New outdoor adventures day!

We got outside today and checked out some new spots. We were able to hike on some cliffs along the water in Beloit. Big Hill park is now on our permanent rotation for outdoor fun! It was so reminiscent of some hikes we loved in Tennessee and we were 2 towns over. 

Did you know that there's a nature area in South Beloit? It's a nice little walk with a stream educational signs and play areas. An Eagle Scout created a nature area with sticks, bark, benches and more so little kids can build and create with nature. It's only a bike ride away for us, so I see a lot of this area in our future. We stopped by here on the way home from Beloit to check it out. 

Between Rock Cut State park and all the hiking places in between, this summer is going to be great. I don't care about face masks, social distancing, e-learning, or anything else. We can have meaningful outdoor experiences. We can bike, hike, fish, camp, sleep in hammocks, enjoy. 

Retraining my brain to enjoy quiet time, nature, crafting, and relaxing is the plan. I don't mind as long as the days are long and the weather is pleasant. We have 2 hammocks hanging in the yard and a variety of beverages available:)

a new hustle

There are so many things I love to do and one of them is to just chill. In a hammock, on the deck, in my bed,  I don't discriminate against location. I love being busy and doing things, but this phrase really resonates with me right now. I pride myself on being a working mom. I can juggle life like the best of them, but burnout ensues and then resent and all the other things that come with that.

Right now I am working from home and helping my daughter with her e-learning. We do fun crafts, activities, and games each week. It's not all for her benefit. It's for mine, too. It gives me something to prepare, to look forward to, to think about. It replaces all the things we used to do out there (aka the world as we knew it) with things we can do in here (la casa). 

I didn't realize this until recently. Bike trips to Wendy's with a stop through Coral Cove (bouncy house arcade) are one of her favorite things to do over summer. We can't go to those places right now, but we played arcade games, got Wendy's and are currently eating a LOT of ice cream. We are able to replicate our fun in safe and meaningful ways without me killing myself to drag her everywhere and do everything. 

I am doing the work-from-home-grind right now and some days I am KILLING IT. Other days, not so much. I appreciate this break from the chaos because it made my family realize that we don't have to be on the go to have fun. We can do things at home or outside that represent just as much fun as driving forever, stressing about gifts, location, dishes to pass, or whatever.

We watched cooking shows all morning and painted our nails. We took a walk. We made milkshakes. We played cards. We laughed. I am learning that making memories and taking time for snuggles and meaningful moments is just as important as where we are headed next and what's on next weekend's agenda.

We are doing the home life hustle and it is working. Not everyone feels this way. I get that. I just really appreciate realizing that I can earn cool mom points by orchestrating pajama day with a marshmallow eating contest just as easily as I can orchestrate a day at the zoo. Will I remember this diatribe when the world reinstates itself? Maybe not, but for now, I will do everything I can to make every moment count.

making your own fun

The one thing my daughter misses most is Coral Cove, a bouncy house-arcade in our area. After some light googling, I came up with 7 games I could make from things we have at home. Luckily we had tons of stuff, from the recycling bin to the craft room, to make some fun games I knew she would love. 

Easter buckets are aplenty, so Bozo buckets was a must. Flipping a chair over and cutting the center out of paper plates = Ring toss. We used the mini basketball hoop she made for STEM and a laundry basket with a bouncy ball for mega hoops. A rope with a hook attached became a fishing pole. I glued toilet paper tubes to plywood and she rolled a ball across it, trying to get the ball through each tube. I even made a Plinko game by gluing lids to a piece of plywood and putting small containers at the bottom.

Everything was labelled with construction paper and marker. I even chopped up little game tickets and tallied her points. It took one hour to gather, label, and create. The choices were 1. More TV 2. More reading 3. Go to bed early. So creativity won! I created Covid Cove and she thought it was hilarious. 

She patiently used her tickets and helped me tally her points. Her prize list was minimal, but she got to choose from candy, pencils, cookies, ice cream, a makeover or a necklace. She ended up with a little of all of it and an hour of play later she had a big, happy smile.

