2/27/2021 BABY HUGO....finally

 My great nephew was born on March 3rd in German, but returned to Iowa a few weeks later and I still hadn't seen him.  This wasn't because they lived far, they live only a half an hour away in Urbandale!  Darn Covid!  Anyway, I am fully vaccinated and unfortunately Hugo already had Covid, so I could visit!!!

Here is his mother, Liz....Don't they look alike?

Note Rita the dog, who is absolutely loving the presence on a 1 year old eater in his life.  (Rita is my other niece, Erin's dog.)

What a great pleasure to see family again!  I have barely seen anyone (my dad twice and my brother and his wife once...outside in his driveway) since last March....ugh!

2/27/2021 Recording Day

It was so sweet of Lois Lowry to send an address to the kids doing the show choir show based on her book the Giver.  (this is just a screen-shot)

Last weekend the Linn Mar choir did some recording and this weekend Spectrum recorded a couple of the songs.  I think they hope to finish the recording on Thursday and Friday.  They were just dancing here, because you can only sing for 30 minutes before you have to clear the room of the air (or something of the sort).  So because the kids are all masked up (and therefore no need to lip-sync) they are recording the singing separately.  Crazy.  They also are recording in the gym so they can be appropriately spaced.  Glad they are being safe, but it is such a reverse from last weekend when we occasionally got a glimpse of State Wrestling on the TV.  How can you possibly be safe when you are actually wrestling your unmasked opponent over and over on the ground?  Anyway, glad my kid isn't a wrestler.  We were able to see a 30 second snippet of the recording of the Giver.  I am really chomping at the bit since normally we would have seen 10 performances by now (because they let parents watch even dress rehearsals and show choir season is almost over and we have seen nothing!!!)  We usually even get videos of the summer camp and we had none of that this year (since camp was totally cancelled).

Anna's group, called Ignition, also recorded yesterday, but nothing was posted for me to find!!!  I have to wait until the Thursday before Spring break when the kids will get together to see their recording.  They too did singing and dancing separately.  Ignition barely had any time to prepare given Covid precautions.  They started late, had reduced number of practices that were shortened in duration.  They had 2 of their weekend practices canceled (once for the weather and once when all middle school extra-curriculars were cancelled), etc. etc.  At the end of the day, they shortened their show to 2 songs.  Still, can't wait to see them!

Eagle Court of Honor 2/21/21

Joel became an Eagle Scout in February 2020.  The troop asked if they could honor the 5 Eagle Scout, who haven't been able to have an Eagle Court of Honor due to the pandemic, during their normal Court of Honor (in a big warehouse) and Joel was game.

These 3 boys and one other boy went through Cub scouts and Boy Scouts together.  (The 4th boy got his Eagle in 8th grade.)  I think Joel and the boy to his immediate right were in scouts since 1st grade together, the other boy joined in 4th or 5th grade.  He and Joel also were science fair partners in 7th grade!)

I made this board 2 years ago after Joel finished his Eagle Project, thinking it would be needed soon for an Eagle Court of Honor :0)

I need to stop making picture boards that don't make it to a celebration!  (although I will keep this around until Joel graduates....after I add an Eagle picture or 2)

 

2/15/2021

I am blessed to have a job with a lot of PTO (paid time off).  Plus, because I work part time, I rarely have to use much PTO when I take a day off here and there because I am contracted for 20 hours a week.  I only need to use a few hours when I take a full day off.  So when the school calendar comes out, I take off most of the school kid's vacation days.

In the fall we went on hikes for each of the days and I had great plans for Cross country skiing for winter days off. 

HAHA

If only we didn't risk hypothermia today (and MLK day)  It is minus 3 as I write this post.

Wind Chill Warning in Central Iowa

Active for next 20 hours · 

National Weather Service

This alert has been updated.

Posted 5 hours ago

...Life-Threatening Cold Wind Chills to Persist into Tuesday...

.Bitterly cold temperatures continue across Iowa this morning and
will persist through the rest of today into Tuesday morning.
These temperatures combined with north winds will produce life-
threatening wind chills and precautions should be taken to
minimize outdoor exposure.

...WIND CHILL WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 10 AM CST TUESDAY...

* WHAT...Life-threatening wind chills expected. Wind chills from
30 below zero to as low as 40 below zero can be expected this
morning and again tonight into Tuesday morning.

* WHERE...All of central Iowa.

* WHEN...Until 10 AM CST Tuesday.

* IMPACTS...The dangerously cold wind chills could cause
frostbite on exposed skin in as little as 10 minutes.

So we are staying home today.  

The kids were busy bees helping me this morning clean the house, so I treated them to take-out.  (Joel is willing to go out in the weather for food to be sure and definitely for 5 Guys, which is what he picked today.)  I don't like the place, which was a bonus for me!  (I had left-over turkey burger!!)

Joel also was willing to pose for a picture because I was doing a review for NorthFace for a chance to win a $100 gift card.  I had bought Joel this coat in late 2020 when NorthFace gave healthcare workers 50% off any one item.  Joel was the big winner, since he was the only one in need of a new coat.  I think he hopes to score a sweat-shirt or something if I win the drawing.  

 

2/14/2021

 We had a nice Valentine's Day.  Great to have 💗 day on a Sunday.  All of the kids were home, which is always great.  We ate a late lunch so the kids could head back to Iowa City.  (So nice that Matthew has a car!)  He has been spending some time home each week, given the lack of in person classes (1 1/2 hours per week this semester 0 last semester) and the isolation of a pandemic and now a polar vortex.  Plus he is working Saturday mornings, which  Today it is probably nice to have online classes with the wind chill in the negative double digits.

