This week has been more difficult for me personally. I am starting to feel the effects of isolation. Moments of sadness, loneliness, and edginess. The constant twenty-four seven routine, is starting to take its toll. There are moments when I can hear myself losing patience, raising my voice or taking a tone, and needing just fifteen minutes to myself. Yes, I just said I need a few moments to myself, in the middle of quarantine! I’m definitely going nuts! When I start to feel  this way I remind myself to think about all the blessings in my life, and how much I still have to be thankful for! I’m thankful for my faith. I’m thankful for my family, and that we are all still healthy. I’m thankful for our home and plenty of food. I’m thankful for music, and that I can still teach via face time. I have so much to be thankful for that I can just keep naming things, and this is how I will get through this.

I had high hopes of coming through this with a much cleaner house, but instead things are getting messier by the day! I can’t seem to keep on top of the daily messes, much less any other spring cleaning projects I want to accomplish. Oh well! At least the kids are having fun! We have been spending a lot of time outside. There are ponds across from our house, and so we have gone fishing a couple times this week. It’s hard to catch anything when I’m constantly having to chase after Samuel. (He likes to wander off, way more than I ever remember the other two wandering.) David and Emma like to play more than watch their fishing poles. So, we “go fishing”, but not a lot of fish are being caught. 🙂

Today we went to the pond and there is a small sand bank along the edge. David and Emma decided to play in the muddy sand, and I don’t know, but I overheard something about making dinner, and buried treasure. 🙂

This week was a whole new experience for me teaching piano! I taught my students via google duo! 🙂 It’s a whole different world when you can’t be physically present to teach! I found myself thinking of ways to verbally express what I was trying to get across. I also learned a lot about my students, their pianos, and their practice environment. It explains a lot! 🙂 It also makes me rethink how I might teach some things once we are able to do traditional lessons again. Teaching through face time is not ideal, but it’s better than nothing. I was very happy to see my student’s smiling faces, and hear their playing. I am so thankful for technology, and that we are able to continue in this way.

I tried a new recipe today! Maple Glazed Chicken Kabobs with Sweet Jalapeno Salad! This recipe by Ree Drummond was super simple and light. I used chicken thighs instead of breast. I also lessened the amount of jalapeno in the salad, but that is because I have littles that don’t like super spicy food. I told the kids it was chicken on a stick, and they liked that. I also served their salad on the side. They mostly just ate the pineapple. 🙂

The kids were playing in the front yard the other day around our magnolia tree. I noticed a very unhappy mother bird, letting her voice be known. I looked and sure enough there was this beautiful nest. It was low enough I could reach up and snap this picture! The eggs are so pretty. I love the color of Robin’s eggs! Spring is here, and new life all around. I showed this picture to the kids, and there were amazed! They have been very careful to not bother the tree since.

Hanging out together on the porch. I love these sweet faces! 💕

Love,

PK