Another week

 This week was not all that interesting. Monday was piano, laundry, cleaning, an eye appointment, school and family night. Josh worked a bit checking email and such. Tuesday was more of the same except he had some meetings and phone calls and so was more unavailable to the kids when they want to just run downstairs and say hi. The girls also started back at dance that night so I was in a zoom RS meeting and then had to go pick up Emma so I listened on my phone while I drove there and back. After we got home and got pjs on then I had to turn around to go back and get Lily. Usually Josh and I split up these dance runs but for the next 12 weeks, I am it so that is fun. At least we live close by.

Wednesday Josh actually went to work. I drove him to meet his co-worker since I can't get on base and then I did body pump and worried all day if Josh was taking it easy and not pushing himself too much. He felt pretty good and gets a workout using crutches to get around. I am glad he is easing back into it all because he stayed home Thursday since he had a doctor appointment then went back for a full day on Friday. Next week he will work three days in a row so we'll see how that goes. Thursday was school and his appointment (which was a bit disappointing for him because he thought he was really healing and was going to get back to things sonner rather than later but that is not the case--although things do look good, just not ahead of schedule) and a piano lesson and a run to and from dance. 

Friday I taught piano, helped Emma and Brandon finish school in the morning since I had a busy afternoon then we did a 2nd grade materials pick up. Emma's teacher seemed pretty confident that we'd get back to school as soon as the teachers were all vaccinated, which has already started, so that is exciting! We're in a groove with school now but it will be a welcome change to be able to at least go two days a week and have some in-person instruction, especially for Emma and Curtis. Then I had a follow up to my eye appointment to try some new contacts, did grocery pick up and then taught some more piano and took Lily to dance as soon as I was done teaching. It is busy being the only adult who can move and while Josh is busy at work and honestly doesn't do much to facilitate our day-to-day, it has helped me appreciate what he does do. Like get up with Lily on her early mornings (which I am now doing and am not a fan of) and picking her up from dance on his way home from work and taking care of the kids while I am in RS activities or book club. Thankfully he has a co-worker who is single and lives close by who is willing to drive him to and from work for the next few months. I don't know what we would do without him!

We watched Tenet Friday night and it was crazy. I like Christopher Nolan movies (like Inception) because they are so different and really make you think, but there was a lot about this one I didn't get. I still enjoyed it though and it is a mind bender. It was fun to watch something new-ish and feel like we were at a  movie theater. Saturday we cleaned and I ran a couple of errands with Lily and I read a bunch of Harry Potter 4 to the kids. We are almost done so we couldn't stop and it was all very exciting. Emma is super into it; Brandon not so much but I think it is just over his head so he plays while I read, but he listens enough to have a general idea of what is going on. He really thought Harry was going to die in the graveyard. 

We divided up for movie night and Josh and I and the big kids watched Mulan while the little kids watched some super hero movie on disneyplus. Mulan is one of my favorite animated movies so I wasn't so sure about this one but I liked it. I wasn't a huge fan of the witch lady and how they added magic to the film but overall, it was good. Then we watched the Buffalo Bills game and they won so that was exciting. Lily and Curtis have gotten into watching football so we let them stay up for the first quarter and it is fun to watch them appreciate something new and ask questions and enjoy spending time with their dad especially. 

One of my goals for the year is to be a better mom piano teacher. My kids often get a tired mom instead of a committed piano teacher when it is time for their lessons so I wanted to fix that. I scheduled their lessons, which has already made a huge difference. I let them pick the time but I make them stick to it, which isn't easy. But it is making them more accountable and instead of setting the timer each time they practice, they are practicing to be ready for lessons and aren't so worried about how long it has been. Curtis still hasn't quite gotten with the program but he'll get there. He didn't practice all week and wanted to push back his lesson but I wouldn't let him and I felt like I do with my other students during his lesson time. It has made me really happy to already see my effort making a difference in how my kids approach practicing and their lesson time. I've also tried to start practicing more myself so that they hear how to do it and also get exposed to fun music that they can look forward to playing. 

Today has been a nice Sabbath day. Someone in the other ward tested positive for Covid so they closed the building for two weeks. It was good for Josh to not miss another Sunday meeting and be able to rest instead of hobbling to the building so I was grateful for that. We had a nice family sacrament meeting and then participated in Sunday school classes and then he has been in appointments all afternoon. The kids have been playing together so nicely. Lily is really an amazing older sister and comes up with games for Emma and Brandon to play and creates mysteries for them to solve and plays Barbies with them. My older sisters never played with me and I just am so amazed that she loves it so much and they adore her for all the time she spends with them. She has also been super helpful with dinners and cleaning up and just being an all around awesome girl. I'm so grateful for her. 

We also took some school yearbook pictures today. Which one should I submit? :)