The End of Week 10

So I missed the beginning of Week 10. 
Despite having all activities cancelled, there's still so much to do. 

Activities are like Jell-o.  They expand to take up the space allotted. 

Kids will be taking dance classes via Zoom this summer and we're trying to get Sam set up with at least a virtual Boy Scout troop.  Jim is still working out of the basement closet, we're still plugging away at school.  We're making masks when we can, praying with our friends on Zoom, doing lots of Facetimes and watching Mass on Saturday nights.  Now that the weather is nicer and the lawn is in the "needs 2 mows a week" stage and we can do some more hiking, we're all a bit happier. 

Social Distancing has become the new normal.  The longer it goes on, the antsier the kids are getting.  They want to see their friends.  They want to do REAL dance.  They want to go places. 
I get that.  I truly do. 
COVID has turned me into a home loving introvert, though. 
I'm *gasp* playing board games. 
I've read 4 books in the past 10 weeks.  That's some sort of new league record. 
I still want to adventure. 
I dream about living in my She-Shed on the Gulf of St Lawrence...but my time alone is a lot more comfortable now. 
Not that I get much of it...if I can pee by myself I have to consider that a victory...
If I start liking puzzles...you'll know I've lost it. 

I was listening to my Favorite Hobo's newest podcast about saints.  Blessed Peter Kibe really, really, really, really blew my mind, as did Blessed Natalia.    So much so that we sat down as a family and figured out what each one of us could do to be heroes this week. 
The boys decided to make cookies for the garbage men - going so far as getting up at 6:00 to have the cookies baked and ready by the time the truck went by at 7:30. 
They were greatly appreciated. 

Caroline decided to leave a sign of appreciation for our Postal Workers. 
She did a great job!  SO many languages. 

Last Saturday we ventured into Baltimore.  One of our favorite restaurants, McCormick & Schmick, was wholesaling their seafood and produce for jaw dropping prices.  We went in a got a LOT of tilapia, crab, crab legs, lobster, rainbow trout, scallops, produce and (of course) Lemon Drops.  

Hugs from Auntie Melanie were a much welcome bonus.  

Benjamin needed to be adequately protected when cutting onions.  Because I wear contact lenses, I'm impervious to onions.  The kids had NO idea what happens to most people when working with them.  The goggles from science class were our only defense. 

In homage to our Family Heritage...gin & tonics with dates & crunchy peanut butter were a welcome treat.  I just got my Grandmother's recipe for raisin bread.  I can't wait to try to make it this week.  

We have been doing our best to add art into our homeschooling.  Not being artsy AT ALL, it can be challenging - especially because the kids enjoy drawing and crafting so much.  In a prime example of imitation being the sincerest form of flattery, Benjamin spent a good amount of time drawing kitty cats one morning.  Caroline has been making beautiful drawings and working on bracelets for her friends.  Benjamin also spent time doing a self portrait and was absolutely horrified when he discovered he forgot his mouth.  So, in COVID fashion, he added a mask!  

We all helped to make Nina a sign for her birthday this week.  

We also surprised some friends for their birthday and did a Ding-Done-Ditch leaving donuts on the front porch.  Watsons don't do well with clandestine operations.  

We know that things are getting at least a little back to normal when we're able to get our regular groceries in the mail from WalMart.  Never have we been so happy to have paper towels (we're weaning off these - we've found we're becoming proficient with rags) and toilet paper (sticking with disposable here.  ALWAYS)  

Church is open for prayer a few days a week.  The lighted Sanctuary Lamp has never looked so beautiful to me.  It was nice to know that, even though I was the only person in the building, I was not alone. 

We had a DressUp Bingo game with Edge on Tuesday night.  As a cautionary tale to not take fashion too seriously - especially when choosing a prom dress  - I did my hair in 1994 style and put my junior prom dress on.  My kids decided that the 90s must have been exhausting.  

Nate added to his cast collection this week.  4 in a year.  

Nice.  

