Ian turns 15 in the middle of a Pandemic!

Ian is 15 years old!  The past 15 years has flown by; I wake-up and can't believe my oldest child is now 15.  Ian simply amazes me with his all his ideas for so many things; themed-restaurants, tv series, movies, and musicals.  It seems like each day he has planned something new he wants to develop.  It is so fascinating listening to him describe his ideas.  They are generally well thought out and he has got a script going and musical numbers far along in creation.  Ian gets so excited telling us about all of it.  I love the way his mind thinks.

You can always tell when Ian is happy.  He doesn't stop talking.  He will find everything under the sun to chat about; but he does not stop.

This past June, as soon as school ended, Ian starred in a short film. He played a Jewish blind gay boy. And he killed it!  It is going to be entered in film festivals. We finally got to see it about a month ago and it was so neat seeing him in a movie, albeit 6 minutes long, but still a movie!

Ian realized he needs to know how to dance and sing if he has any chance of making it.  He has embraced taking dance classes and voice lessons.  Each week, Ian is in a boys ballet class, tap class, musical theatre class (1/2 voice, 1/2 dance) and voice lessons 2x a week. He went from being so uncoordinated and leaping into walls to actually being able to hold his own.  His progress this past school year is wonderful.

Ian has been a big help around the house this year and will mow the lawn, take out the trash, and unload the dishwasher.  He has been enjoying cooking and makes pita chips regularly.

Ian has been using his extra downtime to develop and write a mockumenetary about Jewish sleep-away camp. He has 11 episodes done so far.  And its really good!

This coming school year, Ian will be taking classes through Fairfax Academy for musical theatre.  It is really cool that our public school system offers a more concentrated course in something you want to pursue in college and beyond.

Ian is considerate, funny, sweet and wants nothing more than to please us.  He works hard at school and keeps on top of all his assignments on his own.   Ian is responsible and considerate.  He has a great group of friends from his theatre world and enjoys being social.  A few months ago, a restaurant called Velocity Wings opened at University Mall and Ian fell in love with their wings.  He made it his mission to go multiple times a week with friends and got to know the whole staff.   Unfortunately, this fun came to an abrupt ending with Covid-19 and everything being shut-down.

This coming year is the one when Ian can get his learner's permit. He has been counting down for this milestone for years.  Ian can't wait to get behind the wheel.   What a new world it will be to have him driving us around.

Happy 15th birthday to my impressive Ian.  Daddy and I can't wait to see what your future holds.  May this coming year bring you many opportunities to be creative, musical, and great roles on stage to see you shine.  We love you very much!

Ian's first day of 9th grade

Samantha turns 12 in the middle of a Pandemic

It's strange when you celebrate your birthday and so much has changed in the world.  Instead of going to your favorite restuarant for your birthday dinner, we will order it in.  Instead of planning any kind of special activity, nothing can even be considered.  One year, I took Samantha and her two friends, Ainsley and Ruby to Cirque de Soleil.  It was so much fun and the perfect way to celebrate Samantha turning another year older.  But this year, it will be low key.

This is the year that Samantha has matured more from a girl to a teenager than any other year.  And with that, acne has arrived on the scene too.  With the help of a dermatologist, it has gotten under control.  But is there any more of a telltale sign of being a teenager?  I think not.

Due to schools closing in March and every business changing the way they do business, we have spent many days at home, all together.  I am thrilled Samantha is old enough to take care of herself.  We've been able to use this time to teach her how to make a grilled cheese sandwich, pizza bagels, and other simple dishes. 

With schools closed and nowhere to be each day, Samantha has embraced her ability to sleep in.  The girl can easily sleep until 11:30am or later each day.  We've had to try to keep some kind of reasonable schedule and wake Samantha up at 9:30am each day.  Some days we have better results than others.

Horseback riding continues to capture Samantha's eye.  It is such a great activity that builds self-esteem, confidence, and is something she enjoys so much.  Seeing Samantha riding always brings me joy seeing how happy it makes her.

Samantha has a side of her that I don't think most people get to see.  She is incredibly thoughtful and tries so hard to let you know she cares.  On Mother's Day, I was chilling on the hammock on our deck and Sam came out and gave me a plate of snacks (grapes, cheese, and a cookie).  It was absolutely perfect and if she had read my mind, she would've known a snack is just what I was wanting.  It was a lovely surprise and such a sweet gesture.

And yet, Samantha can be fiercely obstinate and head-strong.  When she has an idea, nothing can change her mind and she will go to great lengths to prove you wrong when you try to talk some reason in her.  Samantha likes to operate on her own timeline and will eventually get around to cleaning, homework, taking a shower, or putting away her laundry when she deems it a good idea.   There is no convincing her to do anything a minute sooner than she wants. The best is when she is motivated to clean her room and does an amazing job getting everything in its spot.

