What's Getting Me Through Quarantine (Days 1-10)

• Chocolate chips & peanut butter
• My new gratitude journal
• Good books
• Writing letters to loved ones
• Puzzles
• Having my teacher husband home with us
• Diamond dot art (have you tried it yet???)
• Homeschooling: our emotions unit; this history read aloud & Prodigy for math
• Organizing all.the.things
• Facetime & phone calls with family & friends
• My 5:00am quiet time 
• Social media, especially my Bookstagram friends like her & her & her
• Evening walks with Josh & Grady

I have not left my house to run errands (except to sit in the car while we pick up the kids school lunches- the kids are required to be present, and they hand them to us through the car window) since March 15th.  That's ten days of being home, in quarantine.  I told Josh that at first I was surprised at how well I was handling it all, especially considering my worst type of anxiety is health anxiety.  (I'm looking at you, Coronavirus)

But then I thought about it some more, and realized, we used to do this for nine months at a time.  We would fly (in August) into our village in Alaska (where Josh taught elementary school) and be away from friends & family until mid-May.  My entire life would happen within the four walls of our home, barring an occasional visit to the post office or co-op (local "store" that was like a glorified, overpriced gas station).  Thankfully we also had friends there, a handful of fellow teachers whom we could spend time with, but most of our living happened in our home. (I'm looking at you, -30 degree weather)

One thing I am doing that is helping (a lot) with my sanity is waking up before the kids.  I spend that time doing whatever I want.  Sometimes I just scroll my phone.  But mostly I am reading or journaling, and, per the advice of my newest library book (The Stress Solution) I am saying a mantra, out loud, for two minutes. At first it felt kind of weird, but YOU GUYS when the kids start fighting and the twins are brawling over a Lego piece while Carly lays on the floor crying because I won't let her have a bag of chips for breakfast, my mantra pops right into my head and reminds me that "I am calm and in control." It is like legit magic. Highly recommend.

For homeschooling the kids, I am using the anxiety workbook a friend's counselor recommended for my kids' anxiety. It's called "What to do when you worry too much", was less than $10 on Amazon, and is SUPER easy to work with, including the kids in each lesson with drawings and discussions.  I am LOVING it.  We're also enjoying reading The History of the World by Susan Wise Bauer out loud each day.  It's the story of the world, with tons of fascinating history facts, but written in story form, so it keeps the kids' interest. We're doing Prodigy for math, and that is saving my life because my kids think they are playing a game (similar to Zelda, maybe?) with quests, but they are really doing math! Win/win!

Having my teacher husband home is, of course, also making homeschooling easier.  He is in charge of doing Science (we use Mystery Doug) and Kahoots (a competition the boys love to do) as well as running a Storyline Online while I shower.

In addition to school, I am aiming to do (at least) one thing each day that stays done (like, not dishes & laundry), and that has mainly been organizing, room by room, closet by closet. I just tackle one small thing each day.  Every single person in the house has commented on the junk drawer since I organized it last week. (It was really bad! hah!) I'm also staying busy with reading, a new sea shell puzzle and the diamond dot art the boys and I are trying to finish for Wyatt's bedroom.  (He got it for Christmas from my mom- it's been a team effort all the way!)

I shared on Instagram yesterday that before we all got stuck in our houses, I stopped by Barnes & Noble (oh how I miss you Barnes & Noble) in Vancouver and happened to pick up a gratitude journal for $8.  It has spots to write three things you're grateful for daily, and it's been a really great way for me to look for the silver lining among this craziness.  I have never been so grateful for social media as I have been in the last week and a half.  Checking on my friends, laughing at Covid19 memes (truly the best medicine) and cheering everyone to carry on has buoyed my spirit.  I also hit 500 followers on Instagram which feels exciting!

Three things I'm grateful for right now:

• A warm cup of coffee in my hand
• Sunny weather for my kids to play in
• That I get to be stuck with my favorite people

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around here: week 7 2020

{February 9 - February 15}

Avoiding... the grocery store with what Josh called top level avoidance skills (thankyouverymuch) by spending Sunday making tortillas, banana bread and homemade bread, all from scratch, simply so I wouldn't have to go to the grocery store until Monday.  Haha!

Reading... Long Bright River, Terilingua Teacher and Wait Till Helen Comes.  I'm listening to Long Bright River on audio, and it is captivating.  It reminds me of the latest season (Season 20) of Intervention that I watched.  It's called "The Hub" and covers the same area of Philadelphia that the book talks about.  The main character, Mickey, is a police officer with a sister who is an addict.  It's a gripping story about choices, family, and the effects of trauma. 

I'm reading Wait Till Helen Comes to the boys at bedtime and we are loving it. It's a book I remember checking out of my school library many (many!) times in elementary school, and when I found it recently at our Friends of the Library book sale, I was overjoyed. It is a bit spooky, but since we are reading it together, it's been fine.  (And it is age appropriate.)

