It must be around week 3/4 with social distancing/isolation because of the coronovirus pandemic, and what’s been interesting is that the kids have never been better playing together. There are times when the parents are actually left alone and the kids are playing by themselves!!
While there are still fights and meltdowns, I think Sierra is now old enough that she can make believe with Everett. They watch the same cartoons, and the kids have to learn how to compromise with their television shows, but Sierra has picked up on the Pokemon while Everett has participated with My Little Pony games.
We had purchased a couple of board games for the kids. Hoot Hoot Owl was a blast for about 3 days. Everett said it was the best game ever, but it is kind of easy and he got bored of it after making a variation where we tried to get Pokemon back to the nest. It is too difficult for Sierra to play though. We also have Zingo Sight Words which has been great for Everett. Sierra is starting to recognize some letter shapes too, even if she doesn’t know the words. Pick Me Up Piggy is somewhere in the middle in terms of fun. It’s a very easy game, but last time we played, it was very funny listening to Sierra tell a story about the animals being dropped off.
Everett loves staying home and he hasn’t minded at all not going out. He says we have a nice house, and he doesn’t seem to miss school at all. In the first week, he wanted to go over to Eli’s house often, I think because he has cool toys like a lot of Pokemon, and he enjoyed going to Harrison’s as well, but by week 2, he doesn’t even want to take a car ride out for errands.
Sierra is probably too little to notice any difference and she just goes with the flow. She still can’t handle watching any TV yet, and cries when the TV has to turn off. Everett is good enough that he will turn the TV off when the negotiated number of episodes are finished.
For the parents, we are definitely cooped up in the house, but we have founds things to occupy our time. Ed’s still working at the hospital at slightly less than normal census for nephrology. The hospital is strangely quiet awaking the deluge from COVID forecasted for mid-May. Outside of that, we equipped the home gym with a bench and adjustable dumbbells. Ed borrowed a bass guitar from the neighbour and taking some online lessons while working on some piano pieces in hopes that the kids might want to sing in front of the camera for some video projects.
There’s been a little Facetime schooling at home with homework. There’s occasional piano practice and Skype lessons. Shannon’s done some baking and we’ve had two birthday parties for stuffed toys so far. We had the “Best Day EVER” Easter.
Ed’s off this weekend, and what a nice weekend it has been. He got the bikes out and ready for some riding with the kids. Everett got upgraded to Harrison’s old bike, and Sierra has graduated from her pink strider to Everett’s Chase bike with the training wheels attached. After a day, she quickly learned how to pedal, but we’re working on braking. Neighbours are emerging from hibernation and we’ve been out several times already.
