Besides addition, improving penmanship and learning to climb trees, I was determined to use this time at home to teach Ezra how to tie his own shoes.

Ezra has, erm, followed in my footsteps (couldn’t resist), and has pretty large feet. So it’s nearly impossible to find velcro shoes for him any longer, and we needed to get this skill under his belt. And we did!

As of last night, the kid can tie his own shoes. This probably seems like a very small deal to most of you, because most of you don’t have to bend down and tie kids shoes day after day after day. But this is a big deal over here, and we’re going to celebrate tonight with hamburgers and ice cream. Because you know what? We need to celebrate all victories right now, no matter how big or small.

So here’s the deal, we need to support newspapers.

I know I’ve been screaming about this for AGES, but please hear me out.

1. Do you trust what our president tells you about how to stay safe in this pandemic?

2. Do you believe what you hear and see on TV news is unbiased and objective?

3. Are you checking newspaper websites every day for stories and updates from your local government?

4. Are you paying for it?

Right now newspaper advertising is in the toilet because most of the things that normally advertise are not options right now — like concerts and events and shopping malls and vacations etc. So newspaper revenue is dying out before our eyes.

But at the same time, the newspaper is SO important at this moment in history! They provide information like this or like this or like this. Also? The Star Tribune provides a coloring project for kids that lasts a WHOLE MONTH! (The one being worked on here is from week 1, which will match up to 3 more weeks of projects!).

And to provide all of this amazing content, they need staff. But here’s the rub: They cannot continue to operate at this level with no advertisers. They need people to support them.

So please, please, please pay for a subscription. We love our print subscription, but you can also get an online only option for far less. Right now I’m paying for the Star Tribune, the New York Times and donating to our local community paper (who is also in dire straits). Yes, I think it’s that important.

If there is anything this administration has taught us, it’s that journalism IS IMPORTANT. Please do this for me. Actually, no. Do it for YOU.

And here are photos of my cute kid loving his Star Tribune.

Let’s all just take a moment to laugh about the fact that I am teaching math to ANYONE. If this isn’t a sign of global catastrophe, then I don’t know what is.

I mean, luckily we’re in the stages of math that I feel comfortable in. And luckily I get to teach it my way (hello preschool) so there’s none of this “new math” BS that I keep hearing about.

And see those lovely blocks up there? They are from a local artist (Oh Dier) who does amazing work. Ezra has loved these blocks for building towers since he was a baby, but now he’s using them for learning! They are the best things ever.

In a weird twist, our home soundtrack has changed a lot since this whole quarantine went into effect.

We used to play jazz / singer songwriters in the mornings, then in the daytime (when I was home alone!), I would listen to podcasts or books, and in the evening it would be rowdier (rap, pop, punk, etc).

But now we’re all home all day, and while we do work on Ezra’s music education (this week it’s Beatles, Britney, Billie Holiday, Beastie Boys, Bon Jovi, Ben Folds and Beyonce), we can’t seem to get enough Coldplay.

This is weird because we have never, ever, not once, played Coldplay in our home before this pandemic. I can only name ONE song and zero albums of theirs.

But I’ve had a few of their songs on my Peloton rides lately, and I think it’s the cinematic nature of the songs that is pulling me in. Like these times need a more dramatic background or something? Like, coloring with my kid needs a Very Important Soundtrack all of a sudden.

Anyway, it’s not just me. As I type this, I can hear Jamie replaying an album of theirs while he brushes his teeth upstairs.

Have any of you had strong preferences for your quarantine soundtrack? If so, I’d love to hear about it.

Also, the above shot was taken while listening to Coldplay and coloring. No real relevance — just a nice image.

Another Easter in Minnesota, another snow storm.

But in all seriousness, it sure doesn’t bother me this year — we’ve had the easiest winter (weather-wise) to date (and yes, I know it’s technically “spring,” but in Minnesota you aren’t clear of winter until Mid-May).

All the Plesser kids were pretty excited about the snow today. The girls begged to go out and run and the boy begged to go out and shovel. Little girls of the world, I’m raising you a fiiiiiiine man.

I captured a few shots of the dogs, because I’m gonna be real honest here and tell you that Magda is not the biggest Hazel fan. She tolerates her. And by “tolerates,” I mean she leaves the room whenever Hazel enters without a peep.

They got along great in the beginning, but the enthusiasm from our sweet (surly) Magda has waned, and to see them playing like this today made me pretty happy.

And how fun is it to see Hazels mane blowing like that? Oooo, I love those shots.

I finally finished!

Above is a short film I made about our family’s days in quarantine.

This one was a challenge for me, first of all because it was my first time shooting a film vertically (something to try for social media purposes), and it was the first time I consciously made an effort to be in the film myself since I’m the primary caretaker during these days of at home.

Not that Jamie isn’t a HUGE help — he totally is! It’s more that these are the days that I am closest to being a stay at home mom than I’ve ever been before, and man is it a challenge.

This project took so much of time today that I didn’t shoot any photos of the family. So maybe you’ll get something fresh on Monday.

In the meantime, I hope you all have a fantastic weekend ahead.

Let’s be honest, usually March in Minnesota is very, very winter-like. And then it snows a few times in April and maybe even in May. So we shouldn’t be at all surprised by the sleet/hail/snow that hit us this morning, but let’s be real, it’s just cruel at this point. Outside is our escape! Outside brings joy!

And today we are stuck inside.

Ah well. We still have the internet and our crayons. And our wine.

The dinosaurs are the only ones allowed to socialize, it seems.

Today I got to work for 3.5 solid hours on a personal project that I hope to show you in the next 2 weeks or so, which felt fantastic. I’m really lucky I have these projects going on so that I don’t completely lose my mind, but at the same time our Shelter in Place was extended today until May 4, which means we will have been home for 53 days when this is all said and done.

I can only hope that my kid will remember all the playing and cooking, and coloring and tree climbing. I hope he doesn’t hang onto the fear and the uncertainty, but rather the closeness of it all. That’s my aim, anyway.