Isolation Gratification: Day 35

I was surprised at how emotional I got when the Sprucewood Elementary parade of teachers came through the neighborhood.      How grateful I am to have a community of people who love and support my kids.   Teachers are amazing!!    If anything good comes from this I think we will all feel so much more appreciation for the gift our country gives our kids of a free education for all. 

Jane's teacher Mrs.  Allan is the best anyone could ask for.  She even put a chicken on top of her car 😂

Isolation Gratification: Day 34

I've been sleeping so great lately.  I'm so grateful I haven't had a lot of insomnia through this time.   I usually sleep in until around 8 and especially enjoy it when Spencer, the sole early riser comes in my room and jumps in bed with me and gives me morning cuddles. 

It feels like a vague dream that I use to be up, dressed, lunch packed, have gotten Spencer ready for Cindy's and out the door at 7am.    I also wonder how I will ever do that again. 

Isolation Gratification: Day 33

Our house has always been divided.   The quarantine has only exemplified this.    Three of us have always liked to get up and get dressed and stay that way until we are ready to go to bed.   Three of us prefer 'comfy' clothes and always arrive  home, no matter what time,  goes directly to our drawers and change into our comfy clothes.   Can you guess which ones are grateful they are living their dream life right now and seldom get dressed?    Here's a hint.....

I had to put my foot down and force 2 of these 3 (the other one sleeps in his g's and changes into new P.J's in the mornings) to strip down, shower and put on new P.J.'s after not changing for 3-5 days. 

Isolation Gratification: Day 32

I don't think anyone could love this quarantined life more than Spencer.      He's got most everyone in his world at his beckon  call every day all day long.    Heaven help me when we return to normal and the kings people go away. 

These frienemies are either fighting or being "bestest brothers"  There really isn't an inbetween.  I can't tell you how many time a day I hear "AARON" or "SPENCER" at the top of their lungs at each other.    

All day long he says  "Anyone want to come jump with me?"  He hardly ever gets a no.   

When he feels like being a cowboy.  He makes it happen

He's always up to anything Jane does with him.  Here he is sporting a boy bun.  

"Jane calls him her buchie buchie boo and will do anything for him"

One day Spencer enjoyed running through the sprinklers when Bart was turning them on for the year.  Since then about every day he gets in his swimming suit just hoping his dad goes out and plays around with them again.  

For work I've been sending videos home to my students parents giving them tips for talking to their children.   Spencer loves being the example child  

I also send home a weekly "language group"  videos of story kits I've put together for circle time at school.  Spencer loves these kits and asks me all the time to go do another movie from the toys in the back of my car.  

Occasionally he'll ask about when he gets to go to Cindy's and talks about his friends there and how he's going to show them this toy or that toy when Corona is gone.  It breaks my heart to think of him missing his friends but I am so grateful for all the entertainment his big spirit in his little body brings into our isolated life!   When I start to feel any despair about all the effects this virus is wreaking on the world, Spencer's smiles, giggles, love, energy and enthusiasm lifts my spirits and reminds me that come what may the most important thing in life is the love we have as a family!   

Isolation Gratification: Day 31

Evenings use to be busy.  Always running our kids here and there with music, sports and church activities.  Now our nights often turn into family outside play time.  We especially love to play the basketball game "speed." Jane and Spencer love it when we agree to a family soccer game in the backyard.    I think my kids will always treasure these not so busy all together evenings.

Isolation Gratification: Day 30

Somebody in conference referenced President Nelson saying something along the lines of the youth being the best that's yet to come to this Earth.      My kids often remind me the church is in good hands with them.  Jane cleaned her room out a couple of weeks ago and found a carton of Easter Advent Eggs that she did in Activity Days a few years back.  She wanted to share these eggs that each contained a scripture and token about the days leading up to the resurrection.  

She also asked me to buy marshmallows so she could make resurrection rolls with the boys.   I'm thankful it's not soley on my shoulders to invite Christ into our house!

I also can't skip over Easter Sunday without the greatest admiration and thankfulness for the knowledge that I know My Redeemer lives!!!

Isolation Gratification: Day 29

Not going to lie.  I would much rather be spending our weekend with extended family.  We were suppose to be in California ending our spring break there with Williams baptism.  Or we would have  either been going down to Teasdale rolling our eggs and having a family picnic in Capitol Reef or going to Bart's parents for a yummy Easter dinner and an egg hunt with the cousins.     But we still had an enjoyable Easter together as a family.


My girls helped me put together these baskets for the young women in my ward.   I had each of the yw leaders fill an easter egg with a treat and their favorite scripture and delivered them to their porch. 

My kids woke up early and were surprised that their Easter baskets were gone from the mantel where they left them the night before.  Here's the conversation I heard from my bed.

S:  Aaron the Easter Bunny took our Easter baskets.  How rude
A:  Oh well lets just watch a show
S:  (I imagine he glanced over under the table and saw Emily's)  Aaron! Emily's is right here.  Wow but ours are still gone.   The Easter Bunny is so rude.
A:  (went into the bathroom to use it)   Hey Spencer you might want to come see what's in the bathroom
S:  (ran into the bathroom and did he loud intake of breath whenever he gets excited)  What!!!!  The Easter Bunny gave me a little soccer lego set!! (its really a play mobil picnic set with a little soccer ball but he calls playmobil his little lego sets)


My kids led by Jane really wanted me to do an Easter egg hunt for them in my backyard.  It was too late to for the Easter Bunny to go tromping around the backyard when he arrived in the middle of the night so the Easter Bunny instead of putting candy in their baskets only put a game for the girls and a lego set for the boys and gave me instructions to fill the eggs and hide them once the kids had helped their dad in the yard.    I'm so glad the Easter bunny understands how to motivate my kids.


In their downtime the girls enjoyed playing Uno and speed on Emily's new mini deck of cards and the boys busied themselves putting together and playing with their sets.

I'm surprised at how fun it was to do our own little Easter egg hunt in our backyard.   I mean where else will you find a boy in his Santa PJ's gathering eggs.  The cutest moment was when Spencer darted off to grab another egg lost a few from his bucket.  He turned around and saw the scattered eggs and as he gathered them up like he just found them for the first time said  "Wow look at all of these eggs mom.  I'm a good finder."   Bart also hid one way up high on our deck and it took the kids multiple attempts swinging sticks to get it down.  When it finally fell into Emily's hands she opened it up and saw it was full of jelly beans she said "All that work for some nasty jelly beans geez mom why can't you be like Grandma Becky and hide some money in a few?"

Bart showing a little favoritism giving some hints to Spencer about where to find a missed egg

We had our favorite Papa John's pizza for dinner and then played some more Uno.

What I've learned and am grateful for.......  Is that it's possible to enjoy Easter with just my little family.