Hello and happy Wednesday! Here we are 3 week days into no school, no working, and staying home. It is definitely strange but we are making the best of it. I find the unknown to be unsettling but I am trying to keep things light and not scary for our kids. Our cases in Maryland are on the rise, but our governor has been doing such a wonderful job giving clear instructions without causing panic. I am so thankful to have him leading our state. #lovethegov

I thought I would share some of what we’ve been up to and some of the good stuff going on around here. First of all, Jack’s teachers have all emailed to tell us they’d love emails from the students telling what they’re doing while we’re out of school and offering any help that students want. I told the kids I didn’t think we’d be going back to school on March 30th. If they did go to school, I’d make chocolate chip cookies for breakfast. Jack learned about the Mayflower compact this year so he made an “Olde English” proclamation to ensure he gets those cookies. His social studies teacher thought it was hilarious!

We tried to do an hour in the morning and an hour in the afternoon of brain work – FAIL!! On Tuesday, we adopted the half day kindergarten mentality and worked for 2 hours. Then the boys had the day to themselves. Way better!

Jeff’s homeschooling is continuing. On Monday, the boys learned about the 1999 Ryder cup. Best US comeback with the worst shirts ever!

On Tuesday, they learned about the 1990 UNLV Running Rebels basketball team and the 1992 Kentucky vs. Duke game. He also took school outside for some soccer training and to walk 9 holes.

We’ve been playing a family game every night after our walk. I am so thankful that the weather has been warm enough to to get outside and burn off that last bit of energy each night.

I’ve been reading some, but not nearly as much as I thought. I finished The Jetsetters, Reese’s new book club pick. It was a similar concept to The Floating Feldmans, but I liked this one so much better! This book is about a mom that enters a contest to go on a European cruise with her children. She is trying to rekindle her relationships with the kids and each one comes with their own set of struggles. I enjoyed it and would recommend The Jetsetters. ☀️ ☀️ ☀️ ☀️. I just started a Kristen Higgins that comes out this summer. I’m enjoying it already and can’t wait to keep reading.

We had a green Saint Patrick’s Day with my favorite Irish food – toasted specials. 😂 I broke out all my green and was hoping that the luck of the Irish was with us!

One of the parents in Luke’s grade set up a Zoom chat for kids to see each other on Tuesday. There were 13 kids on the chat and Luke had the best time! He’s already looking forward to the next one!

When I was inventorying my freezer I found a pan of my mom’s sticky buns. We thawed them out and had a yummy breakfast on Tuesday. My mom’s sticky buns are the best! They freeze well, they thaw well, they reheat well, and they taste delicious every single time!

That’s about it for today. We are still looking for the bright side in every day and hoping that everyone stays healthy and safe. We are doing our best to keep the kids busy and their brains from turning to mush. Have a great day full of sunshine and books!