Jay, Sara & Ella: May 2020 (through Mother's Day) (Quarantine Continues

The beginning of May 2020 has almost the entire US in a stay at home order. As the days are passing, the news is reporting more and more cases of Coronavirus in the United States and the cases in MN are really going up. So scary! Despite this rise in the cases, some states will start to loosen restrictions on what we can and can't do and will start to reopen certain businesses. Life may start to slowly return but I don't think it will be looking anything like what we are used to.

I have been coming across some gems online that make me laugh!

OMG!!! The last is so funny!

I loved to watch Little House and the Prairie growing up and it's so true that Laura would get so excited to ride into town with Pa.

We started off the month with Teacher Appreciation Week. We had a virtual PTP Board meeting (our first since distance learning has started) and it was nice to see everyone's faces and hear how everyone is doing. For this year's appreciation, our counselor had the best idea to provide lawn signs to every teacher and staff person at our elementary school to let them know and the neighborhoods know how much these people mean to us (Especially now!!)

The kids also submitted photos and a giant video was compiled with sweet messages to the teachers.

Ms. Ella's photo contribution:

It was also May Day! I had a few goodies left in my (forgotten) stash, so I was able to gift Ella a little May 1st surprise. We also had donuts for a yummy breakfast. :)

Ella got flowers and chocolates delivered from Grandma Jolyn to brighten her May Day!

And her BFF Julia ding dong ditched a little sweet bouquet of Tootsie Pops!

To keep us going in May:

A new puzzle was completed! We have been searching Target for a new puzzle for weeks but they have continually been sold out and same with online options. Finally, there was a small selection, and I found this epic Pac Man puzzle! Ella did the whole thing herself before I even had a chance to help. Like I said, she's a master puzzler.

I'm still doing Pants Check Friday!

And, for moral support I spent some time working on Art class with Ella.

She has to draw a real life animal face of her choosing.

Have I mentioned she doesn't like the art teacher and hates drawing?

And, did you know I'm terrible at drawing?

So, we both helped each other survive part 1 of the art assignment.

Apparently there are multiple parts of this assignment.

I told Jay Ella is spending more time working on this art assignment than she does doing her other school work combined! It's ridiculous.

But, I was super proud of my deer face.

So, it's on the fridge. HAHAHAHAHA!

All of this screen time is making my eyes really tired.

I keep seeing blue light filter glasses, so I thought I would order a pair and try them out.

They have zero prescription or reader help - the lenses are only to block out the blue lights from screens. The jury is out on whether or not they help. I can't wear them very long b/c they make my eyes feel weird. LOL!

Ruby Pearl was the first person out of quarantine for a hair cut! The Governor allowed groomers to reopen and we had an existing appointment on the books so it worked out really well. Sadly, Ruby really needed to be groomed about 3 weeks ago, so she was a hot mess and there were too many matted areas for the groomer to get out. Ruby had to get a really short cut again. Boo! It's not as short as the shave she received at a previous groomer, so that's good, but we're all ready for that cute curly fur to grow back soon!

Before:

And After: (can you even believe this is the same dog!)

She doesn't seem super thrilled with the cut, and Ella cried when she saw her, but friends, quarantine will do strange things to everyone! It will grow back!

Mother's Day 2020 - Stay at Home addition.

I decided to bake a dessert and came across a super yummy bar recipe online - Peanut Butter Smores Bars. Omg! These are good! Jay ranks them in top 3 of the bars I make, so that's pretty good! There are layers of cookie dough, chocolate bars, peanut butter and marshmallows and then topped with more cookie dough!

Mother's Day donuts from a fancy donut shop for the win!

Just working on my selfies...LOL! Baby Ella in the photo

And 2020 selfie with my 10 year old Ella. Where does the time even go?!

Proud of this one!

She made me a sweet card and a little art work for my home office too.

The Starbucks gift card was unexpected but appreciated!

I have some Bath & Body Works supplies on the way too - but due to the pandemic that shipment is delayed. Of course it is!!

Tears!!

Being a mom is hard. And being a mom during a pandemic when you have to stay home with your people all the time and work and teach and clean and cook and a million other things all the time is super hard. It's great that Ella is so sweet because when she isn't sweet I about loose my mind and need to remember that she really is a good kid!

And I love her to pieces too...

To top it off, this A-Z list of things apparently about me was on the back of the card along with an opportunity to color - how amazing! :)

What would Mother's Day be without Mexican food?

For me, it wouldn't be a very great Mother's Day! LOL!

We ordered from a local Mexican restaurant and it was delicious!!
Side note: We tried to get food here on Cinco de Mayo but so did the rest of the families around - it was so busy we couldn't even get through on the phone lines to place an order! Good for them because the restaurants are taking huge hits during this pandemic, but what's a girl to do without her tacos on Cinco de Mayo?!?!

Letterboard courtesy of me this week: