losing steam

This was a big week. The quarantine was extended. The schools have started prepping for end of year. Vaccines were discussed. Masks were discussed. New rules were discussed. It was rainy,  then kind of nice, then chilly. We teach the power of the word YET and I have used the word over and over this week.

My engine is running out of steam, you guys. But I see the end is near and I am doing everything I can to keep fighting the good fight. I made more masks yesterday. I continue to chat and check in with friends and family. I avoid negativity and fake news. I keep my daughter occupied and happy. 

Most of spring was cancelled. Most of summer is being cancelled. That makes me sad for all the plans we had. Then I remind myself that my safety and happiness weren't cancelled. We have proven time and time again that we can have fun anywhere. It is going to be okay. It has to be okay! I will make it okay.

I am constantly using growth mindset so now I should step back on use it on myself. This is just one hiccup in life. Granted, it is a long and scary, unknowing and potentially dangerous hiccup, but we will get through this. Bad days are okay. Bad moments are okay. I just remind myself that they are places we visit, not places we live or places we stay. It will be okay!

quarantine and pets

Quarantine and pets. It's an interesting notion. I thought the dog would be so excited for all this extra time with us and I realize that he is quite the napper! He likes to play with his squeaky ball and take long naps while snoring loudly.

I take him outside to throw the ball and he looks at me like, "Not again!" If you can read the look on his face right now, he is not amused with more pictures. The saving grace is that we have an extra snuggler, an extra floor cleaner and some extra fun when we get bored.

We have even put the dog on the chore list. You're bored? Throw the ball to the dog. You're listless? Brush the dog. You want something to do? Take the dog outside. They keep each other entertained, everyone has something to do, and there's just a bit less dog hair in my house :) 

creating new traditions

I am a day late, but Happy Easter! I hope everyone was able to have a quarantine Easter of good faith, family, and fun. This was a year of firsts for us in so many ways! 

We made salt dough eggs and painted those instead of coloring actual eggs. My daughter never wants to color eggs and, of course, this year she asked! The salt dough gave us hours of fun and creativity in painting. Now I will have them for years to come.  

Also, for the first time ever we watched online mass. It was fun getting all dressed up with full hair and makeup, then watching mass from our bedroom. We were able to watch Youtube clip for kids about Jesus on the cross and I felt that made a bigger impact for us than sitting and listening to a sermon.

I would say the best part of my day was being able to see my family. We have taught our family how to video chat, so using filters and being able to chat outside in the beautiful weather definitely helped make the day better!

We hid the plastic eggs outside and timed ourselves trying to find them. We had 17 eggs and 2 minutes. We each took turns hiding the eggs and my daughter just laughed and laughed. When she said that was the best part of the day, I knew we had won the Quarantine Easter battle.

Things were different, but we were together. We were clean, fed, and happy. We are all healthy. We had love, laughter, and good desserts. We had sunshine and made memories. That's really all I can ask for on any given year. 

It will never be about the baskets, the gifts, and the frills. My favorite part of Easter is the mass with the story of WHY we have Easter. The brunch afterwards is another favorite but this year we made do with a smorgasbord of food throughout the day. 

The point is, we focused on the reason for the season. We focused on family and faith and fun. This will definitely be one of my most memorable Easters yet because of that. Slowing down and focusing on us is maybe what we all need to do from time to time and if it takes a quarantine to realize that, then so be it.

battling the snowy blues

First off, let's talk about this weather. Two days ago I got hot outside. Today around lunch it was snowing furiously. I am dealing with all of this better than expected. I am soldiering on with a smile, keeping my head up, checking in with friends and family, but SNOW?!? The same week as Easter. During a nation-wide quarantine. 

I may have had a moment. A small moment, but it happened. Then it ended and I moved on. I worked out. I baked. Then I worked out AGAIN (and now I am sore). Then I sewed more masks for friends. And I got over it.

Mother Nature is a rotten beast. She is screwing with us and trying to test our patience. Just like this quarantine, this weather will pass. I will be basking in the sun in no time just waiting to head out to a festival or a friend's house.

Positivity is the name of the game in this house. What can we do next? What should we watch? Who should we call? What could we bake? All those questions are better than the deep, dark questions that start dancing around your head when you see snow in April.

I hope my friends, family, and community are staying strong. Fighting the good fight. Quarantining with a quarantini and a Zoom party. Doing something to see the light at the end of the tunnel instead of the darkness that can creep in when you just can't stop playing the "what if?" game.

The snow has ended and there was a rainbow the other day after the rainstorm. Who knows what will happen next? I will try to enjoy what I can while I can and just admit to myself that good enough is indeed good!

living with less...

We are living through some crazy times and each day, I learn so much. 

I learned that there is always time for quality time, we just don't always prioritize that way. We have done more games, puzzles, crafts, movie days, and silent reading than I could have ever imagined.

I learned that there's always an opportunity to bake something new, but sometimes I get tired. We have made banana brownies, gnocchi, apple crisp, honey zucchini bread, and blondies. No one gets tired when there's nowhere to go!

I learned that I hate shopping and wandering stores (that's the one thing I am not missing=stores). I do enjoy a good bargain, but I have a feeling that after this I will no longer be running to the store if I am bored or listless.

I learned that eating out is a privilege, a reward, a chance to be lazy. Now that we have so much free time, we have a hot dinner every night that is fun, new, different or something we are missing from a beloved restaurant. We have made Chili's margaritas, Olive Garden chicken and gnocchi soup, Happy Wok fried rice, corndogs and lemon shake ups from the fair, Culver's bacon cheeseburgers, and Applebee's chicken strips all from scratch. Free time means creativity in cooking time!

I learned that I am so extremely grateful for every opportunity that I have been given. I am thankful for the nurses, doctors, and other essential workers who go out every day so that we don't have to.

I learned that I can live with so much less than I have. We always talk about downgrading and now I know that if we ever needed to, we could. We have love, fun, patience and a slew of hobbies to get us through this. I am even finding joy in making hearts and searching for them on walks.

I have learned that finding joy in the little things and being grateful for all I have all day every day is all I need. In addition to my husband and kids, of course!

things I never thought I would do at home...

The following is a list of things I never thought I would do at home. They say that a positive attitude can take you far and so far, we have been very positive and have enjoyed our time together. (Fingers crossed it continues!)

1. A virtual playdate: we played for an hour and a half on a Skype date with friends! Charades, Pictionary, and Madlibs are easy to do through a screen. We had lots of laughter.

2. A family workout: all 3 of us did a 30 minute Biggest Loser workout. I am sore. It was intense, but fun.

3. Recording videos: we sent them for friends and families, all while wearing pjs.

4. Enjoy staying home: doors are locked, routines are set, and the stress is minimal. I love going out, but I am enjoying just hunkering down while my kid still thinks I am awesome!

5. Actually watch the news: wait patiently to see what's going on out there, pay attention to statistics and more closings.

Stay positive, folks. These are new times with new experiences to be had. Do whatever you need to do to get through while social distancing and keep smiling.