Quarantine: Day 1

Day 1 in the quarantine bubble is underway, and it's been a good one so far! I did venture outside with the boys for a little wagon ride and some solo fun on our neighborhood playground. I felt bad, though, because one of our neighbors was out walking his dog and came near the playground, so I packed up and hurried us outta there like the poor man had the plague! I don't think he noticed necessarily, but it cracked me up a bit and made me wonder how I can better handle these situations in the future. Can I put Chase in an actual bubble when we venture outside? Should I carry a large poster board sign with us that says, "Stay Back 100 Feet" or something? I guess the good thing is it's only for a short time...

Here are my sweet boys... and E's first wagon ride! He did great and really loved the fresh air and new scenery.

I'm finding some fun and exciting ways to pass the time inside, with one of my most favorite things ever: SHOPPING! I'm on the hunt for some summer shoes for E and I found some sweet gems that I can't wait to get on his chubby toes!

These are Salt Water Sandals Sea Wees and I'm just smitten! Excellent reviews everywhere I've looked, very reasonably priced, and ridiculously cute! I can't wait to see E's chubby toes stuffed in these! It's hard to believe he'll be walking around in these over the summer months.

I saw a little neighborhood boy at our playground over the weekend in these burlap bimini Tiny TOMS and totally imagined them on E. In fact, I'd love to get a pair for Chase, too. They're so darling and are the perfect summer shoe to pair with shorts or even to dress up with khakis for church. Much to my dismay, they come in a variety of other fabrics as well (including chambray and mixed denim... adorbs!), so I figure I'll try my best to start with one pair to be sure they work for us before starting a little collection. ;)

Another favorite way of mine to pass time seems to be venturing onto some sort of newfangled diet or exercise program. I thoroughly enjoyed how I felt at the beginning of the year when I tried the 21DSD and Paleo. Unfortunately, I've fallen off that wagon and gained back some of the weight I had lost, and of course have been feeling miserable with that added weight around my middle. Much to hubs' relief, I'm not jumping on any new bandwagons these days, but I am going to make an improved effort in making better choices for myself and my family. I cannot tell you how much we (I) have been hitting the drive-thru or nearby restaurant for meals lately. It's ridiculous and totally out of hand. My plan is to focus on making healthy meals that steer clear of grains, gluten and sugar (so mostly meat, veggies and fruit). I mean, really, I have nothing but time on my hands these days, so surely it will be a win-win for all of us!

Prior to quarantine, I've had an unusually large volume of "stuff" on my plate: obligations at LO's school (as PTA Communications Chair, 1st grade class Room Parent and volunteer), obligations at Chase's school (class volunteer/helper), singing in our church choir and on our Praise Team for 3 Holy Week services, E's 1st birthday party, Team Manager for LO's soccer team, hubs with the flu, then myself with the flu, both boys with ear infections, my Sienna getting hit by a woman making an illegal left turn directly into the side of my vehicle (who, by the way, refuses to respond to her insurance company's attempts to contact her, so they are unable to "complete their investigation" and assume liability for the accident, so we're looking at possibly having to use our own insurance to replace the sliding rear passenger door---grrrrrrr!), and I'm certain there were several other things that have demanded my attention over the past several weeks. All of that to say that I am ECSTATIC I can finally put my focus where it belongs -- on Chase's upcoming heart surgery -- and enjoy the extra time we have together during our quarantine.

One thing I've really wanted to do to prep for Chase's Fontan has been to make him fun hospital gowns to wear while inpatient. I finally had some time to work on a CARS one over the weekend, and I'm excited at how it's turning out! It's not finished yet, but almost! Check it out:

I also picked up some Mickey Mouse and Toy Story fabric:

I really really really wanted to find Super Mario fabric and Despicable Me (minions) fabric but both of these proved IMPOSSIBLE to locate locally or online (such a shocker!). But in a rare moment of brilliance, I was able to find both Super Mario and Despicable Me twin sheet sets at K-Mart of all places! Win-Win!!! Now I have two fun pillowcases to use at the hospital, and plenty of fabric to make him hospital gowns of his current favorites! I'm excited to see what he thinks when I get them finished.

Whew! Guess that's enough for a Day 1 Quarantine update, huh? Kudos to those of you who stuck around and made it this far into this post!

Oh -- wait -- one last thing. I shared a pic yesterday of Chase with his pink and blue fingernails but failed to mention what a huge kick LO got out of seeing her brother with painted fingernails! She posted a note on their whiteboard and it was just too cute! She's so crazy!!!