Where I live (near Seattle) was among the first areas in the US to start social physically distancing, which means we’ve been doing this for almost two months. I honestly can’t believe it’s been that long!

A part of me is very over it, but a part of me is also enjoying the slowness of life right now.

Here’s what we’ve been doing:

+ Spending time outside. The girls go to nearby hiking trails or parks for a few hours every morning with Lilly (our au pair) while Tim and I work from home. I take the girls outside in the afternoons to bike ride around the neighborhood. If our friends are out around that time, we get to say hi and chat for a bit!

+ Playing games. We’ve been playing memory games which we all love. Honestly, even when I try my hardest I almost never win, which is what keeps it fun for me! (Sidenote: where did my memory go?! Am I just too distracted? Did having babies destroy my brain!? I am consistently beaten by a three year old!)

+ Gardening. I decided to convince myself that I love gardening as a hobby and it worked! I never ever ever EVER thought I’d enjoy gardening, but here we are. There is something very satisfying about weeding and pruning and nurturing my plants! Who would have thought?  I am now watching YouTube videos on how to prune every plant in our yard and am loving all of it. Times are weird, guys.

+ Connecting with friends. I’m so thankful for technology and the ability to see so many of our friends and family members through screens! Sure, it does not replace seeing each other in person, but it has allowed me to meet with Bible study groups, moms groups, my coworkers, and of course our family and friends who live both near and far away.

+ Baking. I currently have a sourdough bread starter on my counter. If you aren’t baking sourdough bread, are you even living during a pandemic?

+ Wearing whatever we want. I am currently wearing a ‘real’ shirt but pajama bottoms. I might put on real pants at some point today… but I might not! My girls, however, love getting dressed in their fanciest outfits or craziest clothes combos. I just let it all happen… tank tops in 50 degree weather? Sure. Fancy dresses for sitting around on the couch? Go for it. Winter coat and boots to ride bikes in the sunshine? Why not.

+ Talking to neighbors. Our neighbors are wonderful and we’ve been seeing them a bit more lately! I’ve mentioned this before, but I love sitting in the front yard while the girls play so that our neighbors see our family and will stop and say hello. It’s a great way to meet people with minimal effort. With so many people walking around these days (and no one being in a rush!), I’ve been able to have quite a few conversations with people I normally just wave to.

Whether you’re doing all of the things or just trying to survive during this chaos, I hope you’re well!