It seems redundant to explain what this week was for me, when we’re all pretty much living the same version. I cried in my bathroom this week. I spent wonderful time with my children. I also started a petition for teachers to make as much as NBA players. I got mad. I was sad. I felt frustrated and also screamed cusses into the void. I am overwhelmed by the sheer amount of celebrities reading to our children (grateful! but overwhelmed!) or teaching them to draw. All I’m asking is for The Rock to start a phonics stream or Dove Cameron to do multiplication tables. RISE UP, Hollywood!
I’m writing this from my son’s bedroom, because Ben is trying to conduct a business call, so my kids are in our room watching TV, and I would like a moment where no one is touching me. What I would give for social distancing at my actual house.
This is hard. It’s okay for us to say so. What is so hard about this for me, is that we don’t know when it will be over. There is no light at the end of the tunnel. I can do pretty much anything as long as I know the duration. But when the duration is a constantly moving target, it becomes unsustainable.
But that’s not what this email is about! We’re looking for lil treasures, and lo, I have a few.
I sent out the first batch of Quarantine Pen Pals yesterday and I’ll work on more tonight. Because this is just the kind of people they are, Indiana Adams and Jessica Fralin both offered to help sort. I’m forever grateful for this because over 600 adults and kids signed up for this and it suddenly became A TASK. But we’re working our way through it, and your patience is greatly appreciated.
We Got You Club is constantly adding needs and meeting them, and sometimes I’ve cried this week watching Anonymous Gopher click a box and know they are sending some cash to someone. Even if you don’t have a need or can’t meet a need, it is really hope-inducing. Like a hope enema for your soul.
My birthday is next week, and while I’m choosing not to pout about not being able to go out (I will choose that at some point next week), this letter from a 7-year old whose birthday was also canceled is getting me through.
That’s all from me, friends. Cannot wait to see what you’re filling your days and hearts with. Stay home, wash your hands, love your neighbor via Zoom.
I’m on Day 8 of my quarantine, so I’m happy to be past the half-way mark. (It’s just a cold, but with a sore throat that won’t quit). I’m actually looking forward to going back to work next week...at a pharmacy...so that should tell you how bored I am. The week has not been a total bust tho. My dog had a vet appointment where we learned she has yeast infections in both ears, an infected anal gland, and she needs $600 work of dental work. Did I mention we love her dearly and really are attuned to her needs? Meds started and she’ll be feeling fine very soon (hopefully). My husband is a police officer who works with teens and hearing about all the ways he and his team are trying to keep in contact with the kids in our community is pretty cool. Plus he brings back news from the outside world, which is a bonus. (Not cool is the state of his hands from all the scrubbing and sanitizing. They’re like sandpaper.) My teen son has been taking this all in stride, and by that I mean staying holed up in his room playing FortNite because apparently there’s nothing else to do. Thank heavens online school starts next week! He’s been bored enough to make chocolate chip cookies, and is working to perfect his grilled cheese skills, so all is not lost. Oh, it’s also still winter here, like, actually snowing and freezing cold, so that’s fun. And yet, I do still feel immeasurably grateful that we’re healthy, employed, and not homeschooling on our own. We can do this!
So here we are...a week since the last message and how much has changed in just that week. I'm still going to the office this week a few times just in the morning and then WFH for a couple hours. Learned that next week we will start alternate weeks where 1 week we can come in for some hours of the day, but the alternate week is 100% from home. It should be interesting to see how this all unfolds.
I was sad to see a 5k I have in May to benefit the ALS Association has been converted to a virtual event. This cause is dear to me as my mom passed away from this disease 5 years ago this November. This year I have made a goal to run 1135 intentional miles (making it a 5k a day) and using the Charity Miles app when I do it so that it can further benefit the ALS Association.
Things keeping me sane:
Coffee
Running/Walking outside
The prospect of letters/mail
Unraveling one knitting project to make a plan that all knitting projects will be kept to a very easy/joy giving stance
Podcasts
Erin's lenten guide; its interesting I had to take a week off due to the insanity of last week and now all the messages/themes for each day are hitting the feel of this week in near bizarre way that is perfection.
Reconfiguring Twitter and Facebook to be only the best content. (I am not on Instagram; this may change to ONLY see joy-filled content)
Being okay to NOT watch the news or click the latest headline
Whole milk: y'all -- we buy this to help our very scrawny 7 year old put on weight and I had a small glass. Why have I been drinking the white water that is skim when I have milk in cereal or coffee? WHY??! Who told me I needed skim anything??!
Full fat yogurt - am I basically eating sour cream with raspberries? Maybe.
I wish everyone light right now.
This thread and all of you........... you are magical to me right now.
You guys, my husband has been selected to lead the company-wide Zoom Karaoke Happy Hour for his organization tonight. I can hear him downstairs in his office currently practicing "Come Together" and "Don't Stop Believing". Any song suggestions I should pass along?
We are moving in 1 week to a new house. Our new house is actually 120 years old. I have been attempting to get it onto an episode of “this Old House” But alas- no luck. We are also out here in Oak Park, IL. The first suburb of a major city (Chicago) to do full self-sheltering - it’s like quarantining but for over achievers. I thought people were buying toilet paper before, but man, have your mayor declare a local state of emergency and things really go buck wild. My 5 year old cried about not getting to go to school- May he always love learning this much.
