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Just Another Week

Weekly Happenings: It was another week at home. It started out extra nice because we were able to watch General Conference and feel the spiritual uplifting moments there. Because of the restrictions in place, it was broadcast from a smaller room (no general admission) and only the speakers were in attendance. The First Presidency even sat at least 6 feet away from each other. Definitely different, but wonderful all the same.

The Weekly Weather: It’s been a mixed bag. We had rain, followed by sunshine, followed by more rain. Today it isn’t sure what it wants to do, haha.

What Paul’s Been Up To: This past week was a work-from-home week, so he did his work from his office. On clear days, he did as much yard work as he could fit in, since there were more rainy days than sunny.

What Sarah’s Been Up To: I’ve been busy making sure Joseph’s school work has been completed and that Abigail hasn’t been getting too stir crazy. It’s a full-time job, to be sure!

What Joseph’s Been Up To: He and Abigail enjoyed some outside time when everything finally dried out. I pulled out the bubble gun and the two of them went to town chasing bubbles. He was a champ during his school work and also enjoyed seeing both his GT class/teacher and his regular class/teacher through online meetings.

What Abigail’s Been Up To: Playing, chilling with her tablet, soaking up the sunshine when possible, bouncing off the wall…you get the idea. 😉

This Week in Pictures:

Paul taped down some leftover landscaping paper on the table so the kids could color during General Conference.

He covered the entire table so that if the kids wanted to, they could color directly on the paper.

Chef Abigail making fried eggs. Right before this, she presented Joseph with one of her cups that had her plastic broccoli in it and commanded that he drink her “broccoli hot cocoa”. 😀

She was excited to get to play on what she calls “the playground” (also known as our back yard).

He was excited to get to play with some of the sticks that Paul has left over from trimming the trees (Paul is burning it a little bit at a time).

She really loved chasing down all the bubbles.

I liked that he could take over entertaining her for a bit!

A beautiful rainbow after a good, soaking thunderstorm moved through the area.

While disposing of some brush, Paul decided to surprise the kids with toasted marshmallows.

Abigail enjoyed playing with them more than eating them.

She’s got enough hair for a full ponytail!

Bonus Video: Bubble Fun!

Dress-Up Days and a New Kind of Normal

Weekly Happenings: This was another week of school from home, little bits of silence-seeking, and some fun play-time.

The Weekly Weather: It’s been warm and sunny up until yesterday afternoon when a cold front moved in. It started raining last night and it’s still raining…and it’s supposed to rain for the next ten days. Wee, fun!

What Paul’s Been Up To: This week, he had to go into work (this next week he’ll be working from home). He also did what yard work he could while the sun was shining.

What Sarah’s Been Up To: Not too much on my front. I’ve mainly been helping Joseph with school and helping Abigail not go to stir crazy. 😉

What Joseph’s Been Up To: School from home, playing, and a little extra screen-time. 😉

What Abigail’s Been Up To: She’s been getting used to having Joseph at home (she had gotten accustomed to having me all to herself during most of the day, I think). She also enjoyed digging through old costumes to have dress-up fun.

This Week in Pictures:

Joseph’s art teacher asked them to make a nature sculpture out of things they could find in their back yard. This is what Joseph came up with. I was pretty impressed!

Dressed up as Mario from Super Mario Brothers (this costume used to belong to Joseph).

One of those “then-and-now” pictures that Google Photos occasionally puts together. I think she was almost one in the picture on the left.

She asked if she could wear a “spoooooooooooky shirt” so I dug through her shirts to find her Buc-ee’s Halloween shirt.

Sometimes Momma needs to find silence amid the chaos that occasionally ensues when there are young children in the house…so she steps outside for a deep breath. I love our house, inside and out.

Standing on the back porch and looking out over the back yard makes me feel extreme gratitude for the beautiful place we live.

She wanted to dress up in her Vampirina costume.

Here’s another on one those then-and-now photos. The picture on the left is from her first birthday. 🙂

Once she had on her costume, she of course needed to watch the show. You can see Vampirina on the screen there.

On another day, she asked for a “fancy dress” so that she could go to Minnie’s Masquerade Ball (the Mickey Mouse Clubhouse episode she was watching). She also insisted on a crown (thank goodness we still had an old Burger King one laying around) and her “pink butterfly boots”. 😀

I changed my board out for April. This is a quote by Lady Bird Johnson and I think it’s quite fitting for what is going on in the world right now.

I switched out the shamrocks for bunnies and eggs.

I switched out the shamrocks over here for flowers…

…and switched out the shamrock door hanger for my spring one. We’re all ready for April!

This is digital learning! Joseph is learning about man-made and natural resources, so he made lists of both.

I then took his picture and uploaded the pictures so I could send them to his teacher. I am so grateful for technology!

His music teacher asked them to tell her what their favorite instrument was. Joseph’s answer: “I like the recorder because I can make annoying sounds with it.” 😀

She insisted on wearing her sparkly skirt. She carried around her baby doll a lot on this particular day. I told her she should give her baby doll a hug so that I could take her picture. This was the result.

“The sun did not shine. It was too wet to play. So we sat in the house. All that cold, cold, wet day.”

Tons of Together Time

Weekly Happenings: As my rather alliterative title suggests, we spent a lot of time together this past week. School is still closed (and will be until April 26th, unless they extend it even more) and Paul was able to work from home, so the only places we’ve been is to different stores to get groceries (Paul did go to Lowe’s to get me some plants so we can get our garden started again).

The Weekly Weather: Sunday was chilly, but the rest of the week has been warm, sunny, and dry…except for this morning when a random thunderstorm (that hadn’t even been on the forecast, as far as I could remember) moved through at about 4:00.

What Paul’s Been Up To: He’s been working from home (thank goodness for his office!) and has been doing a few things around the yard in his free time.

What Sarah’s Been Up To: I’ve been making sure Joseph’s been getting some of his assignments done online for school, keeping Abigail from getting too stir crazy (sometimes we just go for a drive around), and the like. Since San Antonio pretty much issued a stay-at-home ordinance, I’ve discontinued my piano lessons until we ride this whole thing out.

What Joseph’s Been Up To: He’s been doing work online, reading, playing with his toys, LEGOs, video games…it’s almost like summer vacation for him, haha.

What Abigail’s Been Up To: I think this has been the hardest on her since she’s too little to understand why our normal routine has been upended. She’s been acting out a little more than normal, but I try to remember and to be patient (and give her extra hugs and snuggles).

This Week in Pictures: