I stopped writing out the numbers, you’ll notice. That’s because I’m too lazy to write them out.
No, it’s actually because in professional writing, you spell out numbers under 10, and then use the numbers for anything higher than that. Though I suspect it was laziness that led to that tradition…
We had an epic meltdown over counting coins today, but after a frantic and misspelled email to her teacher, claiming she didn’t know how to use Moby Max, she miraculously recovered and completed several more lessons mostly on her own!
I’d like to take credit for that, but I think if I do, it’s more like when your computer won’t work and you call IT, but by the time someone shows up, it works again. I’d emailed her teacher as well to explain that we had it under control, she just maybe needed some confidence boosting.
I’m not sure if teacher ever emailed kiddo back because she turned into a rock star. Go figure …
We realized today, also, that our oldest is the most unfortunate human in the house. She’s an extrovert in a house full of introverts during a quarantine. No wonder the poor babe is losing her mind. She missed a Google Hangout with her class because my anxiety kicked in and I forgot to check the clock. Oops.
We’ve now added teddy bears to our window so they can keep watch over the neighborhood, and also to participate in the great Bear Hunt.
We are winning at showing beauty through our front window.
Good thing they can’t see inside!
Laundry is the only task that’s caught up-ish, but I’m about to give up entirely on the rest of the house.
I committed a mortal sin and turned off the thermostat. And didn’t tell anyone about it.
Thankfully, my husband is far too reliant on me to murder me for this transgression. Instead, he reset the thermostat so it won’t kick in until it’s a bit colder. Lucky me!
I’ve had a lot of really great feedback on my art lately, so that’s going to be my focus for the next few days, to try to paint more and share more love and beauty with the world.
It’s hard some days …
I like to find some complexity in an image too… Black canvas is my favorite right now.
I did learn one very important lesson last night …
Do not order take out when your tummy is grumbling. It’s very expensive.
I also could start a career as a dream interpreter…
I dreamt last night that I went to work for Pizza Hut. My first shift, they made me take every table. I was confused, and didn’t really know the menu very well. Worse yet, I didn’t have a code to place the orders into the computer.
I asked everyone to please help me get a code so I could ring in the orders, but nobody would.
They just kept making me take the tables, they’d ring in the order for me, and then I’d move on to the next task.
When it was time to start cashing out the patrons, I cannot find a single person to help me.
Somehow, the tickets get cashed out, and when my shift is over, I realize that I’ve done all the work, and everyone else claimed my tips.
I’ve been a waitress. I know how hard a shift can be, especially when you’re new.
I know this dream was my way of telling myself to back off a bit, and stop trying to do and be everything for everyone.
But I do feel like I’m doing everything for everyone all the time.
I sit down to enjoy my own lunch, after making sure everyone else has theirs, but then someone needs something… Or I want to sit and watch a show, and everyone gets louder. I need to make a phone call, and need to solve some major kid drama…
The worst thing about quarantine as a parent is that there is nothing truly isolated about this isolation.
It’s hard to find time for self care in all this. It’s my responsibility to hold the world together for everyone around me.
It’s not, really, but as Mom, I feel like it is.
So yesterday, I painted a window. It felt so good, a small victory!
And as my children drift off to sleep, two weeks into this insanity, I’m counting blessings.
We walked over a mile tonight, soaking in the sunshine and listening to the birds sing. We laughed and shared our dreams. I was reminded that my beautiful youngest child is kind of psycho! She has weird dreams. She makes up weird stories, and she has an imagination that could rival the world’s greatest writers …
The BEST thing about this quarantine is finding the time to be creative with my kids, to love them wholly, and to be present in their lives.
They’re perfect.
Corona Can't Keep Me Down 