Terilingua Teacher is a book my Grandpa Harold sent me along with a letter when we still lived in Alaska.  In the letter he said that the book reminded him of what Josh and I were doing- teaching/living in an extremely challenging, rural area.  He said we were heroes in his book. A HUGE compliment.  Despite the compliment and the effort he put into sending me the book, I never read it.  (It's been probably 5+ years, and he has since passed away) I made it a goal this year to read it, and I am so glad I did.  The book was good, but more than that, I feel like I got a glimpse of my Grandpa that I otherwise wouldn't have gotten.  For instance, when he reads, he marks the paragraph he left off on with a little cross, or small t.  Also, he censored the book for me, blacking out the f-word.  That made me smile. 

Loving... the time the kids spend on the trampoline lately.  They have all kinds of games they play on there.  Some involve jumping over each other, playing with a ball or even taking pillows onto it, but they are all very creative and help them get lots of exercise out there.  I also love how Grady thinks it's his job to sit outside the trampoline while they are on it. #guarddog

Stressing... about parenting this week.  Some things went down that I won't go into here, but there was truth & lies involved and it was incredibly hard on my mama heart.  Josh and I were able to talk through most of it, and by the end of the week together we had solved the problems, and feel we mostly have a handle on the situation... but I am telling you, I think back to the days when I was able to wake up and watch Doc McStuffins on Disney channel with the boys, not shove them out the door (backpacks on! did you get your lunch? don't forget to turn in your homework!) and I think how I had no idea how easy I had it.  I had no idea how simple those days were, how I took for granted the straightforward answers that existed in response to any problems we had.  Now it's all shades of grey and praying I'm doing the right thing, and winging it SUPER HARD.

Taking... a bath to help deal with the stress.  The night everything imploded a migraine struck suddenly and I didn't know what else to do, so I took my weary bones and climbed in the bath. It was just what I needed.  It's good to know a little self care goes a long way.

Running... errands with Wyatt, who was the best helper, when he was home sick with a cold.  While in the car, he went through my center console and found all the sunglasses that were in there, and he and Carly put them ALL on at once.  It was hilarious!  On days like that, when running errands with them in tow is so lovely, I wonder just what I'll do with myself when Carly starts school in a year and half. {sob}

Loving... my new lipstick! I decided to try an actual lipstick after growing tired of reapplying lip gloss every ten minutes, and I'm so happy with the result.  I went with Milani BOLD color matte lipstick in I Am Fabulous.  It was just under $6 and I love it!  I was nervous to try a matte color, but it actually stays on so much longer, and I can always add a gloss on top if I want a little sparkle.
(You can click on the link above and order it online if you can't find it in your local Walmart.)  

Kicking... myself when Carly's cavity-filling appointment (with the sleepy juice, etc.) was canceled because she snuck two drinks of water when I wasn't looking.  As one can imagine, mornings at our house are pretty chaotic.  Everyone is up by 6:30am.  Josh leaves around 6:40am and then the real crazy begins.  Making lunches, eating breakfast, getting chores done, etc.  Well, somewhere between the time I got Carly up and dressed and when we had to leave for her appointment, I found her with a water bottle in her hand, sucking on the straw like it was going out of style.
sigh.
Apparently the "sleepy juice" makes kids super nauseous, and to reduce the likelihood of throwing up (and aspirating on it) they require kids have no food or drink for 8 hours prior to the procedure.  So we had to reschedule for two weeks out. Fingers crossed I can keep her out of the kitchen that morning!!

Volunteering... in Wyatt's {third grade} classroom to help during math groups & wondering how teachers anywhere do anything! You are all AMAZING! The 40 minutes FLEW by, and by the time we were really in the groove, it was time to move on to the next subject.  Also, I only work with seven kids, and I feel completely inadequate when they all have their hands raised, questions to ask, answers to be checked... I can only imagine if I had 25 or 28 or 32 students I had to juggle.  We put so many expectations on our teachers- to teach our children, to mentor them, to help them catch up if they are behind and to instill in them a love of learning... I am married to a teacher, so I thought I understood what teaching was all about- the struggles, etc.- but I had no idea until I myself set foot in a classroom.  Now I'm pretty sure Josh has a magic wand hidden somewhere, because the job we set before our teachers is mighty near impossible, yet somehow he accomplishes it.

Laughing... this week when Carly told me she was drawing a picture of me, but I was grumpy.  When I asked why I was grumpy and she replied, "I'm afraid it can't be helped!" I cracked up and then she told me that I was grumpy because she made a mess (she then drew the mess on the white board) and that was why it couldn't be helped. Some of her one-liners are too good!!!

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around here :: week 4 2020

{January 17-25}

{Birthday Girl!}

{Pregnant with Carly May}

Sending... the twins back to school after Logan missed seven school days thanks to pneumonia and Jack missed five thanks to Influenza A and a double ear infection. Thankfully after emailing each of their teachers (they have 14 total) a lot of their work was excused.  But they still had quite a bit of catch up to do this week as it was the end of the quarter and some things can't be skipped (hello tests & papers!).

