High Five for Friday (3.27.20)

Day 1,483 of social distancing...

I hope you and yours are healthy, (relatively) happy, and finding silver linings as we adjust to this new way of living.

We've had good days and bad days - lots of laughter as well as quite few tears - but all things considered, we are in good shape. Here are a few of our high fives from the last week or so!

One
I had an appointment last Thursday afternoon to pick up Hallie's dance photos. After fully assessing the situation, I decided to keep the appointment; I know the photographer and trusted her when she assured us that her small, rarely trafficked studio would be both empty and clean for our visit. I let Hallie come with me, and when we climbed into the car we realized that it had been six full days since either of us had gone anywhere by way of my vehicle. We both enjoyed the short drive, seeing - from afar - two of our favorite photographers, and picking up Hallie's gorgeous photos.

I'm waiting to share Hallie's individual photos until her birthday in a few weeks, but here are the amazing photos she took of Hallie and her besties. We have seven years of dance pictures of them together and I cherish both the images and the special relationship they capture.

Two
Homeschool has had - as I'm sure is the case for everyone giving it a go for the first time ever (and probably after previously saying "I could NEVER homeschool my kids") - its fair share of ups and downs. Here are a few of the ups!

Laws of Motion science experiment

Cincinnati Zoo daily livestream

Lick Creek Park hike

Poetry tea time

Art + snack cookie decorating

Study companion

Tux is both thrilled that Will is home all day every day and
bothered that the rest of us are also home all day every day.

Three
At home dance lessons, soccer practices, and track training sessions have also been interesting. Like me when it comes to physical fitness and working out, both Will and Hallie thrive on the community aspect of their lessons and practices. Learning a new tap dance alone in the living room or timing a solo run around the elementary school track just don't motivate them to perform as they would with fellow athletes by their sides.

That said, Will and Hallie are trying as hard as they can - with a little nudge from me every now and again - to keep their skills from sliding.

We stopped at a small basketball court while on a walk, and when Will shot the ball through the hoop, it got stuck in the net. We spent the next few minutes making slow motion videos of him trying to knock the ball loose.

Also, Will and I came up with a sports-related silver lining. Track season had just begun when we left school for spring break. It seems we won't return to school for quite some time, and Texas UIL has suspended all sanctioned activities until May 4th, so for Will, his first track season is effectively over. And since he won both the 800m and the 1,600m in his first - and only - track meet, he can forever say that he finished his 7th grade track season undefeated.

Four
Happiness Highlights at Home

I started using a pretty new bar of soap.

This is what I look like after Mossa Fight in my living room. Awful,
I know, but I was so happy these two joined me for the workout!

I found my cowboy boots while cleaning my closet!
Haven't worn these babies in probably five years.

Our play/music/family room has become Tom's
office now that he's working from hom. He spent
part of the week setting up his space...and that
included building himself a standing desk!

Apprentice rehearsal via Zoom was a blast!

Hallie and I finally finished assembling
the Friends' Central Perk Lego set!

No caption needed.

What a fun movie night!

Tom and Hallie spent quite a bit of last weekend working on our
new garden. The space is finished...now we wait to see if the
veggies and herbs (hopefully) take off!

Perhaps the highlight of my week was this "hangout"
with my friends, who I miss so much. We parked in a
row (that's me, then Mandi, then Jenn, then Rebecca),
and from the safety of our cars, we talked and laughed
and pretended that the world wasn't crashing and
burning around us.

Five
Happiness Highlights Around the World 

• Balcony music in Spain
• Zoom choir concert
• Environmental rebirth
• A good laugh

Happy weekend, friends!

Dressed to Impress

I've been helping Tom get dressed since we started dating more than 18 years ago. He's good at a lot of things...matching colors, putting outfits together, and determining what style/level of attire to wear in a specific situation are not included in this category.

