As a society we're about doing it all and this has given me an opportunity to evaluate how I buy into that. I've always felt like if we didn't get out of the house and give the kids a way to burn off their energy they were extra crazy. Turns out that's not nearly as true as I imagined it to be. Having the permission to stay in your jammies all day without feeling lazy or left out has been a welcome change.
I've found that for me, being intellectually stimulated is vital to my mental health. I need to feel like I'm learning and making progress to thrive. 8 weeks into quarantine I've created a photography website, read 4 books, organized multiple rooms and started a new photography course. With three kids in my care even though we're not leaving the house I certainly don't have a lot of space for projects but I crave it out in the margins and it makes all the difference.
I've always considered my kids creative and now I have solid evidence that they absolutely are. There have been very few boredom complaints and lots of adventures within our space. We put up a tent in the playroom and they camped out in there for two weeks. The used every pillow and the mattresses from their beds to make a slide down the stairs. They dug for treasure down by the Stonebridge. They went on bike rides miles long and scootered it up around the neighborhood. They had water balloon fights and built forts. They colored, painted and made playdough. We baked and cooked. We celebrated Beau's birthday with decorations, a doggie cake and gifts. We hung out in Grammy and Granpapa's yard and went in their hot tub while they stayed on the patio. They watched movies and played games on the iPad. National Treasure, Descendants, Fire Man Sam and Puppy Dog Pals being the favorites. We homeschooled relatively successfully and read the Jesus Storybook Bible from cover to cover.
The boys gathered up old toys and I sold them so they could buy new ones. Owen got a pair of rollerblades. Wes got confident without his training wheels on quarantine day 2 and Hazel spent multiple weeks mastering the balance bike. They got Fitbits and tried to get 20,000 steps a day. We made rainbow rice which provided a surprising amount of entertainment. They decorated the driveway with sidewalk chalk and extended their creation to the road. We picked up school lunches. We watched church virtually with more regularity than we could claim getting there in person. We read the Wild Robot series and found a homeschool groove. The kids played house and used Alexa for dance parties. We had a bonfire and did bike rides after dark. We chatted with neighbors in the street. They played with Magnatiles and Matchbox cars. They used some of their money to buy updated nerf equipment and had epic battles. We went for long walks on the golf course. Ty and I cleaned, a lot. The boys helped, a little. They played with cardboard from large outdoor furniture boxes. I took photos. We sorted the LEGOS by color. Ty and I drank a lot of whisky sours. The boys built a secret hideout in an old tree.
Turns out we are perfectly capable of entertaining ourselves.
I'm grateful that Ty and I still have jobs and that I work in a profession that is part of the solution to this pandemic. I'm holding tight to the truth that with everything in the world that feels out of control, I have power over what happens in my home. There have been lots of little disappointments but more reasons to continue holding tight to the treasures within these walls. We have everything we need right here. My heart breaks for the kids who don't find refuge in their homes and all the suffering that is taking place in the world. And it's grateful for the goodness that remains.
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