Happy Easter!

Easter this year was a little different, but also a lot the same.  I debated for awhile about Easter baskets because I can’t really go shopping and didn’t want to buy stuff on Amazon and it’s all just too much right now.  We never even got out the decorations. Two nights ago I asked the kids at bedtime if they would be sad if the Easter Bunny didn’t come. Eve said, “Of course the bunny can’t come, otherwise he’d be spreading coronavirus germs to all the houses!”  I know she’s totally in on the Easter Bunny secret, but I really appreciated the response.  I told them I had some Cadbury Mini Eggs (the best Easter candy!) and they could still color eggs if they wanted to, and they were happy.  So this morning started like any other Sunday, with sleeping in and Sunday comics. Then Eve went outside to help our neighbor decorate the driveways on our street for the 3yr old who lives at the end of the street.  This kid has a neighborhood of grandparents loving his every move! While she was out decorating with sidewalk chalk, I set up the Easter Egg coloring station.

Eve got right to work.

I’m glad they still like coloring eggs.

Eve had a theme in mind, of course! She decorated her to look like My Hero Academia characters.

See?! :)
She drew two faces on each, apparently they each have a cute face and an angry face. I think that’s what she said anyway. :)

It was such a beautiful day that Alan did his CrossFit WOD outside, then I went out for a run.  Ha! I decided to try running again. It’s been a very long time!  I was pleasantly surprised that I was able to do it at all.  I’ll keep practicing. :)  When I got back our little neighbor was outside and all the elderly neighbors were standing in their driveways watching him.  It was a weird little scene.  One of the ladies said that they are all missing their own quarantined grandkids so much and it was nice to have him as a stand-in.  He’s a cutie, but I guess I’m just not there yet. :)

Our driveway. Eve is a talented artist. :)

Someone hung plastic Easter Eggs all along the fence on the bike path!

And also put out this little offering.

After showers and lunch we decided to have some family outdoor times ourselves.  Starting on the roof, of course!  Eve has been asking to walk on the roof for awhile now and I keep telling her to ask dad.  Today he said he was putting in the screens, so she jumped at the chance to ask before that happened!  Out they went.  For a girl who claims to be afraid of heights, she sure liked being on the roof. :)

She kinda liked it. She was definitely a little nervous.

I told her, from my spot on the ground, that her payment for going on the roof was that she had to pose for just one photo. And she did!!

Then the kids wanted to find Easter Eggs.  So Alan and I hid them a few times and the kids had fun finding them.  Then Alan and Eve hid them and Lex and I had no fun finding them.  Those two are competitive and us two are not!

This is the fire and ice guy.

This is some other anime guy. :)

After that we were all tired and ready for some alone time… until it was time to ZOOM with the extended family!  How fun is that?!  I didn’t take a picture, but you can imagine it.  I know we have ALL seen our share of video conferencing these days. :P

Happy (quarantined) Easter to all.  I hope you enjoyed your day. I wonder if the Bunny will return next year.  Hmmm…..

Huxley likes the smell of hard boiled eggs! I had him outside with me when I was hiding them and he immediately made it his job to find them. Silly boy. He spent all day popping up at the table or by the counter.  Wherever the eggs were, Huxley wasn’t far away. :)

Gardening

With all the crazy in the world right now, Eve and I decided to do something grounding… literally!  Over the weekend I put out a request to the universe (via Facebook, of course) asking for hostas to plant in front of the house.  Lots of people replied, offering to let me dig up hostsas from their yards, but one super kind friend dug them up herself and delivered them!  How awesome is that?! Another friend from the old neighborhood texted saying she’d just dug up some rose bushes and did we want them too.  Um, yes!  We walked over to our old street to pick them up. Yesterday the weather was perfects, so Eve and I did some planting.

We planted five hosta plants in front of the house.  There are three different kinds and the goal as an ABCBA pattern, but neither of us are really sure if that worked out.  We’ll have to wait and see!  On the corner of the house we put the rose bush.  I hope at least something grows! :)

I’m happy that we now officially own our  neighborhood and are able start prettying up the place.  In a few years it will look much more lush and colorful and less barren and new.  That will be nice.

Birthday Girl!

Hey, we had a birthday around here.  Someone turned 13!!  Craziness!  Everyone kept asking “what are you going to do to celebrate?” but with social isolation and COVID-19 in the air, what could we do?!  We took a hike last weekend and celebrated the big day with birthday presents and waffles and “home school.”  She seemed to enjoy it though!

We started the morning as we usually do on birthdays.  A pile of presents on the table!

My baby girl is 13!!

Happy Birthday!

Eve opened presents and drank seltzer from her new favorite mug!

Maybe it’s time to cut back on the morning seltzer! :)

We all watched the present opening.

Eve had a very specific gift list, so she got very specific items.  She was happy. :)

Her favorite saying. Looks like she needs a nap already!

Talk bubbles need to be in the right place!

Lots of presents and cards kept her busy for awhile.

We had to take a short break so I could make waffles and she could do her Advisory Check-in for school.  But soon enough we were back to presents!

This present from Joyce was like a party in a box!

A fun, messy party in a box!

Cash and waffles! What more can a girl want on her birthday?! :)

The rest of the day was spent “at school,” in other words, sitting at the table in front of our computers.  It was a rainy day, so we did dog walks, but nothing else too exciting.  We are still working on the home/school balance now that they are one and the same.

Around dinner time we had a family “gathering” for cake and singing.

Oh yea, cake!

Quarantines = Video chat birthday parties. It’s a weird world we’re living in, but I’m glad the tech is there to support it!  I wish we were all together in person, but at least we got to see faces and hear voices.  <3

Eve ran away when everyone started singing. Remember when she used to LOVE the attention? Well, not so much any more.

Fortunately she came back for the cake. :)

We measured her on the wall at bedtime. She’s exactly the same height Lex was on his 14th birthday, which is actually a slow down in her growth spurt. We had fun looking at all the heights over the years. Then off to bed!

We now have two teenagers in the house. Yay and boo. She is an amazing girl, full of confidence and silliness and creativity.  I look forward to seeing the person she is becoming, but I also miss the smiley, bald little girl she used to be.  Fortunately she’s still smiley at home and still loves to snuggle!