Carolyn gave me this cute heart with sweet songs.  Below is a link to the first one...click the blue words to play the video.

sweet song for a mother: Everything Changes  

(Carolyn and I both love Sara Bareilles)

 some favorite lines: 

"What did I do to deserve you?"

"I thank God for You."

2/10/2021

A week ago I got Ken's parents and aunt all scheduled for their vaccination through CVS.  (Ken's parents received theirs the following Sunday.)  BUT it was in Linn county, so I didn't think I could schedule my Dad their because he is from Des Moines county.  Fast forward to last weekend and I THOUGHT I got my Dad scheduled through Walgreens, but then he never got the confirmation and I realized that they cancelled his appointment because they couldn't schedule the second appointment due to lack of supply.  (Which makes one ask....why did they offer to schedule the 1st one, when they knew that no one could get the 2nd one??  Theoretically Walgreens only just opened up for this tier, and no one in this tier could have received dose one....but whatever!!!)  None the less, it was all on me.  The computer said "reschedule dose 1 and 2" lower on the page, but I missed that critical detail, thinking my Dad would be getting the confirmation to his email for the first dose and we would just have to keep working to get the 2nd one scheduled later.  When he didn't get the confirmation I realized I had made a mistake, I drove to Walgreens and was told I was the 6th person to ask about this issue THAT day, something was strange in the system.....I had planned to go to Burlington on Tues and drive him to Iowa City on Wednesday (because by this time I realized that you were not required to stay in your county and that Des Moines county was doing a slow roll-out). I think in part the larger counties get more vaccine and Des Moines county is small. 

Anyway, fast  forward to my disappointment on Tuesday and Wednesday when I wasn't taking my Dad to get his vaccine.  THEN  TAH DAH!!!! my niece Julie arranged for my Dad to get a vaccine at the HyVee in Cedar Rapids on Wednesday.  (Which ironically is the same Linn county where Ken's parents live and I could have scheduled him LONG ago had I known!!)  My brother happened to be going to see my Dad (he was IN the driveway....he ran into the house and they darted to Cedar Rapids, two hours away!!)  He received the Pfizer vaccine and we are so happy.  We were all worried that he would be delayed and then have to accept the Johnson and Johnson. (Which I am sure would be fine, but I want the older people to get the most efficacious vaccine.)

Let us all just shake our heads a little that old people need to use the internet and use it FAST to score a vaccine.  (Ken's parents don't even have internet or a computer!!)

We all are just feeling better now.....imagine how we will feel in 5 weeks!!!
 

2/7/21

 

Matthew and I needed a little wake-me-up today, so we went for a walk around the block.  We look sad without smiles in the picture (but we weren't)....which is why I hate when I wear a mask in public.   People don't know  you are offering a friendly smile!

Anna wanted to get in on the picture, but not the walk....because brrr -1degrees!

Really I wasn't cold, because there was almost no exposed skin and I was wearing the biggest snowpants that I ever bought for my kids....the only ones what remain!

We walked by this cave that I saw when I was driving yesterday.  The picture does not do it justice....it was HUGE.  You could climb into it!  It was made from all the gathered snow in the middle of a culdesac.  I worry a bit for the tree!!!

I am not kidding when I say that we have a mound of snow on the side of  our cul de sac that is over 10 feet tall. We are setting records and not in the way we would like!  Craving spring!!!

2/6/21

I was just listening to a song by 10,000 Maniacs, which they sung on Saturday Night Live the year I graduated high school (1987)  It is named "Like the Weather"

"With a shiver in my bones just thinking about the weather.
A quiver in my voice as I cry,
"What a cold and rainy day. Where on earth is the sun hid away?""

Seriously, remove "rain" and insert "snow" and the song nailed it.

We are having another blizzard.  I didn't even know we were going to have snow this weekend.

Definitely the worst winter since we moved to Iowa in December 2008 (and December of 2009 set some sort of record!)  I am going to say that it is almost the worst weather I have experienced ever.  (Can't forget grad school in Minneapolis...that was bad too.....but it was MN!!)

And it is hard to get an electrician in the metro I guess.  We are having someone come on Friday so that our treadmill won't kill our circuit breakers.  (we haven't tried it, but the manual was pretty clear)  So still no treadmill!  ugh.  I wish that the manufacturer would state, "Get an electrician to prep for this treadmill while you wait a month and 1/2 for it to arrive." but no, it wasn't until the treadmill was being installed (by Ken) that we realized our lack of amps or something electrical.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY JOEL

 

This guy is 17!!  (yesterday was his birthday 2/5/4)

He chose Chinese take-out and tres leche cake, so we had a very international dinner.  (There is cinnamon on top.  It took a ton of work (happy to do it) and luckily (for me) it isn't my favorite.) 

I hope he liked it, but of course he wouldn't have said anything if he didn't :0)

Finally....ice skating!!

Action shot, I said, "act like you are speed skating"

posed photo to give you an idea of how small our little town rink is!  But it does the trick and Covid free fun (since she was the only one there).

 

Go Anna

 

In pandemic times, small things like this bring me great joy.  Anna practiced a ton for this tryout, despite knowing that they weren't even going to be able to have the event this year.  Then, when she was selected, she was so humble, saying, "well other people didn't try out, and they probably selected everyone who did, since there isn't really a concert".  To which I answered, "it was an invited try out".  (I learned that each school could invite 10 kids to try out.)  So they may have invited another flutist to try out, but maybe not.

She took this picture herself (they asked for one with your instrument if possible).  She had straightened hair in this picture, so she looks very different to me.  (Carolyn gave her a straightener that her room-mate gave to her because she had 2.)

The other Ankeny middle school had no flutists be selected, so Anna was the only 8th grader in Ankeny to be chosen.  So happy for her.