Puzzles

We do less puzzles around here than we were doing in March and April, but they're still a popular way to pass time.

Shopping Friend

I thought I'd have all the time in the world to shop by myself this school year-ha! I still have a fun little helper most times. Can you find him?

 

Helper

I asked him to go down and get some canned goods and I was super impressed with how many he was able to bring up at once!

Model Airplane

Logan bought this model airplane and made it all on his own! I love it when his passions meet: history, art, and building things.

 

Date

Now that some of the COVID restrictions are loosening up, Jason and I take advantage of our two amazing babysitters and sneak out for a date almost every weekend! It's so nice!

Summer Art

During the summer, I always have several things I require the kids to do before they can play their technology. Usually, one of those things is math, but this summer I just couldn't do that to us. So, instead I asked them to create art every day. All of them have pretty good drawing skills, and some of them practice that talent regularly, and some don't. It's been so fun to see the amazing things they have come up with. I've been so glad this was a new requirement!

Even Jake has been working on his drawings!

One Year

 We've had this puppy for a whole year! He's still a hit and he's a good boy. We love him.

P.S. Jake wore his hat like this for about a week and would only answer to the name Lampo (who is apparently a cat in a show he loves and that's how Lampo wears his hat).

Outings

While the weather is nice I am taking my kids somewhere outside every afternoon. They are not always thrilled to get in the car and go (and sometimes aren't even thrilled while we're there!), but we are quickly running out of nice weather months and we'll be stuck at home again. We've found some lovely places and I'm loving our outings.

We found a pretty little butterfly house!

Cantigny is always a hit; the flowers were especially pretty this time!

We found some pretty lakes.

Parks, farms, and old farmsteads have been in the mix too. It's been fun exploring!

Remote Learning

We are a month into remote learning. Hard to believe! Here is what that looks like at our house:

Playing with puzzles or learning games while he's waiting his turn. Sometimes a stuffed animal friend helps as a reward for concentration (sometimes m&ms do too).

Usually Jake and I do his class in my room: it has the least amount of distractions.

Eli does his school all over the place: outside, at the kitchen table, my bedroom, the basement...and he moves places frequently during the day.

Ali likes to be set up in the front room on the couch. Sometimes she pulls the card table over in front of her.

Logan has his spot staked out at the dining room table-even in the same chair every day, all day.

They're all doing great and I'm so proud of them!
 

Fifth (and Five Month) Birthday

Jake's birthday was at the beginning of April, right at the beginning of the quarantine. At the time we promised him he'd get a friend party at some point, but after awhile he kind of forgot about it. I decided with everything he's having to give up (regular school, friends coming over, some of his favorite places still being closed) he should get a party! 

This is what a five year (and five month) mid-COVID-19 party looks like: we did it outside, made cupcakes rather than a cake and didn't bother with candles, and all the treats other than the cupcakes were individually wrapped. Jake wanted pink cupcakes with sprinkles and got to help me pick out the treats. We asked friends to wear masks, because one friend wouldn't have been able to come if we hadn't, and just played for an hour. No organized games, just a bunch of littles running around happy to be together.

Jake felt loved and was happy with his friends and gifts, so mission accomplished.
 

Float Group Date

Some friends of ours invited us to go on a float down a nearby river. I've been hearing about people doing these floats a lot lately, but this was our first. It ended up being a really big group of friends, which was so fun, and taking a little longer than expected, but the kids did great at home without us, so it was a win all around!!