Week 15

 We had another week, full of new adventures in this new life.  I found these two pictures on my phone that they took of each other during a facetime playdate earlier this week. 

 I just love A and B's special relationship.  All the boys are close, but these two have really found a bond.

 We walked down to get ice cream again on Monday with the neighbor friends, these two are really good about wearing masks, but of course they have to come off to eat the ice cream or to swim.

 Followed by a swim playdate.

 I caught B one day talking to himself while doing his "homework".  "Whew my homework is hard.  I have to do this and this and this in all these squares.  I might need a rest soon because this is hard!"

 I had both bookclub and dinner club this week, in person.  Both outside, except right as our dinner club takeout order arrived, so did a huge storm and so we ended up moving into a garage (and car trunk).  Someday we will be glad to have these pictures. 

 And as we were all leaving, there was a double full rainbow, but this is all I caught on camera.

 We had two VV reservations this week, both of which the weather was perfect for.  We went Thursday evening.  While its hard not being able to go anytime we want, or take guests, we are all really enjoying the quiet there and the space for us to swim and play.

 No playground this year though.

 Field trip Friday was a bike ride to the park, with a picnic lunch and time to play.  With not much open (and the things open not feeling safe to our family), its hard to be creative with field trip friday.

 The kids don't seem to mind and enjoy anything different that we do.

 And for baking Thursday, A made the most delicious bagels.  They were gone minutes later and so he actually made more today in the mountains.

 Bridge building.  And not pictured was a family zoom with our exchange student Ignacio and his wife and boys in Argentina for his birthday.

And these two, again.

Week 14

 A was signed up for several camps this summer and when things began changing and/or canceling, each camp offered different refund and or online options.  The JCC offered some STEM camps online so I signed the big guys up, picked up the materials and they did it on their own with the zoom links.  On the final day, they built rockets.

 B and his best buddy have been so sad being separated, so we finally are allowing outdoor play together and they are two happy kiddos!

 Both swim teams have now started.  Above is Virginia Vale, one kid/half of the pool.  Flip turns in the middle of the pool, 6 feet apart.  This coming week they are changing it, but still will continue to keep the kids distanced.

 Thursday and Friday were cooler this week so we took advantage and rode our bikes to City Park for a change of scenery and a picnic lunch.

 The younger two built a campfire, but when B and I went later that day to check on it, someone had taken it apart.

 Friday we took a drive to Rocky Mountain Arsenol and walked a little ways to this lake.

 But the dark rainy  clouds began coming quickly and so we went back to the car and took the 11 mile wildlife drive where we saw lots of prairie dogs, buffalo, birds and deer.

 B was the photographer.

The boys also started their year round swim team, swim dogs, again in an outdoor pool.  Ads friends mom sent me this picture before practice.  

 For fathers day we went to grandma and papa's house for a socially distanced outdoor brunch with my brother and nephews.  

 My brother brought a slip n slide, and even though the weather was cooler, it was a hit for awhile for all the kids.

 

Week 13

 We all got our first "real" haircut since the pandemic started.  I had cut the younger boys and Brian's hair a few times, but its clearly not my expertise and they were ready for someone who knew what they were doing.  We got through LT and Ads, but then a huge storm came in and before we knew it the only place to keep everyone safe was in our house.  So, the first person besides us 5 to be in our house in 12 weeks was Shelby, our wonderful hairdresser.  We all wore masks inside.  She has always come to our house for haircuts, but cutting on the front porch was new for all of us.

 Ads and B both really enjoy the koala crate B gets monthly.  He really needs some help with it, so having Ads help is wonderful.

 The big kids start swim team this week and needed new suits and goggles, so B and I went to swim n things and got what we needed, plus a water gun for him to keep up.

 We spent a morning at the gardens, visiting Elsie's tree, wandering around and ordered a mobile lunch pick up at the bee hive.

 We are all adjusting to the mask wearing.  Sometimes it comes off completely, sometimes it covers everything, including B's eyes.

 

 On Thursday, B's best buddy asked us to go for a bike ride which was really fun for the boys to see each other in person.  They ran around the park for 2 hours and on the way home visited this turtle who comes out during the day and lives in this raised bed.

 Science!  B's favorite.

 A backyard birthday celebration for LT with his best school buddy and his family.

The older kids did an online stem camp this week about rockets.  They pre recorded the lessons and then the boy did them in the afternoons.