- COVID Diaries: Week 11 -

Another week up and another week down!  This weekend was Memorial Day weekend, and we kicked it off with a bang on Saturday evening!  After trying very hard to place an order for curbside pickup from At Home and growing everrrr more frustrated with their website with each passing minute, I switched the curbside pickup to the next closest location in Missouri and -- what whattttt -- that particular store was open for shoppers!  Say it isn't so; I've been WAITING for At Home to re-open since the day it closed in March!  We quickly cleaned up dinner and packed up the kids for a little evening roadtrip across the river.

^^ Oh, did I mention that outdoor planters/pots were 40% off for Memorial Day weekend?  YAS!  We cleaned the place out [and even went back Sunday afternoon for more!].  Time to get some plants blooming over here!

Also on Sunday, Aunt Laura came over for a few hours so Brian and I could go shopping together at a nursery in St. Louis.  Like At Home, said nursery also recently opened their doors to foot traffic, but they were not allowing kids inside yet.  [Gosh, it sounds so crazy to type that... These are the craziest of times!!!]  We were hoping to come home with a truck bed full of small trees/shrubs and perennials to plant in the landscaping rock, but we got so super overwhelmed with all the choices and left with only a small variety of indoor plants [my new obsession] instead. ;) 

We retreated back home to research landscaping and enjoy the rest of our Sunday together, because Monday [Memorial Day] was a 12-hour shift at the hospital for me!  Brian took the kids to a family BBQ for the holiday. 

 

On Tuesday, we visited Grammy Penny and Papa Jim AND Grammy Resa and Papa Mark to show off Harper's graduation cap and gown before it was due back at the school on Wednesday.  It was great to spend time with some very special grammys and papas who we haven't had much [if any] quality time with lately!  Love you all!!!

Despite the rain...rain and rain and MORE RAIN on Wednesday morning, I made a haul through Home Depot's Garden Center for flowers to furnish our pots!  Harper and I watched the radar like hawks and darted outside that afternoon at the first chance we had!  The kids were great helpers with the flowers and really enjoyed helping me plant them [or scoop/throw dirt around while I planted was more like it...]!

We also returned Harper's graduation cap and gown to the school and had a nice visit with Ms. Leah outside the preschool.  We are going to miss her smiling face and sweet soul sooo much!  What a great year it was.

Thursday was a work day at the office for me, but Dr. P brought us these donuts just out of the kindness of his heart and GOSH -- I think I sampled 10/12 of them and probably gained about 3 extra pounds by the time I clocked out.  SO DELISH!

Harper's kindergarten uniforms also arrived in the mail on Thursday, and I was so excited for her to try them on!  Is it just me, or does she look about 10 years old here??! Boo hoooooo, my momma heart isn't ready for all of this!  She preferred the jumper over the skort, but I think we'll keep both for now to have options come August.  I have all my fingers and toes crossed that they will be returning to school as scheduled this fall!

We capped off Thursday with an all-American meal:  hamburgers, corn on the cob [Scarlett's first time!], and homemade chocolate milkshakes!  Grandma Beeler always served this meal when we visited her growing up, and it brings back such sweet memories of her house every time I whip it up for my family now. :)

Friday was a lazy day a la casa.  The girls and I watered all our new flowers and played outside all morning...

...then had a picnic on the front porch before Scarlett's nap time.

Tonight, we are headed to Uncle Vaz's house to watch the live Dropkick Murhpys concert at Fenway Park! 

Annnnnnd nap time just ended! 

Perfect timing. 

Ciao for now!

- Congrats to the GRAD! -

.....DRUMROLL.....

We have a preschool graduate in 'da HOWSE!  

Yayayayayay, Harper!
 
In lieu of the official graduation ceremony that was supposed to take place last Tuesday evening at the school, Harper's teachers came to each student's house individually last week to present the diplomas!  I've said it once, but I must say it again:  no matter what curveball COVID threw at the school this year, the teachers swung back and knocked it out of the park every time!  I am sooo impressed and in total awe of the teachers [and administrators] and their dedication to the students through it all!  The preschool teachers especially have both been so steadfast and ever present to Harper [and all of us, really!] over the past few months, and I hope they know how loved and appreciated they are.  This "Graduation in a Bag" porch visit thing they planned was just the cherry on top!  

On "graduation day," Harper woke up very excited!  After breakfast, she put her favorite dress on then came to my bathroom for makeup and hair. :)

 We finished teacher treats and cards just in time...
...because pretty soon after that, Ms. Leah and Ms. Nicole arrived to our home!  They brought two custom cookies for Harper along with the sweetest memory book and Harper's portfolio of schoolwork...and OF COURSE, the long-awaited graduation gown and cap!  *cue the Pomp and Circumstance*
I held it together perfectly during the actual "graduation" on the porch, but putting the video together later on was another story!  Hellooooo, ocean of waterworks!  I've never been a crier, but I guess motherhood has turned me into a sap... We are soooo proud of this little human and all she's accomplished!

