It has almost been 8 weeks since we have been home bound, dealing with this pandemic. Here are some things I've learned.
1. My kids are awesome. And yes--of course I thought my kids were awesome before all of this started. But the way that they have handled all of this has really blown me away. Plus, I've really enjoyed spending time with them. Yes--that have driven me crazy at times, but mostly we've had lots of great conversations and laughs and contentment.
2. I am more of a homebody than I thought I was. I have not felt a huge loss in not being able to get out and do stuff. I definitely miss gathering with other people. But I'm not dying to go to a restaurant (it will be great when we can, but again--not dying!), or a movie theater, or a concert. I definitely look forward to traveling, and like I said, to gathering with others (!!!), but I could probably keep doing this for a while if we had to.
3. I miss my Orange Theory workouts. I have been trying to do workouts at home and trying to walk and jog regularly--and spectacularly failing at all of it. My default mode is to not exercise. And for whatever reason, Orange Theory is the only exercise regimen that I have consistently stuck with for longer than 4 months. I will definitely be standing at the door the minute it reopens.
4. I like working from home but don't want to do it full time. I do want to do it more than twice a month, however. Once or twice a week would be ideal.
5. Eight weeks of doing something is about how long it takes for me to feel like it is "normal," which means it will be a challenge to readjust to working at the office full time again (or mostly full time).
6. I will never get tired of doing puzzles.
7. I am TERRIBLE at cutting hair. Granted, I only tried it once, on Seth, but it was crazy stressful and I will NOT do it again. Thankfully, Seth was a very good sport about it.
8. Prior to the Covid-19 pandemic, I very much took for granted many service-industry workers, such as hair stylists, grocery workers, delivery workers, and cleaning people. I don't think that I have taken for granted essential workers such as first responders, medical staff, and teachers, but I definitely have a newfound appreciation for them as well.
9. I hope that I will never, ever take my health for granted.
10. Cleaning your house (something I used to do before I had children) is a skill that will slowly come back to you if you keep practicing, and you'll get more proficient at it the more you do it.
11. The weather has a much bigger influence on my life when I'm able to look out windows all day, instead of working in a windowless office. I MUCH prefer windows.
12. I think I have gained more than I have lost during this pandemic. And that includes weight.
Wednesday, May 06, 2020
Wednesday, April 29, 2020
Everything I Need
When a friend of mine was going through a hard time for a few months, she had a mantra that helped her get through it: "I have everything I need." For a while I thought of that mantra quite a bit, because it's so true. And then I forgot about for a while. Clearly I was having a bit of a meltdown earlier this week. But I think I have recovered. It helps that the sun is shining today and it's a bit warmer outside. I know the warm weather is just around the corner. It will get here. And then we'll all be like, "Ohhh, it's so hot! Oh my God! When is fall going to get here?" I try to never, ever do that. I'll take the heat over the cold any day. You can take the girl out of Florida, but you can't take Florida out of the girl!
At work we've started talking about our "Return to the Office" plan. It feels more speculative at this point than reality, and the beginning would just involve going into the office one or two days a week, taking turns with my co-workers. At some point, Ed's office will do the same, and there might be a point this summer when the boys will be home all day with no supervision. I have no idea if there will be any summer camps. And I have William enrolled in a high school personal finance class, which will occupy at least a few hours of his day. Not sure what we will do with Seth, though.
Anyway, I think one of the hardest things to deal with during this time is future plans. Summer vacations, summer camps, summer jobs--all of it is up in the air. We had been planning to fly out to Oregon this summer to see my sister and brother-in-law. But am I going to feel comfortable flying on a plane any time soon? Any trips we may take might have to be driveable for near--and far--future. Which is fine. First world problems, right? I just want to do something special for the boys this summer, since their world has been turned upside down.
Speaking of the boys, they are handling this SO well. Honestly, even with my small moments of frustration, they are really rising to the occasion. They do their school work with no oversight, they are getting along really well, they're (somewhat grudgingly, lol) pitching in with chores and cooking for themselves. They're practicing their instruments on their own. And while there have been plenty of moments of, "I'm bored," and "Can you do XXXX with me?" in general, the whining and complaining has been quite minimal.
So, all of this to say, we are okay. I am okay. There is WAY more to be positive about than to feel despair over. That doesn't mean those moments of despair won't arise. They will, and that's fine. I am just SO lucky to be where I am. SO SO lucky. If this is all there is for the rest of my life, this is MORE than enough. I have everything I need, and then some.
