2020, March 16-29

And here we are in the stay-at-home phase of 2020. Despite the fact that we did school (both Westside and BYU) and church from home, the kids still had gym at the gym, at least until the end of March with practice modified to promote "social distancing," one of many new terms we've been introduced to in the couple of months or so.

Staying at home meant more time with LEGOs.

And spring is finally in the air!

We still got to have fun with Lily. Landon was a great babysitter to Lily and was very imaginative in his play with her.

Alicia and Hallie broke their social distancing and went to a landscape center in Orem where they put planter baskets together. One with flowers and the other with herbs and lettuce.

In order to get out and enjoy the spring weather, Mike and Eliza drew on the driveway with sidewalk chalk.

Social distancing hasn't gone quite perfectly.

One day Hallie had to work and so Mike and Landon babysat Lily and Mike took this cutie on a walk. Eliza wants to know why we have so many pictures of Lily. She is so cute. Why not?

A major change we have all had to adjust to is doing school from home. Our teachers at Westside did an amazing job turning things around between the Friday school got out and the Wednesday we started again at home. Mike and/or Hallie and the kids spend most mornings with one or both of the kids on Google Classroom reviewing the materials their teachers post. Some days are easier than others. As parents, it has been enlightening to see our kids as students. Overall, as Mike has been working from his office at home, he has spent quite a bit of time with the kids while Hallie has worked at Westside. Hallie takes over in the afternoon.

Staying at home is not without its stressors. We're around each other a lot, so we don't always get needed privacy, and while we go out for walks or bike rides, having gym is a welcome break from being indoors.

Among the many new (and potentially pointless) skills the children have learned during this new adventure, Landon has mastered the Rubik's Cube. He's can go from scrambled to solved in under two minutes.

2020, March 1-15

The first two weeks of March were the last "normal" weeks of the year. The weather finally started getting warm enough for Eliza to ride outdoors.

Eliza competed at the Epic Invitational in Draper, Utah. We sat with most of the parents from her ream and her old Coach Marissa.

After Eliza's meet Mike headed back to Provo to teach and Hallie took the kids to the Ogden Fairgrounds to Landon's State Meet. As the day progressed Hallie was feeling worse and it felt like the longest day. Landon's meet was two days and so Mike took the kids the second day so Hallie could rest. 

By Sunday, Landon was feeling sick. Mike took Eliza to church to give her talk. Turns out this was also our last week at church due to the stay-at-home measures that started getting implemented the following week.

Granny O. sent cards for St. Paddy's Day, adding to the greenery in our window sill.

Grandpa O. sent some politically-themed building sets including a wall and a border guard set.

After Hallie and Landon got sick, Mike also came down with whatever they had along with the same ear ache he'd had since back in February, which a third doctor diagnosed as a collapsed Eustachian tube requiring yet different medication. Was what the illness that got the three of us at the end here? Was it Corona? A cold? Allergies? Who knows? Regardless, by Friday, March 13, we were well into the nation-wide drama around the COVID-19 pandemic. By the end of February, Hallie reported that people had started hoarding toilet paper and water from local stores. By March 6, Governor Herbert had declared a state of emergency, and confirmed cases were being reported. Church meetings were canceled on March 12, and March 13 was the kids' last day at school preceding a "soft closure" of indeterminate length.

2020 Mid-February thru Leap Day

Most of the year so far consisted of meets and school. Mike taught on Saturday, February 8, and by the end of the day he had a sore throat. He figured part of it might have been that he had been chatting with students all day, but it turned out to be a month-long bout with a series of ailments. By this point, we were aware of the coronavirus, but Mike was told by three different doctors that he had 1) a sinus infection, then 2) strep throat, then 3) allergies. Hey, whatever. We still had gym, meets, and school.

Hallie can get to sleep in the car often and it is so precious to see her napping.

We love watching Nile Wilson on YouTube and this is a shirt Hallie got Landon for Christmas.

  

After hanging out at the AirTime Preschool Landon wanted Lincoln Logs for Christmas. Here he is not even changing out of his pommel plants playing with his Lincoln Logs.

Shortly before Valentine's Day Alicia and Hallie went to a great chocolate tasting class at the library. We had a lot of funny and it was super yummy!

It was time to head to another meet and the girls headed out super early and Eliza pulled off looking cute while wearing her unicorn jammies. Seattle was where we were headed this time and we were excited to go somewhere new and to see some family.

Landon missed the heraldry lesson his teacher gave him at school. He drew arms later. While the other kids made stuff up, Landon went with what he knew.

For Valentine's Day, Dad helped out in Landon's classroom with some math and reading games.

We found a nice 5 mile drive along the water and saw some wildlife along the way.

Hallie is not much of a hairstylist for gym meets and so Hallie got Eliza an appointment at a beauty college and it turned out awesome!

Umbrellas were the theme at the meet and it was really cute. Here is Eliza and Morgan (Level 4) posing before the meet started.

Grandma and Grandpa sent some building toys. Landon indulged on a lazy Sunday at home building his.

On our last day in Seattle we had a quite a bit of time before we caught our airplane so we decided to take in the sights of the area.

Why not wear your hair different once in a while. Eliza thought Hallie looked like Elvis. Another 3rd grader thought she didn't look so much like boy.

Landon and Eliza both had meets over the weekend of February 21-24, so Dad took Landon to Vegas, and Hallie stayed with Eliza in town for her meet.

Right near the Palace Station Hotel where Landon and Mike were staying there was a restaurant called Tomi Ramen. Mike took Landon, and Landon was in love! At this point, Mike was finishing up his first round (of what became three) of antibiotics and was feeling pretty good. The kimchi provided lots of good probiotics!

Eliza's meet was in Park City and it was nice to take a drive out of town.

Eliza did quite well at this meet. It was fun to see her so successful. We are grateful for all of her hard work and Coach Morgan's dedication.

After Landon's tech series, we went with Gavin and his dad to Hoover Dam. We had heard that the dam would be closed, but nope!

We had to go back and get some more of that savory ramen after Landon finished his meet the next day too.

 (and go to Fremont Street.)

The kids got it into their heads that they wanted to make armor, so we did.

Mike commissioned an emblazon of his arms by Tyler Corbett. He was very pleased with the result.

Mike accompanied Eliza on a class field trip to the aquarium while Hallie took Landon to another meet in Phoenix.

On our way to Phoenix (we drove) we stopped in St. George to stay with Hallie's relatives and for Landon to meet some 2nd cousins. Landon loves staying in St. George because Hallie's Aunt and Uncle have dogs that are a blast to walk.