covid19- week 3

this week brought a bit more structure as we're settling into what's quickly become our new normal. the initial shock of it all has worn off a bit, so jon & i are able to sleep better and wake up with better attitudes despite how scary the prognosis outside the walls of our home is. i'm back to my typical waking up before the kids, and i've realized that getting my workout in before they're awake is key to being as present as possible with them throughout the day. i knew that with online school starting (& dance, too), i'd need to be more available to be "on", especially right when they wake up and for those first few hours of the day. they love waking up and getting dressed on their own, and we get our schooling done in the mornings after breakfast. honestly, the girls love the schoolwork part of their days! lucy and eloise are both bookworms, love a challenge, and math is their jam- a huge blessing to me! their school has done an outstanding job of bridging this gap for families, and it makes me cry just thinking about the love and support we feel from our principal, their individual classroom teachers, and even the specials and resource teachers, providing daily supplemental activities that i leave up to the girls if they'd like to complete (seeing eloise do her typing class was pretty sweet the other day!) they're working on the stations of the cross in religion, which has led to many meaningful conversations each day. their principal posts morning and afternoon announcements, and each of their classroom teachers posts a morning circle where they talk about the day, and mrs conard reads a chapter of junie b to the kids. our afternoons are filled with journaling, facetiming grandparents and friends- reading to meme & gmom has become a favorite for the older girls as they work to complete the reading challenge (still hoping to earn an lol doll!) i made for them at the beginning of this whole stay-at-home thing. they're taking their dance classes, and we do our daily walks & bike rides. we've been blessed with some dreamy windows-open days! we tune in for miss mcbride's nightly bedtime stories, and both big girls have weekly zoom meetings with their classmates. it's a bizarre thing, knowing we're all in this together. the grief is different. but ultimately, i'm so thankful for our health, the information and education we have on the virus, and our ability to comfortably stay home and safe. 
having 3 built-in-besties running around this house really is a dream come true.
these memories will last a lifetime, no doubt. 

you know it's a global pandemic when jon asks me to cut his hair-

my very professional school signage-

yes, eloise has her schoolbox from her kindergarten teacher, yet she chose to make her own variety-

lucy devoured this book in less than ONE day.

to another week of continuing to do our part in flattening the curve-

xoxo, 

-ivy