Time is simultaneously flying by and going at a snail's pace. We've started to loose track of the days. We finished our last CC class of the semester over a week ago. While I'm sad to not see our campus online each week, the prep for hosting the classes was wearing me down a bit. It was all totally worth it, but I took a good 2 hour nap after the last class! I am still having Bible study online for the next couple of weeks. Mostly it feels like we are in a holding pattern. We go on bike rides in the evenings. We have started going over 3 miles in the evenings with the boys. They are getting good and have quite a bit of endurance built up. Hannah and Andrew ride in the carriage behind Francis's bike, so they just like the ride. We have been doing odds and end of learning since we already finished our curriculum before spring break. We've been working on typing, math, languages (william-french, Robert-Chinese, Hannah- latin (her CC work) and Andrew- English and signing), and today the big boys are taking an art class online while Hannah is working on learning to read. Never a dull moment around here. William did manage to complete Memory Master even amongst all the chaos. He memorized all of Cycle 2 and even recited it for his Grandad via Zoom. We are so proud of his hard work! Other than "school", we've been having a lot of outside time. The kids got a dome for Easter that has turned them into monkeys and we have been replacing their fort piece by piece so that it is slowly becoming brand new. Oh and Andrew got a water table from Nana and Grandad, so there's been a lot of water thrown about. Good times!
Speaking of Easter, we had a good one. This is only the second time in my memory that we haven't been out camping on Easter. We didn't let that stop us. We put up the tent in the backyard and the big boys and Francis camped out Friday evening. We still had an egg hunt (with a gazillion eggs thanks to my mom sending reinforcements) and gifts for each of the kids from my in-laws (Legos, Kinexs, Teenie Geenies, and a water table respectively). We assembled the new dome and a good time was had by all. I am loving the family time part of this adventure.
We've also been having movie nights on the weekends. We pick something we want to watch and picnic in front of the TV for dinner. We've mostly been watching old Disney classics, but we spice it up with things like Lego Masters and Be our Chef as well as the occasional Torch-lighter biography.
The kids are doing well. They miss their friends, but get along well most of the time. Andrew is still potty training. He's doing...ok. He goes at least half the day with no accidents and has gone a couple of days with no accidents. When he does decide to go elsewhere, he happily brings me paper towels to clean it up and then he shows me where it is. So... progress. His language is exploding. He says a few new words every day and is beginning to repeat what we say as well. He's cute and he knows it. and he's a problem solver. He's got a strong will and doesn't like to hear "no". I love him so much and he is always challenging me to be a better parent and seek Jesus. You're a keeper, Mr. Andrew.
Hannah is progressing with her letter sounds and numbers. I actually think she is on the cusp of really reading, which is impressive at 4 and a half. She likes it when Robert teaches her things, which has helped her progress more than I could have hoped! She's sweet and missed her friends much more than her brothers, probably because she's the only girl. She has decided she wants to change her name to "Princess", which is what I tend to call her anyway. She has her own way of doing things and her room is a "boy free zone" about half the time. She loves her brother's though, and the restriction never lasts long. She is truly a princess-in-training.
Robert likes to teach as much as learn. He is always trying to teach Hannah, Andrew, or even William and me something. He's smart and creative. He helped make a video for Timothy and Gideon's birthday. When he learned we would have to attend their birthday party via Zoom, he came up with his own edition of "Some Good News" and got his siblings to help. It was so cute and the video came out great. While we were sad to miss seeing family, it is a sweet memory. Keep shining that light, Robert!
William is a jack-of-all trades. We've been listening to Andrew Peterson read the "Wingfeather Saga" live in the evenings, and it's been inspiring all sorts of adventures from William during the days. He's made his own version of "ships and sharks" (a game from the book) and is currently drawing his own fantasy creatures. His critical thinking skills are in high gear and his snark has reached pre-teen level. This makes for some humorous (and sometimes) frustrating interactions. It's a whole new ball game and I'm learning the rules as I go. William, you'll always be my first baby. I love you!
As I said we missed the twins second birthday, but did get to attend via Zoom. We decorated our house and had a cake ready to eat with them too. It was good, but not the same. I've been holding up well, but after the party, I lost it. I'm so thankful for a handful of friends who have talked me back from the ledge. I'm ready for this to be over, I tell ya!
