2020 :: week 22

May 24

The new swing continued to bring happiness to the kids on Sunday. Sunday morning while I tried to stay in bed as long as possible I heard Will, Lauren and Elliott go outside and start swinging together around 7am. Throughout the day they each went back out. It is fun having a new toy for them to enjoy. In the evening Anthony pushed the four kids on it together for awhile. Miles likes the swing a lot and was not very happy when he was forcibly removed.

May 25

Monday morning Dana, Will and I had an appointment to Family Tree Nursery. We picked up some seeds for our garden and picked out a few flowers for Will to care for this summer. Will has gotten very into gardening this year, and it very fortuitous that Dana is a master gardener. She was able to help us pick out plants that would work well for the type amount of sun our yard gets and the type of soil we have. Will was so excited to get his plants and to plant them in his garden spots we cleared for him in our yard. It is fun seeing his interests evolve.

May 26

All of the kids have been doing a lot of drawing this spring. Lauren drew this picture of Elliott and she really captured his "essence." I know the exact outfit he is wearing in her drawing and can picture him standing in that exact pose with his hands behind his back and he tells us a story. Will drew the Celtics logo and I was so impressed by the detail. I never realized the Celtic was winking. I am so impressed with their attention to detail and patience to get things right.

May 27

Wednesday was my birthday! It was a good day as far as birthdays go. Lauren and Will made me scrambled eggs and yogurt parfait for breakfast. My mom watched the kids for me so I could run some errands. That evening we had Red Robin for dinner and ate m&m ice cream sandwiches for dessert. I felt very loved by the people who reached out to me via texts, calls, facebook messages and instagram.

May 28

It rained a lot this week and when that happens the kids get their Lego on. Will and Lauren worked together for hours to build a community. They have four main Lego characters they build for--Jay, Emma, Will and Lauren. They made a castle, home, park, shop, tree house, and a few more things I am forgetting.

May 29

Friday evening I got together with several of my girlfriends and visited for three hours. It was so much fun! It was the first time I have seen most of them in person since March. Before that I saw them multiple times a week at school pick up, playdates, carpooling to practice or other events. Since then we communicate mostly via a group text. I have seen some of them in our vehicles as we participate in birthday parades. Charlotte and Jolie organized this meet up and brought a bunch of delicious store-bought treats for us to share. Jolie, Charlotte, Jessica, Michelle, Jenny, Megan, Beth and Angela all came. We parked our cars in a circle and sat on our trunks or in camp chairs. I didn't realize how much I missed my friends until we were all together again.

May 30

Saturday was the busiest day we have had in literally months! At the end of the day I felt so exhausted. Even though we routinely had Saturdays like this before the pandemic hit, it was amazing to me how quickly I have adapted to the slower pace of life. The day started off early as I met up with a friend for breakfast. We ordered our food to-go from Panera and then went and sat in our camp chairs at a nearby park and visited while we ate. Will had his first baseball practice of the season, and Anthony is an assistant coach on his team so I couldn't stay and chat as long as I would have liked. Will's baseball season is condensed with a few adjustments to accommodate social distancing as much as possible (no sharing of bats or helmets, not using the dugout). Will appears to be the best pitcher on his team and will most likely be the starting pitcher. While Will was at practice Lauren, Elliott and I did a drive-by birthday parade for Hailey (Dana kept an eye of Miles for us). Anthony attempted to set up our above ground pool, but it turns out "pretty level" isn't level enough and we are going to have to come up with a way to make up the 8 inch difference. That afternoon our primary had a drive-through activity where they passed out bomb pops. Since donation places aren't open yet, I posted about an old miniature table and chairs we were getting rid of on our ward facebook page. A young mom "claimed" it and we dropped it off to her on our way home from the activity. That evening we provided dinner to the two sets of missionaries in our ward. We make them food and then they come and pick it up. That evening I felt so tired and Lauren and I hung out on the trampoline for awhile. She jumped while I sat on the side watching her and strategized with Tony about how we are going to get our pool to work. We are spending more time in our backyard than ever before. It is nice. After the kids went to bed Anthony and I painted in our half bath/laundry room and finished up about fifteen minutes before the Salazars arrived!

