Afternoon!

It is beautiful outside. I love the warmth and the sunshine. We have already been out one time but will go out again this afternoon. So lovely. Enjoy that!

So darn. I overslept today. Kinda mad that happened but got after the normal routine at 7ish. Ah well. Will put the alarm across the room tonight. Really want to get up at 6am so I can have time to myself. Try, try again. But got the exercises done, and took a walk with John and Remi while Joe had a morning meeting. Then came back and had some meetings with students and worked for a bit. John made a beautiful painting for Nana Lynn!

So Joe started a new assignment at work- helping out HR. So he was busy with meetings all morning. But check out his new chair I “built” for him. Pretty slick. 

Alrighty. Back to some jobs of work here. Get out and enjoy that sunshine! Feels so good! Reminds me of a song… 😉

Late afternoon yesterday. Beautiful sun then too! 

I’ve followed the Hollis crew for quite awhile and done a few challenges in the past.

While there are those out there going through unimaginable life changes and we are incredibly lucky, these two offer me a way to shift perspective and be grateful for the blessings of what I have and also what this situation can teach me. Everyone is going through change and loss.

I’m doing the #next90challenge to keep myself centered during this constantly changing time. Check it out- it’s totally free!

https://thehollisco.com/pages/next90- Click here!

It goes without saying that I worry the most about people in my life contracting this disease. I cannot control that other than that we’ve already done all we can to prevent it and we will continue our practice. We just have to hope that they stay healthy at this point.

Other than that, I would say I have two things I am viewing negatively that I can change my perspective on.

The first being that it’s uncomfortable to be so uncertain about what is happening in the education world for me and my students. But to turn that around, I can look at what is GOOD about this for both me and my students. Can we use this as a teachable moment? Of course we can. Can we show and teach our students about vulnerability, resilience, and self-discipline to name a few? Yes.

The second being that this new normal has me juggling my son’s schedule, my husband’s schedule and my own together. And we are together at ALL. TIMES. Which has its very very frustrating moments. To turn that around, I am blessed to have this time to connect with them. Have more family table dinners. Cook more and talk more with Joe. Watch my son learn and to be an active participant with him as he learns. To watch his joy and his laugh when I would otherwise miss it. So many things.

Perspective. There are those out there right now who have it a whole lot worse than me- they might be sick. Someone in their family might be sick. They might have lost jobs. Not sure of how to pay rent or other expenses. Maybe they are an essential worker and have no choice but to power us through this time.

At the end of the day, someone always has it worse than me. How can I make the best of my very fortunate circumstance? How can I honor those who have it worse? Honor their sacrifices? I want to look for the positive. I want to reach out and help out others as much as I can.

I am looking at our new situation through the lens of how I can come out on the other side better for going through this hard time. I am just like everyone else- going through change and loss. Mine isn’t as great as say someone going through the virus or being affected in some direct way. But… I have the choice to do something with this new time. It is a blessing to have time with my family. To connect more. And it is a blessing to think of new creative ways to reach my students.

I can’t control this. But I can control my response.

Good morning!

Thank goodness for coffee. I got up and exercised even though I REALLY did not want to today. Would have been nice to keep sleeping…but here we are! And coffee helps. 🙂

Yesterday was a good day, albeit a long day. John Michael was trying. We are working on him cleaning up his own mess at home and that was a fight. Finally lost it and told him I was going to count to 5 (no cliche 3 for me… haha). And then yelled at him. That did it but he told me through tears he didn’t want me to yell at him again! Ugh. Would have been lots easier to just pick up the toys but I refused to pick up even one and made the hard parenting choice. It is exhausting even over dumb stuff like this. Finally it ended with him coloring at his table. Trashed to sorta better. Whew.

But then we danced together and he did some beautiful artwork. He ate with us at the table and even ate the food we made. Can’t complain about that!

Speaking of dancing… he was pretending to sleep. This is so funny.

So anyway, I did the necessary school work and got to put together a new chair for the workspace which is cheerful and helpful for my back.

Joe tried his whiskey- that is some good stuff! Traverse City Whiskey Company. Highly recommend. And I know you are wondering… did we have Taco Tuesday? We sure did! Joe made some amazing tacos.

Hope you all have a wonderful Wednesday!