My job was the hardest back when Tom first started working as an Assistant Professor at TAMU. He'd never needed to dress formally (at least not regularly) so he had no idea how to match a shirt with a tie, pants with socks, or a belt with shoes, nor did he know how to pull an entire outfit together with a coordinating jacket. I lost track of how many times he came out of the bedroom dressed, only to have me send him back to the closet to change. More than once Hallie - who was between two and four at the time - sent him back to change, as even she could see that the colors and/or styles he'd chosen didn't work together.

At this point Tom has been - and has therefore dressed like - a professor for about nine years, and in that time his clothing-related skills have improved dramatically. I still pick out all of his outfits for conferences, and on occasion Hallie or I still send him back to the closet (or worse, I tell him at the end of the day - after not seeing him before he left for work - that he can't wear a particular outfit again), but for the most, he finally has it mostly figured out.

MOSTLY...

Tom walked in the door after a long day at work and the first thing out of my mouth was, "what's wrong with your shirt?" Not the most sensitive greeting, I know. But I couldn't help notice that his shirt did not fit correctly.

Tom explained that as he was preparing to speak about engineering to a large group of TAMU students, his department offered him a new TAMU engineering polo shirt. He requested a size large, they pulled the shirt from the box, and he threw it on before heading to - and apparently "crushing" (his words) - his presentation.

I told Tom I was thrilled he'd "crushed" his presentation, but that there was no way the shirt he had on was a large, given how tightly it clung to his torso and shoulders and that it barely reached the top of his belt in length. I then wondered aloud if perhaps the reason the students had enjoyed his presentation so much was because he had showed off his broad shoulders and washboard abs...

Tom assured me he had on a size large shirt, but I still didn't believe him and insisted on checking the tag. When I did so, I discovered that the shirt was a large alright...a ladies large.

And this, my friends, is why he married me: so he won't show up at work in a ladies polo shirt. At least not for the second time.

High Five for Friday (3.20.20)

What a week, amiright?

I thought about scrapping this and future posts, as keeping up with the blog while finishing other writing assignments AND homeschooling my kiddos feels a little overwhelming, but then I was reminded that now is not the time to give up on High Five for Friday. I may at some point change up how/what I share on Tuesdays, but the High Five for Friday posts must continue. Because it's more important than ever to find the good - even if its just something minuscule - in every day.

One
The last few days - weeks, even - have been tough for everyone, but particularly so for overworked and understaffed health care workers, those with compromised immune systems who are at a higher risk of contracting and/or becoming severely ill from the Corona Virus, hourly employees of organizations and institutions that have temporarily closed their doors, and families that find themselves without childcare because of school closures.

I consider myself incredibly lucky to not fall into any of these categories. Tom and I don't work in the healthcare field. Though I worry about Will, who has asthma, he has strong lungs for someone with this condition and the rest of our immediate and extended families are relatively healthy. Tom and I are both still able to work from home, and as a professor, Tom will be teaching his classes online for the remainder of the semester. And because we can work from home - and my kids are old enough to stay home alone when necessary - we don't need to worry about childcare.

So if there is a way our family can help yours, please don't hesitate to reach out. My email address is erinlferris@yahoo.com and my phone number is 734.678.5125. I can provide meals or groceries, or share disinfecting wipes or toilet paper. I can drop off activity books, puzzles, or games for little ones who are tired of being at home, or wine and chocolate for mamas who feel the same way. I can chat on the phone with those who need to talk, or share good books with those who need quiet. Hang in there, friends. We'll get through this.

Two
Will returned home last Friday - thank goodness - and brought back from his trip the most perfect gifts for all of us. I know he had help paying for everything he purchased, but as he presented each of us with what he'd chosen, I could tell he had put a great deal of thought into what we would enjoy and appreciate.

For Hallie, he picked out a stuffed panda from
the Smithsonian National Zoo. He also bought
them a set of Ying and Yang necklaces to share.

For me, he picked out this book about RBG. He
also chose Albert Einstein socks for Tom and brought
home two games for the entire family to enjoy.

