The Coronavirus pandemic was still in full force, with many things still shut down, but the girls had finished school so it was time to enjoy our summer one way or another! Our options for things to do were limited so we spent quite a bit of time just hanging around the house. The girls took up the hobby of tie-dying. They each made their own shirts, and quickly found that they were quite good at it!
As the weather warmed up we spent more time lounging around outside in the sun. The girls love nothing more than just lying in the grass with their puppy. If there was one positive thing that has come out of this whole pandemic nonsense, it would be how wonderfully the girls have gotten along. One would think that they would be at each other's throats with the amount of time they have been forced to spend together, but just the opposite. They have bonded and it's lovely to see.
With most camps and programs cancelled this summer, and so few things opened, we relied on other things to occupy our time...like the pool! The second it was warm enough we headed over to my brother in law's so the girls could swim! Nothing better than a relaxing day by the pool!
As we became more comfortable starting to be around others we let the girls start to spend time with their friends again. Olivia had a small gathering with some school friends, which was so overdue, and Cecilia went to past babysitter's to see her old pals. Cece no longer goes to Holly's, but on this day a bunch of the current kids and kids from the past got together to see each other. The girls were just happy to spend time with people other than us!
Last year, towards the end of the summer the girls came up with the great idea of selling golf balls and refreshments in my mom's backyard. She lives on the 14th hole of a very busy private golf course. They were very successful and made a good lump of cash in a few weeks. Enough to have a good amount of spending money during our trip to Florida last year. Well, they kicked off their sale much earlier this year and it paid off. They quickly started making good money and they would continue their sale throughout the summer.
There were many Seniors this year that were robbed of their graduations and end of the year activities. One of our close friends, Hayley was in that position, but was lucky enough to finally have her graduation party in late June. I think this was our first social gathering since the quarantine. The girls were all very excited to see each other and to celebrate Hayley. Some of the older dance girls were there as well, which made Cecilia especially happy!
Even though more things were beginning to open back up, our activities were still limited. So, when we heard that the zoo was finally going to open back up we were thrilled! As members we got the opportunity to book a time to visit the zoo. They were operating at 50% capacity, so the crowds were small, which was nice. It was just nice to be able to do something that felt somewhat normal again!
Another major disappointment due to the quarantine was the inability to properly celebrate birthdays. Parties weren't happening and people were celebrating through Zoom. With Cece's 9th birthday approaching at the end of June, we were really hoping to be able to have a small party for her at least. People were starting to be a little more comfortable being around each other, so I was able to pull together a little get together at home with some of her close friends.
We went with an outdoor water theme, complete with water balloons, slip-n-slide fun and popsicles. The girls played for hours. They were so excited to see one another after months of being stuck at home. In between the water fun, they enjoyed pizza, cookies, presents and of course...cake!
I think our girl enjoyed her birthday to the fullest! I was just relieved that we could give her the celebration she deserved. She was able to finally spend time with her friends again and celebrate getting one year closer to double digits!
We continued the celebrating the next night with a trip to Takaoka. Todd's Mom used to take the girls to this hibachi restaurant on their birthday's. We hadn't gone since she passed away over a year ago, so we thought that Cece's birthday was the perfect time to pick up the tradition again.
I think this was our first dinner out since the quarantine, and it was worth the wait. We always know the food is going to be delicious and the show very entertaining. Cece enjoyed having the spotlight on her for the evening, well for the weekend actually, and her actual birthday wasn't even until the next day!
With Cece's birthday falling on a Monday, my mom took her and Olivia out for her birthday lunch. That evening we celebrated with presents and cake, and wrapped up a very successful 9th birthday celebration. It's hard to imagine that my baby is one year away from double digits. In many ways she is still very much my baby, and in others she is becoming a very independent young lady.
Even though the girls had been home from school for months, our summer was really just beginning. It would no doubt be one of strangest and most unique summers we have ever had, but we would still find ways to make it special.
