Quarantine Life Has Amazing Days

Quarantine Life Has Amazing Days

by | Apr 1, 2020 | Coping with Stress, Family, Family Health, Lifestyle, Motherhood, Motivation, Parenting, Quarantine Life

It was Friday evening, as I sat and pondered my day…

Of all the things I wanted to do this day, I did barely any.

And it has been the best day ever!

It started out like most of my days, quarantine or not, and I expected the same as I have had every day for a while now.

Coffee

Shower

Food

Baby Care

Dishes/Laundry

Cleaning

Kids Schoolwork

More Cleaning

And today I was hoping to add some furniture moving and organizing as well.

And then my sister called…

For those who don’t know, my sister is a firefighter in our county. Here, when the tones drop, everyone who is able responds to the call.

Today has been exceptionally windy, and amazingly warm! When my sister called to tell me they had a fire, I told the boys she was bringing “the cousins” and Micah lit up immediately shouting, “YES!! Finally! It’s about time!” And we all felt his words in our souls!

We have been in this “social distance” order for some days now, going on two weeks. Everyone has cabin fever something fierce!

Half of the time we have been secluded in our own homes, unable to attend church, go shopping as a family, go to the park, or anything else recreational outside of our property line, it has also been raining… a lot.

Today was sunny, warm, windy, and just amazing!

My sister dropped off her kids and we set ourselves to the glorious task of playing outside!

Oh, the sound of pure joy!

Children running, laughing, playing, squealing, and having a great time. The dog barking and running with them. The chickens making their chicken noises and running away from everyone with their crazy antics.

I put the twins in their double stroller for their first afternoon in the sunlight.

They had a blast!

We strolled around the yards (mine and the grandparents next door) with them, showing them all the fun things that they will be getting themselves into in the coming months, and watching their little faces light up as they took in the sights.

Everyone spent most of the afternoon outdoors and it was a total blast!

Titus got a sunburn, his first of the season.

We had quality time with a couple of kiddos we don’t get as much time with as we would all like.

My grandparents were able to enjoy all of our littles in one place, at the same time, and seeing the smiles on their faces was well worth every moment of lost sleep.

Yes, lost sleep.

The twins did NOT nap that afternoon, and I didn’t get the sleep I was hoping for either.

But it was perfect, and I was fine with it all.

I got to watch a group of boys run and play, shout and laugh, scream and squeal, and even get a little spooked at weird insects and creepy, crawly things they found in the yard.

My nephews are probably the most energetic toddlers I have ever had the privilege of knowing since Micah was that little! On a normal day, I probably would have been exhausted having everyone together as long as we were together, because my poor sister had TWO fire calls, back to back, but we were starving for some connection with other human beings, in person, and this was that answer to prayer!

I don’t even remember small details about the day, at all. I don’t remember what we did for supper. I don’t remember exactly how long the boys were here. I only remember the feeling.

Pure Joy!

Absolute happiness at finally having an outlet for all the kids, mine and my sister’s, and for myself!

After they left to go back to their home, we all settled inside our house and rested for the remainder of the evening and for bed that night.

I sat and thought about the day and looked over at my list of things I had hoped to get done. The list didn’t matter to me anymore. I was satisfied with the day, the results of the day, and the smiles on everyone’s faces at the end of the day.

The list could wait. There are plenty more days in this “social distance” timeline, and I was not in a rush this day to pile all my “to-do’s” into a single day for everyone to worry about with me.

Now, as nature would have it, I am certain my next post will be about the restlessness, fighting, tension, and crazy in my household. Because I cannot seem to have an “amazing day” post without some sort of insanity following close behind!

But tonight, I don’t mind. Why? Because…

This was an amazing day.

And, although I know there will be rough days ahead, there will be more amazing days as well.

Remember the little things!

Much Love!

Becca

Quarantine Life Isn’t So Bad!

