The New Normal

We ride our bikes. All. The. Time...


That is probably one way our life is different. We try to get out, at least once per day, and get some fresh air and exercise. That would never have happened to us before Coronavirus when we all had busy schedules.  The other day we rode our bikes to Chick-fil-A, and we placed our order, at the drive thru, on our bikes! Apparently we were the first ones to do that because the manager snapped our photo and put it on Chil-fil-A's Instagram page.

Besides trying to figure out this work-life balance at home, things have been going pretty well. We are sort of finding a routine, though it was difficult at first. I'm finding I'm in the kitchen more than ever, preparing all our meals, and I find I'm making more trips to the grocery store too. It's still a bit unnerving when I can't find any meat, toilet paper, milk, flour or eggs, but I know now not to panic and to just go somewhere else. There are groceries available.

As I reflect on what's now week #3 of the quarantine, I'm trying to find the positives in our new normal. Here are some things I'm grateful for...

1. Cooking healthy and delicious meals at home for my family.  I didn't think this foodie could survive not eating out. Turns out I can, and I have!
2. Now that I'm not rushing home to cook after a long day, on my feet, I actually enjoy cooking a whole lot more.
3. I never had the time before, but now that I do, I love baking. 
4. I've had many opportunities these past weeks to work on patience.  Spending a lot of time with The Hubs and Buddy Roller has shown me how much I like to be in control, and that it's okay to "compromise".  
5. Sleeping in.
6. Having more than twenty minutes to eat lunch.
7. Being able to go to the bathroom whenever I want. This is a challenge when you're a teacher!
8. Bike rides with my family.
9. Reading time as a family.
10. Walks at the park with my son.
11. Watching family movies together.
12. Board games with the family.
13. Video calls with family, friends, and colleagues.
14. Even though I have a really short commute to work, I'm thankful to be able to work from home and still earn a paycheck.
15. My family. My everything.