Back home

Dear Blake,

We are finally back home! We are not living in a hotel anymore! They finished the carpet and floors and painting so we moved back home! We still are waiting for the cabinets but that’s ok. We are so happy to be here and we already set up all the rooms!

We also got to go visit your school and classroom! It was great to see everything. We are enjoying the last bit of summer playing with friends!

Love,

Mama

Summer fun!

Dear Blake,

We are having a fun summer so far! We went on a vacation to Jacksonville Beach and then Hilton Head. We drove there and spent many days visiting Auntie Christine and Uncle Bryan. Going to the beach and swimming in the pool and eating out at restaurants!

We also got back and went to Oakbrook and the zoo, mini golfing, library, swimming in Papa and Gigi’s pool and had a bowling birthday party! This weekend is the 4th of July and I can’t wait to do some fun things and see fireworks!

Love,

Mama

School’s out for summer!

Dear Blake,

I can’t believe you are done with 3rd grade! This crazy school year has come to an end finally! To think we started the year remote learning and started in person learning in October and then went back to remote learning in November and then went back to in person learning in January until now, is just crazy! Your last year at Spencer Pointe was definitely different. No field trips, assemblies, music performances, etc. But we ended the year by celebrating your 9th birthday! The second to last day of school.was your birthday. We got you a cake and balloons and presents and Papa and Gigi had a celebration at their house with your favorite cholis!

We had a fire in our house so we are living in a hotel. What a crazy end to a crazy year. But THANK GOD it’s summer! Goodbye 2020-21 school year. We never want to see you again! ✌

Love,

Mama

Sledding

Dear Blake,

Last night we had a big snowstorm and we went sledding today…twice!  We played in the snow in the morning at home and then we went to our sledding hill at schoolhouse manor Park.  There were TONS of people there!  It seemed like all of New Lenox was there!  We had fun with all the neighbor kids and then we drove over to Papa and Gigi’s and went sledding with them at the Don’s hot dogs hill!  Papa and Gigi even went down the hill with you!  After we went to the Patio!  What a fun day we had!

Love,

Mama

Updates

Dear Blake,

So much has happened since I last updated. On Halloween we went out and trick or treated and had a great day! We also had a great Thanksgiving even though many people didn’t go to celebrate with their families because of the coronavirus, we still had a great dinner! After Thanksgiving your school made all the kids stay home again because of the virus. You boys were sad to stay and learn at home again, but now in January you are back full time at school! They said they are very hopeful you won’t have to stay home again so we are hoping that stays true. We had a great Christmas and hosted Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. We went to church and had to sign up to be able to go. You guys got tons of lego mario sets.

For New Years Eve we had our friends over and had a great celebration. We went on a fun winter trip and had a great winter break!

We are so happy to be back at school and look forward to all the fun things we are going to do coming up this winter!

Love,

Mama

Back to school!

Dear Blake,

Finally you got to go back to school this week!  You got to go on the bus and I got to stay home and see you go to school!  We went to the bus stop and it was so exciting to watch you guys all go to in person school!  I hope you have fun and that you get to stay in person learning.

  I love you.

Love,

Mama

E-learning…still

Dear Blake,

Well, we are still E-learning, home schooling, whatever you want to call it. But good news! Your school says they are going back October 15th! Hallelujah! Until that day, you are logging in on your iPad every morning and doing school in your room at your desk. You seem to be doing well, but I know nothing is the same. We can’t wait for the big yellow school bus comes down our street very soon!

Love you,

Mama

E-learning

Dear Blake,

Well I knew it would happen, but was holding out hope that it wouldn’t. Your school is being forced to start the school year off remotely. I cant believe this is how you are spending your 3rd grade year. You are sad and want to go to school. When we told you, you said “What?! You told me I was going to school!”

A week before school.was supposed to start, the stare made new rules that schools have to follow. So your school had to decide to teach this way. I feel really sad for you. I’m sorry it has to be this way. This is not normal and I know you’re upset. I will fight this with every fiber of my being. Kids need to be in school and I know you WANT to go. I’m sorry buddy.

Not that there are any positives to this, but you got the teacher you wanted, Mrs. Mack! You were very excited to have her!

Hopefully we can get back to real school soon.

I love you very much,

Mama

Jax beach

Dear Blake,

We went on vacation to Jax beach and we had tons of fun!  We were supposed to go to Disney World but it got cancelled because of the cornovirus.  So we decided to still go on a trip to have some fun because everything was getting cancelled.  We rented a van (which you and Owen loved) and we drove there with Papa and Gigi.  We spent the night in Georgia and then drove the rest of the way the next day.  We got to Jax beach and stayed for 6 nights at the Hampton Inn beachfront!  We got to see Auntie Kitty and Uncle Bryan everyday and go to the beach and pool.  We got to go eat in restaurants (which was awesome because everything in Illinois was closed).  We went on an auto ferry and spent the day in a town.  We had such a good trip we didn’t want to leave.  I hope to make more memories like that again soon!

Love,

Mama

8 years old

Dear Blake,

Tomorrow morning when you wake up, you will be 8 years old. How are you 8? You’re my baby. You can’t be 8. Tomorrow we are having a “quarantine birthday party.” We can’t have a normal birthday party, but we are going to make it as special as we can. I decorated the garage with pokemon decorations in case it rains. In the morning we will get donuts and open presents, and for lunch we will get creamery hot dogs. I even got you a birthday shirt and a birthday crown from school. For dinner and your party I got a pokemon cake from Jewel and “cholis” from Aurelios. I ordered balloons and we will pick all that up tomorrow. We are going to have a surprise birthday parade tomorrow. I hope you love it and you have a special day!

Love,

Mama