Hello! I mentioned last week, that I purchased this Happy Planner to test out for the next couple of months. (It was less than $10!) I’ve always been a paper/pen type girl, but I’ve embraced the convenience of my iPhone calendar and “notes” app to keep me organized.
Growing up, I remember my mom would always have a planner out on the kitchen desk with what we had going on written down for the family to see. My version of that is the weekly magnetic calendar on our fridge.
I feel so out of whack and disorganized if I can’t see what all we have going on or what I need to do. My Type A personality sometimes needs to chill…but “A failure to plan is a plan to fail!” (y’all!)
While I’ve embraced the convenience of the iPhone, I sometimes use multiple “notes” for reminders, “to do” lists, kids’ activities and more. I thought the “Skinny Classic” planner would be nice to try out because it fits in my purse.
I also ordered a pack of stickers to use, and they make the planner that much better. Who doesn’t love stickers?
There weren’t many of the “Skinny Classic” left when I ordered, but I chose the “Hip Hip Hooray!” one, and it’s super cute.
The “Teacher Edition” stickers are cute as well with lots of options for holidays and other fun stickers.
I decided I wanted a few more sticker options and saw these on Amazon. They arrived and are perfect. The six sheets cover all 12 months and have a variety of different sized stickers and sayings. I plan on using them in the planner, but I thought they’d also be fun to use on birthday cards and lunch box notes.
Like you would expect with a planner, the front pages have 2020 and 2021 months (below, left). Each month begins with a cute quote (below, top right), and a quick glance reference with days of the month. (below, bottom right)
Each month also has a quick reminder of holidays…
The quote and note section for each month provide enough space to jot down tasks, notes, and to do’s…
The back, like the front, is sturdy plastic and cute.
Just a peek at the cute Spring Break sticker…
I have used Shay’s color coding system for years where each family member has a color….including myself!
It’s only been about ten days, but I’m definitely using the planner, and it fits perfectly in my purse! I use it to write down grocery items I need to pick up, appointments I need to make, a book title I don’t want to forget, and more! The stickers are extra added fun!
So…how do you stay organized? Do you use a planner or reply on technology?!
As I mentioned in Monday’s post, Hadley had her first ever dance competition on Saturday. This could be the first of many or a short season of her dance life, but I wanted to document the day because it was so special for her and was also “different” because of Covid protocols.
Friday Night:
We took some time to get organized. I labeled all the things, organized her make up and bobby pins, and packed her bag. We double checked that she had her jazz and tap shoes, put her costumes together (costume, tights, mask), and gathered clothes (studio jacket and clothes to wear home) in order to be ready for an early wake up call.
Saturday:
I woke up at 6:30, and Hadley slept until 7:15. I made her breakfast while she got dressed, brushed her teeth, and put her hair in a low pony tail. Our sweet sitter, who has been a dancer for all of her life, came over at 8:00 to put on Hadley’s eye lashes (I took notes for next time!), help her with eye make up (those eye have to “pop!” ….especially while wearing a mask!), and bobby pin her bun.
We left around 8:45, stopped at Starbucks and hit the road for the competition. (Hayden and Travis had to be at the ball field early, so they met us at the competition.)
We were early (yay!), so we had plenty of time to find the auditorium, park, get wrist bands (audience was very limited), and make our way to the dressing room. (On the way to the dressing room, we took a peak at the stage!)
After Hadley’s other team members arrived, they all got dressed and accessorized, and obliged the moms with some photos.
There was a “step and repeat,” and the girls were “here for it!” 😉
They performed their jazz/musical theater routine first…
Then, it was time for a quick change for their tap routine.
Then, they girls let us take another group photo in their tap costumes.
We were so proud of them, of course. After changing, they sat and watched the other group routines as well as the remaining solos and duets.
After their block of time, all the girls from the dance studio went and sat on stage. The judges handed out awards and invites. Since the other dance studios still had to perform throughout the rest of the weekend, the final results weren’t posted until Sunday night. That being said, they did announce scores for the routines, and both of Hadley’s team dances scored 5 stars! They were excited. Like Hadley, it was the first competition for some of the girls on her team.
When the results were posted on Sunday night, the girls’ jazz performance received a Golden Ticket Award. One more thing to celebrate!
Without ever being at a dance competition, I know how “lucky” we are that this competition ran as smoothly as it did, had protocols in place, and only took up a few hours of our weekend.
