The Baker Blog: Still here

They have all become really good at bike riding, and love their new Easter bells. They ring them all the time.

Evan has been practicing handstands a lot. I keep telling him it would be safer outside, but what fun would that be?

The kids science lesson on Mystery Science. This website has provided lots of videos about things and Alex can't get enough. They learned about germs, volcanoes, polar bears, birds, etc.

Me all suited up for my Meijer trip. I hate it!

Shelves are still bare in places.

I think they are only stocking some things now. They aren't worried about keeping everything in stock. So they didn't have syrup for almost a month.

I made cinnamon raisin bagels for my first time, and they were so good I'll be make them again for sure!

I don't understand how they can sleep like this.

Pictures from our morning walk

I was walking ahead and the kids told me to turn around and they were like this. I had to get a picture, they were too cute. This one is going on the piano!

Baklava, because why not! It was so good!!

Alex hard at work while it's snowing outside.

Mike pulled out Monopoly for the first time. Evan dropped out pretty quick, Alex stuck with it and ended up winning. My memory of this game taking FOREVER was accurate.

Got some more carrots in and onions! The garden is getting going! :) :) My happy place!

Evan having his weekly zoom call with his preschool teacher. They usually draw something and read a book. Kitty even got to visit with Mrs. Pam. :)

There has been a LOT of lego action in this house. Evan is very creative!

I took this picture just to remember Eliza in her sleep sack that she's almost too big for.

Alex has been enjoying brushing his hair. I'm not sure I like the style.

We took a walk down the less well maintained road in the sub one morning. Alex said it was like a maze to try and find the dry path.

Reading time after our walk.

Game time with daddy. A riveting game of Uno!

The kids decided to bring their binoculars on our walk one day. I felt kind of strange with them looking around, kind of looked like they were spying into people houses. Eh, no one is up at 7:45am around here anyway. We did see a few birds with them.

My birthday cake i made for myself. Carrot cake, and it was amazing!! Totally keeping this recipe! Evan and Eliza and I fought over the last piece.

Happy birthday to me. A buffet server from Mom baker and some new cast iron pans from Mike and some sweet claw gardening gloves. Oh, and some new jewelry that isn't pictured. What a lovely birthday it was.

The kids are obsessed with this game. Mike plays it at least 5 times at lunch with them before going back to work.

Oma gave the kids a barn with lots of animals for their birthday.

Alex helping me split wood from the woodpile.

Mike's set up for work in our bonus room. He's putting my sewing table to good use.

Every morning this is Alex's spot when he comes down stairs. He jumps on the counter and talks to Daddy about what he did in his video game while Alex was asleep.

The little people helped me load and unload wood to make us have a single woodpile.

So the woodpile got about 5 feet less wide, and about 3 feet taller. So we are trying to grow some grass where it used to be. We are slowly getting some yard back.

Evan was sweet enough to build Eliza a train track one morning when she asked and I was working with Alex on his school work.

Eliza getting into the markers.... thankfully it was washable.

Well some how I got something and was down and out for 3-5 days. I got a low grade fever on Monday night, and Tuesday I didn't feel much better and the fever returned in the afternoon, then it broke again in the night to come on again on Wed. with a high temp of 103. The only way to stay warm was under a blanket with a hoody, with my ugly hat, and winter gloves. I finally took some Tylenol Wednesday night and Thursday I was feeling better. I had chills, a cough, no energy... it was awful.

The kids were unaffected.

Eliza studying her letters. She knows almost all of her upper and lower case letters now.

Alex trying to be quiet while I slept on the couch. He's such a good kid. He turned around the computer and put on headphones to try and be more quiet.

COVID testing site near us... I was negative, but I hope to never have that test again!

Crazy 8s with Evan. He loves his games.

Him dealing

Alex getting his morning update from Daddy

Eliza has been carrying her backpack around everywhere. She takes it outside almost everyday. She usually has her kitty shoved in it, along with a few other items.

Family bike ride without Mommy.

Note the backpack

Alex looking cute

Finally got some masks made up for the kids and Mike. I need to make one for myself as well, but I needed to buy more stuff to make ties with.

Eliza with her mask and monster feet.

Morning walk, this time with sticks and a mini lunch box.

This is the usual corner we have a stop at and the kids pretend to have a bond fire in the middle and have a meal before heading out again.

Evan helping me water my seedlings.

This is George and red breasted wood pecker. We have named a few birds lately. There is also Harry the hairy woodpecker, Donny the Downy woodpecker, and Sunny the yellow finch.

Alex is doing a report on Carrots for school. So we took some pictures in the garden of their life cycle for the report.

Eliza looking beautiful before bedtime.

My garden this year, as of now. I still need to buy the warm weather plants, but not yet.

We had a crew come out and work on our trees this month. They chopped the top of my pear off so the deer were having a field day eating all the buds off of the fallen branch. Perhaps we'll get a few pears this year.

Evan enjoying a game of Railroad Ink with me. It involves a lot of thinking.

Mike was kind enough to tighten all of the bolts on the playground. Keeping the kids safe.

Everyone got haircuts. I left it longer on top for the boys.

Mike even got one.

Evan sporting a mowhalk.

Everyone working on my Mother's day gifts. Each of them filled out a questionnaire from preschool about things I like and do. I'm beginning to wonder if these kids know me at all. :)