Father's Day Adventure

We decided to make a trek out to Utah to see cousins after the final end-of-school-year activities we're over. There weren't actually too many things going on, but I didn't know and I don't want to miss anything, especially after nothing was going on! My mom decided to make a reunion out of it with my siblings and their children in Eden, UT at an Airbnb.

We left after work on Friday, which was the hardest drive, through Chicago, for a 4 hour drive. We drove 10 hours on Saturday and 10 on Sunday, Father's day. Victoria got to drive a couple hours both days. Jason gave her good driving tips for road tripping.

The most interesting part about driving during corona virus time was that most water fountains we're closed, which was fine with me. I actually brought bottled water so we wouldn't need to. Michigan was getting better, but we don't want to bring anything back from Utah, which is getting worse.

The pools at the hotels were for reservation only and the hotel employees would gather the breakfast for us instead of everyone getting their own.  When we left, we left the key cards in a bowl rather than handing it in.

It was an eye opening experience as to the world around us right now.

While Victoria was driving.

I got to relax in the back seat.

Father's day breakfast at the hotel. Jason got his favorite biscuits and gravy.

A windy rest stop.

Frisbee at the rest stop.

Super friendly prairie dogs.

Celebration!

We're enjoying some times of interaction with friends! I planned a small birthday party for Austin last week, trying to avoid missing friends who might go out of town to visit family or who might be celebrating their 5th-grade graduation, which all of Austin's friends just completed 5th grade. I was also aware that some people may not be ready for a lot of interaction yet. He invited his 5 besties and only 3 were able to come. We had it at Freedom Park, two days after the public parks were opened! It will go down as one of the most memorable birthday parties ever!

Karissa made a Minecraft cake.

There were blue jelly beans in the middle. It was a surprise cake!

She also made these little candy cakes that are a Minecraft thing.

Thunderstorms were predicted for that day, but I kept my eye on the weather. That morning, when it looked like all would be fine, I texted all the parents and told them we were still on for 4:30. Victoria ended up being able to hang with two friends that afternoon, so she didn't end up coming. Karissa brought there friend, Ash, and we went to the park around 3:30 to get a table at the pavilion, in case a lot of people decided to go to the park that day. It was very hot, humid, and sunny, when we arrived. At 4, a rain shower passed through, and then it was sunny again, so we thought we were done with it for a while, though we knew more was coming at some point because of the dark cloud cover in the distance. Sam, Owen, and Kaleb all came around the same time, as it was just starting to darken up and cool down quite a bit. I told all the parents that we would text them or just bring the boys to my house if it got bad, but Sam wasn't going to allowed in the house yet.

They played tag on the playground and infection, some of their favorite games (infection now has new meaning for all of them!) Then they ran over to play World Cup at the soccer nets. As it got darker, I checked the weather and noticed it would start raining in about 5 minutes. It was perfect because they would start getting hungry and Jason was on his way with the pizza. We ran back to the pavilion where they found the water balloons in the cooler and started their balloon fight as Jason was arriving. Nice and wet, they were able to eat their pizza under the pavilion as the wind and the rain suddenly started and got pretty crazy! Jason said it would continue for a while and we had 45 minutes of the party left, so he drove the cars right over to the pavilion, everyone piled all the stuff in the two cars, and we took off. I decided to volunteer to take the 5 boys in my car and Jason took the girls in his. That was an adventure- 5 wet, smelly boys in my car, along with a bunch of sand from the sand pit that stuck to their feet as they ran through it wet! Plus, someone passed gas and they had to roll down the windows- remember, it was raining still. Those boys were dying of laughter and fun, though!

His only "gift" of the party was from Ash. His friends brought gift cards.

Tag

Foot in the middle for Infection.

Water balloon fight!

We finished the party in my front porch with cake, ran over to the open garage just as the rain let up so I could hang the pinata from the basketball hoop, and took turns hitting it when the rain wasn't too bad. Since the pinata was soaking, Austin, who was the first to hit it, knocked it off on the first hit and the rest just took a turn beating it on the ground until it burst. They ate candy and laughed, and shot hoops from the garage and even some in the rain. Sam left a few minutes early, so Owen and Kaleb went inside to play some video games before they left. It was so crazy, but so fun! Those boys hadn't hung out like that in forever and really enjoyed themselves! I'm so glad we got to celebrate Austin that way.

That was Wednesday. On Friday, the last day of school, we went to non-school sponsored "clap out" for the 5th graders. There weren't too many kids there, but it was fun to see some other friends and celebrate their graduation from Miller Elementary school. Someone even brought cookies in baggies to pass out. I don't think Austin felt like he missed out on anything from his end-of-elementary school years. He's so easy to please and everything is so much more appreciated by everyone after all that social distancing.

5th graders waiting to walk down.

Running back through, here comes Austin!