Some of the protocols they had in place:
Dance studios each had a block of time for their performances.
They sanitized after each block of time.
Dancers (everyone) wore masks.
Limited audience (Live stream for people to view at home)
No in person (overall) awards.
I think last year, the girls who were on competition team were able to perform one time before everything shut down, so I think everyone was feeling very grateful that they were able to perform.
Saturday afternoon:
After the competition, we enjoyed some pizza outside at a local restaurant before heading home.
Hadley was asleep within minutes, and slept for most of the car ride home!
Overall, it was such a great experience. Hadley already received her pins for the two team dances, and her dance teachers are encouraging her to try a solo or duet for next year’s competition season.
I can’t believe that Easter is less than two weeks away! Today, I’m sharing the few decorations that I put out for Easter. {Read: cute bunnies scattered around my house!}
This door hanger is my favorite. I’ve had it for a few years, and a local girl paints these door hangers. Her work is amazing. I love the bright teal, the Chevron pattern, and the colorful bow.
It’s not a holiday unless I have a garden flag out! I purchased this garden flag on Etsy a couple of years ago. The polka dot carrot is so cute.
Inside, I just add this ceramic egg that I found at Home Goods a few years ago to our entryway table.
I added the little wooden bunny to the tray on my kitchen island.
This teal ceramic bunny sits on my coffee table tray in the living room.
I bought two of these cute little ceramic bunnies in eggs at Kroger. They were only about $4 each. I thought I’d put one on each end of the mantle, but decided to nestle one by the books on the mantle and add the other one…
out on the sun room table tray. I’ve shared these before, but I wanted an extra touch to the sun room tray and as a I was decorating for Easter, the beige wooden Amazon beads arrived. They are cute, great quality and under $8. I chose them because I love the tassels on each end.
I told y’all that I keep it pretty simple. I usually buy one or two new things each year. I do like that I can decorate in a matter of minutes to add just a few things for Easter.
Hello and Happy Monday! How was your weekend? We had a successful Saturday at Hadley’s dance competition, and by “successful,” I mean that her group did an amazing job with their two dances, and I’m gaining street cred as a “dance mom!”
I will share more later, but these girls did amazing on their jazz and tap routines. They are beauties on the inside and the outside.
Then, this was me yesterday…😆
The weather was beautiful this weekend, so we were able to have lunch outside at a restaurant after Hadley’s competition, and then watch some of Hayden’s baseball scrimmage on Sunday.
We have a full week of school, and then it’s our district’s Spring Break! Today, I’m sharing some of my favorite memes from the month. I hope they’ll start your week off with a laugh or two!
1.
I shared this one in InstaStories in early March. I think the month of March will have us thinking back to March of 2020 for many years to come.
2.
This is definitely me!
3.
All last week, I was thinking around 9:30-10:00 PM, “Why aren’t these kids tired?!” I’m tired no matter what at 9:00 whether it’s Daylight Savings Time or not. My kids really weren’t tired at their normal bed time, and it was probably Thursday before I realized maybe their bodies and minds were still on pre-DST time.
4.
Classic marriage meme right here 😂
5.
One more week until Spring Break…
I’m just going to keep swimming…
6.
This meme was a late addition to this post…I saw it on Friday, and literally laughed out loud.
7.
I’ve feel this deeply…
8.
I’m over here still adjusting to back to school life + the time change + kids’ activities and more!
Funny stuff, right? Which meme can you relate to the most?
This week, I plan on sharing my Easter decorations, a brief review of my new Happy Planner, and another post or two!
I hope you have a great week. It’s definitely feeling like spring around here!
Hello and Happy Friday! Real Talk: this week kicked my tail. I don’t know if it’s because of Daylight Savings Time, the fact that this was our second full week of school, kids’ activities, or a culmination of all, but I’m tired. I feel like my family is probably tired of me saying, “I’m tired!” No rest for the weary…Hadley has her first ever dance competition tomorrow, so I’m adding “Dance Mom” to my resume!
I’m linking up with Erika and Andrea for this week’s Friday Favorites post.
As I occasionally do, I’m sharing the “small moments” and favorites of each day this week.
Sunday:
I made “special” green pancakes with Lucky Charms on Sunday as an early St. Patrick’s Day breakfast. These are always a favorite for the kids and…
Homer! I always make Homer a mini pancake when I serve those up from breakfast.
