went to the same spot we went with some friends a couple months ago. It's an elementary school, with plenty of room to roam.

When we got there, it was snowing. I always feel like things are just so much more fun and exciting when it is snowing. Connor and Isla weren't super into it, really only staying out in the snow a few minutes. Callum though, that kid was in his element. After he was done just playing in the snow, he went and played on the play equipment for a good while. Then he came back to the car for some food.

Just as we were all eating lunch, another car of people showed up to play. So we left...but we left without a chance to pee. And, well, I didn't want exposure, plus everything is closed inside, so a side of the road pee break was in order.

The trip was a good way to break up the monotony of our day to day for the past couple weeks. And it happened just in time. They closed all the state parks the next day. And then five days later, they are now enforcing a stay at home order using the police and you can't even drive somewhere without just cause. So it looks like our time of fun happened just in time.

Now to get cozy and used to being home all the time for a good long while!

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Making Lemonade from Lemons

Literally. From lemons left on our porch. 

What's so unique about this situation we find ourselves in is we are all in this together. Literally every person in the world. That certainly never happens. So while this time of virus attack and staying at home can feel so isolating, it is also a time we are all in together. 

I've gotten texts from people just checking on me. We have gotten THREE citrus deliveries from people and a cookie delivery too! The kids have written letters to their friends. In fact, Isla's letter was followed up with a text from the friend's mom saying the letter had the whole family laughing. Bears adorn the windows of more than 100 homes in my neighborhood. Though the "bear hunt" is a fun activity, I also see it as a sign of solidarity. A sign of us all reaching out to each other and saying "we will get through this together." We participated in a social distancing birthday party that had me tearing up...probably because it was the most I have seen people in a while. But also because it was a bunch of us coming together to make the day of someone we love. Of course, it ended with my car breaking down...but that's another story. 

I don't really have a nice bow to wrap this all up with. But really, even with us all feeling lonely in our homes, we are also SO all in this together and it really is a beautiful thing. 

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