A time of LEGOs--COVID Quarantining

Homeschooling--Trying to Do School at Home

All of sudden our normal routine was upended as John and I began working full time from home (we were so lucky). It was stressful and often my brain felt like mush at the end of the day. Never able to focus more than about 10 minutes. Trying to take calls and draft tweets with the constant barrage of requests for sacks or to show the latest LEGO build. 

It was wonderful to get a peak into our boys' school lives. And as the scariness of the pandemic wore us down on some days--hearing the songs of Bob Marley "Don't worry about a thing," sung by second graders just made your heart melt and gave me a fresh perspective on what was really important. There wasn't much time to wallow or feel sorry for yourself, or scared with these two little bundles of energy running around.

This only happened a few times, but all of sudden Foster took the lead and helped Kai finish a whole book of math problems. It as amazing to see them work together.

Cooking on Kai's daily "shows" i.e. group classes.

At the very beginning I thought we would have a good schedule and that would solve everything, that lasted about 30 minutes. 

St.Paddy's Day and April Fools

Not a big crazy party this year, but we sill couldn't let the day pass.  The pesky leprechaun stuck around until April Fools day, when he drew mustaches on the boys as they slept. This was one joke that they weren't happy about and didn't even let me get a picture of. 

Quarantining Time

The days were long but the months were short. On March 13, everything changed. Kai was home sick, as John had to pick him up from school the day before. On Friday the 13th (an ominous day) I remember Kai and I at the grocery store with the long lines of people and shelves starting to empty as we joined others in hunkering down. We thought it would be for a few days, maybe even weeks, little did we know that we were in for a much longer time.

 Although each day felt like a marathon and a sprint, it was so crazy how it all flew by. The days melted into each other and became a blur. The packed days of teleworking and homeschooling and a walk every evening to get out of the house. As the days turned into months it began to feel like normal.

One of the first days of quarantining we went outside and painted our neighbor gardens.

My only regret was some days I needed a lock on the door.Otherwise my co-workers often ended up in my room. 

At the Airforce memorial.

We pulled out all the toys we had never used, including this strip of LEGO tape which Foster turned into a highway on his door for cars.

A challenge to make a bridge out of LEGOs.

Once it was warm enough the boys were outside in the rain,making a muddy and happy mess.

Mud is so much fun!

Kai's lady bug picture complete with the aphids that they like to east.

Camping on our deck, the only safe place in the city with lots of creatures in our back yard. The boys were so excited and tucked in their animals and ate dinner there. But when the time came they decided sleeping outside was too scary. The tent then moved to our living room for a few weeks and Kai slept there every night.

We wrote signs for the postal workers and the sanitation workers who were out still doing their important jobs.

John gave Foster several hair cuts and I became John's barber. Kai didn't even need a haircut until about 4 months in. JOhn even said he wouldn't go back to a barber, we'll see how long that lasts.

It's the End of the World as We Know it

The last few weekends before everything shut down we had no idea that these would be some of the last park visits and time in public spaces with friends for a long time.

Learning to roller skate!

Our first socially distance outing to Great Falls!