The kids in their spiffy church clothes is always a favorite. Hayden gets some great hand-me-downs from former neighbors, and I love Hadley’s new Matilda Jane dress.
It was chilly on Sunday, but cousin Wyatt came over for a session at the Travis White School of Baseball.
The best part was when Hayden pitched to him. Such a sweet moment…and made me realize how big Hayden is in comparison. I feel like it was just yesterday and he was just starting coach pitch like Wyatt is now.
Here he is in 2017:#sigh
Monday:
A highlight from Monday was that we finally have all the students back in the building! Grades 7, 8, 10, and 11 went back into their school buildings! It’s been fun to drive past schools and see the yard signs, lawn letters, and balloons with each school opening.
Tuesday:
Hayden has been asking about contacts for a few months. His annual eye exam is in mid-July, but we could tell his vision was worsening a bit. Travis had an appointment, so he scheduled one for Hayden. Hayden was pretty excited, but I know putting in contacts (and taking them out ) will take some time.
They were gone for almost two hours, and Travis texted, “This isn’t going well!” haha Right now, he’s still mostly wearing his glasses because we are lucky to get to school on time as is (and I joke that it’s a full time job getting Hadley away from the mirror in the morning let alone having him use it to put contacts in!)
With Spring Break right around the corner, he will have some slower mornings to practice getting those in. Right now, his fastest time is 25 minutes…and I’ve been taking them out for him.
While glasses can make you look distinguished, for some reason, without the glasses, he looks 16! Those blue eyes and big smile are always a favorite.
Wednesday:
St Patrick’s Day milkshakes were a favorite on Wednesday. I made the kids green milkshakes for their afternoon snack since we’d already had our St. Patrick’s Day meal a couple of weeks ago and the green pancakes on Sunday.
The kids will say their favorite part of the week was having the middle school counselors visit their classrooms. Hadley is so excited to have a locker, and Hayden seems pretty excited about middle school too. They heard all about classes, lockers, teachers, activities, and more! I can’t believe they will be in middle school next year. #Iamnotwell
Thursday:
Yesterday, myHappy Planner arrived. I love a planner but have not felt the need to have one since I rely pretty heavily on my phone calendar and my “to do” list note. Also, I write activities and meetings on my desk calendar at school. That being said, I saw the “Skinny Classic” planner was on sale (under $10!) because it goes July 2020-June 2021. I thought I’d try it out for the next couple of months before deciding if I’d like to purchase their “Classic” planner or even another “Skinny Classic” planner starting in July 2021. I just thought this would be a good place to jot down things I need to do, appointments, grocery necessities and more.
I feel like this planner is the perfect size for my purse….and you can purchase stickers to use in the planner! This Type A/Teacher/Mom was sold! I will let you know what I think about it soon!
Also, yesterday, was my monthly facial appointment. I always look forward to these appointments! Yesterday, I got dermaplane (my fave!) and a custom facial. She also used some kind of buzzy thing on my face to stimulate the collagen. I don’t ask any questions…I just say, “Whatever it takes to make me look 38 again!” #Im41 😉
Favorite Kid Quote:
Y’all, Hadley’s been giving me a run for my money since birth! The other night, I told her it was time to take a bath (I meant shower). She said, “Mom! Baths are for children. I’m a TWEEN!” 😂 Yes, yes she is!
Favorite Mom Meme:
Err’y day!
I dislike any kind of math…forward or backwards! I’ve mastered “backwards” math though…that’s for sure!
Bonus Fave: Flashback Friday:
In honor of St. Patrick’s Day, here are the kids on St. Pat’s Day in 2015…
2015
and…in 2018.(Let’s talk about the fact that Hadley was able to wear that shirt for 4 years!)
2018
Weekly Recap:
Here are my posts from this week in case you missed one:
I hope you have a great weekend! Saturday is our action packed day! If you need me, I will be the one back stage figuring out costume changes, low buns, and bobby pins!
See you back here Monday for my favorite memes this month!
Today’s topic is: Let’s Look at the perfect night in.
Winter Months:
I’d say the “perfect night in” may vary based on the season. In late fall and winter, I love to have the fire going in the fire place.
Reading a book is always relaxing for me.
Playing games as a family is something we like to do. Our current fave is Bananagrams.
We will also watch a movie or do a puzzle!
Honestly, with the hustle and bustle of school and activities, just making the time to slow down and do something as a family is always fun. That being said, I also don’t mind a little quiet “me” time to enjoy a glass of wine and finish a show.
