October Highlights 2020

 I can't believe today is Halloween and the last day of October.  I think virtual teaching and learning has caused us to lose all sense of time.  It's definitely not getting any easier, but time is going by so quickly we are just holding on tight and trying to make it through one day at a time.  October has been absolutely beautiful with the leaves changing, warmer temps sticking around for the first half of the month, and true fall weather coming around for the last two weeks.  My daily walks are helping keep me sane and have treated me to watching fall come in and transform everything around us.

After Sean and I got home from Florida at the beginning of the month, we got right back into the routine of virtual learning, virtual teaching, soccer conditioning, Evan's guitar practice on Tuesday nights, religious education classes, and me tutoring a new "client".  Somehow our month felt just as busy as a normal pre-COVID October.  Sean's coach set up scrimmages on Sunday mornings against the other Plymouth group of boys.  It helped give us a small sense of normalcy.

Evan tried out a bike park on Hines Drive one Saturday afternoon.  He did a few laps around and then took a nasty fall.  But, he wants to go back!  In the meantime, he's skateboarding and riding his scooter around.  I think we've got our P.E. covered this month!

The boys were able to wear their Halloween costumes this past week to Religious Education.  Evan had a reconciliation with the priest for the first time that went well.  Scott and I even enjoyed a parking lot picnic/tailgate while they were at class with our Chinese take-out.  Taking a date night wherever we can find it.  

Speaking of date nights, we did get an actual one a few weekends ago.  We grabbed a beer and appetizer at Arbor Brewing Company and watched a huge storm blow through.  Then we grabbed carry-out from Compari's and Bella and Max's Smokehouse (we wanted different things).  We watched a horrible movie on Netflix, Hubie Halloween, and called it a night.  We also celebrated Sweetest's Day for the first time in years!  Look at us go!  Scott bought me flowers and I got him some beer from HOMES in Ann Arbor after taking the boys to a ski swap.

We didn't do our traditional Halloween events this year since Plymouth's Pumpkin Palooza was cancelled and we opted not to buy tickets to Greenfield Village.  But, we enjoyed looking at the scarecrows in Plymouth and the skeletons in Northville on different afternoons.

We had a spooky movie night featuring the Addams Family that the boys enjoyed!  We carved pumpkins and painted pumpkins.  I think we made the most of the season!  

The boys had their well visits at the doctor and their flu shots.  Evan failed his vision test so we have an appointment next weekend at SVS to get another vision test done.  Hopefully he won't need glasses and it was just a fluke.  We'll see!  Both boys are at the 50th percentile for height and weight and are otherwise growing well.  

They both returned to in-person learning for four 1/2 days a week in the morning cohorts and Wednesdays are asynchronous at home.  So far, so good!  They both loved going back on the bus and being back with some of their friends.  We are praying they stay healthy.  

We we wrap up October today the boys are excited to trick-or-treat and see their cousins.  We're all feeling exhausted from our school/work situation this year, but we are thankful we're healthy and safe.  I'm glad the boys are getting some face-to-face instruction with their teachers.  I'm grateful that Sean's coach and Scott ran some type of soccer this fall for Sean and Evan.  We are on the hunt for a new puppy.  We are trying to find something positive in every day.  And that's about all we can do at this point.  Another lockdown could be around the corner.  Our holidays may look different this year.  But, I'm just going to breathe and take one day at a time.