Kelepouris Family: March 2020

Landon decided (on his own) to make cards for his current and last year's teachers.

We celebrated Pappou's 70th birthday at Karl Strauss.

I brought treats in to Landon's classroom (and brought them unassembled to Brooklyn's class for them to make themselves) for Dr. Seuss's birthday (which was also Crazy Hat Day) when I came in to read "The Cat in the Hat" to his class.

Rancho Elementary also had Mismatched Day that week.

The kids decorated for St. Patrick's Day.

We registered Brooklyn for Kindergarten (Class of 2033!!!) and visited the kids' elementary school for next year (Crowne Hill Elementary) while Rancho Elementary School is being renovated.

We celebrated Uncle Peter's birthday.

Daddy must have dressed them for this Warriors garage picnic and outside play.

Klaryssa and Jeremy came in to play Mouse Trap with the kids.

Meanwhile, Megan helped me coordinate (her friend's daughter's) wedding.

When I'm gone and Daddy's in charge, the kids usually suggest going to Sugar Plum Farms down the street (because that's their thing).

Both kids did great at their dentist appointments!

The boy cousins goofing off:

I went to South Coast WInery for a girls' weekend, and the kids (and apparently all of their stuffed animals) had a sleepover in my room.

Daniel set up games for the kids and friends:

And over the weekend COVID-19/Coronavirus snuck up on the US. (The girls attempted to socially distance at the wineries.)

Schools closed and Californians were ordered to Shelter in Place. So we opened up a shoe store in the family room...

Painted our toenails...

And finished our leprechaun traps in preparation for St. Patty's Day.

We didn't catch the mischeivous little leprechaun, but he was definitely here! He messed up our traps, left a trail of green stuff, colored Daddy's eyebrows green and, as usual, made a mess of the kids' bathroom.

Due to COVID-19 we didn't have the opportunity to get all of the regular St. Patty's rainbow fruits, so it wasn't my best work. But we did have Lucky Charms!

Shamrock sandwiches

A bike ride scavenger hunt (for shamrocks in our neighbor's front windows)

Brooklyn's favorite play (with little characters)

And a green dinner (green raviolis, pigs in blankets, green veggie platter, artichoke and the kids made fruit kabobs)!

The next day we did a St. Patty's art project with fizzy paint

and played with stuffies.

Brooklyn has discovered her love of bugs. She has begun rehoming worms (with all the rain, there have been plenty!), snails, slugs and roly polies from the neighborhood to her succulent garden (or, as Daddy calls it, cemetary). She goes outside multiple times a day to observe and play with (and unintentionally torture and murder) them.

The leprechaun left them rainbow slime to play with (yuck!).

After a week off, we decided to get down to business. I informed the kids that they aren't going back to school for a while or maybe not at all this school year but that we were going to be learning at home instead. They decided to name our homeschool "Fun School Break," and Landon was ALL about turning our home into a school. He LOVED preparing for homeschooling! He even made a library in the bonus room, with books organized by subject. I busted out all of our educational materials, created a schedule (that was adjusted each day) and created weekly themes for learning.

Creative Time

Library Time

Active Time (GoNoodle when it's raining...and Mommy needs a break!)

Journal Time

Active Time when the weather is nice

(family workouts when Daddy's working from home)

Creative Time (making up his own game) & Game Time (playing it)

Landon discovered a new favorite 'active time' activity - Les Mills Body Combat class with Mommy. He's got pretty good musicality, enjoys punch & kicking and LOVES all of the jump kick moves!

He even convinced Daddy to join us for a class.

Tech Time (audio books & LeapPad learning games)

Electric blanket is how Daddy calms everyone down before bed!

One day we made (Art for Kids Hub) cards for cousins, Auntie Amber and Uncle Peter, rode to their house and taped the cards to their front windows (so as to socially distance).

We've taken up playing in the front yard & cul de sac lots more, so that's been extra fun!

We tried to go on a family hike, but all of the trails were shut down and closed off due to the virus. So we nature walked near the house.

Bee hive

Brooklyn and I made a hiking scavenger hunt:

Here's what the grocery stores looked like:

cheese

bread

Daniel has it in his head to entertain our friends and family during these strange times where we can't properly socialize, so he's "produced" a few videos that, surprisingly, the kids and I, have been willing to partake in. First up, "Flip the Switch."

Picnics make lunch so much more fun!!

Sweet sleeping angels

The Allowance Game has become a new favorite.

Landon created the Kelepouris Family Olympics (since the 2020 summer Olympics were cancelled, along with everything else).

Brooklyn discovered that her new PJs coordinate with her doll, Easter, so they played in their matching PJs together.

I joined Amber on a morning walk, 6ft away from each other, one on the sidewalk and the other in the street, about once a week.

The kids have played together so well, especially after being stuck at home together 24/7 with no other friends to play with!

We tried a Zoom video call with friends, but with so many groups/loud kids it was tough.

Brooklyn busted out her Light Bright.

Daddy has been popping out to say hi, wrestle or read a book between meetings when he's working from home.

Landon has made a goal to get better at skateboarding during shelter-in-place.

We made a chalk drawing (using painter's tape) in the street to share a little love with the neighbors.

Biggest news of the month...Brooklyn re-learned how to ride her big girl bike. (She learned about 14 months ago but then refused to get back on it, only riding her Balance Bike, until one random day she said she would try the regular bike.) We helped her just for a few laps up and down the cul de sac, then she was on her own. She did great! She had an early fall, and usually that would mean giving up, but we put some knee pads and elbow pads on, had a snack and she volunterred to get right back out there! She was able to start, stop and turn on her own that day, and every day since she has been obsessed with riding her bike!

Landon learned to hula hoop!

I signed Landon up for a virtual martial arts class. Brooklyn joined for the first class (until 5 minutes before the end and she started playing on the couch instead of focusing on the class...and got called out by the instructor for it!) Landon has really enjoyed it (once he gets started in the class)!