Samantha can lose herself in her artwork. She is very creative and when she gets going, she will quietly work for several hours on end. She loves to draw and is quite good at it.   But yet, she'll complain she is bored and when the suggestion is made to do something artistic, it is the last thing she wants to hear and will snap at you for speaking it.

Samantha has a major soft spot for Lucy and will hug her and cuddle with her with no plans on stopping to do anything else that needs her attention. Lucy is a very willing participant and loves the attention.  Most of the day, you can find the both of them hanging out on Sam's bed together; with Sam on her iPad and Lucy looking out the window.

A well charged iPad is the better than sliced bread.  When all else fails, Sam can spend endless amounts of time playing on her iPad.  In some ways, this pandemic is not a problem for Sam to be stuck indoors for hours and days on end.  She loves spending time in her room and is more than happy for us to go run errands, go the grocery store, or even a take a walk without her.  Samantha is her own best company!

Every now and then Sam will come up with an idea that she thinks I would never agree to.  I love to blow her mind when I instantly say "yes" without hesitation.  The latest request was to make her hair purple.  Of course, we can do that!  Live life the fullest!  I am so happy that Samantha is not afraid to take risks and will jump in the deep end of the pool.

Getting Samantha to read is still a struggle.  She does not enjoy it and has no problem letting us know.  The other day, Alexa announced to everyone in the house,"Reading sucks" and "I hate reading".  Ugh. With Jeff and I such voracious readers it is hard to understand her feelings on this. Jeff works on creative ways to get Sam reading. Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't.  Middle school and highs school are not going to be easy with how much Sam protests having to read.

I am most impressed with Samantha's ability to know what she wants and make it happen for herself.  This girl is super smart and very quick on her feet. She has amazing ideas and will see them through to completion.  Samantha recently decided to make her hair purple and gave serious consideration to needing to bleach out her natural color.  Once she decided she was ok with it, there was no turning back.  The results came out amazingly well.   And my Mother's Day Oscar Award ceremony was the brain child of Samantha.  It was the sweetest and most fun thing ever. 

Many times I think I am not going survive Samantha growing up.  We butt heads more than I'd like to admit.  But I have to remind myself that we are raising a girl who will stand up for herself, think on her feet, and have a lot of self-confidence.

Happy birthday to my sweet and sassy Samantha.  You live life out loud and don't hesitate to tell us what you are thinking.  You are quick to make us laugh with a joke or observation.  I am so proud of you and how you take responsibility for your actions.  This is going to be a big year for you; transitioning to middle school and studying for your Bat Mitzvah.  I know you will rise to the challenge and be the best version of you there is.  I look forward to seeing you soar!   Daddy and I love you very much and hope your 12th birthday and year is full of laughter, love and happiness.

Unfortunately this is our end of the year photo for leaving Fairview Elementary

First day of 6th grade!

Samantha got braces!

Tales from the Pandemic 16

This is the level of bored we've gotten!  When you have lots of time on your hands, your mind starts to wander on things you can do while being stuck at home.  Samantha asked if she could dye her hair purple.  Sure, why not?  I'm always up for doing something fun with your hair - especially when it will grow out.  Nothing is forever.

The first time we tried, the color didn't make any noticeable difference.  We had to bleach her hair for the color to show up.  There is no turning back when you bleach the natural color out.  This is the point of no return.  Samantha was up for it and so was I.

Before: (Oh my gosh, could her hair be any longer?!?!  I am so ready for her to cut about 20 inches off.)

During!  Going Blonde. 

Samantha did say she had more fun for the 10 minutes it was like this.  :)

After:  It is PURPLE!!!

Samantha loves it and so do we!  I can't believe how well it turned out and that I was able to pull this off.  It so easily could've gone all wrong and Sam's hair could've fallen out.   Whew!  It looks so pretty.

Products used:  

Manic Panic Developer 30 for the bleach - left on approx. 30 minutes (2 boxes)

Arctic Fox, Purple Rain for the hair color - left on approx. 1 hour. (2 bottles)

There was plenty of color left over, but we probably could've even used a 3rd container of the bleach for this amount of hair. 

Tales from the Pandemic: 15

My sister's husband started a new job this past Monday and that would mean that Lori is single parenting it with a 6 year old, 2 year old and 1 month old.  Rachel, who is 6, is doing online school and needs a lot of help during the day to navigate her schoolwork.   Sarah, who is 2, is a ball of energy and doesn't slow down for anything.  And then of course, are the demands that a newborn has and needs attention too.  I told Lori that when Ben got a new job, I'd come down for the first week and help.  This time I brought Samantha with me, who desperately needed a change of scenery since being at home for the last 2 months.

The silver lining in all of this is that Samantha got to meet her newest cousin and was able to spend time with her. Under normal circumstances, Ian, Samantha or me would not have come down here during this time.  We'd only be visiting for the baby naming.  With the Pandemic we've had the opportunity to visit and the kids can continue with their schooling online without disruption.   With that said, we know we are taking a big risk visiting when Caronavirus could be transferred to either us or Lori and and her family. The kids and I took all the precautions we could to minimize the risk.

