1st Week of July

120th Day of Quarantine

The expected high today was 80F.

We had a lovely lazy day.

Before lunch, Billy walked to Carl's to get the makings for chips and queso.

Grace made spaghetti and meatballs for lunch, with just a little help from me. = )

I made a little progress on the pile of masks.

Billy went to get Wendy's for a late dinner, but ended up taking my car since his car did not start. = (  Hopefully it's just a battery issue, but we won't find out until tomorrow.

We watched some Jim Gaffigan comedy and the first episode of Carnival Row.   I'm not that into it, but we might give it another chance, sometimes it takes a few episodes for things to get going.

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119th Day of Quarantine

The high today was a warm, rainy 79F.

We were up and at it early today, since we had quite a list of things to do!

For Art this week, the kids followed a tutorial to draw some funny monsters!  They each inserted their personalities into their products and I was so impressed!

Once morning activities were finished, Emily and I ran some 'consolation' packages by the Eaton's & Stepp's.

Jessica modelling some of the goodies! <3

Matt and Deb with their gear:

We then dashed home so that I could grab William and get to Hastings for an 11:50 covid test for him, in preparation for his surgery on Monday. 

There is not a good direct path, so we ended up zigzagging the backroads.  I had trouble twice, due to road names being the same.  In Vermontville, Main Street intersects with Main Street!  And in Hastings, two roads called State Rd. come in from the East.  We did make it on time, but just so.

We were there less than 5 minutes, and only that long because William fought me when it was time to take his sample.  (This was not the awful test with the swab in the throat, but an easier one that they just need to poke the swab in his nose.)

When we left, we decided to go to a few touristy spots on the trip home.  We saw a park called Fish Hatchery Park.   It was a very nice park, and there were tons of fish in the water!

I found 6 fish (or most of a fish) in this picture:

The playground was open, but there was a party going on in the pavilion, so we were trying to keep our distance from the other park goers.

We found a very cool tank in downtown Vermontville. William thought it was cool enough to get out and take another picture. = )

We stopped for gas in town, since we have such an early morning Monday.

Once we got home it was time to pick up and put things away.  Then check the mail, and get started on dinner, since we had a Zoom scheduled with the Stepps at 5!  It was nice to 'party' with them for a few minutes and catch up.

The weather today has been very rainy, so, had the party occurred as planned earlier this year, we would have all been in the carport with our swing music, root beer and liquorice.

For dinner we scarfed down Hamburger Helper (that Juliet requested.)

We finished off the day with some Kim Possible. = )

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118th Day of Quarantine

The high today was 93F.  We had some light rain blow in this afternoon dropping the temperature to not so warm by the time I took out the trash.

I spent some time today cleaning the mailbox and painting the flag back to a bright red.  It isn't perfect, but it does look better. = )

For dinner we had PF Chang's Honey Chicken and rice.  Everyone liked it.

I spent some time picking out fabric and cutting out masks to give away.  I think they will go up to the kids' (previous) school (assuming it opens.) If not, I'll find somewhere else to donate them.  I also made myself another mask using my bluebonnet fabric that I found buried deep in my fabric chest. = )

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117th Day of Quarantine

The high today was 90F.  We had some clouds roll in this afternoon, bringing rain (hopefully) and cooling things off. = (

Alice finally had her final appointment with her eye therapy doctor today.  Originally it was scheduled for April, and was bumped back today.  She exited the program with flying colors!  She will not have to do the exercises any longer.  And, as a bonus, the doctor did her yearly 'check up' so we won't need to make another eye appointment for her until next year!

After we left the doctor, we went up to Menard's to gather science supplies.  It feels good to have most of the list squared away at this point.  = )

For dinner we are having beans and hotdogs.

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116th Day of Quarantine

The high today was 94F!  We spent some time on the porch this afternoon enjoying the warm air and cool breeze.

For Alice's monster, she chose to draw the flag of Albania, inspired by one of the monsters in the book. = )

The washer repair man came today and fixed my washer (just as 5pm approached.)  It seems to be working perfectly.  Now, I just need to get caught up on my backlog of laundry!

A nurse called for William's pre-surgery chat.  She gave me bad news about his covid test.  We will have to go on Friday to a hospital almost an hour out for him to be tested.  = (  I'm not looking forward to this additional drive on top of his 7:15am ear tube procedure.  Don't get me wrong, I'm thankful for the early timeslot (since he will have to fast) but two drives just days apart for less than fun medical procedures is not really my favorite.

