Our governor ordered all schools to remain closed until at least May 15 so we’re slowly adjusting to our new normal. Every day I feel like I’m increasingly aware that I have things a million times easier with two young kids at home and a flexible job and I’m not losing sight of that for one second during these crazy times. Even though it truly feels like non-stop chaos over here, I feel so much for those who are struggling to juggle legitimate home schooling schedules with older children right now. And put work on top if it or the stress that comes with not working and it’s a lot. Every day I feel like I become more and more aware of just how many layers there are to the COVID-19 pandemic. I hope you’re all doing okay.
I’ve had more than a few of you leave me really encouraging comments asking me to continue on with my usual blogging and though it admittedly feels almost silly to share day-in-the-life content here right now, it’s something that helps me feel a sense of normalcy and I hope it does the same for you.
Morning
My Tuesday morning began with coffee, my devotional and a little work on the computer as I ate a sweet potato muffin. I then headed into the garage to join Ryan for a workout.
In terms of my at home workouts, I’ve been doing a combination of my own circuit-style workouts (this post has a bunch of my favs in one place) and strength workouts from the Tone It Up app (currently free for 30 days!) and it’s working well so far. I’d be lying if I said I didn’t miss the group exercise environment like crazy (and a little 45 minute break in the day of “me time”) but squeezing in a quick 30 minutes of exercise in the morning or at some point during the day is working well for me so far. The key is keeping things short and having a plan going into my garage workout sessions! I’ve also heard that LES MILLS is offering free on-demand workouts and since I’m a huge fan of their workouts (hellooo BodyPump), I’m planning to check that out as an option as well.
After my garage leg workout, I took a quick shower and went immediately into the boys’ rooms since they were both up and ready for the day to begin. They said hi to Ryan — he currently has his work-from-home office set up in our bedroom — and then we made our way downstairs for pancakes.
Once breakfast was done, we moved onto some random activities. The past two days were chilly and rainy in Charlotte so we’ve been limited to indoor fun. Thankfully some of the simple ideas I’ve seen on the @busytoddler Instagram page have worked well for our boys, including this pom pom drop!
I just taped some toilet paper rolls (and a random small food packaging box) to the window with painter’s tape and the boys were all about it. Chase actually came up with a bunch of ways to expand the activity (he had the pom poms drop into a dump truck, a delivery truck, etc. and did a lot of random imagination games with them) and we loved this simple idea!
Chase then had a Zoom meeting with his preschool class at 10 a.m. and it was so, so cute to see all of the kids light up when they saw each other.
His teacher led the meeting and we’re hoping to make it a weekly thing while they’re all out of school.
Then we all had a snack while I set up another new-to-us activity. I sprayed some shaving cream on small cookie sheets for the boys so Chase could play and use his fingers to practice his letters and numbers while Ryder made as big of a mess as possible.
I had to laugh when I looked over at Chase spreading the shaving cream all over his arms and he told me he was trying to make himself look like a snowman. I said, “Oh! Like Olaf?” His reply? “No. The Abominable.” Okayyy then!
The rest of the morning passed by in a blur of indoor bounce house shenanigans, puzzles and more kid chaos.
Afternoon
When lunchtime rolled around, I made grilled cheese for everyone and paired it with orange slices, cucumber slices and carrots for the boys and leftover butternut squash soup topped with a sprinkle of feta cheese for me and Ryan.
I then settled Ryder down for his nap, read a few books with Chase and then set him up in his room with an audio book for quiet time while I managed to squeeze in a little work on the computer.
Once Chase was over his quiet time, we tackled the school assignment his teacher sent our way and by the time we were done, Ryder was up and ready for action. Chase requested another romp in the bounce house (surprise, surprise) and without the ability to head outside to get their energy out, I was once again very grateful for that inflatable monstrosity!
Evening
Eventually Ryan wrapped up his work day and joined us! He took over bath time for the boys while I headed back downstairs to quickly throw together our dinner which looked like chicken and broccoli in the Instant Pot (I told you guys I make this recipe on repeat!) and paired it with a combination of brown rice and quinoa.
Since I’ve had a few of you ask what the boys’ dinners look like compared to what we eat, for this particular meal, both boys liked the broccoli, rice and quinoa but neither were into the chicken.
After dinner it was time to unwind and we read books with the boys and did their whole bed time routine before watching another episode of Jack Ryan. You guys, I am LOVING this show! Ryan and I aren’t huge TV people (we usually just read at the end of the day) but whenever we have a show to watch that we both enjoy, I think it’s so fun and this is one we’re both all about right now! We’re still on season one and after talking with some friends it sounds like season one is much better than season two so we’ll just continue loving it while it’s still great.
And now I’m hoping to get a jump start on Friday’s blog post before the boys are up this morning and another day of social distancing begins. I hope you’re all doing okay with everything right now and really appreciate you making PBF a part of your day.
Questions of the Day
How are YOU doing?
Do you have any simple kid-friendly activities you’ve been doing with little ones that you’d recommend we try while we’re all at home 24/7?
Any must-make recipes you’ve been loving right now?
