** This was 25 days before I actually had Henry. I had no idea the crazy ride we were about to embark on. I’ve copied and pasted exactly was I wrote (on my previous blog) and haven’t changed a thing. You can see my old blog here if you like Sock Monkey Tales.
June 4, 2011
Just 94 days to go! That’s when Bauer Boy should make his grand entrance. (That’s what I have to call him since Andy and I are no where close to agreeing on a name.) I can’t believe I’m down to mere weeks. 13 1/2 to be exact.
This also means 94 days to be on the couch. I’m still in a bit of shock to be quite honest. One day I’m in my classroom packing things up and sorting papers, thinking of all my summer plans that I’m about to embark on. Next day, I find myself at Kaiser lying in a hospital bed only being able to get up to use the bathroom.
Because of the placenta previa I have and the fact that I started bleeding (And I just have to say, it didn’t seem like that much to me. But according to the doctor it was enough) I am now on bed rest for the next 94 days.
94 days seems like forever.
I will be very honest, I really haven’t been able to see the silver lining in this. I’ve been….blue.
Pity Party for one, calling Pity Party for one!
First of all, I am SO THANKFUL that Bauer Boy is fine. He’s moving and kicking and looks great. When I get to feeling sorry for myself or mad that I can’t do the things I was looking forward to doing, I remind myself (as the doctor did) that I don’t want to have a baby at 26 weeks. He’s still safe inside, cooking away, as he should be.
It was all the things I was looking forward to doing, especially with Lily. Our family vacation and trip to see my sister in Colorado… cancelled. Going to the library and working in the garden with Lily…. cancelled. I could go on, but I won’t. I have to look at the bright side or this will be one sad summer.
Be at rest once more, oh my soul, for the Lord has been good to you. Psalm 116:7 This verse has been comforting to me. The Lord has been good. I have lots and family and friends around to help. Andy, who up until now has worked graveyard shifts, is on the day shift for the next month. How awesome is that?? I won’t be alone at nights. No dishes to do or cleaning the bathroom. All I have to do is fold the laundry, not put it away (which was the part I hated doing).
It’s just 94 days, right? A drop in the bucket in the big scheme of things.
Things don’t “just happen”. And I know that. God has a reason and something to teach me and the people around me.
Call it what you will, Shelter in Place, Quarantine, Lockdown. We are stuck at home. Well, if you live in California, you are still supposed to be sheltering at home.
It’s been seven weeks. Seven weeks! Yup, that’s 49 days. Good for you doing the math.
Here are 10 things that are getting me through this abnormal, faith testing, bizarro time in our history.
1.) Memes. I’ve always been a big fan of the meme. Now, more than ever, the clever humor of memes bring daily laughter into my life. We need to laugh, people; or we will go insane. Memes that give a snarky jab of truth are even better.
Here’s some of my faves. This is just the tip of the meme iceberg, though. If you follow me on Instagram @theaccidentaldomestic and watch my instastories, you’ll see all my favorites.
2. SGN (Some Good News) is a weekly You Tube “news show” hosted by John Krasinski. So, I’m going to watch Jim Halpert in anything he’s in. If you don’t know who he is, we obviously aren’t friends. (The Hubs and I have watched The Office so many times we’ve lost count.) Anyway, the reason I love this show is that John highlights real people doing real things to spread good news and kindness around the world during this time. He has celebrity friends come on each week to help him celebrate and honor the people on the front lines and the next door neighbor who’s being kind and making a differnece.
I cry every single week.
Here is the episode of SGN where John arranges for nurses in Boston to have a private trip to Fenway Park. He enlists the Red Sox and a special video visit from Big Papi who gives everyone at the hospital free baseball tickets FOR LIFE. Grab your tissues.
3.) The Holderness Family is hilarious and hit it out of the park every time. Before the pandemic hit, I was enjoying their videos. Can I just say, since this craziness all started, the videos have gotten better and funnier. They get us. They just do.
4.) Homemade Dole Whip. Disney has been releasing recipes of some of their favorite park treats. If you are a Disney fan, you understand why this is a big deal. If not, you’ll still enjoy this easy; but delicious recipe:
I big scoop of vanilla icecream, 2 cups of frozen pineapple chunks, 4 oz. of pineapple juice, and blend.
My friend, Christine, and I eating actual Dole Whip. Our fave!
You’re welcome.
