Jude protecting his goal at the neighbors house

Another week of digital school and another weekend of absolutely nothing on our calendar. It is starting to get old. I learned this weekend that quarantine comes from the Italian word for 40 days, which is how long we have now been unable to go about our normal life. But at least we have the neighbors for the kids.

There are three families on our block with kids aged between 8 and 13. We made the agreement when this all began that we would let the kids play as they always have. And on weekends they have been spending a lot of time together. They played an epic game of cops and robbers today that lasted hours. And several afternoons this week they were playing on our trampoline or playing football in the park. Our kids lives would be very different if they didn’t have others to play with.

Enjoying berries and cream for dessert

Both kids had to do some homework today and of course there were chores. Anna mowed the front lawn, our first time this year. I baked my now traditional Sunday sourdough loaf and went for a run. One thing I am trying to do these days is get fitter. I am spending a lot of time on the Peloton as is Marcy. Then there is multiple walks to the park with the Olive. And then Anna spent some time making cute filters for a picture of her.

Anna “crowns” Queen Olive

Jude after a long ride on the Peloton

Jude had his Spring Break this week and we, obviously, spent the whole week at home. Luckily that is what he usually likes to do on his weeks off. This week, though, he was quite active. We bought a Peloton which arrived last weekend and Jude decided he would start riding it. And ride it he did. He rode 25 miles three days in a row this past week on top of his usual basketball as well as soccer and football in the park. He still had plenty of Minecraft time as well, and many episodes of his favorite show, The Office. Then today, we both ran a 5K around Wash Park.

Olive playing in the snow this week

While we have had some nice weather we often get snow showers in April. This week we had an inch on Monday and then Thursday about 4-5 inches. Olive absolutely loves the snow. When we let her outside she gets super active, burying her face in the snow, and sprinting around the yard. She also loves to go to the park and fetch the frisbee and if there are other dogs to play in the snow with that is heaven for her.

Volleyball in the front yard (with our new badminton net)

Thankfully, with warmer weather on Friday the snow was all melted by Saturday morning and our new badminton net arrived. Our last net was a cheap one and it broke after one season so Marcy decided to spend a bit more for a higher quality one. Anyway, the kids decided to break the net in not with badminton but with a game of volleyball.

One other game we played a couple nights this week after dinner was kickball in the park. We took a foursquare ball up to the park with cones for bases and then had a family game of kickball. Marcy had to do double duty, throwing Olive the frisbee while she was playing kickball.

Anna with the Easter eggs she painted

The kids have been really looking forward to Easter. With the world still in quarantine I think it was comforting for them to have a familiar ritual. So, we kept Easter pretty much the same as it always is. An Easter egg hunt, baskets filled with candy and presents. It was a very cold day with a little snow so the Easter egg hunt this year was indoors for the most part with just a few eggs on the back porch.

Getting ready to open all their Easter goodies

We decided today that we would let the kids eat whatever they wanted and have no limits on screens. We are usually pretty strict on both those things but it was a cold day and being Easter we thought it would be ok. We also bought them a new video game: Animal Crossing which Anna loved but Jude was not a big fan. Both kids loved the unlimited screens. Jude watched five episodes of The Office, his current favorite show and Anna watched a Hunger Games movie and some of The Office as well. Neither kid stepped off our property today but we did insist on some exercise so they each did a short session on our new Peloton which arrived this week.

Jude being a typical teenager and refusing to have his photo taken

Earlier this week it was Anna’s half birthday. The tradition is we get donuts and we were a little worried that it would prove difficult with so many places closed. But our favorite donut place was doing takeout so Marcy went out with Anna to get her an apple fritter, her favorite doughy treat.

Enjoying her 11 1/2 birthday

Doing the slack line in the park

We don’t venture very far from home these days. With a stay at home order in effect for the next several weeks our life consists of home and the park with the occasional trip to the store. Thank goodness we have Veterans Park less than 100 yards away, we are there several times a day with Olive. And after school one afternoon this week Marcy went and set up a slack line for Anna and one of neighbors to play on.

Football in the park on Saturday morning

We have been heading to the park with the football a lot this past week. Normally, Jude just wants me to throw him the football but Anna has started coming as well and we all went out both days this weekend. We even had an impromptu parents vs kids football game on Saturday that the kids managed to win.

In the park one evening this week

Marcy spent the past week working in the garage. She bought a new rack for the bikes and basically reorganized our entire garage. It looks really great now after she almost singlehandedly put up the rack and moved everything around. Olive, of course, followed Marcy around wherever she went although she was fine to hang out in the backyard when Marcy was in the garage.

Relaxing in “the cloud” with Olive