March Week 4

 Week two of "social distancing" began with worshiping remotely with our church on YouTube.

 NASCAR is postponed so FS1 broadcast the Cup drivers iRacing (a very realistic video game) with Jeff Gordon and Mike Joy commentating.

 We played the world's longest game of Chutes and Ladders.

 Addressing a card she had made for MawMaw Wilma and PawPaw Sherman.

 Addressing a card for Mr. Richard, a widower from CPC that Mollie Grace talked to every Sunday.  Before his wife died, they had taught her Sunday School class.

 Mollie Grace still had horse riding this week.  It's only her and her instructor in the barn.  She got to ride a different horse this week.  She progressed to the "intermediate" horse.

 Chopping apples for an apple cobbler.

 Tuesday our Southaven CC group moved to online meeting so we were able to join the Simmons, Stegalls and Peacocks for CC.

 The girls "camped" all afternoon in the back yard.

 But then bad weather moved in and we were under a Tornado warning so we hung out in the closet under the stairs for a while.

 Wednesday we did CC again with our local group.  Ben researched why people are hoarding toilet paper for his presentation.

 Mollie Grace did her presentation about gum.  If you eat a piece of chocolate while chewing gum, the gum will liquefy.

Annie showed a penguin she had made out of egg cartons and told about one of our favorite books, The Penguin that Hated the Cold.

 In the afternoon we worked on our CC science project, building towers with marshmallows.  Mollie Grace built the tallest tower.

This afternoon the Southaven CC moms had a Zoom conference call just to chat.  On my phone you can only see four people at a time but there were about 12 of us.  One of the positives of "social distancing" is the opportunity that we've had to "hang out" with people from other places.  Wednesday night I watched the service from FPC Hattiesburg -- a devotional by Dr. Jussely followed by hymn singing requested by the congregation (by text).

March Week 3

Sunday March 15 we had church pretty much a usual.  There were fewer people in attendance and the offering plate was a the back of the church rather than passed.  We still had communion, but it was served at the front of the church by elders wearing medical gloves.  True "social distancing" began Monday March 16.  Schools were canceled indefinitely in Alabama and Annie's dance was canceled. 

 We've been playing an ongoing Monopoly game.

 Doing math outside on St. Patrick's Day.

 Inspired to build a new track.

 CC moved online.  We're doing our memory work and presentation via WebEx video conferencing.  Annie did her presentation about Marcie.

My class is made up of four families including us.  All the families in our group have at least one kid in the usual class but it makes it easier via conference call for the whole family to be in the same group.

 Ben participating in his Essentials (grammar and writing) class via WebEx.

 We did some weeding and picked up sticks and pinecones in the yard.

 John's first mow on his new lawnmower.

 Because we were concerned that John's gym would close (and the germs there if it stayed open), he bought a weight bench on Facebook Marketplace and set it up in the attic.

Shooting his new stop motion video.

March Week 2

 A sneak peek of recital costumes.

 For science they were tasked to build a bridge.  They were given 100 straws and a roll of tape.

 A mom from Annie's class shared some pics with me.

 Friday afternoon we met the Starnes at the Rocket Center.  They were spending the weekend in Huntsville for spring break.  Friday night they had supper with us.  It was fun getting to catch up with Desoto County friends!  That's Sadie in the middle.

 Ben beat Mollie Grace to the top!

 We discovered a small Annie-sized ride while the others rode Gravitron.

 Sadie and Annie.

And starting at 5 p.m. Friday the Rocket Center is closed until April 3 because of the Coronavirus.  Practically the entire country has been asked to self-quarantine.  Cancellations began Thursday afternoon when Ben's soccer tournament was cancelled and the season suspended until April. As of Saturday evening, church is limited to the worship service only (no Sunday School or Wednesday night), Annie will have dance Monday but classes will be postponed indefinitely beginning Wednesday, and CC is not meeting for the next two weeks (but we're going to try to do something virtually).  I have at least two weeks worth of food on hand although I had to go to the local Foodland to supplement my Wal-Mart order because Wal-Mart was completely out of hamburger meat, chicken breasts, and toilet paper by Friday morning.   

March Week 1

 Rock Stars

 They were rocking out to Hot Cross Buns (the only thing Mollie Grace can play on the keyboard).

 Paper airplanes for science at CC.

 Hogwarts Book Club at the local library.

 They made dragon egg bath bombs and chocolate frog boxes.

 On Friday we picked Janey and Fran up from the Rocket Center.  Janey had been on a school field trip to Space Camp.  They spent Friday night with us.

 Ben got his uniform for his new soccer team.  They played three games the first weekend.  They won 2 and lost 1.

 Posing with Janey before they headed home.

 Ben really enjoys putting together puzzles.

Smiley face plate.