Humbled... by the ease with which Josh is able to help the twins with their math homework.  I am so lost (already!) when they ask me for help seeing as math was never my strong suit, so I am really impressed by Josh's ability.  I'm super thankful he's around and willing to help in that way. #teacherhusbandforthewin

Thankful... that the twins started feeling better before I got super sick with Influenza A.  They were so super helpful while I was sick, doing extra chores and taking care of me and Carly (who must have been bored out of her mind, poor girl!).  She was also a real trouper- scouring the pantry for snacks when she was hungry and asking me, "Are you a little bit better yet?" every day.

Working... really hard on resting up and recovering fully.  It has been a long, slow road.  Thursday I finally decided to go in and be seen since Carly was with my mother-in-law. (Thank you, Carol!)  My doctor was as sweet as could be, but really, there was nothing he could do for me.  I wasn't running a fever, and my lungs sounded clear, so I just needed to give it more time.
As this week ended (Saturday the 25th) I was still needing naps and feeling like garbage.  I have never had an illness wipe me out the way this one did.  I took two naps a day all week and had to rest after walking up or down the stairs. Coughing kept me up all night, and I was miserable as could be.  I'm really hoping next week I am 100%!

Receiving... my Book of the Month order for January and feeling ecstatic!  I ordered three books this time, knowing that most of this year I am going to be on book buying hiatus.  I got:

• Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston
• Dear Edward by Ann Napolitano
• The Glittering Hour by Iona Grey

I haven't talked about Book of the Month in a while. I love it. It's $14.99 a month, which gets you a book shipped.  Then, if you want to, you can add on any two additional books for only $9.99 each.  For hardback books, which are normally $24-$28, this is a steal!  And if the five books they are offering that month don't appeal to you, you can skip that month with no penalties. I have even put my account completely on hold by simply calling their 800 number when I went on a long term book buying ban. I have zero complaints, only good things to say about them and highly recommend them to all readers who love to add books to their libraries. 

Indebted... to my  mom and sister, who took all three of my boys for an afternoon of bowling and cousin time despite the fact that I was too sick to join them. Josh met them halfway (bless his heart, too) and the boys had the time of their lives.  Thanks girls!!!

Laughing... when Josh told me that the "writing" on Carly's white board was a "list" for her brothers from chore day (Sunday) when mommy was too sick to write one.
Normally on Sunday the boys "To Do List" is written on the giant black board in the kitchen.  It will include things like which bathroom they have to clean, what they have to vacuum and if they have any other special chores.  Well, in my absence Carly made sure they had lists to read and check off.  Gosh I love that girl.

Celebrating... Carly's fourth birthday with a cake and ice cream, and a few presents.  She woke up asking for cake, so I blew up some balloons and gave her her kitty headband.  She was overjoyed!  Later, after a nap for me, we made her cake.  And after another nap, we frosted it.  I felt terrible being so sick on her birthday, but I was grateful knowing she was happy just to have balloons to play with and a few presents to open later.
At Christmas time I had been looking into getting her some magnetic building tiles, but decided on some other gifts instead.  Well, a deal popped up on my Facebook feed (thanks for stalking my shopping, Facebook) that was too good to pass up!  Zulily had a set of Picasso Tiles that were regular $99 on sale for $35, so I ordered them and put them away for Carly's birthday.  They were a huge hit!  All the kids love them. 

Puzzled... over the places I find sparkly blue toothpaste in the boys' bathroom upstairs.  Last week I found some on the floor by the bath tub and more under the toilet paper roll; and beyond that, there was a streak of it on the wall outside the twins' bedroom door.  Lord help me, what is this about? Why? Am I the only one? Do other mothers walk around, baby wipes in hand, searching valiantly for bright smudges of sticky toothpaste after their kids are in bed?
I think I am losing my mind.
Up in here.
Up in here.

Geeking out... that Kelle Hampton of Enjoying The Small Things (love her, love her blog!) commented on my instagram post about Carly growing up too fast.  I wrote about how I can easily get really sad lamenting the fact that my kids are getting bigger and I'm daily leaving the baby & toddler days behind, but Kelle Hampton's "There is more" post back in 2017 reminds me that even though the times of the past (and present) are sweet, there is more to come. More love, more memories, more good.  There is more.

Grateful, grateful, grateful... for the man that I married.  This sickness had me out for a total of 12 days, 10 of which were really terrible.  Weekend to weekend, I was so sick, and Josh had to pick up all the slack.  He made meals, did bedtime, grocery shopped and washed (according to him) more laundry in one three day period than he had done in his entire life. Haha! Oh, bless. He's just the best, and I'm so lucky he's mine.  Did I mention he did all that in addition to his full time job? And the four kids we share? 

Wondering... what the strangest thing is that you know the most about? I heard Ellen ask someone that question on a clip I saw online and it made me wonder what the strangest thing is that I know a lot about, and then consequently what my friends know about.  For me, I think it might be the zygosity of twins (identical vs. fraternal) or asthma and epilepsy. #momlife
So tell me, friends, what's your random knowledge?