Corona Virus Quarantine Day #130: Turning sh** into sunshine: July 29, 2020:

If I’m being honest, it wasn’t a great day.  Also, I will admit…first world problems, but either way, not a great one. I started my morning with the dentist.  Which, if you are anything like me, is a form of cruel and unusual punishment.  I should be grateful I can afford dental care, and I am…but why with all the modern technology that we have does it need to involve someone scraping at my teeth with a sharp object that makes the most hideous noise?  Not sure…but, I’m not a fan.

That was followed by a meeting about the start of school that made my head spin.  Seriously, the options are crazy.  If you are among the people wondering “what have they been doing all summer”…let me tell you, they’ve been making plans, a lot of them, complicated plans, with a lot of moving parts.  It wasn’t until yesterday afternoon that Johnson County laid out their plans for the school year that impacts every building in JoCo.  We couldn’t really issue a plan until we had their vision.  And let me tell you…the plan is well thought out, intense and a little overwhelming.  What this new Covid system is asking of teachers and admin is pretty intense.  So again…hug a teacher or administrator…cause right now, they are not ok.  When school starts on August 31^st or September 8^th or whenever your district is starting…every teacher and administrator will strap a smile on their face and make it as normal and as “ok” as possible for you kids…because that is what they do.  So please, hug your teachers. They need your support.  Not your criticism.  They are at the mercy of their local health departments and a constantly changing agenda.

After that meeting I got news that I can no longer have team camp next week.  News that didn’t make my day feel any brighter.  I was excited, the kids were excited…all will be disappointed.  But again…if we are being realistic…these are first world problems.  Perspective is good to have.  Hopefully sports will happen the following week.

That was followed by an epic meltdown by my youngest child.  When it rains, it pours…am I right?  And today was literally and figuratively that day.  It was next level epic…when he finally calmed down he hugged and kissed me and told me he loves me.  What?!?!  Where was this human for the last two hours?  Sweet mother of Mary…is it 8pm yet?

However, looking for all the bright spots in my day there were many.  If we just search for them, they are always there.

The first of those came when I got home from my appointment and saw Cooper (one of the triplets) his face lit up like a Christmas tree.  He was genuinely so excited to see me.  We had only been apart for like 2 hours.  But his genuine joy to see me warmed my heart…so much.

When the Fletcher escapade was over, Fiona came and sat next to me and asked me if I was ok.  Aside from that being slightly amusing, it was so heart warming to know that she understood, even at 8 years old that Fletcher’s meltdown was hard for me.  God love her.

Then Logan, my 7-year-old nephew let us style his very long surfer dude hair and he was such a good sport…and looked so darn cute…it made me happy and made me smile.  Man do I love my kids.  All of them…that includes my newphews…all of them.  It gave me some serious laughs…and holy hell is he cute. Look out ladies.  Seriously.  He is a lady killer.

He’s too cute! 

Then the kids played in the rain.  I can remember the first time I ran in the rain and just let it hit me and didn’t worry about my clothes and hair being all wet.  I can remember washing my hair in the hose on a rainy day with my neighbors (with peach shampoo, I can still remember they way it smelled).  There is nothing more freeing than running in the rain.  The kids threw all caution to the wind and danced in the rain.  That was pretty awesome.

Rain dancing!  So good!  

Gigi got a much needed haircut today. She wasn’t a fan…but I like it. The kids say she feel like soft carpet.

The kids did the dishes after dinner and there were a lot of them.  Even Fletcher helped.  Ellen kept giving him jobs that he gleefully did under her instruction.  That was a joy to watch, especially given his behavior later in the day.

Fletcher was “wiping” down the counter…while laying on it…but I’m glad he was “helping.”

I got a thank you card from one of Ellen’s friends today for hosting an open gym for volleyball.  She thanked me specifically for helping her with her serve.  GOD bless her parents for showing her to show gratitude. Her letter couldn’t have come at a better time on a better day.  I already loved this young woman…love her even more now!

Every one of our children thanked me for dinner…separately.

Salmon and brown rice, corn on the cob, and strawberries.  And yes…Fletcher is wearing a glittery pumpkin shirt in July!

A parent of a former student emailed me today about how much one of my posts meant to her because it brought back great memories of raising her own kids.  I’m so thankful for people who take the time to write the email or sent the note.  GOD bless her.

I made triple chocolate cookies with the girls…everyone loved them.  They were pretty delicious.

They aren’t terrible…not gonna lie…I may have eaten 3 (like I said it was a rough day).

A package arrived today from the kids cousins Courtney Claire and Chris Bohle.  It was incredibly, insanely thoughtful.  There were 5 activities, for 5 kids to lead and they were to take the place of the Olympic activities that were postponed due to Covid.  Our kids are so blessed by people that don’t live in their house that love them.  Courtney, the cousin, has loved them like few others have.  Chris, how her spouse has taken them on like he’s known them his whole life.  It’s almost too much for a mom to take.  My love for their little family is strong…and my kids spent all night googling names for their soon to be second child.

Some of the fun activities Courtney and Chris sent our way!

Finley and Ellen suggested we watch Hamilton tonight because they know I love it.  I know secretly they understand that music makes their mommy (who they know had a rough day) happy and they wanted to make me happy…my heart can’t handle that goodness.  They succeeded.  I immediately felt better when it was one.  I may have cried.

Then without warning my nephews and sister and brother in law came over to perform the “show” they have been working hard on with their Gaga.  Gaga has been working with the kids for weeks on a line dance so they could put on a show for us.  If I could describe how excited Ellen was to perform this, I still wouldn’t do her excitement justice.  Priceless. Seeing our mom get out there and dance it with them…the greatest.  A moment I can remember forever.

The cutest!  I cannot!

Gaga even got in on the action for a little bit!  

These two.  It’s unfair how cute they are…they may end up in serious trouble at some point, likely together! 

So the bottom line is the sh** can turn to sunshine if you look for the beauty in each day.  It’s harder some days that others.  Today was one of those days for me.  I’m overwhelmed by the “plans” for my own school, the kids’ schools and for sports.  I’ve worked for the last few months tirelessly to come up with “solutions” that gets kids back on the fields and courts and haven’t gotten a lot of feedback in general…which is frustrating.  There are constantly moving parts with what is allowed and what is not.  My son was a maniac today.

But at the end of the day I have more to be grateful for than not.  I’m so thankful that I have this writing at the end of each day to hold me accountable to that.

My family now jokes about things being “blog worthy”.  I laugh.  But to be clear, I started writing this for me. I knew I needed it during these strange times.  I still need it.  Writing has always been an outlet for me, much like music. I’m just a better writer than I am a singer….so here we are.

I am grateful to those of you that have emailed, texted or posted via FB that you enjoy or look forward to my posts.  Thank you.  That is an added bonus to doing this each day and I really appreciate it. Truly.

So when I write it all out…today was pretty darn good day.  I am tired, I am stressed, I am anxious but I know that GOD is working his magic and showing me the sunshine through the sh**.

#dorseyshenanigans

#celebr8awesome