The kids have not left the house. We canceled our annual Florida trip. We have 3 medically fragile kids, so besides a car ride through the bank drive thru or over to Grammie's house to go swimming, they are home and playing in the yard. Danny loves it. He is a homebody. He never loved going to school, even though he loved his teacher and friends, because he only wants to be home. He loves to play with his toys, make lego creations, and build projects. Sammy and Elsie are more social, and talk about their friends often and how they miss school.
Homeschooling 3 kids has been an adventure. I split them up in school because I wanted them to have some individuality. Well that was great for school, but doing distance learning from home that meant 3 different zoom meetings with 3 different assignments. Trying to get them all to sit at the table together and do their sight words or math worksheets only affirmed my decision to separate them in school. It was either a competition to be done first, or cheating by looking at each other's paper, or teasing their siblings. And all this while running a business. Miguel worked straight through, but the first 8 weeks was from home. It was definitely chaos on a regular basis. I won't lie I was excited when school was done. It is still up in the air about school in the fall, so we are just waiting it out.
We spent the 10 weeks having a lot of family time. Walks with the dog, making puzzles, coloring, planting the garden, and learning to ride bikes. The kids had balance bikes up till now, and were very good at them. Right before stores shut down I went to Walmart and got 3 big kid bikes. No training wheels. I thought it would take us a few days to master it, but 22 minutes and all 3 kids were rocking it! Sammy literally got it on the first try. He climbed on the bike, I held the seat and he said 'Mom, you can let go now' and started pedaling away. Elsie had it on the 3rd or 4th try, and although Danny was initially struggling, it didn't take him long to figure it out. The problem was he wasn't pedaling fast enough to keep the momentum going, so he would fall over. After the 3rd fall he said 'I can't do it' so I told him 'you're gonna fall, just get back up.' A few seconds later again he fell and picked himself up and said 'just keep swimming' and rode off. The kids have been riding them every day and love going on 'bike walks' around the neighborhood.
Now that Miguel and I are back to work out of the house, Grammie is on duty. We are trying to be cautious to not bring the virus home and we are limiting our time outside the house to grocery shopping and home improvement stores since we are in the middle of a big remodel. The timing couldn't have been worse, but we are working through it.
Here are some pictures and videos of our time home during the Covid-19 crisis. Here's to a great summer of extra family time!
Elsie making a project for school in February
holding Ellie when she came for a visit
lost another tooth!
new playroom getting lots of use
new frozen mirror
the kids played basketball this winter.
Danny got the kindness award. Apparently a student knocked over a project him and another boy worked on, and instead of getting mad he said 'that's ok we can build it again'
this boy is all about the mommy snuggles
they love climbing trees
Elsie was getting ready for school and said 'hey mom my earring fell out'. I look to find this. Yes, it ate right through her ear. She got her ears pierced over 6 months ago, and had regularly worn cheap earrings, but something about this one was no good.
This is the good ear, you can see it was well on it's way to a hole as well.
So off to the ER we went in hopes plastics could save it.
This was the best they could do, but sadly after about a month it opened back up, so now she has to wait until she is 10 years old to have it repaired.
Quarantine day 1. Fort under the table
Quarantine day 1 for Mom: organize the food pantry so we know what we have
picnic outside
coloring some big posters
this is it folks. what he wants to do all day every day.
family walk number 4,825
no social distancing between these wombmates
a litlle yoga to keep it mello
moremommy snuggles
ramping it up to Piyo
Her first big girl bike and she is pumped it has a seat for Chewbacca
I love this girl and her love of Star Wars
bike riding Day 1
puzzle break
this was a 300 piece puzzle
first quarantine puzzle done
 Schoolwork. |
rainy walk
Daddy made them a bike rack
starting our first 500 piece puzzle
painting it with Dad
finished!
