The Day We Played in Dirt

Today was even more off script than our new normal - we did a family project for my dad. He needed this yard pond dismantled and filled in for a parking space. He would not have left it alone until April so we took the kids and did it, never going in the house and keeping our distance and spraying down the entire outdoors with bleach. This caused me all kinds of emotions - anxiety that we left our house because even though we literally did not speak or come in contact with anyone, I am a rule follower and the rule is don't leave; fear that we would leave a trace germ floating in my parent's backyard (my children rolled their eyes at me when I told them not to touch a fence and made them bleach the wheelbarrow handles); pride in my kids for pitching in to help Grandpa with a dirty, physical job so he didn't injure himself by being stubborn and doing it himself while we all kept our distance; annoyance that my Dad did not take the 6 ft rule seriously and kept pushing my buttons, and just this general unease that has wound its way inside and twisted me up. Pandemics are NOT good for OCD planners.

By the time we got home from this adventure, my nerves were frayed and I forced my children to watch Netflix in my bed with me so I could take a cat nap. I am going to be honest, the rest of the day was pretty much a free-for-all. We decided when this all went down we would order take out from a local business one night a week, so we had chicken alfredo and garlic knots from Brooklyn Boyz for dinner and have so much left, it will be dinner tomorrow too. Technically, it is a Friday in Lent...but I think Jesus understands using up leftovers in a pandemic so they don't go to waste, right?

My nerves were still squirrelly and my kids were still picking at each other, so I put them to bed at 7:30 and stationed their aunt as guard in the living room. Then my husband and I snuck out the back door with a few drinks, put on some music, and sat by the fire pretending everything in our lives wasn't completely upside down now. We had a really great 40 minutes before Baby Boy wandered out in dino pjs and found us, then curled up and fell asleep in my lap. Not the worst ending to an off the books kinda day.

Now I am going to jump on the Just Pray 2020 FB page, say prayers for any requests, share a little peace if I can, and tuck in to a good movie on Netflix. Night!