My parents came by to say hi to Joseph today. They had a short visit in the street.
Let's see some 6 feet away air hugs!
And they brought us Costa Vida for lunch, which was so nice.
Joseph spent his time today reading and getting his email set up and stuff. Last night he joined Corey and the kids in a big Nerf Gun battle in the house. That was fun for them and they had mission impossible music playing. They turned off the lights and seemed to have fun. I had been in the laundry room with Peter (to keep him from being trampled in the dark) and Joseph came in to ask me to help him make a shield. We found some shoelaces to use to tie the box to his gun....
...and while we were doing that, the missionaries for our stake just happened to call my phone and asked to talk with Joseph. Joseph was really interested in talking with them and took his time... his everyone started calling for him and Owen came in looking for him "Come on Joseph let's go... Come on Joseph, let's go..." repeat 20x. Joseph kinda seemed to be ignoring them. He couldn't help it though, he's still in missionary mode and his heart wishes he was still out there in the mission field. Poor kid.
So, as for the rest of our kids, they've been working a little harder today. But just a little. They've been on their Chromebooks a lot and I thought they were working. Then when I went to check on the girls, turns out they were doing Prodigy the whole time, which is some math game where you can earn points and buy stuff? So that's fine, but they spent so much time just doing that, that they didn't do all the rest of their homework, so I'm going to need to monitor things better. I need something to go up on the wall again, like the kids chores poster board that we used to have. The Chromebooks are getting so much attention, that even Peter has learned what is supposed to be done with them. He saw one open and went to work and hurriedly pushed buttons with his little hands. It was cute.
I got on the girls and made sure they all practiced. It's a lot of work trying to get these kids to get their work done. And they are pretty reluctant participants, which makes it harder. sigh. Here is Natalie "practicing" her violin tonight.
I don't know Natalie, it looks like you could be putting forth a little more effort?
"Ugh! I don't feel like standing up..." Laaazy. It's okay, I can do this. This is an easy challenge. Chin up, and press forward.
I woke up this morning around 8. Joseph was down stairs finishing breakfast. He had gotten up at his missionary rules time (6:30) and was dressed with his badge on, ready for the day. I hadn't made any oatmeal. "What did you eat?" I asked. "Grape nuts, it was the only cereal in the cupboard..."
"Yeah, Dad has all the good cereal in his pantry." Joseph walked over to the sink, looked as if he was at a loss for a moment, and then stated "There's no sponge..." He needed a sponge to wash his dish out with. "It's okay, just put it in the sink, we'll load the dishwasher later." "Wow, a dishwasher...." I went for a quick walk and then when I got back at 8:30 we had everyone come for a morning devotional. We took a picture with our missionary for one last time.
I had Mel run up to get Peter out of bed so that the photo would be with all the kids. After that we all laughed at Peter's morning hair.
He looks like a baby chick with fuzzy down feathers on his head.
Hello little baby bird.
Joseph had a zoom call with our Stake President at 9:30 to be released. He said it was kinda anticlimactic. Yeah, I remember thinking that too. So, poor kid has no badge anymore, but he kept his white shirt and tie on almost all day. He started to get set up on a laptop so he can join the real world.
At 1:00 until 2:00. we invited neighbors to drive by and say hi to him. Like the Penguins of Madagascar say "Just Smile and Wave...." Here are Joseph and his good friend Talmage, who just got home from Ecuador - keeping a safe social distance as they visited.
More people came and joined the wide social circle.
From another angle.
More neighbors came by to welcome Joseph home, like a lady who Joseph did yard work for two years ago (Carolynn) and Mark. Mark and his wife kept Joseph and Ethan fed every Sunday when they were here in the US while the rest of us went to Brazil in 2015.
Hmm, it looks like people are relaxing a bit and getting a little too close to each other...
I guess we're still 6 feet apart. We are trying to be good citizens and but also help Joseph feel welcomed home to this strange new normal. Joseph jumped on the trampoline with his younger siblings, which they loved.
