Corona Virus Quarantine Day #17: April 2, 2020

Today my guest writer is my rap loving, basketball shooting, sweet hearted 9-year-old Finley Joseph Dorsey.

Today we started out the morning with the best breakfast of crepes.  My mom says I eat them like a grown man.  Then we did school work.  I like getting on the Zoom calls, it’s fun.  It is fun to see my friends and my teachers.  Then we played outside with GiGi.  After that I went to the barn to do my goals.  I made 200 shots today.  We played outside some more after that with GiGi and on the play set.  Cooper and Fiona made up some crazy game with the swings. It was fun and Fletcher loved it.

I helped Mommy make brownies for dessert, they were delicious.  We had a dance party tonight.  The best dancer in the house (besides mom) is Fletcher.  He is so good because he makes me laugh when he dances.  He likes to do flips.  We are trying to watch the movie Avatar but it is really long so we only watch a little at a time.  I think it’s a good movie.  Last year when we were in Disney we rode on the Avatar ride; it was really cool. It was one of my favorite rides in Disney.  That’s why we wanted to watch the movie.  Overall this quarantine is fun but it helps that we have the barn and a big yard to play in.  I don’t like that I don’t get to go to school and see our friends, but I like spending time at home with my family.  Today I am thankful for the barn, a big family to play with, the outside and GiGi to play with.

Love,  Finley

This boy loves his puppy.  Finley Joe is so good about taking her out and helping to care for her!

You guys…I made a conscious decision today that it was going to be a good day.  Yesterday was so draining.  When I woke up this morning I felt as if I had been hit by a freight train (physically) but all is well and good and I felt like the only way to remedy this situation was to make a delicious breakfast of crepes.  The kids love them and they are surprisingly easy (easier than pancakes in my opinion) and you serve them with fruit so everyone wins!

The crepes definitely got my day started out in the right direction…then the kids on line school started.  Man, I’m trying to stay positive because I know those teachers are working their butts off…but I’m drowning in all. The. Work.  Anyone with me there?

Don’t get me wrong, I am grateful for the instruction they are giving but it’s soooooo much time.  When I was their only teacher we were done by 11, 12 at the latest (I know I’m a real slacker). But you’d be amazed what you could get done in 2-2.5 hours.  Also, with three different ages, attention spans and level of ability I cannot be in 5 places at one time (6 on days I’m working) so the 12 different web-sites and 10 different passwords are too much to handle.

I’m impressed but not surprised with their level of instruction under the circumstances but I think they need to cut themselves some slack in a major way.  The new “system” is putting stress on everyone, including the teachers.  As a teacher, I can tell you, they miss our kids.  They’d rather be in school than doing what we are doing.  So would I.  I miss my students and seeing them on a computer screen is not the same.  I think everyone is trying to do the best they can and I’m grateful my kids go to a school where their teachers care so much for them.  I just desire a bit less work!

On that note though, my kids so love the zoom calls.  They love seeing their friends and teachers.  Fiona had her first one today and that made her feel pretty big time!  A huge thank you to their teachers for making that happen!

Regardless of the nature of “school” these days the time outside has been glorious.  I am not sure what our puppy will do when tomorrow is 30 degrees and she doesn’t get to be outside 70% of her day J.  Watching Gi Gi chase after Fletcher and try to pull his pants down will never get old.  He loves it and even when she’s tired he antagonizes her to get her to chase him..then he just laughs and laughs and laughs.  I remind him he won’t be laughing so hard if she gets ahold of his bottom…or something else for that matter.  Ouch!

I can’t get enough of this.  It’s so darn funny!

The kids made up some crazy game on the swing set outside today and I got so much joy watching them enjoy each other…it went on for almost an hour.  These life lessons of learning to entertain themselves is such a gift.  I’m incredibly grateful they have each other to make this whole thing so much easier.

Gaga was feeling a little better today at times, in one moment of clarity she helped Fletcher with his one workbook page where he had to write his name.  GOD bless her.  He seems to give her a lot less trouble then he gives me.  The little booger.

I told Gaga she’s hired!  She’s been too sick to teach anyone the last few weeks but in a moment of feeling better she took over Fletcher’s work and he immediately became a better student.  Must by my fault 🙂

The little booger did entertain us all with some amazing dance moves today (the video won’t load…you guys it was epic he made me promise at bedtime that I’d let him dance more tomorrow…this boy is totally my child).  If I have learned anything in my life it is the impact music has on my soul.  It’s an immediate game changer for me.  For instance, if “Pour Some Sugar on Me” comes on…it’s game on, look out for the dance moves you will see from this lady (many of you have witnessed them). The kids have recently learned of my hidden talent of being able to rap…yes that’s right.  I can rap.  Their favorite is “Ice Ice Baby”.  I think I blew Finley’s mind the first time I did it.  He was genuinely impressed.  Fiona is trying to memorize the words to the Vanilla Ice classic.  She sits in her room with her Alexa (something I totally did as well…except I had a cassette tape and a notebook writing down lyrics) trying to memorize the words.  When she masters that you better believe you will all get a glimpse of it.

So if you are having a bad day, turn on your Alexa, Amazon music, Spotify or whatever you listen to and have a full on dance party or jam session in your bathroom, basement or kitchen.  It is good for the soul and it helps snap you out of a funk.

Dance on my friends, I know I am adding dance party to my daily routine.  Stay well and don’t forget to celebr8 the awesome in your world.

I do love this little baby!  In other news I heard Fiona tell her teacher that she wanted an Apple Watch and her mom to have another baby for Easter.  Yep, she aims high.  Good times. 

#celebr8awesome

#dorseyshenanigans