WHAT'S COVID AND HOW WAS THE BEGINNING OF YOUR 2020 WITH YOUR KIDS?

 As I recently said, I just rediscovered my blog... Man I wish I would have remembered last year that I used to do this... I would've loved to have been blogging throughout 2020. February/March of 2020 was pretty much when everything stopped. Not knowing what was going on, not knowing what was happening... Explaining it to the girls without having them be scared. It was all new territory.

We have always homeschooled. So lots of people would say, "Oh, being home and doing school at home, this isn't much different for you guys!!" But that couldn't have been further from the truth! We were used to finishing our lessons and going to the park, meeting up with other homeschoolers, etc. We, just like everyone else went from normal, to doing absolutely nothing. We had the news on a lot and while it was on, the girls and I would normally play board games, we would pause the news at times so they could ask questions, etc. They would hear their daddy say how empty the store shelves were, there was the whole toilet paper shortage, etc. It was pretty crazy. I worked a lot of puzzles to keep my mind busy. The girls and their daddy would ebb and flow helping me with them. As the weather got better, we would get outside, play frisbee, play catch... I feel like things slowed down a lot and became simple in a way. The simplicity was nice though. I feel like during this time, all 4 of us reconnected in an amazing way. I feel like it was a time of greater family exploration! We had to start thinking of different things to do. Things were just less busy. We missed family, BUT from this aspect, things just weren't that bad. We had each other and we were good. As time went by, the girls would go through hobby list to find new things to do. Amazon helped a lot with getting things to us. L has been sewing over the last couple of years, she made blankets for her friends, and we delivered them to their porch. Lots of things were passed back and forth on people's porches!

When all of this was just beginning, I would put daily post on FB about what I was grateful for; just to keep some positivity out there. You would hear about a lot of people getting depressed. We missed going out to eat and we really missed seeing our family. I worried about my mom a lot because we had recently had a death in our family and she was still processing that. She went straight from dealing with death to not seeing anyone at all. I was constantly worried about her. I would do mental check-ins with L and M so we could keep them right in their heads. Talking honestly with them, wanting them to understand the best they could, and not be scared. With my big concerns, I would talk to my husband at night, because I was scared and worried about what was happening and the unknown; he would keep me right in MY head. 

Travel bans, mask mandates, 6 feet apart, getting takeout (which was the only to have restaurant food)... So many things were changing and we were trying to keep things normal for the us and the girls. We were supposed to go on vacation in April and had to cancel... we are used to traveling quite a bit.... What do we do? We get a puppy!!! 10 hours roundtrip in the car to drive to Illinois for the girls to pick out which one they wanted and drive home! But we were going to be sitting at home anyway! May as well sit in the car with a reward in the end. As much work as a puppy is, I do think the puppy helped the quarantine year!

Things started to get to me around May... we all needed to get away. I thought it was going to be harder than it was to find a dog sitter in a world that isn't supposed to be traveling or doing anything. But it wasn't. So we were heading to Florida! We planned this in just a few days and had to get some things before we left. That meant taking girls to stores which they really hadn't been shopping at all recently.  We had to stand in lines to get in because they were only letting so many people in at a time. Having to wear the masks took a lot of getting used to for the girls. Once inside Wal-Mart, M (she was 9 years old) had a huge meltdown. Was she too old for that? Yes! But things were so off at this point that we were just making it through with all the "new adjustments"... But we made it, got what we needed and we were off to Florida!  Just to swim in the pool and play in the ocean. We were around less people during this trip than going in anyplace back home. Our first night we were there, our dinner conversation was all about the obvious differences while traveling. Differences in the hotel especially! But it was good. It was nice to reset! It was really nice to be away! Oh and at the age the girls are, road trips are starting to be really enjoyable!! This was one of our favorite road trips, even with the drive everyone was just so happy to be out of the house!

Back to reality... back home... with warm, nice weather, pools, parks and everyplace you would go during the summer months were all ALL CLOSED! Although we were finally able to be in groups of 10 or less... The kids could finally see some friends! This changed some things a bit! You still tried to keep your bubble of people small because there was still a lot of things unknown... Unanswered questions about the mask were everywhere, did they work, did they not? Do you wear them or not? I definitely don't want to debate that here... these were just thoughts going on in our heads at the time! We did lots of hikes, family bike rides, and had lots of time outside. One of the most fun days for the girls started as a family fun day... we played, they washed our cars, then asked if they could hold up signs to see if anyone else would let them wash their cars!! They had a car wash in the neighborhood. They made about $30-$40 each. Some people came and sat in their cars while the girls washed them. Some brought their cars and walked home then came back to get it. As small as this was, this was a huge thing for them. They worked hard, made some money and had fun doing it!