Day 1 of quarantine done. Hope we don't get sick, cause he's not staying isolated.
It's hard with the little kids who don't understand what's going on.
Yesterday we were told that Joseph would be coming home today. And he did come home. Here are the kids when we got home at 10pm (minus Peter who was asleep in the car after our drive home from the airport)
This is how Joseph's homecoming went: We got an email on Sunday saying he would be coming home, but it could be weeks/months. On Wednesday we talked to Joseph and he said he was told they should be ready to leave on Saturday, but that nothing was for sure yet. On Saturday we got an email saying he would be coming home on Sunday/today. No mention of what time but they would let us know as soon as they had details. This morning I was checking my email over and over again but there was no news from the Antigua mission. I read via the Guatemala City South facebook page that they got notice that there were two chartered flights coming at 5 and 6:30 and that all the US missionaries from all 7 Guatemala missions would be on them. We were patient and enjoyed a day of rest here at home - learning about the beautiful world and all of God's creations (via Netflix "Our Planet") Cute Peter taking a nap on Ethan
Around 12:30 we got a phone call from Joseph's mission president. He said that he didn't know which flight Joseph would be on, but they would be arriving at 5:30 and 6. Not the same times as the facebook group said, but we felt like we had a general idea. We didn't have an airline or flight number though and he didn't have a phone number to text him at, so we didn't know how this would work. Corey and I and Peter left at for the airport at 5. The kids had been fasting all day and so had we, and we had a nice dinner ready for us all to eat together after we got home with Joseph. At the airport parking garage, there were very good instructions for proper social distancing for all the parents picking up their missionaries.
We got an orange paper with instructions and a map. Go to Level 2.... Find the stalls where the letter is for your missionary's last name. There's the UVWs - that's us.
They told us that the flight was for 5:15. But it got delayed until 6:15. So we waited... We were told that the next flight was delayed too. ...Until 8:30. We waited and waited. We asked for the kids to pray that Joseph would be on the first flight. But he no sign. We wondered... if Joseph didn't show up, should we we should hurry back home and eat with the kids and then come back? I had only brought one slice of bread for Peter and that was gone. Peter also had a pretty wet diaper and I didn't bring a bag and I didn't have any in the car. If the second flight doesn't land until 8:30, Joseph probably won't be out until 9:30 with customs and baggage claim. Will we make it??
Is he lost? Corey "I hope he remembers what letter his last name starts with." Not R. Wride is with W. After a while we got Peter out of his carseat. Some missionaries started to walk out. They walked out about three at a time. Everytime the sliding doors opened, the garage rang out with lots of victory honks. Corey - "Everyone honks in Morse Code...." Peter joined in.
Peter was working hard. I tried to get Peter to look at me, but he wouldn't. Corey: "He's got a lot of buttons to push..."
The kids kept calling and texting. Corey said "I feel like I'm in labor and delivery waiting for a birth... 'No, no baby yet, she's only at a 5...'" At 7:30 we told them to go ahead and eat. We continued to wait. Peter was about to lose it, but then luckily we did have ONE dvd in the car - the Mozart Group! Yay! Peter liked it. Corey said "Wow! Peter had refined taste!" Only one of us (Corey or I) were allowed out of the car at a time. And we had to stay within touching distance of our vehicle. It was kinda cold, so we turned the car on a few times to keep warm. Finally, at 9:27, I saw someone who looked like him! He motioned at me like I looked familiar to him too - so we repeated a few distant gestures of "Mom?" and "Joseph is that you?" and then it was established that YES, that is our Missionary!!!
Corey took a video from the car, but that was the blurry picture I took as I shook with cold and excitement! He asked "Can I hug you?" Yes! We gave each other a quick hug, then we walked to the van. I opened the back for him to put in his luggage. He put in his suitcases, I went around to the driver's seat and took Peter and put him in his carseat, we all wiped our hands with hand sanitizer and we were off!
I texted the kids "We've got him!" I texted again when we were 5 minutes away, and they were all out in the driveway to greet us with cheers and giggles and lots of hugs.
