March madness

Is it the end of March already?  This year got off to a slow start but is now starting to fly by.  

Evan and Hailey started their third and final trimester of this schoolyear.  The high school is bringing all the kids in - back together for the first time in a year.  We will see how that goes.  Hailey continues to be virtual.  Lately she is setting up her "school in a box" in the dining room. 

We took advantage of a nice day after going to Grama's to take a walk along the boardwalk at Pere Marquette.  It was nice to have a change of scenery. 

Hailey keeps telling us that she doesn't want her loft anymore.  I told her if she didn't have her loft we wouldn't get to see her sweet little face peeking over the edge anymore. 

Mostly sweet face that is. 

Warm days in March start the ice and snow melting and are Hailey's favorite times of year to play at the beach.  Whether she is four or fourteen years old, that girl can't get enough of playing in the water and with the ice. 

One random Saturday family game night.  We all wore stick on mustaches. 

Happy St. Patrick's Day!  This girl made certain that she would not get pinched.

Another lovely weekend Saturday.  We drove to a park that was about 45 minutes south of us to enjoy the weather and let Trent do a Geocache he had been itching to find.  Hailey found some painted rocks (we left them on the path for all to enjoy) and a little clam type shell. 

We were crossing our fingers and didn't dare get our hopes up, but Evan and his Allegros were able to put on their spring musical "Songs for a New World".  It was so great to be back in the theatre and hear the amazingly talented kids do their thing. 

Hailey and I put together bouquets for Evan and April. 

Because of Covid, we couldn't congregate in the lobby afterward to celebrate the performers.  We were allowed to be outside though and that's what we did.  

It is always so fun to watch Evan perform.  He has a performing style you can pick out from a mile away and he is always giving it his all.   He makes us proud!

Hailey and I went back to the matinee with Grama the next day. 

The middle school had a dress up day that was "business on the top casual on the bottom." Hailey fit the part perfectly. 

She looked like such a tiny businesswomen. 

I feel like so many days of our lives during this pandemic have been spent walking the beach.  We ended the month of March down there and I took this photo through a hole in a piece of driftwood. 

 It's definitely starting to feel like Spring is on the way and we cannot wait!

A Ripple of Hope

Due to Covid 19 and all the restrictions pertaining to social distancing and occupancy numbers, we knew early this past Fall that the Singing Christmas Tree would not be happening in 2020.   Because of the fact that these kids have missed out on so much already due to Covid, the school and the choir board worked frantically to come up with something that could "kind of" replace the Tree experience.  They hoped that postponing the concert until March of 2021 and setting up the Tree and rebranding the concert as "The Tree of Hope" would happen - unfortunately due to the venue not allowing more than 100 people inside (which wouldn't even cover the number of kids in the tree) that idea had to be scrapped and they went back to the drawing board.  They came up with "The Ripple of Hope" which was a concert held in the school's Sailor Center with the choir on one side of the bleachers and socially distanced limited audience on the other side. 

It didn't quite match the Tree experience, but it was something, and these kids really needed something. 

Trent helped out backstage and I told him to take pictures of Evan and his friends.  Grad boards are coming up.  I can hardly even fathom that. 

They processed in to their traditional Tree song of "Siyahamba"which was emotional.   It brought me back to times pre-Covid, when things were so much simpler. 

The show was great as it always is.  The talent of these kids is outstanding.  The concert was so necessary to spark just a little bit of hope in a long stretch of disappointments. 

Evan and his guys sextet group sang Elton John's "I'm Still Standing" as one of the breakout acts. 

Because of the limited number of tickets sold, they decided to live stream the show on Sunday evening.  Our tickets were for the Saturday show so we got to watch at home on Sunday.  It is always a funny experience to see your kids on "TV".  

I am always amazed and forever grateful for all our school administrators and teachers are doing to try and make things as normal as possible for our kids.  They will forever be heroes of this pandemic. 

February flew by!

How is the month of January never ending and February seems to last about a week?  Not that I mind - every day closer to bright days and warmer weather is a good day. 

February shook up our beach walks a bit by adding in some lingering snow and ice.

We let Hailey get Instagram once she turned fourteen.  Now if she forgets to bring her phone on our walks she constantly asks to borrow mine so she can get some shots for the Gram.  (She never actually says that and would probably audibly roll her eyes at me for saying it.) 

We found two pieces of beach glass at the icy shore.  I actually thought one of the pieces WAS ice but was pleasantly surprised. 

Hailey had been reminiscing about when they were younger and winters where we were dumped on with snow.  She remembered going outside to shovel after dinner with all of us - she called it a "night shovel".  We have had one storm so far this year that made her wish come true (not to mention a snow day called for the next day). 

After the boys begrudgingly came out, they started having fun with Hailey's tube.  Spencer even stripped his clothes in the garage and ran into the snow with his boxers on.  Total weirdo. 

We completed the Queen Elizabeth puzzle.  I think we actually finished it in January but never got around to taking the picture. 

Hailey received her Sailor Pride certificates from the end of her 7th grade year.  I am still so disappointed that I never got to attend that award assembly last year.  Dumb Covid.

Valentines Day came and went with very little fanfare. 

Hailey found a heart in the snow formations. 

Hailey found a new winter coat that she wanted to spend her birthday money on.  We ordered it from Amazon.  When it came she wasn't super impressed.  She thought she looked like a lion.  We plan to return it and try again. 

Since Grama Dionel passed away in the fall, her kids have been cleaning out her house.  Her son brought over a load of Dan and Lyn's stuff and asked to put it in the garage.  I didn't see what he had but he assured me it wasn't much.  I was beyond surprised to find a larger than life size snowman standing in our garage when I went out there.  Evan pulled in the driveway shortly after from school and walked into the house exclaiming "What's going on in the garage?  Is it some kind of horror movie or something?"

Hailey has been joining me more for daily yoga if she has break time from school. 

Hailey submitted a Google Doodle into a contest representing how you find inner strength.  I love her choices. 

Yoga on a fallen log on a very chilly day. 

Bacon jam that Trent and I made for our burgers.  It was restaurant quality - so good!

 

A foggy day down by the lake.  We got the original covid crew walkers back together. 

This puzzle we actually did finish in February.  Hailey bought it for Trent for Christmas this year.

We spent a lot of time in February working on cleaning and purging at Grama's house.  We have found a lot of stuff that doesn't so much spark joy but at least makes us laugh.  I found a water bottle from my sister's old sorority from 1995.  Although that was not as surprising as the box of Bay Leaves from 1978.  

I am feeling excited for the month of March.  It's starting to feel a bit more spring like around here.  Evan has a choir concert and his musical this month.  Hailey just signed up for the tennis team.   Trent is fully vaccinated.  Spencer just asked me to teach him to do laundry.  Let's hope for mostly good in the near future!