For some reason, this was a long week. I had a moment. She had a few moments. I wanted to end the work week on a positive and this worked! The dress for the day was onsies and the bar was set very low for expectations and standards, high for laughter and entertainment. I managed another week of pulling off working-momming-quarantining :) 

define normal??

Defining normal is not always easy and these days, we have redefined the words many times over. We had a fairly normal weekend. Fishing, hiking, biking, yard work, the usual. You honestly would have never known there was anything going on in the world. We got outside, laughed, and enjoyed life. 

We even hit the drive through at Tom n Jerry's for lunch after some outdoor time at Rock Cut State Park (if you're not from the area, google them both. You won't regret it!). Watching people wearing masks while taking orders, making food and taking money is now the norm. Driving through town and seeing people going in and out of businesses wearing masks is just one norm I will have to get used to.

I have to redefine what is normal, but I find myself redefining things that are important to me as well. I can't believe how easy it was to adapt to a life at home. Once the novelty of it wore off and the routines set in, it wasn't bad at all. I find myself opting to do something or read instead of grabbing for the remote. I am at ease calling, texting or video chattimg instead of running to a friend's. I can make due with what I have in the pantry instead of running out for sweet treats and snacks.

I am interested to see how all of this translates once we go back to "normal". I truly hope I will continue to embrace the family concept and use my free time creatively. I now know I can live without sweets, going out, dining out, mindlessly wandering the store because I can, and so much more. I hope my new normal stays happy, healthy, grateful and productive. Cheers to a new norm!

finding joy in the little things

In the spirit of keeping things fresh and new, we pulled out Legos. I mean, why not?! The bracelet kits and science kits and coloring needed to get put away for awhile. We are now on a rotation of crafts, audiobooks, and writing. 

Last night we decided to kick it old school with some Legos. She decided we were going to make a flower garden. There is nothing more frustrating than stepping on a Lego or trying to find just the right piece that doesn't exist! The nostalgia of this experience took me back to my own childhood.

We made flowers, a garden with a bunny, and this truck. I am a grown adult and I cannot express how satisfying it was to sit down and quietly create this truck. I went to college. I travel. I work. But this little truck struck me with such happiness, it was ridiculous. 

The irony of finding all the right pieces to fit together and create something that was just right made me feel at peace with everything going on in this world. All the pieces fit. She loved my truck. It even rolls around. We decided it should be a flower delivery truck (another homage to the current state of the world: delivery trucks!).

I am again grateful for all the little things in my life that are getting us through this quarantine. We will keep rolling along (see what I did there?!). We will appreciate the little things. We will definitely hope and pray that all the little pieces of this epidemic fall together to create whatever we need to get out of this in one piece.

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 :) 

wise words while we are cooped up

One of my good friends posted this the other day and it gave me SO much to think about. My family is good during the quarantine. We are warm, healthy, fed, clean, and still all getting along! That's a lot to ask for, but we are managing this experience with creativity, grace,  and extra patience. 

Some things to think about before we start complaining... Not every kid is warm, safe, happy, and fed. Schools are giving out sack lunches, but not everyone is picking them up. Students have access to e-learning but they may be babysitting or stressed or unsure of what to do.

Some people lost work, some people gained work and others are working at home while navigating e-learning, cooking, cleaning, etc. Some people's lives are unchanged and some people's lives got rocked. Either way, as weird as it sounds we are all in this together.

I am trying to make sure that whatever happens, my family stays as strong as ever so that when we finally get re-released in the wild, we are helpful and respectful members of society and not reminiscent of wild animals. I want my daughter to remember this time in history when we banned together to learn new recipes, try new foods, experience new ways to communicate, work on schooling, and adjust expectations. I want these memories to remind her that together, we can do anything and we managed to stay IN the house for 5 weeks without bloodshed :) 

Now is a great time to work on smiles and memories, remembering the little things, and starting new traditions so that when your family does get a break from one another, they will have a whole new mindset and respect for one another!

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!