I also love cooking, but on a “perfect night in,” I’d rather have carry out with easy clean up afterwards!
Warmer Months:
During the warmer months of spring and summer, it’s fun to sit around with neighbors and chat and enjoy a cold beverage.
Sometimes, we’ll go for a family walk or a bike ride.
On weekend nights, Travis will fire up the grill for steaks, hamburgers, or chicken.
We enjoy sitting on our back patio. Sometimes the kids are running around or the neighbors join us (or we join the neighbors). Other times, Travis and I just hang out for a bit out here and catch up.
We use our backyard fire pit quite a bit to hang out, and we often make s’mores.
So those are just some of the ways we spend a “perfect night in.” What about you?
Next month’s topic is: Let’s Look at…your fridge and pantry. Our pantry is much like our coffee bar…non-existent! haha
Make sure to check out the other ladies’ posts! I hope you have a great St. Patrick’s Day! Thanks so much for reading.
Hello! It’s Tuesday Talk time with Ashley and Erika. With Easter right around the corner, I thought I’d share some Easter gift ideas for kids.
At our house, the Easter Bunny brings the candy for their baskets and hides the eggs that we dye the day before Easter.
I use Easter as a time to give practical gifts for the season like flip flops, pajamas, swimsuits, and a book or two. Some years I pick up odds and ends to put in Hayden and Hadley’s baskets with the candy like a tooth brush, body spray, deodorant, and chapstick.
Easter 2020
This year Target and Amazon had everything I needed to provide practical and cute gifts for Hayden and Hadley.
Hayden:
These slides will be just what Hayden needs for the pool and wearing to practice when he’s not wearing his cleats.
I’ve never purchased kids’ swimwear from Amazon, but these plaid trunks have high ratings and there are many cute patterns! They arrived yesterday and the quality is really good!
I’ve had this God Sized Dreamsbook saved on my Amazon list for the kids for quite some time. I always try to buy a book for them for Christmas, Valentine’s Day, Easter, and back to school.
I guess Hayden’s officially “too old” to wear matching pj shorts and shirts, so I thought I’d give him these play shorts to wear as pajama bottoms that he’ll just wear to bed with whatever t-shirt he chooses.
Hadley:
I thought this two piece from Target was so cute. I think Hadley will love it!
Hadley loves to have a variety of sandals in the summer, so I picked these pink flip flops up for her at Target.
I purchased the girl version of the God Sized Dreamsbook for Hadley as well.
Hadley already has a pair of these pajamas from last year, but I bought her the next size to be able to wear this spring and summer. They are some of her faves!
Also, Hadley still loves her leather sandals that she got last summer, and thankfully they still fit! We both have a pair of these comfort slides from Amazon, and we both wear them often. They come in a variety of colors as well!
Both:
I still love my weighted blanket, and the kids have shown interest in wanting one. I’ve had this 5 lb one saved, and saw that the price dropped significantly, so I went ahead and got one for each of them.
Small Gift Ideas:
Here are a few other smaller items that I’ve purchased for them for their Easter baskets or other holidays:
Stretch Band for Dance (Hadley still uses this, and it was in her basket last Easter)
Cra-Z-Art Snow (Hayden thought this was so fun when he received it last Easter)
Led Sound Activated Party Lights with remote (Hadley LOVES this thing!)
Wireless Computer Mouse (essential item to use with their chromebooks)
Blue Light Blocking Glasses (perfect for online learning)
How do you do Easter baskets at your house? It’s always fun to see the kids hunt for the hidden eggs, have chocolate for breakfast, and enjoy a few gifts before we head to church.
Thanks so much for reading. I hope your week is off to a great start!
Hello Monday! How was your weekend? Today, I’m linking up with Tanya (and others!) to share about my weekend!
We weekend started off with an action-packed Friday evening, followed by a somewhat busy Saturday and a slower Sunday.
Here’s my:
I mentioned in my Friday post that last week was Read Across America week, so the kids had dress up days at school. They didn’t participate too much, but there was hat day, wear stripes, wear favorite color, be kind, and…
Friday was Career Day. I was fussing at them at 9:32 PM on Thursday when they were brainstorming what they could wear. I was like, “Hey y’all (who are supposed to be in bed!), you didn’t participate on the ‘easy’ days, but you want to put together a career outfit?!” 😆
Hayden waffles between wanting to be a pro baseball player (but felt ‘weird’ wearing baseball pants to school 😂 ) and a professional runner (Don’t worry…his backup plan is “something with numbers and sports”…fingers crossed he’s not a bookie)…Anyway, Hadley is pretty consistent with her desire to be an elementary school teacher.
