The last two weeks in June brought a few more breaks in our family's very strict, until now, quarantine, though Annabel thinks it is still going on actually, and it sorta is as far as I'm concerned- I'm in no hurry to take the kids anywhere, with things so crazy again around the country, though around here we're pretty good, but still...I'm cautious and careful because this thing isn't gone. The kids know what's going on, they know I'm on the side of staying home still, and they know we still have to socially distance and wear masks everywhere and all, things aren't all that different for them (for example, they have yet to set foot in a store- to their delight, actually- they really don't miss going anywhere, period). I myself have started to run a few small errands, which have been good for me. It's good to get out and about in small bits to see and feel this new normal, but it's also very weird. I hate this, I really do. I've decided it's just a lot of work to go anywhere now and not actually worth it. My bank account will thank me, haha.
Anyway, my most exciting news is that our library is now open! Like we can actually go IN the library! The day it opened I took a walk there (the most delightful thing in the world!) to pick up a hold that we really wanted (our next book for Zoom read aloud with my mom!) and to look around and see it for myself. It was very weird. All plexiglass-ed, arrow-ed, signed, no tables, no chairs, no computers in use, etc. etc. that anybody who has set foot in a store (not me) knows all too well now. A new normal, indeed. My biggest takeaway though- it didn't smell like a library anymore; it smelled clinical from all the sanitizer and cleaning they are doing every time someone touches something basically. It was awful, really. I hated that smell most of all. Wearing the mask eventually got stifling of course and I couldn't wait to get outside, but over time (I've since gone to the library probably a half a dozen times- each time, basically NObody is ever there, which is good but also sad) I've actually really gotten used to the mask and barely notice it anymore, which is good I guess. I'm thinking these library trips were really good baby steps for me. I felt much more like I could dabble in a few more necessary errands as a result of this practice going to the library, though I have still vowed not to overdo it. I just don't like being out, it feels icky and wrong.
Daniel had an ortho check up appointment mid-June at our dentist's office, which he did not relish one bit. The office called us to tell us all about the new procedures- call when you arrive, they ask wellness questions, you go in when they are ready for you, you sign off that you answered wellness questions to best of knowledge, they ask more questions (I can't remember if they took temperatures, too- Ben took him), they take you back to your room, you wear your mask at all times until they begin procedures/check ups, etc. etc. What a thing this all is! Like I said, a lot of work just to go anywhere. Whew. This appointment was just his retainer follow up with his ortho, so it was a super quick appointment. Ben took a picture (as he did when he took Annabel for her well visit to the doctor in April)- Daniel looks really unhappy of course, poor kid, though it was more that he had to go in the first place, not necessarily the masking and all. Quick and easy appointment though and they were out of there in no time at all. Next up- we all need our regular teeth cleaning appointments. For some reason, I'm not in a huge hurry...
I had an Old Navy return to do by July 1st, so that was my first non-library outing. It went fine. I did look around a tiny bit, though it was a lot of work to pay attention to other people, watch where I was going and all, it's not something I'm likely to enjoy doing much more. I found a few things for the kids, but pretty much didn't stay long. I was ready to be out of there in a matter of minutes.
Ben has started going to work on plane renovations at the local airport again. He enjoys this little side hobby and project work. Annabel has been keen to go and Ben was able to reassure me that basically they are working on their own well away from others and all are masked as well, so I've let her go with him and she just LOVES the time working on projects there. They were pulling the letters off the plane, among other things, so that was her big job for a couple weeks. She's a cutie and it's so fun to see her involved in something with Daddy, too.
Friend time for the kids still looks like a lot of social distancing and no in-house activities. Both kids see friends online (in their Minecraft worlds). Annabel sees her friend Aggie for bike rides, rollerblading, sprinkler fun, basketball fun, chalk drawing, and so on. The latest highlight was seeing her best friend Katelyn the other day at their new house which has a nice deep pool which they invited her over to enjoy, just the two of them, complete with prepackaged snacks and sanitizer and social distance splashing and squirting- play dates the new way, I guess, prepackaged goods and all outdoors. The girls had a ball! I stayed and chatted, too. It was great fun. And for Annabel to see her best friend, that just made her week. Another baby step in the world beyond.
Our house painters finally finished yesterday! The house and deck look great and we can't wait to put everything back together on our porch and deck and enjoy our outdoor space again.
Ben and I celebrated our 17th anniversary with a very hot (I mean, HOT) picnic and walk around the lake nearby, which was topped off with ice cream from Andy's, dinner with his parents, and K-Bars. Yum. The rest of the day was spent playing games as a family or watching movies. A good family day overall.
Last week we received news about school reopening guidelines and considerations from the state. That was really interesting to pore over. We'll see what our district's approach is. I fear it will be a very different year for the kids. I feel terribly that this is how middle school will start for Daniel, but I know it can't be helped. Ah well. My other takeaway from all this is that it made me really glad I'm not teaching right now, to be honest. Such a different environment the school world will be. In addition to state guideline news, we also received our procedures for Annabel's upcoming Honors Reading testing which she'll do at our school in just a few weeks. It's pretty crazy how everything is outlined so very specifically, arrival, how it works once she's in, dismissal, etc. She has to arrive at 8:45 via car only (we walk ALL the time as you know...but, we're not allowed to for testing- that's right, not allowed to, which is stupid but ok fine then), wear masks, bring hand sanitizer, water bottle, several pencils, no more than 5 students will be admitted from cars at a time, they will be guided into buildings, no more than 10 in a testing room, etc. etc., but before all that- at 7:45 each morning I have to get online and fill out a symptom checklist which I have to swear I filled out to my best knowledge again when I drop her off...it's all so much. Is this really how it's going to be? Makes me so sad and a little anxious. Annabel's excited she gets to wear her new Stitch mask that Grandma Mary Kay made for her last week- it's very cute. She also thinks it's cool she can take a book to read. Small joys, eh? I'll take 'em. I just want her to do well- and she will, she'll be fine.
