Corona Day Virus Quarantine Day #24:  Good Friday Goodness

Today my guest writer is Cooper Claerhout Dorsey, our hard working, sweet hearted, handsome 9 year old son…

Today I took out Gi Gi.  I like to play with her, she’s fun.  Then we started cleaning our whole house.  It was really hard and took a long time.  I felt so good when it was done because we saw everything so clean.  After that I took Gi Gi outside again.  It was amazing.

Then I went to the barn and did my goals of shooting, did layups on each side and shot with my right hand using the right form.  It was great. Then I rode my bike.  After that I went in with my mommy and watched/helped her cook for awhile.  She made us popcorn shrimp, bang bang shrimp, and Salmon for Good Friday.  It was really great.

Tonight we did the Stations of the Cross as a family.  We drew them all this week and it was really cool.  We took turns reading them and we prayed an Our Father, Hail Mary and Glory Be.    The one where he died on the cross stuck with me the most.  That was really sad.  I liked doing this, I hope we do it again next year.  Mom said she’s going to laminate the pages.  She likes to laminate.  I am excited for Easter and that we can eat candy again (I gave it up), we get to dye eggs, see the Easter Bunny and that we get to go on an egg hunt.  I hope the Easter Bunny brings me ice skates or some new outside hockey balls and that’s all.

Then we watched Onward with Hunter and Logan, they had never seen it. They thought it was really good. It’s about a boy, Ian, who had never met his dad.  His dad sent him a present at 16 and it was a magic spell that could bring him back for one day.  It is a super cool movie.  I would not like to be 16 and not have ever met my dad. That would be horrible.

I think the corona virus is good because I get to spend more time with my family and play more at the barn with each other or do more stuff outside like fish and kayak and we can help mommy cook…but I also think it is bad because we can’t go to any places, school, stores or restaurants and we can’t see our friends or play sports on a team.  I miss sports.  Today I am most thankful for everything, like the whole world.

Love, Cooper

Mommy’s thoughts:

Today was a productive day.  We did a full house deep clean.  Everyone helped.  Scratch that…everyone except Fletcher.  Fletcher created more work. But he’s cute so there’s that.  That helps…for now.

We seriously dusted, organized and scrubbed the house top to bottom.  I don’t know about you, but I have to tell you I love, love, love being in a clean house.  It’s amazing.  I will sleep better tonight knowing that our house is clean from top to bottom.  What a feeling that is!

My little dusters.  I loathe dusting.  But man they love it, some more than others but it is somehow satisfying to them.  They are slower than I like but whatever, they did it and didn’t complain.

It’s Good Friday and all week we have been prepping (thanks to Nora Tripp and the Sacred Heart 2nd grade curriculum) for our Stations of the Cross. The kids drew the stations and narrated them and then tonight we did the Stations of the Cross together.  I know this is shocking…but I cried.  They may have hated it or thought it was annoying (I don’t know) but I thought it was beautiful.  We talked beforehand about really picturing what Jesus went through for us.  Ellen reminded me that we drew the images so we could actually see the pictures…gotta love her!  I am hopeful that they got something out of it, I know I did. Can I also point out that my kids can draw better than I can. Holy cow I was impressed by some of them.  Below are some of my favorites!

Ellen drew this one and I swear I cried the minute I saw it.  Ugh.  She’s got talent this one…literal talent but also such a sweet heart, which matters so much more.

This one also got me.  A 9 -year-old drew it but it just cut to my heart.  The thought of Jesus being nailed to the cross. I could hear the noise. Is that weird?  That’s what I thought of…the noise of him being nailed up there. 

I love how they are all smiling.  In this horrific act, the crucifixion of Christ, an 8-year-old’s understanding of this moment is that even though it’s a sad moment…Jesus met with his friends, and that is joyous.  Can you see why I was crying?  I’m crying typing this.

I am going to laminate these as Cooper suggested…and yes, I do find laminating things incredibly satisfying.  We will do this every. single. year.  Not sure why we didn’t do it before.  

Had to get a photo of Ellen and her best station. Man she did good work.

