COVID-19 Quarantine, Week 14

We continue to slowly work our way out of quarantine, so this will be my last quarantine post. We are still following the rules and being careful about how we socialize. Still distanced or masks in most situations. Still very careful in stores. 

We are seeing Grandma Kathleen distanced and outdoors only. It’s been nice to have her around again, especially when we do water play. It works perfectly to splash and laugh with her!

We are seeing my parents again, and they boys have started taking turns having their summer visits at the G&G B&B. Everyone is happier!

I’m enjoying distanced coffee with friends on decks and driveways and patios. We still haven’t done any work play dates yet. Not quite ready for that. 

I went to Mass yesterday for the first time since March, and it didn’t feel special in any way. Just back to normal. Well, if by normal you mean I couldn’t wear my mask for more than 10 minutes and I was overwhelmed by the crowd and I ended up sitting outside the church and looking through the glass windows, into the atrium which luckily also has glass windows looking into the church where Mass was going on so I could leave my mask off. Then yeah, just normal. 

I stopped by for a quick visit to these two whom I hadn’t seen for three months. I didn’t sit or touch anything, but I did go inside for a few minutes. 

A little more normal feels so good. 

Father’s Day

We didn’t do a ton for Father’s Day, other than our usual Sunday family time because that’s what logan likes to do. :) Grandma Susan helped the big boys make nice cards and a treat for Logan. 

We also set up the security system that Logan ordered so he was feeling accomplished today as well. PLUS, the libraries open up tomorrow! Logan literally said, “I won’t be able to sleep tonight. I’m too excited!” #bookwormburda

We made my dad cards and delivered he and mom a delicious Lazlo’s lunch. I also brought him chocolate chip cookies...well, the dough anyway. I didn’t find time to bake them. It’s the effort that counts. 

Logan had a long conversation on the phone with his dad. 

Happy Father’s Day all you dads!

What Augustine Has Been Up To

Building cool robots that do more things that I can even think of. He imagines with so much detail. 

Checking out the pirate set because I think he finally needs a little break from Legos. It probably won’t be a very long break. Especially since we just rearranged his room and organized a whole table for building. 

Decorating the mantle for me! He did such a good job!

What Elias Has Been Up To

Playing outside a LOT. He could care less about heat. He HAS to mow. He HAS to grill. He HAS to “do some work outside like JimBash” with his chainsaw on a stick. He HAS to weed whack and blow off the sidewalks with his new leaf blower that blows a million bubbles. 









He’s getting better and better on his balance bike. Now if we could just skip the fits about the helmet not feeling good, we’d be all set. 

Playing with a cool pirate set we borrowed from a friend. 

Reading his articles while he and I ran a few errands today. They are adds for lawn care machines. 

What Levi Has Been Up To

Logan was unpacking a new security system we purchased and there were a lot of little boxes within a bigger box. I turned around to figure out why Levi was being so quiet. Turns out he was working out how to use his security system as well. 

He’s been noticing everything on the walls and ceilings lately. When he notice the ceiling fans (we have six in our house) he was walking as fast as his little legs would go from one fan to the next with his hand in the air like the picture above. He would YELL until one of us acknowledged the fan he was pointing to.  

Levi is to that dreaded (by me, anyway) stage where he’s sick of the 10 foods I worked so hard to find that don’t trigger his intolerances but cover most of the food groups. On a new search for more options, which is finally possible because just today I went grocery shopping for the first time since late March! Logan did a great job going for me all these weeks in quarantine, but I’m ready to get back to doing my job. 

We borrowed some toys from a friend and Levi loves this jumbo “marble” run. 

AUNT BETH CAME TO VISIT!!!! We are slowly moving out of quarantine starting with family. It was so good to have her around again! She and Levi had to get reacquainted because when you’re one and you don’t see someone for three months, they’re a stranger. It didn’t take long to get back on track. :)

 Levi played in the backyard for the first time! He. Went. Nuts. Couldn’t get enough. Was red in the face from playing so hard on a hot day. When I asked him if he wanted to take a nap he said, “mmm-hmm”. He was exhausted. 

Bippity Bop Barbershop

This is one of Elias’ favorite books.

This is one of Elias’ favorite toys. 

Put them together and you’ve got some great imagining!

What Lewis Has Been Up To

Building a really cool castle with wooden blocks and Matchbox cars. 

Being brave and trying his hand at spelling words without help. {the word is “ugly”}

Feeling quite bored and so he read the Costco add. Thoroughly. He can’t believe how much things cost. I hear ya, kid. 

Playing “exterminator” because he found a medicine syringe. It looks a lot like the one our bug guy uses when he puts ant bait around our house. Lewis follows him around watching exactly how he does this every time the bug guy stops by. I stopped counting at 7 calls. The ants won’t. go. away. this year and we can’t figure out where they are getting in. Neither can the bug guy. Neither can Lewis, and he’s our best bet to figure it out!

Hats

He found the hats drawer...

COVID-19 Quarantine, Week 13

It’s not easy for me to get a break between quarantine and a teething (all night) baby. This particular morning I was exhausted, so Logan took the boys on a walk to the Sunken Gardens. They LOVED it, especially Lewis. I took a shower, ate something (nursing still has me constantly hungry), and watched a show that I picked. Me! It was my pick!

Angelyn finished the series of name art and I LOVE IT!!!! These hang in the playroom. Elias really likes to look his name over and spell it forward and backwards. 

Levi is 13 months old now and I finally caved. I put him down outside. He’s been playing in water tables and mowing ever since. 



Elias decided to spend some of his money on a leaf blower toy, and it is so fun! It blows a ton of bubbles. Why are bubbles so fun? Especially in large quantities? I just love them!

Leave it to Lewis to kick the coolness up a notch. They made huge bubble piles after a rainstorm. 

Levi gets in play mode and just goes to town. It’s the kind of focused play where as the adult you don’t dare move or you’ll break the groove. It’s so fun to watch. 

A lady from bible study purged a bunch of toys, and lucky us she gave them to us! All kinds of fun new challenges and imagining, and some really cool books. He studies this snake often. He is just sure “that snake is venomous, which is deadly, which means you will die if it bites you.”

She gave us some old-school Little People!!! She was hesitant to offer them because they’re “so old”, but the old ones are the most fun! 

Lewis made the missionary girls, and the new team director (!) some chocolate chip cookies. He even scooped them onto the trays.

I’m on a quest to find the perfect homemade cold brew iced coffee. Haven’t found it yet, BUT I did find that Redi-whip makes dairy free whipped cream and it’s low sugar and amazing. 

Thanks Grandma Kathleen for the fun dominos surprise! It works really well and everyone is fascinated by it.  

We did some front yard sitting with the Stevens. Friends! We saw friends! 

Levi tried his first popsicle and liked it a lot, but boy was it cold and a little sour. (See next pic)

I love letting my boys play in the water for an hour or two on a hot day, and then surprise them with popsicles. Seems like a very summer-y thing to do and makes summer a little less blah. 

The First Buzz

I finally agreed to Levi’s first Daddy haircut because it’s not going to happen any time soon with our hair lady, and Levi was getting SO hot on these summer days with so much hair. 

He really didn’t mind the buzzing, but he did mind that it was taking so long. He did a great job for a one year old!

My sister said it best: Haircuts. How to make your baby grow up in 10 minutes. (Or something like that.) It’s bittersweet.