It's Okay To Be Scared

In case you live under a rock and haven't heard, we are in the midst of a worldwide pandemic.  The Coronavirus has a higher death rate than the regular flu, no known treatment/cure, no vaccine, and is highly contagious.

Fun times.

My family was so excited for 2020 to start! 2019 was...not great.  In the last 6 months of 2019, we'd had:

• 2 surgeries, 
• 1 ambulance ride, 
• 3 EKG's, 
• 6 X-rays, 
• 2 ultrasounds, 
• 1 cat scan,
• 4 (?) blood draws

We were READY to ring in 2020. 

2020 started with the threat of going to war with Iran (remember that?  That was THIS YEAR, you guys!), impeachment of the President, and now a worldwide pandemic.

I'm fine. Why do you ask?

Occasionally I see fellow Christians post things on social media or blogs about just "Trusting God."  Or some verse about anxiety.  Or they talk about God being in control. Or this being his plan.  

Hold up. First of all, people have varying beliefs about God but I don't buy that he plans tragedies to kill millions of people. So, no.  Second, we can trust that God will be with us but that doesn't mean there won't be pain or suffering for some. Third, there are verses that you may find comforting in this time, however, for me, they don't eliminate all of the fear about getting COVID-19 or passing it on to someone.

And you know what? 

Are you scared of the COVID 19 pandemic too?  It's okay.  We're allowed to be scared of scary things.  It's not a good idea to wallow around in that fear. That's why I'm keeping to a pretty good schedule, avoiding 24 news, taking deep breaths, and journaling.

But if you're scared?  Know that you're not alone. I'm scared too.  Scared that I'll get it. Scared that I'll give it.  Scared that I'll be trapped in this house with stir-crazy kids for the rest of the year!  Fear. Anxiety. Scared.  Those are human emotions.  Are you human?  Yes? Then you're allowed to feel those.  Don't let anyone tell you otherwise.

**sends social-distance-appropriate cyber hug*

~shared at Thoughtful Thursdays

Stuff I Bought While Self-Quarantined

2019 was rough on our family---we had something like 8 emergency room visits and 2 surgeries.  

When 2020 rung in on New Year's Eve we celebrated. YAY new year!  No more crud!

And then 2020 was like "Not so fast."

Worldwide, we've had threat of war, wildfires, and now a literal pandemic of a deadly virus.

Enter online shopping.

I decided to try to write a note each day and mail it to my grandparents in another state. But I had run out of cute notecards and envelopes.  So I bought this cute set of bright cards from Amazon.

And of course needed wanted some new pens.  My boss has these Retractable Paper Mate InkJoy Gel pens and they are fabulous so I pulled a "Treat yo self" and got a set. 

My youngest has worn out most of his pants.  2 pairs of Russell brand sweats from Walmart found their way to our house.  Then he used some of his money for a new Angry Birds Lego Set.

We paid $3.99 to rent Contagion on Amazon Prime Video.  A movie about a surprise virus that attacks your respiratory system? How did we miss this back in 2011?  It is relevant now and not too horribly scary (unless you are presently sick and then DO. NOT. WATCH.)

Before we decided to self-quarantine in an effort to help stop the spread of illness, I hit the Dollar General (yep, we are in a small midwest town, why do you ask?) and loaded up on cough / cold medicines, Lysol spray, some snacks and cherry coke. The essentials. 

Has anyone else done some online shopping while stuck at home?  Any must-see deals out there?  Good things to keep yourself busy and away from crowds? 

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Daylight Savings Time

Daylight savings time.  Fall back is great. Spring forward is my enemy. Is it time to eat? Why is it dark outside? Why is everyone grumpy?  Blegh.

Easter Baskets for High School Guys

I've been doing this blog for awhile now and no longer is my oldest kid a tween....he's a full on teenager.  He doesn't do egg hunts anymore but I still want him to get an Easter basket.  So the question is "WHAT do you put in a basket for a high school boy?!".  I've been brainstorming and will share here just in case you are in the same boat as me!

1. Nintendo Switch Case.  Our son bought himself a Switch but didn't get the case. I scored one on clearance at Target for $10! 

2. Cologne / Body Spray.  He likes the scents from Hollister.  Online prices start at $15 but I've found some small sample size bottles in-store for $10.   

3. Candy. Skittles are his current favorite and I can get a giant bag for under $10 on Amazon.


4. Rubik's Cube. My son has mastered several size cubes so I'm always on the lookout for something new.  This Rubik's Edge looks pretty cool!



5. Charging Cables.  Can you ever have too many of these?  Not in our house!

6. Blender Bottle.  Pretty popular among the teen guys these days!  We have....too many already.  Nonetheless he continues to build up his collection.

7. Body Wash.  (All the toddler parents are perplexed right now.  All my fellow parents of teens are nodding in solidarity)

8. Faith based item.  Easter is obviously a very important holiday to our faith and we want to honor that by including something faith based in our children's Easter baskets. However, I haven't yet decided what to get for our teen boy! There are some teen guy devotional books available but the couple I looked at didn't seem like the right fit for us personally.  Since my son is old enough to drive, I may go with a keychain with a verse engraved on it.

9. Snack foods.  Easter baskets don't have to be ALL candy!  Add in some snacks your teen likes. For us that means Gatorade protein bars, beef jerky, and goldfish crackers.
 

10. Pens. Bic Gelocity are his favorite pen to use for school.  You can find them at Target, Walmart, and even Kroger!  Amazon of course carries them as well.  He will just want basic black (like below) but there are lots of colors available if your teen prefers colored pens!



If you have any other great ideas for a teenage boy's Easter basket, please post them in the comments!  It takes a village to figure out what to get for young men!

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