Groundhog Day Every Day

It just seems like the movie Groundhog Day. We wake up, go through pretty much the same daily routine, go to bed, then do it all over again. This week, however, Governor Kemp began to lift some of the shelter in place orders for some businesses. This enabled physicians to begin elective surgeries again on Thursday, so Worth went back to a semi normal schedule at the end of this past week. I hope we can continue to slowly return to normal. Mack had baseball practice that was supposed to start back this weekend, but Worth and I decided to not let him go back. We felt it was a little too early to have 10-20 kids (and siblings that may be present) playing together and parents/grandparents in the stands watching. It was a hard decision, but we pulled both he and Emma from the ball seasons they are still trying to salvage for May. We just felt that it was too early for crowds like that, not necessarily for our kids, but for the adults that may be present. I'm so ready to return to some normalcy, even though we are really settling into our "new normal" now.

Speaking of new normals, not that it didn't happen before, but now we get daily melt downs from one or more or ALL of the kids. This was Mack losing his mind over something ridiculous. It usually is due to their utter frustration of being confined to our house/yard, too much togetherness with their siblings, or just because it's Tuesday. It happens, and I try to have grace, but honestly most days my grace tank is empty. I share in their discontentment, but this particular day I just had to document reality instead of parenting properly. 

Left over Key Lime cake from my birthday that we froze was an extra surprise for the girls for our Easter night dinner. 

Dash still hasn't returned, but we do have these little guys hopping all around the yard. 

Ellie baked her own cookies one afternoon. She did it about 95% by herself. 

Homeschooling is still happening. I'm so ready for summer! I do want my kids safe, but I REALLY hope school gets to start back in July. I'm exhausted. Teaching 3 children at 3 different levels is a challenge, especially for someone who has no classroom teaching experience. 

When they aren't doing school work, we try to have them helping around the house. Mack enjoyed this digging project with Daddy. 

Mack was getting schooled on Monopoly. It gets heated in our house. 

Manis/Pedis for the win today. 

While the girls played spa, Mack and Worth set up a portable AC unit in our bedroom since our AC is out for the 190783 time this year. 

Ronacation continued and Easter 2020

Our quarantine continues. I was off work this past week, because the governor ordered a "shelter in place" for the state. Our sitter seemed a little nervous about keeping the kids because of this, so I just took the week off. Little did I realize he would extend the "shelter in place" to the end of April AND cancel schools for the remainder of the year.

Officially, Ellie is done with 5th grade, Emma is a graduated 3rd grader, and Mack is finished with kindergarten. According to Worth, however, they have to pass "mommy daddy school" by the end of May to get to start a new grade....so, homeschooling continues.

In addition to school at home wee've had a TON of outside time, 2 Bowers kids have had tooth fairy visits, there have been many, many sibling rivalry matches, there have been movie nights, s'mores, egg dying, home church, field day, bike rides, and plenty of golf cart outings. This past week would have technically been the kids' spring break, so we took it. I needed it more than they did!

I understand the need for us all to stay at home to prevent the spread of this awful disease, but I still hate all of the things that the kids will miss out on. Ellie missed her last field day of elementary school (her favorite day EVER,) she missed 5th grade graduation, Mack missed Kindergarten graduation, Emma missed an awesome field trip, and she never even got to start softball. It's heartbreaking and their teachers have been so sweet to stay in touch with all of them. I think the teachers were just as dumbfounded by everything as the kids were. I have to just make sure that I don't cry in front of the kids and I must try to remember that EVERYONE in the nation is going through the same thing.

On a sad note, we have lost Dash. He's been missing for a week now, and I fear the worst. He never usually stays gone this long. Ellie is devastated. I've posted pictures on our neighborhood Facebook page in case anyone comes across him. I hate it, because he was the sweetest kitty. We loved him very much and will miss him terribly. Both girls pray every night for his safe return.

Ellie lost a tooth and the tooth fairy came for a visit. 

Our resident spring animal - "Cat Food" is back and taking down our cat food. 

This box turtle does not let anyone get in his way. 