Quarantine Life Isn’t So Bad!

by | Mar 27, 2020 | Anxiety, Coping with Stress, Depression, Family, Family Health, Lifestyle, Motherhood, Motivation, Parenting, Self Care

While everyone in the world is giving their “Quarantine” updates to the world, I thought I’d just give you an update in ours… our normal life, routine… our chaos. 😊

I am thankful for the other bloggers out there, who are telling their stories of how they are surviving the 2020 Coronavirus Pandemic, and the quarantine life that they are now living. It gives hope to the rest of the people out there who are struggling to keep their emotions in check, their head above water, and their sanity… period!

I, however, have been silent mostly because I have had to stay strong for myself, my kids, and my family on the frontlines.

My older three boys were excited at first, when they heard that there would be a break from school. This comes as no surprise to those who know us well, because I have two boys who struggle and would rather not attend the brick and mortar schools for their education.

It was vacation, early!

They went to school on Monday, March 9, 2020, to receive their packets and have a final day with their classmates and teachers. When they got off the bus that afternoon, they were under the impression that they would be out until March 31, 2020. I let them believe that would be their reality… for a time.

I knew otherwise.

It was only the beginning.

The reality was that, I knew it would be longer than the end of March before we saw and end to the crisis our world is enduring, but we are in a tunnel. A dark tunnel, with no end in sight just yet.

Things are so different, and yet they are the same.

We get up, dress for the day, eat breakfast. I clean, do dishes, laundry, and scroll FB or news pages, to see the latest in the world. The kids play games, read something, do a page or two of their school packets, and play more. On warm days they play outside. On the cooler days (like today) they hang out indoors.

It’s like summer vacation, but with some extra academics they would normally leave behind until August.

In my home, with my family, our world isn’t entirely different during this “social distance” time of our lives. Yes, some things are different, but overall, we are doing the same things we have done for years in our little world.

And yet, the difference (for almost everyone) is this:

We aren’t scrolling social media with our normal ideas in mind. We are looking for the latest cases of a virus, new positive tests, where they are, new deaths, new recoveries.

We are looking for our state governors press conferences, giving us updates for our areas, and what new restrictions we may have to endure.

We wait for the Presidential press conference where he gives us a national update, updates from FEMA, FDA, medical and other professional updates for the entire country as a whole.

We find memes that make light of our situation, give us laughs, smiles, and humor in our trying times.

We find people talking about how they are helping their fellow man in need during these trying times.

We see good and bad everywhere, and hope to find an end to this tunnel we are in.

People have opinions about the virus itself, how others are handling it, supplies for the medical world, necessities for the population, and so on.

I have read many opinions, watched many press conferences, and listened to many people speak about the pandemic, the struggle, and its affect on the entire world.

And I sit in my house, with my children, as any normal day…

And I smile.

What have I to smile about? I’m so glad you asked!

The past few weeks my boys and I have had many conversations. I have heard their fears, their adjustments, their perspective on things, and their dreams for their futures.

We have read books, played games, put some puzzles together, cooked some (very) unique meals together, made brownies, muffins, and even FIXED my stove issue I’ve had for months!

We have cleaned up a large portion of our yard that looked rough for quite some time, and planted seeds for a garden we are excited to see grow this year.

We have played with the babies, A LOT, and shared so many giggles, laughs, smiles, and fun that I have found this entire situation to be one of the biggest blessings for myself, my children, and my home.

My soul needed some searching time, and I got it!

My heart needed some cleansing time, and I got it!

My mind needed some new creativity time, and I got it!

My children needed more time with me, and we got it!

I understand that cabin fever is an issue, and we have dealt with it a little already.

But the world is still turning, the sun is still rising and setting, and the one thing we have in our favor right now is time. It’s still moving, which is great, because as it passes answers are being found, steps are being taken, and once time passes and this is a thing of our past, we will have many things to look back on… memories only, of the tragedy, the crisis, the pandemic that changed our lives… if we let it.

And I have let it. I have let change creep into my world, change for the better. And in this life, that is what matters.

