A Day In the Life – Now

A little disclaimer that I’m going to get real in this post and there could quite possibly be some choice words.

This is a crazy time with the Corona-virus everywhere.  We are all pretty much ordered to stay home, work from home, if you can. And only the essential workers are to be working. I can’t even distinguish who is considered essential, as I feel like the list is a bit out there. But to all those considered essential and those that are out there working, not staying home: I thank you for all that you are doing to try to keep everyone safe. Because I know the only reason you are not home, is because you are helping keep us safe and you are helping to provide families with food, and other items that might be needed.

This shit is scary and it also sucks.

As a working parent, both my husband and I are working from home. Our son’s school has closed for the time being. We chose not to send our youngest to daycare. And then the daycare closed. Therefore, we all are home. Which, in honesty, for safety purposes I’m happy. I’d rather us all be together, safe and snuggled into the house. But it’s also very hard. There’s one office set up, which my husband uses. I’m totally fine with it, as he has a lot of calls and needs the privacy. I set up shop at a corner table in the front of the living room looking out the front window. Nice! But sometimes I’m set up at the dining table and sometimes the kitchen island. Occasionally, I’ll be in the office while my husband takes a break.

So, I sit down at my “desk” and work, while my kids do the following:

• Color
• Draw pictures
• Cut paper
• put stickers on paper
• try to make paper airplanes
• play Star Wars with light sabers
• build a tower and knock it down (over and over and over again)
• ask me for something to eat ( a million plus times)
• watch a movie
• run around the house in circles
• go play in one of their rooms
• jump on the bed
• make loud screams (which I have to get up and tell them to please keep their volume soft as we’re working

We take breaks too. We go outside and the kids run through the yard. They climb the swing set. They play with the bat and ball. They ride in the toy car. They chase each other. They try to climb trees. They continue to play Star Wars. They get sticks for Bailey (our dog) to chew on. They want to ride bikes. So we go to the garage and grab all their stuff. They bike in the garage. They bike in the driveway.

We decide to go for a walk, as an entire family. So we walk the neighborhood with the dog. The oldest on his bike and the youngest….sometimes on his bike sometimes walks.

Oh, let’s not forget the daily meltdowns for various reasons:

• I don’t want to go for a walk.
• I’m hungry (literally they just ate)
• I want to watch TV
• He hit me
• He punched me
• He jumped on me
• He kicked me
• AAAHHHHH
• *crying*
• *screaming*
• I don’t want to build, I just want to watch TV
• I don’t want to go in the garage, I just want to watch TV
• I don’t want to write a story
• But my arms hurt (when asking him to do something)
• But my legs hurt (when asking him to do something)

We ensure we all eat some lunch. Whether that be leftovers from the night before or something else.

The afternoon repeats itself with such activities as listed above. Throw in there a 2.5 year old that typically naps but seems to be fighting them off. Which means that the inevitable is coming…..no more nap time. Ahh! I’m not ready for no more nap time. Sometimes, on the weekends, I use that time to nap for myself. I normally would look forward to that time, but I’m starting to dread it knowing that he’s about to get rid of it. Especially now, during the timing of everything.

And let’s add in there the lovely weather of New England. Most days are fairly nice. Slightly sunny with some clouds, some light wind. Cold enough for a jacket. But today was cold and rainy. My kids didn’t want to go outside, which means it was a full day inside. I tried to get them into the garage to ride bikes or something and they wanted nothing of it. So today, they got a little too much TV time. There was a lot of extra food eaten. And by the end of the day they were off the walls loopy. Laughing hysterically over who knows what. They literally were running circles inside the house. Which was already happening in my head.

All this time with the family is great. Really. I mean, I wouldn’t have it any other way. I love them and this new crazy life. Is this ideal? Maybe not. Do I ever go crazy myself? Sure do. Do I figure out how to bring myself down from the crazy. Absolutely – I need to. Do I ever cry? Oh yes.  Does this suck that we can’t go anywhere except the stores when we need something? Sure does. But we’re doing this to keep us all safe. To keep others, who may be immune compromised safe. To keep our parents and grandparents safe. To keep everyone safe. (I’m sure I’m forgetting something, so forgive me if I did).

Is being home every day hard – you betcha it is. But we need to do this to keep everyone safe.