And yet in all of this, there are pieces of light. I will say- this little group brings such delight to an otherwise craptastic banana pants situation. I am honored and proud to teach at a college who prays 24 hours a day for our students, their families, our faculty and staff. Literally- we have a google doc to sign up for prayer slots. I am proud of our faculty who are (seemingly) 99 years old are trying out “the zoom” and “the FaceTime” on “the internet” for the first time ever. And that warms my heart. Issues like work life balance and being a full time female faculty member with gasp- Young children- Are bringing good (hard for some) conversations to the front lines about how we can make higher ed a more inviting and equitable profession to women. #girlsRuleAnd BoysAreAlsoGood
There is LIGHT lil’treaures! And YOU ALL are part of that light. Cue all the light puns.
I just wanted to say “hello” to everyone and send you all prayers you get through this, especially those new home school teachers out there! It doesn’t look like this will end soon, so pace yourselves and give don’t stress about it! Stay home and safe! Wash your hands! 😘
I’m a nanny of two. Mom is a night nurse and sleeps while I’m working. She never bothers us because she’s sound asleep but dad informed me today that he’ll be working from home starting next week. Three adults, two babies, two dogs in a 1,500 square foot house. Lord, save us all. Pray for no rain so we can spend all week outside!
I've been on quarantine for two weeks now because I was sick last week and as of yesterday, it has really started to get to me. I'm in my last semester of grad school and in the last week, I've found out that all of my classes for the remainder of the semester will be held online, my graduation is canceled, and just today I found out that our internships are suspended for the duration of the semester as well. I work as a school social work intern with Chicago Public Schools and so hearing that I won't be able to properly terminate with the kids I see for therapy has been extremely hard. There have been tears.
Sorry to be such a downer on the Lil Treasures, but it's important for what I'm going to say next:
So because the target keeps moving out further and further and because I like to bake when I feel feelings, I'm delving into the world of sourdough. I'm going to be baking a ton of it over the next couple of months and delivering it onto the doorsteps of my friends. (Side note: if you live in Chicago and want sourdough on your doorstep, please hit me up at @megs_trief on instagram. I now have all the time in the world to make that happen). Just call me the Sourdough Stork.
I meant to comment last week. I was feeling crabby as heck when I got your newsletter (I'm a teacher in CT where pretty much everything is shut down....I work in a specialized district where we teach academics and trade technology and we still don't have a distance learning plan in place....AND I'm an Enneagram One) and I read your "Just add water" tip. I got up, put on music, hopped in the shower, and let myself "reset." It has helped me so many times over the past week. I'm continuing to use it as time to decompress and relax each day. Thank you for that.
a.) I have been waiting for this thread for days. DAYSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS. Thank you Erin! Thank you for the honesty, the opportunity to laugh, and the work you have done to create spreadsheets, etc. You're a gift.
b.) Melissa Graf (also a l'il treasure) exchanged addresses with me as a result of last week's L'il Treasures email. Her first letter arrived in the mail last evening and I grinned through every word, because she is an utter delight and crafts a letter beautifully. I'm writing you back today, sweet woman!
c.) The "We've Got You" google doc. The first day I opened it, I'm ashamed to admit I sat there having to do deep breathing over the needs I saw because I could not picture how we could do this. I had to close the doc and take a walk. The next time I opened it, I saw people doing what they could, and saw that a difference was really happening and I just sat there crying. This community is a thing of beauty and I'm so thankful for it.
d.) My situation is different than all of you folks with kids (who have my t's and p's for SURE!). I live solo, so the idea of being quarantined alone terrifies me. I'm trying to practice gratitude for the things I get to experience that some of you would kill for (not being touched by anyone, not hearing "Mom, Mom, Mom, Mom, Mom," etc., while also trying to do the next right thing to keep myself from going nuts. To that end, I'm thankful for a pastor who has created lots of opportunities to connect online. He asked us to share a gratitude last night, and Melissa's letter was legit one of mine! I'm also thankful for another friend in similar life circumstances as me who has chosen to be corona family with me. We're connecting a lot through the day and going to each other's house on Wed and Sat. We will share germs with only each other, and that way we know if we die, our cats won't eat our livers without us being found.
Let me just tell you that @Ocean_Vuong 's cornbread meltdown brought me SO. MUCH. LIFE. Also, @BeThereinFive in general has been a balm- she has this great tendency when she talks about current happenings where she says the most unexpected things that still feel totally authentic. I'm always like, "Oh yeah! That's not cliche and it's so true!"
I need something other than this ding dang virus to talk about. I have been arguing over a March Madness bracket of Taylor Swift's best songs with people- anyone interested in joining????
Oh and as for treasures...My Island Margarita and Watermelon Lemonade candles from Bath & Body are a definite treasure right now. I need more of them! I also love my Fresh Sea Salt Mango bath & body stuff. Thankful I still have some because it didn't come back this year.
Thank God that the sun came out and it was 70 degrees here yesterday. I soaked up as much as I could because today we are back to 38 and cloudy. I’m thankful for Marco Polo and Zoom to connect face to face with people.
I have also (as a 9) felt the low motivation/overwhelmingness of it all. All the emails from my kids’ teachers alone had me spinning. Then I had to send out a crap ton of emails checking in on volunteers I lead at my church and just did not care about doing it which just made me mad at myself because how selfish. However, the sweet replies and encouraging words I received back filled me up and were so life-giving.
Also, in my public speaking class in college, I gave a speech on Why teachers should be paid as much as NBA players.
I keep trying not to get lost in the “how much longer” and uncertainty of it all. This is only our 3rd day out of school, next week is technically Spring Break but after that, we still have 2 weeks off. That is going to feel eternal but I have to take it one day/hour/minute at a time. Thankfully I have lots of TV I can watch, lots of books to read and lots of “stockpiled” episodes of The Popcast and Bible Binge (all the movie deep dives) that I had been saving for our trip to the beach.
