The One Where Graduation Was Rescheduled

May 8 - 10, 2020

This week, both girls found out that their graduation ceremonies had been rescheduled for a later date!  We could not be happier about this!  Best Mother's Day Present EVER!

Emma's will be on June 13th at the Mulhall-Orlando School gym in Mulhall.  Lara's will be July 24th at the Cox Convention Center in Oklahoma City.  Lots of People have lots of feelings about both of these situations.  We are just glad we are going to get something close to traditional!  Even if it is still months away and it is not what we originally planned!

In the meantime, the girls have been finishing up their college courses which ended this week and working towards the last few high school class assignments - which will end Friday of next week.  It's all coming to a weird, slowly approaching end.  Not at all the hustle and bustle we expected!  In some ways, we like the slow better.  But missing the fun end of year events is also pretty sad.

Friday night, Lara went to her Best Friend Erika's little sister's 10-year-old birthday party!  That kid is pretty lucky that a bunch of 17 and 18-year-olds love her so much!

Annah, Erika, Lara, Kendall and B-day girl Alyssa

Saturday was pretty much par for the course.  Waiting out the quarantine.  Netflix, TikTok, TV, memes, the dog.  But Sunday was Mother's Day. Emma came to Stillwater to see me.  My kids gave me awesome cards and gifts.  We went to Golden Oaks to see Grandma Mary and Grandpa Jake.  Then we went to Perkins to See Nana and Grandpa.  Britt made an awesome cajun pasta in the Instantpot for dinner.  It was a GREAT Mother's Day!  So glad these two reds made me a mom almost 18 years ago!  I do miss our Sunday night family meetings, though... No need for them these days!

Cool necklace!  A pearl for each of my 4 kids

The Posse!  Jake (13), Lara (17), Finn (8), Emma (17)

Jake photo bombing Emma and I at Golden Oaks

The next 2 weeks are going to be hard.  So many events scheduled that just aren't happening.  Senior Awards assembly.  Senior Walk.  The big concern we were taking Lara to. There should have been a state baseball tournament to be at. Emma's last day of high school and graduation.  Lara's last day of school and graduation. End of year sports banquets.  Baccalaureate services.  But, the one thing that isn't changing, is Emma and Lara will be 18 years old in JUST FOUR DAYS!  Look out world, they're coming for you!

The One Where Sanctions Were Eased

May 1 - 3, 2020

As of Friday, May 1, 2020, Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt has relaxed some of the restrictions on Oklahoma businesses as Phase 1 of the state reopening.  Stillwater Mayor Will Joyce was trying to be more conservative about the reopening, and it backfired.  Masks were required for stores, and workers trying to enforce this rule were met with threats, including firearms, and were not backed up by local law enforcement.  So, Stillwater Oklahoma, Mayor Will Joyce and City Manager Norman McNickle ended up on the national news.  Not the look we were going for.  This pandemic has brought out the worst in some people.  And the best in others.  We had a bright moment this week when we got to see the Oklahoma Air National Guard fly over the Stillwater Mecial center in 4 planes ina tight formation as a thank you to our healthcare workers and first responders.  Too bad that was Thursday, and Friday turned into a mess!  But, more stores are open, and as this Phase 1 reopening occurs, we are watching for when Phase 2 will be.

Lara had a better weekend than she has been having.  With the Phase 1 reopening, we have allowed her to see some of her friends as they practice social distancing.  She took Jake to a snow cone stand, and they went to Chris' University Spirit to pick up her Senior Blanket.  SO, a little test of normal as she wraps up her college concurrent classes this week.  She still has one more week after that of high school classwork.

There was no Baseball Senior Night, but we got the blanket!

Emma is still in Kay county, living with her Grandpa Bruce and working at Napa in Newkirk while finishing up her concurrent classes and high school work.

They are both looking forward tho their 18th birthday coming up soon!

The One With The "Adoptions"

April 24-26, 2020

Still on "Safer-At-Home" restrictions.  Still feeling the quarantine (to the tune of Dolly Parton's song "Jolene").  Still doing distance learning and trying to salvage the end of the semester.  And 2.5 weeks till the Twisters' 18th birthday.  The days all look the same, but they keep marching on!  The official end of school date for both girls is May 14.  Still no word on Graduation ceremonies for either of them.  Emma is still mostly living in Ponca City and working at Napa in Newkirk.  Lara is here with us, spoiling her dog and doing homework between Netflix binges.

So, this new "thing" popped up on Facebook recently.  All of the country and in a few different formats.  Pages where you can "Adopt a 2020 Senior" and spoil them with fun graduation gifts.  Britt thought it would be fun to put Emma and Lara on an Oklahoma based page, so he did.  Then I put them on a different Oklahoma adoption page that I was invited to.  So, they have been "adopted" by strangers.  One page, the same woman adopted them both.  The other page, they were adopted separately.  We are excited to see what comes in the mail in the next few weeks!  We also adopted a Senior from Enid and are currently collecting fun things for his box!  It's fun shopping for a young man for a change!

Sunday, the stay at home situation got to us all a little bit.  Lara had a bit of a breakdown because other parents are not following the rules as closely as we are.  But, she has asthma, and Finn has Chronic Lung Disease, so exposure for us is not an option.  I know it sucks.  I know its hard.  I know it can be boring.  I know.  But we're trying to make the most of it!

The only picture I have from this weekend is of Evie.  In Lara's NEERS shirt...

And a parting thought...

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