While the last two sets of flights (when I came down in mid-April and Ian came down at the beginning of May) had very few people flying and airports that resembled a ghost town; this wasn't the case when Sam and I flew down on May 16th.   It was still easy to keep our distance from all the other travelers, but people are starting to travel again.  Our options for a flight home were limited and we weren't able to go non-stop.  Samantha and I will be changing planes in Chicago (!!) and then catch a flight to DCA.  We have 40 minutes to change planes.  I hope we can do it in time. I will not be surprised if we end up spending the night in Chicago.

I am happy to report that Lori and Ben have hired someone to help and she will start next Tuesday. Whew! 

Tales from the Pandemic: 14

10 weeks!  This the amount of time we've been quarantined and have been told to stay at home.  10 weeks since the schools have been opened.  10 weeks since Ian or me have been able to have a hair cut.  10 weeks since we've eaten inside a restaurant.  10 weeks without going to a clothing store, or a movie theatre.  10 weeks of being scared to be in public without wearing a face mask and having to keep 6 feet of social distance between you and anyone near you.  10 weeks of toilet paper, paper towels, cleaning supplies (disinfecting wipes!!), flour, and random grocery items (sometimes its frozen vegetables, other times its been chicken) have been in high demand and extremely hard to find.  10 weeks of FaceBook memes accurately capturing what life is like during a pandemic, all with a funny twist.  10 weeks of trying to homeschool our kids and feeling like a failure at it.  10 weeks of starting to hear all summer camps and activities will be cancelled too. 10 weeks of waiting on pins and needles to find out what will happen with school in Fall 2020.

10 weeks of not knowing when this will end and life will go back to the way it was pre-March 13h.  10 weeks of having all plans for upcoming plays, concerts, sporting events, and reservations cancelled.  10 weeks of having to entertain the kids and everyone being home 24/7.  10 weeks of juggling working from home and taking care of the kids.

10 weeks of having routine orthodontic, dental and medical appointments cancelled and not knowing when they can be re-booked.  10 weeks of not having friends over, or playdates, or dinners out to celebrate birthdays.  10 weeks of not giving someone a hug that you run into at the grocery store.

10 weeks of watching the news and keeping track of all the new cases of Caronavirus being diagnosed each day in your city, in your state, in the country.  10 weeks of hearing how our President keeps doing the absolute wrong thing or says the wrong thing each chance he gets.

10 weeks that have felt like 10 years.

Tales from the Pandemic: 13

Ian was down in Orlando visiting with Lori, Ben and the girls during Mother's Day.  The family waited until he was back home to give me my present.  It was a huge surprise and I was blown away by their thoughtfulness.  Truly, this is a Mother's Day I will always remember and it's easily been my favorite one in the last 15 years of being a mom.

Samantha came up with this awesome idea!  Jeff and Sam worked on this behind my back, and once Ian got back into town, everything was ready to go.   It was seriously the cutest thing ever! 

I have the best family ever! 

Tales from the Pandemic 12

In some ways this pandemic has been wonderful for our to-do list.  I am delighted with the projects we've been able to get done around the house.  It feels great!

Master bedroom:  It has been repainted!  New duvet cover!  New lamps!  New curtains!  I walk into the room and it's so bright, crisp and fresh.  I love it!

Before:

After:

Master bathroom:  Once I got the bedroom done, I couldn't stop and gave the bathroom a mini update and repainted it as well.  Plus, we got rid of this ugly rolling cart that held towels and hung shelves up on the wall that can hold the towels.

Kitchen:  New dishes!  Jeff and Samantha are not a fan of them, but I adore them.  They are quirky and unique.  New dishwasher!  Our old one was starting to fall apart and we called the company to see how old it was.  It was 28 years old.  Definitely time to replace it.  It's amazing the cool features that is in our new dishwasher.

Here is a pic of the new dishes.  They are quirky and uneven.  Jeff and Sam are not a fan of these at all.  Jeff says it looks like someone was under a tight deadline when making them and ran out of time.  Ha!

Lighting: New sconce in our living room.  I am pretty certain the one that was there was original to when the house was built.  It was dying and needed an electrician to fix the wiring.  Jeff and I never liked this sconce and decided to replace it.

Samantha's room:  Samantha got motivated and wanted to organize her room, by getting rid of her dresser.  The dresser was from Ikea and was falling apart.  Samantha managed to clean out all her drawers and get everything in her closet.  It really does look amazing.  And there is now more room in her room with the dresser gone.

We've also had the house power washed and we mulched & planted flowers.  Our front yard is looking fantastic!

I am sure all of the above would've gotten done eventually, but when you have loads of time on your hands, there is no time like the present.  Goooo us!