2020 :: week 21

May 17

After Dana cooked some vegetables and eggs for breakfast, Anthony and I decided to make some for lunch. They were so good! We have never been very fancy with our breakfast foods, mostly enjoying french toast for breakfast on holidays or when Papa John is in town or if we are eating with Uncle Ben. But we have been eating a lot more eggs lately as we have more time in the morning and Lauren enjoys making them.

May 18

There are few things Johnson County moms like more than berry picking excursions. After a spring full of staying at home, I was very excited to see that Meulebeke Market was going to be open Monday. We couldn't go until 12:30pm because Will had his virtual piano lesson at 11am and Lauren had a class meeting at 11:30am. It was a risk to go later in the day (they opened at 10am), and it was pretty picked over by the time we got there, but it was worth it. It wasn't very crowded and we were still able to get several pounds of delicious berries without wearing masks because it was easy to spread out. Dana came with us and picked another few pounds herself, she was by far the most efficient picker with the fewest non-ripe berries in her flat. The Wilsons met us there too and got quite a haul. It was a great activity to get outdoors and see others, but still remain fairly distant. Throughout the week we mixed the strawberries with yogurt, ice cream and milk for delicious treats.

May 19

Miles is still enjoying his "car." Most days when he starts to get grumpy I scoop him up, put him in his car and take a walk around the block. It makes me chuckle the way he grips the steering wheel and how serious he looks while he "drives." He will let go of the wheel to wave at other people and animals, especially dogs. Miles loves dogs! The wheels of the car are so loud I never take this thing on long walks, but it is perfect for a quick spin.

May 20

Wednesday was the beginning of the end of school. Elliott's preschool teacher, Ms. Amanda stopped by our house in the morning to drop off a goodie bag and to officially say goodbye. Even though he mostly ran around and showed off while she was here, he talked about the visit for the rest of the day. I really appreciate all she and the older kids' teachers did to keep connected to the kids during the quarter of "virtual learning." Later in the day we drove over to the school to pick up the contents of Will and Lauren's desks and cubbies. Their teachers went to school earlier in the week to pack up each students' belongings. Because only 10 school district employees were allowed on the school premises at a given time, the kindergarten through second grade teachers were spaced out at the park behind the school. Students and parents that wished to say goodbye in person could drive through and say hello through the window. We were able to say goodbye to many teachers that are special to us.

May 21

Our driveway has been the site of many homerun derbies this week. Will, Anthony and I have taken turns pitching to mostly Elliott and Will, but a few of our neighbors have wanted to get in on the action too. The weather has been gorgeous and we have gone outside after dinner multiple nights to get a few rounds of hitting in. Elliott's hitting has gotten so much better too!

May 22

Friday was an unusually busy day for Anthony. In the morning he officiated the marriage of the CEO of his company in the conference room at his office. In the evening he officiated the marriage of a member of our ward at his home. Because family members were unable to travel and gather for the occasion, they set up computers so they could participate via zoom. I attended the wedding with Anthony because they needed live witnesses. My parents watched our kids, and afterwards we went to a local pizza place and sat outside and ate our dinner. It was the most "normal" outing we have had together in months.

May 23

We spent a lot of time on Saturday working in our yard and on a variety of home projects. I bought this swing for the kids to use in our backyard. With the playgrounds closed here until at least mid-June, I thought it would be fun to have. The tree branch we hung it on is a little too high for the swing, so I bought some chain at Home Depot and with the added length it is perfect. I love hearing the kids squealing with delight as they play together on it. While Will and Lauren were pushing Elliott pretty high, Elliott kept yelling that he felt like he was "on the Barnstormer!" I am officially old because I started to feel nauseous when I went too high.

2020 :: week 20

May 10

We had a pretty good Mother's Day 2020. The kids were sweet and got along pretty well. Lauren and Anthony made me eggs and a yogurt parfait complete with chocolate chips for breakfast. I got to go on a long walk by myself and then read alone in my room for awhile. I did no cleaning or dishes. It was a simply perfect day. I love these little people and how patient they are with me as I am learning how to be a mom.

