At this time, it’s the little things

At a time when all the talk is Covid-19, I’m thinking of some other things too. 

- My dad just got a smart phone and I love his texts. He is so clever! Plus, he uses emojis. Who would have thought!?!

- Last week Jess came home with groceries and Ansel was so excited about everything. “You got blackberries! And raspberries! And what is that cereal? It has strawberries in it? Yesssss!” He is our hype guy and I love it. 

- Oliver passed the test to go to the state GeoBee but they’ve had to cancel it (for the first time ever!). But he’s so cool about it. He’s bummed but he’s not making it a big deal. 

- I swore I would not be the mom of a kid who didn’t wear socks or a jacket in 50 degree weather, but Ian has made it clear that I am now that mom. He rushes out the door without me knowing and without socks. These are bad mom moments. 

- I went with Elsie to her two week appointment today. I was apprehensive, but I knew she had to get the PKU test and the front desk assured me all precautions were being made. Let me tell you, I’ve never had such a nice talk with the doc before. He said things had slowed down at the office quite a bit, plus he had three cancellations just that morning, so he had more time then ever. If only all of our doctor appointments could be so pleasant. 

- Residents are walking our neighborhood like never before. I am a frequent walker/jogger and never have I seen so many people out until now. I hope this continues as we make it out of this quarantine phase. A breath of fresh air does great things!

- Yesterday, we had a church meeting via video conference. There’s a first for everything, right? We talked about the 5.7 earthquake we experienced this week and how we’d respond to a natural disaster in our neighborhood. It’s neat to see how organized it all is. 

- My birthday is coming up and my in-laws told me that they got me a cruise as a gift. I laughed and laughed. 

- Easter is coming up and I think we are going to have thee best private Easter egg hunt this family has ever seen!

- Below are some pics as of late, some pre-March 10th, around the time the distancing measure began. 

 

Art night at the school. 

Baking! This pull apart recipe, plus biscuits, cookies, and bread have all been thanks to my need to make! Ian’s licking his lips here. Haha! Speaking of recipes, did you know that America’s Test Kitchen is allowing free access to some of its recipes during the self-quarantine. Kind of cool. 

A common scene. Ian loves to be in pics with Elsie. Note the lack of socks on both children. Haha! And yes, Ian designed that shirt himself. 

A growing Elsie! Cute as a big in a rug, as my mom used to say, and so sweet. 


Here’s to a good Monday and a good week!

Life now, the social distancing edition

Boy, am I glad Elsie was born when she was. We are thankful she is here and healthy and happy and sleeping relatively well (knock on wood). Our days are filled with this:

And this:

And this:

And some of this:

Thanks for testing out the new stroller Ian. Looks comfy!

And with school out but still in session at home we’ve done some of this:

Right now I feel like I’m in an episode of the Twilight Zone. Everyone around me is healthy. Neighbors walk the streets and friends bring over dinner and yet I’m told to stay away from them, groups larger than 10, and any business (except grocery stores!). I’m grateful my home is comfortable and I really love the people I live with. The only thing I’m really missing is social interaction with others, which just goes to show me, once again, how important our relationships are. 

Stay healthy all!

She’s here!

Weighing in at 7 lbs 11 oz and 20 in, we are over the moon she is here! 

Elsie is the sweetest and such a joy. Introducing her to her brothers was such a treat. They were so excited!

Before I had her, I was sharing my thoughts with a friend, mentioning that I was nervous about the birth. “But Ashley,” she said, “that’s my favorite part. Those days in the hospital are the best. Those moments where your kids meet the baby are so magical.” When we were together as a family (of 6!) for the first time her words rang true. Magic. 

Having babies is a miracle. A happy, beautiful miracle where heaven touches down on earth and the moments are so surreal and intense but the euphoria is real. 

I am grateful for this time in my life. My zombie-like state is sure to stick around for a while, but the smile on my face will be there to accompany it.

My days with Ian

Recently, Ian and I have been filling our days with the usual. We run errands, we clean the house, we play downstairs and read books, we nap. 

Because I haven’t scheduled anything around these days (due to a babe’s arrival, see previous post), we have some extra time we need to fill. Today we headed out to get some Ramen at a place I like that has a new location. As we got in the car, Ian exclaimed that he needed some pickles for the drive, so we packed some up in Tupperware and off we went.

Turns out the Ramen place wasn’t open, so we went on a bit of a drive. We talked about dogs and cats. Ian shared that he wants a dog. And if so, could it be red? Then he decided dogs don’t like to be painted, so red isn’t an option. 

We finally reached a destination and decided to eat at a family favorite up the canyon. Ian sure is a delight to have lunch with. This time around he explored the butter, jam, and sugar contents at the table. We smelled the spicy sauce and observed that the ketchup container looked like a glue bottle.  He said, “let’s chat,” and I started to talk about when he was a baby. He interrupted and said, “let’s pause a second” and took a drink of water. Where does he come up with this stuff? I don’t know, but after the sip, we continued. 

Certainly, it was an afternoon enjoyed.