We did have a family reunion with the extended Phillips Family last night. It was fun having a meeting of the minds from the US and Canada. I'm going to try to dwell on the positive and let go of the sad as much as I can. I will keep praying. If you need anything, let me know!
Till next time!
Monday, April 27, 2020
Friday, April 3, 2020
April 3, 2020
It's been far too long since I posted! I'll give a quick update what we've been up to.
William and Robert completed their 3rd and 1st grade curriculum back at the beginning of April. They were happy to be done before our "spring break" started, and so was I. Hannah has learned all her letters and their sounds and is beginning to use those sounds when she sees them. She is ready to read! She knows her numbers and is able to identify them. Robert is a reading machine and likes reading chapter books about animals and pretend adventures. William is still an avid reader, and over the past couple of weeks seems to have read all the books in the house at least once. Andrew is growing so much. He has quite a few words now and even some sentences like, "Are you?" ("Where are you?"). He says it mostly when we play hide and seek. He knows the routine and always tried to be one step ahead of us.
The end of the first week of March, my in-laws came and got the kids and took them back to Dallas. They spent Thursday night through Sunday at my in-laws' and Sunday through Wednesday at my parents' house. They went to the Perot Museum, Legoland, the Grapevine Aquiarium, Dallas zoo, went swimming and so much more! They didn't miss us at all. Francis and I got to go on our cruise! The cruise was an excellent time of relaxation and a chance to recharge. The sea was very rough, so rough that we were unable to dock in Costa Maya. The waves were literally washing over the dock. As a result we only had one port: Cozumel. We didn't mind though. We decided to take everything in stride and just enjoy the quiet. I read an entire book! In Cozumel, we visited the beach and enjoyed dry, solid ground. It was a good trip, and just what we needed.
We arrived back March 11 to a world that was very much unlike the one we left. Francis had to go back to work, and so I drove to Dallas from Galveston to get the kids. I had planned to stay until the weekend so I could see my family and have a mini spring break with the kids. Wednesday evening the whole Noble clan (minus Francis and Chad) had dinner together. We went to a place where there was a playground and we kept having to tell the kids to wash their hands before they could come back to eat. The TV announced that the NBA was suspending their season while we ate. That's when I knew what was coming.
Thursday we hung out with my parents and Dani and Kevin around my parent's house. We swam, watched TV and played board games. We decided not to go anywhere. Mom was on calls much of the day with the governor an others. Spring break got extended another week for public schools. After all that was announced, I decided to cut the trip short and head home on Friday. The kids were so happy to see Francis. Francis got the order that he needed to begin to work from home. We ran all of the errands we needed to including grocery pick up, getting me a new bike and getting Francis's bike repaired. After watching first hand what had happened thus far in China (via teaching my sweet students across the sea), we decided we needed a way to continue to exercise as a family. I'm so glad we did.
So then social distancing/general quarantine occurred and has been for the last three weeks. I'm still teaching in the mornings, and am now tutoring our CC campus online on Tuesdays. I'm doing my Thursday Bible Study via Zoom. I feel busier than I have in a long time and we aren't even leaving home! The kids are keeping busy. They love playing on the fort in the backyard. We are doing activities we normally don't have time for. Robert learned to ride on two wheels last week and William has gotten more confident in his bike riding. With Hannah and Andrew in the bike trailer, we have been going out on nightly rides. The first night it took us 45 minutes to go a few blocks. Last night we did our longest route ever and it only took us 10 minutes (the rain cut our trip short). I'm loving to see the kids grow.
Overall the kids don't seem to mind the change. Francis is home all the time (which they love) and they get time outside and get to explore on bikes. Because school is over at our house, we invested in ABC mouse.com and so the kids have been doing some "online school" like everyone else. They are loving the fun activities. Robert took his first Mandarin class online and William is continuing with his French. These kids are each other's best friends, and I am cherishing the growth in those relationships. And in other news Andrew went on the potty for the firs time last night. If we can get potty training accomplished during this time, words cannot express how happy I will be. But between the last two sentences, I had to change Andrew due to an accident, so it may be a pipe dream.
