Hanging at the Houston Home: Week 5 (Zander's 7th Birthday!)

Zander,

This year will always be a memorable one for me!  This is the year that you lost your first tooth, the year that you started really reading books, the year you no longer looked like a baby but started to really look like a big boy!  This is also the year that we had COVID-19 which meant that we had a "stay at home" order during your birthday.  We had originally planned to go to Great Wolf Lodge (an indoor waterpark) and spend the night to celebrate your seventh birthday.  We also planned to bring lunch and cupcakes to you at school while you celebrated with friends.  All these plans had to change due to the mandate for social distancing.  So here is how we spent your birthday instead!  You woke up to a scavenger hunt to find your birthday presents.  You loved reading each clue to get one step closer to your gift.  Your presents were waiting in your seat in our car!  You opened up a 12 pack of new baseballs, new tie tennis shoes (since you can do that all on your own now!) and some new summer clothes since I'm not able to meet up with my friend that usually shares her hand-me downs!  Your favorite present was the baseballs for sure!  You also requested french toast sticks for breakfast (we had to add the "7" candle in them since I typically do that with cinnamon rolls).  Aunt Kelly stopped by with fresh Krispy Kreme doughnuts that we had many of that morning! You had visits from some of your best friends, Taylor and Mia.  We got your requested McDonald's happy meal for lunch and when we got back home, Mrs. Pulliam (your first grade teacher) pulled up to bring your birthday hat!  You still managed to get your schoolwork done for the day (even got a shout-out on the school's digital morning announcements and your class's assignment page) and mommy was able to successfully balance her workload with the enthusiasm of the birthday boy! As we took Burke for an afternoon walk, you made sure to wear your birthday hat so people walking by would know it was your special day! That evening we celebrated with Dairio and cookie cake (both requested by you!)  The Bakewells and Kennedys came over to help you celebrate your big day and many people called, texted or sent videos for you to "see" them while we can't physically be together with our extended family and friends.  I hope you will always remember this birthday as a day that you were able to do exactly what you wanted and we tried to make all your birthday wishes come true (while not leaving our home!)  I am so proud of the young man you are becoming! I am proud of the way you offer to help walk Burke or clean up at the end of the day.  I am proud of how you offer to help your brother whether it is crossing a creek that he feels is too deep or getting started on his bike since Maddox's feet don't touch the ground just yet.  I love the way Maddox looks up to you and wants to be just like his brother.  I love the way you work together to play a game or play Mario Kart.  I even love the way you wrestle, giving each other the masculine attention you both crave (just as long as we don't end up in the emergency room!)  I love the gap in your smile as we wait for your front teeth to come in.  I love how you snuggle into my lap when we are reading a good book....especially a chapter book!  I love how you are a good balance of boy energy and tenderheartedness.  I can't wait to see what this next year has in store..... the sky is the limit! I love you, Z!

With all my love,

Mommy

 This week we also celebrated Aunt Lindsey's birthday!

 Daddy and I were able to have a date night thanks to Grammy and Grandpa! We ate sushi and Coldstone ice cream in the car!  Since Zack also had a "quarantined" birthday this year, this was Grammy's way of ensuring we could celebrate his birthday as best as we could (a month later) considering the current conditions! We had a blast and even watched a couple episodes of Psych (one of our favorite shows from years ago)!

I continue to feel outnumbered and outmatched by the energy level of these two boys! I'm so glad they are cute!;) haha!

With the boys exactly 2.5 years apart.... it means that Maddox is also celebrating his half birthday this week.... so here is Maddox 4.5!  That smile allows him to get away with a lot of things! Prayers are appreciated.... haha!

Hanging at the Houston Home: Week 4

We celebrated Easter at our home to start week 4 of Hanging at the Houston Home.  While this Easter was different from any other we have ever experienced, you can't help but celebrate that we have a risen Savior!  Just to think how sad the disciples were that Friday when Jesus hung on that cross, and then to fast-forward three days to see the tomb was empty... He had overcome the grave just as He said He would!! What hope we have for our futures, knowing that God sent his Son to save us from eternal death, having the opportunity to spend eternity in heaven if we simply accept this gift and mercy. Thanks to our church, we were given multiple egg hunt opportunities in our home.  One was a virtual egg hunt where the kids found eggs hidden around our church in a picture slideshow and the second one was a picture egg hunt where five pictures from the Easter story were hidden in eggs in our yard along with about 100 additional eggs for the boys to find.  We did this on Saturday morning.  The boys loved finding all the eggs, getting the 5 pictures and putting them in sequential order while we watched a short video clip discussing the events around Easter.  The first picture discussed Palm Sunday and how people celebrated Jesus.  The second picture discussed the last supper where Jesus discussed how his body would be broken and his blood would be shed for us.  The third picture showed the soldiers coming to the Garden while Jesus prayed.  The fourth picture was the crucifixion, where Jesus took the punishment for our sins.  The final picture showed an empty tomb, proving that Jesus could conquer the grave and death!