Hadley said, “Well, I know I can wear my hair in a bun and glasses, but what else can I wear?” I suggested a cardigan and name badge. She really wanted to borrow my school badge and couldn’t comprehend why I needed my badge at school. Besides identification purposes, it’s what gets me in the building! She was so proud of herself for putting together her own Ms. White ID badge.
Hayden got dressed and added his race number from last week’s track meet.
Hadley’s teacher sent me a few photos, and they were so sweet. She said the kids called her “Ms. White” all day, but one classmate told her she spelled “Ms.” wrong. Her teacher told me that Hadley responded, and said, “No, it’s not wrong. I looked it up, and I did it right because I’m not married.” Sis has an answer for everything!
Friday night, Hayden’s basketball team played in the league championship…and WON! They were so excited. Hayden had an amazing game! I always say it’s fun watching him play, but what’s even better is seeing the boys support each other throughout the season and watching Travis coach him. Memories for a lifetime!
After the big win, the team (and their families) had pizza dinner together at a local restaurant. We had the whole upstairs area for the families, so it was nice to socialize and celebrate. Most of these boys have played together for years, and we’ve been seeing these families pretty consistently since early November, so it was fun to celebrate all together.
Afterwards, Travis made a pit stop at Insomnia cookies for dessert at home. These cookies are SO good. Insomnia will also deliver them right to your front door, hot and fresh out of the oven!
We had a slow start to our Saturday, and I know Hadley’s favorite part of the weekend was hanging out with one of her dearest friends. These two are five days apart, went to the same sitter growing up, and text/Facetime often! They always pick right up where they’ve left off.
Hadley and I made an afternoon pit stop at Orange Leaf. We hadn’t had OL in forever, so it was the perfect afternoon treat.
Let’s just say that OL probably loses money on the flat rate fee for Hadley’s order. 😬
I put out a few Easter decorations this weekend. I don’t put much out, but I love a cute bunny…or five! I bought two of these ceramic egg/bunnies at Kroger of all places. They were only $4 each. I will share my Easter decor some time soon. A sweet little touch to my sun room tray are these wooden farm house style beads that I found on Amazon. They arrived on Saturday just as I was putting out my bunnies.
Sunday
Sunday had a few highlights as well. The past couple of years, I’ve made green pancakes and sprinkled Lucky Charm marshmallows on them for St. Patrick’s Day breakfast. When I say the morning struggle is very real now that we are back to school, I’m not kidding! I went ahead and made these pancakes yesterday morning rather than waiting until Wednesday. I made a few extras, so we can reheat them on Wednesday morning.
The kids looked so cute after church, and they let me snap their photo. (Real talk: I had to convince Hayden to stand still for the photo, and five seconds before this, they were trying to slap each other #sigh!)
Hadley’s dress is new from Matilda Jane, and Hayden looks so handsome in his hand-me-down Vineyard Vines button up!
The rest of Sunday was pretty chill. My brother brought his kids over, so they could play with Hayden and Hadley for a bit. In the afternoon, I ran to Target, did laundry, and got organized for the week.
The weather was overcast and chilly which was perfect for a new recipe I tried for dinner: Taco Pie, and it was easy and delish.
The rest of the evening, we just relaxed and got to bed at a decent time…Daylight Savings time worked in my favor with the clock saying 9:00 bedtime even if it only “felt” like 8:00! I will take what I can get with the help at bedtime!
This meme was appropriate for the time change:
digital mom blog
This week, I hope to post: Tuesday Talk, Let’s Look, and Friday Favorites.
As always, thanks so much for reading, and I hope you have a great week.
Hello! Well, we made it through a full week of school back in our buildings! Hayden and Hadley have been in school for a week and a half, and my school has had 9th and 12th graders back in the building this week. Next week, sophomores and juniors will be back, and we will just have two weeks until Spring Break.
As always, I’m linking up with Andrea and Erika for this week’s Friday Favorites post.
Favorite Food:
Crepes! While my mom was visiting, she and Hadley made crepes, and we enjoyed them for dessert one night.
