Back to School: 5th and 10th grades

There's a fair bit of shenanigans going on here, but suffice to stay everyone is happy to be going back to school. Except maybe Zelda. She's probably going to be a bit lonely.

Amity's starting 5th grade, which is middle school, so that's super exciting. Zara's starting 10th grade, which is double digits, and means she's only got 2 more first day of schools that aren't college related left! Kiddos are going in person (for now). Big props to STAB for their amazing teachers, excellent planning, and smart use if their plentiful resources. We're lucky.

Bake-a-palooza

A and Z and their friends S and E decided they would bake and decorate a very elaborate cake. And so they did. The frosting was a bit sweet, but overall the cake was both beautiful and delicious!

 

Drive-In Movies!

One of the many pandemic approved activities we've been enjoying is the Goochland Drive-In! It's only about 30 minutes from C'ville, and it's been such a fun summer indulgence. Yes, the kiddos in the 2nd picture are not displaying their best socially distanced behavior, but they were outside...!

It's my chance to socially advance instead of sewing some pants...

  

Zara's kicking her sewing skills up a notch from mask making. She pretty much sewed these pants, from printing out a 20 page pattern to wearing them to bed, in just a few hours. I am supremely impressed.

Poser

So, awhile back we were in the part of the pandemic where we spent an incredible amount of time at home, and apparently to a teen that means we had lots of time for "photo shoots" and to dream up new "fits" (aka outfits). So, here's Z, totes posing.

Last Day of School: School at Home edition

We certainly did not imagine, back in August 2019, that we'd be ending the school year learning from home full-time. But, as the old adage goes, pandemics happen. Sincere gratitude to both kiddos' teachers, who approached the herculean task of distance education on a few days notice with aplomb. Having taught high school, I know it's no small feat at any grade level, so really, mad props to the faculty at STAB.

So, here's a last look at a 4th and a 9th grader. Who knows what the first day of school will look like this coming August. Stay tuned...

Happy Birthday, Wesley!

Wesley had the honor of celebrating our first family Pandemic Birthday™ Zara really rocked it with cake baking, and Amity and I helped eat said cake. Also, i know that's a lot of candles, but we promise we didn't burn down the house!

Backyard Nacho Snack

When life gives you pandemic stay at home time, you give back random backyard nacho picnics! Turns out al fresco dining on a big plate of cheese and chips (there are some beans there, too) can improve almost anyone's mood, at least a little. Zara decided to celebrate having absolutely nowhere to go by getting inexplicably dressed up. To each their own?

House of Z Masks

 

We have significantly more photos of us wearing masks (this is 2020, after all), but this particular post is just so Zara can remember the spring/summer she made over 500 masks. Did she have some help from us? Undoubtedly. Maryann provided much of the initial fabric from quilt scraps and her very sizable general stash. Wes did the lion's share of the cutting, and most of the trips to the post office to mail masks to 12 different states. I did a lot of pinning, and turning ties (Amity helped with the ties, too, and decorated packaging in the very early days) but mostly managed the business side of things...  keeping track of orders, collecting money, etc. However, Zara did 99.9% of the sewing... and that's a lot of sewing. Also, she donated 50% of her profits to local non-profits working to help people during the pandemic, and also sewed many masks just as donations themselves. It kept her busy when we were all going stir crazy, and she did some good in the world, both for the people she made masks for as well as the people she helped through her donations. Good on you, kid.

Auntie Fun!

About 30 seconds before we all went into stay at home lockdown quarantine, we made the quickest of jaunts up to NYC (and then also even more up to upstate NY) to see my dearest friend Tasha (not pictured) and also our Brooklyn fam. Here's a sweet reminder of a time when we could snuggle people who didn't reside in the same 4 walls we do ALL THE TIME. But we'll get back there someday (hopefully) soon, both metaphorically and literally.