Half way through the year, the girls were saying, "When this first started, we were told everything would be closed for 2 weeks... when is it going to end?" We kind of went into "make your kids happy mode" (within reason). The girls have been wanting skateboards for a couple of years and we had resisted for different reasons. One thing I learned from this quarantine time was that I should be more involved with the kids and their hobbies. Explore more things WITH them! I feel the girls and I have always had a good relationship; This one thing I've learned has taken us to a whole other level. I need to explore new hobbies with them, find something they love and engage with them... M and I have actually bonded over her skateboarding! L and I have bonded over cooking and nails. I don't really like having my nails done, but L does! My husband does most of the cooking, so L gets a charge when her and I take on a new recipe together, with her choosing it and her doing most of the work. I'll make a whole other blog post about kids and their hobbies!

This is getting long... What do you remember about the first 6 months of 2020? What memory sticks out with those first 6 months of Covid with your kids?

KIDS PICTURES ONLINE

Do you post your kids pictures online? My girls are now 10 and 11 years old. I never have. I put some things out there that show the backs of them, but never their faces. Some family used to get frustrated... But it was something they got used to working through. I don't mind people posting pictures and putting stickers over their faces... Maybe it's crazy, I hope in the future, my girls will be grateful I haven't put them out there and be choosy about what they put out in the social world. To be choosy about what they share. To learn there are consequences to those types of things. I don't know if there is a right or wrong about it. It was just something we chose and I think both things are ok. I see friends kids pics out there and I (sometimes) want to put things out there myself... I think, "now could be the time". 

It looks like maybe I put pics on this blog in the past... But maybe removed them? I'm sure if I did, it didn't show their faces. Lol 

What do you do and why?

BLOGGING... IT'S BEEN AWHILE!

It's been a LOT of years since I've blogged... L and M are growing up into amazing young ladies (although with them being so close in age, everyday isn't roses, lol...), it is still a wonderful experience to watch them grow and change into the people they are becoming. I would love to continue this blog as time permits... but where do I go from here? Some things are new and the world is definitely in a different place... Do I catch up with posts about times that have past, things we have done, places we have been??? Or just start with where we are now? I don't even know if anyone really follows this anymore, even if no one does, it would be cool for the girls to have these things all together for when they get older. I'm looking forward to reading the things I have blogged in the past... 

So, if anyone is out there, where should I start back up?

The Wonder of Books...

Yesterday was Monday, October 14, 2013; later afternoon the girls and I went out for a walk, as we often do. At one point, L was holding my hand, she looked up at me and said, "Mommy, do we have any books about how flowers grow?" I told her we didn't and she asked, "Can you get some from the library?" OF COURSE I WILL!!! Just a few minutes went by and she looked up at the cloudy sky and asked, "Mommy, can you get a book about what happens to the sky when it rains?" ABSOLUTELY!!

We just started going to the library this past summer and both girls love it! We've always read A LOT! But now we read daily (I don't count bedtime... I'm talking about during the day). I THINK IT'S AMAZING THAT AT 3 1/2 SHE IS THINKING ABOUT THESE THINGS! THAT SHE KNOWS THERE'S KNOWLEDGE IN BOOKS. THAT SHE CAN READ A BOOK AND LEARN THINGS. She has questions about how flowers grow and wants books so she can LEARN!! 

Call me crazy! I'm just a proud mommy! I think this is amazing! I'm happy she loves books, I'm happy she wants to learn. I'm happy she's asking for things that interest her or just things she wants to know about!! 

Their FIRST Play: Welcome to Pooh Corner

When my husband and I made the decision to homeschool, one of my concerns was that I wanted the girls to be exposed to the theater. I was so happy when I found the homeschool field trip group that we've since joined!

Today was our second field trip. A small production of Welcome to Pooh Corner. A play. Something that was so magical for me when I was younger (and still today)! I have told so many stories to the girls over the last several days getting them ready for today! I think I was just as excited (if not more) as the girls were for this field trip! 