Favorite Pic:
GG with her grandkids! Both of my parents and my brother and sister-in-law are fully vaccinated. Travis has had his first dose, so we were able to start seeing out of town family again.
Favorite Moment:
The kids had their first (ever!) track meet on Sunday. The meet took place at an awesome facility in Louisville. The wake up time was early, but the meet was run so efficiently that we were home by early afternoon.
Of course, my kids are distance runners, but their coach encouraged them to try new events like shorter distances, and Hayden even tried the long jump! Hadley ran the 60m, the 200 and the 400. Hayden ran the 200, the 800, and did the long jump.
They did great overall and had fun! (and the grandmas were able to cheer them on!)
Another favorite moment was seeing school buses at my school on Monday! We’ve had a great week back. The 9th and 12th graders have been wearing their masks, arriving to class on time, and keeping their distance when they can.
Favorite Kid Quote:
At the track meet, Hayden and Hadley ran in the 11-12 year old age groups. So, there were some older kids (middle school!) running. After Hayden’s 800 race, he said, “Mom, I was running against ‘men’ with hair… ON their LEGS!” I couldn’t stop laughing.
Favorite Clothing Item:
I’ve had this long sleeve T-shirt on my Nordstrom list for quite some time. It arrived earlier this week, and I love it.
I ordered it in the Pink Paradise color. It’s perfect for wearing over my workout top, but I also think it will look cute front tucked with white denim! I love a shirt that’s versatile!
Favorite Mom Memes:
This was the first full week for Hayden and Hadley….and they had Read Across America dress up days….AND Wednesday was picture day. Thankfully the dress up days only entailed wearing a hat, stripes, and favorite color.
And…sigh! My kids are getting too old for these things, so I didn’t force the issue. On favorite color day, I laughed as they both got out of the car wearing head to toe gray and black. They take after their mother…haha
I enjoy cooking, and as I mentioned in yesterday’s post, I’ve relied on my slow cooker this week. Wednesday night’s “one pot” meal was really good, and I announced to everyone that they couldn’t have seconds because the leftovers were for dinner last night! I wanted to cook as few of days as possible.
A Couple More Faves:
Hadley teaching cousin Layla some ballet moves was very sweet!
No photo, but I was able to catch up with a good friend on Wednesday night. She brought over my (belated) birthday present which was so thoughtful, and we enjoyed some wine.
Lastly, Wednesday was Picture Day at school. I know it sounds silly, but I actually had the thought a few times while we were doing online learning that I’d be sad if there was no official 5th grade picture!
Hadley emailed me on Wednesday to tell me that 5th graders were the last students to get their pictures taken, and she hoped her hair would still be curly by the end of the day!
With St. Patrick’s Day next week, I thought I’d share my Corned beef and Cabbage recipe one more time. My favorite is actually the Irish Soda Bread I make. We already had this meal when my dad was visiting, so I doubt I will make it again even though it’s made in the slow cooker!
Bonus Fave: Flashback Friday:
I’m feeling nostalgic…This Read Across America Week photo from 2018 reminds me of when they were younger and all about the dress up days and activities.
With Hayden and Hadley finally getting back to school last week, and then this week 9th and 12th graders back in my building, I’ve certainly been reflecting on the upcoming one year mark of the pandemic shutting everything down and causing everyone’s life to come to a screeching halt.
Friday, March 13, 2020 was our last day of school. Friday the 13th will always be an easy day to remember as coinciding with the pandemic ramping up. Teachers always pay attention to a date like Friday the 13th as well as when there’s a full moon 😂
Anyway, just as I was thinking I may write about this past year piggybacking on last week’s Back to Schoolpost, I read Shelly ‘s post (at The Queen in Between blog) sharing that she had listened to Laura Tremaine’s podcast – 10 Questions to Mark One Year of the Pandemic.
I thought I’d use these 10 questions as a guide to reflect on this past year.
1. What was life like in early 2020?
Life was very “normal” in early 2020. I think it was late February when we started to hear more about the Coronavirus. The week before school shut down, I went with Hadley’s Girl Scout troop on an overnight field trip in Ohio. There was definitely talk of precautions that would be put in place at COSI to make the field trip safe. On Tuesday, March 10, we gave the ACT at school while school closure talk was heightened. The governor started holding daily afternoon press conferences. My dad was about to visit, and my brother and I were shocked he still decided to visit as with each day and each press conference more restrictions were being put into place. He arrived on Thursday, March 12. While I made dinner, I asked him to pay attention to the daily briefing because we’d heard that he’d make an announcement about school closures. He then said, March 13th would be the last day of in person learning for a while.
