Isolation Nation

(4/23) I took today off as a vacation day. Sarah and I walked before school, and I was able to take kickboxing online this afternoon. Boy, I've missed it! Other than that, I spent a quiet day reading my book.


(4/24) I worked today, and Dad had to run into the office for a few hours. The kiddos had Zooms for school, and the twins got shout outs for how hard they've been working. Today totally dragged, but I was busy throughout. I'm kind of glad I took the day off yesterday so I had a variety of things to do.


(4/25) Yay! We made it to the weekend!  I slept in a little and got up for kickboxing. I made crock-pot lasagna for dinner, which required that I prep it at 10a, after my class. I got it going, and then caught the second half of another Zumba class online. And then I caught yet another that was on-demand this afternoon. I was tired after all that!


(4/26) Lazyish Sunday. I walked on the treadmill with my morning coffee. It's not quite our Starbucks walks of the past, but it'll do. Dad had to work in the office today and was gone most of the morning. The grands and sibs had a virtual get together this afternoon. Everybody looks well!  I gave some grief to my little bro about his name choice, but it made me giggle. I got bored and painted some rocks this afternoon. I ordered new paint for the kiddos too, because all of ours is dry/gloppy. I hope it comes soon! I did some yard work and mowed the lawn-moss. And after all of that, I still needed some steps, so I tuned in for Zumba online. The rest of the fam had breakfast for dinner, and I smelled bacon all throughout my workout. Breakfast was still tasty afterward.


(4/27) I don't know if it was just a Monday, or that it was day 46 in quarantine, or what, but man it was a Monday, and I was grouchy as all get out. We heard today that state parks are going to start opening up after the 5th. So yay for things creeping toward reopening!


(4/28) Meeting Tuesday! I had five on my schedule today, the twins had their specials, and even C had a class Zoom. The boys watched The Lego Movie 2 tonight. I watched part of it, but then decided to join a Zumba class. It was so nice to move after a day of sitting.


(4/29) I had the day off today. I walked with Sarah, and came home to get the kiddos started on their work for the day. I took a Zumba class, and then worked out in the back yard mulching the garden beds. It looks good!


(4/30) Work day for me, and an extra long work day for Dad. He was in the office at 9a this morning and didn't come home until after 10p. I drove him dinner this evening because he wasn't able to get away. The kiddos did their classes online, and I let them have the TV this evening to watch fails. I quickly reached my limit with those types of videos and went in the other room to watch TV more my speed.


(5/1) We made it to May! Not much is scheduled to change here in WA, but the parks will be re-opening on Tuesday. We're planning to get outta Dodge for a bit on Weds. We're definitely looking forward to it!  Dad decided to shave his head this evening since we also learned that it'll be another 5 weeks or so for salons to open back up. I played trivia with my office peeps tonight over Zoom. It was so fun, and we came in 3rd.

(5/2) Saturday started off with kickboxing and Zumba classes. My favorites!  We had a "date night" tonight, and told the kids they could play on their screens or watch TV, but that they were not to interrupt our show. We got tickets to see Titus, and it was fun to watch a show and share some wine. The kiddos wanted to call the grands early, and ended up on the phone for an hour chatting about everything. I think Nanan got dragged all over the house via video.

(5/3) Lazyish Sunday for the kids and me. I took a couple of Zumba classes this morning, and vegged out on the couch for a few hours. Dad had to work a full day in the office, but we saw him around dinner time.  And then it was on to prodding the kiddos to do their chores, take a bath, etc. And off we go for another week!

(5/4) Shew, Monday again? Wasn't it just Monday? Sarah and I walked this morning before work, and it was gorgeous out. The kiddos all had Zooms for school, and Dad and I had long days at work. The kiddos have been missing cooking with the grands, and had a mini meltdown about Covid-19 being a thing tonight.  I chatted later with the grands, and we're going to try cooking with Grandma over Zoom! Granddad is stoked to quality test!

(5/5) Happy Cinco de Mayo! The kids have been so excited for today. We all had Zooms, as is typical for a Tuesday. My staff meeting got moved to "happy hour" time this afternoon. Everything was pretty festive.  Dad made us surf and turf tacos tonight, and the kids got virgin margaritas. They sell margarita mix by the bucket at WinCo, and we added Sprite to theirs. I talked to the twins about cooking with Grandma over Zoom, so they spent about an hour with her on video looking at recipes. It was adorable!

(5/6) We took the day off today and went to the beach. Parks opened up yesterday, and we figured going in the middle of the week would equal less people. There were about 6 cars at each place we went. We started at Rosario Beach, and then went to Deception Pass State Park. It was a beautiful day and we found lots of cool rocks. Dad even found a shark tooth!  So cool!  We had the kiddos do minimal school work this morning and called it good. We all really needed a mental health day. When we got home, we discovered our mason bees arrived. We set up their home and put them on the deck railing. We watched about half the bees emerge and fly off. The other half are still in their cocoons. We set them so they're protected from the wind, but they should hopefully get a lil sunlight. We think if these go well, we may also do leaf cutter bees, which are summertime bees.

