April 6 - April 12

   I have finally done it! I have caught up on this blog. I usually catch up about once a year and say that I will stay caught up and again that is my plan but we will see what happens. I think that after being home these past 4 weeks and only going to town for groceries has really brought into perspective what it means to just be. This would normally be our busy season with 3 kids playing soccer, but out side of that the kids are use to being home, me cooking supper most nights, and just being and working around the house. We are missing our friends and the nice days makes me crave people and being outside and drinking with friends, but our day to day is not a lot different. We spend all summer home together just the kids and I during the day. Mike has been home more and we have done more yard and outside work than usual but even when he is working he is home most nights to have dinner with us at 6. There are lots of people in the world that his virus turned them upside down. They have not had to cook 3 meals a day in their homes, then have not been around their kids from sun up to sun down, to them this has been life changing. To us it has really taught me that I have made some good choices in how we are raising our kids. Did I know a virus was coming that would cause us to spend all the days at home, no but for some reason, I took that leap to substitute teach this year, and stay home all those years with the kids. Did I have to stay home, no we could have hired a nanny. Did I have to get a job when all the kids started school, no I wanted something more.  As we continue on into this year with the unknown of how long social distancing will last, and how long the kids will be kept from school I look at each day as a gift. A gift to teach the kids more about being kids, about taking care of a house, about cooking food at home, and about slowing down in life and why we don't do every activity that is available. Soon enough we will be busy again but for now we are taking it one day at a time.
   Monday April 6th we started school work late that morning as the kids slept in after the late nights over the weekends. I was working around the kitchen cleaning up after the weekend and getting laundry started. Becca got super frustrated with her work and I got frustrated with all the kids. I finally put on my shoes, told the kids to leave their work, and we went outside. Alec and Rachel played a game in the shop and Becca and I went for a walk. We walked and talked and the stress melted into the road. It was just what we needed. We then came in for lunch and did just the work that had to be done for the day with the understanding that we would work really hard on Tuesday. After lunch I headed outside and mowed the lawn. Mowing is one of my favorite things to do, I love how it looks when I am done and just sitting and thinking. After I mowed I cleaned out flower beds and trimmed some trees. Then I grilled hamburgers and we got to eat dinner outside since the wind was not blowing. The kids and Mike burned some more branched and it was time for showers and bed.

The moment I said lets just go!

   Tuesday the kids all got up ready to work. They finished their work before lunch and we enjoyed another afternoon outside. Rachel got on a zoom call with her friends and we enjoyed having steaks for dinner that night. Wednesday we also got all our work done early so that we could go help Mike at the Simon Ground when he finished clinic at noon. I packed a picnic lunch and we loaded the 4-wheeler on the trailer and headed south at noon. The kids had a great time driving the 4-wheeler, building a fort and just playing. Mike and I dug holes and hung gates. Mike also got his new bobcat delivered and did some dirt work. I went around the fence to make sure no posts were broke or wires down. We ended up working until dark and then came home and fed the kids, got everyone showered and to bed by 9:15.

The kids and I took a break from helping Mike to walk over to the public beach at the lake. It was very windy but they enjoyed playing in the sand for a little bit. 

   Thursday the kids did their work in the morning then we played outside and dyed Easter Eggs. We have always dyed eggs with Lisa and the kids but this year we did them alone at home "because quarantine" as Alec would say. Friday the kids didn't have school work since they would not have had school on Easter Friday. We enjoyed just bumming in the morning then I spent the afternoon cleaning the house. I again this week realize why I hired house cleaners in the first place 6 years ago. I will work outside all day, but cleaning the house is one of the last things I ever want to do.

Alec talking to his class

Tulip from Sarah Schaffer for Easter

   Saturday we were just lazy. I sat around and read a book I have been wanting to read and we had 3 different times for Zoom Bingo with all the Kohle cousins. It was so fun to see everyone on this weekend that we are usually together. The kids liked the Bingo but were not as interested to just stay on and talk. That night we watched a movie before going to bed so the Easter Bunny could come!

   Sunday the kids got up all excited for the Easter Bunny. They all found their baskets and were off getting candy and eggs in no time. I then let the kids decided if they wanted to get dressed up for the day or not. The girls decided to get dresses on and Becca even did makeup. We then attended church by watching Facebook Live at 10:30. I made chicken noodle soup after church and got ready for Kohle family trivia at 2 pm. We had a great time at trivia, Mike and the kids only attended long enough for a picture but I had a great time hearing storied and talking with everyone about their memories of the farm and grandma and grandpa. After our zoom call with them we did a quick call with the Simonson's before Mike and the kids watched a movie and I read my book. Mike then got called in for a case and everyone went to bed.