Hi you guys!!
I don't have any idea what day it is anymore. haha Throughout this quarantine I've had several moments that led me to the realization that things might not ever go back to the "way they were" before what has felt like, the world closing down. In some ways that's a good thing! I imagine there will be extra measures taken in cleanliness ... restaurants, libraries, grocery stores, even airports. Hopefully it will result in less germs being spread around and less sickness. In fact, I was scrolling through my camera roll the other day and saw that the last time one of our kids were sick was February! While I miss the sweet snuggly spontaneous napping that comes with it, I don't miss seeing them feel yucky.
I do however miss eating in a restaurant!! Even with kids! One of our last meals out was to our favorite lunch spot, Cafe Rio. We tried doing a pick up order with them once since and it was an epically long wait in the parking lot as I sat on hold with someone from the franchise who told me I needed to go inside to get my order? This was only a couple weeks in to the stay at home order, we didn't have masks yet, and I wasn't about to grab that door handle that had been touched by hundreds. Not to mention wait in a not-so-socially distant line inside the building. But this sweet memory of Lyla making a smile with her orange slice is enough to make me miss it!
I also miss the park ... our kids REALLY miss the park! Keeping them off of the neighborhood ones has not been an easy task. Our walks and bike rides have often ended in disappointment when I have to remind them that the parks just aren't ready to be played on quite yet. The last time we went, Lyla had just mastered climbing up this tunnel all by herself. Something she desperately wanted to do to keep with her best friend. Liam might not be quite as proud of her now that he can be chased. ;) haha
The second the temperatures began to warm up in February we did the hike to Table Rock on a Saturday morning. Lyla walked a lot of the way up and I was so proud of them both for making it to the top. It is about a 2 hour hike round trip! Their little legs were getting pretty tired near the end and we were both taking a turn packing one of them for a bit.
The view of the city is always worth the climb!
I feel so thankful that my aunts were able to squeeze in their trip to visit us before the virus made it so travel wasn't possible anymore.
We spent an entire day of girl time ... going out to lunch and shopping together at the village! I miss them already!
I found this bat costume for Liam on clearance for $7 at H&M while we were shopping and he absolutely adores it!
Right about January Lyla cut out her nap. It was really hard on me at first. She was a whole year younger than when Liam dropped his so it felt unexpected for me but also because she showed very little interest in quiet time. I'd try to put on a movie for the two of them to watch together and she would only last 5 minutes and then come find me. Luckily there were a few random days where she'd get so worn out she would crash and I'd take full advantage of having her sleep in my arms.
We also miss the Children's Museum. Seems silly now since it has hardly gotten used, but my brother got them a season pass for Christmas and we went a couple times before it closed for a while.
"Momma wook! I'n brusheen da disaur's teef!"
My little shopper ... we both miss Target! haha
Making me a pizza. <3 p="">
My favorite part about the season pass is you get to go an hour before it opens to the general public so it usually is empty from 9-10. They had this whole pizza restaurant to themselves and played so well together! Liam made a pizza and Lyla made the salad.
How cute is that little fisherman!!!
It was hysterical watching these two fish together off the side of the boat! Both cheating and stuffing their fish inside the paddle with their hands. haha
Her favorite part, a pony ride!
Then there was Kindergarten orientation. At first I was thinking, isn't this awfully early to be having orientation in February when school doesn't start until the end of August?! But now looking back, I'm SO glad it happened when it did. I can't imagine sending Liam off to Kindergarten on his first day without him ever seeing the inside of the school. The orientation was so comprehensive and so well done. They even let the kids take a ride on a bus around the school parking lot to try it out for the first time. Looking at this picture of him makes me emotional but here we are. That tiny little 6 pound baby that I had yesterday is now 5 going on 6 soon and riding his very first bus.
I got teary as he climbed on and sat down in his seat and only the tippy top of his eyes showed over the bottom edge of the window. Lyla and I will feel a little lost without him in the mornings next year but I feel like this quarantine time has been a blessing that I needed. Just a little bit of extra time with him every day before he spreads his wings. He is so ready and I am so proud of how much he learned during his preschool years. He went from only saying one sound on his first day of preschool and now, three years later, he is reading! The world is ready for you to take it by storm, Liam Rex!
Water guns in February? Sure, girl!
Liam went through this adorable phase where he would ransack our recycling can every day and get to work imagining and creating all of these amazing things. Giving life to the saying, "one man's trash is another man's treasure!" Love his creative heart so much!
Being cooped up with nowhere to go but outside has led us on a lot of family walks around the neighborhood. She always brings something from home with her ... her unicorn backpack, a baby, or in this case, a fairy wand and asks for a ride on daddy's shoulders.
We continued a spring tradition I started with them last year and painted wooden eggs to add to our collection. They both wanted EXTRA glitter on theirs. ;)
God bless magnet blocks and legos! We've built a million things out of them over the last few months and they both always want me to "take a picture of what I made"! <3 nbsp="" p="">
We haven't been the perfect parents and our patience has worn a little thinner than "before the world closed down" but we've had a lot of redeeming moments too. A lot more getting down on the floor and saying yes to the airplane ride and setting aside an extra hour from work to build a pirate ship out of a box, duct tape, and rope. So things may not ever go back to the way they were before the world closed down but I'm okay with it because I am embracing everything that this season of life has taught me. Thankful for a chance to slow down with them because they are only little once.
