Week in Review

We were tired of staying home, and we had another set of camping plans messed up. So when Colleen and Rigo told us about a hiking trail with a creek less than a half hour from home, we were happy to check it out.

The creek was great, but the flies were biting like crazy! Ended up scratching all week.

These two aren't social distancing.

What does your mask say about you?

Mine says, why yes, I did just cut up my girls' old holey leggings so I could follow the grocery store rules.

Our vines on the front arbor bench are finally doing great. We've gone through a number of plants here over the years, and hopefully we have winners for a while. The left side is a star jasmine, smelling gorgeous, and the right is a morning glory, winding itself around the frame.

Why sleep in your cat bed, when there's a Lego Star Wars ship? Much more comfortable.

Friday featured perfect weather, so the girls and I rode scooters/walked to Granary Square to run an errand and pick up lunch. I've said it here before - these two are getting along so well, now that they don't see their friends at school. They've really come to appreciate one another (though I'm sure they wouldn't admit it!).

Between their own masks, and the cashier wearing a mask, the girls had trouble getting their order correct, because it's hard to understand what people are saying in loud environments. Oh well.

Simple pleasures!

Tidbits

 On Saturday, we should have been in Ojai, camping at Wheeler Gorge with Colleen and Rigo for our girls' birthdays. But, the campground was closed. So, after taking part in a Zoom group birthday call with Liana, we stopped by their house with a gift and card.

Liana's neighbors have alpacas and baby goats now! So fun!

 See that tiny baby skunk? We've been making time each evening to watch these adorable creatures - there have been at least five from the same litter that dig around for whatever they eat.

 Violet had her 10-year well-check on Tuesday, and we met up with Stace afterwards for a picnic lunch.

Violet was very well! She's growing amazingly, and is 4 inches taller than a year ago. She has reached the 49th percentile, at 54 1/4 inches. She's 75 pounds, or 56th percentile.

The visit was interesting, given the coronavirus situation. We stayed in our car until our room was ready, and everyone wore a mask.

 After lunch, we went grocery shopping, and then we got doughnuts and went to Bridgeport to check out the turtles. Violet is so into these simple pleasures. I need to do more such fun and easy things with her!

 Violet was feeling pretty bummed about missing out on camping, and so much of her normal life. So on Thursday, we took off to the beach.

Los Angeles County beaches have just reopened after being closed for a couple of months, but they have ridiculous rules about not sitting or lying on the beach. As if sitting on a beach will give you a virus.

Thankfully, Carpinteria beaches are in Santa Barbara County, where they have more sense.

Violet took with us her Flat Mrs. Zamperin, a fun little project for the last few weeks of school. The kids write each week about some adventure they take their teacher character on.

 You can see, keeping away from people was easy on a Thursday afternoon.

 Violet boogie-boarded for well over an hour. She had so much fun! It was great to see her enjoying herself and the sea.

Cora enjoyed having a few hours to herself! She also couldn't go because she hurt her foot with a scooter mishap, and the salt water and sand would NOT have been helpful.

Mother's Day

 Mother's Day! 

I was pleased to get these sweet cards and flowers from my family.

 Stace and the girls organized a brunch in Quigley Canyon, Stace's new favorite spot. The picnic tables were perfect, and no one was around. What a lovely setting!

After enjoying breakfast, we took a little walk. It was just perfect! Thanks, Stace!

 Later, we went over to my parents' to take gifts and hang out for a bit in the back yard.

This was the most interacting Cora has done with Ellie since she entered the world! Baby steps! Cora loves talking movies with Uncle Nick.

 We all painted a rock. Thanks, Mom! Happy Mother's Day! And to Melanie, her first one.

Week in Review

 Monday was May 4th, and May the Fourth is officially Star Wars Day, as in, "May the Force be with you." We all wore our Star Wars shirts, and started rewatching the TV series Mandalorian. I took the photo of Violet for her school, because they were having an online Spirit Day.

 Violet presented her California project to her reading group, via an online Google meeting.

 We got a great deal from the Newhall Refinery for Tuesday, which was Cinco de Mayo, or May 5th, a big holiday in Mexico celebrating a military victory over French. We got all these food - tacos, chips, guac and salsa, rice and beans, and a cake - and basically 3-4 margaritas for $50. Yum! And enough for two meals.

 Schooling at home means sometimes, your sister is your math tutor. Violet had some long division with big numbers, and she has learned different ways to solve the problems than I learned. But Cora could figure out how to help her, thankfully.