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We’re doing a lot of paper plate crafts (via ideas on Pinterest) because they are all pretty easy and cheap. Your boys would probably love cloud dough too if you haven’t tried it- 8 parts flour and 1 part vegetable oil. I did 4c flour and 1/2c oil for my son but for 2 kids I’d probably double it. I put it in a tin pan and hid some of his little dinosaur toys so he could do a Dino dig with his paintbrush. It kept him entertained for a long time! Love your posts right now… these days feel so weird so it’s nice to have something that feels normal to look forward to.
Thanks you for the cloud dough recommendation! I haven’t heard of that before but it sounds right up their alley!
Thank you for being a source of consistency and a break from everything else that is hard and scary to read right now. Pbfingers has always been a fun outlet for me and I’m so grateful that you continue to be that for so many people right now. Thanks, Julie!
I couldn’t agree more! Anything that feels “normal” right now is so comforting!
Agreed with the above—strange but true, reading a recap that echos some of our daily happenings is oddly calming, since your disclaimer comments also echo my thoughts.
I’m a speech pathologist for a school district and have been part time since my 5 and 3 year old boys were born. Every week I’m thankful for my mom hat and my work hat; I NEED them both! Now that I also wear the kinder teacher hat while trying to merge the lessons into hands on things my busy 3 year Old can do as well, I’m so thankful to be squeezing in 20 hrs of work vs 40, and that I still have my job. (Woah run on sentence! Ha)
A huge hug to anyone with more on their plate, hardships or health issues going on, because everyday over here is both beautiful and a struggle! Xoxo Julie and everyone!
Thank you for continuing to share, I’m setting up the toddler activity for mine today!
Our favorite activity so far has been a scavenger hunt, another mom in our friend group sent out a simple hunt and we all sent in pics/ videos of our kiddos with their “prizes” , both my 2 and 4 year old loved seeing the pictures of their friends so much!
Working from home with two kiddos is a little bit crazy, but we’re hanging in there! One thing my boys always love is dancing along with GoNoodle videos on Youtube! It gets us all moving when the weather outside isn’t ideal, and there’s a lot of great songs that even Mom might enjoy! 😉
First of all, I LOVE that picture of Chase having his online meeting- and it looks like he’s having a cup of coffee while on this very important meeting, what a cutie! I did a really fun Busy Toddler activity with my 2.5 year old I think both your boys would like. You take a muffin tin, squirt different colors of food coloring in the tin sections, and cover the drops with baking soda. Then get a squirt bottle of vinegar and let your kids pour it over the food coloring/baking soda mixture and make “exploding colors”! I did it in the bathtub for easy cleanup, and then that extended the activity by my little boy washing the muffin tin and taking a bath in the colored water!
This sounds SO FUN!! Thanks for the idea!!
Does Ryder try to eat the shaving cream? Would like to try that with my toddlers but I worry it would go straight into their mouths! What kind did you use?
Ha! My friend texted me to ask the same thing when I posted a video of him on IG. He tried to lick it one time but that’s all it took for him to realize it’s disgusting! I just said, “No. Yucky!” when he tried it and I think the soapy taste deterred him from trying again.
Yes! Please continue to post as you are able to. I love being able to open these. My husband and I are currently trying to balance our full time jobs (that thankfully we get to do at home) but now with a 1 year old and a 3 year old. With no family in the area, it’s been a big adjustment and some unusual work hours.
For the bounce house… is this an inflate and plug thing? Or is it one where the fan/pump runs the whole time? We have a smaller 5×5 bounce house from amazon, but no slide or anything, and more than one kid in there gets a little sketchy! So thinking this might be a necessary upgrade during all this home time.
The title of this blog post is so fitting for my life right now as well! Thanks for sharing the ideas for toddler activities – we will definitely be busting out some shaving cream today. Some other activities that have been hits for my 22-month old include stacking red solo cups (surprising, I know!). This managed to hold his attention for 30 minutes and he keeps going back to them daily. I’ve also used painters tape to make a pretend balance beam and walk like different animals along it. And to make a box on the ground and have him sweep pieces of paper into the box.
I love your blog and thanks for keeping up posting during this uncertain time. You are such a great mom and I know that your kiddos love all the activities and the time you are getting to spend with them. Keep up the good work, momma!
I actually liked season 2 of Jack Ryan even more than the first season – it’s different, but really interesting!
These 2 recipes have been on repeat:
https://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2014/05/crispy-salmon-mustardy-lentils-recipe.html (add an extra can of lentils)
https://www.halfbakedharvest.com/sheet-pan-harissa-chicken-with-chickpeas-and-sweet-potatoes/
Julie posts like this make me feel so much better! South Africa is starting a 21 day lockdown tomorrow night and I’m dreading it. I’m trying to stay positive but reading your posts bring some joy to my day! ♡♡♡
Thank you for your kind words, Shelby. I hope you all stay healthy and safe!
I just went back to work last week from maternity leave. I’m a nurse and having to drop my kids at daycare to work during this time is heart-wrenching.
