Turn and face the strange

Ch..ch..ch..chaaaanges!

This is a week that very few people could have ever imagined would come to be. But it came and here we are. Adjusting, adapting and stronger than ever?!?! (Fake it till you make it.)

I've always thought I was an extrovert but as I've gotten older, I've come to realize that there aren't many experiences that I get more pleasure from than reading books, listening to music and spending time with my family. So, if the experience I was having right now was happening in a vacuum, I think I would be pretty content. The uncertainty of the future and when things will go back to 'normal' do weigh on me a bit but I'm trying to keep this great chart a friend of mine shared in mind:

I mentioned that we were trying to figure out what to do about my parents who are in Pakistan as they spend the first quarter of the year there and we decided that it would be best for them to come back and they agreed. Thanks to my amazing brother and sister, they are on their way back and will be coming to a home stocked with groceries and ready for them to quarantine for a couple of weeks. Praying that they get here safely, free from germs and any extreme stress or travel delays.

I've been listening to a lot of my favorite calming music recently, Cat Stevens, John Denver and the Beatles Anthology Highlights. I've also been listening to a lot of the Armchair Expert, most recently the episode with Rainn Wilson. All great for my ears!

I'm reading "The Other Americans" which isn't a light read but still a nice escape from social media and the news.

Overall, feeling grateful for all the good that continues. The good I see in people, the good in art, the good inside myself and my family and the time to stop and reflect on the good of the past and the good of the future. May your days be filled with blessings and may you be aware of them.

Day 5 Schedule:

8:00 am – 9:00 am	Wake kids up, brush teeth, change clothes, potty and breakfast	Breakfast: Scrambled eggs and toast Check-in feelings and circle time to say welcome. Dadi’s turn to share.
9:00 am – 9:45 am	Structured free play	Click puzzle toys and matching doll puzzle. Clean up begins at 9:35.
9:45 am – 10 am 10 am – 11:30 am	Get ready to go out Outdoor walk/bike ride	Neighborhood bike time.
11:30 am – 12 pm	Reading out loud videos.	15 mins storylineonline.net 15 minutes reading in room We haven't managed to do this most days because the kids have been extending outside time which has been great!
12:00 pm – 12:15 pm	Laugh time	Probably will just let the kids tell Alexa to fart. This is always a fan favorite.
12:15 pm – 1 pm	Lunch	Packed Bentgo boxes for kids. Teachers eat dinner leftovers.
1pm -3 pm	Nap/Rest time	No dinner prep today because it's pizza night!
3:30 pm - 4:30 pm	School time	Khan Academy for 30 mins for Nouri. Koala Kids box for everyone else.
5:00 pm – 5:30 pm	Family dinner prep	Pizza from Market and Oven for adults and Dominos for kids.
5:30 pm -6:30 pm	Family dinner	Focus on conversation. We do “Memorable Moments” at dinner in which each person shares something memorable that happened each day.
6:30 pm -7:00 pm	Get ready for bed
7:00 pm – 7:30 pm	Stories and prayers/reflections	I am going to use this time to build a deeper gratitude practice with my kids. We generally express our thanks in our evening prayers but will ask them to think more meaningfully about the things they are thankful for. Have been reading the Magic Tree house all week which has been good for the 3 and 5 year old audience.
7:30 pm – 8:30 pm	Clean up house and prep for tomorrow	I’m adding one deep clean thing here for each evening to make sure our house stays in good shape. House is pretty spic and span so may do my organizational task at this time which is to organize the 100 cards I have so I can send them out to friends during the quarantine.
8:30 pm – 9:00 pm	Relax	Will chat with Dadi.
9:00 pm – 10:00 pm	Work out, knit, write or do any other hobby	Same videos again today. I will be doing this and this.
10:00 pm – Bedtime	TV Time!	We have started watching Westworld and really like it!
Maybe Never	Self care	I feel like the reading/working out/TV time are enough for me and the idea of doing some beauty ritual hasn't really been jiving. So, for now I'm taking that off my evening routine.