Fresh Cure
Its amazing how some fresh air and warmer temperatures can be so curing. Last week the government announced that social distancing will continue until the end of August and I refuse to believe this. I have learned a lot of things through this pandemic. I have learned that less really is more. Less activities and more family is essential. However I do love the option to go out. I miss having moments to myself, to breath, to reassess and to just focus on me for a moment. I am an "over-do-er". If I am asked to do something, I typically cannot do anything but 110%. Which seems dreamy except its not. I put so much pressure on myself that it makes me feel like Im failing at everything. Last Saturday, Brian was working again and I was home alone with the kids again. I lost it. I was impatient and unkind. I yelled and felt so wildly unappreciated. I cried in the bathroom alone for an hour. AN HOUR! I just am stugling to find a balance of teaching, mothering, being a supportive wife and most importantly, taking care of my mental health. My mental health has taken a huge hit. I am trying but also the voice in me often get the best of me and last Saturday was just that.
I am WELL aware that I am not alone in this one. So many other friends have told me they're in the same boat. Crying, being impatient and figuring out this new normal. Throughout all the chaos I am keeping my camera close and capturing those little smiles on their faces and I am going to imprint the joy in the circumstance we are in. We all want our "normal" back. They want to go to school. They miss their teachers, their friends, their activities. The playdates and even coming to the grocery store with me. We miss picking up slurpees and ice cream. We miss it all but we will find the diamond in the rough and our old normal will never be the same because we will adapt the new that we have learned to appreciate.
We have become creative in our lonely lives lol and although its only the end of April we have blown through nearly 1400 water balloons (Thank you Costco) with water balloon fights and games being literally a DAILY occurrence! The boys even made a fun game called "Tug-A-Ballooon" and all three of them LOVE IT!
Yesterday, Bentley even suggested he has his favourite type of bouquet.. of course Penny said fresh flowers are her favourite but water balloons are a close second.
Pennys been playing in the dirt and finding so many baby worms. She chats with them and encourages them to grow big and strong (we're all going crazy lol)
We even got to do a teacher appreciation day for our kids teachers! SO MANY FAMILIES drove by and waved at their teachers and we slowed down enough to tell our own kids teachers how much we love and miss them. It was REALLY special and I cried like a baby the whole way but it really was so nice to see them. They were all crying too. This is way harder than I ever imagined it would be.
We go on bike rides daily. EVERY SINGLE DAY and when Brian is home, I pull out the rollerblades because we only have one adult bike. We make quite the gang.
We had done A TON of sidewalk chalk.. even to a few families to surprise, just because!
Last weekend I made the kids two kinds of slides out of boxes. This took me over an hour and lasted about 20 minutes of fun. It felt like a huge fail but when I look at these pictures I can see that little spark of happiness.
As for homeschool. We're trying. Thats the best I got. We get up everyday (early since our kids are still allergic to sleeping...) and we're usually done school for the day around 10 or 11 which is great because it leaves the rest of the day for all the things we love.
Im brushing up on my multiplication and Canadian history and helping Penny to rhyme like a boss lady! We've gotten into a groove and its working. Im so grateful for their teachers and holding our hands through all of this, they've all been incredible. I know they're there if I need anything. And I cannot forget my love for their little Zoom meets a couple times a week in the mornings. I LOVE seeing them see their friends. I love hearing all their little voices and fun things they've been up to. Its very sweet to see.
Yesterday Carter said we should do more experiments and so today I planned to make "Elephant Toothpaste" with them! It was AWESOME! We talked about their hypothesis and what kind of reaction it might be when we add all the ingredients together. We talked about how it was an Exothermic reaction because it got warm. Its these 10 minute moments that Ill miss the most when life resumes and they go back to school.
I cherish them. I simply cherish them.
I am WELL aware that I am not alone in this one. So many other friends have told me they're in the same boat. Crying, being impatient and figuring out this new normal. Throughout all the chaos I am keeping my camera close and capturing those little smiles on their faces and I am going to imprint the joy in the circumstance we are in. We all want our "normal" back. They want to go to school. They miss their teachers, their friends, their activities. The playdates and even coming to the grocery store with me. We miss picking up slurpees and ice cream. We miss it all but we will find the diamond in the rough and our old normal will never be the same because we will adapt the new that we have learned to appreciate.
We have become creative in our lonely lives lol and although its only the end of April we have blown through nearly 1400 water balloons (Thank you Costco) with water balloon fights and games being literally a DAILY occurrence! The boys even made a fun game called "Tug-A-Ballooon" and all three of them LOVE IT!
Yesterday, Bentley even suggested he has his favourite type of bouquet.. of course Penny said fresh flowers are her favourite but water balloons are a close second.
Pennys been playing in the dirt and finding so many baby worms. She chats with them and encourages them to grow big and strong (we're all going crazy lol)
We even got to do a teacher appreciation day for our kids teachers! SO MANY FAMILIES drove by and waved at their teachers and we slowed down enough to tell our own kids teachers how much we love and miss them. It was REALLY special and I cried like a baby the whole way but it really was so nice to see them. They were all crying too. This is way harder than I ever imagined it would be.
We go on bike rides daily. EVERY SINGLE DAY and when Brian is home, I pull out the rollerblades because we only have one adult bike. We make quite the gang.
We had done A TON of sidewalk chalk.. even to a few families to surprise, just because!
Last weekend I made the kids two kinds of slides out of boxes. This took me over an hour and lasted about 20 minutes of fun. It felt like a huge fail but when I look at these pictures I can see that little spark of happiness.
As for homeschool. We're trying. Thats the best I got. We get up everyday (early since our kids are still allergic to sleeping...) and we're usually done school for the day around 10 or 11 which is great because it leaves the rest of the day for all the things we love.
Im brushing up on my multiplication and Canadian history and helping Penny to rhyme like a boss lady! We've gotten into a groove and its working. Im so grateful for their teachers and holding our hands through all of this, they've all been incredible. I know they're there if I need anything. And I cannot forget my love for their little Zoom meets a couple times a week in the mornings. I LOVE seeing them see their friends. I love hearing all their little voices and fun things they've been up to. Its very sweet to see.
Yesterday Carter said we should do more experiments and so today I planned to make "Elephant Toothpaste" with them! It was AWESOME! We talked about their hypothesis and what kind of reaction it might be when we add all the ingredients together. We talked about how it was an Exothermic reaction because it got warm. Its these 10 minute moments that Ill miss the most when life resumes and they go back to school.
I cherish them. I simply cherish them.