Spring in the Time of Corona

Our family has been so happy to have warm(er) weather this week. We have been out on bike rides each day. Koala Bear is riding so well as this is her first time to really ride a bike by herself. She used to ride in the seat behind Lady Hiva or I, but now she has learned to ride, she wants to do it all by herself--much like she wants to do everything. Lucky Dragon has grown so tall this year that his old bike was a bit comical to watch him ride. It is amazing to see how much he has grown and changed. We bought him another bike and he is so FAST! I guess it shows that having a bike the right size makes a difference.

Choosing a bike via technology because only one person can go shop at a time

Lucky Dragon lost another tooth this week! He was so excited and wanted to tell everyone we saw on Zoom--his class, the missionaries that were sharing  spiritual message, neighbors etc.  He has been begging to go to the store to spend his $5 the tooth fairy gave him (clearly Lady Hiva is the tooth fairy in our house...hahah). But because of Corona, we have not gone to the store with him. He begs us every night to go to the store the next day. Our answer is always the same...we cannot go.

The missionaries challenged us as a family to find ways that we can serve. Before Lady Hiva and could answer, Lucky Dragon said, "Yes!" and told them we will give food to our neighbors. So this week we baked loaves a bread together and took them to some neighbors and other families we are praying for in their time of need.

Despite the fact that several days this week it was nearly 70 degrees (Fahrenheit) during the day and then snowed over the evening, I was able to get out and run outside! YAY! Summer is coming. These trips outside have helped us remain sane during this time of Corona. Let us share a few of them with you.

Lady Hiva pranked the kids on April Fools with a robot cockroach in their breakfast. They had fun with it. You can tell they have never lived in Hawaii, because their reaction was not as dramatic as it would have been. She also put toothpaste in their Oreos. After the initial shock of it, Lucky Dragon said, "I ate a cookie and my teeth are now clean!"

Shopping experiences have calmed down a bit. Most often I am just trying to find a few things that we use and are still not in stock. Most stores have now re-shelved items after the Great Corona Panic 2 weeks ago...or is it 3? I cannot keep track any more. It is funny to see how people act/react in the stores. They walk around like they are trying to avoid the plague, oh wait, they are! One good thing in all of this is the cheaper petrol!

I have been working completely from home. Zoom and Microsoft Teams have been where I have spent most of my days. It is a bit of a change, but at least work can move forward. I have church youth activities via Zoom too. It is CRAZY! But it is fun. I love seeing their faces. They made fun of me because I messed up my days--they are all blending together.
These are two memes that hit home for me this week. 

Having finally given into the realization that this is not going to end soon, I went to my office and got my standup desk and monitors. It was quite the experience getting into the work building and then trying to get out. At one point I was stuck in between two sets of doors, I could not go in or out of either one. Luckily, there was someone leaving that finally opened the door! We set it up in the Don Gurt's room (Don Gurt is the spirit that lives with us and Lucky Dragon decided the guest bedroom is Don's room when we moved into the house). That, too, became a family affair.

Lady Hiva and Lucky Dragon continue their schooling online too. Someone visited our house this week and said, "It looks like your house is school! This is evidenced of the alphabet on the wall, the art supplies and papers taking over the dining room table and the computers set up everywhere to do work. Koala Bear will come check on all of us as we work. She will pop into the room and see who is on the screen during my meeting, then quietly walk back out. My colleagues have all learned her name and will wave to her. HAHA. She came in one day dressed in her Unicorn rainbow shirt, a viking helmet and wielding Lucky Dragon's wooden sword, they whole meeting saw her come in behind me before I did and started to laugh! She got embarrassed when I tried to take a photo. She will climb up onto the chair behind Lady Hiva and cling on like the Koala Bear she is! She also still finds opportunities to dress up in all her fancy clothes!

He goes full on Hermione style in French class when the other kids do not seem to understand the questions

I have been so impressed with teachers-- the professor peers I work with whom have shifted to online school. For  many of them it is a HUGE shift and many are not as comfortable with the technology. Lucky Dragon's teachers are amazing. He continues his French Immersion via Zoom throughout the day. They put up videos, plan activities and do all they can to help him continue to grow. I am thankful for them. One of his teachers had a "dance party" for the kids via zoom. Lucky Dragon loved it. We have since had a few dance parties as a family.

They got to dance with their favorite stuffed animal, snake was first and Olaf and Turtle were waiting on deck for their turn.

The two schools he has attended, one in our neighborhood and the French school both decided to do a teacher parade. It was fun to see the neighborhoods come out of their houses. We have not seen anyone for weeks. Our little Muggles enjoyed both parades.

Before the parks were all closed, we tried to get the kids out to them once a day. Now, we are glad we have a park in our basement. The slide and the trampoline are lifesavers. Lady Hiva and I have joined in with them too. It is quite a work out! Other quarantine activities have included cousins, dipping strawberries, walks to find nature, building legos, and "sleepovers" in parties.

 Someone would dip two and eat one...dip two and eat one. When Lucky Dragon would accuse her of not working and just eating she would try to lick off her face and hide the evidence! HAHA

My rendition of Elsa's Castle

 

Lucky Dragon is getting so good at building Legos! This was his Segway lego that he built after riding Segways with his cousins.