June ended with some really hot days, which we're filling with crafts, reading, games, movies, giant box fun, and root beer floats or freezes. Annabel and Ben have enjoyed playing their Nancy Drew computer game lately, too, which is so fun for them and brings back memories for me. Daniel and I have watched all the Cars movies and all the Monsters Inc movies, in succession night after night, together so far while they play...we love our movie time! The movies have brought back fun memories, too- we're playing with his eye cars again...it's all so fun. I can't believe it's July already now.
Our days go by.
The library is open!!
Cosmo keeps Daniel and me company while we read Harry Potter during the day. For some reason, this is the spot he chooses time and again.
The cats went crazy watching our house painters power wash the deck. It was so funny.
Daniel's ortho appointment- we got through that.
The kids were playing with giant boxes in the playroom. The cats were verrrrry curious.
Annabel drew this darling Baby Yoda for Daddy for Father's Day!
Daniel has been steadily working through all of Ben's Legos, old and new both. The Star Destroyer was finally finished!! That took about a solid month to build; old directions being as confusing as they were slowed him down, plus finding all the pieces, among hundreds literally, each step of the way...this was quite an accomplishment! That is your average card table underneath the Star Destroyer, so you get a sense of size- the thing is huge, probably 2 1/2 feet wide by 3 feet long and 15 inches high. No idea where it will live in our house now, but there it sits.
Onto new sets...this is Steamboat Willie, which Daniel stole from Ben, haha. It kept him busy for a couple more days! Now Daniel's borrowing sets from Grandma Mary Kay and Grandpa Larry!
Grandma Cheryl gave Annabel some super fluffy rugs she no longer wanted in her house...Annabel LOVES them- she has actually been wanting something furry like this in her room for some time. It was the perfect hand-me-down!
Annabel and Ben have enjoyed being back to working on the plane at the little local airport. So cute to see her working!
Happy Father's Day, Ben! A little Lego book was a silly find for him, but the big gift was sort of a family gift actually (and he knew about it, too- it wasn't like it was a surprise, it was more just to hold the kids in suspense and surprise them with something new and fun for all)...the Harry Potter Hogwarts Battle cooperative deck building game! This game works just like our Toy Story version and is just as fun and clever. Annabel kept looking at it online and really wanted this version, too- so did I and Father's Day was a good excuse to treat ourselves I thought. So fun to play all together that day!
We enjoyed having Grandma Mary Kay and Grandpa Larry here that Father's Day dinner. Larry helped Ben with our new screen porch door, while the kids played games with Grandma Mary Kay. She brought outdoor fun with her, too.
Back in winter, I attended a library program where we learned about altered book art projects and began our own. It was such a fun class and I've loved working on it from time to time since then, although this was curtailed a bit when the kids came home in, you know, March, haha. The library is running the program virtually again at the end of summer, giving us a kit to work with when we sign up, along with links to videos to watch for fun things to try, and then later we'll meet and share. Annabel loved the concept immediately and has had fun working on her book since my winter program, too. And now that I've joined for the summer program, we've been spending a lot of time working side by side on our books (we're both just continuing the ones we'd started already), watching videos on Creativebug and learning new techniques to try in our books. It's been so fun to create together! This is Annabel working on an image transfer from magazine page to tape, thereby making sort of a sticker- very cool. Below that you can see our process a little more amidst that messy table. And then we have my stacked clouds that I painted last weekend, which I love. Fun fun!
Daniel lives for his Tinker Crates to arrive! June's made a crane, which we now use for Lego play, too. The cats love it as well!
Annabel's June Doodle Crate had her dyeing t-shirt yarn and then making weaved baskets. The dyeing was mainly me doing it- it was SO messy! Oh my gosh, remind me never to have a tie-dye party at my house. Drying that yarn took a few days, so meanwhile, we worked on our clay pencil holders (well, I did the clay part- she didn't like how it felt...sounds like I'm doing quite a lot of work for these lately, eh?), and painted pencils. She's also made bracelets and a room sign from kids Aunt Amelia got her, too (those aren't pictured, though).
Cosmo kept Annabel and me company while we worked with clay and painted.
One day last week, Cosmo just had a day where he literally followed Daniel ALL over the house, this room, that room, the couch, the kitchen...it was the cutest thing ever.
This is Cosmo's spot anytime I'm in the kitchen. He's a tiny bit in the way, but we love him anyway!
Cosmo loves sleeping on blankets. Annabel's robe works just as well, too.
Another day working on the plane for Daddy and Annabel!
Happy 17th Anniversary to us! A hot day for a picnic and walk, but we had a nice time together as a family!
On to July fun now!