For dinner, I made grilled cheese served with a side of grapes.  It was simple, but everyone seemed to enjoy it. = )

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115th Day of Quarantine.  

Thought I'd take a moment to reiterate that it is currently voluntary.  We are not required to distance ourselves from society by any governing entity. I'm feeling lonely, and I know the kids are missing their friends, and Billy is missing the comradery of the office, but it is for the best.

It was bound to happen, and finally did.  Someone that I knew (in high school) is living through the corona virus.  He's posting updates each day, which might be helpful should the virus find it's way to us.  Michigan is fairly isolated from the raging cases in Texas and Florida, but as people travel, gather and party the situation can quickly change.  

The high today was a perfect summer temperature of 92F!  Billy worked out on the porch (but did commandeer the box fan from our room.)  We ran the air conditioner inside though.

Today was busy.  This morning I picked up groceries, got gas, went by the bank, dropped letters at the post office, took the medicine recycling box to FEDEX, and then dropped the mixed recycling at Sarah's.

When I came home, I decided to tackle the science list, and it is a doozy.  I have many of the items, but will need to claim a few from future recycling and make a trip to Menard's for the rest.

I've been feeling a bit introspective the last few weeks, as old memories crop up.  I recognized that one of the main influences in my skirt wearing was probably my 2nd/4th grade teacher (Mrs. Gerrick) who wore broomstick skirts much of each year.  Also, Mark Lester (of Oliver circa 1968) was the vision of how any of my boy children would be.  William does have some traits, though not the ones I would have predicted. = ) 

I also came to the conclusion today that very soon many people are going to switch to homeschooling, and it would be best if I finished purchasing the books for the later terms.  I realize this will mean that some of them will not be used (since I'm combining Forms I & II) but I don't want to not be able to get a book that we need, due to lack of supply.  So, finishing up book shopping has moved up on my todo list.

For dinner we had leftover steak & veggie PF Changs veggie egg rolls.  I though it was tasty, the kids thought I was trying to kill them.  ::eyeroll::  Billy was middle of the road, but didn't' complain.

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114th Day of Quarantine

The temperature today is expected to reach 90F.

I emptied the pool yesterday, cleaned it and started to refill it today.  Most of the kids spent their 'hour outside' in the filling pool.

The laundry is quickly piling up.  I'm ready for our repair guy to come Tuesday!

For dinner we had frozen dinners.

I'm trying my best to engross myself in another book, but am still feeling too emotionally involved in the cormoran strike series to fully engage in another series.

Our 'indoor' plants that I place outside for the nice temperatures were eaten and torn apart (probably by a chipmunk) so I moved them inside for safety.

later days

21st May, 69th Day of Quarantine, 42nd Day of School at Home

The high today was a sunny and pleasant 73F!

I spent a good chunk of time on the phone with my bank and Orkin, trying to resolve a double charge. The manager was supposed to call me back, but never did.

Schooling on Thursdays is pretty good, as the workload gets progressively lighter during the week, and my kids are pretty good at front-loading their week.

I ran to pick up some goodies from Deb's porch for our MOPS MAD night, and left a box for Hanna, since we failed to meet up at the park.

I spent some more hours on my teaching certification.  150 hours is so daunting, so I'm trying to push through while I have the motivation. = )  I like the new program well enough, but I am still disappointed that they removed all the 'free' courses from the Gateway platform.  In the new platform though, you can watch the videos at double speed which is way cool!

We also got in the field guide we were instructed to order for school in the fall, and it is so cool!  Emily, William and I spent some time outside trying to identify the plants in our yard.  We didn't find a perfect match for the tiny white flowers, so I'm not sure what they are, even now. We identified the bird that has nested on the backside of our carport: a house finch!

Sarah came by and mowed my lawn for me (score!) so now I don't have to worry about that for another week. = )  I also sent a bag of school supplies that is destined for the school to live in her basement until next October when school is well underway it will be welcomed instead of a burden.

Grace must have been MIA yesterday when we were building the trolley, because she didn't even know about it.  She had a good time pretending to be a doctor and passing out medicine (milk duds) and giving shots for sore throats...  At least I know these will get use even if we discontinue homeschooling!

We all contributed some names to a 'drawing' for what we should call our book trolleys.  Emily and Juliet submitted the winning names: "Candyland" and "Homework Trolley."  I wanted Holly & Molly, the book Trolleys. But I didn't win. = (

It was warm enough that the kids set up the slip and slide for some outdoor water fun!

