All the helpers

One thing that I have noticed through all this pandemic is the helpers.  All the helpers.  There have been so many of them! The first random act of kindness when this stay at home thing started was when we were dumped with snow.  Someone driving by stopped and plowed us out.  I thankfully was able to track him down to give him a loaf of bread. I notice left and right how folks are helping one another along on facebook groups too. People are asking, receiving and getting blessed. I've been trying to be a giver as much as possible. Our granite steps have become the pickup location for all sorts of things!  The theme items that have been shared the most from our home include toys, fabric, eggs, yeast, homemade fabric masks and lots and lots of BOOKS!  I've become an actual lending library and I absolutely love it! Plus we have our "Little Free Library" out front. When I give, I never expect anything in return, but I have been blessed by hand written notes and gifts in return. I'm just so impressed on how much we are all helping one another!  I anticipate I will be leaving plants out front for perennial pickup in the near future too. 

Today, my neighbors invited my kids over to their front yard to find eggs. My kids were delighted! (Strict no contact.  Wave from the barn type interactions. Here my kids are sitting on the steps they don't use.)

 
It was the sweetest way to make my kids feel loved and missed.

Our kids RUN when deliveries come. The Fedex man brought them these hats. The Milkman has been leaving chocolate milks for them. We try to leave little notes and gifts for them. 

It's so weird that this is how we greet and talk to anyone who stops by to pick something up or drop something off, but we are thankful and encouraged how much we can still do for others and how much others have done for us, even though we are going no where but home, home home.  My challenge to myself this week is what else can I do from home to be a helper?

Happy Easter 2020

 Home sweet home, the obligatory backyard Easter photo, the girls in Mama mades, celebrating Easter, thankful He is Risen. 

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Checking in

How are we doing over here? Mostly fine. We have plenty of food, books to last a lifetime, enough school work to keep us busy for years, supplies for 100 different hobbies, a plethora of animals, lots of time. We don't really need anything. We are typically happy at home and choose to be home.  But this that we are experiencing now is so so so different from our old homeschool life. Our regular homeschool life we are with other people daily. This week was not an easy week at our house.  I find myself getting wrapped up in "How long is this going to last?", then feel my pace quicken, my neck tighten and my anxiety rising. My mind gets preoccupied and I overfocus on 'what if's. My patience wanes. This is not helpful.  I do not want to be someone who worries. My goal is to stop that thinking ahead.  I need to stop thinking ahead and think about right now. Right now I have an opportunity called 'today'. Fretting about the future will rob me of my ability to be present today.  Today, I am healthy and safe. I have the ability to make today a great day for my family. I can make sure my kids feel listened to, loved and valued. I have the power to make today a memorable one. I am not going to let those "What if" questions sneak back in my brain. All that I will allow in my brain is one "How" question.  "How am I going to make today the best I can make it?"

My chicken girl...

Does she dress the part when she's collecting eggs or what? 

Doing our part...

We are staying home, home, home.  Kids set up a little free library out front.

 I've been making masks. Donated a pile to the nursing home we usually volunteer at.  Trying to make some for friends who request.

And even made a couple for our milkman and his wife.

Mostly, we're feeling thankful to be home and healthy.

Thrifted

From way back before all this stay at home business....my last thrifting adventures I never posted.
Vintage Read and Find Out About science book that I collect, three fido jars that I also collect and a pair of Keen shoes. $8.

Snap circuits, all that pyrex, a pile of books for $10.

Audra's Craft (goodness gracious)

Audra brought me this neatly hand stitched pillow. "Oh, this is nice," I said.

 And then I flipped it over and found this:

It's the "Dove Real Women" in underwear on the other side. "Isn't that a good idea, mama? I clipped them out of your old magazine. It's the perfect sized pillow for stuffed animals." I couldn't contain my laughter.  This is genius.  This girl and her ideas, she keeps me in stitches.