Anna Grows

 This week Anna returned to school 4 days a week!  This was a major milestone.  She is fortunate that all of her teachers returned for in-person instruction (that is not the case for others).  Schools are planning for return to full, in-person instruction in the fall.....5 days a week.  Something to look forward to! In other news of the week: It was really warm (78 degrees on Wednesday) and really cold (30 degrees on Thursday).  At least it didn't snow like it did in Ohio. Theresa attended the first neighborhood book club (they stopped during the pandemic), which was held outside at the pool.  On sure she read the wrong book, but it was still nice to see neighbors and hear about the book they read. Anna and Theresa attempted to go shopping to find Anna some spring/summer clothes, but that is made more difficult when you can't actually try on the clothes.  They came home with nothing.  Next steps TBD. Joe had a major breakthrough on transition...

A hike at Bull Run  Good news on the vaccine front - Theresa got her first Pfizer vaccine this week!   Progress!  Fingers crossed that they will be available soon to teenagers so that Anna can get one as well.  Other big news for the week is that Anna will be returning to school four days a week starting April 20.  Yea!  It will be interesting to see how many students return in person versus how many just decide to finish the school year virtually. In other news, Sunday was a trip to Bull Run Park to enjoy more Virginia bluebells (although we decided those at Great Falls were better).  Anna was also able to catch up with her friend Petra on Saturday at the town green while Theresa hung out with Petra's mom.  It was nice to be outside and enjoy the spring weather. Here is to a good first week at school.....for four days!  

 As pandemic weeks go, this was a good one.  There was lovely weather, so we could get aside.  There is hope on the school front that Anna may get more in person school time.  Most importantly - Joe got his second vaccine and Virginia is opening up vaccinations to everyone in a week.  In between, it was a busy week....relatively speaking.  Here are the highlights: Joe got some quality outside time this week, including planting some peas and lettuce in our neighborhood garden and mowing the lawn for the first time. Joe also got his second Moderna vaccination - with no side effects.  One person down - two more to go! Anna participated in a swim meet on Saturday and managed to improve her time on 50 meter freestyle and 100 meter breaststroke.  She is aiming to get her freestyle time below 30 seconds....and she is close. 5 cubic yards of mulch After the school superintendent announced that Fairfax County schools would begin to look at the option of 4 ...

 It was a lovely Easter week and a welcome break from work and school.  While we still were not able to do an Easter gathering with family, we at least were able to get a way for the week and enjoy a change of scenery.  We returned in time to celebrate a quiet Easter, but enjoyed a lovely spring day.  Here are highlights from the week. Spring Break in Beaufort, NC After our initial vacation rental was canceled, we were able to secure a last minute, dog-friendly rental in lovely Beaufort, NC.  Everything happens for a reason, and this turned out to be a lovely week in a quiet, historic southern town with lots of beach options.  We avoided crowds, got to enjoy a historic town with some beautiful beaches and even got to visit Aunt Gayle.  Storm was very excited to go along and was particularly happy with the one level rental, which meant no stairs (definitely a vacation for him).  Here are some highlights: We stayed in what was probably the nicest Ai...

 To go or not to go-that was the question.  We decided to try a different part of North Carolina for Anna’s spring break and Theresa booked a place via AirBNB.  It was all good until the owner had to cancel a week before the trip.   After a last minute scramble to find something that as available AND took dogs (Storm’s usual dog sitters were not available) we ended up in the Moorhead City, NC area.  Stay tuned for more details on this adventure.

A Sunday walk at the park  Big news for the week - Joe got his first vaccine!  He was the recipient of dose 1 of the Pfizer vaccine.  Second dose is scheduled for April 7.  Progress!  We are a step closer to getting out and about a bit more. Theresa is still waiting for the call and who knows when Anna will be eligible since she does not meet the 16 and over requirement.  For now, we will take what we can get. In other news, Joe replaced the mailbox after the door would no longer stay closed.  Why is this news?  Well, we happen to notice two other neighbors replacing their mailboxes over the weekend - also because the door would no longer closed.  We suspect this may have something with the new mailman's overzealous closure of the door.  We are currently assessing and may need to contact our local post office to see if they can reinforce mailbox etiquette with the staff. Theresa's big event for the weekend was taking over the swim team t...

Hiking at Manassas Battlefield  Who would have thought?  As Anna commented, we didn't do much this year but A LOT happened.   It was fitting that we spent our weekend  doing what has become our normal routine.  There was take-out on Friday night (still no indoor restaurant dining for us....something we have not done since the pandemic).  There were good dinners (because we do like to cook).  There was Netflix (everyone has their own favorite shows, but occasionally we find a family movie).  There was hiking (Manassas national battlefield is a favorite).  There was schoolwork (we will just say that virtual school is a struggle for all involved).  Here are some highlights from the week: Happy Birthday to Grandpa on March 14!  Grandpa celebrated with a dinner, cheesecake, and gifts (thanks to Amazon). Anna had her second week of partial in-person school (two days).  Thanks to the beautiful weather, she was able to enjoy lunch...