Cute tops, cute shirts, pretty bows in their hair... we were ready to go! I plugged the address into the GPS and off we went. Lots of singing songs and non stop talking in the car on the way. It was a 30 minute drive and as we were getting off the interstate, the excitement escalated! The GPS, Maxine (as we have named the talking computer) told me to turn right. I did, and she proceeded to say, "drive 50' and make a U-turn". What? I know I heard her right! She said turn right. I thought! Well maybe the girls were talking and I heard wrong. I turned around in the shopping center and started to drive the opposite way. Then we heard Maxine say, "Drive 50' and make a U-turn." What? I pulled back into the the same shopping center and thought maybe this place could have been tucked behind it OR SOMETHING??? Finally as I was driving around the shopping center I saw a police and I stopped to ask directions. He was telling me one way, then another, then changed his mind back to the first way. Then he said, "Just follow me!" The girls thought this was the coolest thing. They kept saying, "The police is following us to our field trip! We have to tell Daddy!" I kept trying to correct them without dampening their excitement. NO! WE ARE FOLLOWING THE POLICE! The police isn't following us. LOL We had a police escort!

Once inside, we had to wait in the lobby for a bit! I thought they were going to explode with excitement. L looked at one of the people welcoming guests inside and said, "I've waited Sunday, Monday, Tuesday and now it's Wednesday, IT'S THE DAY!!" So cute! 

Once we were ushered to our seats there were so many questions! About the stage, the lights, the smell (normal theater smell to me)... I was loving it. THEN THE LIGHTS WENT OUT. L said, "I can't see the stage anymore!" As I started to explain that the play was beginning, off to the corner the spotlight was shining on a little boy sitting at a toy chest pulling one toy out after another, hugging each one. The music was so soft and sweet and the look on L's face was magical! As crazy as this sounds, I saw the magic on her face, in her eyes and I FELT IT INSIDE! A few tears fell (from my eyes LOL) I COULD SEE IT IN HER FACE, SHE FELT THE MAGIC TOO!! 

She had some questions, like 15 minutes in, when ALL of the actors were in the middle of their scene and she looks at me and asks, "When is Winnie-the-Pooh coming out?" I had tried to explain to her the idea of actors, etc before we got there, all week actually! But it's hard when she really doesn't watch anything that has actors in it. We watch Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, Doc Mcstuffins, Team Umizoomi, and Sofia The First. They aren't really into movies yet. A few here and there. So Winnie-the-Pooh was an older man in a long sleeve yellow shirt, yellow pants, red sweater, and a black hat that had 2 small yellow pompoms sewn on it for ears. I explained the characters and she watched the entire show like IT WAS MAGICAL!

M on the other hand, did pretty good, she wasn't as interested. But as we went to sleep tonight, she said going to the play was her favorite part of the day! They both said that and it made me smile! 

We have another field trip planned next month, also a play! M told me that she didn't like it today, but she wants to go back. L can't wait to see another one! Of course, I'm excited! 

M has sounded hoarse for A LONG TIME...

I started to notice it last winter. I would say it actually started around October or November of 2012 and it never went away! Someone having a hoarse voice doesn't seem like that big of a deal throughout the winter because it's a time when people are commonly sick. BUT as spring rolled around, I knew something wasn't right. I mentioned it to my husband and he didn't seem to think anything it was a big deal. Summer set in. it seemed like it took M effort to talk at times. Sometimes she would stop, not even mid-sentence, but in the middle of a word (to swallow) then continue right on with that she was saying. Soon after I started to notice this difference, my Mom's doctor found a lesion on her vocal cord. Could this be hereditary?

I was ready to make a special appointment, just to have it checked out. Hubs said it was just coincidence, but it was ALWAYS ON MY MIND. My mom has chronic bronchitis, she gets it really bad every year and she stays hoarse throughout the wintertime; Looking at it in that respect, it doesn't seem like it would be hereditary. I did feel better a few days later after hearing more about my mom, what caused it for her, and how they were going to "fix it" (non-surgically). 

M had a random appointment that I had to make and I mentioned it there (it was with one of the other pediatricians in our practice). He had a few more questions about what was going on with my mom before saying anything more about it (in relation to M). Her 2 1/2 year appointment was a couple weeks later with her regular pediatrician and I was planning on going more in-depth at that time. 

After bringing this up with her regular doctor, she noticed what I was talking about. A possible paralyzed vocal cord, polyps on her vocal cords, cysts, and even more things that didn't sound good at all... all possibilities of what could be causing this. She recommended a visit to the E.N.T. I called that afternoon and was able to get in nine days later. I was so happy to get an appointment so quickly. Our vacation was coming up, and a 10 hour drive would be a long time to think about horrible possibilities! 

During our E.N.T. appointment, M wouldn't say a word. The doctor tried and tried everything to get her to talk. He was very patient and ended up watching some videos of her talking on my phone. In the videos, he was able to see the pausing/swallowing and the effort it took to, sometimes, finish a sentence; he said this "swallowing" is the way kids "clear their throats." He decided against scoping her (I was very happy that we didn't have to put her through that) and said he was pretty positive this was caused by reflux. He said 90% of adults have reflux (that it just doesn't affect everyone the same) and 100% of kids have reflux (and it just doesn't affect them all the same). 