5.) Zoom Calls. Who would have ever thought that 2 months ago social distancing and Zoom Meetings would become a normal part of our vernacular? Here are some really neat ways that Zoom Calls have helped us stay connected with family and friends. For this, I’m truly thankful.
Birthday family zooms and Mimi reading to H at night.
Zoom Family Trivia Night has been a great way to connect. All across the country, each week, we gathered and answered trivia questions. Our cousin, John, organized it all and it was so fun. We laughed and we got to visit with one another. Andy and I won the tournament; but I’m not here to brag.
6.) Curbside Pick – Up. We are still trying to patron our local eateries so they don’t go out of business during this time. Also, I’m sick and tired of cooking. So, it’s a Win-Win. My all-time favorite shop The Sunny Side Cottage is posting things on-line. I can call, order and pick up my merch.
7.) Drives. We can’t get out and do anything; (Though, I’m praying this changes very soon.) but taking drives through our beautiful Sonoma County countryside reminds me that there is life beyond my four walls. I know it doesn’t seem like it right now; but we will get back to it!
8.) Doing Lives with Lily. Lily and I have been doing really fun DIY Lives this past month. We’ve been posting them to my Accidental Domestic Facebook page each week. It’s given us something else to focus on and look forward to. Hopefully it’s been a bright spot for others. We have had fun doing it together.
9.) Gardening. My garden always brings me a lot of joy. This year, it needed some extra TLC because I had neglected it during the winter. I’ve been spending a lot of time out side working, cleaning up, planting and tending. Being outside with my hands in the dirt has been the best thing for me.
10.) Time Outs. For Me. Going to my room, once a day, and shutting the door. This is a sanity saver.
There you have it? What have been your Quarantine Lifesavers???
As I sat and read a book last night at 5:30 pm (which never happened in my Pre-Corona life), The Hubs came home from work and we chatted about our days.
Though nothing really different is happening during my day to day, I feel like I’m finally set into a routine. It’s my Shelter-in-Place routine and it’s helping. I think. Even though the routine is pretty much the same EVERY DAY, I don’t spend my days trying to figure out what I should be doing.
In my Pre-Corona life, we’d probably be rushing off to baseball practice and I’d be trying to figure out dinner. Now, we aren’t rushing anywhere and so dinner can wait while I finish chapter 2.
I literally spent the first two weeks of this Lock Down in FEAR. Real fear. I honestly didn’t think I would die if I contracted it. I did fear for others that I loved. It was utter confusion and every day something else got locked down or cancelled. Every day the walls around our life shrank in around us. I spent my days on Facebook and my nights wide awake.
Oh Facebook. I’m coming back around to you.
Though it didn’t completely go away, the fear started to subside. Then came the venturing out into the world to shop. Some people wore gloves and masks. Everyone started to disinfect their groceries. And I kept wondering when I was going to wake up? Zoom Calls replaced baseball practice. No one can find toilet paper. And what day is it again?
Where do you go when you are so disconnected? You go to places where you can connect like Facebook, Instagram and Zoom Calls.
Oh Facebook. Everyone thinks they are the expert.
Then came the sad and sobering realization that things are not going back to normal any time soon or ever? That thought gave me the greatest fear.
Now before I go on, I have to say that these past 5 weeks of Quarantine have made me realize there are things I do not miss and do not plan on going back to. I don’t want things to go back to exactly how they were but I miss the library big time. I want to hug my dad. I want to go to the beach. I want to go back to church.
We’ve realized, if we haven’t already, that main stream media is extremely biased and honestly not trustworthy news. Where do you get the facts and not the hype?
The arguments swirled around me every time I hopped on the internet, especially Facebook. You see posts from people urging everyone to just stay home; the virus is everywhere. Meanwhile there are loud voices demanding we open up, we get back to business, the government is trying to control us.
Fear. Fear. Fear. Fear. Fear.
The truth for me was that I was going to the wrong place to get my answers and my assurances. I want to know how this all ends. I was going to people instead of God.
This post isn’t about what I think about our government and who I agree or disagree with. Honestly, I’m somewhere in the middle. That doesn’t matter, though. What matters is where I place my fear and worry and whether I let it control me or not.
Do I stick my head in the sand and just ignore what is going on? ABSOLUTELY NOT. I believe we should do our research to the best of our ability and know what’s going on in our world, our government, and our community. How do you ignore what’s going on right now? It’s impossible and foolish to do so.