At work we've started talking about our "Return to the Office" plan. It feels more speculative at this point than reality, and the beginning would just involve going into the office one or two days a week, taking turns with my co-workers. At some point, Ed's office will do the same, and there might be a point this summer when the boys will be home all day with no supervision. I have no idea if there will be any summer camps. And I have William enrolled in a high school personal finance class, which will occupy at least a few hours of his day. Not sure what we will do with Seth, though.
Anyway, I think one of the hardest things to deal with during this time is future plans. Summer vacations, summer camps, summer jobs--all of it is up in the air. We had been planning to fly out to Oregon this summer to see my sister and brother-in-law. But am I going to feel comfortable flying on a plane any time soon? Any trips we may take might have to be driveable for near--and far--future. Which is fine. First world problems, right? I just want to do something special for the boys this summer, since their world has been turned upside down.
Speaking of the boys, they are handling this SO well. Honestly, even with my small moments of frustration, they are really rising to the occasion. They do their school work with no oversight, they are getting along really well, they're (somewhat grudgingly, lol) pitching in with chores and cooking for themselves. They're practicing their instruments on their own. And while there have been plenty of moments of, "I'm bored," and "Can you do XXXX with me?" in general, the whining and complaining has been quite minimal.
So, all of this to say, we are okay. I am okay. There is WAY more to be positive about than to feel despair over. That doesn't mean those moments of despair won't arise. They will, and that's fine. I am just SO lucky to be where I am. SO SO lucky. If this is all there is for the rest of my life, this is MORE than enough. I have everything I need, and then some.
Monday, April 27, 2020
End of Week 6
We have been doing this for 6 weeks, now. This is the beginning of Week 7. I have moved from the "This is kind of nice" phase, to the "Oh My God How Can We Keep Doing This" phase, to the "Okay, New Normal, Established Some Routines" phase, and now I am in the "What is the Meaning of Life" phase. Kind of an existential crisis. What makes life worth living? If this is all there is--working, interacting on a remote level with others, spending an intense amount of time with our nuclear family--is that enough to live a worthwhile life? Is this much different than what I was doing before? The things missing are entertainment-type things: eating out at restaurants, going to movie theaters, going to sporting events, hanging out at bars, shopping for clothes and home goods in person (other than at Target), even working out at gyms and boutiques. More significantly, things that are missing are being in the physical presence of others--meetings, dinner parties, book clubs, exercise classes, just good old-fashioned visiting. And hugs. I actually miss hugging people. Even when they say it's okay to open the stores and the restaurants and the bars, it's okay to have dinner parties and meetings and get-togethers, are we still going to hug? Are we ever going to feel comfortable hugging people again?
I thought I was doing really well with this "new normal." And maybe for a while I was. But my fuse is much shorter these days. My nerves are frayed. My kids feel more needy to me, and it grates on me. I feel more angry and more easily frustrated. I just want everyone to leave me alone. It is still cold outside--colder than I want it to be. And any semblance of exercise that I was imposing on myself is hanging on by a thread. I KNOW exercise is so important right now. And yet I'm falling into that cycle of not exercising, which makes me want to not exercise even more, which makes me NEED to exercise even more.
Well, this has turned into a whiny bitch session, hasn't it. Maybe I need to just let it out. It's okay to feel frustrated and angry and sad. I need to feel it all. This is not easy. Even though I am privileged and blessed, and I KNOW that--I know that I am in a ridiculously good place right now--this is hard. I can give myself some grace, and I can give others grace. WE CAN DO HARD THINGS!!
I thought I was doing really well with this "new normal." And maybe for a while I was. But my fuse is much shorter these days. My nerves are frayed. My kids feel more needy to me, and it grates on me. I feel more angry and more easily frustrated. I just want everyone to leave me alone. It is still cold outside--colder than I want it to be. And any semblance of exercise that I was imposing on myself is hanging on by a thread. I KNOW exercise is so important right now. And yet I'm falling into that cycle of not exercising, which makes me want to not exercise even more, which makes me NEED to exercise even more.
Well, this has turned into a whiny bitch session, hasn't it. Maybe I need to just let it out. It's okay to feel frustrated and angry and sad. I need to feel it all. This is not easy. Even though I am privileged and blessed, and I KNOW that--I know that I am in a ridiculously good place right now--this is hard. I can give myself some grace, and I can give others grace. WE CAN DO HARD THINGS!!