So we're all in a 14 day quarantine now. An airport guy in a mask told us "You can hug them, you can love them... but then you just have to quarantine with them." So we are putting our trust in God that we will all be safe from coronavirus, cause none of us gave him 6 feet.
Once we were inside, everyone was excited to tell him everything and anything...
We had been fasting and praying today with members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. The Lord's prophet, President Russell M. Nelson, had extended the invitation to all members worldwide to join in fasting and praying for relief and healing from Covid-19. We ended our fast at 10pm, after we got home. Joseph was voice for prayer and it was wonderful, sweet, and spirit filled. He had been fasting all day too. He cried as he prayed. After his prayer he got up to get some tissue and said "Man, I haven't cried since I was trained!" His little sisters all asked "Why are you crying?" "I'm just so happy" He also said that last night he had been in a home with 40 other missionaries and they had a testimony meeting, and everyone was crying but he didn't cry, so yay for us, we got some tears from him! After he enjoyed some dinner that his siblings had saved. It was a feast. And we all sat at the table with him. Corey asked "How does it feel to have 10 people watch you eat?"
"It feels like Kolipoki..." Which was a movie reference that we all understood and laughed at. After dinner we partook of the sacrament as a family. We sang a hymn first and the third verse particularly touched my heart:
As now we praise thy name with song,
The blessings of this day
Will linger in our thankful hearts,
And silently we pray
For courage to accept thy will,
To listen and obey.
We love thee, Lord; our hearts are full.
We’ll walk thy chosen way.
My heart truly is full, I am so grateful to have all my children at home! Since Joseph left for his mission, we thought we'd never all be together again for years. Up until last Sunday. Wow, what a miracle and great blessing - to have Mel back from BYU, Joseph home from his mission, and all the kids home from school all day everyday for atleast a month! I never would have guessed this would happen. I feel so grateful for the blessings of this day! Thank you Dear Lord!
I sent out an SOS to my sisters a few weeks ago about how to cope with my messy house. I need a system, and nothing I keep trying works with all the different ages and abilities of my kids, and I was feeling like giving up. I did order the Freedom Mom's "Smart Chore System" thing but I haven't finished watching the videos about how to do it. Today, instead, we tried one simple thing that my SIL Amy recommended, which is just basic chores during the week (like kitchen and washing dishes) and don't worry about bedrooms, and then on the weekend have EVERYONE all work together, mom dad and kids, and we all clean until it's done. We did that today and it was awesome. Corey didn't work, but he did stay present and played the more role of bouncer. He made sure everyone was working and also made sure that I did not work - he told me I had to play manager. I got in trouble a few times for working too much, like when I was helping Lily wash door frames or Sophi do the baseboards... "Tiff! No! Don't work! You manage!" Ok ok! Then I'd go walk around and give instructions on proper cleaning. I divided chores into two groups - big kids and little kids. Little kids have simple chores like washing walls, doors, baseboards, Natalie vacuumed the stairs, and I'll probably just divvy those up each Saturday. The big kids chores will rotate each week, and the little kids rotate among them too. Today it was:
Mel - bathrooms
Ethan - music room/study
Hyrum - front room
Wesley - side room
Abi - kitchen (mop)
Mel was in the zone and worked for like 3 hours on the bathrooms, getting boogers off the wall, cleaning the toilet bowl and behind the toilet and she did the TUB in the kids bathroom and she even suggested we wash the shower curtain and it looks so nice now. I'm embarrassed that I never thought to do that before. I guess I thought it was weak plastic and would shred in the washing machine, but she said they did that in her apartment and it worked. So instead it was gross pink and now it's white again! Amazing.
She worked the longest and hardest (and also might have been avoiding homework, which I didn't know until later today when Corey mentioned it...) well, sorry you spent so long doing that Mel but thank you! I really appreciate it. Abi did an amazing job mopping and wiping the fronts of cupboards.
