March and A Bit of April

Things we've been up to the last month and a half--besides trying to stay sane, which admittedly is harder to do when reading all that Facebook has to say. If I'm being totally honest though, I'm much more of an introvert than I ever could've imagined and I am enjoying a lot of our life right now. We still miss things like co-op and hockey and choir (although, some of those were coming to an end anyway), and we did very much miss our Spring Break trip to Arkansas while the boys were going to be in Canada (which got cancelled too), but we've started replacing things with other things, like gardening, sewing, a lot more time outside, more Bible reading, and of course, we still have some school work to do.

Pre-Quarantine-

We had a great last day of co-op before the break between terms. It was crazy hair day and the girls had so much fun with their hairstyles. Nathaniel played hookie that day and he and Justin took a trip to Dallas to watch his favorite team, the Edmonton Oilers, play against the Stars. They had an amazing time cheering them on right behind the bench and even made it on TV. They had a post-game dinner at Denny's and drove back home the next morning  Meanwhile, Gabrie, Lillie, Addie, Pennie, Julie and I rested up from co-op, then browsed Target and had dinner at Chick-Fil-A. We painted nails and watched the new Aladdin movie.

That weekend we surprised the girls with a birthday party for "Dr. Seusses" at the library. We went last year by accident and they loved it and since he is Lillie's favorite author, we had to go again. They ate cupcakes, listened to his stories, and had their faces painted. 

Not long after that weekend, the craziness began and we started hanging out at home:

Several months ago we bought a tent with the intention of going camping in Carlsbad. Then we had a newborn and decided to put that on hold for a bit. Then a freakin pandemic happened and when we really wanted to get away for a while, some of the state parks decided to participate in "social distancing". (One of a few recent phrases that totally drives me insane.) We decided to make the best of it and camp in the backyard instead--we figured the kids would still love a fire and hot dog roast and sleeping in a tent for the first time for all of them in the "comfort" of their backyard would be enough like camping and still allow for anybody who got the heebie jeebies, to go inside. (Plus bathrooms!) We were right. Even Nathaniel, who can be hard to impress, was excited about camping out. This tent we bought is huge; it took up half our backyard. Or is our yard small? (I think it's both). Nathaniel wanted to try setting it up a few months ago and couldn't figure it out so when he stuffed it back in the box and into the garage, the instructions got lost. (Or else it didn't come with any?) Well anyway, Justin isn't an instruction reader so it doesn't really matter 😂 He didn't know how to put it together, so I figured it out for/with him. (Watching my dad on those camping trips as a kid came in handy. Thank you, Pa!) 

The girls found rocks and made a perfect little fire spot and were terrified at first around the fire. They screeched every time Justin fed it a log and the sparks flew. That wore out by the time the hot dogs were needing roasted. I only had a few wire hangers to use, so Gabrie opted to really rough it and used a stick she pulled from our pecan tree. After hot dogs, we made s'mores and enjoyed each others' company around the fire. And then...I tucked everyone into their "bed" for the night and Juliette and I snuggled inside my warm, soft bed.

Nobody slept great that night. I didn't like how quiet the house was and the ground isn't great for sleeping on. Gabrie and Addie came in to use the bathroom once and Addie decided to stay inside with me after she was done. Nobody woke up scared though, so all in all it was a successful first camping trip. 

That same day we should've been heading to Arkansas to visit family, but because the boys' flights were cancelled and the hockey season was suspended (they were going to Canada to watch a game), and with so many unknowns surrounding the virus and shutdowns, we decided it would be best to stay home. 

I have always wanted to take up gardening and have tried a few times in the past--always unsuccessfully because I forget plants need water--and because we're usually traveling or gone for extended periods during planting season. I always said I had too many kids to keep up with gardening (which is only really half true because my Mama has always had a beautiful garden and seven kids, however, mine are much closer in age than hers). Well, as Nathaniel said, "it's funny it took a pandemic to get you to garden", it's true--the pandemic has allotted me plenty of time for gardening now. And we're all enjoying the new hobby. I had a conversation one day with my mom, about how impatient I was feeling with waiting on our seeds to sprout, and how I should've just bought plants instead of seeds--not long after that conversation, the girls checked on the seeds they'd planted and discovered our first sprouts. The shrieks of joy over those sprouts was an exciting thing to hear. The wait was worth it. It's been a lesson in patience and instant gratification for all of us. I can't wait to take pictures of our blooms and the harvest we will reap. 