My birthday was on St Patrick’s day and it was hard not to feel a little down. I probably cried 3 different times. I still had to work but had very little personal interaction with people and it was just weird. I did discover a bunch of you tube videos of virtual Disney world rides so that helped. Take those rides on your bday
On top of all the pandemic stuff, we woke up to a 5.7 earthquake here on Wednesday. 😱 Fortunately the damage overall was minimal and no damage for me personally, but woof. So much mental havoc. What next???
What fills me with joy? Going on illegal Sonic runs and eating Totchos and drinking a Cherry/Vanilla/Lime Coke (EXTRA sonic ice) in my car. Alone. Sometimes while crying from anxiety-induced stress. Ha.
For anyone worried about the germs, I order on the app and have minimal contact, but also I have told my husband a million times: "If I die by Totchos and Cherry Coke, I die. It's been nice knowin' ya!"
God. Seriously. Thank you so much for these emails. They're giving me life. Chicago just announced an extension of school closure for another month yesterday. So I had afternoon margaritas with my best friend over Google hangout and cried my way through the facebook live Indigo Girls concert.
And I and my kids have been writing letters to put in the mail every single day and it's so lovely. It gives them yet another thing to do independently when school work is done and it's a daily excuse to walk to the mailbox. And also an excuse to continue buying cute cards from independent artists. Highly recommend!
Watching Manor House in Prime. It’s a British reality Show where people live like it’s the 1900’s. There are the servants and the aristocrats. It’s very Downton Abbey meets Upstairs/Downstairs. It’s funny too. The staff all hate the chef (who’s French). The foot men have a wee bit too much fun one night and are hungover the next day which angers the butler. One scullery maid quits because it’s “too much and she’s not cut out to be a scullery maid” while the new one gets the hall boy to do her work.
1) it’s so quiet. No cars or planes. I live in Seattle and it’s kind of nice how quiet our neighborhood is?
2) everyone is outside. With their kids on walks staying away from everyone else or working their yards. We randomly have had the BEST weather but it’s supposed to rain next week so pray for all of us with kids 🤦♀️
3) my husband and I have become preschool/daycare teachers in shifts while working from home and it’s destroying our house but our 19-month daughter is having a great time and it’s been fun to see my husband attempt internet toddler art activities 😂😂😂
I hope there’s not a word count limit on these posts. Well actually, I hope there is. Because I have a lot of words. OK so First things that come to mind. The NBA petition make me laugh so much. As a homeschooling mother zero money it’s even funnier. I think after that comment was when I direct messaged Erin and told her that she was a modern day Mrs. marvelous Maisel. Almost fell off my chair with the stop tiktok. I think really the things that are the most meaningful to me are the things of gratitude. Starting in my immediate family, if you’d asked me a week ago what was your biggest family issue, I would’ve told you what it was, But now, that is decidedly not our biggest family issue. Really, it doesn’t seem to be an issue at all. Everybody take care.
For people needing some literary therapy, I highly recommend The Flatshare by Beth O'Leary for lovely escapism, and When Life Gives You Pears by Jeannie Gaffigan for living through uncertain times. She talks about the power of meditative prayer while lying in an MRI tube, and it was a blessing. I also read A Good Neighborhood by Therese Anne Fowler, and while good, it was too dark for times such as these. Save it for another day, fellow swipes.
Always grateful to see this pop up in my inbox. Especially today!
My three year old is probably taking it the hardest in our house. He’s been very sad about not seeing my parents or his friends & it’s really hard to see his little heart hurting. 😢 If anyone has any suggestions for how to talk about this with a toddler, I’m all ears.
My lil treasures include:
-Frozen 2. Finally watched it with above-mentioned three year old & we both loved it. My 5 month old napped almost the whole movie, so getting that quality time with my oldest was very sweet.
-A friend recently suggested BodyFit by Amy on YouTube for healing my postpartum ab separation, & I’m so grateful. Some of her videos are only like 5 minutes long, which makes it feel very feasible to do every day.
-Jumped on the Love Is Blind train. Those poor souls had no idea how much we would need their ridiculousness (minus Lauren. She is a gem.).
-A giant freakin’ cardboard box from Target. It is so obnoxious in my narrow city townhouse, but it has provided much joy for the three year old.
I feel like I have so many things to say, ask, share! I’m off work this week for extended SB while husband works from the guest room. Next week until at least April 3 we’ll both be WFM with our toddler at home with us. Any advice is appreciated on how to work but also keep our kid alive is appreciated.
1. I’m on the lookout for a killer banana bread recipe as I anticipate needing to make it every week. Suggestions welcome!!
2. Hack for toddlers - force them to eat protein at breakfast and eat an afternoon snack. I’ve realized being home with my 2yo that he will refuse to eat unless I make him sit at the table for 5 minutes. Then he happily gobbles up whatever is there. But if I ask him if he’s hungry or wants to eat, he’d rather play, which leads to major toddler hangry episodes. So set a timer for your kids for 5 minutes and tell them they don’t have to eat but they have to at at the table. They’ll probably eat. Thanks to Kids Eat in Color for that tip!
3. Giving birth to twins in 5 weeks is full of SO MANY UNKNOWNS. Mostly regarding visitors/help/support. Taking deep breaths and trying to focus on what I CAN control is helping. Also crying and listening to The Popcast.
