The Saturday 7

You know what I have noticed in the past few weeks? GREY HAIRS! Apparently it's true that stress turns your hair grey? Because I'm sure it has nothing to do with my advancing age! 😜

1. This week in Michigan, we got the official order we've been expecting: STAY HOME. All "non-essential" businesses closed, restaurants are take-out only, even places like banks and pharmacies are closing their lobbies and asking customers to use the drive through. The label "essential business" is pretty broad, and most of my friends' husbands still have their jobs. But apparently construction is not considered essential, so Justin's out of work for 3 weeks. 🤦 Fortunately, we were able to sign up for unemployment Friday night before the website got totally slammed. And if Trump's stimulus package comes through as promised, we actually stand to make more per week than Justin makes working 40 hours! Yes, I realize something is wrong with that picture. Where is this money coming from? It will be good for us in the short term, but how can it possibly be good for our economy in the long-run? Why would out of work people even attempt to find jobs when they can make so much off unemployment for the next 29 weeks? As long as the "shelter at home" order isn't extended, Justin will only need to collect unemployment for 3 weeks, so I hope you all won't disown me for living off the government. 🤷

2. I told the kids that last week was their "spring break" and this week we were getting down to business (not to defeat the Huns, but to get off our buns). Especially with Justin being home all the time, we needed a schedule in place so that every day didn't become Saturday. Monday was rough. Apparently the kids didn't realize I was serious about screen time limits, and there were some major attitude issues. The rest of the week was better. We got a lot more serious about schoolwork, attempting to actually finish each of the daily assignments the girls' teachers sent our way. (Because they go to a private school their at-home learning does actually count.) It's been really nice to have Justin home to help me juggle two sets of school work and the constant interruption/chaos that is Levi. But it still reminds me of why I chose to stop homeschooling. Haha. I told a friend this week, that this situation has been a prime example of the adage "If you want to make God laugh, tell him your plans." In September I told God, "Homeschooling is too hard. I'm going to send them back to Christian school, ok?" And I can just picture him saying, "Sure. I'll give you a couple months' break." 🤣

I've actually been doing a little bit of schoolwork with Levi and have been surprised by how well he's doing! It pays to be a hoarder, because I found a packet of "summer work" Lena was given the summer before Kindergarten. She only did a couple of pages, so we have lots left for Levi. It's a little advanced for him, but it's better than nothing!

3. Another part of our new schedule is dedicated "family time" wherein Justin and I make a concentrated effort to put down our phones and do something as a family. We're both really bad about our own screen time limits, and neither of us is great at playing with our kids. But our kids crave that time with us, so it's good for all of us to have that time set aside. We've been trying to do a family devotion after dinner - something we always have good intentions about, but rarely seem to have time for . . . until now! Some of our activities have included Lego challenges, listening to me read aloud, and going for a family walk/bike ride.

4. It has not been all fun and family time though. Lucy has spent 75% of this week in her room - of her own choosing. She's just always mad about something. Levi is regressing in the potty training realm. Lena's whining is out of control. And I am irritable and impatient 90% of the time. Logicially, my life hasn't changed that much. I'm a stay-at-home mom. It's not like I'm out and about doing stuff every day. But I really thrive on structure, and while I'm great at making schedules, I'm not as great at sticking to them (see also: budgets). If it's not forced on me (aka school starts at 8 and ends at 3), I'll start to feel lazy and say, "Meh. I don't care if they watch TV for 14 hours straight. They'll stop when they get bored." And while I consider myself pretty introverted, I do need to get out and do things. Having that taken away from me has been hard. Even in the summer, when we don't have the structure of school, we still do things - even if it's just the park or Niki's pool or walking to get ice cream. There are days that I like to be home to catch up on housework and whatnot, but not every.single.day for three weeks (probably more)! And of course it's a sign of our privilege that I have countless forms of entertainment at my disposal, but I'm just bored and restless and irritable all the time. I don't even want to read. I just want to lay around and stuff my face with chips and candy and Dr Pepper, and then feel gross because all I ever do is lay around and stuff my face. I'm having a hard time enjoying this forced family time and considering my kids blessings more than burdens. #honesty

5. Some of the good things: Lena and Levi have forged a newfound friendship. They've been spending hours playing on the trampoline together and riding bikes and making up ridiculous imaginary games.

One of their adventures this week was gymnastics in the backyard. Lena put on her leotard, so of course Levi had to as well. Oh, the things our neighbors must be thinking . . . At least he put shorts on? And that's not lipstick, it's the remnants of a red popsicle.

Justin and I have actually been able to spend time together. Usually, he gets home late afternoon from work, we wrangle kids and dinner for a couple hours, stare at our screens for a while, then he goes to bed by 9. This week we actually watched TV together (Community on Hulu) and talked for more than 2 minutes at a time! #marriagewin!

We had a great video chat with our small group friends.

Lena has had time to be creative.

Culinary creations that mostly involve melting chocolate chips and dipping marshmallows in them, or spreading melted chocolate on a tupperware lid to let it dry into a "chocolate bar."

She's been having fun writing letters to Justin's grandparents and her friends from school.

I've been having hilarious snapchat conversations with my siblings/nephews, and have never been more grateful for social media.

I actually talked to my mom on the phone for a long time on Thursday. I can't remember the last time I had a phone call that lasted longer than two minutes! Haha.

6. These are the books I read this week: Stay With Me by Becky Wade (that might have been last week, but I don't think I shared it yet, and it was so good!), Knox by Susan May Warren, and a re-read of Bridge to Haven by Francine Rivers. Man, Francine Rivers can write. So amazing.

The shows I binged this week: Hometown on Hulu, Community on Hulu, Zoey's Extraordinary Playlist on Hulu, Wheel of Fortune on CBS, and Jeopardy on CBS. We only get CBS in the basement, which is always cold, but I've been desperate this week, so I've gotten back into it.

I've also been playing lots of Words with Friends and am always looking for ~~fresh meat~~ new opponents, so look me up if you're interested!

7. More pics

By Sunday, supplies were getting dangerously low.

Fortunately I was able to make it to the store Monday morning before the "stay home" order went into effect and all the panic buyers came out. (Am I considered a panic buyer if I run to the store to buy six 2 liters of Dr Pepper?)