I can't wait to start my book about Ruth Bader Ginsberg!

Three
After more than a week of getting up whenever I felt like it (except on last Friday morning, when my alarm went off at 7:20am so I could make it to my favorite combat class at the gym), I decided the time had come to finally adjust to Daylight Saving Time. I started getting up at 6:55am - which gives me enough time to brew a cup of coffee before The Today Show goes live - and though I strongly dislike getting up before the sun, I have enjoyed having an hour or so to myself before the rest of the family wakes up and we start our days together.

Four
Before things went to hell in a hand basket at the end of last week, we managed to fit in Hallie's individual dance pictures as well as the "besties photo shoot" we do every year. I can't wait to share the finished products!

Behind the scenes.

A screen capture of an Instagram story
featuring a picture of the back of the
camera. Did you follow that? 😂

And another one!

The first ever Shannon Morton Photography traveling photo party!

Five
Happiness Highlights Before Social Distancing

While in Michigan for work, Tom visited our first house. March
in Michigan looks a little bleak, but this house brings back lots of
warm and cozy memories none-the-less.

Off to see Emma with lots of our dance friends!

That's my niece, Lily, presenting her nonfiction writing at
her district's last school board meeting.

She was so excited to welcome him home. So excited,
in fact, that she forgot to wear clothes to the airport. (Just
kidding, of course. But doesn't this pic kind of make it
look like she skipped getting dressed that morning?)

We were all so happy to have him home.

Happiness Highlights After Social Distancing

Learning about giraffes via Facebook
live, courtesy of Aggieland Safari.

Hiking at Lick Creek Park.

Starting off St. Patrick's Day with a little "orange" juice.

Headed out on our morning walk - this one
had a basketball theme - on St. Patty's Day.

Green cupcakes with gold and rainbow sprinkles!

My lemon tree as SO MANY FLOWERS. Come on,
bees - do your thing and turn these flowers into lemons!

Happy Friday, friends!

Let It Go Into the Unknown

After multiple attempts to put together a post about the Corona Virus, I decided to scrap the post completely. We all need a little less of that and little more of this.

Late last Saturday afternoon I found Hallie performing (for no one in particular) the entire Frozen 2 CD in our living room. As I watched her sing and dance her way through "When I'm Older" and "Do the Next Right Thing", I felt a sense of deja vu and could almost picture a smaller version of her passionately belting out similar musical theater numbers. Sure enough, a quick search found this video, of a newly five-year-old Hallie singing the appropriately titled "Let it Go" from Frozen. I'm sharing it because it reminds me that 1) she was adorable back then, 2) though she has grown up and changed tremendously, she is still just as creative and passionate and theatrical as she was six years ago, and 3) let's face it, most of us could all benefit from "letting go" of some pandemic-related stress, anxiety, and fear.

I'm also sharing - with her permission - a video of almost 11-year-old Hallie singing the also appropriately titled "Into the Unknown" from Frozen 2. Because let's face it, we have no idea what to expect as we venture "into the unknown" territory ahead of us.

Hang in there, friends! We can do this!

High Five for Friday (3.13.20)

One
Last Thursday Will competed in his and I attended my first middle school track meet. Here's what I learned:

• Track meets last FOREVER. I'm not kidding, folks - the meet started at 4pm and ended at 10pm. And because the meet took place in Huntsville, an hour away from College Station, Will and I pulled into our driveway at 11pm. On a school night. 😫 
• Track meets are both incredibly exciting and tremendously boring. Moments - even minutes - of intense competition are followed by lengthy periods of waiting.
• Track meets take place in both sweltering and frigid weather...on the same day. When the meet started, I had on a short-sleeved t-shirt and sunglasses. By the time the meet ended, I had added a sweatshirt, a coat, a hat, and gloves and wrapped myself in three blankets. 
• Watching Will compete - in just about anything - makes my heart feel like it's going to burst. He always gives 100%, not just physically, but mentally and emotionally as well. He is there to win, yes, but when he doesn't he can always walk away knowing he left absolutely everything on the field/court/course/track. And when he does win? That's just the icing on the cake. 