4. Do yourself a favor and don’t read Station Eleven right now like I decided to at the start of the month. Good book, but save that sucker for like... 2022.
5. Hillary on Hulu was really interesting, especially for someone who was in preschool or early elementary during the presidency years.
6. Looking at Texas Bluebonnets from my car window is saving my life.
I am so praying for you mamas of littles & school kids! The ones I’m stuck with are my husband & sons, 19 & 22. I’m alone with all men!!!!!!! But they naturally socially distance so, I’ve enacted mandatory dinner/family time. Some nights it’s dinner and a short game but other nights it includes a longer game or a movie. This extravert needs some interaction with live humans (husband has a business still going & the extravert son works for him). Thank you Erin for keeping it real, for connecting us and giving us some good work & content during this crazy time. Praying for you and your family. Also, thank you for praying for my son (I shared on Instagram with you on Sunday) he made it home and I’m so grateful. Watch out world, I’m going to turn into a hugger of strangers when this is all over! Much love & peace to you all.
Same on the bday, friend. Mine fell just before all of this started to blow up, but I’m still not able to enjoy all of those free things from all the restaurants. Pity party of 1, please thank you. Hahahaha!
Today I got to see my employees’ puppies during our multiple Zoom meetings and that got me through. Living alone and being a super social 2 is no joke. Hang in there everyone!
I am so glad you said you were overwhelmed at the amount of celebrities reading books to kids. 🤣 A silver lining in all of this for me is not needing to keep a calendar! All the “I’m going live” announcements feel stressful. The final straw was when a friend sent a time slot schedule to a group of us to schedule a Group FaceTime. 😑
I loved your pen pal idea, Erin, so I told my kids they have to write something to someone in order to get screen time. But it has to be a kid of someone I know because my introverted self can’t handle indirect small talk introductions.
First, as a homeschool mom, can I just say to all you parents who suddenly find yourself homeschooling - YOU ARE DOING A GREAT JOB. I've been doing homeschool for two years and still don't know what I am doing a lot of the time. There are a lot of great resources out there already (thanks, Erin, for a place to compile them), but if you just need someone to talk to, run ideas by, or vent, I am here for you, OR find a homeschool mom in your area to talk to. As the kids at East High say, we're all in this together.
Lil' Treasures this week:
1. Bri McKoy reading Salt Fat Acid Heat on her stories to all of our children. My kids loved this. She nailed the GIFs.
4. Grocery shopping has become a weird delight for me. I am taking precautions, but taking note of what is gone in my local grocery store has been like people watching at an airport. (Plenty of milk and bananas, no Ramen.)
5. Watching our community come together. Guys, I don't know about your town, but everyday some business in Lawrence, KS is making me cry. Our local indie bookstore, The Raven, is taking nominations for people who might need books AND offering a cart of free books outside their store for those who depended on the library (now closed) for their books. Local restaurants are giving free meals to kids. It makes me love my town even more than I did before.
I’ve been home sick since Monday with probably the flu, and I have had 0 hugs. Because germs. But praise the Lord for google hangouts that made my bookclub happen last night anyway, and @prayersfromterry bringing some sense of structure with evening prayers on Instagram live. That was a solace and one I’ll be joining in with as much as I can.
“This is hard. It’s okay for us to say so. What is so hard about this for me, is that we don’t know when it will be over. There is no light at the end of the tunnel. I can do pretty much anything as long as I know the duration. But when the duration is a constantly moving target, it becomes unsustainable.”
Agree with this ONE HUNDO P. Also to the Coronavirus Birthday Party Pooping Card and the teeny tiny “stahhhhp” of that tik tok. Thankful for the treasures your shared this week!
Jake Johnson is recording voice messages as Spider-Man for kids who are bummed about social distancing. Email him here with your kids’ names and maybe your kids will get one!
A little tip that has been super helpful for me before quarantine, but has been my lifeline this week- a therapist told me that when you have a career that has no tangible goals or tasks (stay at home mom, ministry, bank teller, etc) focusing on projects that can be completed is essential to mental well being. So take a few minutes to yourselves and start a project- reading a book, learning to embroider, etc that you can see progress and look at a finished product. It will help in this chaos!
Nailed it, Moon. I'm not as concerned about the moving target part, I'm just planning four weeks ahead and have no idea how my family will survive until then. But! I'm with you on the crazy emotional roller coaster. I'm loving that all of our obligations have gone out the window, and hating that we having nothing to do. I'm fascinated to see what people buy out during a panic, but I'm worried about catching covid 19 at the grocery store and passing it on to my parents. I'm an enneagram 9 - internal conflict is almost as bad as fighting with someone else, so all this back and forth is wearing me down rather more quickly than I can afford. I'm not screaming into the void (9s don't do that kind of thing much) but I'm cocooning, and getting resentful when Other People want me to do things, like make dinner or tell them where they left their water bottle.
whew - what a week is right! taking care of myself by running every day in the morning (calling it the quaranstreak) and taking care of others with delivered desserts and airport runs. also have never facetimed more in my entire life than i have this week, and it is a true balm for the soul.
I feel you about the moving target! I need to have an end day/ date for everything I do in life (but not for my death day, tho), so this is anxiety inducing in a big way.
I'm a teacher of English as a second language and all this e-learning and all.the.groups and chats are stressing me so much!
My new mantra (stolen from Gretchen Rubin): Let's keep our hands clean and our minds clear.
My birthday is tomorrow. Folks have sent me happy birthday messages today. Maybe today really is my birthday. Who knows anymore?
