March 2020

The month started normally, but now we're home like everyone else! Here are some highlights from before and after when we had to start sticking close to home.

Max wrote me a couple notes while I was on a conference call. :-)

Max has earned the privilege to do a paid chore if he completes all his household responsibilities for the week. Here he is after doing his first paid chore to clean the powder room! (Note the walkie talkie clipped to his pants - haha!)

For March 14 - "Pi Day" - Max decided he wanted to write out pi. I only know 3.14 so we printed off a full page of digits and he wrote out five or six feet worth of digits! It was pretty impressive.

 Max LOVES holidays and parties and he had all kinds of plans to celebrate St. Patrick's Day. We added to his fun by making a rainbow breakfast! (The muffins are colored green with spinach, but taste like applesauce muffins!)

Max and I wrote some messages and drew pictures down the sidewalk in the neighborhood. The instructions I provided were to write messages that are encouraging or that remind people of ways to stay healthy. I was so proud of all the messages he thought up! Max did the writing and gave me (Laura) instructions of what to draw.

"Hope you have a great day"

"I wish you lots of hugs"

"Eat more Brocily" (Broccoli)  I think this was one of my favorites! Haha

"Follow directions"

"Cuddle a dog every day (if you have one)"

"Read more!"

"Avoid Anthills"  (Another gem! Haha)

"Exercise for 1 hour each day"

"I wish you lots of light"

"Look both ways!" (written at an intersection)

"Encourage somebody every day"

"You are strong. Show it always."

"Be brave not scared"

"Never fear be happy"

"Enjoy the trees"

"May the force be with you always"

"Love others. Be Kind."

"Draw a picture every day"

The artist (covered in chalk!)

Max's teacher has done a great job switching to online teaching. The kids do video conference call lessons, etc. It's kind of cute to see all their little faces on screen! We don't have an extra laptop, so Max has been using the iPad.

We went to the park one day and Max found a dog frisbee. We tossed it around for a while and he eventually caught it around his neck!

A hike in the woods by the Chattahoochee River!

Max and I did a science project one day that kept him occupied for almost an hour! We used a vinegar and salt solution to clean dirty pennies, then rinsed them in water. Some didn't rinse all the way, and the next day they had a bright green coating. It was neat!

We have also gotten a little stir crazy and one day Max ended up with a broken butterfly net on his head. I didn't ask... ;-)

The Children's Minister at our church has been emailing a video Sunday School lesson and home activities each Sunday, and on Wednesday evenings she does a video conference with the kids. They all tell a joke, talk about life, and pray together. It's so sweet!

Earlier in the month (before we had to start staying home), Max got to participate in a rocket launch with Cub Scouts. It was fun!

Max got chilly during a family walk and borrowed my jacket!

Kids church!

Max said that if someone made a statue of Ben after he died it would look like this pose and he'd have a light saber in one hand and a sword in the other. :-)

February 2020

At the beginning of February we had a surprise snow day! It came down in huge flakes and made for a fun day (most of it was fully melted within 24 hours!).

Max's pal Saskia turned seven in February and had a birthday party at a circus school. The kids had fun learning acrobatic tricks!

Do you think Saskia was happy about her cake? Haha!

The snow was unexpected and Max went to hang out with Denise while Ben was on run with the guys and I was getting my hair cut. With the snowy roads, Ben and Max ended up stuck at the Krueger's house for several hours. In addition to playing in the snow, Max was living his best life snuggled up in Walter and Denise's bed watching a science program on Netflix. I think he enjoyed the novelty of this experience almost as much as the snow!

The Krueger's blew up a pool float that Max used as a makeshift sled!

Once Ben and Max made it back home, Max and I had fun playing in the snow. Unfortunately Max's jacket and sneakers were still wet from when he played in the snow at the Krueger's house, so he didn't last very long. I ended up playing alone and building snowmen, etc. for almost another hour. Haha! We all warmed up with hot chocolate, popcorn, and a movie later on.

Max got a lizard at Dollar Tree and we put it in the tub for about a week and it grew to 1' 9"!

We redeemed the passes to Tiny Towne that Santa gave Max for Christmas!

Max went to a birthday party for his friend Rayden from Cub Scouts. Ben caught this funny photo of Max enjoying his pizza in a party hat!

Snuggled up in bed reading!

Max's teachers occasionally send us photos via an app that we use for check in/out, communication with teachers, etc. This is a photo of Max giving his first research presentation! He worked really hard putting it together, and practiced the presentation over and over. Max even worked up to being able to share some of the content without reading the poster. He did a great job!