The last few months, I have gotten back into reading for pleasure.  I have found many fantastic books I love, and it puts me in such a good headspace when I can escape into someone else's world.  There were some days I looked at Russ after dealing with something outside our home and said, "I just need to escape into a book for a little while."  I have found it refreshing.  I also love to hold a book in my hand.  I'm not someone who can read on my phone or iPad or Kindle.  I want to fold the corner of the page to hold my place and see how far I have to go or how far I've come in the book.  So I have frequented Barnes and Noble, made several Amazon orders, and borrowed some from friends.

Over spring break, I finished 3 books, and when quarantine began I just knew I would be reading through my others so fast.  But that was wrong.  As it turns out, when your kids are home 24/7...there isn't really any extra time.  Schooling, tidying up, fixing lunches, and trying to make this time a positive memory to look back on takes more time than I expected.  Occasionally, I was able to steal some time to work on whatever book I was reading at the time.

I joined Goodreads at the suggestion of a friend, and I decided I was going to read 2 books a month. I know that's a joke for some of you who read 2 books a week. Ha! So far, I have finished 12 since January, so I'd say I'm on track!  I also love browsing other friends' book reviews and get ideas for future reads.

The weather during this pandemic has been amazing overall!!  So many days to sit outside and enjoy a good book!  Russ and my brother satisfied my request for a firepit in our back yard, so I finished my last book out there, and it was so peaceful!  If it feels too good outside, I station my kids on the porch for school while I read.

 

Let me think of some of my recent favorites...

1. The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah is one of my favorites.  It is a heavy one.  It takes place during WWII.  It follows two sisters in France trying to resist the German occupation of France.  If you love historical fiction...pick this up ASAP!!
2.  Firefly Lane and Fly Away by Kristin Hannah is another good story!  Fly Away is the sequel to Firefly Lane.  Firefly Lane begins in the 70's and works it's way to present day as it follows the friendship of two women.  By the time I finished Firefly Lane I was bawling.  So, of course, I needed to find out what happened next...and I picked up Fly Away.  
3. Get Out of Your Head by Jennie Allen is a book I recommend every woman read!  There is a small group of five of us who meet for Bible study once a week.  We had just started this new book when the Coronavirus hit.  Talk about timing!  There have been tears, laughs, and lots of deep discussions surrounding these chapters.  I recommend downloading her free book club kit on her website and listening to the podcasts that go along with each week.  I almost feel like I need a refresher once a year. 

 Right now, I have a couple books going.  One of them is on Audible.  I have started Mrs. Kennedy and Me, and I am enjoying it so far.  I am so intrigued by Jackie O.  It is written by her former secret service agent.  Right now, it is following the timeline of his service beginning with his assignment, the birth of John, their travels, and interesting insight behind the scenes.  I'm only just starting, so the verdict is still out.  But I have heard it's a good one!

I am looking forward to the rest of my book picks too!  I have a stack of books to read, but I keep buying more and pushing the ones I have to the side.  It's becoming a problem.

Quarantine Easter 2020

It was wonderful to have something to look forward to on our calendar!  Easter wasn't cancelled.  The Easter Bunny still found the kids, and there was a small bit of normalcy for a little while Easter morning. 

On a typical Easter morning, we would be rushing around getting fed, dressed, and loaded for a trip to Corinth for church at my home church.  However, since churches are still closed...we were able to spend a little time playing with toys from the Easter Bunny, enjoy cinnamon rolls as a family, and I was able to continue the preparations for Easter lunch.

There are a few things southern mamas take seriously.  One of those is Easter frocks and family photos.  So, we did get everyone cleaned up and dressed in the Easter clothes I ordered specifically for Easter.  Thankfully, there weren't too many complaints and the kids looks precious all dressed up!  It was a nice change from the pajamas and play clothes we wear every day these days.

Even Russ cooperated.  Easter Sunday was filled with the threat of tornadoes.  The weather was yucky, but there was a break in the rain!  And I saw a chance to snap that ever so important Easter family photo.  What you should know is that Russ is the only one with shoes on!  Ha!  I managed to keep my slippers on and the kids had on flip flops.  We call it business on the top and party on the bottom.

After our photo, we gathered together in the living room for our Easter service - a VERY different Easter service than we have ever had.  Snuggled together on the couch.

After church, we joined the rest of the family on a Zoom call!  Susu wanted a family Easter photo, so we got dressed up for it.  The second the picture was over, people started shedding clothes. Haha!  Happy Easter...quarantine style!

Then it was time for the big event - the big Easter lunch!  The moment I realized the big family Easter wasn't going to happen, I panicked.  All of a sudden, I was in charge of Easter!  I started gathering the recipes I needed and making the menu, trying to make this a special memory for Russ and me...and the kids. 