Not broken, just a significant distal ulnar sprain.  The ortho knows him well enough to cast it.  

Smart woman.  

Week 9

9 weeks in. 
Holy Schnikes. 
Caroline is suggesting that we have a household party on Day 100. 
It's a great idea. 
In the past two weeks we've had a socially distant brithday, Mother's Day and anniversary celebration.  It was strange, but didn't diminish the fun of it. 

As the isolation progresses, I'm finding myself desiring integration into the real world less and less. 

So I'm sitting here. 
Blogging and listening to clips from Billy Madison and Fitzy. 
Sometimes you need to laugh.   

Like THIS.  Social media has been full of stupidheads lately.  This is the best response I could find.  THEN I realized that the first place I went during tornado warnings in Oklahoma was outside. 
Doh. 

There were A10s training and flying over Frederick last week.  We went out to the airport to get in on the action.  It was nice to get out. 

This couch is built on a scooter.  It's.  Awesome.  

 We went hiking at Ball's Bluff Battlefield.
Saying "Balls Bluff" is funny.  It was the WHOLE day trying. 
8 hours later, Nate still couldn't say where we went without dissolving into 9 year old boy giggles.   

Okay.  Fine.  I couldn't say it without giggling, either.  

Grade 3. 
Old School Calvert. 
Nothing better. 
Can't wait to dive into these with Benjamin.  

Week 8

8 weeks. 
No church. 
No dance. 
No recital. 
No eating out. 
No volunteering. 
No hanging with friends. 
No baseball games. 
No museums. 
No Adventures. 

You know what?  We're SO  freaking blessed. 
We have jobs. 
We have school. 
We are healthy. 
We are thankful. 
We are hopeful. 
We are more capable than we thought we were. 
And I'm okay with that... 
Not that we don't have our rough patches.  We do. 
But we love having Jim here more. 
We're even enjoying being together more. 
I've actually sat down long enough to play a board game MORE THAN ONCE. 

We miss a lot of things.  We got news today that the dance recital is cancelled.  There are some plans for a "virtual recital", but I'm not quite sure what that entails.  I DO know that there will be some tears when we pick up 12 recital costumes that won't be worn on the stage at the Weinberg this year. 
It is what it is. 
We're okay. 
That's what matters. 
I do think we're all starting to realize how these things fit in the big picture...

Happy Birthday to JIM! 
Our first quarantine birthday celebration resulted in royal frosting, devil food cake, bacon, bacon gravy, biscuits and omelettes...all courtesy of Fanny Farmer. 

It will never cease to amaze me that if you put sugar, cream of tartar, an egg white and come cocoa in a bowl - that you can turn it into THIS.  

We found the key to making biscuits is to keep rolling out the dough and folding it again.  That way they come apart in layers.  

Caroline was in charge of decorations.  She did great.  

All of us.  This picture makes me so happy. 

It's lilac season.  It's glorious. 

One benefit of buying a bunch of gingerbread houses marked down 90% at Safeway at the end of January is getting to decorate them now. 
I wouldn't recommend eating them, though. 
Not that it stopped us from trying. 

Strange thing happen in Social Isolation.  Benjamin might have been dared to run down the street and ring a neighbor's doorbell barefoot while dressed as Superman wearing his underpants on his head.  

Benjamin might have been given money by his siblings to do such a thing.  

Sometimes social distancing needs to be ignored for the Greater Good.  If 7 kids show up at your house offering to shovel and level the ground to install a patio...you go with it!

We've been busy making masks.  Ignore may hair of many colors.  Apparently I've been in isolation about 6 cm long. 

10pm at night. 
Seriously. 
#becauseNate

AWESOME shirt for Sam!  Knox Moving Company - specializing in sledges from Ticonderoga to Dorchester Heights. 
Jim and Karen:  Breeding History Nerds since 2006. 

I can't lie.  This was SO me when watching "Tiger King".  

Here's to a most excellent Week 8.  

Stay well.