On Friday evening, we took a scooter/walk to Granary for ice cream at the Habit. And who rode up on their bikes, but our friends Sue, Pauly and Sophia. Always nice to catch up with friends, especially nice these days.

Quigley Canyon

Our weekends have been pretty relaxed the past two months...i.e., boring. No dinners with friends, no events, not much of anything of course.

But here and there, we've gotten out for a lovely nature walk, as was the case Sunday evening. We went out to Quigley Canyon, where I'd taken the girls a few weeks earlier.

It was Stace's first time there, and he loved it.

The girls have been getting along so well during this quarantine, I'm sure partly because they are each other's  main friend now. They talk a lot about books and story ideas and dragon characters, and they watch shows and things on Cora's phone or laptop together.

On our walk, they urged Stace and me to give them space because they had things to discuss.

We actually saw a deer on the hill! On most of our walks, we don't see too much real wildlife. This was a treat.

 Pretty purple wildflowers

 We returned to the area with the log bridge, to show Stace.

 Stace found a log set up to work on his backflips.

Almost landed it!
Too bad I wasn't filming!

Week in Review

A neighbor gave us a bag of lemons, and among other uses, Stace and Violet made little tarts. They were so tasty!

While we had our backyard camp set up, Stace and Cora did some singing and playing. Their rendition of The Cave by Mumford and Sons got dozens of encouraging compliments when I shared it with my Facebook friends.

I've got a puzzle of cats to complete, and a cat who wanted to help.

My friend Lara, Violet's mom, is finishing her teaching credential and wants to specialize in junior high P.E. She was student teaching at Cora's school when school went online for the year.

Lara set up an awesome fitness course using chalk on the front entry to Placerita. We decided to challenge ourselves with it...meaning I forced the girls to take a bike ride to the school so we could try it out.

It was a great little workout, and made me think I should get back to doing some core training.

We had steak Friday night! A rarity for us... but when Vallarta has a two-day sale on T-bones for $3 a pound, how could we not? (These two fed the four of us, and the leftovers stretched into a taco meal.)

Violet chose to learn about the cougar for her fourth-grade California project. She presented her little guys to her reading group online this week.

Having the tent out for two days wasn't so good for the grass! Yikes!

TEN!!!

Our Violet Mae has hit the double digits!

Of course it's incredible to think a whole decade has passed since our sweet, artistic, dragon-loving affectionate girl entered the world. We're well into a new phase of family life, with a teenager and the "baby" turning 10.

Ten, being such a milestone, was supposed to bring with it a party with friends and long-awaited visit from Nan and Pop. But, the coronavirus lockdown nixed those plans.

Violet was a bit sad heading up to her birthday, but we made the best of it, allowing her to plan some fun things, and surprising her with some other treats. One plan - she asked for a pineapple-upside down cake, something my grandma used to make, and it turned out beautifully.

She also asked for crepes for breakfast, Stacey's specialty, and since he was working from home, he was happy to oblige. We also spent two nights sleeping in the tent in the back yard.

After breakfast, we video-chatted with Nan and Pop and Dean and Jen, and Vi opened her gifts and cards. Here, she's opening her silly presents from her sister.

But then came the good gift! Violet had just one wish, a drawing tablet. The whole family went in on it, and she was absolutely thrilled. Here, she's showing it to our family in the UK.

Then, Vi went in to take part in a video chat with her class, and everyone sang her "Happy Birthday." I'm so glad she had that moment, because it was one of the things she had been sad about missing out on.

The birthday girl gets to choose meals all day long - we enjoyed Chick-Fil-A for lunch, and homemade orange chicken for dinner.

In and around doing school work, Cora and Violet had a silly string battle in the back yard, using one of Cora's gifts to Vi.

And then - surprise! Vi's best school friend Victoria stopped by with a card and gift. Vic gave Violet a special necklace, and has a similar one for herself, so it's kind of like a friendship necklace.

And, surprise! Liana and Colleen also stopped over, with a gift and home-baked goods. It's so good to see our friends! We will appreciate that so much more when this corona storm has passed by.

Chocolate cranberry bars and lemon scones - hope Violet will share! They were absolutely delicious. Liana is taking after her mom with baking talent!

Then, just before dinner, we jumped back online for a group birthday song via Zoom. This was such a fun way to include our loved ones who don't live close enough to come to a party anyway; maybe we can retain this Coronavirus trend in years to come.

Violet loved all her cards - Alli's included a confetti bomb!

S'mores before bed and a night in the tent - despite the worldwide pandemic, it was a good birthday for Violet!