Much Love,

Becca

Stop! Take some “Me Time”

Stop! Take some “Me Time”

by | Mar 3, 2020 | Anxiety, Back To School, Coping with Stress, Depression, Family Health, Lifestyle, Motherhood, Motivation, Parenting, Self Care

As a mother, I find that I rarely take time for myself. It’s all about the kids in my life, and I am more than happy to have this role!

As a Single Mother, though, I tend to lose myself more often than not and it takes a toll on me physically, mentally, and emotionally from time to time.

From the rising of the sun we are go, go, go.

Kids up, showered, ready for their buses to school. If they miss said buses, hurry and get a hold of the grandparents next door to make sure they noticed the bus leaving without one or more children… Yes, folks. This is my life.

After everyone is off to school, whether on a bus or in a grandparent vehicle, it is time to tend to the twinsies.

Babies fed and cared for, on to household chores while they entertain themselves with their fun toys and flashy, loud music things.

Dishes, laundry, clean, break for coffee (probably the second or third cup by now… don’t hate!), back to it, break again to feed, change, and put babies down for a nap…

I Try to work in some blogging, posting on social media for my other job ( I am an independent Scentsy consultant – full time ), feed myself (probably for the first time that day), and back to babies when they wake… around the same time the older three get home from school (again, bus or grandparent vehicle).

About the parent vehicle part, I will have to post a blog about my darling maternal grandparents very soon! My relationship with them is definitely an entire blog posting on its own!

Kids get home, snacks, games, homework (if they admit they have any), some boy fights here and there, scrapes, bangs and booms, supper, showers, more scrapping, gaming, and playing with the babies (they actually do that A LOT), and finally bed!

Typically, I lay in my bed after everyone is sound asleep, NIGHTLY, and wonder where in the world the day went and how I missed it so easily!

Sometimes I sit and take selfies, in hopes that I can use them in a blog post someday, too!

I run through my mental checklist:

Did I make the phone calls I told myself LAST NIGHT I was going to make today?

Did I eat more than once?

Did I get everyone’s stuff back in their backpacks, so we don’t go hunting for papers tomorrow?

Did I shower?! *sniffs under arms* Yeah, we’re good.

Can grocery shopping wait till the day after tomorrow?

Did I check my planner? *near panic*

Did I miss any appointments?

*checks planner in the dark*

Ok, whew! We’re good.

Wait… what if I didn’t write something down and I did have an appointment that we missed?? *panic again*

*Takes out notebook, in the dark, and begins tomorrow’s checklist*

*Falls asleep writing…*

630am next morning, Repeat.

OK STOP!!

This is where you HAVE to stop the cycle! It HAS to end! If it doesn’t, you will find yourself exhausted, frustrated, emotionally wrecked, spread too thin, and eventually burnt out completely!

Take a minute. I don’t care if it’s midnight tonight, or in that single, quiet moment after the kids are out the door for school.

Take a DEEP breath! Hold it for a few seconds. Let it out… SLOWLY.

Repeat!

Moms are built to withstand a lot in this life, but sometimes we put more on ourselves than necessary, and sometimes the load needs to lighten.

So, after you take that breath, find your planner, phone app, whatever you need, and if you have to-schedule yourself into your own life! Get your “Me Time” in, and everyone around you will be better for it! You, most of all!

Mama, your health matters! All of it! Physical, mental, emotional, spiritual! Every part of you is important and I support you taking the time you need to see to your health!

If you only have 30 minutes a day to yourself, don’t spend it on social media. Find something that you think about, something maybe you miss doing because you never have time anymore. Make time for it!

Take a walk.

Don’t like walking? Go for a drive.

In the car too much? Sit under a tree, or on the porch, and soak in some sun.

Don’t like being outside? Sit at the kitchen table with a magazine, newspaper, book, puzzle, journal, or something to occupy your hands and mind with.

Listen to a podcast!

Don’t like reading? Honey get you an audio book! There are free apps for them!

Take a long, relaxing bath.

Don’t have a tub? (I don’t!) Take a long hot shower with music playing in the bathroom. Don’t lie… you take your phone in there!

