Visiting Weber’s Cider Mill Farm for their Fall Harvest Festival and neighboring Peachberry Farm for apple picking had become somewhat of an annual tradition for our family. It’s one of the best apple picking options nearby. Last year Nora wasn’t old enough to walk. This year was a whole different story.

An enchanted forest. A petting farm. Pony rides. Ice cream trucks. Our first pumpkin patch of the season. I’m not sure how we haven’t been to Clark’s Elioak Farm before but we’re definitely adding it to our seasonal rituals.

I especially appreciate the safety precautions the farm is taking (timed entry and reduced capacity, face masks, and social distancing enforced, etc.) I find more and more as we start to safely explore the world around us how much the pandemic has impacted both Dakota and Nora socially. At the sight of even small groups of people Nora prefers to be carried, immediately tightening her legs around my waist, and Dakota without hesitation grabs and holds onto my hand.

It makes sense. More than one third of Nora’s life has been spent primarily at home. Aside from a few months in which Alex and I used to enjoy a weekly date night, she’s never spent a waking moment not by my side. Dakota has always been cautious by nature but she used to (sometimes timidly) jump in and play with other children at playgrounds, on playdates, etc. Lately she’s exhibited a new fear of me leaving her. Sometimes she worries if I simply go upstairs without her in our own home. Both girls clearly prefer empty playgrounds.

Dakota and Nora eventually warm up to new places and faces but there is still a clear attachment to mama that perhaps wouldn’t exist if it weren’t for the pandemic. A silver lining is the strong bond the two are forming with each other. Constant companions, chasing, giggling, and protecting each other.

Before COVID-19, Alex and I had planned on sending Dakota to a local preschool for a couple hours a day, twice a week. She’s a bright girl who is eager to learn, but above all we wanted to give her the social interaction it was abundantly clear she craved and needed. The pandemic has forced us into a new reality. We are lucky in several ways, including the flexibility of my job so that I can continue to stay home with both girls, work part time, and now also homeschool them both.

Hello, my name is Christine and I am a Type-A overachiever. There was no half-assing this one. Ergo a full-fledged 5-day-a-week preschool curriculum developed from what I like best about Montessori, Waldorf and just plain old regular preschool — all customized to meet the individual needs and interests of Dakota and Nora.

I’ve learned a lot along the way: Dakota has the patience and concentration to sit and learn for long periods of time — only as long as I am by her side (more for companionship than needing direction). Nora – on the other hand – checks out at only a few minutes into most activities, preferring to climb all over mama during lessons, tear up Dakota’s beloved crafts, dismember every single laminated flash card I make, and consume copious amounts of Elmer’s glue. Oh, and five days a week is often asking too much of myself so it’s okay to take more time off to simply explore the world around us without regimen.

There’s no one size fits all for all families. I’m not a trained educator. I wouldn’t even dare to claim to know what I’m doing. But I’ll share here what we’ve found works for us.

About a week ago I started taking the girls for little outdoor adventures away from our neighborhood. We’re learning to loosen the reigns so that the girls can continue to experience life while also remaining safe. So far that includes empty (or sparse) trails, parks and playgrounds.

We’re lucky to live near the water where a ten minute drive puts the girls hands in the sand, toes in the water, and sunshine on their giggling faces.

Lately, we’ve been obsessed with finding new lunch picnic settings several days a week. As part of this month’s homeschool Farm Unit, I thought it appropriate to find a fun spot where we could also feed some ducks. It’s one of our favorite things to do in downtown Annapolis.

The weather being a bit overcast meant no crowds and plenty of room to safely run around and explore. Somehow lunch on the dock turned into lunch on a pirate ship with plenty of “walk the plank!!!”

Mother’s Day was a lot different this year. Although we typically stay home anyway (Alex cooks!), it’s certainly unusual to feel a bit more confined within even our own neighborhood. All the same, I couldn’t feel any more lucky to be mama to my baby girls.

This Easter was quite different since we could not gather with family to celebrate. It was the first Easter when Nora could somewhat grasp that the day was special so we celebrated just the four of us with Easter basket goodies, breakfast coffee cake, a big dinner of pulled pork + the girls’ favorite (hidden cauliflower!) mac and cheese, a movie rental (Trolls 2) and, of course, an Easter egg hunt.

2019 brought our family one of its greatest gifts — little Nora. A new tradition around here, my brother graciously commemorates each New Year with family photos, capturing those brief moments in time I wish I could hold onto forever. This year was no exception.

We couldn’t finish out the holiday season without embarking on our first adventure ice skating as family of four. Offering all the outdoor fresh air without the crowds of other more popular seasonal ice rinks, the Ice Rink at Quiet Waters Park was the perfect spot for Dakota’s first time on the ice.

It just wouldn’t feel like Fall without a little seasonal apple picking adventure. This was both Dakota’s and Nora’s first experience apple picking and they absolutely loved it!