So during the week we do the basic clean, and Saturday is the basic plus a deep clean of something. And next week we'll rotate it up. Ethan doing the study doors today.
Sophi washing the kitchen baseboards.
Sophi and Lily struggled getting going and didn't want to do their assigned task and they both moped and complained, and I tried to accommodate them by changing chores from walls to baseboards, then after they didn't like that I said tough. Eventually they got into it and did a good job. Peter helped Sophi wash the windows by using a pair of his pants and waving them on the glass, cute!
Lily clean the inside and outside of a pantry door and I have to say that was the thing that pleased me the most. I didn't realize how dirty it was, but I'd walk by and notice how clean it was and say "Wow Lil, good job! That is a clean door!"
Wes gets bonus points for keeping Owen and Daniel busy helping him which was super cute. Taking a quick break to style their hair with the hose vacuum....
Peter sat so still, wow... looking good Peter!
Vacuuming under cushions and under the couches. The house looks great and the kids worked hard and it really filled my cup. I plan to do this again! Next week might be an adjustment cause next Saturday will be filled with listening to General Conference, but we'll plan on a deep clean the week after that.
After cleaning, the kids took a break and played games - Hyrum on the xbox
Mel did homework and then moved her stuff upstairs so that Joseph can be downstairs if he wants.
We got word via email around noon today that Joseph will be coming home tomorrow, so that will be exciting. We don't know how isolated he will have to be, but we figured it will probably be best for him to be set up downstairs. We moved Natalie over into the room with Lily and Sophi, and Owen and Daniel are in the boys room now (beds are downstairs, we are just sliding their mattresses under Ethan's bed) and Abi and Mel are together. Tonight I tried to go on a jog, but Daniel saw me leaving and wanted to come. He did pretty good for about 1/2 a lap, and then he wanted me to carry him, which was what I expected. I carried him home.
He's cute. I took him home, we read scriptures, and then I left and finished 5 more laps to get in my 2 miles. It was a good day, I am in my element with the kids here are home and very few outside distractions, I love it and I hope it never ends.
I think today was pretty great. Today felt like what I wish my life would have been like had I homeschooled the kids. ...and had they all agreed to be willing participants in said endeavor. I came across a lot of them reading -
Natalie didn't want to share her school library book with Owen, and I knew of the damage the toddlers have done in years past to school books, but I asked her to share. She left the book for Owen to use and I found him later looking through the pictures in her book, so cute.
Lily is working on a diamond paining
There was also a lot of music practice.
The big kids are doing great at piano. Ethan kinda cheats...
He said "I don't know how to read piano music..." so he takes the shortcut way. He says he plays better than us, so "it counts" but I think he should learn the hymns, they are easy and he could learn to read that if he tried. I'll keep working on that. He was composing music for most of his day though, so that was great. It was cute to see Peter dance to Ethan's tunes.
Corey said that having Ethan transcribing and composing could make this whole quarantining worth it!
Ethan and Wesley picked up Chromebooks at the school last week that they are using to do their homework, music, and zoom meetings.
I picked up Chromebooks today at the schools for the little girls and Abi to do their homework on.
It was the last day to pick them up, I'm glad I finally checked my email! We can still bug the kids/controlling the chromebooks by turning off the wireless, haha.
Lily catching up on homework. I told her the things that she is behind on, and she felt a little defeated.
So there's lots of great work doing on, and some playing too - Wes Mel and Hyrum sharing a laugh over some Instagram videos -
And the kids have been hard at work with legos (they brought back in all the legos I took out to the garage, and trashed the place. oh well...)
After a hard day of work we let them play the Wii while we were gone on date night.
For date night, Corey and I went to Costco and did shopping together, which was kinda fun. Usually in my weekly trips we fill up the car with gas. We did that today too... This was how "empty" it was when we pulled up to the pump...
Anyone else saving a lot on gas during this quarantine? That's one of the pros of this situation I guess. Then we picked up India House stuff on the way home. And I set up a little sad dining table (out of paper towel) in our bedroom so we could have some quiet time and extend our date.
