Week 1

Well, we made it through the first week of January, and I’m not sure about you, but we’ve basically hunkered down and embraced the still and peace and quiet. My kids (all three of them) read books for hours and I sipped tea whilst wrapped in wool blankets and watched the birds at the bird feeder.

Ha. HA!

Did I mention we have 3 kids, 3 cats, and both Aaron and I work from home?

No? Oh ok. Well, we do and our lives are wonderfully hectic from early morning until late night. And some days I love the hectic atmosphere, but other days, I want peace and quiet and tea, and birdwatching.

So, here’s a glimpse into our lives. At least, the shiny parts of our lives. I’m not really prepared to show off the grimy bits, so this is definitely a highlight reel. I’m not sure about you, but these past 2 years in lockdown have been hard. Our living room has turned into a dining room, library, school room, play room, office, and nursery. It’s not a very big room. And right now as Omicron surges, we’re spending a lot of time climbing the walls, I mean, hanging out at home.

Playroom:

But one of the joys of our tiny little room is seeing everyone play at once. Of course, they all play the best during the 30 minutes before bedtime. This isn’t just my kids, right? And it’s absolute joy to see my kids tumbling over each other while the baby claps her hands in joy. Or see them sharing Duplo towers instead of knocking them down and crying. I think the 30 minutes before bedtime are my favourite in the day. Followed very closely by the 30 minutes of peace and quiet I get when everyone goes to sleep.

Schoolroom:

This has also been the first full week of homeschool with G. I had intended to start her back in September, but with an impending travel date, it seemed like a lot of faff, so we did a sort of homeschool on our own without curriculum as time allowed. As one month stretched into two, I grew a bit anxious that she would fall behind. I’m not sure in what she’d fall behind, but I always had that nagging concern that she wouldn’t keep up with her peers. But I’ve been devouring Charlotte Mason, and she is a firm believer in learning phonics through play. So that’s what we did and now we’re doing phonics a bit more structured with books and lessons. It’s been amazing watching her figure out sounds and learning though. We’re taking it one day at a time and I’m just so proud of her.

Library:

Still reading. I’m in the middle of Boundaries, by Henry Cloud. Rereading Little Women with mixed emotions. (I want more Marmee content. Seriously, how is she so perfectly patient and how can I get a housekeeper? Asking for a friend.) Abide with Me by Elizabeth Strout (bit dark, but oddly homey at the same time).

Dining Room:

It’s soup season. And warm food season! This soup was a huge hit and accompanied by sourdough, it’s perfection. My kids oohed over how well the chickpeas and hummus tasted last time we made this bowl. Huge hit. And Aaron’s been on a paprika kick lately so this braised chickpeas with chard (kale) should be exactly what we need. And if you’re looking for a book on sourdough because ya know, lockdown goals, I highly, highly, highly recommend Super Sourdough by James Morton.

Goals and ambitions

Hope always springs eternal with the start of a new year, the fresh slate mentality, and goals and ambitions so many people have. I’ve noticed this year a lot of people have been poo-pooing resolutions and things and it feels a bit sad to me.And I know it’s easy to give up on resolutions by January 23rd or so, but a couple of years ago I found this helpful and I’m going to continue it again this year.

Every month I set a new goal. It doesn't have to be huge. In fact, the smaller the better because if it’s small enough, I have found it helps me start a new habit. But at the end of the year, I tried 12 or so ways things to improve productivity, my mental and physical health, etc, and I found it so helpful. And personally I like that if I hate it, I don’t feel like I failed my yearly goals. Think of it as a more of a habit kickstarter and less of a resolution.

Perhaps it’s like the vegan month one year that failed after a dreadful bean soup disaster, at least I know I tried. And maybe that’s all we can really hope for this year. (and that soup really was a disaster. 0/10 do no ever recommend bean soup!)

“And you ask "What if I fall?"
Oh, but my darling,
What if you fly?”
― Erin Hanson