Day 32- April 13, 2020

Day 32- April 13, 2020

We're officially on Month 2 (since no month has more than 31 days).  It was rainy today, with wind so fierce it started tearing the roof off our greenhouse.  There were power outages all over as the elements wreaked havoc on power lines, but thankfully, we only lost power for a few minutes.  I spent much of the day doing work, trying to find pdf's of classic books, seeking out resources, and finally trying to find an ABC News special from last year about the negative affects of screen time (this as we are doing all-internet schooling- there's irony there, but also probably a really cool lesson about how you need to get off the computer when you aren't doing school work).  The girls were troopers, jumping back into school work and doing a relatively drama-free job of completing their assignments.

The girls were a little restless, so we decided to try out a new bread machine recipe for apple bread.  The one I'd made last week was a bit too sugary (it should really be called "apple cake"), but this one found the balance with fluffy white bread and bits of granny smith apples.  The kids were happy to help with the measuring and mixing (thanks to new measuring cups that I got in the mail yesterday- they were a birthday gift from my in-laws, who had ordered them in time for my birthday, but as "nonessential" items, they kept getting delayed.  It was worth the wait though!).

We were grateful that the sun came out a bit in the late afternoon, and the girls were able to go outside and slip and slide in the mud.  They got rather dirty, but it's a small price to pay for being able to eliminate some of the pent up energy they've been building inside.  They attempted jumping off the swings, asking us to judge their contest on form and story (they were inspired by the Buddy and Duff episode they had just watched about telling a story through cakes- they instead told stories by flying through the air).  This did lead to some fantastic (though somewhat blurry) photos, and thankfully, no broken bones or injuries.

There was a family whiffle ball game, complete with lights in the trees, and it was a reminder that warmer days are coming, and normalcy will eventually return.  One of my favorite things to do is play backyard whiffle ball- this is a tradition that goes back to when Jeff and I were in high school, and would play games in my mom's backyard.  She lives on over two acres, so there was lots of room to hit.  To my credit (and my husband's), neither of us ever let the other one win.  It's the spirit we both have, which won't let either of us back down from a challenge.  It's helping right now as we have to navigate these waters.  Individually, we're competitors, but together, we're a pretty fierce team.