Our New Normal

This morning I was up before the sun with Sawyer. He is teething and has been awake a lot more through the night. We snuggled on the couch until the rest of the house began to stir. As we tip-toed into the kitchen we could hear Mr. Rooster welcoming the morning. The fog that blanketed the back field all night started to lift as the sun popped up from behind the spruce trees, casting a pink glow over everything in sight. The children were agreeable and began the morning with a squeeze hug. As I prepped breakfast, they rubbed sleep from their eyes and quietly snuggled beneath blankets in the front room. The aroma of German pancakes filled the house and soon they were filling their tummies with yummy pancakes covered in way too much powdered sugar and maple syrup. Daddy did our morning devotional/study while they ate and then we joined in family prayer before he left for work.

Week two of this "new normal" seems to be going better. The children have all adjusted to being home full time and in each other's space. After breakfast they all divided into little play groups (without any prompting from me) and enjoyed their time together until school began at nine. I'm not one for rigid schedules, so I put together a general guideline for the morning so that they each get a turn on the computer to complete their school work. The teachers have been asked to give their students five hours of work per week. We try to get it all done in the morning and then spend the rest of the day crafting, baking and being outdoors. Some of the kids do well with self-guided work and others seem to think that they need me by their side to complete every little thing. One child and I had a particularly rough morning and both ended up frustrated and in tears. But I will never forget the look of success on his face after he finally decided to get to work and complete his writing assignment.  We also had a successful division lesson and high fives all around. A few of them are missing their awesome teachers and it's been hard on both of us, but we are all doing our best.

I've been listening to the same two piano songs all week. Joe can't walk by the piano without playing "This Land is Your Land" or "Puff the Magic Dragon" with gusto! That boy sure loves his music and it's so great.

I wish I had taken a picture of how cute and grown up Sawyer looked today. After his morning bath, his hair dried with these cute little wings above his ears. I also wish I had taken a quick snapshot of Joseph dancing around the kitchen with his baby brother snuggled on his shoulder grinning from ear to ear as they spun around the room to Backstreet Boys (his choice). There were so many moments today that will be captured in my memory forever. There is so much joy to be had, even though the world is full of so much uncertainty.

After tucking in the children, I plopped down on the couch, exhausted from the early morning and the days work. I turned on a favorite TV show as I pulled a blanket around my weary body. After a half hour or so, Oliver wandered out to see me (as he frequently does after being tucked in for the night). "Can I pwees sit on your lap? You look soooo comfy...." I tucked him under my arm and he snuggled in close, and for a few minutes, all was right in the world. During this crazy time I hope that my kids can feel how important they are to me, how much I value having them home, and how dearly I love them!