Happy GOOD Friday, guys!  It sure doesn’t feel like spring, it was a super busy, crazy, not-many-things-went-right kind of day, but kiddos sure brighten your day anyways when you get to hang out with them.  I overheard our oldest telling my husband that “in three days Jesus came back!”.  I couldn’t be prouder of that little man!  He was so excited to color Easter Eggs all day, but was so patient.  He even cleaned his entire room by himself without me even asking.  He said “You know, my room’s kind of a mess.  I’m going to go clean it up now.”  Parent jackpot?  I think so…

Here’s an odd question… we’re at home for Easter.  No church service.  No giant family gatherings.  Our kids’ haircuts are compliments of dad, so they’re crazy at this point.  Are sweatpants acceptable this year?  Not asking for a friend…

There are a lot of things I’ll actually miss about this quarantine.  I’ve been thinking about how strange it will be when the stay-at-home order is lifted.  It’s not like I’ll be racing out anywhere as soon as it’s lifted.  My favorite things have always seemed to be at home for the most part, so it will be an adjustment to get back to the business of life and honestly, I’m not ready for it.

After talking to a friend earlier today about being quarantined, we both agreed there are some things we will actually miss.  Here are some things I will definitely miss:

• An excuse to NOT be busy.  Since when did we need an excuse to say “No”?!  Really… why do I feel that I need an excuse to spend time with my own children and not rush them here or there or to visit people when I barely get to spend time with them unless it’s taking them to an activity?  That’s not good, guys… I’ll take this as long as I can get it!
• Baking.  I know, I know… I like to cook, not bake.  BUT, being stuck at home has made me feel like I should at least attempt to improve my baking skills.  Stop the snickering… I said attempt! Haha!
• Working from home.  It’s insane how much more work I can get done at home.  I do miss my beautifully decorated office at work, though, so there’s that.
• Letting chores go to spend time with my kids.  Again, why in the world do I need an excuse to do this?  The house is dirtier than it’s been in so long and I’m home all day every day.  It’s a new physics theory I’ve developed: the greater the quantity of time at home, the dirtier the home.  It’s science.
• Always having gas.  Gas is cheaper than when I started driving (and no, I’m not telling you when that was…) and because there’s nowhere to go I don’t even remember the last time I filled up.
• Having to be creative with the dinner menu.  The urge to grab takeout has declined and I’ve realized that it’s easier just to make dinner.  Who would’ve guessed?  The interesting part about that is when I’m out of something I can’t find or don’t want to go to the store to get I have to get creative.
• Teaching my kids at home.  Our oldest son has thrived learning at home.  He was blessed with an amazing kindergarten teacher.  It is her first year teaching and the kids adore her.  She is ROCKING distance learning through all of this, so I give her mad props.  I love getting everything ready for him to work on every day and seeing him problem solve on his own.  He thrives in creative situations and this is about as creative as it gets.
• A flexible work schedule.  I have about as flexible of a schedule as you can get.  I am so grateful for my job it’s not even funny, but somehow I’ve managed to be even more flexible and productive during this.
• Realizing who your real friends are.  I mean your REAL friends.  If people want to stay in touch with you, this situation will have no effect on real friendships.  If anything this entire situation has left me feeling great about purging “acquaintances” on social media.  Ain’t nobody got time for that kind of nonsense in life.
• Gardening.  I haven’t planted a garden the past several years because… baby.  I don’t know if you’ve heard, but babies keep you busy, guys.  It’s not exactly easier now that our youngest is a toddler, but we’re at home, so there’s no excuse!

Keep enjoying precious time with your family.  This quarantine has been exhausting and a little scary at times, but sweet nonetheless.  Maybe we need to reflect on what God is teaching us in moments like these, not what we feel we’re missing out on.

What is that bright thing in the sky?! It’s THE SUN!!! Yay!!! Oh, how I’ve missed you, sun!

We did the school work, we did the work work, we did the laundry, we created a giant mess in the house, we went outside and made a giant mess in the yard… I think our work here is done for the day.

Oh! I learned something valuable today. You all will be so proud. You can shop all of the items in Bullseye’s Dollar Spot on the Target app and have it shipped to you. No, I’m not kidding. Don’t tell your husbands, ladies… you’re welcome.

And your recipe of the day is frozen pizza, folks! Want my recipe tips? Add a little shredded mozzarella before you pop that baby in the oven. It gives it that homemade touch. Extra credit if you preheat your Pampered Chef pizza stone before “baking” your pizza. I’m a culinary expert.

So, I’ve lost all sense of time. I know it’s somewhere near the beginning of the week because I’ve only worked a few days, so there’s that. Now, the season on the other hand… I think it’s supposed to be spring, but definitely feels more like winter. The kids’s little calendar chart says spring, so we’ll go with that. I’m sure they’re keeping track.

Day 17? Maybe? Who cares… I’m pretty sure I skipped a day… or two. We made an awesome fort yesterday, so there’s that. I’d say that’s a win!

I have officially lost all sense of time and had no idea what today was. I knew it was a weekend day because I wasn’t working, but has to find my previous post to even remember what day I am on.

Cleaned out a giant bed of weeds that was previously a garden and planted starter zucchini and tomato plants for later. Wish I had a before and after picture, but I just have the after.

If these torrential downpours and storms don’t stop I may just lose my mind. This dog won’t sleep with storms and drives me insane!

Lucky number 13… said no one ever. Today was a beautiful day and I was able to do some yard work outside with Liam, but man. Today was kind of rough in every other aspect.

Being stuck at home almost feels claustrophobic in a different sort of way. Yeah, you can try to do all of the things you should do like stick to your regular schedule (hah! Kids… there is schedule with kids…), try to eat well, try to make sure you stay active, try to do the millions of activities they tell you to do with your kids, and the list goes on and on, but today has worn on me.

Working from home is rough. Not because I can’t see people, but because people communicate VERY differently through technology and unfortunately, some don’t communicate at all. This makes everyone’s job that much more challenging and adds a whole other level of uncertainty to this entire situation.

I do love being able to stay home and enjoy the kids, though because it’s their favorite thing to do-stay home and play with mom and dad. This also adds a challenge, though. When mom and dad have to get things down to either pay the bills or make sure the house doesn’t need to be condemned, I feel so much guilt. I would so rather be playing with them.

Hopefully everyone else is having a wonderful day and enjoyed the beautiful weather! Hang in there, everyone… we’re all in the same boat!