The other day the kids and I were feeling some cabin fever. I decided I'd do my best to get us out of the funk by telling them all to get ready to go and picking up Chick-fil-a to eat at home. Nathaniel didn't understand why we couldn't just go in our jammies--I thought getting dressed for a change might do them some good. The girls excitedly went to their rooms to get ready and I told them, "you can wear anything you want". (Except jammies). Penelope took advantage of that allowance. 

Justin took Friday off and took us out to the nature preserve for a nice family walk. It was a little chilly out and I was sad the thistles hadn't bloomed yet, but it was full of fresh hues of green and precious family time. I'm extra thankful we went that day, because the owners announced Saturday it would be closed until further notice.

He spilled

The girls and their friend from co-op

First food--avocado

My baby on TV

She found a ladybug

Fresh mango snack

Learning to hand sew

Talking to the neighbor

Watching the sunrise

All dressed up to pick up chick-fil-a

The nature preserve

No hands!

March Kid Quotes

Penelope- Mama, Julie is stinky.

Me- Okay, thank you.

Adaleine- It could just be stinky baby toots.

Penelope- I smelled her and it totally smelled like Julie poop.

Lillie's favorite author is Dr. Seuss. She pronounces it "Seusses" though and I can't correct her.

The kids like to ride their bikes in the driveway and road when Justin and I can go out with them to watch for cars. One weekend, we were letting them ride and one of us calls out "car" when we see one turning on to our street. 

Justin-Car!

Lillie- You mean, C-A-R.

Me- Actually, he means T-R-U-C-K.

Lillie- Oh, was it a Toyota?

Justin saw a commercial with an actress named Lillie. He told our Lillie, "Hey, her name is Lillie too." I asked him how he knew who she was (because I didn't recognize her or see a name). He said, "There's this thing I learned how to do when I was really young. It's called read." Gabrie interjects, "Hey, I know how to read!" 

Justin- What?

Gabrie- I know how to read.

Justin- WHAT?? What is this thing you're talking about?

Nathaniel- You obviously didn't learn how to hear!

Pennie- We forgot our survive water. (I have no idea)

Pennie- Gabrie accidentally hit me on purpose!

Me- It's already 3:30?! Where did the day go?! (Still getting used to that time change).

Nathaniel, as serious as can be- It's in the past.

Pennie- Can we watch a show now?

Me- No, not right now.

Pennie- Please? You can't say no to this face.

Me- Yes, I can. 

Pennie- Please? I'll do your chores for a 'momth'. I will!

Me- What are my chores?

Pennie- Your bed, your floor, your bathroom. That's it.

Addie- What about the laundry?

Pennie- Oh yeah, the laundry too. But not Daddy's. 

Addie- You don't know how to work the laundry washer.

Pennie- You just put the clothes in and some 'activator' and boom. And then you have to fold them. 

Pennie- Let me braid your hair and do a ponytail. Then you'll be all styled out.

Lillianna- Cooking is for making messes. And making yumminess.

Pennie- A marker sharpie got on me and it didn't cut me! That's good, huh? (A Sharpie 😂)

I was talking to Nathaniel about the quarantine. We don't watch the news so the kids hadn't heard anything about what's going on until we told them. 

Nathaniel- It's 'quaranteed'.

Me- No, it's 'quarantined'.

Nathaniel- No, it's quaranteed, not quarantined. That would make sense if the word was 'quarantine' but it's 'quaranty'. 

Addie- What's for dinner?

Justin- Mama made roast beef.

Addie- So we're having buffalo?

Addie- Alexa, play 'Julie, Julie, Oh Baby'. (Louie, Louie)

Pennie- Daddy, can I have some gum too?

Justin- No, you have a mint.

Pennie- I thought you were the best dad. 

Pennie- Girls, let's play Barbs!

Addie- Daddy, will you play barbies with us?

Justin- Ehhh, not today.

Addie- Daddy, you said you'd play!

Justin- I said one day!

Addie- It's been a day!

Justin- Go eat dinner.

Pennie- I need to wash my hands.

Justin- Hurry up and go wash then.

Pennie- Don't mind if I do. 

Apparently pandemics and quarantines make us a little emotional-- One day Lillie cried and cried because Gabrie kept calling Cheeto (the cat) fat. 

Lillie, crying hysterically- Mama, she won't stop calling him fat!

Me- It's okay, Lillie. Cheeto IS fat! Why does that make you so upset?