He prescribed Prilosec... with lots of instructions. The Prilosec came in a gel cap (that I have to break open and pour the medicine over yogurt or peanut butter or something). I have to make sure she gets EVERY bead that comes out of the gel cap! She has to take it in the evenings prior to dinner, she has to take it on an empty stomach (so she can eat an hour prior to taking this medicine) and she has to have dinner within 30 minutes to 3 hours after taking it. This appointment was 4 days before our vacation; I felt like this was quite the task. We were already going to be out of our routine, she's a snacker, and simply just remembering to do it while we were away. Of course I'll do what I have to do. I wanted to make sure she has what she needs to and I want to make everything better!!! 

It really wasn't hard to get into a routine of this; Although it is a bit easier not that we're home, doing our regular day to day activities. Of the 9 days we were on vacation, we only had one medicine mishap, but she's had it just as she's supposed to all the other times. She was supposed to have a 6 week check up after starting this medicine. The doctor said we should see a SMALL difference by 6 weeks and a huge difference at 12 weeks. Her appointment was scheduled for August 13th. I called and happily reported that myself and other family members can hear a difference in her voice!  After talking to them, with the differences we see, the 6 week appointment wasn't necessary. We go back in October and with the change I've seen so far, it sounds like we'll be able to avoid having her scoped, that this medicine is doing what we need it to do! 

The Long Drive Home ....

This is the day hubs and I dreaded the most. We drove to Florida during the evening so the girls could sleep. Coming home, we left the condo at 10:00 Florida time. But we weren't able to head straight home. We had to stop at one of those souvenir stores to replace the crab that "has been sleeping so much" ... I don't like lying to the girls, although, I'm just not ready to explain death to them. One of the crabs had died. They off and on the day before and that morning, they would has me why she sleeps so much. I told them that I thought her shell was too small and it made her sleepy. I told them before we headed back home, I would take her into a store and let her pick out a new shell and I really thought that was going to fix the problem.

I headed into the first store with our crabs... they were totally out of crabs! To get back in the van and tell hubs he had to drive the opposite way that were needing to go because we had to go to a different store, I knew I was going to get the, "ARE YOU KIDDING ME LOOK"... but it helped as I sat back in my seat, the girls were excited to see "what shell she picked and if it worked and woke her up"... In and out of the next store with SUCCESS!! The girls were so excited to see Cece walking around in her soccer ball shell. They were saying, "We like soccer! Did she know we like soccer?" By the way, their names are Bebe and Cece!

We headed home! The gps says this is going to be a nine hour drive. The girls did an awesome job! In the beginning, there seemed to be lots of potty breaks. But we actually only stopped 6 times total. The drive wasn't bad at all. Especially considering they were only asleep maybe 5 hours the whole drive! They took about an hour and a half nap sometime in the afternoon and didn't go to sleep until about 9 that night. We got home around midnight. (we left at 11 our time, it took us 13 hours)

They did ask a lot of questions and a lot of the questions were the same over and over. But it was alright! They were happy and having fun! The worst part of it was late afternoon, L threw up ( a lot). We stopped at a MacDonald's to go in, get her cleaned up, change her clothes and let them stretch their legs. We were walking around in the grass and all of a sudden M starts screaming, I looked down and saw ants on her foot! ABOUT 40 OF THEM! They were fire ants! Biting and biting her... Daddy got them all off, I got her settled, we looked everyone over to make sure we weren't bringing them back in the van with us... and off we went. We decided this was a good time to break out the dvd player. They watched some Mickey Mouse Clubhouse and some Tinkerbell and eventually they were asleep again!

One more slightly rough part was what kind of restrooms we were going to come across on all of our potty breaks! Early in our trip (The first time we went to Fudpucker's) we were in the restroom at the restaurant, M was sitting on the toilet; it was one that automatically flushes. It flushed while she was sitting on it, BUT at the same time, about 4 other toilets flushed at the same time. For some reason, this scared the heck out of her! You could see it in her face how scared she was! For the rest of the week, if we went into a restroom that had a toilet like that she wouldn't sit on it. She NEVER had an accident, but it was quite stressful! During this drive, we literally had a couple stops where we had to talk to her about being a brave girl! (this involved some slight bribery)... but we were desperate and didn't want to have to go from one place to another to find a toilet I could flush! (We've been working on this, and it is getting much better!)

Hubs drove the entire way home. He said the frequent stops helped him. I joked and said he just didn't want to hold the crabs. LOL All in all it was also a great day and everyone was happy to be home in the end!