 We took naps on Saturday (a great way to start our "stay at home" spring break)!  We woke up to find our house had been "egged".  There were eggs in our front yard.... and these had CANDY in them!! The boys were excited to hunt for more eggs and eat the yummy candy afterward.  We found out it was Maddox's friend, Mollie, who had delivered the eggs. She even wore a pretty dress in hopes of seeing Maddox..... which makes me sad we were napping! The boys had fun regardless and Maddox decided to pay it forward and "egg" his cousin, Emerson's, house on Easter morning! The boys also had fun creating their own egg hunts for each other in the house...... eggs provided hours of entertainment this weekend!

 Easter morning, we had a delicious breakfast complete with fun-fetti pancakes and hard-boiled eggs we had dyed on Friday.  There was some sausage and bacon as well!

 The Easter Bunny did deliver the baskets full of treats (even if the boys saw some of the items ahead of time).  They loved all the candy and activities within the baskets!

We had a surprise indoor egg hunt (since it was supposed to rain, the Easter Bunny put them indoors before the kids woke up that morning).  We were able to snap a few brotherly pictures while the weather cooperated!  Happy Easter from the Houston Boys!

Zander wanted me to take a picture of the image below. This is what our children's pastor uses to explain salvation to kids.  There is a connection between each finger and the path to salvation.  I wanted to include it here because I think it is concise for adults and children!

I've started my allergy shots.  I have been dealing with sinus infections since July 2019 and they believe they all relate to allergies I recently tested for..... all trees, dust mites and cockroaches!  So.... I will go weekly to get allergy shots until I get to a maintenance phase where shots will be given monthly for the next few years.  We have to wear masks and go in one at a time for these shots so you wait in your car to get a text that they are ready for you.  Then, I had to wait 30 additional minutes to make sure I didn't have an allergic reaction.  It is going to be an adventure getting this fit in with all the work and home responsibilities but mama can't take a sick day so I'm hopeful this is a permanent solution!

 We had spring break this week.... it has been glorious to focus on the boys and what would be fun for them rather than think about work and school assignments all day every day!  On Monday, we went to Salem Lake and played in the creek at mile 1. 

 These hand-holding pictures were completely unprompted and I will cherish them forever.... I will also remind the boys of these pictures if they are having a hard time getting along! haha

 We rode bikes multiple days, took Burke for walks with the boys using their scooters, learned new games like Jenga, Chinese Checkers, and Phase 10 while also bringing out old favorites like Guess Who, Candyland and Monopoly!  You can see what happens when someone doesn't win in one of the games so the excitement and expectation must be balanced out for each game played! haha

 We took daddy and his co-workers lunch one day and also played with Legos.  We have watched a couple movies (Zootopia and Inside Out) and taken a few naps!  It has been a great spring break!  Next week our oldest turns SEVEN so bring on all the quarantined birthday festivities! :)

Hanging at the Houston Home: Week 3

We have survived a third week of the Houston boys and mommy working from home.  We are officially on spring break for the next week and while we aren't able to travel and go anywhere, I'm already excited about having a little more laid back schedule without the demands of school for mommy or the boys!  Here is what we did this past week around our neighborhood!  

We explored the school that is within walking (or biking) distance from our house.  We attempted to play soccer, run around the track, take Burke exploring and bike ride this past weekend!  

On Saturday night, the Bakewells and Kennedys came over to help us with our Easter Mosaic.  We were excited to have a family event which included take out (everyone brings their own dinner) and sidewalk chalk!

 We were very excited about the finished product!! It was a a team effort for sure!

On Sunday, we went to a local park to have a family hike and play on the soccer fields.  The boys are loving soccer these days.

 I just wanted to count my blessings after a rough couple weeks... I've found myself "beaten down" by the expectations and demands of working from home and homeschooling.  I continue to feel blessed that we have been able to have all of our groceries each week (check out our fully stocked fridge), we've been blessed with good health and mommy (at home) and daddy (at his store) are still working which allows us to pay all the bills!  The boys have not had to experience any stress in the areas of food and shelter.  Also, while it can be hard to have such a drastic, instant change in our daily schedules and routines, we have made it work so far!