I had to filter. I had to filter what I listened to and how often I listened to it. There was too much noise. Too many voices trying to be heard.
I needed to practice Faith Over Fear. Me looking to information and concrete answers (which there are none at this point) was me needing to be in control. I needed to ask, how would Jesus have me respond? And I just couldn’t focus my mind and heart with all the noise, with everyone’s opinions, and with all the Facebook posts that people post. Guess what? People, for the most part, are going to post things that support what they already believe. So when you aren’t sure what to think, this is dangerous ground.
This is what I’ve done this past week. If it helps just one person or you can take one thing away from this blog post, I’m happy.
1.) I’m limiting my time on Facebook and I’m about to take a complete break.
Lily and I are doing these Facebook Lives every Thursday. We are doing DIYs and it’s been really fun. Other than that, I’m trying to stay off Facebook. If I post, I post something encouraging. Facebook was giving me anxiety as I would get lost down the rabbit hole of reading posts. I took Facebook off my phone as well. Once, we are done doing our LIVES in April a good clean break might be in order.
2.) If you constantly post politically posts, I snooze you.
Sorry, friends. That’s the way it has to be.
3.) I’m trying to focus on just a few places where I feel I can get reliable news.
This is very hard to find; but resources are out there. I need to know what’s going on and I’m totally okay with differing opinions. I just want the facts and not the drama. Don’t try to get me riled up. I’m already riled up!!!
I have a friend who I follow on Instagram. I know her heart and she’s a wealth of knowledge. She has a holistic approach to health and I appreciate the knowledge she shares. I don’t feel scared when I read her posts. I feel empowered.
4.) I’m just digging in the Bible and reading things that bolster my faith.
God has reminded me that I need to think back on all the ways God has been faithful in my life. He never changes. So I don’t need to worry or question His faithfulness now. Whatever he does is for our good and His greatest glory.
I’m reading Because He Loves Me by Elyse Fitzpatrick, the New Testament, and watching the The Chosen series. All three of these things have been encouraging me to seek God and have been reminding me of the great love He has for me.
5.) I’ve been gardening and it’s saving me.
Except for the happy sounds of my kiddos, my garden is quiet and peaceful. Being outside with my puppy Mac next to me and my hands in the dirt has been therapeutic!!! Gardening is a lot of tending and waiting. It requires patience and diligence before you get to any blooms and harvest. This has not been lost on me during this time of waiting.
6.) Stay connected.
I’m honestly so over Zoom calls. We need them, though. Our kids need to see their friends. I need to stay connected to my family and friends. Seeing H Lego Zoom with his friends is adorable. Lily is missing her friends greatly. Zoom is helping.
Our weekly on-line church with Pastor Josh, our weekly Fellowship Group Zoom and Youthgroup Zooms are the most important parts of our week. We need to stay connected!
7.) Memes
Okay this is silly; but Memes are my favorite right now. They are meaningful, deep, and ridiculous all at the same time and I absolutely love them.
8.) Serve Others
There has never been a better time to serve others than now. We can do it from 6 feet apart, too.
Do you need to filter out the noise? Maybe it’s not Facebook. Maybe it’s another area. Our minds weren’t meant to be overloaded with information. Our hearts weren’t meant to be in a constant state of fear and worry. Since I’ve limited my time on Social Media, especially Facebook, I’ve been much, much happier.
Isaiah 26:3
You will keep in perfect peace
those whose minds are steadfast,
because they trust you.
He promises to give us wisdom if we ask. Do we believe it? Yes, we need to decide what we believe and where we stand. Are we okay with not having all the answers, right now? Are we content in the waiting?
I woke up Monday morning and laid still in the quiet for a solid minute. I just laid there and wished that last week was a dream.
I think we all have a little of that Ground Hog’s Day feeling as we’ve woken up each morning this week.
I thought going into last week, that after the dust settled and I stocked up on food, I would hunker down and life would go on pretty much as normal. I home school. I’m used to being home during the day with my kids, teaching them. Though, we are pretty busy with outside activities, it’s not abnormal for me to be home for a couple of days without seeing friends.
Last week was rough, though. It felt like a million years long! As we are heading into week two of our three week Shelter In Place, there is one thing I know. Life is not going back to normal in 2 weeks. We don’t know what the coming weeks will bring. And that not knowing is what has me feeling anxious.