Pizza for dinner at 11:10pm!

In case anyone is wondering, Will is a distance runner, not a sprinter, and he doesn't participate in any field events. He runs the 3,200m, 1,600m, and 800m, and in this meet ran the 1,600m and 800m.

Two
I say it every year, and I'll say it again: I despise Daylight Saving Time. I don't want to lose an hour of sleep on Saturday night. I don't want to spend Sunday searching for all of my clocks' manuals in order to figure out how to change their times. I don't want to feel like I'm "behind" as we move through our Sunday activities and chores. I don't want to wake up under the cover of darkness on Monday morning. I don't want to take Will to school before the sun comes up and for Hallie to walk to school in only the beginnings of daylight. And I know I fall into the minority here, but I prefer my daylight in the morning hours, rather than the evening hours. I just don't need sun - and the oppressive heat it brings - until 9:30pm.

~ RANT OVER ~

The high five here, at least for me, is that the change has come and gone for this year and we don't have to make it again for another 12 months. Hallelujah!

Did you know there is a 10% increase in heart attacks on the Monday and Tuesday following our shift to Daylight Saving Time? (source) Maybe we'll all eventually come to our senses and decide to listen to our bodies - following the lead of states like Arizona and Hawaii that don't observe Daylight Saving Time - and stop setting ourselves up for sleep deprivation, decreased immune function, and out-of-whack circadian rhythms... 

Three
Will comes home today! He spent the week in Washington D.C. with my parents, and while I know he had a great time and was in excellent hands, I'm excited to have him back under my roof again. And I promise to share more about his adventures next week.

Four
Tom also traveled during spring break, so Hallie and I spent Monday through Thursday holding down the fort on our own. We had a lovely time getting together with friends, celebrating birthdays, painting pottery, going to the movie theater, going for walks, and watching Netflix, reading books, eating take out, and relaxing at home.

Tough girls getting ready to fly!

Preparing to indulge in their gigantic vanilla milkshakes topped with
full slices of rainbow cake and heart-shaped raspberry macarons. 

Trying out Sweet Paris' crepes. It seems she inherited my
inability to open my eyes for pictures when it's bright outside.

Working on her hedgehog at U Paint It.

Almost 11 is not the age at which kids - at least
this one - outgrow their love for jumping in puddles.

We had plans to celebrate Kara and Hallie's 10th birthdays at IFLY and Houston's Magical Unicorn Dessert Bar, but when Hallie broke her wrist two days prior to our scheduled trip, we had to postpone. We finally went on Monday, which happened to be Kara's 11th - yes, 11th - birthday, because that was the first day in a full calendar year on which all three moms and all three girls were free. 😂

Five
Happiness Highlights

This picture makes me smile every time it comes across
my social media feeds. I hope it makes you smile too. 

Hallie had to write and perform a puppet show - and make the
stick puppets - for her theatre class. She LOVED every part of
the project, including performing it for me multiple times.

The little girl in front of me at the track meet whiled away the hours
by drawing and coloring. When she finally got to go home (about 30
minutes before me) she gave me these two pictures - it was so sweet!

I forgot to include in last week's post that I had a chance to watch
both local high schools' color guards perform their winter shows.
Their competitions are always out of town, so when they did a local
showcase for parents and friends, I had to fit it into my schedule.

He may not share the couch with me, but he's still a buddy.

Thank goodness for live streams, which allow us to watch
Lily's dance competitions from hundreds of miles away!

Operation "learn how to do a bun" is
underway, and going reasonably well!

Will and Hallie spent their last night before his
trip in this epic fort. Sometimes they still like
to spend time together. 😍

Happy weekend, friends!