Ellie the chef

Ellie has taken to making baked goods and simple meals lately. I’m not sure if it’s boredom, frustration with me in not making treats, or interest but she is trying her hand in the kitchen. There have been lessons (double checking recipes, not checking the oven every 2 minutes, etc) but she made muffins and the kids’ lunch today. 

And she did the dishes! 

She’s in the “don’t take my picture mom!!” Phase of life so candids are all I got. 

Enjoying moments

School starts on Monday. And it’ll be more scheduled with the kids having to login at 8:30 for class and attendance. 

So I decided to take advantage of a random Tuesday without appointments, class, or conference calls and Calvin and I walked to Starbucks. Ellie, being a tween, refused to get out of bed and get dressed to come with us. 

We had a nice walk. Found out neighbors just installed a new little library. Calvin wanted to take Dr Doolittle because he remembered seeing a trailer for the movie in which Iron Man plays Dr Doolittle...so the book has to be awesome right? He and Nick later rode their bikes to leave a Magic Treehouse book that we had a duplicate of and Cal has already read. 

Practicing new skills

Besides learning to ride a two wheel bike and going on long bike rides, Calvin has also been practicing other skills including hula hooping. He’s gotten pretty good at it.

As an aside, the shirt he is wearing was one that Ellie wore last summer. Both are going through growth spurts apparently.

Outside time

I think my kids have spent more time outside than they normally would during the pandemic. In our backyard, riding bikes in the neighborhood, climbing trees because playground equipment is off limits...

Bike rides

Nick got himself a used bike and is now taking the kids on bike rides around the neighborhood and even down to the library (not that they went in the library...just rode their bikes there).

Although, I think Ellie’s bike is too small for her. However, finding a new bike right now is almost impossible. She is in a growth spurt. Had to get new clothes, shoes, and cleats! 

Frankie photos

We are at the point in coronavirus that I have stopped taking pictures of my kids doing stuff at home during the day. 

In looking at my photo roll, I have more photos of Frankie recently than my own kids. 

But that’s not a bad thing.

Street ready

He learned how to ride without training wheels. He moved up to a bigger frame. And now he has been practicing riding with Nicks and Ellie everyday. On Saturday he rode his new bike all the way to Starbucks.