(5/7) Work day for me, school for the boys, and Dad had the day off. Dad went out for groceries this morning and came back with pesto lasagna fixins and garlic bread for dinner, and strawberries to make up shakes this evening. Yum! I stayed up too late watching my "uplifting programs" (as Dad calls them) and will probably regret it tomorrow. But it's Friday eve! Almost there!

(5/8) TGIF! I worked today, the boys had school, and Dad was off. This week has been so long for some reason. The twins and I cooked with the grands over Zoom today ~ they loved that! They have been missing that connection so much, and the snickerdoodles were pretty awesome.

(5/9) Saturday mornings are for Zumba and iced coffee, only I forgot to make the cold brew last night and had to settle for cold hot brew, which isn't the same. After Zumba, I mowed/whacked the front and back, and then mulched the iris bed. The irises have a ways to go before they bloom, but they're coming along. I went to my favorite plant store and got new dirt and a few new plants to add to my collection. Dad gave me a gift cert there for Mother's Day, so he is just enabling my obsession. J and I went down to the park this evening. It was 80° out today-- the sun was nice, but I like it a bit cooler!

(5/10) Happy Mother's Day! I met Nanan halfway between our homes and we sat in the parking lot in the sunshine, social distance style. I brought her some cookies that the boys had made, as well as some of the decadent raspberry cream pie from the Snohomish Pie Co that Dad picked up. Grandma stopped by this afternoon and we had a lovely porch visit. It was so nice to see my moms! J has learned to climb a tree down at the park, and was in tears that I had missed it all. So we walked down to the park again so I could watch him climb the tree. Even D gave it a try. They were pretty proud of themselves!

(5/11) Weee, another Monday.  Just six weeks left for the boys at school! I have a feeling it's going to be like this in the fall still. I just can't imagine things settling down enough for them to go back. But who knows. Dad and I worked today, and the boys did school, such as it is. 

 

(5/12) Busy work and school day for us all day today. I sat in on a class for work as an extra monitor, so I told the boys they'd have to sort themselves until noon. They did a great job with that! I did a Zumba class after dinner tonight, and then sat down to watch the news and promptly fell asleep. Apparently I needed it!

(5/13) Day off for me, school for the boys, and Dad went to work. J had a pediatrician appointment  this morning, so we trekked out there this morning. After his appointment, I had to run to the store to pick up lemons for baking with Grandma over Zoom this afternoon. The boys chose lemon bars. Yum! I can't wait to dig in! Granddad is particularly enjoying our cooking sessions! 

 

What Day Is It?

(4/3) Quarantine day 22. Work and school for the boys and me, and Dad had the day off. The twins had Zoom sessions with their classes. They really enjoy them, and spent a good hour on with their classes. They're now on Spring Break, not that we're really doing anything different.


(4/4) Today we were all off. Dad got up early and made us a pancake breakfast. I took Zumba from my living room, which is always the best way to start the day. After class, I went to the store and purchased flowers to take to Nanan for her birthday coming up next week. We parked 6' apart and talked a little through our windows. That was so much harder than our nightly calls! This sucks. Dad made Rote Gruetze for the boys today. They seemed to like it! It was something his grandmother used to make.


(4/5) Dad had to work in the office (solo) today for part of his shift, and I slept in. The boys again played a ton of screen time, and this afternoon set about augmenting all the forts we have. Even Jimmy has one! I had a family call with all the sibs for Craig's bday this evening. I was mean and made the children put on clothes for their brief appearances. Dad made homemade ramen tonight and it was very tasty.


(4/6) The boys are on break this week, and Dad and I are still working like normal. Sarah and I postponed our normal dark-thirty walk for an afternoon one so we got to enjoy the sunshine.  Dad even broke out the grill for dinner tonight. Nanan got the birthday cards we sent and was delighted. The boys did such a nice job. Today is her actual birthday, and we sang to her on our video chat this evening.

(4/7) Today was a work day for Dad and me. I managed to squeeze in a lunchtime walk with Sarah and got out in the sunshine between meetings. The grands texted this afternoon that there was a package on our front porch. They gave us a Nixplay smart frame, which is super cool!  It interfaces with social media which makes adding photos a cinch. You can also send pictures to other people's frames, and now all of us big kids have one and can stay connected during this time apart.


(4/8) I had the day off so slept in & then sat in the sun to read my book. Dad worked today, and went on a produce run after he was off. He scored some new berries for another stab at Rote Gruetze. I asked J if I could attempt giving him a haircut tonight. It turned out okay ~ he kept telling me that he thought I was done, and I kept telling him I had no real idea what I was doing. He likes it, and that's what counts.


