"Beach" and the Break

It's been what I like to call "Virginia hot" for what the meteorologists are saying is a record breaking time, so last week we took a little adventure to a place I have wanted to go for a long time - Leesylvania State Park. I had heard they had a little beach area a few years ago, but it is a bit of a drive for us. I finally decided to go, and bonus I finally got to see my teammate for life and her new baby (who I seriously felt like was half mine). Quinn had a great time splashing around in the water.

Other than this adventure, we've been doing the same old. Painting, hiding, and moving rocks, finding new trails, playing, and reading some books. I have also been working virtually about once a week. It's helping to get a little better acclimated to my new job, but it's rough not being in person and trying to learn new things. We've also been listening intently to the hot debate over reopening schools this fall. Last week my district pre-voted for a 50% hybrid model. I was surprised when late last night it was voted down. Around 2 a.m. they motioned to open virtually for the first quarter.

We drove through a Vacation Bible School supply pick up last weekend, and we left a rock in the growing piles at our church/Quinn's school. We still miss getting to come here everyday, and now we have to decide what we will do with Quinn next year. Such a hard decision. 

Earlier this week, I drove halfway to Pittsburgh and met my parents, so that Quinn could go visit them for a few days BY HERSELF. She has been asking to do this for months. I was moderately worried she would freak out at the exchange point, or at bedtime, but she is having a great time. This is only the second time in 4.5 years that Quinn has spent time away from us, and her first ever time away from her house by herself. I miss my friend, but it's been nice to not have to be in constant entertainment mode the past couple days. The parents also got ice cream during this momentous occasion...something that never happens around here due to food allergies. We are also watching Hamilton and not starting it at 10 p.m. Living large. 

Pizza Bagels

It has been 116 days since March 13, 2020. I have cooked dinner probably 108 of those days. We have had take out four times. Matt cooked something a few nights, and then I decided Quinn should take a turn. She hasn't made dinner in 4.5 years after all. I declared this as law last week. She would start making dinner every so often, and something that requires little to no help from me. She was not too happy about this at first, but once we got her into it she was super excited and proud. First up was pizza bagels with cucumbers and tomatoes and ranch on the side. All I helped with was the set up and the putting in and removing from the oven. It was perfect.

Rocks, Fireworks, Swimming

Another week of life's strangest summer gone by...this one marked by the huge highlight of swimming in a real pool. We also continued the adventures of painting and hiding rocks. This time we took our adventures across town to try to find some new rocks and to hide some of our own in a new location. You can see one in the cannon above.

Quinn found this robin's egg on a walk back from the rock trading post located in our neighborhood. 

Let's title these two pictures, 'very expensive dress up clothes.' Quinn's dance recital was the last weekend in May, and while the studio keeps saying it will happen, I'm not so sure at this point. In any case, we had already paid for her costumes, and we went to pick them up this week. I made her put them on and take pictures when we got home. She loves to dress up, so she was very excited and did not want to take them off. 

Quinn saw this Starbucks cup months ago and has wanted one ever since. It has confetti dots in it that change color when there is a cold beverage in it. I haven't seen one in stores, and also I wasn't buying a 4 year old a Starbucks cup. I told her she could cash in the rewards points she earns for doing chores/schoolwork, or she could pay me back and I would order her one on Etsy. She chose the cash option from her piggy bank.

It has been feels like temps of around 100 degrees for what feels like weeks at this point. We were very lucky to have a pool to ourselves for 4th of July weekend. We traded feeding my friend's cat for the use of her pool while she and her family were away. Great deal. Quinn even learned to swim a little bit by herself by the end of the weekend.

Milkshakes and pool on the 4th of July

Like most places, the local fireworks we typically go to were cancelled. We got a few sparklers to do and weren't upset about the whole thing. After we finished up at the pool for the day, we drove back home and there were fireworks in any direction we looked. It was the craziest thing. I guess people took matters into their own hands. When we pulled into our neighborhood so many people were outside either setting off fireworks, or watching. It was such a strange experience, but also pretty fun. 

We're Still Here

I haven't posted in awhile. Mainly we are doing the same old stuff around here. I have hit a bit of a wall, honestly. We have entered what I like to refer to as the Virginia summer. It is hot. I was very content walking around my neighborhood multiple times a day exploring trails, looking for rocks, checking in on flamingos, but now it feels like we walking around in Satan's oven. The pool also officially closed for the entire season. I'm glad I bought that insurance policy of a pool back in my pandemic panic days. I also invested in water shoes for Quinn earlier this week so she can splash around in the creek. She's super happy about this. She also caught a turtle and was so thrilled for herself. I'm seeking any ideas of things to do with a 4.5 year old to change things up around here - seriously give me something friends! In other news - I cut the grass for the first time in my life today!

Flamingos at the Drive-In 

Flamingo in rain gear

Quinn loves to visit our neighbors and talk their ears off everyday.

Part of our daily walk now includes finding empty playgrounds (we live in walking distance of many playgrounds) and just play a few minutes on each one until people come. I'm glad my child still has gross motor skills after having to put practicing those on hold for 4 months.

COVID Summer

It's been an exciting week around here. I'm officially done with school which is a moderate relief, but I have quite a list of to do's to prep for next year. I decided that I'm taking a few days off from thinking about that.

Quinn has recently started placing phone calls mostly to me or my mom. She taught herself this and sometimes I don't even know it's happening until I hear her talking to people. 

Monday I got a very fun end of the year surprise when my friends and coworkers stormed my street with a car parade. I was so happy to see everyone and wish we could have hung out. I am going to miss my people so much. We also had a fire Monday night...both Monday and Tuesday were perfect weather here in the mid 70s and cool in the evenings. So much better than hot and humid Virginia summer.

Tuesday we were up and at the newly reopened playground before 9:00 to try to get there and have some time before anyone else came. It was short lived, but still fun. While organizing our bathroom vanity that afternoon I busted out the hot rollers and put them in Quinn's hair. She thought it was so fun. We then drove a bus route, in her newly styled hair, delivering signs to the front yards of my 5th grade students.

Today was a weird rainy day (in the 60s) but we still got a walk in, did some math, played in the garage, played Uno and Sorry!, and found the missing remote so that we could turn on Disney+ this evening to watch the Bears version of the nature movies. These movies really show you how brutal nature is man.

Burnished Clay

The best we can hope for...

I'm going to keep this short. I decided I needed to paint my living room and dining area this weekend. Matt warned me he would not be helping, but that I could do whatever I wanted. I took his challenge. I did it, but I spent the entirety of the weekend climbing up and down a ladder or walking miles around the neighborhood. The only other news I have to share is that we had our first meal out (as in we got takeout) in FOUR MONTHS. I am not exaggerating. The last time we went out to eat was February 18th...I made Matt check credit card statements to verify this. Of course we had Katerina's! I don't even have good pictures to share. My hands hurt. Tomorrow begins my summer break!

Wanted to climb the ladder ever 5 minutes

Also got some fun mail

The flamingos are at the pool.

The Ending of the Beginning

Today was the finale. I cried my way through the entirety of a staff meeting yesterday, and today I finished my packing, turned in my keys, my computer, etc. It's some weird times people. The day was capped off by celebrating our fifth grade class. Typically we do a formal ceremony, but today we had a car parade and it was about 500 times more fun - even though it was 95 and humid. It could have only been more perfect if the DJ played the graduation song they sing every year - The Ending of the Beginning. I have stated multiple times in the past few weeks how much I will truly miss my colleagues, my students, and the community, so I am keeping it short today with many pictures.