Have you experienced this absolute delight? 😍 https://www.instagram.com/tv/B-F2tGth-ki/?igshid=vh0ytj1xo2yk
I will either need AA or Weight Watchers after this, only time will tell.
It was my birthday on Monday. I couldn't go out to get my FREE STARBUCKS DRINK.
I’m on Day 8 of my quarantine, so I’m happy to be past the half-way mark. (It’s just a cold, but with a sore throat that won’t quit). I’m actually looking forward to going back to work next week...at a pharmacy...so that should tell you how bored I am. The week has not been a total bust tho. My dog had a vet appointment where we learned she has yeast infections in both ears, an infected anal gland, and she needs $600 work of dental work. Did I mention we love her dearly and really are attuned to her needs? Meds started and she’ll be feeling fine very soon (hopefully). My husband is a police officer who works with teens and hearing about all the ways he and his team are trying to keep in contact with the kids in our community is pretty cool. Plus he brings back news from the outside world, which is a bonus. (Not cool is the state of his hands from all the scrubbing and sanitizing. They’re like sandpaper.) My teen son has been taking this all in stride, and by that I mean staying holed up in his room playing FortNite because apparently there’s nothing else to do. Thank heavens online school starts next week! He’s been bored enough to make chocolate chip cookies, and is working to perfect his grilled cheese skills, so all is not lost. Oh, it’s also still winter here, like, actually snowing and freezing cold, so that’s fun. And yet, I do still feel immeasurably grateful that we’re healthy, employed, and not homeschooling on our own. We can do this!
So here we are...a week since the last message and how much has changed in just that week. I'm still going to the office this week a few times just in the morning and then WFH for a couple hours. Learned that next week we will start alternate weeks where 1 week we can come in for some hours of the day, but the alternate week is 100% from home. It should be interesting to see how this all unfolds.
I was sad to see a 5k I have in May to benefit the ALS Association has been converted to a virtual event. This cause is dear to me as my mom passed away from this disease 5 years ago this November. This year I have made a goal to run 1135 intentional miles (making it a 5k a day) and using the Charity Miles app when I do it so that it can further benefit the ALS Association.
Things keeping me sane:
Coffee
Running/Walking outside
The prospect of letters/mail
Unraveling one knitting project to make a plan that all knitting projects will be kept to a very easy/joy giving stance
Podcasts
Erin's lenten guide; its interesting I had to take a week off due to the insanity of last week and now all the messages/themes for each day are hitting the feel of this week in near bizarre way that is perfection.
Reconfiguring Twitter and Facebook to be only the best content. (I am not on Instagram; this may change to ONLY see joy-filled content)
Being okay to NOT watch the news or click the latest headline
Whole milk: y'all -- we buy this to help our very scrawny 7 year old put on weight and I had a small glass. Why have I been drinking the white water that is skim when I have milk in cereal or coffee? WHY??! Who told me I needed skim anything??!
Full fat yogurt - am I basically eating sour cream with raspberries? Maybe.
I wish everyone light right now.
This thread and all of you........... you are magical to me right now.
You guys, my husband has been selected to lead the company-wide Zoom Karaoke Happy Hour for his organization tonight. I can hear him downstairs in his office currently practicing "Come Together" and "Don't Stop Believing". Any song suggestions I should pass along?
We are moving in 1 week to a new house. Our new house is actually 120 years old. I have been attempting to get it onto an episode of “this Old House” But alas- no luck. We are also out here in Oak Park, IL. The first suburb of a major city (Chicago) to do full self-sheltering - it’s like quarantining but for over achievers. I thought people were buying toilet paper before, but man, have your mayor declare a local state of emergency and things really go buck wild. My 5 year old cried about not getting to go to school- May he always love learning this much.
And yet in all of this, there are pieces of light. I will say- this little group brings such delight to an otherwise craptastic banana pants situation. I am honored and proud to teach at a college who prays 24 hours a day for our students, their families, our faculty and staff. Literally- we have a google doc to sign up for prayer slots. I am proud of our faculty who are (seemingly) 99 years old are trying out “the zoom” and “the FaceTime” on “the internet” for the first time ever. And that warms my heart. Issues like work life balance and being a full time female faculty member with gasp- Young children- Are bringing good (hard for some) conversations to the front lines about how we can make higher ed a more inviting and equitable profession to women. #girlsRuleAnd BoysAreAlsoGood
There is LIGHT lil’treaures! And YOU ALL are part of that light. Cue all the light puns.
I just wanted to say “hello” to everyone and send you all prayers you get through this, especially those new home school teachers out there! It doesn’t look like this will end soon, so pace yourselves and give don’t stress about it! Stay home and safe! Wash your hands! 😘
I’m a nanny of two. Mom is a night nurse and sleeps while I’m working. She never bothers us because she’s sound asleep but dad informed me today that he’ll be working from home starting next week. Three adults, two babies, two dogs in a 1,500 square foot house. Lord, save us all. Pray for no rain so we can spend all week outside!
I've been on quarantine for two weeks now because I was sick last week and as of yesterday, it has really started to get to me. I'm in my last semester of grad school and in the last week, I've found out that all of my classes for the remainder of the semester will be held online, my graduation is canceled, and just today I found out that our internships are suspended for the duration of the semester as well. I work as a school social work intern with Chicago Public Schools and so hearing that I won't be able to properly terminate with the kids I see for therapy has been extremely hard. There have been tears.
