Living an Intentional Life
Yes, this Coronavirus quarantine (which is now going through the month of April) means we are all together. A.L.O.T more. So, why not do some school as a family. P.E. is one thing we can engage in.
Tatum’s PE teacher, Mrs. Wilson has been sending videos of exercises we can all do.
Daddy joined us on Tuesday. Guess who thought we lost our marbles?
Cooper wasn’t quite sure what to make of this.
10 more, guys! (I am coaching them…ha!)
It has been a “cozy” ride since we have been asked to stay home as much as possible due to the Coronavirus. The numbers of affected do continue to grow, but it seems to be leveling off. I pray this is the beginning of the end.
The effects of this have been astounding. One such effect I have noticed from “social distancing” has been so little human contact. When we stand in line for Trader Joe’s to get groceries, we are commanded to keep our distance. 6 feet please. So you have this massive line of people not even interacting. It’s frightful; I do know why, but it sure saddens me. In fact, today, our Pastor (we are watching our church SBC online) showed this graphic of what we are experiencing:
It’s not how we were created. We were created to be in community. But you’ll notice the symbols above used to be touching (this graphic is a lighthearted way to show this concept); the M was intact, the circles intertwined, the VW intersected. Now, it’s all disjointed, and we feel the distance from others. Healthy for our physical health, but for our mental health, NOT SO. (and spiritual health). We need each other.
OK….BUT, and this is a big BUT…. my family, my dear Tot and honey, we are homing so much more, and I love it. We miss seeing mom since we have to distance from her, but it will be better in a few weeks. Doug is working from home and Tot is schooling from home; I, on the other hand, have a bit more on my plate, but it’s worth it! It’s so fun to have Doug here, not having to commute so far.
Doug, Tatum, and I all work at the table. We did our taxes together, and Tot worked on her math facts flashcards. Like I said, it’s cozy. We probably don’t feel it now, but later on we’ll remember this time as special.
We will start a new week on Monday, and more online school. It’s going REALLY WELL, and I’m grateful for Mrs. Finnman and PVCP. On Friday, Tatum got to ZOOM conference with her buddies in class. Mrs. Finnman arranged it. SO fun for her.
We hope this will end soon, but in the meantime, we are savoring this special season.
May 23rd. The day we got Cooper. Oh, what a special day it was, and little did we know how much our lives would change.
For the better.
We couldn’t stop hugging him. He was truly a snuggle bug.
Oh, there’s more of that
He really started to grow and develop his own special personality. Lots of Peek-a-boo/I see you!
Then there’s the new toy phenomenon. He leaps around it poking it to make sure it is safe. Then he hides it under the couch. Upon this, he cries and seeks aid. It’s quite pitiful.
He has the ability to melt your heart with his “Look.”
Daddy has gotten quite smug with the little one. He has melted HIS heart too. Daddy didn’t think that was possible.
Of course, Tatum can’t get enough of him. She even will read to him.
And he returns the favor by watching her babies. He’s such a good brother.
Then there’s the MOMMY. Yes, I am absolutely head over heels CRAY CRAZY about him.
OH, yes, it’s a love connection.
It sure helps that he misses me when I leave. (LOL)
Or sometimes when I’m not up yet, he waits.
Maybe if I get a bit closer..
We love to celebrate him every time we turn around.
We do wear him out and at times he can barely hang on.
But then when we put him to bed, he wakes right up.
He also loves to go the salon and look dapper.
He would rather not have to wear a cone ever again; especially one that makes him look like a scary lion.
But, oh sweet Cooper, you are one today, and we want to celebrate all that is you.
Tatum lined up some of your old toys with a new bone. Will you find it?
She then got out another one, and he about wiggled his tail right off; Daddy had to control him! Throw it, PRETTY PLEASE!!!??
He enjoyed every bit of his new toys.
Happy birthday, Cooper! Don’t eat it all in one bite, buddy.
You add so much joy to our family. You also give us many excuses to laugh. Sometimes, we just don’t want to go outside. but when we do, you pull us to see all those bunnies, quail, pigeons, flying leaves which adds to our appreciation of nature. Oh, and I’ll add celebrating you gives us a reason to have a hot fudge sundae.
It’s all good, Coopy! Happy Birthday, sweet puppy.
It’s Wednesday, and PVCP has transitioned to online school for 3 weeks. We went to the school yesterday to pick up all of the paperwork from her class, and now Mrs. Finnamn sends videos/day to explain the work. Let’s see how it goes!
On Tuesday night, I put the schedule together on the whiteboard. Thank goodness for this!
We got started right at 8:34. Not bad! With her workspace all ready (and of course including Nixon, Lopey, and Luke), we were work-prepared.
RING-A-LING: Let’s begin.
She started with three sentences about her Spring Break.
After Spalding, we decided to do a quick walk with Coopy, then we put off recess until we got through Math. This way she had a longer recess/snack. After that, we powered through the rest of the day! It was amazing. She was so focused.