May 11

I spent several hours this week organizing our food storage and pantry. For awhile we had food in three places--long term storage, pantry overflow, kitchen pantry--and none of them were very organized. Last summer when we started our basement remodel we put our longer term food storage in one area, and upstairs pantry overflow in another. Because our kitchen is so small, we don't have room to keep large quantity of staples in our kitchen. We have seven people living here, five of whom are home all day everyday, so we go through a lot of food. This week I worked on getting all of our pantry staples organized and in one spot under the stairs. We have longer term storage down there as well, but it is not kept on this shelf. *

May 12

Miles keeps me on my toes. He is currently in the middle of the very fun must-get-into-everything-and-undo-what-mom-has-done phase.

May 13

The kids have been very into perler beads this week. Lauren especially has spent hours making creations that she plans on giving to her cousins this summer and school friends when she can see them again. Wednesday afternoon it was quite warm, so I turned on the sprinkler and the kids ran through the spray for a bit. Afterwards they brought the beads outside so they could work while still in their wet clothes.

May 14

On Thursday Lauren decided she wanted to make everyone breakfast. When I come out she had made place tags for everyone and was in the middle of making fulfilling orders. She made eggs for her and Will, sets out cereal and milk for Tony, made a yogurt parfait, made cinnamon toast for Elliott and had poured a cup of milk for Miles. I love how ambitious she is, and that she is usually working to make life easier for others.

May 15

On Friday afternoon we started letting the kids play with the neighbors again. Lauren's friend Henleigh invited her to fly kites at the park. It seemed like a pretty good activity to usher in in-person playing. At this point our kids are only playing with the children of two families that live very close to us. Lauren is our social butterfly, and social distancing has been the hardest on her of anyone in our family. She has kept in touch with her friends and cousins via Marco Polo and writing a lot of letters.

May 16

This weekend we started our half-bath remodel. In true "If you Give a Mouse a Cookie" fashion it has grown. Originally I just wanted to replace the toilet because it runs constantly. Then I thought if we were going to fix the toilet we might as well replace the faucet which is so old and filled with calcium buildup that the hot water has stopped working. Replacing the faucet led to getting rid of the entire aged vanity, which led to getting rid of the wallpaper, then the popcorn ceilings and finally replacing the light fixture and fan. I am justifying this because it gets the most traffic of any restroom in our house, and is the main bathroom visitors use. Will helped Anthony and I pull down the wall paper and glue Friday evening and Saturday afternoon. Here's to hoping this only takes about two weeks from start to finish!

2020 :: week 19

May 3

We have been spending a lot of time outside lately. Sunday afternoon Lauren and I sat on the driveway and read for a bit. I recently realized that I am not much more evolved than my baby. When Miles is grumpy I often take him outside for a few minutes to distract him from whatever is bothering him. We check the mail, walk around the yard, stop to smell whatever flowers are blooming and look for wildlife (squirrels, rabbits, birds, etc.). When I am grumpy heading outdoors helps me feel better too.

May 4

Monday afternoon the kids and I made a large batch of cookies. We made belated May day baskets and then delivered them to the women I am assigned to minister to in our ward as well as a new family who recently moved into our ward. To keep things safe we texted each family as we arrived and I left the basket of goodies on their porches. They came out and talked to us while we stayed in our car. Everyone seemed very happy to chat. The new family moved in right as the COVID-related stay-at-home order went into place and has yet to make new friends, so we decided to spread some cheer and welcome them to the ward. They live in an apartment so Anthony, Lauren and Elliott walked to cookies up to their doorway while the rest of us stayed in the car. It was a fun way to spend a rainy evening.

May 5

When we get up and leave for our morning walk by 9am the day goes really well. Tuesday was the only day that happened this week, oops. It was cold and rainy off and on all week, and my productivity directly correlated with the amount of sunshine. Tuesday was a very productive day. It is so strange to walk along Quivira these days. Quivira is a busy road and I usually avoid walking on it with all the kids because cars drive by at 45+mph. It is perfectly safe on the sidewalk, but the fast cars whizzing by make me a little nervous and it is harder for the kids to hear me if I call to them. Lately we are only seeing a few cars and are enjoying the smooth sidewalks.

