Tag: hey mamas

Ten Quarantine Lifesavers

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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.

I can’t pick a favorite video; but here’s a good one. Enjoy.

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.

Here’s our latest LIVE.

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???

Hey Mamas – Stay Healthy and Wash Your Hands

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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.

But seriously, wash your hands.

Hey Mamas, Trust God, Time and Levi

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One week ago, today, Henry learned how to swim.

This has been a long time coming.

Four days before his 8th birthday, I prayed and prayed, “Lord, let this round of swim lessons be the ones that finally click for him. Let this be the summer that he overcomes his fear of the water.”

Last week was a week of milestones for our family. Some big and some small; but definite milestones.

I’m still processing all the things (which is why you are getting this post today); but I learned a lesson that I’ve been in the process of learning since I became a mom.

The lesson is this. Kids are going to do things in their own time. There are some things that you just can’t push or rush. You have to give them time, trust God (And in this case, trust Levi. Don’t worry. Explanation to come.)

I’ve been taking this kid for swim lessons since he was 3. While he had great, patient, wonderful swim teachers (Thank you Grace and Paul! You are a BIB reason why he is swimming sans floaties right now. All those years of positive experiences in the water, finally paid off!), we’d end each week long session with him still afraid to let go of his teacher in the water. Still not swimming.

We’d swim throughout the summer. And maybe we could have exposed him to the water more often. I felt like we went to the pool often enough, though. Yet, at the end of each summer he was still wearing the floaties and still afraid to let go in the water.

So a few things contributed to him swimming: I think a huge part of it was just maturity and growing up. Every kid is different as when it will click for them whether it comes to reading, getting potty trained, or swimming.

Also, peer pressure. Nothing motivates you faster than seeing all your friends swimming in the deep end without floaties. Parents, don’t underestimate the power of positive peer pressure.

Lastly, I think God drops people into your life to speak to you in a slightly different way than others have before. You hear it, accept it, or just connect with a person in a certain way. You may have heard a message a million times; but a speaker delivers the same message in a different way or when you are in a different place in your life and IT JUST CLICKS.

We only had 3 days of swim lessons for an hour each day. My hopes were high but realistic.

Fortunately, we started these lessons off with him fully putting his head under the water right from the get go. But as Levi pointed out, Henry had a death grip (and he does). He was not letting go.

It’s kinda hard to learn to swim in the deep end if you don’t let go of the hand in the shallow end.

After the first day of lessons:

“Levi is not going to let you sink, Henry. He just isn’t. Even if you began to sink, he’s right there. He’ll pull you up. You just have to trust Levi.”

“It’s hard to trust, mom.”

“I know, babe. That’s the whole thing, though. That’s what trust is. It’s not easy. It is hard. You can do it.”

Second day of lessons:

Levi: “Henry, you just have to make up your mind that you are going to do it and then just do it.”

And he did.

He let go.

He swam. Across the shallow end of the pool.

He then wanted to learn to dive off the side of the pool. And he did.

He made the decision to trust and he just did it.

Or Levi has some sort of magical super power. Either way, the kid swam!

Later that day he was jumping off the diving board into the deep end, without floaties, and swimming like he’d been doing it for years. I was flabbergasted. I was grateful. I was doing a happy dance. I was so proud of him. I was relieved.

The third and final day of lessons was like watching a completely different kid. Where did this fearless guy come from? Two days later we were swimming at Morton’s Warm Springs with family. We had just picked up Lily from Jr. High camp and he surprised her by jumping into the pool without his floaties. Her face was priceless. His face was full of pride.

We asked him, “What made you decide to let go and just swim?”

Henry: “Mom told me to trust, Levi.”

Are you laughing? I am. It’s taken 5 years, and I don’t necessarily think he would have been swimming at 3 if Levi was his teacher. I think it was the right time, the right swim teacher, and it was God’s plan to use this experience to teach my little guy about trust. This is the first of many times, he’s going to need to trust God. Andy and I are going to be able to use this lesson with him for years to come. Hey, God is using Henry’s swim lessons to teach ME about trust.

I hope I remember all this when my kids aren’t doing something in the timeline that I feel is appropriate or convenient for me.

Hey Mamas, as you go into this week, whatever is happening too fast or too slow in your life just remember, trust God. Are your kids taking way too long to learn a lesson or don’t seem to be improving at all? Trust God’s timing. Trust is as equally simple as it is hard.

Are your kids needing to learn to swim? Give Levi a call.