Intentional Outdoor Hours: 48+ hours (of 1000)
Up another five hours thanks to some outdoor hikes. We had some solid 'spring' type weather in the early part of the week and then it straight up snowed by the time the weekend rolled around. Snow in May?...welcome to 2020 - hon.est.ly.
Reading Untamed by Glennon Doyle and starting The Tiger Rising by Kate DiCamillo as it is part of Greyson's school packet for the next two weeks. We're doing it a combo of independent reading and Read Aloud. I love Kate DiCamillo, so I'm definitely cool with it and I think his teacher, Mrs. Miller (hi!) picked it on person as a nod to all parents who have binged Tiger King on Netflix during the lockdown (I see you, Mrs. Miller - you're a cool cat).
Going Screen Free for the week. We have been so dependent on screens during this isolation and even though National Screen Free week was postponed (they've been encouraging Screen Free Saturdays if you need motivation!), I knew we all could use a force look-up. I kept tucked in my heart that I would give myself a enough grace to call it quits if I needed to (it is a global pandemic after all), but we stuck it out Monday-Friday night. It was standard screen free joy around here - dirty, tired kids with lots of outdoor time and random naps all over the house. I did 'meh' because while nursing Red, sometimes scrolling is the only thing that can keep me awake (!) but I tried to stay mindful at least to how often I feel the urge to pick up my phone. The funny thing is - if I announce it's screen free week, the kids huff and roll their eyes for approximately 4 minutes and then they figure it out. They push through boredom and find something else to do. The moment I waver a little bit on the rules, they see that weakness and pounce, man. And then it's all whining and begging and I'm ready to pull my own hair out. So I actually kept the Screen Free status in place for my own sanity!
In case anyone is interested - our normal screen rules are:
1. no tv/screens until at least 11am (which usually means there is naturally no screens until after 3p because they're already playing so intensely)
2. no screens at the meal table
3. no screens at practices/games
4. no screens in the car
We have two tvs (the living room and our bedroom) and only the living room tv has streaming capabilities like Netflix/Prime/etc. We also have an XBox and 2 working iPads that rarely get used. No child has a phone and the goal is (and the kids know) that they won't have their own phone until they are in 8th grade/14 years old. (even that seems young- so we will see when we get there). I know I'm a broken record about this, but there is a huge behavior and emotional difference in our kids when we are so intentional about screens and when we are not. The creativity and capacity for patience is staggering when our kids aren't so zombie'd out on screens. As a high school teacher I am regularly exasperated by students' disinterest and apathy and I know screens aren't entirely to blame - but....aren't they kind of?
Embracing our "quarantine safe group" rules and spending time with the people in our self designated "safe group". Grey and Gem had a sleepover at my parents' house (!) while the meatballs (Vi & Rust) got a full day to spend with both my parents and Brandon's parents. The kids and I met my parents and sisters at Aunt Kitty's house for Cinco de Mayo dinner on Tuesday night which was such a nice distribution of kid energy for me while Brandon had his school board meeting. Our kids are so much more at ease to have their people back near them and in their arms. We set rules that they can hug but not sharing food/drinks and no kissing. Red has finally gotten the snuggles he deserves from his closest family. We are following all other social distancing and face mask rules, but we need our nearest and dearest people - so we're going safe group style for now.
Hiking to a very cool waterfall right in our neighborhood! We didn't even know Yoder Falls existed until my friend and co-worker Nicki asked me about it. We decided to take a family hike and loved it. It was a little more intense of a hike than we were expecting (hah, Brandon had Red in the baby carrier!) but the kids had a blast and it was really beautiful. I fell once in the creek on a slippery stone, as did Violet and Rusty. When we got to the falls the kids were all begging to go swimming (!) but we barely convinced them it was still too cold - they were appeased with putting their feet in at least.
Listening with a smile as Grey has read DogMan (Tale of Two Kitties) to Rusty each night this week - they actually finished the whole book and both of them requested another one from the series to read together at bedtime.
Exploring Stackhouse Park with our whole crew, my sisters, and Lady (Uch's pup). It has such peaceful and gorgeous wooded trails and the kids loved looking for crayfish in the stream while I nursed Red in the pavilion halfway through our park visit. Grey even accidentally found a geocache and we signed the booklet!
Worrying about all our beautiful blossoming trees and new buds and flowers as the cold and snow descended...in May - how!? why!? We have a dogwood tree in the back rock garden that has been trying to come to full life for the past two years and this year -finally!- it was starting to bud. So my fingers are crossed and we keep whispering "grow" to it every time we are outside in hopes that it makes it big debut this summer despite the frost.
College'ing by turning in my last paper! I'm done! I also got in all my paperwork for my mentors and my cooperating teacher (hi, Renee!) wrote me the kindest letter of recommendation that had tears in my eyes.
Homeschooling with a new 2week packet for the kids. They've received new material and ughhhhhh. Here's the truth for all you non-teacher parents out there trying to homeschool: homeschooling is no joke. I'm a teacher, I love teaching, I love teaching your kids. Let me repeat that for those in the back - I love teaching YOUR kids. not mine. YOURS. I love my own children. I teach them manners, hygiene, life skills, respect, house work, responsibility, sharing, even read alouds, like hell yes I'm in. Teaching them academics? No thank you. I'm responsible for all the other learning in their life, academics are for their other teachers - this is why it's a village. we need other people who can carry this load of raising up children. I am good on the parenting side, I need their teachers on the academic side. (I love you, teachers and I'm doing my best - but also there are five kids over here - including a newborn - and so if you don't know why my kids work looks like poo and they miss a hundred zoom meetings, it's because they need you...I NEED YOU). so much love to all the teachers - I know you miss them too (because I miss my students). Parents - hang in there and give it your best, but also, like...I get it. #drowntown (to the homeschool parents who do this regularly - you all are not from this planet and I idolize you. for real).
Virtual teaching for the last week of their country research projects (pop culture!) and really impressed with their work as I've been peeking in on their projects. Friday should have been our prom, so I woke up feeling a little sad about thinking of how it would have been if we weren't in the lockdown - spending the day with my prom committee kids putting up final touches on the hall, setting up for the grand march in the high school auditorium, getting dressed up and having a date night with my handsome hubs.
Making kind-of keto meals to eat this month. Brandon is going a little stronger on the keto than me, but we're trying to make conscious choices at least - baking chocolate chips are my literal downfall everyday, I'm addicted.
breakfasts: scrambled eggs & bacon, pb&j toast (twice), keto mug bread, muffins from a mix, pancakes, banana bread, cereal
lunches: lasagna (from Abba!), taco tuesday for cinco de mayo, everything chicken with cream cheese sauce, baked bbq chicken tenders, mac & cheese with leftover chili, 'lil smokies in crescent rolls, keto cheesy breadsticks, frozen pizza
dinners: burgers, "fancied up" leftovers, tacos at Kittys' house for cinco de mayo, grilled cheese sandwiches, hot & ready pizza from little caesar's, swedish meatballs in the slow cooker over mashed potatoes, chicken pot pie over biscuits
That picture of Red smiling! swoon!
ReplyDeleteAnd you & B in the kitchen- so sweet!
Dying about the homeschooling. But for reals. It's struggle-bus-city over here. When people ask why I stopped homeschooling after we left Alaska, I always tell them that after #4 made her appearance I discovered I could either be a good mom or a good teacher, I couldn't be both. So... I sent them to school.
Hah!