Days of Our Lives, Part 1: Lessons from Our Pets

Like many of you, we've had plenty of time lately with our furry (and not-so-furry) friends at home, and they've been teaching us a lot. Augie is our good-natured Golden Doodle who is about ten, and Ginger is Amaya's four-month old bearded dragon. (We still technically have a 5th grade class fish named Pancake too, but she's not quite as much fun as the others.) They have definitely helped fill these long summer days, and they both seem to enjoy the extra attention they're receiving... most of the time, anyway. Here are few lessons we've picked up from them along the way, about doing life together at home: 

1. Respect each other's boundaries. People often ask me how we've survived the pandemic cooped up with a fairly large family. My motto: "Give 'em grace, and give 'em space!" 

2. Go where the fun is. If you're lonely and someone else looks like they're having fun, just join in! (Keeping in mind of course, Rule #1) Boredom has led to some pretty creative projects, spontaneous games, and lots of memories since March!

3. Always look like you're doing something, even if you don't know what it is. Otherwise, your parents will likely give you something to do... or worse, they may try to help you figure out your homework.

4. Find joy in the little things, and smile a lot. Since our family has slowed down, we've found more time for swimming and playing together, watching old movies (by old they mean 1990's - eek!), and sending little notes and packages to people we can't see right now. 

Ginger's daily walk on Tom's shoulder 

5. Don't hold back. Boy, it's not easy to be a teenager in 2020. We have always tried to make our home a safe space for our kids to express their feelings, thoughts, and questions, no matter what they are, just to keep the lines of dialogue open for times like this. We've had many deep conversations lately as our kids are processing all that is going on in our world, and I'm grateful those communication lines are wide open as we navigate these uncharted waters together.

6. Sometimes, just sitting beside someone is all they need.  With 4 adolescent girls, 3 pets, and 2 parents, there is rarely a quiet moment in our house, which I love. But with everyone home 24/7, we've all had times when there's just not much to say lately. And, well, I'm learning that's okay too. In fact, it's kind of nice sometimes!

7. You've got to come out of your shell once in a while. A positive from the past few months has definitely been watching the girls become closer, if for no other reason than the lack of options of people to hang out with. We've played hours of board games, made-up games, and just had fun being silly together. While we are all anxious to hang out with people who don't share our DNA or last name, until that time comes you can find us laughing, talking, and doing life with Augie, Ginger, and each other.