Happy Easter

Happy Easter! 

When looking for images for this post, I went down a rabbit's hole (no pun intended) when I stubbled upon so many beautiful, handmade Easter eggs. Here are some of the ones which I found particularly lovely.

It's not Easter without bunnies and chicks

We always celebrate with chocolate here at WTIOC

Happy Easter, Happy Spring

Keeping Families Together

I think one of the hardest things for me these days is not being able to hug my daughters or my grandsons. It is the same for my sister, although she can see her grandchildren from 2 metres away.

We decided we needed to find ways to keep us all connected.

Here are some of our ideas.

Scavenger Hunt

My sister came up with the idea of a family scavenger hunt a couple of weeks ago.
A couple of families copped out but 3 families took part.

Cathey sent out the scavenger list at exactly 3pm. The boys were so excited they could hardly wait. The boys and I got started with some old fashioned trash texting a few minutes before the start of the hunt. They were not going to let Nanny and Poppa beat them. And they figured they wouldn't have any trouble with the third team- consisting of an18 month old and 3 year old!

At exactly 3 pm the list went up online. Four minutes later the boys had collected all of the items! Poppa and I were even beaten by the little people... ; )) Twenty dollars to the winning team. Ten to the runners up. And nothing for Poppa and Nanny.

Photography Challenge

This week I found an idea on the CBC website. I adapted it somewhat and I have strong-armed each of the families into taking part.  Party Poopers will not be tolerated.

Families can work as a team or as individuals. Each family/individual is to take a minimum of 5 photos related to the following prompts.

A closeup of something
Something you love
A favourite book
Looking out the window
Something soft
A reflection in a mirror
A silly face
Patterns.

Photographers can  make the photos as interesting as possible. They can edit their photos if they want- eg. crop them. The photos are to be sent to me by Sunday evening and I will make them into a photo book. I just need a catchy title! Anyone?

I received some photos from the boys already. They are working on it together but each taking their own pictures. Apparently they spent most of the day planning their shots.  I think their photos are amazing! And not just because I am their Nanny.

Something loved

A close up

A Pattern

Something loved

Mike sent his in as well... LOL!

Need I say more?

Storytime

Each night my daughter and the boys get themselves really comfy and  Face Time with me. Then I read them a chapter from a Young Adult Novel. They chose one that is based on a true story and it is pretty serious.  The book is called A Long Walk to Water by Linda Sue Park.

The New York Times bestseller A Long Walk to Water begins as two stories, told in alternating sections, about two eleven-year-olds in Sudan, a girl in 2008 and a boy in 1985. The girl, Nya, is fetching water from a pond that is two hours’ walk from her home: she makes two trips to the pond every day. The boy, Salva, becomes one of the "lost boys" of Sudan, refugees who cover the African continent on foot as they search for their families and for a safe place to stay. Enduring every hardship from loneliness to attack by armed rebels to contact with killer lions and crocodiles, Salva is a survivor, and his story goes on to intersect with Nya’s in an astonishing and moving way.

Reading this novel reminds all of us that having to stay in our houses really isn't a big deal.
Storytime is my favourite time of my day.

Does anyone else have any good ideas to share?

A fitting post

I think you will enjoy these. We have to keep smiling. 😀 Just think, if it wasn't for Coronavirus we probably wouldn't have had our Zoom meeting. We should definitely do it again, and hopefully all can join in!

Have a good healthy week everyone! 

Happy Monday!

I hope everyone is staying healthy and safe. All is well around here, we are staying in the house for the most part, although I did go to the grocery store on Thursday. I am beginning to get a little stir crazy but have managed to keep busy. 

Yesterday we had 4 inches of snow. It was beautiful but I am ready for the warmth of spring!

I believe Duncan is thinking, " wake me when it's over! " 

It hasn't been all bad. My daughter decided to get silly yesterday and made me laugh!

I have been spending time cooking. We haven't resorted to eating canned soup yet. 😀

Yesterday I found this note on my front door. It made me smile.

I wrote her a note back and told her we are just fine. 😍

I hope everyone has a good week and we are back to normal soon.

I am happy that our virtual visits can continue!

A Little Levity

There once was a man from Nantucket

Who kept all his cash in a bucket.

But his daughter, named Nan,

Ran away with a man

And as for the bucket, Nantucket.

There once was a runner named Dwight 

Who could speed even faster than light. 

He set out one day 

In a relative way 

And returned on the previous night.

What happens to a frog's car when it breaks down?  It gets toad away.

Can a kangaroo jump higher than the Empire State Building?

Of course. The Empire State Building can't jump.

There was a couple who in their old age noticed that they were getting a lot more forgetful, so they decided to go to the doctor. The doctor told them that they should start writing things down so they don't forget. They went home and the old lady told her husband to get her a bowl of ice cream. "You might want to write it down," she said. The husband said, "No, I can remember that you want a bowl of ice cream." She then told her husband she wanted a bowl of ice cream with whipped cream. "Write it down," she told him, and again he said, "No, no, I can remember: you want a bowl of ice cream with whipped cream." Then the old lady said she wants a bowl of ice cream with whipped cream and a cherry on top. "Write it down," she told her husband and again he said, "No, I got it. You want a bowl of ice cream with whipped cream and a cherry on top." So he goes to get the ice cream and spends an unusually long time in the kitchen, over 30 minutes. He comes out to his wife and hands her a plate of eggs and bacon. The old wife stares at the plate for a moment, then looks at her husband and asks, "Where's the toast?"

A mom texts, "Hi! Son, what does IDK, LY, & TTYL mean?" 

He texts back, "I Don't Know, Love You, & Talk To You Later." 

The mom texts him, "It's ok, don't worry about it. I'll ask your sister, love you too."

I was wondering why the ball kept getting bigger and bigger, and then it hit me.

What a Week!

I don't know about you, this week seems a month long.  My stress level is through the roof. I'm worried about running out of toilet paper, and my kids will be be home for the unforseeable future so I'm worried about having enough food. I know not to have the news on all the time, but what I hear has made it hard not to panic a bit.

I'm sure you are all taking precautions to stay healthy. What things are you doing to maintain your sanity? Books, Netflix, cooking...? How is everyone managing?

We're watching TV then going to bed early (the time change was especially hard for me this year). DH and I binged on Homeland (the new season started a few weeks ago!) and are plowing through The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, which we both absolutely love. I've also been reading gardening blogs, looking forward to the spring when I can be outside working on my garden. This arrangement is my absolute favorite!!

You are all in my thoughts. Let's share what we are all doing to stay sane during these very uncertain days.

Iceland

My son and daughter-in-law recently visited Iceland. They had a wonderful time and really enjoyed it.   Here are a few photos they shared with me. 

They know I love dogs , so they took a picture of this handsome boy 😊

Have a great week everyone!

Serenity Now, Serenity Now

We've all been stressed out about the primaries, the spreading coronavirus, and of course, our own issues~ be it family, health, personal struggles. I treasure the friendship with each and every one of you. I am thankful that we're here for one another, especially when one of us needs support. This blog has been the voice of reason for most of us. To that end, let's take a moment to enjoy some calming photos. 

Sometimes you just need a little help from your friends.

Happy Weekend, friends.

A little sweetness

Sometimes we just need something to smile about. 😊

Duncan wanted to say hello as well.

Have a good week!