Sorry to be such a downer on the Lil Treasures, but it's important for what I'm going to say next:
So because the target keeps moving out further and further and because I like to bake when I feel feelings, I'm delving into the world of sourdough. I'm going to be baking a ton of it over the next couple of months and delivering it onto the doorsteps of my friends. (Side note: if you live in Chicago and want sourdough on your doorstep, please hit me up at @megs_trief on instagram. I now have all the time in the world to make that happen). Just call me the Sourdough Stork.
I meant to comment last week. I was feeling crabby as heck when I got your newsletter (I'm a teacher in CT where pretty much everything is shut down....I work in a specialized district where we teach academics and trade technology and we still don't have a distance learning plan in place....AND I'm an Enneagram One) and I read your "Just add water" tip. I got up, put on music, hopped in the shower, and let myself "reset." It has helped me so many times over the past week. I'm continuing to use it as time to decompress and relax each day. Thank you for that.
I have thoughts and feelings!!!
a.) I have been waiting for this thread for days. DAYSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS. Thank you Erin! Thank you for the honesty, the opportunity to laugh, and the work you have done to create spreadsheets, etc. You're a gift.
b.) Melissa Graf (also a l'il treasure) exchanged addresses with me as a result of last week's L'il Treasures email. Her first letter arrived in the mail last evening and I grinned through every word, because she is an utter delight and crafts a letter beautifully. I'm writing you back today, sweet woman!
c.) The "We've Got You" google doc. The first day I opened it, I'm ashamed to admit I sat there having to do deep breathing over the needs I saw because I could not picture how we could do this. I had to close the doc and take a walk. The next time I opened it, I saw people doing what they could, and saw that a difference was really happening and I just sat there crying. This community is a thing of beauty and I'm so thankful for it.
d.) My situation is different than all of you folks with kids (who have my t's and p's for SURE!). I live solo, so the idea of being quarantined alone terrifies me. I'm trying to practice gratitude for the things I get to experience that some of you would kill for (not being touched by anyone, not hearing "Mom, Mom, Mom, Mom, Mom," etc., while also trying to do the next right thing to keep myself from going nuts. To that end, I'm thankful for a pastor who has created lots of opportunities to connect online. He asked us to share a gratitude last night, and Melissa's letter was legit one of mine! I'm also thankful for another friend in similar life circumstances as me who has chosen to be corona family with me. We're connecting a lot through the day and going to each other's house on Wed and Sat. We will share germs with only each other, and that way we know if we die, our cats won't eat our livers without us being found.
e.) A friend posted this link to 50 coronavirus jokes, and some of them made me lol. I've been sending one a day to the other three leaders of my dept and trying to bring some levity: https://www.boredpanda.com/quarantine-coronavirus-jokes/?fbclid=IwAR1GX7FRm7FF7YNz7T_1feHKos0DEO0TaRYhQzsELudMq7n0VkZQF1Iw_WY&utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=organic
Let me just tell you that @Ocean_Vuong 's cornbread meltdown brought me SO. MUCH. LIFE. Also, @BeThereinFive in general has been a balm- she has this great tendency when she talks about current happenings where she says the most unexpected things that still feel totally authentic. I'm always like, "Oh yeah! That's not cliche and it's so true!"
I need something other than this ding dang virus to talk about. I have been arguing over a March Madness bracket of Taylor Swift's best songs with people- anyone interested in joining????
Oh and as for treasures...My Island Margarita and Watermelon Lemonade candles from Bath & Body are a definite treasure right now. I need more of them! I also love my Fresh Sea Salt Mango bath & body stuff. Thankful I still have some because it didn't come back this year.
Thank God that the sun came out and it was 70 degrees here yesterday. I soaked up as much as I could because today we are back to 38 and cloudy. I’m thankful for Marco Polo and Zoom to connect face to face with people.
I have also (as a 9) felt the low motivation/overwhelmingness of it all. All the emails from my kids’ teachers alone had me spinning. Then I had to send out a crap ton of emails checking in on volunteers I lead at my church and just did not care about doing it which just made me mad at myself because how selfish. However, the sweet replies and encouraging words I received back filled me up and were so life-giving.
Also, in my public speaking class in college, I gave a speech on Why teachers should be paid as much as NBA players.
I keep trying not to get lost in the “how much longer” and uncertainty of it all. This is only our 3rd day out of school, next week is technically Spring Break but after that, we still have 2 weeks off. That is going to feel eternal but I have to take it one day/hour/minute at a time. Thankfully I have lots of TV I can watch, lots of books to read and lots of “stockpiled” episodes of The Popcast and Bible Binge (all the movie deep dives) that I had been saving for our trip to the beach.
My birthday was on St Patrick’s day and it was hard not to feel a little down. I probably cried 3 different times. I still had to work but had very little personal interaction with people and it was just weird. I did discover a bunch of you tube videos of virtual Disney world rides so that helped. Take those rides on your bday
Your lent study has been a daily lil treasure so THANK YOU. You have no idea how much it helps!
On top of all the pandemic stuff, we woke up to a 5.7 earthquake here on Wednesday. 😱 Fortunately the damage overall was minimal and no damage for me personally, but woof. So much mental havoc. What next???
"Hot Damn. What a week." Word.
What fills me with joy? Going on illegal Sonic runs and eating Totchos and drinking a Cherry/Vanilla/Lime Coke (EXTRA sonic ice) in my car. Alone. Sometimes while crying from anxiety-induced stress. Ha.
For anyone worried about the germs, I order on the app and have minimal contact, but also I have told my husband a million times: "If I die by Totchos and Cherry Coke, I die. It's been nice knowin' ya!"