Gabrie- Yeah! Cheeto is fat!

Lillie- Mama, she won't stop!!!

Justin- Well, we were gonna go camping this weekend but it looks like they're closing Big Bend down too.

Nathaniel- How do they close outside?!

One day during "quaranty", Nathaniel and Gabriella started an impromptu States quiz together. It went a little like this:

*Nathaniel, needing a hint for Indiana*

Gabrie- It's the name of a man in a movie. 

Nathaniel- Indiana!

Gabrie- Okay, on the L's now. I think we went to a play when we were there...about a rattlesnake?

Nathaniel- Oh! Louisana!

Gabrie- Okay, now the N's. There's eight.

Nathaniel- Oh my gosh! EIGHT??

Nathaniel needs a lot of hints. He couldn't guess Gabrie's hint so he ran to our fridge with our state magnet collection (we buy a magnet for every state we've been to). That didn't help him. 

Nathaniel- Okay, give me another hint. 

Gabrie- It's in the middle. 

Nathaniel- Okay so that means it's the bad part. North Dakota! 

(That was one, but not the one he was looking for. I accidentally gave Nebraska away.)

Gabrie- Okay, last one. It starts with a North.

Nathaniel- What else starts with a North?? (It was North Carolina).

*Rhode Island is next*

Gabrie- Its state tree is the Red Maple.

Nathaniel- That doesn't help me!

Gabrie- Okay, the capital is 'provide-ence'.

*Next was Washington*

Gabrie- The capital is Olympia.

Nathaniel- Olympia...Okay, that's definitely a Southern state. What is it... Oh! Washington! Okay, not a Southern state."

Me- Quiet down people!

Addie- Ummm we're not people. We're humans.

Since going to Big Bend wasn't an option this time, we decided to do a camp out in the backyard. After the tent was set up, Justin wanted me to get the air mattress out of the closet for him--

Justin- Go ahead and get the air mattress set up.

Me- We're not sleeping on the air mattress.

Justin- What are we gonna sleep on then?

Me- The ground!

Justin- My wife just set up the tent for me. I'm obviously not a rugged outdoors man. I'm sleeping on an air mattress. (He didn't. Because I never set it up. And then I ended up sleeping inside with the baby in a nice, cozy bed. 😂)

Addie- I fell on some sticks and have this cut on my leg, Mama. 

Me- Uh oh, are you okay?

Addie- Yeah.

*A few minutes later*

Addie- I need a band-aid.

Me- No, you don't.

Addie- Yes, I do, Mama. There's blood.

Me- It's only a tiny bit of blood.

Addie- Okay. If you want me to die...

Me- You won't die.

Addie- I could bleed to death. It's letting out too much blood.

Pennie- People DO die. But not us. 

Nathaniel- Did you use my tallow?

Justin- No, one of the girls got into it.

Nathaniel- They STUCK their finger RIGHT IN IT! Do you know how long it took me to get it perfectly flat?!

Me-Will you get her a pear please?

Gabrie- A pair of what?

Me- A pear, for Pennie.

Gabrie- Ohhh. A pear!

Pennie- Can I have the light blue cup? I don't want a sad color.

Nathaniel- Why does Samantha have such a soft meow?

Me- I dunno, you'd have to ask her.

Nathaniel- Samantha! Oh actually, I'll ask Cheeto. He spends a lot of time with her.

Nathaniel- I've seen enough sunrises.

Me- A sunrise is a wonderful thing to see though.

Nathaniel- Only the ones I saw with mountains behind it.

Justin- Which sunrises did you see with mountains behind it?

Nathaniel- UH, duh, in Colorado...where we used to live...

Justin- You mean the mountains that are in the West...

Lillie- Gardening is so fun. (We've started our first garden this year).

Nathaniel (to me)- Isn't it funny it only took a pandemic for you to want to garden.

*Talking to Nathaniel about learning how to cook*

Nathaniel- I can cook eggs.

Justin- Can you?

Nathaniel- I bet I could figure out grilled cheese.

(He explained it to us, and says the butter would go between the bread, with the cheese. Justin explained the correct way).

Nathaniel- So I wasn't that far off.

*Nathaniel entered the room, unaware of something, I forget what.*

Justin- That's cause you've been in your cave all day.

Addie- Yeah! You're a cave person!

Nathaniel- You don't even know what it's called.

Addie- Uh huh! It's called a 'pinon-neer'! They act like a cowboy!