A week and a half ago:
My kids were not talking to their grandparents through window panes, not touching.
Lily and Henry were not Zoom calling their friends. (Though I think Zoom is the greatest invention.)
I had left my neighborhood and shopped at Target.
I wasn’t taking a walk everyday, smiling and saying hello to neighbors I don’t know.
I wasn’t waking up each morning and wondering what bad news I would hear today.
I wasn’t cross stitching each night and taking up embroidery next. I was always too busy with other things. Now I have just a little bit of extra time to do all the “other things”.
I was falling asleep quickly and peacefully. Now, I can’t fall asleep at night. I have this feeling of unsettle in my chest.
My calendar was bursting. Now it’s completely empty. (Except for scheduled Zoom calls.)
I wasn’t keeping track of how many days it takes us to use up a roll of toilet paper and then multiplying that by how many rolls we have left.
I was running to the store for every little thing. I also had no problem finding a can of corn!
I had never heard of social distancing.
Also… A week and half ago:
I wasn’t praying much for others, let alone the cashier at Safeway or Oliver’s.
I read about God’s peace and of course, desired it. Now it is a burning need. I can’t feel peace without Him.
I said I trusted God. Now I have to practice it. I have to really give my anxious heart to God and trust that He is sovereign and good and faithful.
I thought random thunder (that isn’t common to us here) and a flash hail storm was weird and cool. Now I’m like, “Yes, Lord? You were saying??? I’m listening.”
I’m listening.
We call “it” the The Coroni around here. That’s what H named it. I guess it lightens the mood and makes something unknown and scary seem small and a little silly.
“Take that, stupid Coroni!” he said when our trip to The Grand Canyon got cancelled.
We all have our way of coping and none of us have been through a pandemic before so I think H’s way of coping is just fine. And he’s eight.
So what do I do, heading into week two? What do I show my kids to do?
I’m going to (really try to) focus on what is true and lean into Jesus. I will remember that I have a loving God who is big and powerful and not surprised by any of this. I will pray for all those on the front lines. I will do my part by staying home.
Shelter In Place Week One: From Homeschooling to Puppies who don’t care about social distancing.
How has 2020 been going for you so far? Did January seem like it was 7,000 days long? I don’t usually feel this way about January; but this year January just dragged on and on and on. Why is that?
Meanwhile, I blinked and February is almost over. Ugh, Time!!!! You tricky minx. You never move at the speed I want.
Our new year started off differently than any other new year so far. The Hubs married two of our friends. As in he officiated the wedding.
No, he is not a pastor.
Yes, it’s legal. They are really married.
I got to be the official witness. That’s a first for me.
It was really special and beautiful and made me wonder why we spend so much money on weddings. It’s not necessary.
Our year started off so beautifully and with an amazing hike! We were off to the greatest start!
Then sickness hit. The Hubs got hit hard. It’s been kinda rough with all the illness going around. I know we are all talking about (and some are fretting) the coronavirus and what not. The flu has hit so many of my family members and friends. So, from one mama to another, I have 3 words for you.
WASH YOUR HANDS
I have yet to get sick this year and was not sick last fall at all. This is quite a feat, if I do say so myself. I can rattle off several reasons why I think my immune system is rocking right now. But, the one thing I’m militant about is washing my hands and washing my kid’s hands (Andy is an adult and he’s on his own.). When we come in from school, church, grocery shopping, you name it, we hit the sink first.
Hand sanitizer is our best friend.
This year I’ve made some steps toward getting healthier. I was inspired by my Word of the Year: START. I just started making some changes. I didn’t overthink it or map out all my steps to achieving my goals. I just started.
The biggest improvement I’ve made is getting more sleep. It’s self-care at it’s most simple. I know the extra sleep (or should I say the appropriate amount of sleep) has helped me stay healthy.
So mamas, could I give you a few more words?
Take Care Of Yourself.
Whether that means extra sleep, or a bath once a week or going out to coffee with a friend. It doesn’t have to be complicated. Just start.
Being healthy is more than just washing hands and avoiding the flu. It’s about taking care of your whole person. So what do you need most? Start there.
It’s May which means things are both winding down for the school year while at the same time spinning out of control. Am I right?