Our Easter menu included my mom's roast with potatoes and carrots, smothered green beans, cauliflower rice, cream corn, rolls, and strawberry pretzel salad.  I burned the roast.  But aside from that, it was a delicious meal!  Thankfully there were plenty of sides to make up for it.

We spent the rest of our Easter Sunday napping, laying around watching Matt Lauban and the weather expecting a tornado.  Thankfully, it was a false warning for us. 

Happy Easter, Covid-19!

Pre-Easter Fun

Easter proved to be a problem for this family.  If you've been around long enough, you know that Easter is our holiday. Here are some of the highlights from previous years.

So many of us mamas were disappointed to miss sweet Easter egg hunts and parties, the frilly Easter frocks, and church photos.

Smith's preschool teachers did a great job providing fun Easter activities that we all were able to enjoy together! Easter egg numbers match, alphabet carrots to feed the bunny, and more!  We also decorated eggs together.  Easter has always been such a busy time, and there were some perks of slowing down and really remembering the reason we celebrate.

We had some fun surprises pop up!  Buck and She She surprised the kids with a fun egg hunt.  They stopped by and hid 10 eggs filled with messages for the kids to find.  We had "been egged!"  The kids loved it and thought the notes were the best thing ever.  Not one question about candy!  We decided it was such a fun idea that we egged some of our favorite friends too!

Kay Kay called to let us know the Easter Bunny may be riding through her neighborhood.  So we ventured off to our very first social gathering since the quarantine began.  The kids weren't really sure what to do.  They just looked at each other for a little while.  I brought an egg hunt exercise activity and had them hunt one egg at a time so no one was touching.  Ha!  Then we sectioned off parts of the driveway for sidewalk chalk drawings.

The Saturday before Easter, Buck and She She told us the Easter Bunny was coming down their street too!  As it turned out, this was the real deal!  The kids spread out and waved as the bunny drove past.  He even stopped for a photo opp.

We decided to hang around a while, so we moved to the back yard.  Then, Susu and Pawpaw surprised us!  The Annual Smith Egg Hunt is serious.  It was a near devastating blow to forego the hunt altogether.  I won't lie...I was pouting internally.  Haha!  Susu and Pawpaw had arranged for the egg hunt to continue...one couple at a time.  So that's what we did.  We hunted our eggs...3 different egg hunts in a row.  Russ FINALLY won after 15 years of trying.  We decided it was because I was his only competition.  But a win is a win!

We didn't completely neglect the children.  Kay Kay brought their own giant Easter egg hunt for each family of children to do.  And they also assisted Russ during our egg hunt.  So I have determined his win wasn't really fair.

Although it wasn't our typical Smith Easter Egg Hunt...it was a fun variation.  No hugging.  No touching.  Six feet apart social distancing.  But the face time was MUCH NEEDED!!  Big thanks to Susu and Pawpaw for making it happen!

 An Easter to remember for sure!

Coronaschool

Our everyday life has been interrupted.

It's like someone made an announcement..."We interrupt normal programming to bring you family time at HOME where you actually have to be everything to all people in your home."

This includes our new role as teacher.

Millie Janalee attends our local public school, and Smith is still at our precious church preschool.  You would think one is obviously more important than the other.  However, Smith does start kindergarten next year.  And he is still learning letter sounds.  Both our school district and our preschool have worked tirelessly to help parents with "distance learning."  Our preschool teachers put together fabulous packets we pick up weekly and send videos with instruction, music, and even chapel.  Our public school district has set up a distance learning curriculum on Google Classroom where the children complete assignments each day, and they are able to submit assignments online as well.

There are some days we get an A++ on school.  Then there are days we do nothing at all.

One of my favorite days was St. Patrick's Day.  I started the day out with a fun St. Patty's Day breakfast, morning work laid out, and a schedule prepared for the day full of fun activities.

We had scavenger hunts, yoga for kids, crafts, recess, and a science experiment.  This is NOT our normal.  But it certainly was fun and made our day more enjoyable.  This was also before the school district started sending out specific assignments.  The official "distance learning" thing kinda stifled my fun teacher mode a little.

Our normal school routine starts with sleeping in.  The kids work on morning work during breakfast, giving me time to gather myself. I can shower if I want (but I usually don't - Ha!), read my Bible, and get myself some caffeine to start the day.  Once I check morning work, the kids can start their own school day.  Millie Janalee does her schoolwork online through Google Classroom. She has lessons and assignments to work through.  One of her teachers is reading through Charlotte's Web with them online and she has a math program called Prodigy to work through.  While Millie Janalee does this, Smith will get the iPad and freely go through any of the ABC Mouse programs...or he and I will sit down to work on one of the preschool activities his teachers have sent home.  I need to do this more than I do, because I do enjoy that one on one time with him.

