Thursday, July 30, 2020

Summer Vacation Week 6

July 26 - August 1

It was my birthday week!


Ally was exhausted and super itchy from her beach day 14 mosquito bites which turned into golf ball size welts. So she spent the day in bed.


Our friend Kim brought me corn for my birthday. Which we are with BBQ chicken and sweet potato wedges from our local cafe. 

Cloey hoped for some chicken. She was denied. 


This year I decided on ice cream sundaes rather than ice cream cake.


My cards and gifts. It was so nice to have Beth join us.

After Beth left Becky set up our projector in our bedroom and Ally and I watched Geo Storm on the wall over our bed. 

Pretty fun way to end my birthday. 


And the absolute best gift was the card from Ally. Becky told me she did it all on her own, unprompted from Becky. 


That note just really makes it all worth it.






This week Ally got some new Nike sneakers. We are trying to get ready for the start of school, even if we don’t know how school will start. 


She loves them.


We got a kiddie pool for Cloey. (And Becky’s feet.)


Cloey was not impressed with the pool and it was challenging to get her in.


These past few months Becky and Ally have been teaching Cloey to “kiss”. Cloey is quite good at it now. Here is a picture of her in action.


And shake!


Later in the week Daniela came over for lunch. Daisy cries terribly when Ally is outside, so Ally got herald brought her out. Daisy did not like the pool.


Ally had an appointment for blood tests (a follow up from February) and she got dressed to go.

Looking so grown up.


Afterwards a frozen strawberry lemonade and a cookie perked her back up.


An example of Ally’s art work this week.


And in other news Ally became a “brand ambassador” for a jewelry company. Basically she wears the bracelets and posts pictures of herself wearing them to social media and hashtags the company. No money to be made, but they gave her a discount.




Thursday Becky went to Beth’s for dinner and Ally and I ordered PF Chang’s. 



Friday we went kayaking again. 

We saw a few heron.

















Cloey jumped from Ally’s boat into Becky’s.



When we got home, another pair of Nikes was there.




Her first pair of Jordans.



Ally loves them.


Becky and I are feeling another shortage in supplies coming on so we are sticking up.


Friday night we hung out at the park with a bunch of Ally’s school friends. Sophocles’ mom organized it. Ally, Olive, Catalina and 8 boys.


I even played ping pong with Olive’s parents.


Note masks above are on them, but not up bc the boys were all eating pizza.


The kids were good about wearing masks. They hung out, played basketball and ping pong. Seemed relatively normal and was so good for them.
And for most of us parents. Outside gatherings with masks feel worth the risk.


Saturday Ally got her hair cut. Above is before.

And after.


Ally was so happy. 

And that was another week done. Becky and I are pretty stressed about the return to school. It just doesn’t seem safe. Ally just wants to be in school so she can spend time with kids her age as much as possible. We are all trying to keep our worries at bay and be patient. 

But we started planning for a study at home area for Ally this week. Some new furnishings on the 3rd floor to create a dedicated place for remote learning. We talked with her about how she will be at home at least 3 days a week. Those days she will need to get up, get dressed and go to the remote learning area in our home for school. So we want it to be a place she can learn and study in. Some desk space, some comfy seating, interesting artwork on the walls. Stuff she wants around her. She is actually excited about it and understands that in the Fall it will be different than the Spring. She will have more support from school and seems ok about things. She will be very sad if it’s all remote all year. But we will continue to do our best to create social opportunities for her. 

Saturday, July 25, 2020

Summer Vacation Week 5

July 19-25


Sunday was another scorching hot day. Ally went to her friend Xela’s for an hour, they wore masks and were 6’ apart at all times. But they did manage to get in some TikTok fun.



Sunday night sadness was setting in. The weekend was almost over...so to change things up we played Minecraft as a family on our projector! It was crazy.


Selfie 

Ally





Ally and Becky have this elaborate world they built complete with a dog see above.


But they let me die. I was not happy. And I was happy they said I could stop after about 30 minutes. 


Monday morning this popped up as a memory 11 years ago. This was taken on Cape Cod.


Ally did this art piece.

On Tuesday Ally went over to Maya’s but it was so hot outside she only stayed for an hour. With COVID we are only doing outdoor visits. 


Wednesday Daniela came over. These two had a really fun time having lunch and doing some crafts on the back porch in the shade of the umbrella.


Cloey was delighted we had the shade up and she could look outside for Becky.


Who had gone to pick up our CSA and a special hot dog Ruben sandwich from a local gourmet restaurant.


She loved it.


Friday I met a friend for a walk. (The week before I met another friend and walked 4 miles.) I’m trying to move more.


In the light you can really see Ally’s red dyed hair.


Friday Becky cooked all day; blueberry scones, vegetable lasagna and quesadilla filling.


Ally is really loving her pets right now. 


I baked a cake and made homemade chocolate frosting. Ally helped me decorate it.




The cake was for me and Peter, he is Maya’s dad and we are birthday twins.



We coined this the COVID blowout. You wave your hands over the candles to make them go out. It was effective and very safe.



And now Saturday. Ally spent the day on the Cape with her teammates. Eliana has been there all month in a house her family rented and on Saturday a couple moms offered to take whoever was available to the beach for the day.


Ally said she would like to go. She told me a few weeks ago she would be interested in going to the beach without us. She is so age appropriately craving time without her parents. I get it.


I got a birthday delivery of mini cupcakes from Michelle!




Pictures from Ally’s day trip to the Cape. Ally, Stella, Eliana, Dahlia and their old teammate, Katie was there as well.


Beach time

Ally did not jump, she is the one standing with hands on hips.


Ally took this of the beach. 




Gymnasts get together and the antics start. A pyramid with Eliana’s little brother at the top.


Then it was flip Dahlia.





And flip her again this time in a twist.











Dinner.



Sunset at the beach. Ally’s friends went for an evening swim but she passed and instead watched the sunset. The girls watched a movie outdoors for a little bit and then roasted marshmallows and came home late, Ally was gone from 9am until 11:15pm. Long day for her and she has 10 mosquito bites!

She’s not very happy about that the bites swell up on her and she’s super itchy.