Our days at Home

My children and I have been wandering around the forests and parkways near our home like a nomadic family. 
Just as I was relishing in my new life of kids in elementary school, everything changed again. I now, once again, have my little pack following close behind me as I try to fill the days.  😗😗😗😗 
  

 I am so grateful for the gorgeous spring sunshine this week as we adjusted to life at home all day. 

I really tried to keep them on a schedule with their school work.
However, sometimes things got off track a bit. 😳

When we found out the kids were going to be out of school all of April, I had to pick up their school supplies and books. 
When I pulled up to the school, the trees in the front were in full bloom, like they are every year. I always anticipate these trees in front of the school this time of year.
 I greeted a few of the staff and teachers in the entry way before gathering my things; I could feel tears in the back of my eyes and a lump in my throat. 
I believe that my kids won't be finishing their kindergarten and 2nd grade year here, and there was a deep grief in the pit of my stomach; I mourn deeply this loss. 
Everyday I still wake up and I just can't believe all this is going on. 
However, I've come to the place of acceptance and acknowledgement that this is how life is going to be; I  want my kids to look back on this sabbatical  from school with happy memories. I am determined to make this a meaningful 2nd grade and kindergarten year for my children. 
I do believe good will come from this ultimately, and spending these few months with them will be a treasure to my heart. 
During my first week instructing them, I've already gained such valuable insight to the students they are and their individual needs and strengths. 

John and I are missing our friends too. 
Saturday  night we had a virtual happy hour with a few friends via FaceTime. It was actually a better time than I initially thought it would be. I usually do not enjoy FaceTime, but now it is truly wonderful. 

It's interesting to observe the changes in society. 
People are home.
There is a lot of sitting around on front lawns and porches and park benches. 
I see families walking and biking together. 
There is no where to go, no place to be. 
The hustle is gone, and surprisingly I have to admit that it's kinda of nice. 

Here are some of the ways we've been keeping busy during our time at home.
We built leprechaun traps for St. Patricks day....

 And searched for lucky four leafed clovers in the lawn....

We wrote in journals everyday, Evelyn enthusiastically assisiting  the boys with spelling and penmanship. 

We went fishing, although we caught nothing except each others' lines 😬

And we wandered around outside a lot, walking in the woods and through the neighborhood. 

 On Friday we had a picnic at the park.

We are enjoying the simple things.

On Saturday we hiked to Wahclella Falls. It was a wonderful morning exploring and marveling in magic and beauty.

 Being in nature like this allows me to escape reality for a bit.

 The beauty is captivating.

 The gorge is my favorite place to be, full of peace.

 We came upon so many waterfalls and interesting rocks.

 And we found a cave! John went in a little to explore it, but the kids were terrified that he'd run into a bear.

 There were a lot of chard trees from the fires a few years ago.

 However the forest was covered in green! Moss, flowers and new growth were sprouting out of the burned tree trunks and branches. 

I remember a few years ago mourning the gorge as uncontrollable flames consumed it. 
But now I see that it wasn't totally destroyed; in fact, it is just as beautiful as ever. 

And as I observed all the small pockets and signs of regrowth, a hope swelled within me that all will be well.