I don't have any idea what day it is anymore. haha Throughout this quarantine I've had several moments that led me to the realization that things might not ever go back to the "way they were" before what has felt like, the world closing down. In some ways that's a good thing! I imagine there will be extra measures taken in cleanliness ... restaurants, libraries, grocery stores, even airports. Hopefully it will result in less germs being spread around and less sickness. In fact, I was scrolling through my camera roll the other day and saw that the last time one of our kids were sick was February! While I miss the sweet snuggly spontaneous napping that comes with it, I don't miss seeing them feel yucky.
I do however miss eating in a restaurant!! Even with kids! One of our last meals out was to our favorite lunch spot, Cafe Rio. We tried doing a pick up order with them once since and it was an epically long wait in the parking lot as I sat on hold with someone from the franchise who told me I needed to go inside to get my order? This was only a couple weeks in to the stay at home order, we didn't have masks yet, and I wasn't about to grab that door handle that had been touched by hundreds. Not to mention wait in a not-so-socially distant line inside the building. But this sweet memory of Lyla making a smile with her orange slice is enough to make me miss it!
I also miss the park ... our kids REALLY miss the park! Keeping them off of the neighborhood ones has not been an easy task. Our walks and bike rides have often ended in disappointment when I have to remind them that the parks just aren't ready to be played on quite yet. The last time we went, Lyla had just mastered climbing up this tunnel all by herself. Something she desperately wanted to do to keep with her best friend. Liam might not be quite as proud of her now that he can be chased. ;) haha
The second the temperatures began to warm up in February we did the hike to Table Rock on a Saturday morning. Lyla walked a lot of the way up and I was so proud of them both for making it to the top. It is about a 2 hour hike round trip! Their little legs were getting pretty tired near the end and we were both taking a turn packing one of them for a bit.
The view of the city is always worth the climb!
I feel so thankful that my aunts were able to squeeze in their trip to visit us before the virus made it so travel wasn't possible anymore.
We spent an entire day of girl time ... going out to lunch and shopping together at the village! I miss them already!
I found this bat costume for Liam on clearance for $7 at H&M while we were shopping and he absolutely adores it!
Right about January Lyla cut out her nap. It was really hard on me at first. She was a whole year younger than when Liam dropped his so it felt unexpected for me but also because she showed very little interest in quiet time. I'd try to put on a movie for the two of them to watch together and she would only last 5 minutes and then come find me. Luckily there were a few random days where she'd get so worn out she would crash and I'd take full advantage of having her sleep in my arms.
We also miss the Children's Museum. Seems silly now since it has hardly gotten used, but my brother got them a season pass for Christmas and we went a couple times before it closed for a while.
"Momma wook! I'n brusheen da disaur's teef!"
My little shopper ... we both miss Target! haha
Making me a pizza. <3 p="">
My favorite part about the season pass is you get to go an hour before it opens to the general public so it usually is empty from 9-10. They had this whole pizza restaurant to themselves and played so well together! Liam made a pizza and Lyla made the salad.
How cute is that little fisherman!!!
It was hysterical watching these two fish together off the side of the boat! Both cheating and stuffing their fish inside the paddle with their hands. haha
Her favorite part, a pony ride!
Then there was Kindergarten orientation. At first I was thinking, isn't this awfully early to be having orientation in February when school doesn't start until the end of August?! But now looking back, I'm SO glad it happened when it did. I can't imagine sending Liam off to Kindergarten on his first day without him ever seeing the inside of the school. The orientation was so comprehensive and so well done. They even let the kids take a ride on a bus around the school parking lot to try it out for the first time. Looking at this picture of him makes me emotional but here we are. That tiny little 6 pound baby that I had yesterday is now 5 going on 6 soon and riding his very first bus.
I got teary as he climbed on and sat down in his seat and only the tippy top of his eyes showed over the bottom edge of the window. Lyla and I will feel a little lost without him in the mornings next year but I feel like this quarantine time has been a blessing that I needed. Just a little bit of extra time with him every day before he spreads his wings. He is so ready and I am so proud of how much he learned during his preschool years. He went from only saying one sound on his first day of preschool and now, three years later, he is reading! The world is ready for you to take it by storm, Liam Rex!
Water guns in February? Sure, girl!
Liam went through this adorable phase where he would ransack our recycling can every day and get to work imagining and creating all of these amazing things. Giving life to the saying, "one man's trash is another man's treasure!" Love his creative heart so much!
Being cooped up with nowhere to go but outside has led us on a lot of family walks around the neighborhood. She always brings something from home with her ... her unicorn backpack, a baby, or in this case, a fairy wand and asks for a ride on daddy's shoulders.
We continued a spring tradition I started with them last year and painted wooden eggs to add to our collection. They both wanted EXTRA glitter on theirs. ;)
God bless magnet blocks and legos! We've built a million things out of them over the last few months and they both always want me to "take a picture of what I made"! <3 nbsp="" p="">
We haven't been the perfect parents and our patience has worn a little thinner than "before the world closed down" but we've had a lot of redeeming moments too. A lot more getting down on the floor and saying yes to the airplane ride and setting aside an extra hour from work to build a pirate ship out of a box, duct tape, and rope. So things may not ever go back to the way they were before the world closed down but I'm okay with it because I am embracing everything that this season of life has taught me. Thankful for a chance to slow down with them because they are only little once.