One of the things I have loved including in our day is Bible time.  I'm ashamed to say that this has not been a normal part of our day.  We pray with our children and talk about things as they come up, but I have not set aside a scheduled Bible time to teach a lesson or teaching them to look up verses in their bibles....outside of reading Bible stories before bed.  We have enjoyed this time, and it usually happens during lunch on a regular school day.  We especially enjoyed Easter week, and reading each day about the days leading up to the Resurrection. 

In Deuteronomy, Moses is talking to the Isrealites after God has written the ten commandments.  He says in Deuteronomy 6:6-7, "These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up."  With all that is going on around us during this time, teaching your children about God and leading them to Jesus is the most important thing we can be doing.  It is our job as parents to minister to and disciple those right in front of us - in our homes.  Our ministry starts here.  So many children's ministers have been helping us by posting videos for us to share with our children.  We watch them together, look up verses, do the activities together if there is one, and talk about them.  I am so thankful for our local churches working overtime to feed their sheep during this unprecedented time.

After lunch, our day pretty much ends with art, piano practice, recess, Challenge assignments, and screen time [GASP!].  That's right.  I said it.

We are all doing great!  The stay at home mamas, the working mamas, the mamas barely keeping it together, the crafty moms, the stay at home dads, the grandparents...we are all doing GREAT!  At first, social media was in a frenzy with judgements.  Judgements about a lot of things.  But the mom shaming was certainly a part of that.  Here's how I see it.  I'll do me.  You'll do you.  And we are all on the same team!  Just mamas trying to survive using what we got.

While I am not winning at Coronaschool, I am thankful for the opportunity.  I do TRY to pep myself up each morning.  I fail a lot.  But we also have made some unforgettable memories...at least in my mind.

And this is one of the reasons I wanted to get back on here....writing about our time.  One day my kids will look back, and I want them to know I tried.  I may have failed miserably, but I did try and my intentions were good.

Just a mama trying to raise her family during a scary, uncertain, and chaotic time in our history.

Our Quarantine

"...When this ends, may we find that we have become more like the people we wanted to be, we were called to be, we hoped to be and may we stay that way - better for each other because of the worst." - Laura Kelly Fanucci

(It has been nearly 3 years since I have written anything here.  How did that happen!?  I loved this space.  I loved having these memories written out in words and in pictures.  I just recently went through and prepared EIGHT blog books for printing.  That's how far behind I was!)

On March 14, 2020...our family began our official quarantine.  The country - well, the whole world - is in the middle of a pandemic.  COVID-19.  Coronavirus.  Corona.  "The Rona." It goes by many nicknames these days.  It has been a scary time for many.  At best, a strange time for everyone.  Schools have closed (the kids never went back after Spring Break), businesses have shut down or gone to curbside and delivery only, churches have closed their doors (it is all online), and social gatherings have stopped.  We do dance and piano classes on Zoom, and we do distance learning on Google Classroom.  I still keep up with my Bible study girls on Zoom each week.  My Marco Polo app stays hot.  Thank goodness for technology!

Everything has changed.

And I decided it was time to pick this back up and start getting my thoughts and our new normal down "on paper" - or on the blog.  So I am going to attempt to cover some of our new normal here. 

I am an introvert at heart.  I can fake it til I make it in a crowd.  I do love to host parties and fun events at my home.  But my very happy place is with a small group of close friends and/or family.  Quality time is my love language.  Not in the busy-ness of life.  Real quality time.  Some may even say I was born to quarantine.  I admit that I panicked at first.  Then I had fun with it.  Then I had some rough days.  Then I found a groove that works for us.  Not every day is great, but every day has some moments.  And I don't hate it.

Don't get me wrong, I hate what this pandemic is doing to people's health and finances.  I hate the fear it has put into the hearts of so many.  I hate watching the news if I'm completely honest.

But there are some things I don't hate.  I don't hate the precious time we spend as a family on Sunday mornings worshiping at home.  I don't hate having a clear schedule with no obligations and no decisions to be made.  I don't hate spending this extra time at home as a family.  There will never be another time in history where we will get so much extra time with those we love most.  I am not attentive all the time.  I spend too much time on my phone and I don't always jump up to play soccer or push someone on the saucer swing when I'm asked.  But I do find myself looking into their eyes more.  Staring longer.  Even tearing up from time to time watching them just be kids.  My heart is full right now.