End of year parties, graduations, award ceremonies, school open houses, teacher gifts, final tests. If you have kids, there are still birthday parties, family birthdays, and possibly sports (Is anyone else still neck deep in baseball?)
While everything is heightened and a bit wonky in May, we still have to do the normal, everyday mundane little tasks that keep the wheels turning. You know, the little things like cooking, doing laundry, bathing your children and my least favorite task- grocery shoppping. Ok, it’s really a toss-up between grocery shopping and laundry. Anyways……..
So, take a step from the madness of May and look at your year? How did it go? Did your mind instantly fill up with all the ways you fell short? All the things that didn’t get crossed off the list? All the projects and activities that you thought for sure you would do, yet still lay unfinished? Are you automatically thinking of how you failed?
As a homeschool mom, I instantly thought of where I wanted to end up in all my subjects and where we actually stopped. (We are not year round homeschoolers. Mama needs a break!) I thought of the projects and fieldtrips that never came to pass. Yes, I unfortunately looked around at what other moms did with their kids and instantly felt less.
So let’s do something wild and what seems to be against our natural tendencies. Let’s look at what we did well. Let’s celebrate the heck out of it. Let’s end this year feeling like rock stars because in reality we are way too hard on ourselves. Shame never motivates anyone to do better. So why do we heap shame on ourselves, Mamas, by automatically looking at where we fall short and not on where we shine?
Maybe you are feeling awesome about your year. Maybe you needed to read this today. I needed to write it for myself. I’m choosing to focus on what went well. (I’m also reevaluating how I can make next year better.)
Here’s what went well. Here’s what I’m proud of. How about you?
*I taught Henry to read. He’s on the road to hopefully loving books. The fact that I’ve taught both my kids to read has been one of my greatest joys.
*We did our Morning Basket time pretty regularly this year. This is something I’ve been trying to get going for two years. This year we did it. We read some amazing chapter books during that time.
*I restarted my garden this year. Things are actually growing.
*We took some fun, short trips with the kids during the school year. We went to Yosemite in the winter for just a few days (This was on my bucket list.) We’ve hiked more and have gotten outside more with the kids this year.
*There have been a few friends God has allowed me to get to know better and develop deeper relationships with. This has been such an unexpected gift!
I’d love to hear what went well in this past year for you. Let’s celebrate each other!!!
Friends, our family has been hit hard this cold and flu season.
Not only did we get hit hard this season; (It’s only mid November as I write this by the way.) we got hit early.
The straw that broke the camel’s back was not “How were we getting sick again?” and it was barely November; but that I got knocked flat on my butt for a good week. A week! That’s just horrible for a mama. I mean, it’s almost disastrous.
It hasn’t helped that we’ve been covered in smoke here in NorCal; but I saw the writing on the wall. “This is going to be a tough winter.” I was using my oils; but not as diligently as I should have been. I know we need more sleep and need to make better choices to have a healthier winter. So a new blog series is born: How To Stay Healthy This Winter
During this fall and winter season, I’ll be sharing ways I’m helping to keep my family healthy. I know there is no magic pill to keep us 100% germ free; but I’m determined to be more diligent in building up our immune systems.
Have any tips to share with me? I’d love to learn from other moms and grandparents and caregivers.
Here’ s my first two tips and they include two of my favorite oils.
1.) Have Thieves on hand ALWAYS and use it in multiple ways.
My favorite way to use Thieves (The Immune Booster) is to just diffuse it in my diffuser. 5-6 drops and that wonderful blend of Rosemary, Cinnamon, Lemon, Clove and Eucalyptus is diffusing throughout your house.
Thieves tea is my next favorite. This is especially wonderful for sore throats and all the germs that come along during this season.
Rubbing Thieves on the bottom of your kiddo’s feet before they head out to school or even before they go to sleep at night is a great way to boost their immune system.
2.) R.C. (Respiratory Care)
You’ve got a powerful blend of Spruce, Cypress and 3 kinds of Eucalyptus.
I’ve made my own chest rub and it’s super simple. 10 drops of R.C. in a 4 oz. jar of Unrefined Coconut Oil. Blend well.
Diffusing R.C. has also worked well for my kids, especially my little guy.
This fall and winter season has gotten off to a rough start; but I’m hoping to turn that around. Praying for healthier days and for the smoke to clear (and the fires to stop) in my beautiful California.
Interested in getting started with Essential Oils? Click here. I’d love to help.