 My Sunday morning cuddle crew during the church service online!

 Zander lost his second top front tooth (making 4 total teeth!)  He was excited the tooth fairy could visit even in these quarantined conditions.  I was able to tie his tooth to a door and get the tooth out..... a first for me!! Daddy has been responsible for getting the other teeth out.  Maddox wanted his picture taken too.... although I made sure to remind him that his teeth should stay put for a couple more years. ;)

 Grammy has been so helpful to entertain the boys a couple mornings each week while I have conference calls, etc.  She helps with schoolwork and creates entertainment so I don't feel so guilty about the hours of television they are watching in the afternoons due to mommy's workload.  Neither boys are really into naps these days so I find that the days go pretty quickly from the moment they wake up until bedtime.... there is truly never a dull, quiet, still moment at the Houston Household!

 Zander got to see three of his buddies from school this week through Microsoft Teams.  It was so sweet to hear them catching up about what they have been doing while they haven't been in school.... his smile says it all... he is an extrovert like his mama! ;)

Today we celebrated Grammy's birthday and dyed Easter eggs! Two traditions that we look forward to every year!! Grammy does so much for our family... we would LITERALLY not survive this current situation without her support...... she is such a strength to our family especially when you feel like you just can't take one more thing.......I can't express how lucky we are to have her! We made the day all about her.... eating some of her favorite food and watching a movie that she had wanted to see.  It was one of  my favorite days and I hope she knows how much she is loved!

And a funny story to end this post.....the boys found what was hidden for them from the Easter Bunny! :(  I was on a call helping a parent and student with their online learning when I heard a noise that made me know they had moved the one object that was hiding their presents behind it (on a tall shelf in a closet they never go in).  I quickly flew up the stairs to discover they were enthusiastically looking at their new presents.  I was devastated..... I have felt that I have been really failing in the parenting area lately.. not really balancing work and their needs/wants at this uncertain time.  I was so excited I had managed to get things in order for Easter... which is pretty difficult when stores are not open and you are with your kids 24-7.  I quickly said I was sad because the Easter Bunny had asked me to hide their presents and keep it a secret due to the virus that was going around.  He knew he couldn't get to all the houses and definitely didn't want to share any of the germs.  It worked out the best it could and I hope they pretend to be surprised on Sunday when they see their baskets..... stay tuned... ;)

Hanging at the Houston Home: Week 2

This actually makes the end of week 3 for the boys being at home (the first week they spent with Grammy while I was still at my school working)..... which makes me very thankful that we have successfully navigated a quick change to our normal schedule.... no baseball, no going to church, no school and no play dates!  The boys are handling this transition a lot better than their mama!  They are content with daily bike rides, movie watching and school at the dining room table!  I have struggled with ensuring three meals are provided each day, school is checked off, my workload is knocked out and all the other responsibilities of being a wife, mom, homeowner, full-time employee are completed each day.  Also, my extrovert self is having a hard time not "seeing" people on a daily basis!  I decided to stop checking in on social media earlier this week and that change has made things a lot easier for me.... no longer am I analyzing how our quarantine life compares to others.... no longer am I overwhelmed with grief over all the coronavirus coverage....I'm trying to focus on keeping my family healthy, strong and successful during our time in our home.  The distraction of social media has been eliminated so I can focus on the other areas of my life that need the best version of me right now.  We have had our "ups and downs" each day while embracing the "new normal"..... here are some of the pictures I took from this week at home!

The boys helped daddy wash the car on Saturday while I went through both boys' drawers, moving clothes out that no longer fit and moving clothes in so they are ready for the upcoming spring and summer!  I have a box and bag ready to give to my nephew, Henry, when I'm finally able to see him again!

 We watched our church service online like we do each Sunday morning (this was our third week now).  Zander can stay pretty focused.... Maddox still likes to move around quite a bit! I was impressed at how Zander could read the pastor's notes as they were posted on the screen!  He is such a good reader!

The boys love "weekend mommy"!  With no school to distract us, we did exactly what they wanted to do... which included bubbles, sidewalk chalk, bike rides, basketball and corn hole!  We had a great weekend!

 Some pictures from our week of school and work....trying to entertain the kids while I participate in video conferences, webinars and online training.  Grammy came Tuesday and Thursday morning for a few hours which was greatly appreciated while I was calling teachers, parents, and sharing information with grade levels through video conferencing.

We celebrated Anna's birthday through Zoom last night!  It was great "seeing" my office mates while we are working from home.