Mack got a surprise visit from his teachers. He was mad at me because I  kept making him stand in the driveway and it was lunch time. He kept saying, "I'm hungry, I want to go inside!" Mrs. Causey and Mrs. Stephens rolled up, however, and he was so surprised he could barely speak! 

They asked him to come pose in front of their cars for a picture.  We all have to be 6 feet apart per social distance rules. When he turned around to get the picture made, they nailed him with silly string. It was awesome! I LOVE his teachers this year. I'm so sad he got cheated out of the rest of the year with them. 

Mack and Emma built with his marble obstacle course game. Emma worked on this one a while. 

And then it was Emma's turn to lose a tooth! She worked on that one several days. It was hanging by a thread but just would not come out, until it finally did! 

One rainy afternoon the kids FaceTimed their cousins and played go-noodle together over FaceTime. It was hysterical. 

After a long, hot run one afternoon, Worth met me at the door with the news of schools being shut down for the remainder of the year, then he made me this drink. Clearly, I was going to need it.

We had s'mores one night. The weather was so nice and cool that night for a change. 

We've had several "dinner and a movie" nights

Ellie was showing off Aspen to her classroom in a google chat. 

Ellie looks forward to all of her class google chats. These 5th grade teachers are working so hard to stay connected to these kids through the end of what would have been the regular school year. 

On the day that would have been Mack's first field day and Ellie's last, I decided to set up a Bowers field day in the backyard. We had corn hole, bounce the ping pong ball, swinging, sliding, relay races, long jumps, jump rope, trampoline, one leg hopping, and spinning on the bat. It was fun and it wore the kids out. 

Ellie bouncing the ping pong ball. They had to do it 5 times consecutively. 

5 swings before and a jump and then a move to the slide. 

Ellie showed out on the jump rope competition

Mack finally got the hang of jumping rope

Emma doing her segment of trampoline jumping

Single leg hop didn't challenge the Bowers kids like I thought it would .

Mack had to pump his arm to get his single leg hop to work. 

When it comes to watching the iPad, the kids got creative with propping it up for them both to watch. 

Mia surprised these 3 big time when she popped by the other day and brought them their favorite lunch - McDonalds!
She stayed at a safe distance, but it was hard for us to not be able to give her a big hug! 

Online dance classes continue. 

Mack's teacher posts a video of her reading a book every day. He looks forward to it all the time. 

We've taken more bike rides lately than ever before. We realized pretty quickly that the kids REALLY needed new bikes. Mack was hilarious on his little bike. He looked like a circus character. I couldn't get enough of watching his little legs go on that too small bike! 

Coronovirus gave us an excuse to get these kids some bikes that fit them. All new and ready for the road! 

This is the current condition of the playroom. FORTS, FORTS, and more FORTS!

This past weekend was busy to be at home. We started off by dying some eggs on Friday afternoon. 

They were so proud of their egg dying skills. 

Next, the Easter Bunny made a run through our neighborhood.  Mack was so pumped to see him, but as soon as he got close up, Mack froze completely and was silent. 

After seeing the Bunny, we headed to the Taco Food truck that came to our neighborhood and grabbed some tacos for dinner and then some shaved ice for dessert from the Kona Ice truck. this was the line to get to the taco truck. we all had to stay in our golf cart several feet apart. 

The Easter Bunny came! 

Mack got up at 5am ready to see what the Easter Bunny brought him.  (We made him go back to bed until 7:00)

The girls were up early too. They were using their Alexa devices in their rooms to call and wake Worth and I up so they could come downstairs (they know I love to get pictures of the mad dash into the living room!) 

Eating candy and looking at what they got. 

These two were being so sweet before church started, I had to get their picture. 

I got my Easter picture in their Easter clothes despite some major protesting from Ellie and Mack. 

They were not happy with me taking pictures despite their cute smiling faces. 

They were happy, however, to make a "silly" picture, which, for my kids, means "stick your booty out!"

All of us together watching the contemporary service livestream on our back porch. 

Caught Ellie shuffling UNO cards instead of paying attention to the service, which is not far off what she would be doing in regular church had we been there. 

The Masters should have been in their final day of play today. Worth celebrated by wearing his masters attire, having a pimento cheese sandwich for lunch, and watching re-runs of old Masters tournaments on tv.