We are safe, healthy and in good spirits. In case you missed our last post, our family is holed up in the mountains indefinitely while we self-quarantine amidst the pandemic.
As we get further and further into this wild situation I feel more and more grateful for the blessings we do have right now. We have each other and we have nature. We have our health and our home is well-stocked to allow us to hunker down for a good long time. I continue to be inspired by the generosity and compassion I am seeing around our region and the country. It warms my heart to see people coming together to support each other.
We’re at the beginning of week 2 of our quarantine and are finding joy and adventure each day.
The kids are adjusting to this new normal really well. I have been very honest with Ben about what is going on and I feel that because it’s so black and white that he really is grasping things.
During the week I have been trying to keep to a relatively consistent routine where we get ready to go after breakfast and then head out for an outdoor adventure.
We’ve had a lot of picnics and car snacks and did a little baking. The kids love to help out in the kitchen and we had fun making banana bread together. It was far from a smooth experience but the end result was good.
We stocked up at Costco and Safeway and have about a week’s worth of fresh produce and a few days worth of frozen veggies. Our pantry and freezer remain very well-stocked, though yogurt pouches for the kids and sparkling water for the adults are being rationed to one per day per person!
One day last week we did an art walk at Sleeping Lady Mountain Resort. They put together a map of all of the art located on their property {our walk was restricted to the outdoors} and we treated it like a little scavenger hunt. Ben was super into it! “Sleeping Lady” is a part of the mountain range and, as you may guess, is said to look like a sleeping lady. Ben had the hardest time grasping there’s not an actual lady up there sleeping!
We ventured to Lake Wenatchee State Park twice last week – once for a sunny hike, the other time to play in the snow and have a snowy picnic.
Early afternoons are Hannah’s nap time and Ben’s quiet time. I like to spend some time reading with Ben, practicing letters, doing a puzzle or playing a quiet game together and then he enjoys watching a show for a bit while Hannah naps. Occasionally I can catch a few minutes to myself here, too!
Lots of reading is happening during the day for both kids. I just love children’s books and love reading with my littles so we’re working it in as often as possible.
Late afternoons are perfect for playing in the yard. Sometimes we take a nature walk through the forest, other times we visit the horses across the street, and some days we just play. The kids are loving their swing set, their mini trampoline, their t-ball set and their gardening tools. They both love throwing the ball for Jackson, over and over and over again…
So far the weather has been perfection. Our first week was sunny and warm and left us dreaming of summer. The kids were running around without coats – one day Ben refused to put shoes on in the grass and I couldn’t argue too much.
The snow in our yard was nearly gone, then we had the most beautiful day of snow at the end of the week. We were dreading it but once it arrived it turned everything from brown to white again and we felt so cozy inside with the fire roaring all day, watching the snow.
Alex is loving working from home. It’s so sweet that Ben can run up and jump in Alex’s lap, even while he’s on a video call, and just give him a hug. Ben has been surprisingly respectful of Alex and his space while he’s working. We’re loving having Alex around more during the week.
This last weekend we had a blast together as a family. Ben and I headed to Stevens Pass to ski – luckily we got there the day before their operations ceased. I had SO much fun skiing with my little buddy! He did awesome. It was our first time on the chair lift together.
I’m training for a couple half marathons {though one just got canceled, unfortunately} and a 30k this summer/fall and managed to sneak away for a long run on Sunday while Alex took the kids on a bike ride/playground trip. It seems as though that may be our last trip to the playground for a few weeks, now, given the state of things.
We are truly making the most of this time together and honestly are enjoying it, though I wish the circumstances were dramatically different. I feel tremendous gratitude that amidst this crisis we still have nature and we still have each other. I can rest easy knowing that.