For dinner we had PF Changs freezer sweet and sour chicken for the first time.  With the exception of the bag recommending only cooking one bag at a time (so i had to lengthen the cook times) I was very impressed and will buy it again!

Thursday night is the weekly meeting with the other parents in Alice's class.  Since MAD was right after, I tried setting up the webcam on my upstairs computer so that my phone wouldn't die during the meeting.  That computer was too old, so Billy moved up my CPU to use with the upstairs auxilaries.  I had to bring up speakers, then headphones since the speakers weren't loud enough.  Sadly, the wifi is just too slow, and I ended up at the parent meeting on my phone anyhow.

Thankfully, it was a short meeting, so I was able to return everything to it's proper place and re set my downstairs station before the MOPS event.

We played a little bit of a game, but mostly just enjoyed chatting.  It's so nice to not be in this alone!

Because of the double meeting, it was a quick group bedtime for my crew, and a slightly late bedtime for me.

Tomorrow William has a local doctor's appointment, and they will be coming out to the car??  So many new adventures!

later days

April 30th, 48th Day of Quarantine, School at Home Day 27

Today the expected high was only 54F.  It rained most of the day, and was dreary even when the precipitation stopped.

We had some late risers this morning, so not much school work got done before my mops meeting and subsequent table group zoom.  So, when it was finally time to go back to work, after a lazy morning for my little ones, Juliet had a hard time adjusting.

She told me that the work I give (from her teacher) is way harder than what her teacher gives.  She also lamented that her teacher always gives free choice.  I tried to snap a picture to send to her teacher of her pout, but she couldn't help but smile at her own ridiculousness.

I got an email encouraging particpation in a PTO driven teacher appreciation activity.  They asked for pictures, so I used the pillowcase & paint application to save on printer ink!

William had a google meet with his class this afternoon, and I'm fixin' to go to one for all the parents in Alice's class.

After second recess I washed all of William's bedding and did one more lice treatment, despite the lack of evidence I've seen all week, just in case.

I also took a toothbrush to the upstairs screens, since they were all dusty.  That then lead to vacuuming the upstairs before I started dinner.

For dinner we had hot dogs and beans.  William likes it enough to ask for seconds and the rest of us like it well enough that we eat it fairly often.

I also began my research for a regular homeschool option this fall, just in case the schools start back before we are willing to send our "history of respiratory issue" babies back into a public school building.  It's exciting and intimidating, but the stakes are high enough to make it worth it.

We had an ideal start time for our bedtime routine, so I had time to read an extra book, my favorite of the bedtime stories, Llama Llama Red Pajama to my babies.

Hopeful for a drier, warmer day tomorrow!

later days

April 29th, 47th Day of Quarantine, School at Home Day 26

The expected high today is a chilly 62F.  We are expecting more rain in addition to what we have already had this morning. = (

Today was a regular day of school at home, complete with whining and smiles when the day was done.  = )

Emily had her weekly appointment with her teacher, and it just happened to be her birthday. So we blew up a few balloons, broke out some streamers and made a printout to wish her a happy birthday during the 10 minute time slot. = )

Billy seemed to have an onslaught of meetings all morning, so I took my chance to go during the first outdoor recess.

I drove (in a light rain) to retrieve our goodie 'bag' for our MOPS meeting tomorrow.  It wasn't too long of a trip and I dropped off an extra one for one of the ladies who also lives in Dimondale (that I'm not sure I've met?!?  Will certainly need to remedy that when the time comes!)

The kids were mostly finished when I returned, just lacking piano.

Once Grace finished her piano, I took out a project that I've had low on my to-do list for at least a decade! I'm translating an old German book (written in awful German script) for my own personal benefit.

That "G" looking letter at the beginning of the word? It's actually an S.  and the m in the middle, yeah, that's a w.  So the word is "Siegeswagens"  Which didn't translate.  But it is describing the statue on top of the Brandenburger Tor in Berlin, so I translated it to Victory Chariot.  In my searching I learned that we have adopted the Latin term for it and it is often referred to as a quadriga. Who knew?

For dinner we had egg fried rice.  And after dinner I attempted to use William's tablet as a webcam with his computer (our old laptop just doesn't have the processing power for the full group meetings...) but couldn't make it happen.  Once I gave up for the evening, I logged on with the laptop and got to chat with William's teacher a while.