My kids miss their friends.  I miss my friends.  And I'll go ahead and put it out there - I have had a cocktail hour with my best girl friends 6 feet apart on my back porch.  Russ insisted during one of my hard nights, and I started texting them immediately!  As I type this, Russ is having a guy night on the back patio as well.  We had one little social distance family gathering right before Easter.  It was much needed.  It gave me enough fuel for a little while.  We have seen some of the kids' little friends from a distance during our little birthday parades that have become a normal thing these days. Just enough face time with everyone to get us through.

We had Easter as a family of four.  It was a simple and sweet time.  Nothing spectacular.  I cooked my first Easter lunch for my family and tried to make it taste like my mom's.  I burned the roast.  But other than that, it was a delicious home cooked Sunday meal.  The weather was bad all day.  We had our tornado safe place prepped and ready.  Thankfully, we didn't have to use it.  The Easter Bunny did find the kids.  And I bet he wore his face mask and gloves as he hopped from house to house. 

It's a strange time for sure.

But what am I doing with this gift of time I have been given?

How will my kids remember this time 10 years from now?

That is what goes through my mind every day.  It doesn't mean I have mastered this quarantine.  Not by a long shot.  But I do acknowledge it as a gift in many ways.

And on the many days I fail...I am so glad His mercies are new every morning!

Life's a Dance

Life's a dance, you learn as you go.

Sometimes you lead, sometimes you follow.

Don't worry 'bout what you don't know.

Life's a dance, you learn as you go.

This dance year was certainly a sweet one.  Some dramatic moments, but overall such a sweet time!  Our little ballet class was filled with school friends.  They are the cutest little group.  We enjoyed our time together and learned so much as we went.  I even learned some things about myself by the time it was all over! Ha!

I am a little biased, but these sweet lion costumes were the cutest ever!  They danced to "The Lion Sleeps Tonight" and they did an amazing job!  The audience fell in love, and I cried through the whole thing!

So proud.  And so relieved.  The drama of the whole thing was a bit overwhelming for this mama, but I survived.  And the JOY on Millie Janalee's face as she danced her little heart out...and did so to perfection...was all I needed!  I wish I could bottle that up and hang onto it forever.

As all the mamas were busily getting our little lion princesses ready for the recital, I found myself choked up most of the time.  Sneaking extra bobby pins in her hair, because heaven forbid any piece of her costume flop or fall!  Spraying stray hairs back.  And applying the last touch of Lipsense on those sweet little lips.  Dance recitals are probably one of my favorite parts of having a girl.  It was such a sweet time for us last year at her first recital, and I wanted to keep it sweet for Millie Janalee.  You only have a preschool dancer for a very short time, and it just doesn't get any sweeter!

We had a rough dress rehearsal, so I sat in the audience praying she would be filled with joy from her sweet head down to her precious toes.  And she was!  Prayers work is what I can say about that! I sat in the audience with Russ, Smith, and my dad with tears in my eyes.  I watched a large part of that sweet performance through the lens of my camera of course, but it was just as precious through that little hole.

I am thankful for my dad, who has endured more than his fair share of dance recitals in his lifetime!  He was a great support for this stressed mama.  Thank goodness he was there!  He took us all out to eat dinner to celebrate and then we all went home and CRASHED!

One thing is for sure...the lion definitely slept that night!  Ha!  We are so proud of our tiny dancer!  And we would have been just as proud if she hadn't danced a single step.  I'm proud of her because she's mine.  I'm proud of her because she knows what she wants and doesn't do anything just to appease others.  I'm proud of her strong will.  Because I know that if guided correctly, she will be unstoppable as she grows!  

I had a sweet friend who posted recently about her own strong-willed daughter that "There are some children who are born into this world with the incredible life-gift of a strong will and an indomitable spirit.  At 4 years old, she is persistent, confident, passionate, and bold.  I can't wait to see what the future holds for her."  That's my Millie Janalee also!  Sometimes we need a reminder that a strong will is a gift!  Difficult to parent at times, and hard for some to understand...but my greatest JOY to parent also!  

God knew I needed her and she needed me.  He knows what He's doing, and I do not question that for a second!  So, I won't worry 'bout what I don't know.  Life's a dance, and we learn as we go.

Growing Up...

Goodness, I am so upset with myself for not keeping this blog up!  SO MUCH has happened that I already wish I had blogged about.  Ugh.

Summer has started, and there's no better way to start your summer than at the beach!  I took some time to organize the kids' keepsake boxes today, and I have been looking back through pictures over the year. My, how our little family has changed!

Last year, we were beaching it with a curly haired baby and his sweet older sister.

This year, we beached it with a rowdy and loud toddler and his sassy, emotional big sister.

This is us.  And I wouldn't have it any other way!