Pandemic Highlights

Since quarantine began in mid-March, we've celebrated birthdays, anniversaries, the arrival of spring and summer. We've spent lots of time in the river, doing yard projects, trying new recipes. Phin's been writing, reading, and drawing, as well as taking clarinet lessons, doing virtual PE, swimming, and babysitting. Sam's been building a fort, riding bikes, practicing drums, and learning to kayak. And of course, doing chores, playing with the dogs, helping out older neighbors, and, yes, bickering.

Here's some photos from the last few months!

Virtual conversations...

Reading... goofiness...

Phin made this lemon pound cake for Aunt Julia's birthday - it was delicious!

That mulch pile is now gone... we weeded and mulched and weeded and mulched... etc. etc.

They made breakfast for Mother's Day.

Lots of power washing.

And some dancing with crazy outfits.

Saw old Batman movie at local drive-in. Sam and his best friend Cy thought they would stay like this for the whole movie. They did not.

Biked to visit UVA's new monument to enslaved laborers. Horrific stories, really cool structure.

Lisa invented a new pizza.

Sam got a new mattress. 

This is the old one.

I told him to put it in the trailer to go to the dump, came outside and found him and Cy leaping onto it from our deck. 

Friends had us to their private pool for a lovely afternoon.

Lisa found this free drum for Sam. 

Our neighbors love it.

I found this free turtle on the side of the road.

Phin and Sam returned it to a local creek. 

I was chastised for abducting the poor thing from its natural habitat.

The boys do sometimes stop and read.

Lisa and I helped deliver free food to local kids. This was the entire amount of food meant to feed a child breakfast and lunch for 3 days. 

This pandemic has felt super hard. But this reminded us that we are SO LUCKY.

We spent July 4th with good friends and sparklers. Given that fireworks had been going off every single night all night long for several weeks, however, the day lacked some of its excitement.

Sam was able to go to leadership school, learning to kayak. I managed to see him from the side of the river one morning, and Iris went to say hello. He had such a great time.

... and is still exhausted.

I made plum crumble for the first time ever and it was delicious! I'm not a cook or baker, but have tried some new recipes - some flops, some hits - this is my favorite so far.

A tale of two siblings... Phin writing in her notebook, Sam all goofy in the water... Sam's been lucky having friends to play with on our block. Phin hasn't been so fortunate. She's very eager for high school to start - but wary about what that will be like.

Uncle Matters is hosting puppies. We were able to go "puppy bathing" - best kind of therapy ever!