What can I say. Baking counts for both math (measuring and fractions) and science (how ingredients work to make the final product), so it seems we are baking at least once a week at the Plesser Preschool.

This week we made chocolate chip pumpkin bread, as seen above. It is divine.

Otherwise, I’ve been super busy with some personal work projects and the emails/rescheduling that all of this is bringing on. Currently I have a few shoots next week (with less than five people who have all been quarantined for the 2 weeks), but I’m hoping we can still pull them all off. I’m itching to see some clients again!

Since we are on DAY TWENTY SIX at home with the kid (oh, how I wish that were an embellishment), I decided to make “school” more fun today. You wanna do legos instead of art class? Great. But first we’re gonna sort the legos into three categories of colors: warm, cool and neutrals. Then play away.

Oh but wait, today we’re also expanding music to more than just piano. Today, I start “music education”. In this course, we learn about six artists from each letter of the alphabet (until J, X , Q and Z I suspect). We will listen to each artist repeatedly and then there will be a quiz at the end of the day where you listen and guess the correct artist.

So far, the kid loves this, and is doing well, but he is having trouble distinguishing between Aretha and Adele. He’s only 5 — cut him some slack. Others in the grouping are AC/DC, Andrew Bird, Al Green and Arcade Fire.

And what are the parents learning these days, you ask? How to give haircuts! This weekend I cut both the boys’ hair, and I’ve had multiple requests to see how I did.

Now, I’m not gonna lie, these cuts are not at all perfect (particularly the kid’s since he wouldn’t quit wiggling), but I’m ok with them for my first attempt ever. I am posting those photos below, and I promise there was ZERO photoshop done. This is how they look.

And yeah, there’s only one image of Ezra because he’s a little tired of getting his photo taken. Who can blame him. Also, please note that his instructions to me were: DO NOT CUT IT ANY SHORTER. I WANT THE FRONT TO BE LONGER THAN MY LIPS. So I just did the sides and tried to add in texture. Frankly, I like it that he knows his style!

Today, I dragged Ezra out of the house. I needed some fresh air and the weather was terrible, so I figured if we headed into the woods, we would not meet any crowds. And I was right. We only saw 3 others there, and we kept our distance.

I brought my camera, and I am including some photos of the birds I spotted, not because they are fantastic images, but because it’s so nice to have new photos of something that is not a member of my family or something in my house.

When we arrived in the woods, it was cold and spitting rain. Then it started sleeting. Then hailing. Then snowing. So you can see why we were among the very few there — but we still had fun. And then we came home and sat by the fire.

Since tonight is Friday, we’re getting take out again from a local restaurant, and we might skip out on “school” early for some chess or Sorry.

I hope your weekends are just as exciting. We have big plans of… wait for it… cleaning the garage. What a time we are living in.

Today was the first day we had some online learning from Ezra’s preschool, and it was MAGIC.

His amazing music teacher, Ms Sarah, had the kids on zoom so they could sing their songs and play “rhythm sticks” (wooden spoons) to the beat. It was so great to have someone completely different entertain this kid without a parent needing to be present at all (alas, I did document it with photos, but next week this kid is ON HIS OWN). Plus, it was fun for him to actually SEE some of his classmates (even if only on the computer).

And? Look at how much fun he had. These teachers are rocking it with their innovations, I tell you what. This 30 minute class made our day.

And yes, my kid is still in his pajamas. We gotta pick our battles, mmmmkay?

I have never had days go by this fast and yet feel as if absolutely nothing is getting done.

I mean, let’s be real, a lot IS getting done! Today Ezra and I learned how to make homemade hummus. We made our first-ever animations (thank you Mo Willems), we went for a neighborhood walk, we cleaned the house and set up an “online meeting” with his friends via zoom. We read books and did a ton of coloring. He watched a nature show while I got in a workout, and he climbed trees while I did some minimal yard pickup and played with the dogs.

That’s a lot to fit into the first 8 hours of the day, but nothing feels concrete because my WORK isn’t getting done. My business to-do list is growing by the minute, and while I am loving this time teaching my kid chess or testing recipes in the kitchen, I also have an overwhelming list in the back of my head of what I should probably be doing instead.

It is really hard. I think I am completely winning the mom game, but failing at the business game.

But I’m taking some deep breaths, trying to give myself a little bit of grace, and also trying to figure out how I can possible squeeze more work into my days without just sitting Ezra down in front of the TV for 8 solid hours. Which at this point is what sounds best to me (and I’m sure to him!). As usual, I just need about 8 more hours in the day… or I need to have the physical ability to give up sleep entirely. And as 2014 taught me, zero sleep is not an option.

So thank you for being my therapist and letting me vent today! This is real life, I tell you what.

On an up side, Jamie and I finished this TV show last night, and it was fantastic. Not only was the writing (and music) wonderful, but the episodes are only 25 minutes long so they can be fit in quickly (obviously important to us right now).

What are you watching? I got a some great suggestions from one of you this week, but I’d love more!

Today was our 20th day at home with the kid… need I add that this is twenty days IN A ROW? Of being inside the house? Hoooo boy, but we’re doing it.

Today, Ezra joined his best friend Elliot for an online game of chess. I told you we just learned the game a few days ago, so Ezra loses a lot. Poor kid. It’s so frustrating for him, and he gets terribly upset, but then he wants to play again. So I have to respect that.

Here are a few images from their online play date today.

Two months ago, I surely would have frowned at this much screen time. Today? We had Elliot on face time on one device (and let me tell you, from my eavesdropping that child is pretty good at smack talk! I admired it!) and then Ezra was playing on my iPad. Two devices at once! Take that pediatricians!

What a world we live in.

This weekend, Ezra had a “playdate” online with his friend Elliot, and Elliot taught Ezra how to play chess online so they could play each other while staying at home.

Well, I never learned how to play chess as a kid, so I started working with the app and learning, and now we’re all gathered around the dining room table playing chess whenever we can. So that’s something fun and new for us!

It’s a little hard to teach a five year old about strategy, but sometimes he surprises us.

And if anyone is online and wants to play, let me know and I’ll set up an account!

It’s been sixteen days since I’ve seen someone face to face who is not my own family. That is crazy. And it’s been 18 days since Ezra has played with friends.

Yesterday morning I was invited to do a Peloton ride with some friends from a local ad agency. We all put our laptops by our bikes and had a zoom meeting while we did the same workout. It was super silly, but omg it was so nice just to see some faces again! Even over the computer! That lifted my spirits a lot.

Today, Ezra is supposed to have a playdate with a friend over the computer, and tonight I’m meeting a friend online to have a glass of wine and to talk about our week. This evolution of socializing is so crazy.

Around the house, we’ve watched a lot of TV (rain and snow all day), and right now the boys are downstairs baking banana bread.

Weirdly, I haven’t had time to read during this quarantine. With the attention that having Ezra here all day every day requires, reading is a little harder (until he can 100% read on his own, anyway). I miss that a lot.

And at night, Jamie and I are completely exhausted. So we’ve been binging more TV than usual. Last night we finished Counterpart on Netflix, and we just started I Am Not Okay With This, which is quite charming.

Next up, I think we’ll tackle the Tiger King.

On the work front, I’ve been doing the incredibly tedious task of getting my website SEO in order. But what better time to tackle a tedious project you’ve been avoiding for years, eh?

What are you all tackling? Anything exciting?