God. Seriously. Thank you so much for these emails. They're giving me life. Chicago just announced an extension of school closure for another month yesterday. So I had afternoon margaritas with my best friend over Google hangout and cried my way through the facebook live Indigo Girls concert.
And I and my kids have been writing letters to put in the mail every single day and it's so lovely. It gives them yet another thing to do independently when school work is done and it's a daily excuse to walk to the mailbox. And also an excuse to continue buying cute cards from independent artists. Highly recommend!
This girl's Dad did the math on toilet paper and I have laughed twice watching it already :) FYI - he does swear in it so ear muff little ones as needed https://www.facebook.com/sarcasticmommy4/videos/651785338967871/
Watching Manor House in Prime. It’s a British reality Show where people live like it’s the 1900’s. There are the servants and the aristocrats. It’s very Downton Abbey meets Upstairs/Downstairs. It’s funny too. The staff all hate the chef (who’s French). The foot men have a wee bit too much fun one night and are hungover the next day which angers the butler. One scullery maid quits because it’s “too much and she’s not cut out to be a scullery maid” while the new one gets the hall boy to do her work.
I have enjoyed Jimmy Fallon live shows from home starring his kids and wife.
1) it’s so quiet. No cars or planes. I live in Seattle and it’s kind of nice how quiet our neighborhood is?
2) everyone is outside. With their kids on walks staying away from everyone else or working their yards. We randomly have had the BEST weather but it’s supposed to rain next week so pray for all of us with kids 🤦♀️
3) my husband and I have become preschool/daycare teachers in shifts while working from home and it’s destroying our house but our 19-month daughter is having a great time and it’s been fun to see my husband attempt internet toddler art activities 😂😂😂
4) I’m 34 wks pregnant. Little freaked out. Prayers appreciated. 😘
I hope there’s not a word count limit on these posts. Well actually, I hope there is. Because I have a lot of words. OK so First things that come to mind. The NBA petition make me laugh so much. As a homeschooling mother zero money it’s even funnier. I think after that comment was when I direct messaged Erin and told her that she was a modern day Mrs. marvelous Maisel. Almost fell off my chair with the stop tiktok. I think really the things that are the most meaningful to me are the things of gratitude. Starting in my immediate family, if you’d asked me a week ago what was your biggest family issue, I would’ve told you what it was, But now, that is decidedly not our biggest family issue. Really, it doesn’t seem to be an issue at all. Everybody take care.
My birthday is on the 29th, and I won't lie--I'm also a little irritated that the coronavirus is ruining it! Lol
For people needing some literary therapy, I highly recommend The Flatshare by Beth O'Leary for lovely escapism, and When Life Gives You Pears by Jeannie Gaffigan for living through uncertain times. She talks about the power of meditative prayer while lying in an MRI tube, and it was a blessing. I also read A Good Neighborhood by Therese Anne Fowler, and while good, it was too dark for times such as these. Save it for another day, fellow swipes.
Always grateful to see this pop up in my inbox. Especially today!
My three year old is probably taking it the hardest in our house. He’s been very sad about not seeing my parents or his friends & it’s really hard to see his little heart hurting. 😢 If anyone has any suggestions for how to talk about this with a toddler, I’m all ears.
My lil treasures include:
-Frozen 2. Finally watched it with above-mentioned three year old & we both loved it. My 5 month old napped almost the whole movie, so getting that quality time with my oldest was very sweet.
-A friend recently suggested BodyFit by Amy on YouTube for healing my postpartum ab separation, & I’m so grateful. Some of her videos are only like 5 minutes long, which makes it feel very feasible to do every day.
-Jumped on the Love Is Blind train. Those poor souls had no idea how much we would need their ridiculousness (minus Lauren. She is a gem.).
-A giant freakin’ cardboard box from Target. It is so obnoxious in my narrow city townhouse, but it has provided much joy for the three year old.
Sending internet hugs to you all!
Hannah
My treasure this week was The Great Stand Up to Cancer Bake Off. I'm a little bit in love with Richard Dreyfuss now.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1iRzZ2_K-J_SjXkKVx_HiMhiOm6G0y5AA/view
I feel like I have so many things to say, ask, share! I’m off work this week for extended SB while husband works from the guest room. Next week until at least April 3 we’ll both be WFM with our toddler at home with us. Any advice is appreciated on how to work but also keep our kid alive is appreciated.
1. I’m on the lookout for a killer banana bread recipe as I anticipate needing to make it every week. Suggestions welcome!!
2. Hack for toddlers - force them to eat protein at breakfast and eat an afternoon snack. I’ve realized being home with my 2yo that he will refuse to eat unless I make him sit at the table for 5 minutes. Then he happily gobbles up whatever is there. But if I ask him if he’s hungry or wants to eat, he’d rather play, which leads to major toddler hangry episodes. So set a timer for your kids for 5 minutes and tell them they don’t have to eat but they have to at at the table. They’ll probably eat. Thanks to Kids Eat in Color for that tip!
3. Giving birth to twins in 5 weeks is full of SO MANY UNKNOWNS. Mostly regarding visitors/help/support. Taking deep breaths and trying to focus on what I CAN control is helping. Also crying and listening to The Popcast.
4. Do yourself a favor and don’t read Station Eleven right now like I decided to at the start of the month. Good book, but save that sucker for like... 2022.
5. Hillary on Hulu was really interesting, especially for someone who was in preschool or early elementary during the presidency years.
