I walked into our bedroom Sunday evening to this…they’re lucky they’re cute. There’s no room for me!
Monday was my first official “work from home” day. We did a little bit of remote work during spring break, just to prepare for the upcoming weeks, but yesterday was my first full day. There are still a lot of unknowns as we transfer all of our students to an online learning platform, but I am proud of my district and everything they are doing to ensure our kiddos are safe right now. I sipped on a smoothie before I started calling parents.
I took a break in the afternoon to hop on our trainer. I rode for 30 minutes, then had lunch. Moving my body right now is what is keeping me sane. If I can get some kind of workout in each day, it helps so much. We have had a lot of rain lately, which I love, but between crummy weather and being stuck in the house, it’s easy to go stir crazy. I am extra thankful Jake worked so hard to build an amazing home gym for us.
I am super obsessed with tofu right now. It’s amazing in the AirFryer and only takes 10 minutes to cook. Win-win. My favorite thing right now is to sprinkle some Cajun spice on the tofu right out of the package, then I cut it into bite-sized pieces, then put everything into the AirFryer at 400° for 10 minutes. SO delicious.
After lunch, I knocked out my lifting workout. Yesterday was shoulders and one of the moves was so hard. I could barely use 5s for it. Ha! Despite what you may think, you can still get a solid workout in using lighter weights. Just up your reps!
Since we have been calling all of our families using our personal devices, we were instructed to call from a blocked number since we are not at school and able to use our school phones. When we call, we check-in with our families, ask if kiddos have enough food – my district is providing free breakfast and lunch, and if students have their devices with them at home. I really love how our whole district has come together during this time. Everyone is doing whatever they can to make sure our kids are fed and can continue learning. Staying positive is SO important right now.
Guys – this dinner. Holy moly. It’s my own version of Artichoke Spinach Chicken and it is out of this world. And super simple! First, cook chicken with Italian seasoning in the oven. While that’s cooking, in a separate pan, heat up one can of artichoke hearts, two to three handfuls of spinach, 1/4 cup goat cheese, a little Italian or Greek dressing, and some Pepper Jack cheese. Let all that cook. Once chicken is cooked, top chicken with all that spinach and artichoke goodness. So. Good. (I don’t measure stuff, but if I had to guess, that’s about how much I used.) I drizzled our chicken with a balsamic glaze and we had some mashed sweet potatoes on the side.
Jake worked out in our yard most of the evening, so the girls were out with him getting their zoomies out. I could hear them sprinting around the yard like crazies. While he worked in the yard, I spent the evening grading assignments for my online college course. I have taught as an adjunct instructor (part-time, per course) for over 5 years. It’s strange to think this is the last time I will be doing that. I start my new job on August – for new readers, I will be starting my new position as a professor of reading at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock in the fall. I am SO excited. It’s my dream job. And by dream job, I mean that it still hasn’t sunk in that I got the job…I am SO ready to get started.
Another day of working from home and calling families. I have really enjoyed connecting with our families in this way. It is nice to catch up and check on them.
I hope all of you are staying safe and healthy.
Happy Tuesday, friends!