ER Visits and Social Media Detoxes

Hi! Happy 2021. This is my first official post of the new year, so Happy New Year officially! I hope your year is starting off well wherever you are. 

I am currently on a little social media detox, and I promised I would update here when I can. Last Friday I decided it was just time for a break. It's embarrassing the amount of time I spend on my phone on a daily basis. Not entirely on social media, but especially on social media. I sneak onto Instagram to check @sharonsaysso, occasionally one or two of my favorite homeschool accounts, and I'm right back off. 

I have snoozed, muted, unfollowed and unfriended so much this past year. I know I'm not the only one. Last week after the events at The Capitol, I felt overwhelmingly sad; sad for our country, sad for our world. Saying so on Facebook bought me one rude comment from someone who otherwise doesn't bother with me on a normal basis. While it was unsurprising and completely in character for him, it further saddened me that on a day when our country was in shock, mad, just feeling all of the feels...me mentioning sadness brought out hate in someone else's heart. Just how can that be?! 

As the days went on, I grew even more tired of all of the opinions and thoughts, but I also grew tired of the effect it was having on me because I was allowing it to. Friends, we consume so much we just aren't meant to. We are not meant to take in all of this information at such rapid speed...to take in all of these thoughts and opinions, all of this news (TRAGIC, depressing news lately) in such great capacity on a daily, hourly, minute-by-minute basis. Signing off was what was best for me, and that was clear. Since disconnecting, I have felt much more peace and calm, and I've had more patience with the little people in my home who deserve the best of me, not what's left of me. I think we can all do better in so many ways. 

In other news! I visited the ER today, so there's that. *facepalm* A certain child decided to swallow a button battery, which prompted a call to Poison Control, prompting a very quick trip to drop the other two kids off at a friend's house and jet to the hospital. After an x-ray, we learned the battery had thankfully already passed the stomach, and so we are on "wait and watch" rules. If it isn't passed in two days, back to the ER we go.  I mean, if there ever was a "to be continued..." to 2020, this would be it. This would be the continuation right here, inspecting poop for a tiny battery (!) in your child's stool.

It has been a bit of a bumpy week with school so far. We are, coincidentally, learning about the French & Indian War and revolutions. The boys love history. We started a new read-aloud book called Toliver's Secret this morning. We were all enjoying it so much, I only meant to read the first chapter but just kept reading. Here in these little slowed down moments is where the sweet treasures of life are found, I believe. I am immersing myself in all of the homeschool books lately (especially highlighting and underlining all the things in this book), and I feel so inspired to potentially keep us on this track of learning at home. We all are enjoying homeschooling so much more than I knew we could. It is truly one of the blessings 2020 brought us.

A goal of mine for this year is to read more books myself, too. I enjoy reading, but I will for sure choose watching TV at night after everyone goes to bed over picking up a book. The first book I've started of 2021 is Peace: Hope and Healing for the Anxious Momma's Heart by Becky Thompson. It's pretty good so far. If you tend towards anxiety more often than you'd like especially, I think you'll find some comfort in Becky's words.

Other than reading, we have been doing puzzles lately, coloring a lot, and the kids have been making lots of Perler bead creations. We are more than ready for some warmer weather, but since that won't be here any time soon, we are doing what we can to stay busy inside and darting outside at every chance when the sun is out and it's above 40 degrees.

I have a few ideas of things I want to share coming up, but I won't make you any promises on when that will be. A few months ago on Instagram I asked if anyone wanted to know more about Thrive Market and my favorite products. I had a lot of feedback, so I thought I'd compile a list and get that up here on the blog soon. I'll work on that. I have a few other ideas, too. We'll see how motivated I am. :)

Stay safe & well!