2. What was the biggest change?
The biggest change was life coming to a screeching halt! All of the sudden, we were supposed to stay home, learn online, and not socialize.
3. What were your coping mechanisms?
Unfortunately, I think one of my coping mechanisms was cooking and baking! lol
Also, when I feel like life is “out of control,” I try to control what I can! So, I continued with a routine, made sure to get outside for a walk, and keep life as normal as possible for Hayden and Hadley.
4. What did connection in your relationships look like?
Well, as a family, we spent a lot of time together. We went from running everywhere with school and activities to all four of us being at home. We had to be more intentional with family relationships with phone calls, text messages, Zoom, and Face time.
I felt like it was difficult navigating some friendships. No friendships were lost during this time, but there were varying degrees of opinions and following of protocols based on health issues or beliefs.
5. What will you remember the most?
Honestly, I will remember this extra time together as a family of four. I’m a rule follower and an introvert, so when things shut down and we were told to stay home, I kind of embraced it. Of course, once days turned to weeks and weeks turned to months, of course, I missed “what was,” but the kids were at a great age to be home. They could be independent, but then we also made time for things that we wouldn’t usually have done like “Game Night” on a Wednesday or bike rides as a family.
6. What was the biggest challenge?
For me, the biggest challenge was knowing the right thing to do. Again, as a rule follower, I had no trouble following the rules of stay home, masking up, and keeping distance. My anxiety crept up when some restrictions were lessened, and it was time to make decisions about the kids playing sports, going on vacation, visiting family, etc.
I also worried about loved ones staying healthy and safe as well as family who live alone.
7. What was a beautiful memory?
One specific memory doesn’t pop into mind, but again, the time at home as a family was very meaningful. I also *mostly* enjoyed being home with them for school. (We had a good balance with them going to the pod two days a week). We are already back to being very busy, so I’m already reflecting on when we were able to slow down and not have 100 things on our plates.
Another beautiful memory was getting the vaccine. Again, I feel blessed that teachers were made a priority, so they would feel safe once students returned to school. Now, that second vaccine knocked me on my tail, but I’d do it again in a heartbeat.
8. What do you believe now that you didn’t one year ago?
It’s amazing how resilient and adaptable people are when they have to be.
Also, not that I didn’t know it before, but there are so many good people in the world. First responders, front line workers, educators, and others were all tested, but felt the support of people near and far. Also, communities, schools, neighbors and others all came together when needed.
9. What would you do differently?
I’m not sure there’s anything I would do differently. It is just crazy to me how from mid-March to the beginning of April, each day with each daily briefing from the governor added a new layer of severity with the pandemic. We went from thinking schools would be shut down for two weeks to students in our district not returning to the classrooms for almost a year. It wasn’t that I didn’t take it seriously, it’s just that I’ve never lived through anything like that, so, like most, I thought this would all be short-lived. I actually appreciated the layered implementation of restrictions because it gave us time to plan and adjust rather than panic.
10. What will you carry forward?
Besides always having hand sanitizer nearby??😬 I will remember the goodness of others and cherish the memories and time at home with my family.
Final Thoughts:
I can’t believe that it’s been a year of social distancing, mask wearing, and constant hand sanitizing.
I counted my blessings throughout this entire year. I’ve been thankful for a cozy home, a job, food on the table, the health and wellness of my family, and feeling safe and secure during this time. It was never lost on me that there were doctors and nurses working 80 hours a week, people lost loved ones, and others hardly left their homes.
It wasn’t easy, and some days were harder than others. As a mom and a teacher, I sometimes felt the weight of the world on my shoulders. I felt anxious, overwhelmed, and exhausted at times. Once Hayden and Hadley returned to school, a huge weight lifted off my shoulders. It was only then that I realized the amount of stress I’d sometimes been carrying with underlying worry.
The month of March always brings a sense of renewal to me with the weather, the school year winding down, and summer on the horizon. I’m hoping that we continue move forward, with no setbacks, so that Covid can be in the rearview mirror sooner rather than later!
What was your biggest challenge this past year, and what has been a beautiful memory for you?
I hope you’re having a great week! See you back here tomorrow for Friday Favorites.