Aside from cleaning, the kids played outside a lot.  It ended up being nicer here than we had expected so thanks be to GOD, more outside time. The barn has come in handy as well.  They spend so much time down there, it’s magical. The pickle ball rematch has not yet happened but I think this weekend is a good time to make that happen.  I still think Cooper’s going to win.  Shhh…don’t tell him.

The kids have loved the writing letters challenge. I think I have sent out at least 50 cards this week alone.  Cooper wrote the sweetest letter to President Trump.  I think in part because I told him I wrote a scathing letter to President George HW Bush when I was just a little older than he is about racism. I didn’t think he was going enough to end it and he sent me back a signed picture of himself, Barbara and their dog.  I have it somewhere…gonna need to dig that bad boy up. I’d like to be reacquainted with a little Nancy that was fired up about some misdeed.  Cooper’s hoping for a signed picture in return.  Fingers crossed.

Don’t know that I’ve ever seen a human more excited to mail a letter. 

For now…I need to buy some more stamps.  The kids love getting cards back and today my cousin Peggy called Fiona to thank her for a card she had sent.  Both of them cried…it was so special and it reinforced the lessons we are trying to teach them at home about how when you can do something kind to help others…you always do it.  Always.  So thank you Peggy…I know you are reading and that was a special moment for all of us.  I love you so much.

A few things I’ve learned…

1. The “one way” signs at the grocery store are only a suggestion…apparently. When I went today I am pretty sure I was the only person abiding by them.  My level of irritation grew each aisle I went down.  I’m pretty sure I might have mumbled under my breath (things that can’t be repeated here) about knowing how to read.  I’m sorry Jesus. My bad.
2. During the quarantine I have shaved more (that whole time factor) and Bryan has shaved less.  Interesting development…I think.
3. I assigned the letter to self assignment for my students and every single one of them said the greatest thing about the quarantine is all the extra time they get to spend with their families. Let that settle in.  Single. One.  So my take…when things were “normal” we didn’t as a society (no judgment here) do this enough. Kids really yearn for time with their family and if you’ve ever read that “we only get them for 18 summers…make them count” post…you are now crying in your Good Friday wine and know, like I do, that we will look back on this mandated slow down and really be grateful for the time we spent together.
4. Online learning is NOT the same. For any of us. It’s hard on the kids, it’s hard on the parents and folks…let me tell you this…it’s hard on the teacher. If there was ever a time for the respect for teachers to grow…it’s RIGHT NOW!  Every single teacher I know is hurting for the time lost with their students and trying their hardest to make this a meaningful experience for your kids as well as help them with their emotional health. Seeing their face on the screen isn’t enough…for anyone.
5. Everyone at this times needs some grace. From your kids’ teachers, to the nurses and health care workers, to your spouse, to your children (the list goes on and on)…but hot damn this is hard in a lot of ways. Give each other grace. And for those of you that are like me…it’s ok to give yourself grace as well.  I struggle with that. Don’t be like me.
6. Stop and soak in the goodness. Seriously folks, I watched the news last night (which I have been trying to avoid) and a woman was interviewed whose husband was killed by Covid-19 and she now has it.  She is self quarantining ALONE. Yes, you read that…alone.  Her husband hasn’t even been dead two weeks.  Can you imagine?  The bottom line is…as my mom always said “someone always has it worse than you”.  Truer words.  While this is hard, and it is for every family, for different reasons…someone out there is suffering worse than you are.  So offer your suffering up for someone else and let it be for not. Meaning, don’t let any hard moments you have pass by without saying a prayer for someone you know that has a harder time than you.  I promise it works, and it feels better and it actually throws goodness into the world…and I think we can agree we all need more goodness at all times.

I’m gonna stop there for today.  I have so many thoughts…too many. But I am grateful for this blog because it allows me to decompress from my day and my “hard”.  To all those who have reached out and told me they read everyday, thank you.  I am glad to know this little activity helps someone.

I pray you are all well and safe and good.  I know this is hard, but I am praying for you.

Keep the faith my friends, keep the faith.  Happy Easter!

I felt it was necessary to document that our Ellen has read all of these books in the last three weeks. She’s 9-years-old.  Some of these books are 700+ pages long.  This girl loves to read…and I’m so grateful.

#celebr8awesome

#dorseyshenanigans