Corona Virus Quarantine Day #363: Fletcher’s Corona Virus and Adam and Eve Summary: Tuesday, March 23, 2021:

It really is true that kids say the darndest things. Fletcher has been giving mommy a hard time for the last few days. He refuses to let me hold him, hug or kiss him and he uses a tone I’m not a huge fan of. He giggles about it like it’s funny and it’s really been bringing me down. My reaction to it, only egged him on…I’m sure.

Tonight, I had planned to interview all the kids about their corona virus quarantine experiences but the events of the evening made the impossible. Typically I try to spend time with each of them at night sitting on their bed chatting, asking about their day or what they are reading or what they might be excited about for the coming days. Bed time is an important time in our house.

Even though Fletcher has been a pistol recently he still really wants me to read his bedtime stories. Since before he was born and just in my belly I have read him books. He’s used to my voice and when he was a toddler and didn’t speak I must have read him 50 books a day in the most animated voice ever in hopes that it would get him to talk.

So bedtime is our time. The last three nights however, he wouldn’t hug me goodnight. He’d say “I’m too tired mommy” and smile and giggle. I didn’t have to pretend that it hurt my feelings or made me sad. It did.

Tonight was different. He wanted to read his usual books (we rotate each week he picks a new bunch) and when we finished he asked if I’d read him one more. I was enjoying our reading time so I thought one more couldn’t hurt. After I finished he asked if I’d stay in there with him and snuggle and talk.

Perfect. I’m always up for talking and snuggling…especially with my soon to be 6 year old who most recently refused to hug me!

I thought it was a good time to start asking him about the corona virus. His responses were priceless.

When I asked him what he liked about quarantine he said that swimming was his favorite part. He really liked going to Aunt Jenny’s house to swim but swimming in the pond was the coolest thing he did all quarantine.

When I reminded him of the river escapades he was really upset he had left that out, so we had to add the hiking and swimming in the river to his list of favorites.

He also said that he really liked seeing his cousins a lot and remembered a time that he and his cousin Logan got in our John Deere kiddie car and started driving down our gravel road to go to Freddy’s. I had actually forgotten about that. He said he liked getting Gigi because “she’s so cute and I love her so much.”

When I asked him about his favorite foods I cooked he said he liked when I made Salmon and homemade chicken nuggets and french fries. An interesting combo for sure. His favorite dessert we tried was the colorful layered jello and promptly asked “mom, can you make me some of that tomorrow?”

His favorite activity was going to the lake. He said he got to go three (free times mom…in Fletcher speak) times. Once with Aunt Jenny and Nolan’s family, once to see Greg and Elainey and once with his Dorsey cousins. I was impressed he remembered all of this and recalled it with such detail.

He said that corona virus was bad and he knew it was bad but that he liked being home with his family. He missed school, and Miss Megan, his preschool teacher. He still hasn’t figured out that Miss Megan and Mrs. Macan (his now kindergarten teacher) are different names. He’s convinced they sound exactly the same…but he is happy that they are both “awesome,” his word not mine.

He remembered being worried about Gaga because corona virus is “bad to her” and he doesn’t like masks but “doesn’t really even notice them any more.” This part makes me sad. I hate masks. I don’t want them to become a norm in my almost 6 year olds life. Ugh…

We talked and talked and talked. It was amazing. He laid his head on my shoulder and whenever I asked him a question he’d ask me one back. “What was your favorite sweet treat we made mommy?” “What was your favorite thing we did as a family mom?”

After we discussed all things quarantine and corona he asked me if I knew about Adam and Eve. Random, but yes, I do buddy. I said of course I do. He went on to tell me that “Adam and Eve left the garden mom, because they disobeyed GOD.”

Sigh. My heart. Yes, Fletcher they did.

We discussed how it’s bad to disobey the LORD and we talked about how when you disobey your parents or your teacher or you aren’t kind to others that is a way of disobeying GOD like Adam and Eve did.

He said and I do quote “I don’t ever want to disobey GOD.” Someone please mark this moment. I will remind him of this the next time he rolls his eyes at me!

In all seriousness, it was the sweetest conversation. He told me how GOD created the animals and oceans before Adam and Eve and how Adam became friends with the animals, “except the snake because the snake was bad…he was the Devil.” He then informed me that Adam and Eve fell in love and had children. Then he jumped to how Mary was the mother of Jesus and Joseph was his father.

After he had told me all he could, he said mom, I learned all of this at school. This was followed by an “I’m tired, can I snuggle you and go to sleep now?”

Yes, you can, yes you can.

Then…after moments of silence…he said “mom, I love you so, so much.”

He was once again the sweetest boy that I love so much. Thank you GOD for this time I got to spend with one of my favorite humans who has been torturing me for days with the no hugs. I needed this night and this conversation so badly.

This was a great reminder to me that GOD gives you what you need when you need it. I was feeling down because of his behavior and not understanding why he was doing it. I realize he’s a small child and this one has enough personality for 10 people but dang…it bruised my mom heart.

Tonight repaired it.

I had a lot of things I wanted to get done tonight, like talk to all the other kids about corona and just chat with them on the edge of their bed. When I emerged out of Fletcher’s room tonight it was way past everyone’s bed time, so none of this got done.

But the best part is when I went in the other kids rooms to tell them about my night with Fletcher they were all genuinely excited that he was his normal sweet self tonight because they know it’s been bothering me.

Sweet kids. I’m grateful. They didn’t care that we didn’t have our talk time, or very much of it at least. They didn’t complain or ask why I spent so much time with him. They got it. They gave me a big hug and kiss and I turned out their light knowing I was just where I was supposed to be tonight.

Let’s hope for more of this tomorrow!

GOD is good and I’m grateful!