covid19- week 14

despite it all, all of the crazy circumstances that have gotten us to this point over the past 14 weeks- our cancelled disneyworld spring break trip & summer beach vacation; schools, gyms, stores, libraries, businesses shutting down across the country [world, actually]; activities cancelled; all the things going virtual; stay-at-home ordinances ... despite it all, here we are having our absolute most favorite summer. our girls are dream ages. activities are cancelled which means we can spend our days lazily at the pool with no rush to get to the next place. everyone in our family can swim, take themselves to the bathroom, sleep all night, no scheduling around naps. we've learned to slow down, read more, ride our bikes, walk our dog, cherish our close friendships and family. as we wait to hear what the upcoming school year will look like, i'm already mourning the loss of today's simplicity. here and there we're dabbling in a fun online class or 2 that the girls are interested in- betsy's done a frozen & frozen II class, and has a moana one on the schedule. eloise is taking an american girl class next week. 

it's all simple, easy and i'm just so grateful for it. 

excited to celebrate our guy this weekend- father's day is already here!

xoxo, 

-ivy

covid19- week 13

while the pandemic is still very much real and happening in our country, we are in phase 3 of the stay-at-home orders, which means that many businesses are back open, and it's up to individuals to use their best judgment in terms of being out and about in our communities. this looks so different for every family, with different families weighing different known risk factors and pre-existing conditions. for us, jon went back to the office at the beginning of the month, and there are a few locations we feel are safe for our family to frequent, mostly outdoors with lots of space in-between people. the mental health factor has been huge for us, and being able to go to the pool every day is the absolute best thing for the hearts, minds and bodies of our girls. we go back & forth between the neighborhood pool and the community pool [that's only open to residents of our city and caps off at a certain number, while marking social distancing throughout the facility and minimizing touch points], and i am ever so grateful for these resources. it's our pandemic summer, and we are truly cherishing every single day we have. and loving it! there's something about the low expectations, slower pace and simplicity that i will never take for granted.

eloise had her 6 year checkup! still hard to believe miss middle is 6- thriving, vivacious and finishing up her tenth chapter book this month!

meme took each of the girls to sonic this week- one date per day. they so looked forward to this time with her & getting to eat her in passenger seat!

the big girls went back to tinitainer rehearsals- in masks and staying in their individual 6ft apart squares. the safety precautions really were outstanding, but there were definite high emotions having to dance in masks on a hot summer afternoon alongside their friends. ice cream and a second pool dip that day were in order afterwards!

excited for the week ahead- meeting our newest nephew/cousin, a couple of distanced playdates, crafting july 4 shirts with gmom, a fun online frozen II class for all 3 & of course, lots of swimming for my little mermaids!

xoxo, 

-ivy

covid19- week 12- black lives MATTER

the world is heavy right now. the black lives matter movement is at an all-time high in the media, and while it's always been pressing, our people are showing up more than ever- protesting, listening, learning and using our voices FOR race equality and AGAINST hatred, bigotry, white privilege and the fear that our people of color face every single day. these are conversations that we've always included our children in; however, we can no longer move forward unless we all move forward together. we're working to teach our girls that racism and stereotypes are ever-present in our culture and that simply because of the color of our family's skin and the history we were born into, we're given privileges and safety measures that so many others are not. i wish for a different world for all of our children to grow up in, and a different future as they raise their own families. we know these changes begin at home- little by little, every single day. everyday the 5 of us vow to listen, learn, grow, and be lights of positivity and compassion. 

xoxo, 

-ivy