Lay down for a bit and enjoy the silence.

Don’t think you can lay still? Take that audio book or podcast with you and listen to it there!

Bake cookies! Or brownies! I like to use the cheater boxes that only take 3 ingredients and 30 minutes!

Kids all over you every minute of the day, you say! Tell them it’s time to do chores if they are going to hang around inside the house! Booyah! Instant solitude!

Just wait. If you have an excuse, I have a solution!

Your time is important! And it’s just as important to YOU as it is to anyone else out there! There is only ONE you! Use wisely!

There really is serious meaning to “stop and smell the roses” people. It doesn’t have to be that you stop and smell flowers all the time. No! It means take that moment. Take note of the little things around you. One of those things being your ability to stop! Because, you CAN!

Don’t give yourself to everyone around you until there is nothing left.

Remember that you deserve some of you too.

Late Night Ramblings of A Sleepless Mama

Late Night Ramblings of A Sleepless Mama

by | Feb 23, 2020 | Anxiety, Coping with Stress, Depression, Family, Family Health, House Work, Motherhood, Motivation, Parenting, Self Care

Tonight I lay on my bed, listening to the sounds of short videos on electronic devices in various rooms in the house, baby noises coming from the cribs as the twins cheerfully fight the sleep they need so badly, and the scraping and thumping outside my window as the cat settles herself into her nest atop my window A/C unit.
And I laugh.
I laugh because that was a great daydream description of my night!
The noises are actually the videos PLUS the arguing of said older boys as they fight over what to watch or listen to. The baby noises are the cries and fussing of the babies as they fight that sleep they do need very badly. Plus one is slightly constipated and having some pain from that, adding to the misery. The cat is yowling outside my window trying to get inside. Again.
Today has been less than exciting, but not boring in the least! There was constant activity and motion in every room, all day. Mom is tired. Mom is slightly grouchy.
Mom can’t wait to go to church tomorrow to learn about the love of Jesus. 

😂 😂 😂

 It was a typical Saturday in the dragon lair, with a little less joy and a little more chaos than normal.

At first I didn’t mind, but as the day grew on it became slightly frustrating.
But now I’m laying here in my bed, underneath warm, heavy covers, listening to the sounds around me and I find myself simply thankful. The babies have settled and are sleeping. 

 

The arguing has ended and now the sounds are simply a single music sound coming from the other room, accompanied by the soft giggles of three brothers who remember their connection and love for each other at the end of a long day. And the cat has left the window perch to do other things, or even sleep hopefully.

And I remember back on the day.
So what, if I didn’t wash five loads of laundry today. The one from the washer got dried and that’s what matters.
So what, if I didn’t fix three full meals today. The kids had pancakes for breakfast, fixed by the gourmet chef child in the house. We all had some random self made lunches. And I made a roast and everyone enjoyed that for supper. The babies had their bottles and baby foods and were well entertained today. And that’s what matters. 

 So what, if me and the older dragon babies didn’t read ten books today. They had fun, played outside in the sunlight several times, and even helped me clean up some inside the house. They even moved furniture too! And we had fun doing it! And that’s what matters. 

So what, if everyone wasn’t in bed and sleeping soundly to baby Mozart by 845pm. They all showered, brushed their teeth, and were settled in the 10pm hour. And the ones who are awake later were actually up helping their tired mama with the fussy infants struggling against their sleep and belly aches. And THAT is what matters.

It wasn’t the best day. But it was a good day. In all the ways that matter. I’m writing this tonight because I had a bad mom moment today.
I got frustrated more than once because the day wasn’t going how I had hoped it would. And I took it out in conversation with my mother, and in frustration in my kitchen, and speaking more of my mind than my parenting words to the older kiddos. And it was the part of my day that I consider “not good.”
We sat and talked some tonight and made it all better.
One thing my mom said to me this week stuck with me tonight. “When we become parents we are thrown head first into a full time job for which we have zero experience. And by the time we get the experience the children are grown. We only get one shot at being parents, and there is no manual. Every child is different. Every parent is different. And it’s a learning process from start to finish.” 

