Tennis Time

Frank, Sabrina, and I went to the park to play tennis. Alex's allergies are bothering him, so he stayed home. Sabrina got one-on-one instruction on how to serve.

Marie-Anne

Ordinary Nature

I took these pictures of ordinary nature, that we are often too busy to notice, while at the park today.

Marie-Anne

Puzzles

I did not count on jigsaw puzzles being a hard to find commodity. Yet they are. They are so common that every store carries them, yet the shelves are now bare. I even had a neighbor ask if I knew of anywhere she could get them. My grandmother had quite a collection of jigsaw puzzles and we would spend lots of time together working on them. My collection is mostly kid ones, in which my kids have outgrown. Going forward, I will build up a collection. There's just something nice about building a jigsaw puzzle together or by yourself.

Alex has pulled out his own brand of puzzle. He is going through his boxes of Lego parts and rebuilding his Bionicles, which have been in storage. 

Marie-Anne

A fun way to keep in touch

Every kid I know loves getting mail. Since they rarely get any, it is all the more exciting when they do. Sabrina sent a postcard to the little brother of one of her friends. He was so excited he carried it around for a week! 

Instead of telling them about our adventures- some of them may be under stay-at-home orders, I am just sending drawings of cartoon characters. I got a pack of postcards from the teachers store. You could also do envelope art. 

Marie-Anne

Seedling Theatre-Vocal Class- Tomorrow

Sabrina singing Tomorrow. Since Sabrina's Vocal Class cannot meet right now, we are doing videos. Her teacher can watch them then give feedback.

Marie-Anne

Game Night

We played multiple rounds of Ochos Locos, a spin-off of Crazy 8's.

Marie-Anne

Flying Kites at the Park

We brought kites to the park today! We all took turns. It's funny, I see kites in almost every store, but rarely ever see anyone actually flying them. 

We also did a run or walk before bringing out the kites.

I added this picture because I like it.

The news said the playgrounds were closed, then it said they were open, but they are still closed. I'm not sure what's up with that. However, the open spaces and trails are open and we have been enjoying them tremendously.

Marie-Anne

Mother-Daughter Time

I took Sabrina with me to Target and Walmart to get mostly art supplies. Now that our needs are all met, (we even have toilet paper!) I need something to do while the kids are doing school and Frank is working. 

I decided to start doing embroidery again. My homeroom teacher in seventh grade sold embroidery patterns to us for fifty cents a piece. She even taught us how to do several types of stitches. It's something I have done on and off again ever since. I figured this is the perfect time to use YouTube to learn more. Sabrina has also shown an interest. 

We each got an individual ice cream treat to eat in the parked car. 

Marie-Anne

Date

Frank and I went on our first date since the nonessential businesses were closed. We went to a local park to walk around and then stopped at a mom and pop bakery for takeout.

Marie-Anne

More Tennis

Per request, we played tennis two days in a row. Somehow Sabrina got the ball stuck like that twice.

Marie-Anne

Family Fun- Tennis

On our last date Frank and I picked up a couple of Raquet ball rackets, (to play at a local rec center; this was before they closed). A few days ago I got two tennis rackets and a pack of tennis balls from WalMart for cheaper than I thought they would be. Later, we will get two more tennis rackets. We had a good time learning to play tennis. 

Our state has determined that parks are essential to health and well-being so the order to close playgrounds has been reversed. They will now be cleaned twice a day. 

Marie-Anne

My Internet Challenge

Here's my internet challenge for everyone. Find a picture of a cartoon character and draw them. Bonus Points if you draw all the characters from a series. Extra Bonus points if you draw them on index cards for the Ronald McDonald House's Caring Cards Program. 

I chose Tiny Toons. I drew about 20 characters so far, and even branched out into Looney Toons and Baby Looney Toons. Some of the characters are quite challenging to draw. By the time the Ronald McDonald House starts accepting volunteers again, I will have a whole lot of Caring Cards ready to cheer up the kids in the hospitals.

Instead of just being bored at home, why don't we use this time to develop skills and help others? 

Marie-Anne

Social Distance Dance Moves- The Monkey

This social distancing dance was brought to you by the 60's.

We are challenging ourselves to learn new things during this time at home. The YouTube channel Cool Cats R Us  has tutorials for several dances.

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNLXinUwGPgsxk8r3MpUDWg

Marie-Anne

Family Time at the Park

We brought our horseshoes to the park. We are getting better, but none of us can actually hit the stake yet. 

Frank ran about 3 miles and the rest of us walked. 

In Nevada, playgrounds and park restrooms are closed, but the walking trails and open spaces are still open. We haven't used the playgrounds or park restrooms for weeks. We don't even use picnic tables or benches. 

Marie-Anne

Supporting Mom and Pop Businesses

At least as of yesterday, restaurants are open here for take out or delivery only. We decided to try to support the local Mom and Pop places instead of the chains during the next few months. We will also be ordering stuff from some of the small businesses that are online only for non-essentials. 

Marie-Anne

Family Day

We had a picnic at a nearby park on the edge of town. We packed our picnic basket with Salami, cheese, Ritz crackers, apples, and water.

We played the Scatch Game, (Velcro mitts and tennis balls) that my parents gave us, for quite a while. I had this game growing up and I loved it. I still do. Now I get to enjoy it with my kids.

We also took a short hike. We saw a bunny and a roadrunner.

Marie-Anne

Fun at the Park

Sabrina asked for a volley ball, but thankfully was quite happy with an oversized play ball, that was much cheaper and easier to hit. We aren't used to playing volleyball and the wind was blowing, but we had fun anyway!

As usual, Frank and Sabrina ran, while Alex and I walked. 

Per the orders of the our Governor, we maintained social distance. I noticed that pretty much every one else there was adhering to it as well. We will try to go to the park or a hiking trail every day that we can. During this time, we will be bringing our own stuff from home instead of using the park's playground, benches, or exercise equipment. We want to be wise, but still have fun. 

Marie-Anne