Fantastic Four: Week 4

And so begins our fourth week of social distancing / COVID isolation.
We've had trips out in public to the grocery store only. Twice, I think. I had to go an extra time because I forgot to buy bacon and Nate had to memorize "Night" by William Blake for school and the ONLY way that was happening was if I could use bacon as a reward.
Some may think that is ridiculous.
I consider it appropriate use of energy conservation techniques.

The past few weeks have been a strange range of emotions.
We're all healthy. Still employed. Safe. Well fed.
There are times where I enjoy and am truly grateful for the slower pace of life - and taking time to smell the flowers.

Don't bother smelling cherry blossoms. There is no smell. When you inhale, the loose petals all go up your nose. Not that I know this from personal experience...it's what I've heard. ;)

I love to watch the kids play board games and poker. For the most part, they're getting along. They're realizing that we all have to be together and the choice is theirs as to if it's enjoyable.
I love that the pressure is off with school. We've done more hands on things and had a better time in general because we don't feel like we have to "keep up" with the public school kids.

Benjamin has pretty much mastered his multiplication facts 0-13. Not bad for Grade 2. He took some time the other morning to make sure Hamilton was getting ahead in math, too. It was sweet.

I love that we're reading books and baking bread and eating all our meals together.
I love that Jim is working from home and we get to see each other so much.
I love to watch cheesy Star Trek episodes as a family.
I love that I can make my *favorite* meal - sh!t on a shingle - every. single. day. for lunch, if I want.

Not that it's all sparkly unicorn farts and rainbows...but things are good. Better than we deserve.

Then I feel terrible treasuring a time when SO many people are hurting.
We've had two parishioners die this week and there can't be funerals.
I've had a friend from high school lose two grandparents in the past three weeks and others that are seriously ill from COVID.
A friend from St Ann's passed away leaving a husband and two young children.
Celebrating Holy Week without being in church is different. It's a small sacrifice to make, to keep everyone safe. I never realized how much strength and joy we draw from the people around us.
When this is all over, I'm just going to hug everybody.
All. The. Time.
Hug Party.

The virtual Dance Phase classes have been an absolute life saver. We are so grateful for our Oklahoma dance family.
We've been using the classes as PE for school and I haven't seen such big smiles from everyone in weeks. Dance Phase is one of a kind.

We've made a reading corner in our bedroom. Nate has finished another Percy Jackson book I've finished "Prairie Fires" and "Killers of the Flower Moon" Next up is "Tulsa Burning" and a re-read of "Boomtown". I'm am so very grateful to be where we are right now...and I'll always have more than a little of my heart on the Oklahoma prairie.

That all being said...if ONE MORE PERSON asks me if I know the "Tiger King", I might scream.
I know where it is - right off 35 before Paul's Valley - we would see the signs and drive by on our way to Turner Falls and to get fried pies...but let's just say it's not the type of place that we would go out of our way to see. You can tell that something is not quite right there - even by the highway advertisements...