6. Looking at Texas Bluebonnets from my car window is saving my life.
I am so praying for you mamas of littles & school kids! The ones I’m stuck with are my husband & sons, 19 & 22. I’m alone with all men!!!!!!! But they naturally socially distance so, I’ve enacted mandatory dinner/family time. Some nights it’s dinner and a short game but other nights it includes a longer game or a movie. This extravert needs some interaction with live humans (husband has a business still going & the extravert son works for him). Thank you Erin for keeping it real, for connecting us and giving us some good work & content during this crazy time. Praying for you and your family. Also, thank you for praying for my son (I shared on Instagram with you on Sunday) he made it home and I’m so grateful. Watch out world, I’m going to turn into a hugger of strangers when this is all over! Much love & peace to you all.
Same on the bday, friend. Mine fell just before all of this started to blow up, but I’m still not able to enjoy all of those free things from all the restaurants. Pity party of 1, please thank you. Hahahaha!
Today I got to see my employees’ puppies during our multiple Zoom meetings and that got me through. Living alone and being a super social 2 is no joke. Hang in there everyone!
I am so glad you said you were overwhelmed at the amount of celebrities reading books to kids. 🤣 A silver lining in all of this for me is not needing to keep a calendar! All the “I’m going live” announcements feel stressful. The final straw was when a friend sent a time slot schedule to a group of us to schedule a Group FaceTime. 😑
I loved your pen pal idea, Erin, so I told my kids they have to write something to someone in order to get screen time. But it has to be a kid of someone I know because my introverted self can’t handle indirect small talk introductions.
First, as a homeschool mom, can I just say to all you parents who suddenly find yourself homeschooling - YOU ARE DOING A GREAT JOB. I've been doing homeschool for two years and still don't know what I am doing a lot of the time. There are a lot of great resources out there already (thanks, Erin, for a place to compile them), but if you just need someone to talk to, run ideas by, or vent, I am here for you, OR find a homeschool mom in your area to talk to. As the kids at East High say, we're all in this together.
Lil' Treasures this week:
1. Bri McKoy reading Salt Fat Acid Heat on her stories to all of our children. My kids loved this. She nailed the GIFs.
2. Jane Mount's free #myidealbookshelf printables. https://www.idealbookshelf.com/pages/your-ideal-bookshelf This was some good art therapy for me.
3. This week's Popcast episode was <chef's kiss>.
4. Grocery shopping has become a weird delight for me. I am taking precautions, but taking note of what is gone in my local grocery store has been like people watching at an airport. (Plenty of milk and bananas, no Ramen.)
5. Watching our community come together. Guys, I don't know about your town, but everyday some business in Lawrence, KS is making me cry. Our local indie bookstore, The Raven, is taking nominations for people who might need books AND offering a cart of free books outside their store for those who depended on the library (now closed) for their books. Local restaurants are giving free meals to kids. It makes me love my town even more than I did before.
I’ve been home sick since Monday with probably the flu, and I have had 0 hugs. Because germs. But praise the Lord for google hangouts that made my bookclub happen last night anyway, and @prayersfromterry bringing some sense of structure with evening prayers on Instagram live. That was a solace and one I’ll be joining in with as much as I can.
“This is hard. It’s okay for us to say so. What is so hard about this for me, is that we don’t know when it will be over. There is no light at the end of the tunnel. I can do pretty much anything as long as I know the duration. But when the duration is a constantly moving target, it becomes unsustainable.”
Agree with this ONE HUNDO P. Also to the Coronavirus Birthday Party Pooping Card and the teeny tiny “stahhhhp” of that tik tok. Thankful for the treasures your shared this week!
A few things bringing me some joy right now:
Jake Johnson is recording voice messages as Spider-Man for kids who are bummed about social distancing. Email him here with your kids’ names and maybe your kids will get one!
peterbparkersayshi@gmail.com
Also, this gives me genuine LOL’s because it is ACCURATE:
https://www.facebook.com/15609977/posts/10105713314463967/?d=n
A little tip that has been super helpful for me before quarantine, but has been my lifeline this week- a therapist told me that when you have a career that has no tangible goals or tasks (stay at home mom, ministry, bank teller, etc) focusing on projects that can be completed is essential to mental well being. So take a few minutes to yourselves and start a project- reading a book, learning to embroider, etc that you can see progress and look at a finished product. It will help in this chaos!
Nailed it, Moon. I'm not as concerned about the moving target part, I'm just planning four weeks ahead and have no idea how my family will survive until then. But! I'm with you on the crazy emotional roller coaster. I'm loving that all of our obligations have gone out the window, and hating that we having nothing to do. I'm fascinated to see what people buy out during a panic, but I'm worried about catching covid 19 at the grocery store and passing it on to my parents. I'm an enneagram 9 - internal conflict is almost as bad as fighting with someone else, so all this back and forth is wearing me down rather more quickly than I can afford. I'm not screaming into the void (9s don't do that kind of thing much) but I'm cocooning, and getting resentful when Other People want me to do things, like make dinner or tell them where they left their water bottle.
whew - what a week is right! taking care of myself by running every day in the morning (calling it the quaranstreak) and taking care of others with delivered desserts and airport runs. also have never facetimed more in my entire life than i have this week, and it is a true balm for the soul.
I feel you about the moving target! I need to have an end day/ date for everything I do in life (but not for my death day, tho), so this is anxiety inducing in a big way.
I'm a teacher of English as a second language and all this e-learning and all.the.groups and chats are stressing me so much!
My new mantra (stolen from Gretchen Rubin): Let's keep our hands clean and our minds clear.
Hang in there, people!
Way to go Jessica Fralin 👏🏼