Monday, April 20, 2020
The Sounds of Working from Home
The sounds that I used to associate with working--telephones ringing, muffled conversations, printers and copy machines, senate session bells, computer keyboards clacking--have all given way to different sounds: kids practicing the trumpet and clarinet, birds chirping, cat meowing and purring, teachers and kids video conferencing, neighborhood kids playing outside, doors opening and closing, trucks rumbling and construction site sounds, lawn mowers and blowers and edgers, the boys' conversations.
After five weeks of working from home and social distancing and online school, I can't say that it feels "normal" yet. Yesterday Ed's parents and sister and brother-in-law came by and we sat on the patio 6 feet apart. Ed's aunt and his grandfather (100 years old!) came by, too, in their car. We couldn't really get close enough to have a full on conversation, but we got to see them. Which is better than nothing. I guess gatherings with other people is what I miss the most. Yesterday felt almost normal.
We were talking yesterday about how we liked working from home full time. Ed's father has been working from home full time for almost 14 years. He must feel slightly amused at the rest of the world having to make this adjustment. Ed was saying that he likes working from home--not having to get dressed up for work, not having to commute. Ed's aunt likes it, too. I'm still on the fence a bit. I do love not having to commute. I like the flexibility it offers. I can start working earlier, take a longer lunch break if I need to. Today I went for a run during lunch and then fixed myself an egg salad sandwich. This morning I took 20 minutes to make pancakes for the boys. I don't feel rushed and worried about how and what to have for dinner. That part may have more to do with a lack of practices/games/lessons, rather than teleworking. But still, the non-commute along adds about 1.5 to 2 hours a day.
But professionally, working from home, in isolation, is a little bit hard, I'm having a harder time focusing and staying motivated and staying on task. I'm disconnected from my co-workers. All of this may have more to do with the pandemic and the weight of the world that I'm feeling as I monitor what's going on. When (if?) the world returns to "normal," would I want to continue teleworking? Or will I look forward to getting back to the office? I think, like everything, a combination of both would be ideal. I'd like to telecommute more often than twice a month, that's for sure. But I miss seeing other professional adults and catching up with people and socializing. Maybe the sounds of muffled conversations and the Senate's bells would be comforting at this point, but I know if/when I go back to the office full time, I will desperately miss the birds and the sounds of traffic and yard workers, and most of all, the boys chatting.
After five weeks of working from home and social distancing and online school, I can't say that it feels "normal" yet. Yesterday Ed's parents and sister and brother-in-law came by and we sat on the patio 6 feet apart. Ed's aunt and his grandfather (100 years old!) came by, too, in their car. We couldn't really get close enough to have a full on conversation, but we got to see them. Which is better than nothing. I guess gatherings with other people is what I miss the most. Yesterday felt almost normal.
We were talking yesterday about how we liked working from home full time. Ed's father has been working from home full time for almost 14 years. He must feel slightly amused at the rest of the world having to make this adjustment. Ed was saying that he likes working from home--not having to get dressed up for work, not having to commute. Ed's aunt likes it, too. I'm still on the fence a bit. I do love not having to commute. I like the flexibility it offers. I can start working earlier, take a longer lunch break if I need to. Today I went for a run during lunch and then fixed myself an egg salad sandwich. This morning I took 20 minutes to make pancakes for the boys. I don't feel rushed and worried about how and what to have for dinner. That part may have more to do with a lack of practices/games/lessons, rather than teleworking. But still, the non-commute along adds about 1.5 to 2 hours a day.
But professionally, working from home, in isolation, is a little bit hard, I'm having a harder time focusing and staying motivated and staying on task. I'm disconnected from my co-workers. All of this may have more to do with the pandemic and the weight of the world that I'm feeling as I monitor what's going on. When (if?) the world returns to "normal," would I want to continue teleworking? Or will I look forward to getting back to the office? I think, like everything, a combination of both would be ideal. I'd like to telecommute more often than twice a month, that's for sure. But I miss seeing other professional adults and catching up with people and socializing. Maybe the sounds of muffled conversations and the Senate's bells would be comforting at this point, but I know if/when I go back to the office full time, I will desperately miss the birds and the sounds of traffic and yard workers, and most of all, the boys chatting.
Friday, April 17, 2020
Online School
The boys started active online schooling this past week. Prior to spring break, they were doing review work online, but not engaging with their teachers unless they had specific questions. This week, teachers are reaching out through video conferences, and it has been neat to overhear the kids talking to their teachers and the teachers asking the kids questions. It's a little "peak" into the classroom that I would never get otherwise. The video conferences are optional, so while one of the boys seems to enjoy them, the other is not that interested in engaging in that way. I think it would be good for him, but ultimately, if it's optional, it's up to him.
