What day is it?

It's Saturday.  Although when there's a Pandemic, does the day even matter?!?  We've been socially isolated distant for a whole week now. One exciting thing is that we've been getting out as a family on hikes every day.  We visited Camp Varnum, Fisherville Brook, Ryan Park, and Trustom Pond this week. It feels good to get some vitamin D and fresh air; and story telling or listening to bird is really neat with your family.  You can learn more about other family-friendly hikes at Rhode Island Families in Nature.


Another exciting thing is that we're building a virtual learning path. Our director, Miss Brandee Lapisky, had a vision and became Command Center. All the Education Experts and supporting folks hopped on board and it's been quite a ride!  The model that is being built is also adoptable by other districts so take notice!  To learn more, you can subscribe to A Note From Miss Brandee. That'll keep you in the loop, but you'd appreciate the archived notes as well. I'll share a few graphics so you get a sense of where we are going....

It's exciting to be part of a team that is moving leaps and bounds ahead of most other schools.  It helps that we are a smaller district of 120 students, but this model can be applied and adapted by other districts. If you want to learn more, send me an email.

This may have been one of the longest weeks of my life. I hope the Pandemic is gentle on all of you, my dear friends. Wishing you peace. Sleep well.  I'll keep you posted on our virtual school. 😊

Friday Friends

Dear friends,
It's Friday. I was thinking "Friday Friends" would be a neat way to connect as the week nears the end and check in on how we're doing and how you're doing.  How are you, friends?

It's been one week since we last saw any friends; we've been socially distancing from everyone and my family has self-quarantined. Due to the coronavirus, my parents drove home from Florida, but I haven't even seen them yet as I am a rule-follower who wants to keep everyone safe. (Oh, how I want to hug my mama!)  One thing that has been keeping my family sane during this Pandemic has been our time in nature.  Every day I grab my three kiddos and we head out for some fresh air, exercise, and nature.  Today was no exception.  We chose to stay close to home because it looked like it could rain any minute and went to Ryan Park around 1:30pm.  I've been enjoying the walks and talks with the kids as we process our "new normal."  The time in nature gives us a break from the information overload coming at us; and we begin to feel like regular people just getting outside: the old normal.


It's a bit grey today, but I always find the trails and the water to be so beautiful.  I love hearing the waterfall and we listened for birds and animals along the walk.  Early signs of spring have made their appearance! We love mindful walking in the peaceful woods of Ryan Park.


Towards the middle of the hike, we found this decorated tree.  What a pleasant surprise that was! I wondered who came out to decorate this tree; and I felt so grateful.  To whomever pulled out their ornaments to surprise us nature walkers, thank you!  I'm always looking for beautiful things as they fill my heart.  This gesture of bringing joy to walking-folks was so kind; it certainly brought a smile to my face.

However, just a moment after we passed this lovely tree, we heard an announcement.  The kids had wandered ahead of me (I was taking solace in the quiet) when suddenly we heard, "You must evacuate the park!" coming from all the way across the water (see the photo above). The announcement traveled all that way to us on the other side as we were crossing the bridge and someone shouted loudly, "Evacuate immediately!" My kids looked back in terror; "Mommy, did you hear that?" and then they started running.  I had heard the men, but I had no idea the park was closed or that we shouldn't be walking in the woods.  Meanwhile, aside from us, I only saw two guys in kayaks and a fisherman.  That is ALL.  You'll find more people in some offices, the market, the pharmacy...but I digress. After running all the way out of the park, I finally caught up with my kids. We were all feeling like we did something terribly wrong, but I assured them I had no idea parks were closed.  We were startled and scared. We saw the kayakers pulling out their boats and asked them what was going on. One man told us the police had come and said the parks were closed.  We're not sure if it's just our town or what, but, feeling frightened and sad, we hopped back in our car. With all that anxious running, my adrenaline even higher (is that possible?), my heart was racing and I was nearly in tears. Ok, I was in tears a few moments after I got in my car and put on sunglasses so the kids wouldn't see.  THE PARKS ARE CLOSED. This leaves me feeling trapped, afraid, and even more isolated.

