Greetings from the hot summer days of Texas! 2020 has been such a different year for us, as I’m sure it has been for you as well. COVID-19 and the associated effects have been stressful but also a blessing in many ways. This is the first time since maternity leave that I’ve been with my children every day. In the Spring, I was challenged with working long hours and also teaching Tucker Kindergarten 2-3 hours a day to finish the school year. We really enjoyed a short summer break. I have virtual meetings every day – sometimes 6 to 8 calls. One day Parker sat down at a toy laptop and said “I’m on a call.” He frequently pops into my work meetings to say Hi to my co-workers. I have three work spaces setup in the house now. But no matter where I am, the boys want to be playing in the same room with me. Several of my co-workers have commented that even with extreme distractions in the background– I’m a pro at staying focused and keeping my train of thought! I play with the boys whenever I have a little break in my schedule.

Mini golf

Loved going to outdoor mini golf during quarantine this spring.

Forest

And going for walks in the forest.

On July 1st we celebrated Parker’s 4th birthday – Minion style. We had a virtual party with a few friends and family members to sing Happy Birthday while we blew out the candles. We also went to a local children’s museum and played glow in the dark miniature golf (Miniature golf is Parker’s absolute favorite). Parker is an absolute sweetheart. He likes to say, “I love you everyday the whole time.” He looks up to his big brother and loves to play with him. Lately, Parker has been sneaking into Tucker’s pajama drawer, preferring to his brother’s pj’s. They still have some matching shirts and always enjoying days when they can dress alike. Parker is a wealth of information starting many of his sentences with “did you know?...” This summer he can often be found in the backyard with the sprinkler on or playing in the rain – at least once a day.

Tucker is 6 ½ now. He broke his left arm in June while playing Ninja obstacle course in the house – he came down the bunk bed ladder facing forward and going too fast. Fortunately, he is able to wear a splint for 2 months rather than a cast as it was a buckle fracture. And the injury wasn’t too painful except for at the time it happened. Tucker was out of school and already out of gymnastics and piano lessons due to COVID-19 so the injury hasn’t been too disruptive. Tucker helps Parker a lot when I’m on work conference calls and can’t attend to him right away. He is a fantastic big brother. Tucker has also become a pro at unloading the dishwasher which is a huge help to me. He enjoys his toys and most especially his huge collection of stuffed animals.

On August 18th, I’m celebrating 17 years with Pearson Clinical Assessment. I was promoted to a Regional Manager position in January. This has been a great opportunity to share my knowledge and experience with my new team. However, first three months of 2020 were extremely challenging. I was managing a team of eight consultants while still covering my own sales territory and traveling multiple times a month. I was working 50-60 hours a week and barely sleeping. Then we went to Louisiana for a few days over Spring Break, visiting with friends and my cousin. Upon returning home, quarantine started and my travels for the year ended. I’m still often working at my computer at midnight or 1 a.m. due to the workload and spending time with the boys during the day. I’m always struggling to find balance and stay healthy with cooking, exercising, and getting enough sleep. Being in town full time has certainly helped with having a more regular routine.

Easter 2020

Egg hunts!

I will always treasure this year when I’ve been able to tuck my children into bed every single night. And not only that, be with them all day every day. We’ve had fun with imaginary games, hide and seek, hidden objects, egg hunts, treasure hunts, and board games. I feel like they’ve had time to play with their toys for the first time in a couple of years. I don’t miss the busyness of driving them to school, activities, and parties. I’m grateful that the boys love to play together and don’t miss being with friends from school. I am reluctant to end this cocooned life that we have together now.

Fortunately, Pearson is still on a travel ban and the conferences I usually attend have either cancelled or become virtual. Due to several factors including the rising rates of infection in Texas, I’ve decided that Tucker will start first grade through remote learning at home. This means that I will be teaching him and Parker for a few hours every morning (and making up those lost hours after they go to bed). So back to school will be a stressful time but I think it’s the right decision for my family and everyone’s well-being. At least this time I have a more planful approach to our routine of homeschool and have curriculum that I can do with Parker for his pre-K year.

I hope that the challenges of a global pandemic have brought some blessing into your life also. I wish that you are happy and healthy, always.

We send great love and big hugs from the Flowers.