I know my kids miss their teachers even more than I do, which just makes me really sad, because I really miss their teachers!  I'm happy to be able to connect with them one way or another!

Hopefully my dear ones can knock out their work quickly tomorrow,  so that I can 'relax' a bit during my mops meeting. Well, a girl can hope.

later days

April 27th, 45th Day of Quarantine, School at Home Day 24

The expected high today is 62F.  There is a small front moving in, which has made it feel much cooler than this morning when it was sunny.

Today, the kids went to work (almost) straight away. William had a 10am video meeting.  Right after that I had to head out to pick up groceries. Billy had a meeting, so the kids were outside when I left.

I stopped by the UPS store to drop off an amazon return, then took my recycling to Sarah's.  I then rushed to my Kroger appointment. I was still 1 minute late for my window, but they didn't give me any grief.  I 'filled up' with gas, but it was only a couple of gallons since my car spends most days parked in the carport.

After that I drove up to drop of the goods from the parade that I missed yesterday.  Then I failed at sneaking a drop off to another one of the moms, but it was a fail in the best kind of way.  I think we stood about 12 feet apart and chatted in her driveway for like an hour.  I got a message from Billy telling me that he had to go in to ship some material at his office.  So, instead of my final drop, I headed home.

The groceries didn't take too long to store away, but I had packages and dishes and laundry to manage once they were.

Emily wanted to participate  in the daily challenge on the church kids' page today.  She really enjoyed eating the "apple cookies!"

We finally got in our strawberry roots!  We planted them with the little bit of soil we had on hand.  I'll grab a couple of bags the next time I go to Sam's (maybe next week?)

While we waited on dinner, I ran one more nearby porch delivery to another busy mom, with the companionship of William, Grace and Juliet.

For dinner we had lasagna.

Alice fell asleep before dinner, and was slow waking this morning.  My theory is that she's growing into her feet.  = )

Thankful that the rest of the week is slated to be slower and less busy than today.

later days

April 23rd, 41st Day of Quarantine, 22nd Day of School at Home

The expected high is 49F today.  It was really cold, and rained, and we never saw the sun.  Have I mentioned that I'm done with the cold? No, oh, well I am.  Totally done.

I used almost all of the browning bananas in chocolate chip banana nut bread this morning, and the loaf was gone by lunch!

Billy got an email this morning that his company is furloughing some people, including engineering. This would be an 8 week furlough, which is a long time. So that was a lovely stress that I could have done without.

William started itching his head again, so more lice treatment and more laundry.  We're past the two week mark, and all the stuffed animals are still in the basement.  I've sprayed everything, so I'm hoping that it was just an itchy head, since I didn't find anything with the comb.  Also stress I could have done without.

An email came later that Billy would continue working for now, thank goodness!

We did 'whole group' kinetics today.  They called for pool noodles, but gave some ideas for substitutes.  So, we used foam cups!

Grace used the final banana in a blueberry-banana smoothie.  It wasn't much, but she, William and Alice managed to split it three ways. = )

I found time to finish yesterday's hat and one more today for a nice pleasant 10 to send to Diem!

Grace and Juliet and William all had Zoom meetings today, then I had one this evening with Alice's teacher (and the other parents in the class) and then I had a MOPS Zoom for virtual watercolor painting.  It was really fun! Also, I totally stole Deb's group picture.

For dinner we had cheese tortellini in alfredo.

Now it is late, and time for bed after a ridiculously stressful day, that at least ended with just the right amount of art. = )

later days

April 18th, 36th Day of Quarantine

The expected high today is 54F.  It is sunny, but windy and still too cool to spend time outside.  At least it's not snowing.

We didn't sleep in much, despite the late bedtime.  After starting some laundry, knocking out a few chores and making some pancakes, it took no time at all for our scheduled Prescott meeting!

Once the kids were finished, Caroline and I got to talk (kind of) face to face until her battery died.  Video technology has seriously been the best during this time, and while it's not nearly as cool as the Jetson's, it still feels novel and fun to chat with everyone on camera. = )

For lunch I ordered pizzas, and happened upon Rachel on my return walk.  It's been a social couple of days!

I reassembled the downstairs beds (It's been more than 14 days since we've spotted a louse) I so hope we are in the clear.  The stuffed animals will be staying in quarantine until May 15th, a couple of weeks past recommended time, because I do not want to take any chances.  I also repaired my broken bedside table, ordered some planters for our front porch and organized the area around my sewing machine.