I never saw any signs of park closure (even on my way out), but if the police say it's true, it must be so. Governor Raimondo hasn't announced closures of outdoor spaces so it must be my town, but that message was not communicated with residents at all. So, PSA to folks in North Kingstown, don't go to the parks. It's super uncool to be yelled at from so far away and feel like you were not following the rules and need to go home.

So, where are we going to find peace without the parks?

Maybe I'll hang out in my backyard more. Maybe I'll keep rocking the meditation music and throw in some chirping bird sounds.  I told the kids we should make sure the bird feeder is full because we would LOVE some flying friends to come visit us.  In any case, please note that screen-distancing is as important as social-distancing for SANITY.  Take a break, get outside, but stay away from Ryan Park.

Sincerely, 
Kristen

Exercise...good for the heart AND worries

With so much time being spent at home, we need to find ways to keep all of us active. 

Exercise is not only great for your heart and body, but movement helps push those anxiety hormones and chemicals out of system.  You can create a new routine as a family or help your children set some goals for themselves.  Got water bottles? They make great weights!  Got access to youtube? There are free streaming yoga and other fitness videos. Maybe streaming a workout for the kids will buy you some free time for your own work and projects. Or, maybe you do it together.  

In any case, keep your bodies moving!  Here are a few ideas:

COUCH TO 5 K 

I'm familiar with this free app and have used it for the past two Springs to get me back in shape. This week, I decided to invite my kids to participate. This app leads you though a training from walking to (in 8 weeks) being able to run a 5K (not that you have to!).  You can get this app on your phone, pick your virtual coach, and follow their instructions on when to walk/run.  

Here we are getting started yesterday:

Just Dance Now has been popular on gaming devices, but did you know you could also get the app? Download and host dance parties in your home with your kiddos. Who's got the best moves?

GoNoodle is another free site with in home activities (explore: Good Energy at Home tab) including some mindful things kiddos can do.  They even offer printables for kids to check off activities they've completed.

You might even create a home "gym" while being socially distant.  Grab a yoga mat or towel, model some simple stretches, create home weights from things like water bottles or jugs, and get moving! Make it creative and fun!  You can even add in a home-made hopscotch with some tape on the floor.

Of course, getting outside to run, walk, bike, hike, swim...are all wonderful FREE ideas!  No matter how you get yourself and your little ones to move, DO IT!  Everyone will feel better, sleep better, manage stress better, ...plus, it'll keep them entertained.  

Staying calm during Coronacation

Just like you, I am socially distancing myself from my community; it can feel kind of scary to be isolated and disconnected. I want you to know you're not alone. I want to keep us together! I want to share a few things that might be calming during this time.

1. Acknowledge your feelings. It's perfectly OK to feel scared, overwhelmed, angry...however you feel whenever you feel it! When something comes up, sit with it for a minute. Slow things down for a bit.  Here's a short video on ANXIETY that might help explain emotional responses.  If you're feeling anxious, remember that chemicals & hormones are pumping through your body and they shut down parts of the brain. Your responses may not be logical. Learn more in this 2 minute video. In short, feel your feelings, thank your brain for working hard to keep you safe, and let go.

2. Find the positives. Ok, hard times are hard times....but one thing we can do, as Mr. Roger's said, is find the helpers! The helpers are not just first responders in an emergency, they're also the teachers, the families, the friends you are now seeing through google meet. Maybe you needed down time to connect with family, work on a project, or get in nature. There are a few positives! It's not all wonderful while in self-quarantine, but we can find a few gifts in this chaos.

3.  What matters and what doesn't. For example: does it matter that your house is messy? Sure, no one loves a messy home, but it's not that important right now. What's more important is feeling safe, having basic needs met, and staying healthy. If you have that going for you, HORRAY!

