johanna maria: September 2020

Boy... i just read through the last post in here right before you turned 6. how things have changed since then! right after your birthday...and i mean RIGHT, like March 15 the day after we had a big party with all the extended family in California, our world shut down with the Covid-19 pandemic. On our long ride home, all the restaurants were closed! We were able to do it in a single shot and got home super late, but wooo then everything was crazy as we had to quarantine for a few weeks. it was hard! and then the "2 weeks to not overwhelm hospitals" has turned into 6 months and counting...so there's that. and then this past week or so, there has been crazy fires in Oregon. and now the smoke is crazy and we literally have the worst air quality in the world, so we have been locked inside. 2020 man its been a wild ride. and for another HUGE change- we have decided to stay put at Ita and Abuelo's house for another 5ish years. I know...we sound crazy, but God just kept shutting door after door and we realized His answer was "not right now". So, here we are! You just started BSF again last night- virtual edition thanks to Covid. and you are homeschooling 1st grade! You are a really great reader and are working hard at writing! you are very interested in the actual learning, but not big on sitting down to practice writing or doing worksheets ;) We spend about an hour and a half 3 days a week, 1 day each week is a field trip learning experience where you just write a quick story after, and then 1 day a week you go to "Grandma School" where she is drilling in all the language arts and teaching you piano! We have a little keyboard here at home for you to practice on, but it is sitting on top of the washing machine because Zeke won't leave it alone haha. You and June still spend a good chunk of your days playing together- especially Barbie in the Barbie room which is always a disaster- or as Abuelo says, "Did another hurricane come through the Barbie room?" Really cool story- you were intent on saving up $100 to buy a Barbie dream house this summer. Dad and I were going to spend the other $80 to help you buy it. And right as you had enough money- like the same week- we got a text from Miss Annette saying to check out a free pile by her house on our way over for house church (yes, house church with the Brooks and Kukis families because of Covid ha) and guess what was in the free pile?! A beautiful Barbie Dream House with the elevator and furniture and everything... what!? All we have to do is fix up the stairs, but we might just make a ladder to keep more room for your furniture. So now you are crazy wanting to spend your money on everything and just saying "I just want to spend my money on anything!" and trying to take it everywhere we go and I keep trying to get you to save it for something special hahah. man, thanks for being the oldest child. I know it is rough for mom and dad to learn all of our parenting on you... maybe we will have a better idea how to handle money with your siblings, but it has all been new to us! OH and you lost 2 teeth! Your grandparents kept slipping you tooth fairy money in an envelope every night before your first fell out...and then gave you like $15 when it actually came out... spoiled i tell you! and with the second, tooth fairy didn't make it the first night and had to give some extra (a golden dollar) to make up for it ;) but you look ADORABLE with your 2 teeth missing smile <3 <3 you really really want to take a gymnastics class... and i want to let you, but right now with Covid they won't let any siblings in the waiting room so i would have to schedule your class around when dad isn't working and it would just steal too much family time, so we will hopefully get you in one as soon as all the covid restrictions are gone! you hate wearing your mask- like always telling us you don't want to go anywhere where you have to wear it. poor baby! i am so sorry this is happening and that it is delaying your gymnastics class, taking away homeschool connection this semester, and even took away all the summer mom's group play dates because they literally closed all parks. i pray so much for you and your future- i pray that your generation isn't paralyzed with fear because of all this! God is so much bigger than any sickness and He has it all in His hands! Never be afraid, my girl. In the Bible, remember when Paul got bitten by a poisonous snake after his ship wreck? and he just shook it off and carried on in His work for the Lord- serving others by gathering the fire wood. God created this world and He has full control over all nature and science! Anyway... you are tall- you love to measure yourself on me and say "I am just over your boobies!" how are you that tall at 6 years old?! You LOVE being a big sister and always beg to get Zeke out of his crib in the mornings. you spend a lot of time playing with him and i just love it! you ask me often when we will have another baby and when I say I'm not sure I want a 4th, you say I really need to and tell me how much you love babies. You also talk a lot about having your own babies when you're older and how you want to have 100 and how I will help you and babysit them when you feel overwhelmed or need to go shopping, etc. You are still such a mama's girl and cry when I leave you and always want to be close- you spend a lot of time following me around and I go a little crazy and tell you to go play outside haha. What else..? You obsess over TV time and your "one candy" each day... i don't know how to best handle that and make sure its not something you always struggle with feeling deprived of. learning as i go here ;) you also love to sleep upstairs with your Ita and Abuelo and you LOVE your cousins and we are so thankful for living here so that you get to see them so much more often than you otherwise would. You love audio books and will spend at least an hour a day listening to one..usually the Ramona Quimby series! You love your time over at Grandma Sandee's house! and you love all your aunts and uncles and are so good at socializing with adults- it is the best. That is all I can think of for now... you are SO much fun and it is such an honor to get a front row seat to your life and watch you grow into a beautiful, Godly girl. i love you so much, Johanna Maria my prize <3 < 3<3

johanna maria

Friday, September 18, 2020

Mama, sing my song

6 and a half!