After a lot of talking, a couple hugs, and a few pictures...

 ...Ms. Leah and Ms. Nicole left, and we headed inside to look through the memory bag and also give Harper our gift.

Cheers to our grad!  

Harper decided she'd like to have Lion's Choice for her celebratory dinner, and she fell asleep in the car on the way to pick up the food! What an eventful and exhausting day!

 The next day, we went to take a few photos with Maggie in her front yard...

...and also to drop off a little gift for one of our favorite babysitters who graduated from 8th grade this year!  Congrats, Grace!  We are so proud of you, and Harper thought it was pretty special that you girls had "matching" caps and gowns! :D

Over the weekend, we continued the celebration with some very special Grammys and Papas who we haven't been able to hang out with for WAY too long!!! It was so great to see everyone, and Harper was extra proud to show off her garb to all of you.

 Annnnnnd justlikethat, preschool is over!  Onnnnn to kindergarten!

Congratulations, Harper!!! We are so proud of you and all of your classmates!  The future is yours! :-*

- COVID Diaries: Week 10 -

[In my best Alice Cooper shout/scream...]  SCHOOOOOOOOL'S OUT! FOR! SUMMER!

Done done donezooooo.

We kind of "let loose" with our routines this week and really settled into the ultra relaxed schedule that will be summer break.  Add a little quarantine into the recipe, and we're over here like:

Many of the details of last week have already slipped my mind, but the photos prove that we syringe fed our ants on Saturday afternoon...

...and also took baths and probably had some sort of family movie night on Saturday evening!

Sunday [all] morning was for wearing PJs and sipping coffee and giving manicures!  We've used these nail stickers from Wal-Mart a few times, and the kids love them.  #weekendvibes #girlmom #nailart

The entire weekend was chilly and rainy, but chicken and broccoli casserole with rice and banana nut muffins really hit the spot! Yummmm to one of our family favorites! :)

Monday evening was Rozalyn's 5th birthday parade and garage party!  Happy birthday, sweet girl! 

Made official on Tuesday at 2:00pm: we have a preschool grad in 'da howseeeee!  We are so proud of Harper and all she's accomplished this year!  Congrats to our very favorite Little Jay!  [More to come on this in another post...but for now...check out the video here!]

On Wednesday evening, Dana and I talked Brian into getting a mop buzz in her yard!  While I finished up scissor cutting the top of his hair in our master bathroom, the kids stayed occupied in the living room with a movie and popcorn!

Thursday was a full day at the hospital for me...

 

...and Friday was a full day of fun for all!  We hit up the bicycle shop in town to [finally!] buy Scarlett a helmet.  The store wasn't open for browsing, but there was a worker manning a card table outside and she happily brought toddler helmets outside for Sissy to try on. 

The choices were yellow with lightening bolts, lime green with monsters, or neon blue with planets and stars; Scarlett chose yellow without hesitation!  I think it's pretty fitting, too, because as soon as we got home she was off like a lightening bolt and she's been making laps around the subdivision on her balance bike ever since!  If you see a bright yellow streak buzzing through the subdivision, it juuuuust might be Scarlett! ;) :)

Cheers to the weekend!

- Mother's Day -

Omgoshhhh, 2020 shall go down in the books as the BEST Mother's Day ever!  Wahhhhhh!

Besides having to share every other bite of that delectable [and GIANT!] cinnamon roll with the little beggar to my left, breakfast in bed was a real treat!  Harper even filled up wine glasses for breakfast, because WE FANCY on Mother's Day!  I am so head-over-heels in love with these two tiny humans who made me a mother! <3

Later on, we had my parents and brother over for a visit to celebrate Grammy Resa [we broke social distancing real hard for 'dis, but no one seemed to bat an eye!].

 

...and then had a little salon session...

  ...and MANY games of Twister!  And the Twister champion is...

...[always] Harper!  That girl can twist/fold/bend her body in more ways than I even imagined possible!

The following night, we had Brian's parents over for an ice cream social to celebrate Grammy Ann!  It only took 15 tries to get a decent photo of the three generations... :) #thisishowwewerein2020

And lastly, I want to wrap it up with this tribute/photo collage:

To my beautiful mom...
To my two beautiful grandmas...
To my beautiful mother-in-law...
To my beautiful godmother...
To my kids' two beautiful godmothers...
To the two beautiful kids who made me a mother...

...I am blessed by all of you!  HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY to all!  May you always know the very special place you have in my heart!