I think this week was just a Wash, Rinse, Repeat of last week. We did school. The kids played outside with bikes and roller blades, hoses and water guns. They did Netflix and video games. Books were read. Meals were made. Every day feels the same with no outside activities to break up the days.
The kids are starting to finish up some school books. Handwriting books are completed. They're finishing up their Awana books. Henry finished phonics. Caroline finished a writing book. Josiah has completed his Essentials work. Usually I would start them up on the next level so as not to waste the time, but I don't think we have much oomph left to do that. We're all quarantined out. Overall the kids have done amazing being isolated, but I know it's been wearing on them. Tempers are shorter, annoyances are stronger, frustrations come quicker. But they have found enjoyment, most especially with the garden hose. Nothing is better than spraying each other with water.
This week there was an increase in playdoh playing. I swear when I cleaned up the school room last weekend, I thought about getting rid of the playdoh. We never play with it anymore. It's just going to dry out. It's like they can read my mind sometimes.
One evening this week Josiah helped make his signature meal, hot dogs. Then this morning he made us muffins for breakfast. He says he enjoys cooking. I tried to step back and let him do most of the muffins and he did a really good job. I've read articles recently about teaching kids life skills before they leave the nest. One of them was being able to follow the directions when cooking. Even if it is muffins from a box. Making the kids cook once a month has been a really great thing overall. However, I have noticed that each kid tends to each cook the same meal. Josiah has cooked a hot dog dinner all four months. Caroline's pick is crispy chicken, lima beans, and corn bread. I've thought about making theme months so one month it'll be Italian, another Tex-Mex. They
need to learn how to cook pasta and tacos. Everyone needs those staples in their lives. (Josiah also needs to learn to cook with a shirt on, but that's another issue entirely.)
Texas started to open May 1st. Part of the re-opening is that restaurants can be at 25% capacity. That's great for the restaurants to make a living again, but we're not heading out anytime soon. The library isn't opening their doors to the public, but they are doing sort of a curbside service. Yet at the same time certain grocery stores are now requiring face masks in their stores and the day before reopening the state, we had our highest day of COVID deaths. So, despite the openings, we're still staying put. Todd got word that his university isn't going to let people back in until June and even then it'll be in small waves. He's already been told that he won't be in the first wave.
Our neighbors who moved out last week had left behind an iPad with another neighbor. To give us something to do, the five of us drove it out to them. The highway to take us there has a 75 mph speed limit. It was a beautiful 84° sunny day. We had the windows down the whole way and just enjoyed the sound of the wind. That was the first "outing" the boys have had in eight weeks.
And so another week begins.
Meme of the week:
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