Week 6 - 1.5 lbs of sunshine

Thanks to a 1.5 lb white and blue eyed color point bob tail kitten, we had a really good week. Falling in love really does make us don rose colored glasses letting all the annoyances from the week just melt away.  The anticipation and face time calls with a 6 week old kitten kept our spirits high.  We got confirmation Thursday night that we would be her forever home.  We met her for the first time at pick up Friday afternoon and can't keep our eyes off of her.  We will keep her in a safe room for the next week to help the transition for both her and her 11 month old sister Moxie.  Elise got to sleep in the bathroom with her on the first night.  Elise didn't care at all that her head was inches away from the toilet.  Elise is in love.  We all are. It was actually Elise that picked her out of the 5 kittens on a face time call.  I had another one in mind from chats beforehand but Elise was adamant about this one.  It was meant to be.

I noticed in the news this week was quite a bit about Georgia opening back up.  The president recommended we should study injecting disinfectant in people to cure COVID-19,  immunity after having it is not a guarantee, lots of opinions on when and how USA should reopen, Oregon continues to flatten the curve.  Oregon has seen 87 deaths, USA - 54K deaths, 200K deaths worldwide which only tells one story. Most people do recover from it but unclear what the rate is.  

Week 6 Video:

Week 5 - A memorable parade

Sometimes sunny and warm spring weather doesn't translate similarly to the mood inside our home.  It wasn't an easy week, definitely tougher than I expected.  Witnessing my kids fight, scream, and cry over the logistics and fairness of an Easter egg hunt took me down and I couldn't shake it off quickly...but I eventually did and we moved on.  A bit more fighting than the usual amount, a bit more resistance from Paul and Elise to do school work, and a bit more back talk from Lily didn't make the week go smoothly but overall, we are healthy and continue to feel blessed that we are all together at home.   Oma is enjoying gardening and spoiling the kids.  Opa is staying well informed on everything there is to know about COVID-19, making us Saturday breakfasts, and getting out to the front porch to enjoy the sun.  

Getting a ping pong table this past week has been a great addition to the playroom; it almost feels like a little bit of tennis is back in our lives.  The highlight of our week was a parade of our school's staff driving by. We made signs, cheered, waved, and even got surprisingly a little teary eyed seeing the teachers and support staff drive by with smiles on their faces. 

More articles are popping up now on the topic of when restrictions will be lifted so the economy can reopen.  The consensus is lacking and it's getting a bit messy to the point of some protests across the country.  About 40K deaths from COVID-19 in the US, 160K deaths worldwide, and 72 people have died in Oregon.  There are still so many unknowns but a 3 phase plan has been communicated to slowly reopen....timing is unknown....sounds like maybe mid May.  Masks continue to be highly recommended.

Week 5 Recap Video 

Week 4 - Holy Week in Pajamas

Treasuring the good moments, enjoying the simple moments, and losing my mind over the infuriating moments (there are plenty). All the unknowns of what life will look like in the not so distant future worry me.  The constant changes to models and recommendations unnerves me.  The >100K worldwide death count to COVID-19 saddens me and somewhat numbs me.  The renewed hope Easter, Passover, and the springtime blooms typically bring is not shining brightly for me this week.  Too soon. 

Week 4 Isolation Video

Week 3 Isolation - Winging it and Masks

While my kid's teachers finish training for online teaching, I did my 3rd week of winging it homeschooling.   Paul telling me through tears at one point "You're my mom. You're not my teacher" tells you that it hasn't gone smoothly but overall, we're making it work.  Schedules are our friend....so are lots of breaks.

My kids seek more cuddle time these days, especially after I say good night.  They sneak down to chill in bed with me.  I don't mind.

My kids call themselves 3Kids Theater when they get in creative performance mode.  Here is a PSA Kids "Go Noodle" style video they made to teach kids to stay away from germs while exercising and washing hands.



This past week was a lot of talk about wearing masks, NYC continues to hurt, "the worst is yet to come," unemployment numbers, supporting restaurants, best safe grocery shopping practices, and what will it take for us to truly feel like it's safe again?

Inside our home, the focus continues to be on feeling safe, being healthy, and showing the love.  We continue to follow some kind of a schedule, continue to learn and create, mourn the things we miss so much, remind ourselves what we are grateful for......then sleep it off , wake up the next day, ready to go at it again trying to be helpers and not be a waste of space.

Es ist was es ist.