Spring Break/Easter/Corona Quarantine Week 4

Our original Spring Break plans included driving down to Arizona to spend a couple nights with the Pendletons, a few days with Grandma Nadine, then hanging in St. George with Babi and Papoo while I attended a CME conference.  That all got canceled due to the Corona Virus Social distancing measures...but, I'm not gonna lie...this was my favorite Corona Quarantine Week mostly because we were all home together (even Derek--because I started the week with a fever which turned out to be strep, not Corona and he had a cough which also tested negative for Corona, but he had to stay home until results were back), and we didn't have to do any school work!  We had some super great times at home together as a family.  

Can't say that I have ever been more excited about General Conference. I am so grateful to hear messages of peace, hope, encouragement, and a focus on our Savior Jesus Christ from the Lord's current prophet and apostles. It's just what I need right now! Also Spring Break is next week! What are you doing? I decided to try to make the week extra fun and exciting for my kids even though we are stuck at home. We are having a different theme for each day with various activities, crafts, food and movies to go along with each day.

I will say that I am grateful to the COVID-19 for the creativity it is inspiring in my kids. They spent all morning working on this board and surveying aunts and uncles and cousins and grandparents to make sure they got their favorite rides on there.

Spring Break Day 1/Oriental Day (which Derek tells me is not at all politically correct): 


We had some fun with origami, made our own paper fans, watched Mulan (of course) and for dinner the kids loved making their own sushi!




Official bookworm on our hands over here. I have found this girl 3 different times today curled up with this book.  Liv has been reading her way through the Harry Potter series.  She is currently in the middle of Book 4 which is 700 something pages long.

Well...nothing oriental about these. We just made pretzel bites with cheese for an after dinner snack because @paula.j.whitmer made them look so good yesterday.

Spring Break Day 2/Legos Puzzles and Games Day: I gave each of the kids a new lego set, then they introduced the new sets to the toy room. 


We had a lego creation competition and Derek was the judge (a dog house, a robot, a rocket, etc.), we played headbands, watched the Lego Movie 2, all the kids put together these intense 3 D puzzles.  



Carter walked the dog on his hoverboard on our family walk tonight.

Spring Break Day 3/Camping Day: Not gonna lie, this one was my favorite so far. We spent all day outside and loads of time laying in that tent, feeling the breeze, and listening to an audio book.

 The kids also did a nature scavenger hunt around the yard and made nature collages with their spoils. 

We had dirt cups for an afternoon treat and watched Harry and the Hendersons. 





Then for dinner we roasted hot dogs and s'mores for desert--all while playing mosquito (which is a game where you have to secretly try to get rid of your stickers without anyone else noticing). Derek was a big target!

The kids slept alone in the tent that night and Derek and I didn't sleep a wink because we were worried about them in the house.  London stayed out there with them and was the best guard dog.  She never left her post outside the tent except once to scare off a cat intruder walking the top of the fence.

Spring Break Day 4/ Animal Day: We started off the day with a backyard safari. I set up animal scenes all around the yard and the kids had to find them all. 


Then, we made homemade playdough (colored by old broken crayons) and used the playdough to stabilize some indoor animal scenes.


 We watched Zootopia and ended the day with some animal yoga poses--even Derek joined in.

Spring Break Day 5/Music Dance Theater Day: Today our family participated in a world wide interfaith prayer and fast for relief from COVID. The boys made it until 10:30 am when the temptation of a bag of cheetos became too great to bare. Liv lasted all day with Derek and I and was super excited about it. We also had MDT day! It started with karaoke, even Derek participated but wouldn't let us video him. Then, we had a hoverboard dance party in the garage, and the kids and I performed an outdoor play for Derek. 

Movie of the day was SING. And since it was the most beautiful day, the kids and I went on a long bike ride after dinner while Derek put together our new patio furniture!

Spring Break Day 6/Sports Day: When Derek saw there was an MDT day, he insisted there also be a Sports Day, so I put him in charge. We played a family baseball game in the front yard. 

Our tulips are coming up just in time for Easter! Derek made J. Dawgs for lunch. 

Then, we played a rousing game of PIG. 

Derek and Liv dueled at the end forever. Then, off to the driving range to hit some balls.




 Last, we watched the Mighty Ducks as a family. Good work @derektmarshall!

Spring Break Day 7/Easter: All dressed up and no where to go courtesy of @janicec100. 

We had a Great Family Easter Come Follow Me discussion with Derek's family via zoom. My 3 kids sang Gethsamane and Liv gave a lesson. Then, we shared some things we learned about our Savior in side walk chalk. They hunted for eggs, and dyed eggs, and made Peep bird houses.