We even included piano, Bible verses, and extra reading….oh and lots of Math fact cards.
I decided to add cooking today. She helped me dinner prep the hamburgers and seasoning..
Salad spinning is always fun.
I figure she is going to be housecleaning and cooking WITH me in the next few weeks. This will enable me to get my own GCU work done during her playtime. I do believe this is going to work and it actually is FUN too! I’m so grateful.
God is using all of this for HIS good. I see so many blessings coming from this time. For example, Doug, Tot and I are spending so much more time together. Doug is able to spend time on our home as well since he can telecommute. His job is NOT in jeopardy as we had feared, (1/2 of Honeywell is going on furlough, but not him) and this gave him confidence about his VALUE to them. That is always reassuring, and I already knew this. We are also getting to serve my mom more than before.
God, you are so good. I love being part of Tatum’s day like this.
More to come!
Supposedly, we start online school on Wednesday. We just finished up Spring Break, and we got word that school is closed for a few weeks. Therefore online will begin soon. I did not want to wait until Wednesday, and I wanted a practice, so we started today.
We began the day with devotion and the Pledge. Tatum held the flag, and we all said it. (all of us being Tot and me)
Here is the agenda!
Ok, here we go. Are you ready Coopy? He sure is!
We started with our phonics for the week for review. She was finishing her brekkie.
We had a spelling list for the week, so I gave her a pre-test. How did she do?
Good work!
Now she’ll do her reading and I’ll give her a little test.
Next, it’s ART (my fav!)
She decided to work on a card for Coopy since his birthday is Wednesday. (He’ll be one!)
Snack recess. I got some dinner worked on and cleaned a bit while she played with Cooper. I will do my GCU work later.
Math. I decided to use money and jelly beans. I mean, cmon, let’s make it fun and tasty, right? Plus it makes more sense when you use real life stuff.
She did a few timed sheets, and VOILA!
We are on a roll, Bumby!
Lunchtime with cheese curls of course.
then BIBLE. We went onto SBC website and looked at the lesson since they went online too. A little Luke 1, a little praise and worship, and prayer. Good stuff.
After a quick walk with Cooper, we did our “PE” which was yoga. I turned on Cosmic Kids yoga, and we did 12 poses. Sheesh. I had no idea how hard it would be!
Note to self: Need a yoga mat to avoid head injuries.
Finally, music, which I made piano practice.
Guess what, Taties? YOU DID IT! With God, all things are possible. Even homeschool. heehee
I do GCU work now while she plays. THEN: Time for a bike ride to get outside in this beautiful spring weather. Till next time!
School will be out for the rest of the year and will be taken online. So, at the end of this Spring Break, we are gearing up for our next few months.
This Coronovirus has completely disrupted the whole world. It’s hard to understand because this virus has created so much disaster for all Americans and their jobs. Yes, there have been deaths, but not compared to the flu or cold. But, I am not in charge and cannot control what happens. God is the one in charge, and although I might disagree with the extent of the quarantine, I must abide by the new rules of being home. I so worry about our economy and the loss of all the jobs. I worry about all the kids at home while working parents need to figure out how to make it all work.
WIth this situation, our family has chosen to make the most of it. We will keep our JOY and our PEACE in the midst of chaos.
Praying FIRST. Then, playing sports, board games, and dancing are going to her our game plan. Last night, we played soccer. Thank goodness we have some of the supplies from when we were coaching. We all laughed hysterically and was NEEDED! Daddy and Tot vs. ME. Fair? Of course!
Go TOT!
Go Daddy!
Go Mommy!
Now, this has been our Spring Break, but next week we will begin school. We’re coming up with a schedule which you can stay tuned for.
This week, we started each day with our gratitude journals, Bible, and devotion.
Then, (since the gym is closed) we do our workouts. Those 5 lb’ers are just her size. Along with a bit of jump-roping back and forth a gazillion times.
We then have brekkie and head to the store and/or coffee. I work for a bit while she plays, and then we do art. Today, she drew a cute wee little fishy.
Later, it’s lunch, read, do some math, and play a bit more.
We are trying to avoid too much news, so we will go out for a bike ride since the pools are closed. We await Daddy to get home and play some games and play with Coopy.
It’s been a paradigm shift, but we are making lemonade from this VERY sour lemony times. This too shall pass. (I pray it just doesn’t hurt too many peoples’ lives).
Stay tuned for our SCHOOL plans. One thing I know: It will be completely and totally enriching and FUN.
And rock we did. She earned a prize for piano.
Some new rocks and a LEGO rock book. Let’s rock it, girl, and learn!
Three different kinds of rocks: Igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic.
Now, let’s explore!
We went through each rock and learned about the various characteristics. After we explored, she read Lego Rock Hunters to me. Being a geologist was fun for the day.