Life is not perfect here, but we are embracing the good and releasing the bad. Francis and I are sharing the laundry room as both of our offices (it's a big room and Francis also works from the garage and out bedroom). We are learning a new normal just like everyone else. I'm glad I have Francis. He makes everything better.
That's all for now!
Tha
William and Robert completed their 3rd and 1st grade curriculum back at the beginning of April. They were happy to be done before our "spring break" started, and so was I. Hannah has learned all her letters and their sounds and is beginning to use those sounds when she sees them. She is ready to read! She knows her numbers and is able to identify them. Robert is a reading machine and likes reading chapter books about animals and pretend adventures. William is still an avid reader, and over the past couple of weeks seems to have read all the books in the house at least once. Andrew is growing so much. He has quite a few words now and even some sentences like, "Are you?" ("Where are you?"). He says it mostly when we play hide and seek. He knows the routine and always tried to be one step ahead of us.
The end of the first week of March, my in-laws came and got the kids and took them back to Dallas. They spent Thursday night through Sunday at my in-laws' and Sunday through Wednesday at my parents' house. They went to the Perot Museum, Legoland, the Grapevine Aquiarium, Dallas zoo, went swimming and so much more! They didn't miss us at all. Francis and I got to go on our cruise! The cruise was an excellent time of relaxation and a chance to recharge. The sea was very rough, so rough that we were unable to dock in Costa Maya. The waves were literally washing over the dock. As a result we only had one port: Cozumel. We didn't mind though. We decided to take everything in stride and just enjoy the quiet. I read an entire book! In Cozumel, we visited the beach and enjoyed dry, solid ground. It was a good trip, and just what we needed.
We arrived back March 11 to a world that was very much unlike the one we left. Francis had to go back to work, and so I drove to Dallas from Galveston to get the kids. I had planned to stay until the weekend so I could see my family and have a mini spring break with the kids. Wednesday evening the whole Noble clan (minus Francis and Chad) had dinner together. We went to a place where there was a playground and we kept having to tell the kids to wash their hands before they could come back to eat. The TV announced that the NBA was suspending their season while we ate. That's when I knew what was coming.
Thursday we hung out with my parents and Dani and Kevin around my parent's house. We swam, watched TV and played board games. We decided not to go anywhere. Mom was on calls much of the day with the governor an others. Spring break got extended another week for public schools. After all that was announced, I decided to cut the trip short and head home on Friday. The kids were so happy to see Francis. Francis got the order that he needed to begin to work from home. We ran all of the errands we needed to including grocery pick up, getting me a new bike and getting Francis's bike repaired. After watching first hand what had happened thus far in China (via teaching my sweet students across the sea), we decided we needed a way to continue to exercise as a family. I'm so glad we did.
So then social distancing/general quarantine occurred and has been for the last three weeks. I'm still teaching in the mornings, and am now tutoring our CC campus online on Tuesdays. I'm doing my Thursday Bible Study via Zoom. I feel busier than I have in a long time and we aren't even leaving home! The kids are keeping busy. They love playing on the fort in the backyard. We are doing activities we normally don't have time for. Robert learned to ride on two wheels last week and William has gotten more confident in his bike riding. With Hannah and Andrew in the bike trailer, we have been going out on nightly rides. The first night it took us 45 minutes to go a few blocks. Last night we did our longest route ever and it only took us 10 minutes (the rain cut our trip short). I'm loving to see the kids grow.
Overall the kids don't seem to mind the change. Francis is home all the time (which they love) and they get time outside and get to explore on bikes. Because school is over at our house, we invested in ABC mouse.com and so the kids have been doing some "online school" like everyone else. They are loving the fun activities. Robert took his first Mandarin class online and William is continuing with his French. These kids are each other's best friends, and I am cherishing the growth in those relationships. And in other news Andrew went on the potty for the firs time last night. If we can get potty training accomplished during this time, words cannot express how happy I will be. But between the last two sentences, I had to change Andrew due to an accident, so it may be a pipe dream.
Life is not perfect here, but we are embracing the good and releasing the bad. Francis and I are sharing the laundry room as both of our offices (it's a big room and Francis also works from the garage and out bedroom). We are learning a new normal just like everyone else. I'm glad I have Francis. He makes everything better.
That's all for now!
Tha
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