I ordered some lanterns for Billy, during his last experiment, and they finally came in! (Amazon used to have 2 day shipping, it's a much longer wait during the outbreak.) It was a little windy today, so the lantern did not float. = (

Billy kept having to avoid the flames, so Emily stayed on the porch with me, holding the retrieval string.

We have 4 more to try out, hopefully we can get one in the air when it is a little warmer and less windy!

After our Wine date, Billy and I watched through a few more episodes of the Witcher, again.  Then it was time for bed!

Thankful for milder weather and another Saturday with my family. = )

later days

April 17th, 35th day of Quarantine, 18th Day of School at Home

Today's expected high is 36F. It is currently snowing, still.  The sky has been at it all day.

Once the kids started on their school work, I managed a few more hats for Diem.  The orange shiny fabric is tough to iron, so it took me twice as long.  The hat also turned out really stiff, so I don't think I'll make any more with that type of fabric.

For lunch I turned some of the leftover brisket and yesterday's chicken into fajitas.  It was really tasty!

I had a parent/teacher Zoom meeting with Alice's class.

And then, right after that, I got to chat with some of my long lost Bear Creek friends!  (I shamelessly stole the picture from Kristey.)  It was so good to see them, and made this time feel less scary and sad.

And then, to finish out our night, all 7 of us snuggled up on the couch and watched and episode of Kim Possible.  Y'all, 19 year old me would not have ever believed this story.

I'm over the cold and the snow, but oh so happy to have the life I have.

later days

April 16th, Day 34 of Quarantine, School at Home, Day 18th

The expected high today is a measly 40F.  Woke up to another dusting on the ground, but the sun has peeked out a few times, but it is still cold.

The kids started their school work, but at 9:30 I left them to their own devices (read: not much working going on ) so that I could go to a virtual meeting. = )

My mops group had a live meet-up today, followed by a zoom with our table.  It's nice to feel connected, especially with everything being closed.

I sewed up 3 new hats for Diem and her coworkers, some of them during my Zoom meeting with my table, but the rest gave me time to think.

I sewed pieces of this directional fabric back together for a large enough piece to go with the tie that I had already made:

People are angry and scared (and bored) right now which will be interesting to study, but not fun to live.  Friendships are being completely demolished.  People are hurting because they can't work, no one wants to get sick, and the protest yesterday in Lansing strained many relationships.

I do want the record to show that a silver lining for our household is that we are using the terrible trash bags (liners =/= trash bags) at a much faster pace, so we might actually use them before the 5 year estimate I made when they arrived. = )

For dinner we had salt and pepper chicken shish kebab from Sam's, with some vegetable skewers and rice.

I had enough free time to watch some Supernatural in the evening, but the episode was the Scooby-Doo crossover, so I had to keep shooing the kids out of the room.

I'm ready for the week to be over, thankfully tomorrow is Friday!

later days

April 15th, 33rd Day of Quarantine, 17th Day of School at Home

The expected high today was 36F.  But there was snow on the ground this morning, and it snowed almost the entire day.  I don't know if it actually reached 36, but at one point Billy bumped up the heat because it was just too cold inside. = (

This morning the twins and William had back to back Zoom meetings.  So, the twins were on the laptop and William got my phone.

I thought that this week would be one where I didn't have to go anywhere (since I went to Sam's on Friday) but our MOPS leaders made us goody backs for tomorrow's meeting, so I made the short trip to grab my bag off of a porch.  Inside was a photo challenge, so that made for an exciting afternoon. = )  They gave us some props to use, and other challenges using things around the house.

Sitting out on a snowy, freezing porch with my umbrella (prop) stuck in a piece of pineapple on the rim of my cranberry juice.

The art recreations was totally on my radar already, but I was so excited to have a double reason to make it happen.  I picked Van Gogh's The Potato Eaters, because there were five people in the painting.

Alice helped me with my origami cat.

I also made two more hats to send to Diem, since my first one hadn't yet arrived.  The seam binding is the time consuming part, since I am making it from the material.  I should just use what I've got, but it looks so much better when it matches completely!

And, while all the accessories were out, Emily had some fun.

Wearing all the accessories:

And Grace spent an hour or so making necklace art:

For dinner we had chicken and noodle alfredo (with a bunch of add-ins.)  Billy was a big fan, the kids not so much.

We had a crafty, creative afternoon and it made today go much faster than yesterday!

later days