Corona Virus Quarantine Day #14: Satan returns…March 30, 2020

Guest writer tonight is Ellen Anne…the smart, sweet, book loving 9-year old lady in our house!

We started the day with delicious pancakes.  After that I read a non-fiction book about King Tut.  Later in the day we had to present what we learned to our siblings.  The coolest thing I learned about King Tut was that he was king at age 10 and married at age 10.  I found that fact so weird!  Then we had board game battles, I played Cooper in Rummikub and I won!  After that we played outside with GiGi Jingles and had snack time.

Then we got on our zoom meeting with Mrs. Nelson and Ms. Turner and our whole grade.  It was pretty cool to able to see everyone, but I would rather see everyone in person.  It’s hard to not have real school because you can’t see your friends everyday.  After that Mommy was done teaching her class so we did some spelling and a reading workbook.  We were done working early so we played outside and did relay races.  Finley and I were racing each other on a bike.  Then we had to hand a stick off to the runners, Cooper and Fiona.  Fletcher was riding his bike next to us.  Then we played freeze tag with Fletchy.  That game made him so happy.  Then we played on the swing set and made up a bunch of obstacle courses.  That was super fun.  Then we went on the kayak and went fishing in our pond.  No one caught a fish today, but maybe tomorrow.   Fletcher said he wants to go worm hunting for his birthday so we should have some good worms to fish with tomorrow.  GiGi tried to go in the pond.  She is crazy.  I was soaking wet after I road on the kayak.  Then my friend Malloy called me on facetime.  It was so much fun to talk to her, I miss her a lot.  She taught me how to do special effects on the call and I could change my face and things like that, so that was really cool.

Maybe one of the greatest things to come out of this is how connected these two have become.  Last night Bryan went up there because he heard noise after lights out and found them on Ellen’s bed giggling together.  My heart. I hope this closeness lasts forever!

Then I went inside to make Fletcher a birthday present.  He has wanted a lizard for a long time so I made him a craft lizard. It’s named FletPerFioEllFin.  That’s all our names put together.  I hope he likes it.  We had a yummy dinner tonight and then watched a movie called Blank Check.  It was Fiona’s pick. This kid spent one million dollars on his house and a lot of stuff to fill his house with.  It was a really funny movie.

Overall today was a great day.  The best part of my day was kayaking or talking to Malloy.  I think the corona virus quarantine is fine but I miss my friends and playing sports, but I do like being at home with my family.  Today I am thankful for my family, my pets, our house, the barn, food, water and that I am healthy.

Love, Ellen

It’s amazing how a day can be both beautiful and horrible at the same time.  Satan struck again…and when I say Satan I mean the almost 5-year-old blonde variety.  To say that Fletcher had a bad day would be an understatement.  To say that caused mommy to have a not so awesome day…would also be an understatement.  Yet, when I reflect on our day, I am drawn to the beautiful moments more and the fact that a near 5 year old melt down is not quite the same kind of stress others are facing.

One example of the beauty I witness today happened as a result of social media…yesterday, via Facebook I commented back and forth with one of our volleyball girls’ parents jokingly about how people have been hoarding toilet paper and how in my trips to the store I have not successfully found any to help wipe the 8 butts that live in our house.  She quickly responded that she’d buy me some if they had any at Costco on her weekly run.  While I told her that wasn’t necessary, she insisted she would if they had any at the store.

Today…she sent me word that they had some and the best part…she actually bought some and delivered it to my house.  I was teaching today and the kids were in the back yard most of the day so we didn’t see the TP drop off of 2020…but when I went out there to get an Amazon delivery tonight…there it was.  A large pack of toilet paper sitting on my porch in all it’s glory.  Now this is a TP job I can be down with.  Evelyn Wortmann…you are an angel.  It was so thoughtful of you to not only buy the toilet paper but to bring it out to my house.  I am so grateful and now my mom, aka Gaga…who was growing increasingly worried about the low TP supply can rest easy!  GOD bless you!

Look at that toilet paper goodness sitting right next to my Amazon delivery!  GOD bless Evelyn Wortmann!

