It’s been nearly 60 days since Washington State went into lock down. For me and my family this has meant new routines and a new normal, as has been the case for many families. So, I thought I’d do a little check in on what we’ve been up to during this crazy season.
First off, we’ve had LOTS of change in our family since March. For one thing, we moved! I know, hard to believe we moved homes in the middle of a pandemic but, here we are (my husband is a contractor, so we started building in September). Not only have we been settling into our new home but, with my two kids at home, I’ve been adapting to the home school mom I never thought I’d be. My kids are ages 13 and 10 and they have lots of project based homework during this time. Honestly, I never had the patience to be a home school mom so, I commend those who were homeschooling prior to quarantine–it’s a tough job! The biggest hurdle has been establishing a new routine. I can be pretty Type A and OCD sometimes, so having a routine has helped me stay sane as I tackle normal work at Latah Creek, mom life, home school things, and so
much more.
Right now, my mornings consist of helping the kids with their school work before I head to work at the winery (I am also music teacher, or more like music listener, as I don’t actually play an instrument). I’ve been working on wine making and getting ready for the bottling months, July and August. In the beginning, my mom would come pick the kids up and bring them to the winery around 11 am so they could have lunch with me and finish school work while I worked. But, since my mom broke her femur this Spring, I’ve been tackling her work as well, trying to be home by noon to help the kids with school work, if needed, and helping my mom and dad. Luckily she is a rockstar and is healing quickly and we couldn’t be more thankful!
I think what I’ve enjoyed most about this season, is all the intentional family time we’ve been getting. When the weather is nice, we go on walks or hikes (like pic below) and the fresh air does us all good. Family game nights are a normality now, and it’s been super fun for us and the kids. During my mom’s healing process, we’ve visited my parents a handful of times to deliver dinner and spend time with them. We’ve also been binge watching ALL the Avengers movies in chronological order and supporting local restaurants by ordering take-out. Let me tell you, I love a good burger from Waddell’s Neighborhood Pub. YUM! We also have a subscription to Blue Apron that helps make cooking fun for the whole family; Analisa is becoming quite the chef! And as an added bonus, it helps give my mom and I fresh ideas for new recipes at the winery.
Overall, we’re hanging in there pretty well! We wouldn’t be where we are without everyone’s support. So, before I sign off, I just want to say a huge THANK YOU! I can’t wait to see you all at the winery again. We’ll get through this together–with a glass of wine or two.
-Natalie