family quarantine pic
tea party
uno with my main squeeze. look at how good he holds the cards
drawing a picture of her and mom
he loves to learn
a MUCH NEEDED social distancing walk in the cold rain with Rosamaria
snuggling his momma
getting seed pods started
morning snack break
look how pale they are. this was first 'shorts' day
this boy loves this dog.
mommy snuggles number 691
Elsie's easter drawing
school setup #1. Wall shelf on the floor with giant computer monitor on it.
school setup #2. Danny at the piano bench with the laptop
our 'school station' to organize all our work
School setup #3, Mommy's laptop at kitchen table
Miguel's work setup
Yes there is alcohol in this. Much needed 'Dirty Banana' to make me feel like I was on a tropical island
Danny makes these little setups ALL OVER THE HOUSE. Literally probably 2 dozen scattered around the house.
The Easter Bunny rode by on a horse. Yes folks, welcome to quarantine. We all ran outside to get a social distance photo with the Easter Bunny
we did an egg hunt in the yard
And did a lot of chalk drawings
Danny drew a boy with a radio dancing in the driveway
S'mores by the fire
a breezy walk
Sam found 2 flowers, one for my hair and one for his.
and the greys are coming out in quarantine
They made paper plate masks
snuggling with momma
lots of power wheel days
Yoshi is torn between glad we are home to when are you guys leaving so I can take a nap
They drew a rocket
lots of forts
I was like 'don't smush the toilet paper!'
family bike walk
Her recycling robot for school
waiting for breakfast quarantine style
at least there is enough cushions to keep them occupied
Danny finally lost his first tooth. He cried for an hour. He didn't want the tooth fairy to come or to get a dollar, he just wanted his tooth back in because 'this is the best tooth I ever had, I'm never going to have another tooth like this again'. He even tried to put it back in. The hoarder in him is real.
sat on the arm of the couch because he wanted Yoshi to have his spot
learning how to sew as we all make masks
A local photographer did a 'Front Steps Project' where she came and stood back 10 feet to take a picture of the family on the front steps during the pandemic. It was cool, you donate money to United way for Covid-19 fund and get 2 pics.
By May 1st I couldn't take it anymore and decided that my dog grooming skills would have to suffice for the boys. Home grooming lol.
1st subject finished
Danny asked me to keep his cowlick because it is his favorite part.
There's my girl in the tree.
They were so excited their cousin Lana drew them Star Wars pictures. They all hung them above their beds.
another one of Danny's creation
lounging while I clean
serving ice cream outside
May the 4th be with you
Fort Master
Mother's day papers from my loves
Dan drew me a pic on the back. with my light saber.
Elsie made me a love note on the back
Danny comes running in 'Mommy I made a snake friend!' Legit 3 feet long. Yea let's not touch it.
The kids decided to make a castle out of bricks that they pulled out of the walkway. Oh yea Miguel was lit up about this one.
Garden flower handprints for Vovo
and one's for Grammie too!
lounging waiting for lunch
the kids teacher's sent pictures of themselves and Elsie put flat Ms. Santos in her hair and did the monkey bars with her
and flat Ms. Santos rode in the power wheels
and colored. Elsie really missed her teacher
More snuggling with Yoshi
jumping in muddy puddles
giving Emmie a bath at Mommy's work
Sam swinging with flat Ms. Schinigoi
Danny gets on his zoom one morning and I hear Mrs. Chamberlain say 'ok we are going to take turns going over our heat cycles you did'. So I come over and I said Danny did you have work you were supposed to do? and he says 'oh yea, don't worry mom, let me do it now.' and he ran and got a piece of paper and pencil and did this before the first student was done discussing theirs. This
is my kid all day. I used to do all my homework on the bus and at lunch. Last minute.
snacking at Grammie's while we open the pool
Danny's favorite dessert is birthday cake
making circuit boards with Daddy
Birthday parade for Ms. Santos. Because no one can celebrate with a party, these birthday parades have been very popular. Driving by and honking and wishing a happy birthday.
