Covid summer to fall continues and so does life...

 I am not sure where I left off on the last post but today is September 28, 2020. Sometimes I feel like I am in the Back to the Future movies, which we have all watched as a family might I add. For a summer turned fall update, Remote learning has been going on for 7 weeks and you are rocking it! It is not the same learning in your room, but you are doing what you need to do and are getting rave reviews from your teacher. We have your chrome book linked to a bigger screen for a more comfortable learning environment.  In a few weeks they are allowing you to come back to the building and although you were hesitant before, your trailblazer little sister went to the building today so we are all anxiously awaiting what she thinks! We have been doing so much, I mean no wonder I have no time to write these blogs, there is so much to write about! Soccer and gymnastics both started up. In this post I want to write about soccer. A few years ago when you told me soccer was a waste of time, I was sure you would never find an interest in it and I let that ship sail. Well when Covid hit and we had those soccer play dates that I helped out with, your interest of soccer went 180' and now you LOVE it. Charli....you had your first game and you scored and I started to cry. You are a natural, you are outstanding, my jaw dropped. Your coach was in absolute shock that you had not played soccer before and just keep saying that he sees so many good things in your future soccer related, you have natural instincts, you are aggresssive, you are skilled, and may I add absolutely adorable. I mean seeing you on that field gives me butterflies. I can only hope soccer fulfills you the way it did me, actually I don't care what you pick but I hope you find he same joy and more that athletics gave me. I love that you are making new friends and above all you still want us to be your cheerleaders! Champion Charli Forever! After the game the other day you laughed at me and said I was cheering for Matilda, but there is no Matilda- there is a Madaline and a Madilynn---oh boy, how could I have gotten so confused??!!! LOL. In your first two games against the best team in the league you scored a goal in each. The 3rd game you came off the field with alligator tears because you didn't score and you said you had a bad game. You felt like your feet were switched. I think this was the best lesson you are starting to learn. We all don't have great games and we all don't have great days, but we just pick up our head and try to do better each time. It is the journey not the outcome we learn from. I am so proud of you win lose or tie, good game or bad. I will always be your biggest fan! We have also had some life lessons come about this spring that have showed me you not only have a conscious, but you have a soul and you know right from wrong. WE took sometime to explore that and we made good on all of it this past Saturday. Yes, Saturday, September 26th, mask on with MY Communion dress, built in necklace and all, you took the next step in Faith and made your First Holy Communion. You were beautiful, angelic, and we are so proud. You were glowing, honestly there was a radiance around you. Sarah came over and did your hair and it was awesome, then you put on my dress ( because you said you want to make it a tradition) and I don't think you have ever felt better. Grandma gave you her communion purse, bible, and rosary, and like that you were whole. You were all grown up in a matter of moments and you were so proud of who you are! That is all that matters, being prould of who you are and the choices you make. Daddy and I are so proud of who you are and what you stand for. We love you more than words. The celebration after was perfect. I watched you enjoy every family member and I could tell you just loved being celebrated. Danica on the other hand was missing out on being celebrated- she wanted "to eat somebody too and drink their blood"- she is still learinng exactly what communion means LOL. I am so thankful for the family we have and being able to share all these memories with them, it is just another reminder of how much you are loved by so many. There was a live video link since Covid has prevented large crowds and we must maintain social distancing, so it allowed all of the rest of our family to be a part of your celebration.

Every day is an adventure with this family. You continue to be an amazing big sister and helper to everyone. Your room could not be more organized and it screams creativity. You have made your closet in to your American Girl's apartment and even I am jealous. You have created closets and dressers, and apparatuses out of boxes I wouldn't even know where to start. All of this while being an excellent student, star athlete, and little girl. Honestly, Charli the day you were born was the happiest day of my life and I am blessed beyond words that you are mine. I don't know why I got so lucky but I did!

Your long blonde, blue eyes, crzy teeth smile, and athletic build make you a force on the outside but it is your inside that is the biggest force to be reckon with. Your curiousity, intrigue, kind-hearted nature are all reasons people flock to you. Keep up the great work and keep being you. Covid is not going to bring us down we will just keep rising up!

TODAY 10/5 you went back to in person learning at school. AHHHHHHHHHHHH I want to cry I miss you sooooo much!

How may days until Florida?

You have been on the countdown since we got home from Florida last January. You started to pack in August and finally it is about a week away.

Yesterday you told me if you had 3 wishes they would be this.
1) That no one would ever die
2) That the people who are in Heaven would all come back
3) You would have 2million 3hundred 25thousand dollars and make sure all animals are taken care of

Me too honey, me too.