(4/9) I worked today, and Dad had the day off. Today's excitement was someone hijacking my PayPal and bombing my cell phone. I turned my phone off in frustration and went out for a walk with Sarah. It eventually stopped, but ugh, so irritating. Dad grilled tonight and we opened the last bottle of wine from our favorite winery. The owner is planning to retire this summer, and I can't imagine we'll get back again before they've gone out of business.  I told the kiddos tonight that Easter was going to be a bit different, and J burst into tears. We usually do a big get together and egg hunt at the grands', and this year it will be at home without the coveted stuffed eggs. This is the first they've really gotten upset about being home.

(4/10) I ended up going to the bank to deal with yesterday's PayPal fiasco. They got me all fixed up and on my way. So annoying. Especially since I've been collecting donations for my work's charitable efforts. Other than that, my day was pretty low-key. I walked with Sarah at lunch, worked, and found the end of the internet. I'm glad the weekend is almost here!


(4/11) I slept in this morning and took a Zumba class online. I met Nanan again and we exchanged Easter baskets. I put some of the eggs that the kids colored, tulips, and Cheetos in hers. She got the whole family a big basket of treats! We had a nice visit, parked a stall apart, and then I headed on home. I read my book, and we had a quiet evening.


(4/12) Happy Easter! I told the boys I'd make them spicy eggs (deviled eggs) as soon as they had found all the eggs. We were stuck on the last two, so I had to consult the bunny (who had to work this morning). We did a virtual egg hunt over Zoom with the grands. The boys tried yelling over each other, so I sat with each one periodically to help chill them out. I made more spicy eggs and potato salad for dinner, and Dad cooked a ham. Dinner was delish!


(4/13) Quarantine day 32. The kids are back in school, which means prodding them to get their school work done and saying "yes, both reading AND math!" over and over again. Sarah and I went for a walk this morning and I took a Zumba class online, which made my day go fairly quickly. We caught up with the grands, and J immediately asked when the stuffed eggs would arrive. You know, seeing as they'd not had *any* candy. The grands had unstuffed them, but J was wanting the candy in the eggs because "they're so fun to play with."  Goofballs.


(4/14) Meeting Tuesday! Everybody had meetings on Zoom today. D was so excited to have his own meeting and be able to participate. LOL!  After dinner, I went out to use the treadmill, and the rest of the fam went for a walk with the doggos. Once they were back and engrossed in a program, I took the opportunity to go in and clean D's room. They boys have been sleeping in J's room, and D's had clothes/toys/blankets everywhere. It's so nice to go in and not step on any Legos!


(4/15) Today was a pretty quiet day. I had the day off, and Dad worked from home. The kiddos did their school work, and then were off to play screens for a bit. Nanan had a doctor's appointment, and I was able to attend via Zoom. Yay, technology!  A package arrived for the boys today: all their stuffed eggs. They ate a ton of candy, and had a great time hiding the eggs for each other. Thanks, grands!!


(4/16) I worked today and Dad had the day off. All the excitement of having a meeting on Tuesday has definitely worn off for D, and he is now lamenting all the Zooms he's going to have.  He had a class Zoom today, and J will have one tomorrow. I caught an evening Zumba class online, and that was a lot of fun. It's good to move especially after a day of sitting for work!


(4/17) Work day for me and Dad had the day off. J had a Zoom meeting with his class this afternoon and the other boys did the minimum of work so they could get to video games. Dad barbecued chicken for dinner tonight, and we ate outside. Tonight was the Great Washington Camp-In, so we had a campfire complete with s'mores, and called all the grands to virtually join us at the fire. The twins slept in their blanket fort as has been the norm this month.


(4/18) I took a couple of Zumba classes this morning, and then ventured out to the store to pick up my work's Mothers' Day donation to the YWCA. We elected to get Fred Meyer gift cards for the 13 moms. We raised a ton, and I'm excited to help make the day special! After I got back, we headed out to pick up our wine order. They had us drive up and then loaded it curbside. We also saw a moving sale sign outside of one of the distilleries we like, so we purchased from them as well. And then we got take-out. It was a fun day of supporting local biz! We played Catan tonight, and C narrowly beat Dad and took the win.


(4/19) Today was pretty much a lazy day. I saw Zumba was happening, so I tuned in for that, and then lounged around and read my book. The kiddos played a lot of screens and were bananas this evening. But they got their Sunday chores and routines done with the usual amount of craziness.


(4/20) Monday again. The boys had school, and Dad and I worked. The twins were supposed to start having Zooms with their specialists today, but neither could get in, so we'll try again tomorrow.


(4/21) I saw a painted rock out on my walk today, and after showing the twins a picture, they immediately wanted to paint their own. So they were painting away before 8am. Dad and I both had to work today, and all the boys had Zooms with their classes/specialists. Specialists went smoothly today, and we only had a hiccup with one classroom Zoom.

(4/22) Day 41.  I have the day off today, and kicked it off with a soggy walk. Nanan had an appointment this morning and there were lots of technological glitches, but we got through and got it done. Shew! The boys have done their school work and are off playing video games, and my plan for the rest of the day is to read my book. Exciting, no?