Oh Holly, that sounds so incredibly hard even without this current crisis but all the more magnified right now. Thinking of you and sending a lot of gratitude your way for the amazing work you do! <3
I found the best website for simple toddler activities! Lots of great ideas for young kids all the way through elementary aged kids.
http://www.notimeforflashcards.com
I am so grateful for the normal posts!! I’m due with my first baby any day now and it’s nice to have a distraction. Plus I need to spend less time reading news/social media right now because it’s not always helpful. Keep on keepin’ on, we appreciate you!!!
I feel for you so much! Having a baby is stressful enough as it is and for this to be your first experience amid all of the health concerns right now must be so hard. Sending you best wishes and prayers for a healthy delivery and little one!! Being a mom is the best and I’m so, so excited for you!
Re: Jack Ryan, I did for sure enjoy season one more than season two (the story was just more riveting), but season two was still VERY good!
I so appreciate your posts about day-in-the-quarantine-life! I work in HR at an Illinois hospital and life.has.been.NUTS lately!! I appreciate getting to see how others are handling it and adapting to our ever-changing situation!
When my kids were little they liked to do sock fights (throw socks like you would in a snowball fight – crouch behind couches and chairs). I would also put blue painters tape in a door frame and they would throw rolled up balls and try and make it stick. Also, tape up string across a hallway and they would crawl over or under the string like an obstacle course. And lastly, they loved playing Hotel where they would fill up a suitcase and drag it around the house and “check in” to their room.
Yes! Please keep posting, not silly at all! It’s actually so helpful to be able to check my favorite blogs daily for a new post. Takes my mind off of things. I appreciate you still taking time to do this even though you are really busy taking care of your family and yourself!
We don’t have any kids but read an article about Joe Wicks on Youtube doing daily PE classes for kids! I looked at a few of his videos and they seem like a lot of fun and apparently are getting a lot of praise! Good for kids AND adults. 😉
Grilled cheese and tomato soup is a staple in our house right now. Healthy comfort food! That and egg sandwiches, ice cream, peanut butter oatmeal, frozen pizzas, and take out.
Stay safe everyone!
Hello! I have two kids the same ages as Chase and Ryder. We live in Seattle and it’s been cold and wet, but we still put on their rain suits (a necessity here) and go for walks in search of puddles. They love it, and the fresh air is such a mood booster. I let them splash and play while we look for worms and whatever else. That’s an easy hour or more!
Please don’t stop blogging!!!
I look forward to and love your updates and right now we all need some normalcy and positive things to help encourage us all to keep going!
Looks and sounds like your doing an amazing job dealing with this situation.
Keep it up!
It’s been a challenging couple weeks, but I’m trying best to maintain a schedule and take frequent walks outside. The one recipe I think that has been a great one are the Taco Crescent Rolls from Six Sisters’ Stuff. Their latest cookbook has excellent recipes containing 6 ingredients or less! Super user-friendly and fun to make!
We just finished Season 2 of Jack Ryan! I remember after watching Season 1, I said that it was some of the best television I had seen since Lost (up there with Stranger Things, etc…). So for me the bar was really high and yes, in comparison, Season 2 was not as good. BUT, I still enjoyed Season 2 and think it was better than 90% of the other crap out there so I’d still give it a watch if you are looking for something 🙂
My four year olds are really into the “squiggle game.” One person draw a random squiggle and the other person has to turn it into an actual drawing. Simple but fun!
You are so very lucky that your work day is flexible. The current situation at my house is we have myself and my husband supposedly working “business as usual” but from home status (neither one of us can just disappear to a home office)… one child that is working on kindergarten assignments and a 22 month old… this is absolutely nuts trying to balance it all to be honest. We both have so many conference calls and I feel like we just keep sending our kids off to “go play”. I just keep trying to take as many breaks and play with them as much as possible in between meetings… I do appreciate normal posts, thank you. This new time is nuts. While I am thankful to see my kids it’s been hard to make it quality time together. Plus, this whole thing has my anxiety so very high… I think I rambled but that’s my current state lol!
Hi Julie! I know you are a fan of the Nike Training App, just wanted to let everyone know that they are now offering their premium workouts free as well in addition to their other workouts. It’s a great app!
I enjoy seeing your blog posts! I have a daughter who is almost a month older than Ryder and I’ve been trying to find activities that she can do without me being 2 feet from her so I can work. I did an activity where she “painted” with water on construction paper. I couldn’t find my old paintbrushes and just used a cotton ball and we had some succsess with that!
Sounds a lot like our house!! So much snacks and so much chaos? it’s normal life since I’m a SAHM, but we lost our two mornings a week preschool and I work from home part time.
Can you give some audiobook recommendations? My son is only a couple months older than Chase and I’d love to get him into this since my kids love to be read to!!
Keep normal posts coming?? It’s all the “normal” some of us have ?
My kiddos are really enjoying cosmic yoga On you tube when the weather is not good. Also we got some little fairy gardens they are enjoying caring for and playing with. Finally the Cincinnati zoo is doing a daily zoo keeper talk regarding a different animal followed by a kids activity or craft and those have been a big hit for all my children.
Glad you continue to post. I have something normal to look forward to!