4. Remember that this too shall pass. Sometimes the moment seems forever and we generalize like, "How will we ever survive?!?" Truth is, we will be ok. Nothing is constant; everything is always changing. We'll move forward as we always do. Make this your mantra if you need to: I am safe.
Positive self-messaging is calming.

5. Unplug! Limit your time spent watching the news or reading stories and stats on social media. It's overwhelming and keeps your brain pumping those chemicals. Consider scheduling your media-time. I'm limiting my news intake and when I've disconnected from it for a bit, I feel better. Try it. Set limits!

6. Do things that fill your heart...with peace! Why not take today to write a letter to a distant friend, or take a walk in your neighborhood, or fill up the bird feeder and take note of feeder guests. Plants seeds inside and watch them grow. Meditate. Make virtual coffee dates with friends. Read a book. Do something for you, that fills your heart, and savor the moment.

7. Start a daily gratitude practice. The more you look for beautiful things, the more you'll find. Add a daily practice of gratitude (do this with your kiddos too!).  You will start to see SO much beauty.

8. Be practical. Get rest, drink fluids, step outside, love your family. Your health matters; take care of it. Mindful eating, a bit of exercise, a good night's sleep, and water can make you feel like a champion! You've got this!

9. Reach out. We are stronger together! Reach out to friends for emotional support. If you are worried about someone else who's struggling, reach out to them. Our community is so important and while socially distancing ourselves, we may not feel as connected.  Everyone is feeling it - we need each other. Call a friend!

10. Own it.  When you make a mess, clean it up. If you yelled at your kids or partner, apologize. Have a sit down meeting where you can all talk about feelings. Learn to identify the feelings you have before your pot boils over, and slow things down. Take space - even a quiet 5 minutes in the bathroom - to re-group. You may be the only adult in your home; and yes, you're feeling overwhelmed. Take a moment for you. When you mess up (as we all do), own it.

There are loads of free tutorials and learning programs available during this pandemic.  Our first online lesson was with Mo Willems.  He's the author of the famous Elephant & Piggie books as well as the Pigeon series which he introduces in his "Lunch doodles with Mo."  His youtube link can be found below.  Here are the drawings Dean and I created.

Check out Mo's Youtube Page here and share your creations as well!

Hiking in the woods

My family has been hiking since...forever!  I will admit that one of my three kiddos is less-than-thrilled about the idea of hiking, but that same child enjoys accomplishing things. To keep some children engaged on a walk, you might look for something of every color in the rainbow, or put them in charge of finding the color markers along the trail, or play Nature Bingo or Scavenger Hunt!

Of course, hiking is just ONE way to be in nature.  It's FREE and available all throughout Rhode Island.  One of my favorite sites is RI Families in Nature. There you will find many kid-friendly walks all over the state!  When you can, get outside!  Everyone feels better with a bit of sunshine and fresh air.

Coronacation Day 1

We are officially on our Coronacation (as named by my oldest son).  On Friday, we had a family meeting where we answered questions about the virus, focused on minimizing anxiety, and outlined HOW we would move through the days ahead.  Here's what we came up with as a family:

Technically, this week is APRIL VACATION so my kids were quick to point out that there should be time for FUN!  I'm going to dive more into each of those ideas listed above and our intentions.  I'll share links, activities, and calming thoughts on this blog.  Today the sun is shining and I encourage you to spend some time in nature.  That's been a priority for my family.  While we are socially distancing ourselves from everyone, we are happy to see others in the woods, on the beach, or biking on the path.  We feel less alone. In addition, creating virtual connections and communities helps us feel less isolated too.

There is anxiety in the unknown so focus on TODAY.  We will move through this as gracefully as we can.  I'd like to remind you to do basic things to care for yourself like showering and getting dressed. Small things like that can help you feel better.  Remember, we're creating a (temporary) new normal in many ways, but there are routines that we can keep in place like bedtimes, waking times, hygiene, meals together, etc.. You are not alone!  One day at a time...we've got this!