Taking Stock – March 2020
Hello March!
This month has been crazy. Right across the world, the goal of March Has been ‘Eliminate Covid-19’. Right across the world restrictions are in full force, and the news coverage every day is doom and gloom. I am looking forward to seeing the back of this rotten virus, and getting back to normal. Australia is yet to go through winter so it will be interesting to see how we fair through the next couple of months.
From a personal family point of view, despite the crazy world of ‘toilet paper and hand sanitizer gate’, March has been a good month. Tafe life and school life is in full swing, and I can’t tell you how excited I am for the school holidays. We may not be going anywhere, but I am excited for the school holiday freedom of not having to live by the schedule.
I might shock myself and clean out my plastics cupboard and sort out the kitchen again.
So here is our Taking Stock for March 2020.
Making: Lists. I am updating family schedules, our low cost/mid cost/big cost fun list, kids Expectation/job lists, our family bucket list of fun things to do at home. I want to print them out and get all my lists laminated. Yes I know I am a bit kooky! I’m also writing household jobs that the kids will be able to do easily on paddle pop sticks. I’m determined to get these things actioned so we can have more play time. I think mums need more play time!
Cooking: This month is a new month of different meals. Shepherds pie, Meatloaf with roast vegetables, Pasta tomato base with chicken, chicken burrito bowl, and Tacos, to name a few.
Sipping: Always soda water and lemon.
Reading: This month I read ’The Little book of Lykke. The Danish search for the worlds happiest people’, by Meik Wiking, and I have started ’Life Without Limits’, by Nick Vujicic.
I really enjoyed ‘The Little book of Lykke’. It’s interesting to read about how Denmark, who’s known as the happiest country in the world, functions culturally. They pay a lot in tax, but they get all their medical needs met for life, their trains run like clockwork, they get free education right through to tertiary level. Mums leave their babies outside sleeping in prams while they are inside cafes and their homes – no fear of children being kidnapped. How crazy is that? I don’t know anyone in Australia who would leave their child outside with no adult supervision!
Looking: For ways to curb expenses and figuring out how to find my happy place within the new world we live in at this time. I’ve come up with a list of things I would like to achieve before this time of solitude ends.
Listening: This week, Lauren Daigle started a podcast called ‘Daigle Bites’. I liked the first one so I will probably tune in each week. I like to listen to podcasts on the way home from dropping Beps at work. Sometimes the radio is a bit boring, so its good to keep myself alert coming home on my own at what I like to call the ‘ungodly hours).
I love to listen to Gretchen Rubin’s ‘Happier’ podcast, Alli Worthington, Bob Goff‘s podcast ‘Dream Big’, and also love a podcast called ‘Straight and Curly’. They are all life improvement podcasts, and while I love books, movies and podcasts about real life, I would like to find some comedic relief.
Wishing/Praying: For the end of Covid-19, so we can go back to normal life.
Enjoying: Summer officially ended at the end of February, but in the first couple of weeks in March we still headed to the Kings Beach pool. I used the idea of going as currency so that the kids would get their school work done. There is nothing like a carrot dangling over a child’s head to get things done. Hubby also took the kids body boarding at the beach as well.
We are also loving our church online. We go to a church called Calvary Christian Church. Since the restrictions were put into place, church is available online each Sunday. Between you and me, while I want normal back so I can see my friends and extended family members face to face, I am thoroughly enjoying doing church in my pj’s. Check out their facebook page if you want to check it out.
Eating: I’ve given up snacking, unless its fruit or popcorn 🙂
Liking: Time at home. I usually spend a fair amount of time at home anyway being a homeschooling family, but with all the restrictions, I am finding that I’m only going out to drop off or pick up kids from Tafe or work, or going to get groceries.
Loving: I have to say that I am loving the cooler weather. I love seeing the trees blowing in the wind. I love this time of year. The sting of the summer heat is no longer an issue to our days.
Buying: Beps birthday present, and contemplating heading out to get a few things for Chanel’s birthday just in case the restrictions get tighter and they close stores like Kmart, or Big W. A lot can change in a month with regard to this whole Covid-19 issue.
Watching: I’m still a little addicted to watching Jordan Page’s ‘funcheaporfree.com youtube channel. She’s got a lot of great ideas with regard to budgeting, meal planning, shelf cooking, and productivity. I especially love the productivity videos at the moment.
Hoping: For the end of Covid-19.
Needing: Over the holidays I am going to spend time as a passenger in the car. I am determined to get daughter number 1 enough hours to get her over the line to get her P plates. She needs to get her licence. We are also planning to do the defensive driving course up at Gympie before she goes for her P plates.
Wearing: Clothes. 🙂
Following: The Bucket List family. Okay. The Bucket list family live in Hawaii, and travel the world with their three gorgeous kids. They document their adventures. I love their youtube videos. Our kids, particularly JJ and Chanel love their videos.
Noticing: The somber mood of people across the Sunshine Coast. The ‘Covid-19 blues’ are very real.
Sorting: Starting to sort out the kids clothes and bedrooms. They have all grown over the last few months.
Getting: Better at using apps like zoom. It’s great to catch up with people this way. I am thinking of trying to organise a family catch up with everyone as I miss seeing them all.
Saving: We have a ’Family Priority Spending List’ for things that really need money put aside for. One of them is a family holiday, but there are some other things that probably are a little more important than a holiday right now. It is free to dream of a holiday though.
Bookmarking: Pressure cooking recipes, family games,
Feeling: A bit bizarre actually. I’d probably explain it better by saying, right now I’m living by faith than by the mood of the news.
Hearing: Our second daughter recently bought herself a record player and has been enjoying listening to her records in the bedroom. We have a lot of different music playing throughout the house, but our girl loves ABBA, The Jonas brothers, some classical music, Disney tunes. When the virus has gone and our freedoms has been restored Beps is looking forward to checking out Nannies collection of records. I know there are a number of Elvis records there, I’m not an Elvis fan, so it will be interesting to see what else is there.
Highlight: A couple of Saturday’s ago, I spent the day with my Aunt. We had a lovely time together. Can’t wait till we do it again.
Lowlight: The Covid-19 virus has changed the dynamic of so many elements in our lives. We are adhering to the many rules the government has set, but it truly is a difficult path to live long term. In some ways this can be also a high light, but the Lowlight is that our freedoms have been restricted, and we are unable to catch up with our people. I miss my people.
Grateful: For the simple things in life. I love having time with my family. I love living in a time of history where we have the ability to be in contact with friends all over the world even though we are all in lockdown.
So here we are at the end of the Month. Tomorrow is April 2020. This year is moving very fast, and the only thing I can say to you all is that despite the circumstances, we are well. We are okay. We are rich in spirit. We are embracing this time to rest, to reconnect with our kids, and to each other. These restrictions were not planned, but for whatever reason we find ourselves here in this place, our lives as we know it have been all shook up and the dust is settling. The Corona Virus will not break us. We will learn the lessons and we will be better humans on the other side of this whole Corona experience. We will never forget it, but we will be better for it.
Chat Soon.
