Love, Life and Appreciation

It's Mother's Day! Oh, what it is to be a mom! Being a mom is amazing and we wish all the wonderful and strong moms and moms-to-be a very happy and safe Mother's Day.

It has certainly been different with COVID-19 still present and unfortunately, numbers in Maryland and around the world, haven't gone down. We still are making the best of the situation and doing our best to stay healthy as well. The use of digital teleconferencing has gone up significantly since the pandemic came in full force. We have spent many hours talking to friends and family on platforms like Zoom and Google Hangouts.

Yesterday, we spent more of the time talking on Zoom, and today I rested for Mother's Day. It's really been hectic the past couple of weeks, now that all Maryland public schools are closed now for the whole academic year. Now I'm homeschooling to a degree and blessed to still be working but it is still a lot on the plate. Being a mom, in general, requires so many hats and I am so thankful to have learned so much about parenting from my mom and grandparents. Now in the new normal, my mom wants to help out with going over the school worksheets and we are so going to do that. It's becoming overwhelming keeping up with the worksheets and I still want May to still like school whenever in-class learning starts again. My mother is a former teacher too. We just don't want May to be behind going into the second grade and I work on reading and other workbooks with May and Nia, because Nia is going into Kindergarten in the Fall.

Oh, the paths you make to pave a way for your children. I take Mother's Day to really reflect on the journey that is parenting and it's been a winding path of many twists and turns and also so many smiles. When I first found out I was pregnant, I couldn't believe there was life forming inside me and with the sound of their heartbeats, that joy! The first kicks, to the now strong hugs and kicking balls and throwing frisbees with the kids. Life is truly amazing and I am so thankful to have such a loving husband and wonderful father to our kids. We continue to grow as a family in knowledge and opportunities. I truly love my children and we work so hard to prove the best for them and to show them, love, kindness and respect to show to others.

With that being said, Happy Mother's Day!

Today around 11:40 am, the Blue Angels and Thunderbirds flew over our home, in a show of gratitude for frontline workers and to show were are strong through this pandemic.

I had heard about the flyover last week and that the flyover would be in both DC and the Baltimore area. I saw too that there was previously a flyover last week in the Philly metro region. I checked with my parents in New Jersey if they had seen the jets or heard them and they didn't hear them but they saw pictures of the flyover from last week, on the news.

I saw the flight path of the flyover for the Baltimore area and thought the kids, Rex, and I would be able to at least hear it. We have been to flight shows in the past and it can be very loud but so amazing what the planes can do. It was sunny today too and warm and even with the stay at home order still in place, we certainly were going to catch the flyover from either the backyard or the front of the house. Here's the map for Baltimore area:


That loop around Essex is why I knew we would at least hear them. I thought it would be better to view from the front of the house, while Rex stated the backyard would give us the most unobstructed view. We have a couple trees in the front yard in the view path of the flyover. We got out back, Rex and I politely argued about which side to look at and we were still viewing the picture of the map on my phone when we heard the flyover!  The kids were outside with us and I said, "They're here!!!!".

I got to see them and they looked absolutely amazing. The flyover was so clear and smooth. However, I was fumbling with finding the camera on my phone, and by the time I managed to start it up, they were gone. I saw them leave too. I was bummed I didn't get a picture but Rex took so many! He got them! He was ready. I just was so excited, I couldn't get the camera on my phone but also it was so nice to see with my very own eyes. Shortly after our next-door neighbor ran out of the house saying "Did I miss it?"

I looked down and said "Yeah". I felt bad I should have knocked on their door when we first got out there and our neighbor said she waited all week to see it. We have become a good neighbor over the past couple of months and I got the pictures from Rex to send to her through text. She was alright and we spoke for some time about past air shows and places to take the kids for planes and rides when things get back to normal.

The flyover was so fast but it was so nice and I'm happy the kids got to see them. The flyover wasn't as loud as I thought it would be too. I'm so thankful the Blue Angels and the Thunderbirds did this and we are all in this together! #AmericaStrong