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10 Things I Miss During Quarantine

1. Wandering around Target, Home Goods, and Michael’s for very non-essential items like throw pillows and washi tape.
2. Getting Starbucks with Gracie and then going grocery shopping together without masks and all the stress. We used to love grocery shopping.
4. Kids sports. Shocking, I know. But as much as I complained about them before, they really did provide structure and purpose to our weekends and evenings.
5. Being at work. I went back into a school because I missed the connection with people and didn’t like working from home. And, yet, here I am…
6. Going to a Mexican restaurant and eating chips and queso while drinking a margarita. To go queso is just not the same.
7. Movie theaters. Sigh…
8. Getting a long, leisurely pedicure by someone who knows what they are doing. Oh, and sitting in those massage chairs. And reading out of date Us Weeklys.
9. Coffee dates with friends. Sitting around, talking with them. And being able to hug them.
10. Sports on TV, especially hockey.
11. Going to church. We attend virtually on Sunday mornings and my church is doing such a wonderful job of filling the void and keeping us all connected, but it’s not the same as fellowship and worshipping together.

10 Things I Love About Quarantine

1. I really love being able to have slow mornings, every day, for the whole family. It’s so nice not to have to rush to get everyone out the door.
2. My mid-morning walks that I’ve started taking. I walk 2.5 miles almost every morning around 9am. It is beautiful out then and the temperature hasn’t gotten miserable yet, but it’s not so early that I have to set an alarm to get up and go.
3. Sitting outside on the deck or back patio with Chris while the kids swim after dinner. Usually, we are running around getting homework done or running to and from sports practices in the evenings. But these evenings are slow and lazy and I soak up every single one.
4. Having our family together all day. While my kids drive me nuts a lot, I really love this time with all of us here together.
5. The daily prayer and devotion time I have now. It isn’t rushed and I’m not preoccupied during them. They are intentional and focused, which is nice.
6. Small things have become big things. Family walks or bike rides are a treat. A game night or movie night is something we look forward to all day. A quick ride through a drive-thru for a milkshake is the biggest, most exciting adventure we’ll take in a day! I think quarantine has made us happier people.
7. Being able to stay up late without the guilt or regret about how hard it will be to get up in the morning. Chris and I will sit out on the back deck until midnight sometimes – on a Tuesday! It feels so rebellious!
8. How much we love being outside.
9. We are saving so much money right now! No aftercare! No gas! No eating out! No sports fees! That’s so helpful to us as we head into summer when my paycheck will stop for a few months.
10. Creativity is taking over my brain right now. I am painting and creating and writing and producing and it feels so good to let those creative juices flow, completely uninterrupted by real life.