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Every Little Thing by April Jeppson

 

As I write this, it’s April 1. It’s the first day of my month. It’s the time of year where I learn to tune out my name. We are primed to hear our names. If someone calls out your name at a park, you instinctively turn around. Well, as rare as my name is, I tend to hear it a lot over the next few weeks. I’ve had to learn people aren’t actually talking to me or about me, they are explaining their calendar or appointments.

As much as I love having my own month, as a child, today was my least favorite day of the year. My parents would play fun little tricks on my brother and me — telling us that uncooked spaghetti noodles were our dinner, or hiding plastic snakes in the silverware drawer. As a kid, I hated the fact that one day a year everyone tried to fool me. I desperately asked my mom one time, how come there isn’t a Jesse Fools’ Day?! (Jesse is my brother).

This morning I woke up to a short text from my cousin. “Happy Jesse Fools’ Day” is all it said. It made me smile. It’s a joke in my family how much I hated this day. How my sweet little kid self felt unjustly picked on. I’m sure it seems silly, but I have permanently renamed the 1st of April after my brother.

Today is a good day. So far I’ve helped my three kids start their school work. Can I just take a moment and give a huge shoutout to the amazing teachers we have in our school district? Every morning, my oldest gets to video chat his teacher and whatever classmates are able to. He looks forward to his morning meeting and having some semblance of normal. My daughters are busy trying to figure out their assignments, and I can see they are actually learning. Watching videos their teachers have uploaded for them and reading the comments they post on their submitted assignments, my children are genuinely happy to “go to school” every day.

We are starting to get into a routine. Leisurely wake up, get ready for school and then actively learn till lunch. After lunch it’s play outside and help mom clean the house. I’m sure there are classes or assignments that I’m missing. I have three kids and they all have three different learning schedules, but I’m not worried. We are doing our best, and I know that their teachers will work with us if we need it.

I’m actually kind of enjoying this slower way of life. It’s been 15 days since I’ve been grocery shopping and 26 days since I’ve worked in the evenings. This means I’ve been able to sit down with my family for dinner for almost a month straight. My son created a board game we all played last night. My daughters have been working on their improv. My husband finally has the time and energy to teach the kids German, and I’m cooking again.

I know this situation is not ideal, but I’m trying hard to see the good. I’m an optimist, and I’m simply hard wired to find the positive. I am looking forward to the day when I can go get appetizers with my friends and hang out in groups. Oh, how I’ve missed hanging out in groups! However, I’m not going to let that ruin a perfectly good Jesse Fools’ Day.

Albert Lean April Jeppson is a wife, mom, coach and encourager of dreams.