It’s kindness and random acts of charity that will get us through this difficult time.  It’s hard not to be scared and let that fear we feel that someone we know will get sick or that someone we love could die from this hideous virus.  It’s also hard to not fear that life won’t return to the normal we once knew…that’s Satan again…but this time the real deal…and we simply can’t let him win.

Today during one of Fletcher’s meltdowns…I’m not gonna lie…I had one of my own.  I cried.  Our children are used to seeing me cry, but usually the kind of cry you have when watching the movie Miracle or Wonder (literally used a whole box of Kleenex with that one…kids still haven’t let me live that down).  I’ve never been one to shy away from emotion…but they’ve never seen me cry from sheer frustration.

My sweet and wise husband reminded me in that moment that our nearly 5-year-old’s life as he knew it has been turned upside down. He’s used to hanging with Gaga when mommy goes to work, and seeing his friends and his favorite teacher…and now all of that has been taken away from him.  It’s no wonder he is acting out at times…that is normal.  But damn.  I’m struggling.  On line teaching isn’t my favorite and managing that and the kids’ different schedules and the things their teachers want them to do is enough to make my head explode sometimes.  But…I know I can do it…I want to be everything to everyone and I don’t do things half way…never have…don’t know how.  I don’t know any other way and my way…usually gets the job done!  This damn virus and quarantine are exposing all the ways I can’t do it all …not the way I want to at least!  But as I watched my kids kayak around our pond and our sweet daughter Ellen talk to her friend on the phone as her face lit up…I am reminded of that perspective I spoke of just a few days ago.  There will be ugly days in this…but we will get through them together, focusing on the beauty instead of the ugliness around us.

So I’ll post this right here of the little monkey himself so proud of his work writing his name.  He even gave himself four stickers!  He insisted on four because he is only going to be four for one more day!

In my moment of weakness today, when tears of frustration fell from my eyes I was reminded of that beauty.  Cooper came over and immediately asked me if I was ok and if I needed his help.  He wanted to calm his brother down to help me.  He has the sweetest, most caring heart.  Fiona offered to make dinner so I could get things done for school tomorrow, thoughtfulness…I love that.  Ellen tried to make me laugh, something I do a lot of and love…her pureness in knowing me, so beautiful.  Finley gave me a hug, a much needed hug (my love language for sure) from a sweet 9-year-old boy worried about his mommy.  So when I felt like I couldn’t take anymore…our kids showed me that I absolutely could and that after all…they have learned a lot from us.  They’ve learned empathy, compassion, thoughtfulness and concern for others.  My kids aren’t perfect; neither are their parents…but it was nice in the heat of that poop storm in that moment that they knew exactly what I needed.  I hope and pray they have that kind of emotional intelligence with everyone in their life.

Tonight when it was Fiona’s turn to do the dishes she didn’t moan, she didn’t do a 50% effort job…she did the best job she ever has…because she knew mommy needed just that.  When we sat down to watch a movie tonight (Fletcher remained in his room in time out) they all wanted to sit by me and snuggle (my favorite activity).

So tomorrow is another day and it will be a better one…it’s also Fletcher’s birthday.  So as a family we will celebrate this amazingly bright, usually sweet, funny, adorably cute animal and dirt loving boy that made my day today so hard but has made 1,000 other days in between so perfect.  Being his mom is one of the greatest gifts GOD has ever given me.  But…as I learned today and every day in between parenting is without a doubt the toughest job I’ve ever had.  It’s also the most rewarding and the one I am most proud of…but hot damn it’s hard.  So if any of your kids are giving you a hard time…call me.  We can chat or have a virtual cocktail, but I’m here to remind you that we got this and our kids are absorbing lots more of our good than our bad.  This is what we were made to do people.  So I will go back to kicking butt and taking names tomorrow.  Tonight…I will snuggle.

GOD bless you all my friends, stay well.

A few more highlights from the day!

Fishing…such a calming activity!  Love how much they love it!  I am even willing to touch worms for them!

Cooper looks insane here but Fletcher was happy.  I’m always afraid he’s gonna dive into the water.  Life jacket or not…makes me nervous!

Gi Gi Jingles knows crazy when she sees it. She loves to chase Fletcher and bite him right in the butt. Fletcher of course thinks this is the greatest thing ever.  Fiona was trying to save him!

#celebr8awesome

#dorseyshenanigans