May 6

This week the kids got really into climbing trees and Will and Lauren let me know that the trees in our yard are "terrible for climbing." The Japanese Maple in our front yard is only sufficient for the under 40 pounders, like Elliott. Several times during the week they walked over to the park together to climb the much better trees there. One day they came running back to the house to let me know that a cat got up in the tree that Will was climbing in and attacked him! He had scratches on his arm and leg, but seemed more proud about "surviving" the attack than he was upset about the incident.

May 7

Lauren has started making parts of breakfast for all the kids. She scrambles four eggs that she, Miles and Will share, and while they are cooking she prepares cinnamon toast for Elliott. I supervise and help her finish cooking the eggs on the stove, mainly because she is busy setting the table or working on the toast and is still learning how to tell when they are done. It is fun to see her take initiative and then following through.

May 8

It had been awhile since we had an "official" family movie night, so on Friday we started the tradition up again by watching Heavyweights on Disney+. It had just enough potty humor to make all three of our older kids laugh.

May 9

Saturday afternoon I worked on making our deck more Miles friendly. First, I cleaned up the remaining leaves, sticks, acorns and catkins that have fallen from our tree lately. Then I got out our deck scrubber, hosed off the deck and attempted to clean the dirt that was underneath the aforementioned tree debris. I found our old sand table and cleaned off the dust and put it out back with a few cars from our toy box. When I finally took Miles out back he was so excited! We found out this week that our neighborhood pool won't be open this summer (I am definitely crying very hard on the inside about this), so I am anticipating spending more time than usual in our backyard.

2020 :: week 18

April 26

When I got out of bed Sunday morning the big kids had already gotten Miles out of bed and had each built a habitat. All three of them really wanted Miles to join them in their "home," but failed to realize that Miles wouldn't respect the sanctity of the structure. After he destroyed two homes we had to put an end to this game because I wasn't in the mood for all the tears.

April 27

Elliott only eats dinner under the following circumstances: 1-a favorite food is served (homemade pizza, french toast, naan bread, mashed potatoes); 2-it is a dessert night; or 3-he is starving. We used to have assigned dessert nights, but Anthony decided to switch things up. Every night as we finish eating he flips a coin to determine if that night we get dessert. Heads you get dessert, tails you don't. Once the coin is flipped you cannot go back and eat more dinner to get your dessert. Lauren and Will have been loving this because they usually eat their dinner and are getting dessert more than before. Plus the anticipation for the coin toss is kind of exciting! Elliott has suffered some disappointments, like when he only ate his pasta and refused to eat the meatballs and the coin was heads, or when he ate tons of homemade pizza and edamame and the coin landed tails. But he is eating his dinner more consistently, so we will continue for now.

April 28

I very much look forward to my evening walk. I usually go after we put Lauren, Elliott and Miles to bed and before I read scriptures with Will. The sky has been so pretty lately, and as the sun goes down it almost feels cold. *

April 29

Elliott collected some of the many catkins that have fallen in our yard this week. They only come once a year, but they are obnoxious. He said he was making a house and the catkins were his bed.

April 30

After watching the series finale of LEGO Masters the big kids holed themselves up in Lauren's room and built for hours.

May 1

Elliott is Mr. Imagination. Sometimes on our walks I have to yell at him to get moving because Will and Lauren have gotten so far ahead of us I can't see them and Miles is grunting at me to move because we have stopped to wait for Elliott to catch up with us once again. He always happily speeds up, and then tells me about what he was doing. On this day he was collecting sticks for his house to protect against the Corona invasion. It is amusing to me how often he works in the corona virus and COVID-19 into his imaginary scenarios.

May 2

The lilacs at the side of our house are finally blooming and I am loving it! Maybe it is a symptom of our slower pace of life, but I am noticing and appreciating the flowers more this year. In the afternoon we went to a drive-by birthday party for our primary president. Her husband passed away at the end of March (from cancer) and her counselors organized a party so she could see her beloved primary kids. We made our kids wear masks for the first time (it was their first time out in public talking to people outside of our family) and we had a few meltdowns about how uncomfortable they were. I started getting a migraine on Saturday afternoon, so instead of saunaing with Anthony after the kids were in bed like we had planned, I sat outside the sauna and talked to him. We have found that if I sauna when I have a headache it gets way worse.