2020 :: week 36

August 30

We attended Sacrament meeting at church for the first time since March! Last Sunday the ward leadership sent out an email saying that we were authorized to hold sacrament meetings in person this Sunday for people who were interested. The meetings are capped at 40. There was a sign up genius for a 9am slot. When that slot filled up they opened up a 10:30 meeting. When that filled up they opened up at 12pm meeting. It amazing how small 40 people in the chapel feels! It was very easy to distance. The rows were marked so you could only sit every other row, though with the side pews no one was even that close. There was no singing, but an organist played a sacrament hymn and closing hymn. People that didn’t feel comfortable coming in person could continue to have their own sacrament meeting at home. Anthony spoke, but there was no broadcast to people that chose to worship at home. There were jugs of hand sanitizer all over and after the meeting they asked for volunteers to wipe down the pews, door handles, etc. Everyone but Miles was wearing a mask. It was strange how...comfortable it felt being in the quiet chapel, listening to the prelude music. Our ward will rotate with their other wards in our building, so we will only be able to meet in person every 3rd week. In between we will continue at home. Even though I am enjoying home church, this Sunday did feel more distinctly like the Sabbath.

August 31

Life with a toddler is two steps forward, one step back. Monday was especially like that for me and Mr. Miles. Monday is my "laundry day," and I plan on doing laundry all day until it is done. Besides making dinner and keeping the kids alive, laundry is the only thing on my agenda. Doing that has made my life so much easier because I *almost* never get overwhelmed with laundry. The kids help me sort and put away their own laundry. This week Miles pushed buttons and stopped the dryer, messing up the timing and then after I had sorted and folded his clothes and bedding he tossed them all over my bedroom floor right before I was going to take it upstairs and put it away. 

September 1

Yep, there he is again. Pulling stuff out of drawers while I attempt to get ready. He is very much in the "underfoot" stage. He likes to be close to me, and he is so busy! He is also teething and is not discriminating in the slightest about what he puts into his mouth. Thank goodness he can't open doors yet. The older kids are learning the close the toilet lid and shut the bathroom door because Miles loves splashing in the toilets--yuck! 

September 2

Lauren has started soccer practice again. They do a pretty good job of spreading out and keeping distance while practicing, but it remains to be seen how this translates into game time. I was on the fence about signing Lauren up, but so far it has been a good decision. She has really gotten into soccer, practicing at home in our yard with her brothers more than she ever has before. She is also enjoying seeing her friends, many of them for the first time since March. We had signed up for the spring season that was supposed to start mid-March, but after getting delayed a few time ended up getting cancelled.

September 3

Meet the teacher night looked a little different this year. Instead of walking up to the school, visiting each kids' classroom and dropping off school supplies we signed into WebEx and listened to their introductions at home. The introductory lectures were twice as long as they have been in the past due to all the contingencies and remote learning components. We will be starting the school year fully remote, hopefully going to hybrid two weeks after school starts (if case counts decline). If we do switch to hybrid Will and Lauren will be in the classroom Monday and Tuesday and remote learning Wednesday through Friday. Both teachers seem very nice and both kids have friends in their classes so it looks to be a great, albeit unique year.

September 4

Friday evening Anthony and I went on a date for the first time in...a long time. We celebrated our 14th anniversary at Old Chicago because we had a gift card to use. I feel like that is very apropos for our relationship. We didn't chose to go there because it was our favorite restaurant, though the food was fine. We went because it was practical. It was a gorgeous evening and we were able to eat outside and talk about the state of the world and our plans for the upcoming year (though we mostly ended up talking about the upcoming week).

September 5

Miles marks 18 months of Miles! It is hard to believe he's only been a part of our family for a year and a half. His personality has really emerged this summer. He is very playful and loves to laugh. He likes to read books, go outside and be with his older siblings. When the big kids are playing outside I will often look down and see that he has brought me his shoes, which we assume is his way of saying, "I want to go outside too!" He prefers to feed himself and has gotten quite adept at using a spoon. Fruit, cheese, rice, pasta and yogurt are always hits with him, as well as the perennial John-kid-favorite, Belvitas. The stack of favorite books in his room include Go Dog Go, I Like to be with My Family (Daniel Tiger), Moo Baa La La La, and Animal Orchestra. He safely and very carefully climbs up and down stairs, which has led to the older kids quickly learning to keep their bedroom doors shut, lest they want their bookshelves and Lego creations to be mauled by their curious baby bro. He was a late walker, only starting to walk in June, but is now walking with purpose everywhere except the stairs. He has twelve teeth, the eight front teeth and four molars. The molars were the source of a lot of grumpiness this spring and early summer. He loves to chew and he loves his pacifier, which is is generally only allowed to use when he is in his crib. He sleeps for about twelve hours at night and takes two 90ish minute naps a day. We like to joke that he loves social distancing and having everyone home with him so much. He's pretty sweet so we enjoy being with him too.