The Local Burger Joint

Last night for dinner we had homemade hamburgers on homemade hamburger buns.

And it was amazing.

Now we're all ruined for the easy patties you buy from the freezer section and the easy buns that come in plastic bags and are stuck together with seven to twenty-three of their bun brothers. This is only a bummer because the homemade stuff requires so much more work. 

But the taste is worth it.

Catch

A few weeks ago, on a rare sunny day, Cooper decided he would finally learn to ride his bike. He could sort of ride it before, with several starts and stops, but he wanted to improve. When Bryan discovered that the tires were flat and the seat and handlebars were in the wrong places, then fixed those issues, Cooper's riding improved dramatically. Since that day Peter and Cooper have ridden their bikes together each day that the weather and the parents have allowed. 

Yesterday morning was chilly, but beautifully sunny. The big boys headed out to the garage to put on their helmets and take a ride. Topher, not wanting to be left out, climbed onto his trusty rolling horse and followed them as far as I would allow, to the laundry room. That's where I stayed with him while I also chatted with Peter and Cooper and loaded the washer.

As I checked pockets for trinkets before tossing jeans into the washing machine, I saw Topher inch closer and closer to the door to the garage. I thought that I was close enough to keep him with me. I thought that I could reach out with lightning fast mom reflexes and grab him if he attempted to roll down the step to join his brothers.

I was wrong.

As I saw his front wheel begin to cross the threshold into the garage time shifted into slow motion. I moved toward him and saw him make the abrupt transition to the lower step. I reached out as his horse made contact with the cement of the garage floor. And as I saw him begin to go head first over the front of his horse onto that hard floor I yelled, "Catch him! Catch him!! CATCH HIM!!!"

And in that moment Cooper's hands flew out and caught Topher's face and head, about an inch above the ground.

The slow motion version of my life ended and I finally reached Topher. I scooped him out of the safe arms of his big brother and held him so close. Then I threw my other arm around Cooper and said, "Thank you Cooper. Thank you so much! You just saved him from a possible concussion, or worse. Thank you for being there and for catching him." Then I shook from fear and relief and shock while I waved to the boys as they rode away.

Topher was totally fine, though still a little bummed that he couldn't ride his horse-bike down the street with the big boys.

The Safety Dance

We got word yesterday that our dance recital this year will be virtual. I'm not sure how they're going to make this happen, but I do know that the girls need to be in full hair and makeup for it and it'll take place during the first half of June. I imagine this is a huge financial blow to the studio, but I'm thankful they're putting the safety of their students and staff first.

And now I'm wondering if we should hang our green screen up as scenery when they do the official recording. The girls have been dancing in our exercise space in the basement during their Zoom classes, which means their current backdrop consists of white plastic bag walls, storage boxes, a rowing machine, and a treadmill.

Quarantine Week Eight: The Pictures

The Moments

I always sing as part of our sleep routine, no matter which child it is. Topher has strong feelings about which songs I pick and if he doesn't like the song he'll interrupt with "No! No, no, no." I've run through quite a bit of my repertoire with him already.

So when I started to sing Somewhere Over the Rainbow yesterday before his nap and he didn't interrupt, I was happily surprised. I guess that came through in my rendition because as soon as I finished he popped his head off my shoulder, grinned, yelled "Yay!" and started clapping. He's never done that before for any song I've sung to him.

It's the sweet moments, the tiny interactions, the brief blissful bites of time that make motherhood beautiful. They are what I hold to when a child is yelling at me or saying unkind things. They are what I focus on after the kids have gone to bed and the constant chaotic cacophony cools down. They make the memories that I will record and pass on. They will last longer than I will.

Happy Mother's Day.

Giving Thanks

This was our contribution to a video being put together by our elementary school PTO to thank the teachers during Teacher Appreciation Week. This is such a different school year with everything moving online, but the teachers are still working hard figuring out how to reach the students, especially our elementary school teachers.

Three Bears In the Bed

Sanity

I was asked recently about what I'm doing to stay sane. I haven't actually answered that question yet, but I've thought about it. A lot.

In the regular, pre-pandemic world, I did quite a few things to keep myself sane. I was careful not to over-schedule the kids, thereby not over-scheduling myself. I prioritized exercise and was getting better about prioritizing sleep. I focused on healthy foods for my family and we all worked hard to keep the house in order. I took time each day for Gospel study and prayer.

Writing it out like that makes me sound super organized and probably pretty zen. That's not how I felt at all, but I was making good choices.

Now, in this brave new world (which is not a book I enjoy, by the way), what have I been doing to stay sane?

I text. A lot. I still work to avoid being on my phone when the kids are up, but since they're up and near me almost all the hours that I'm up, I've had to adjust. I send notes checking in with people, asking how they're doing, how their week is progressing. I do it to see if they're okay and help my lonely extroverted heart feel less isolated.

I video chat and (occasionally, when I have a quiet moment) use Marco Polo to send video messages. Sophie uses Marco Polo way more than I do to chat with her church friends and cousins. It's nice to see people's faces and I get so much more information when I add facial expressions to the words they're saying.

I speak up. I'm juggling so many roles right now and have hit my Wall of Overwhelm multiple times in the last seven weeks. When that happens I let Bryan know that I need help. And I let the kids know that I need help. And then we work together to carry the load.

I exercise. I haven't done this the whole time. In fact, for the first month at home I didn't make time to workout at all because I was so busy facilitating school and feeding everyone. But my body is good at demanding that I take care of it by getting migraines when I haven't had enough physical activity. The last two weeks I've done a much better job of getting on the treadmill for thirty minutes or the rowing machine for ten or doing a short yoga video on YouTube. I have so much more energy and patience when I carve out that time.

I read my scriptures, everyday.

I pray, multiple times each day.

I read other books too. I had very little time in March to read and I missed it. I found/made more time in April. Reading and listening to books really make my heart and brain happy.

I'm still feeling exhausted and overworked. I still have to drag myself to bedtime, a long process since bedtimes are staggered. I still feel exceptional amounts of anxiety over the state of the world and those I love. But doing the things I talked about above goes a long way to keeping me mentally and emotionally healthy, which helps the rest of the people at my house do the same.

Quarantine Week Seven: The Pictures

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