Phew, we made it!

Piano

We got a new piano, to us, just in time for Karissa and Austin to record their piano recital music for their virtual recital. Pianos should be tuned 6 weeks after they are moved because the bumping around in the move can become a problem, but our old piano was pretty out of tune and needed the pedal fixed, so this one worked beautifully for the recital pieces! A lady in our ward posted on our ward Facebook page, right at the beginning of the quarantine, that she was giving away her piano. We had to wait until things started to open up, two weeks ago, before we could go pick it up from her.

Luckily, we were able to find some new owners of our old piano, who are just starting out with piano, so I think it will work great for them, like it did for us, in the early years.

old

new

Here's the pieces they performed. They both had different groups they attended virtual meetings with to listen to each other's recorded pieces, give compliments, and discuss the musical components.

 A few days later, their piano teacher came by to let them choose prizes from the prize basket for accomplishing goals, like completing certain scales and mastering a certain amount of songs. Austin got his trophy for earning three years of Superior at Federation and a medal for mastering beyond the number of songs he needed to. Karissa also earned Superior at Federation, for the 5th year in a row, so she will earn her second trophy next year, when she does it again!!

At least piano works out really well with social distancing!

Eleven!

Things in Michigan started to open up on June 1. So, by the next day, we weren't prepared to go to all sorts of places to celebrate Austin's birthday, though he still says that it was one of the best birthdays ever. I think it's because he had gotten so many nice cards and gifts in the mail from family and friends (thank you!) and his Primary teachers brought by a huge gift bag full of water guns, water balloons, a slip and slide, and three boxes of popsicles. So thoughtful! (He said the slip and slide is the best gift ever!)

Ice Breakers

Minecraft Legos!

Ready for the meeting at his desk. 

Victoria bought him this new outfit that he opened with the ice breakers in the morning. She wants him to be well dressed for middle school! 

I made him his favorite breakfast (besides Honey Nut Cheerios), poached eggs with bacon. I allowed him to skip his schoolwork that day, as well as his book club, so he could put together his Minecraft Lego set he opened up that morning. His class had a meeting on Webex at 10, so he did get on there and received many birthday wishes from his classmates. I picked up some Wendy's for everyone, his request for lunch so he could have a Son of a Baconator, on my way back from the "wave goodbye" at Red Bell with my preschoolers (so hard!).

Austin did have his last piano lesson that I required him to do, virtually of course, but that was after we got to swim in our neighbor's pool for a bit, so he was ready to be in the house out of the very hot and humid day, but yet still very cold water. His best friend Kaleb, who lives just down the street, invited him to play Minecraft with him that afternoon, so Austin rollerbladed over there. He's been going there a lot in the past two weeks that we've been able to be in groups of ten, outside. He and Erik have needed that break from each other!

While Austin was at Kaleb's and Karissa was finishing Austin's gift.

It took Karissa many hours over many days to make this Minecraft scene for Austin with clay, boxes, and felt. 

She made this card too. 

 When he came home, his requested dinner of lasagna with salad was ready, though he didn't eat much of it due to the soda he drank at Kaleb's. He may be 11, but he's definitely not eating like a preteen yet!

He opened more gifts and we had the cake that Karissa made, then we watched part of Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith, which he requested and actually watched it with us. Usually, when we watch a movie together, he just plays Minecraft on his tablet while looking up every once in a while.

He loves to read and will read a book so fast that he will have to read comics until he gets another book.

Erik gave him this car.

He loves this from cousin Peter!

He really wanted this backpack with everything he thinks he will need for vacations or school. He, and my other kids, are talking about the new school year already!

We used all of his "water war" supplies from his Primary teachers the next day since we didn't end up having time on his birthday to use it.

I was glad he could have a special day. We've been getting tired of this social distancing thing. All my kids have been keeping to their school schedule that we structured for the morning, but after that, they have been reverting to their favorite things, that I allow them to do, for most of the rest of the day. Austin reads on his Chrome Book, mostly Big Nate for hours on end, then will rollerblade in the cul-de-sac, or when he was able, to Kaleb's. As soon as I say the word, he will be playing Minecraft, either at Kaleb's or our house. He does keep up on his piano, though, but that's it. Karissa reverts to art in her room, a lot of it was making Austin's birthday gift. She gets her physical activity from doing tons of handstands or jumping on the trampoline. Erik and Victoria are around the main area more, Erik playing with random toys and Victoria doing more of a variety than anyone else, to keep herself sane.

I've decided that Austin really likes to be comfortable. He loves warm cozy socks, to wear his pjs whenever he can, and rollerblading better than biking because it doesn't hurt his butt like the bike seat does! He's going to be in the advanced math class in middle school next school year and will be starting to play the cello in the orchestra. He's a kind and friendly boy who is loved by everyone!

Happy Birthday Austin!