Things We’ve Accomplished During Quarantine

So I’m trying to have a better perspective going into the weekend after this week’s bumble of emotions to The Dark Side as our Star Wars’ fandom would say.

I’ve been keeping a fun little list on my phone of the little achievements and moments during this crazy time. Partly so I can look back in years to come on these milestones. Partly because I can look to it as a reminder of the things that we have done when I do have a down day.

Like most, we started this quarantine with a full house purge and clean. Not so much for germ eradication, we figured we were pretty okay, but because “we had time and why not”….so we literally took apart the attic and went through the garage and house and made sure we reclaimed our space. After that we gave the house a good Spring Cleaning and now it’s paid off in spades for how long we’ve been home and now we’re just maintaining rather than fighting “stuff”. I know now that we will be watching dollars and cents and making much better purchasing decisions in the future.

Cooking. We have been cooking like crazy. But even better, I’ve been teaching my kiddo about baking and making dinner. We have made a Lane Cake made famous by the book To Kill a Mockingbird, a loaf of bread, prepared Pierogi and Halupki for a traditional Polish feast during Easter weekend and also made a lasagna from the scratchity-scratchity-scratch and it all came out delicious. (I’ll post that recipe later!)

Additionally, this past weekend we just held our first QuarantinGiving, which next year, providing we’re not in another plague, we’ll be expanding to remember with friends and not forget the gift of human closeness and friendship.

Also, in close quarters with a toddler, there’s lots and lots of questions. Well, let’s just say now, our kid is clear on all the body parts and who gets what and why. Thankfully, at his age, we aren’t into the bashful feelings and this made this conversation easier. I hope that as he grows, we can continue to make him feel confident that all questions are okay to ask and nothing is off limits – in this realm, and beyond.

I’m also a big crafting mama. Thankfully all those trips to the store to “collect and yet to use” well meaning craft supplies have paid off in this once in a lifetime (Lord, I hope) era. We’ve put together a little foam farm for Easter, made some bunnies and bees out of clay, done spelling sheets and colored cards and posters for friends and art for the window scavenger hunts.

I’m pretty proud of our kiddo’s weathering of this time too. We are blessed with a kid who has typically been the independent type. But when you go from being (literally) in the middle of a marching band with kids swirling around to only yourself – he’s learned how to play on his own, be bored, deal with two working parents and a new normal pretty quickly. He’s also learned how to go barefoot in the yard (like his mama lived most days growing up). He’s become very close with our two dogs – our great dane seems to be okay with this, our codger of a chihuahua, not so much.

As a family, I’m proud that we start each weekend day with a pot of coffee and music out on our patio, something my husband leads us in. The weather has really been great during this period and it’s been a blessing. We have been watching church from home giving us peace and centering. As well as I’ve had the opportunity to finish three “actual paper” novels – something I feel like I’ve not done in years. This patio ritual has been extending itself, and we had a fun chili dog picnic last weekend. Additionally, we did have to explain to the kid, hot dogs…not made of dogs.

And finally, I’ve rediscovered my writing. Awhile ago, I found an amazing group of women who also happen to write over at Friday Night Wives. I’ve always believed that this little space was really ignored (and it is and that’s okay) but it’s my space and I’ll decorate it how I want, right? Because I love to write. Then, as I married a Band Director and much of our family routine is centered on the wild rhythms of a metronome of the high school music life, I decided to get brave and write an article for them. A dozen or so articles later, and I was a little more than touched today to be called an “Author” on their amazing blog. With that, you see I’ve reposted some of my work here, and my next piece will be going up on May 4th (which is a good omen to our Star Wars family…May the Fourth Be With YOU!) So for me, writing has lifted my spirits and gives me an outlet.

So there. That’s our highlights for now. I used to have resolutions years ago that I would track. But hopefully I’ll just keep a list of the adventures we’re taking instead. I hope wherever you are during this, you’re safe and healthy and happy, however that plays out for you.

All the best.