I’m a single mom. I’ve been in this role for a while now. I don’t have a partner to support my parenting, enforce rules, encourage me and my kids to be the best we can be, or back me in parenting decisions or help me make the right ones. It’s all me. And guys, that’s heavy.
Yes, I have a support system. But that support is only certain forms, and only reaches so far. There’s a lot that lands only on my shoulders, and I have my days where the weight seems more than I can bear.
Is it truly? No. Because I have made it through 100% of my hardest days so far!
But I’m reflecting tonight because I had to sit and remind myself that there is joy in the midst of my chaos. There are many reasons to smile and laugh, every single day. More than we know. And even though I didn’t smile and laugh as much throughout today as I normally do, I sat down and reminded myself of my smile moments tonight. And with those moments on my mind, I will sleep better tonight.
And that is what matters!
Much love!
Becca
Tis The Season Of Yuck

Tis The Season Of Yuck

by | Dec 30, 2019 | Family, Family Health, Holidays, Lifestyle, Motherhood, Parenting, Self Care

I don’t know about you, but this mama is TERRIFIED of sending my older three boys back to school at the end of their Christmas Break! The influenza monster is running its vicious circles around my community (and many others around the nation) and my infant twins have already seen their fair share of sickness with their recent diagnosis of RSV last week!

Thankfully, my older boys have escaped the flu, and any other sickness, thus far. How? I have no idea, honestly! The babies and I have been sick for over a week, but I am convinced my older boys have somehow grown ironclad immune systems! I am grateful, for sure, because my hands have been fuller than my infected sinuses!

Hands down, this has been the most active “sick season” I have seen in a long time! Between blowing my own nose, coughing until I can’t breathe, or I choke on air, aches and pains, fever and chills, not sleeping but dozing all the time, and THEN the twins!

Coughing, sneezing, wheezing, breathing issues, crying, snotting, puking, fussing, tossing and turning, sucking the YUCK out of their noses, and REPEAT every few hours…

Did I forget bottles and diapers? Oh yeah… those too!

And somewhere along the way I think I remembered to fix food, feed the three older kids and myself, and shower. But I’ve slept since then, so don’t get too close. I could be wrong!

Now, as I sit here and type this post for you all, I want to share that we are approaching the road to recovery, slowly! That in itself is an improvement, so I’m relieved beyond words!

At one point I thought how amazing it was that I didn’t forget I have the three older boys in all this mess, but then I remembered… it’s Christmas break, and they are taking advantage of that in EVERY sense of the term! Noise-making gifts, gaming add-ons, movies and videos, this “booty scooter” thing that they literally ride through the hallway and into the kitchen until they hit a wall or the fridge, and it’s been super warm outside so there’s the constant opening and closing of the doors as they run in and out of the house enjoying their time off from school.

In all the fuss and fun that they have been enjoying, I will say that they are still my superheroes! Anytime I needed help with the babies, they were there. Anytime I needed help with cleaning or cooking, they were there. I am blessed beyond measure with my little tribe!

But let me bounce back to the first statement I made in this post: I am TERRIFIED of sending them back to school after this break! The flu is everywhere! People are testing positive for it all around us! I have become the Germaphobe Nazi Mom!

There are bottles of Germ-X, Lysol, Clorox Wipes, and every other hand and antibacterial soap everywhere in my home right now! Nobody can walk into my bedroom without washing their hands at least once, and then Germ-X mandatory! I keep these “Wet Ones” wipes on the crib so I can use them to wipe down anything I plan to use on, or hand to, the babies. (Which reminds me, I need to get more…*writes that on the list*)

I have stocked up on the Airborne Vitamin C with Zinc and am making the boys take it daily. Sometimes I remember to take it myself, and sometimes I forget. But, I’m already sick and they aren’t! Prevention!!!

As me and the wee ones begin the road to recovery, I am praying, hoping, and keeping my fingers crossed that we don’t bring ANY new virus into this house again this season. Mama be tired!