You also told me that we don't need anymore babies in your family. That our family is complete because Danica takes all your stuff and that you want to make sure you will be able to spend time with another baby because you will get too big. I think you are exactly right, my clock doesn't necessarily agree but my heart knows you are right. At 7 years old you are right a lot!

You continue to kick butt in school, gymnastics, ice skating! You did your kip! You are cartwheeling all over the high beam, you are flipping backwards over and over and over again! You got grips, you are world class Charli. We are going to start talking about  private lessons for ice skating and as long as it's fun we will keep signing you up.

I am so impressed with your reading and your math and of course your creativity. You are so innovative and have made such awesome stuff out of nothing. You recently just made a zipper purse it is so cool. You also made a box with different sections and compartments including one that is hidden! I am sure you will be a shark on the next generation of shark tank, the sky is the limit for you!

****** I am fast forwarding on this to August 2020 and let me tell you honey, life as we know it will never be the same and once we hit March 16th, 2020 it all changed.

We went to Florida for winter break and it might have been the best trip EVER! I mean who doesn't love going to Florida for Christmas and coming home to open tons of presents including a look -a -like American girl doll you named Blue. I am not really sure if you know who Beyonce is, but you have the same taste in names and since she is an icon there is nothing wrong with that.  Florida really was a great time and you were able to spend a lot of time with Kensie and the Zam fam so that is always a plus.

When we returned to school 2nd grade continued to be awesome, as well as gymnastics.  I think you really had a great relationship with your teacher Mrs. Willis and I appreciated that. You truly excel in spelling and math and I am so proud of you and your ability to multi-task. You were preparing for your spring show at school, dressed as an adorable Clown ish and you even had a speaking part. "I'll have the fish platter."  Your spring gymnastics show was also on the horizon, leotards were just ordered. We even decided to go back to Florida for spring break and had our luggage all packed in the hallway. Then February came and went and we were heading into March and the talk of "Coronavirus or Covid-19" starting spreading across the US not just by word of mouth but by contact and it was making people sick. We had your birthday party on your official 8th birthday, not realizing that March 13th would be your last face to face contact day of school. Yes, you never returned to school for the 19-20 school year. I will get back to that in a moment.

Your 8th birthday party was just awesome! We had a fashion show runway birthday party. This year your birthday cake was cupcakes! We had 4 stations for your party, hair done by Sarah Ottesen the neighbor, make-up done by Kristen Ottesen the neighbor, nails done by me the Mom, and crafts done with Terry the Aunt!!! There were 25 of your closest girlfriends who all came to celebrate you. By that Saturday we were already hearing rumblings of schools closing and maybe a quarantine situation coming in to play but we really had no idea. Your friends all had to wash their hands and use sanitizer throughout the parry, everyone received their own make-up brushes and combs and we kept it as clean as possible. We had pizza and they took home their individual cupcakes. After all the stations were complete everyone walked our red carpet runway with their VIP lanyard they created and posed on the catwalk it was really awesome and I know you loved it. I don't want to forget that of course we celebrated on Wednesday of that week at cook in front of you, just in case the rumblings of closing could be true. So don't worry we made it and you ate it and loved every bite! March 16th the state of Illinois was put on a 14 day quarantine lockdown to stay home. Unless you were deemed an essential worker or need to grocery shop things were closed and you were to stay home. We were also taught the terms "social distancing" and were required to stay 6 feet away from everyone, or in kids terms 6 penguins away. Life got real, really fast. We were to stay away from those who were high risk and didn't see Grandma and Eric until April. Our spring break trip was cancelled and rescheduled and cancelled and rescheduled and not it is 5 months later August 13, 2020 and you are still not going back to school. The remainder of your 2nd grade school year was taught by me, Mom School, remotely at home and virtually by your teacher. We learned to zoom and that became the new way of social interaction while we will stuck at home. Not until the end of May did things begin to open and with different restrictions including wearing masks, continuing to social distance, temperature checks...and up until now the only restaurant you have gone back in to was Rok bonki the day they opened when we were the only ones there, a hot dog place on the tracks, Enzo's outside to see friends, and Mexico Uno to sit outside. Without trips to Grandmas and the neighborhood kids, you have been home, safe, healthy, sometimes bored but doing awesome. Grandma bought you a sewing machine for your birthday so that came in handy making masks. Your room has been changed so many times and the things you have created for your American doll and just for the sake of crafting itself is amazing! If you can believe it, you even painted your own nightstand we bought at a garage sale. Should I mention social distancing with masks -we have garage saled! One of the other highlights of summer was a get together fo your friends to play soccer, which Mommy came and took over....so glad I did because you and Danica said you love soccer! We are signed up for fall but that season just like many more to come I am sure will never be the same.

*I am not sure tthis post is complete but time is flying by and I need to do an update so I am going to publish this one and start a new one!