A lot of the time--at least this week--seems to be figuring out technical stuff. Who can get their camera to work, how to go into "breakout" groups, why you can't hear someone. ("Click Unmute!") I have such respect for our teachers, and what they are going through to educate our kids. And I can hear in their voices that they are genuinely happy to see the kids and get to talk to them and check in with them. Education is so very different for my kids than it was for me. I guess time will tell if it's better or worse. I'm guessing it's neither--just different.
For this final quarter of the school year, the kids will not be getting letter grades--just pass/fail. They did earn letter grades for the 3rd quarter, though, since they had gotten through most of the quarter by the time schools closed. So their 3rd quarter grade plus their pass/fail status will determine their second semester grade. It has a bigger impact on William, since he is taking several courses that will go into his high school GPA. Hopefully he will take some ownership and initiative and get the job done. In the meantime, I am just really grateful for the teachers and the administrators who are figuring all of this out. There have been a lot of tough calls to make, and I am confident that the boys will be in pretty good shape at the end of this school year.
A lot of the time--at least this week--seems to be figuring out technical stuff. Who can get their camera to work, how to go into "breakout" groups, why you can't hear someone. ("Click Unmute!") I have such respect for our teachers, and what they are going through to educate our kids. And I can hear in their voices that they are genuinely happy to see the kids and get to talk to them and check in with them. Education is so very different for my kids than it was for me. I guess time will tell if it's better or worse. I'm guessing it's neither--just different.
For this final quarter of the school year, the kids will not be getting letter grades--just pass/fail. They did earn letter grades for the 3rd quarter, though, since they had gotten through most of the quarter by the time schools closed. So their 3rd quarter grade plus their pass/fail status will determine their second semester grade. It has a bigger impact on William, since he is taking several courses that will go into his high school GPA. Hopefully he will take some ownership and initiative and get the job done. In the meantime, I am just really grateful for the teachers and the administrators who are figuring all of this out. There have been a lot of tough calls to make, and I am confident that the boys will be in pretty good shape at the end of this school year.
Thursday, April 16, 2020
Scheduling
Prior to this pandemic, I lived by my Google calendar. Each of us in the family are color-coded, and I painstakingly added every appointment and practice and lesson and social commitment school holiday and testing dates and Sign-up Genius and Evite. I tend to be very forgetful when it comes to stuff like that, so the Google Calendar has been a lifesaver.
Fast forward to the Time of Covid-19 and the Google Calendar has pretty much fallen to the wayside. Since orthodontist appointments and practices and games and tests and parties have all been canceled, it's been kind a treat not to have to worry about our schedule all the time. The first two weeks, especially, were a time of no commitments, and it's funny how quickly I fell back into the living-by-the-seat-of-my-pants scheduling system.
Now, a month in, I'm finding that I need to jump back on the Google Calendar bandwagon. There are now online music lessons, online tutoring sessions, Zoom happy hours and "parties" and meetings. It's a good thing that in many ways, things are rolling along as usual. But man--it was nice to put down the Google Calendar for at least a little while!
Fast forward to the Time of Covid-19 and the Google Calendar has pretty much fallen to the wayside. Since orthodontist appointments and practices and games and tests and parties have all been canceled, it's been kind a treat not to have to worry about our schedule all the time. The first two weeks, especially, were a time of no commitments, and it's funny how quickly I fell back into the living-by-the-seat-of-my-pants scheduling system.
Now, a month in, I'm finding that I need to jump back on the Google Calendar bandwagon. There are now online music lessons, online tutoring sessions, Zoom happy hours and "parties" and meetings. It's a good thing that in many ways, things are rolling along as usual. But man--it was nice to put down the Google Calendar for at least a little while!
Wednesday, April 15, 2020
In Short Supply
I think I mentioned before how the pandemic is affecting Amazon Prime, and supplies of certain items in general. There are very few things that you can get delivered in two days, if there's anything at all. The demand for delivery services spiked so much that they're basically triaging and trying to prioritize certain things, so non-essentials are taking longer. There are the usual things that are in short supply everywhere--online and in the grocery stores--toilet paper, hand sanitizer, cleaning wipes, masks. And then there are items that I hadn't really anticipated being in short supply but when you think about it, it makes complete sense: flour, yeast, puzzles, dumbbells. Poor Seth really wanted dumbbells for his birthday but they're impossible to find for reasonable prices right now. Guess we'll keep using soup cans and gallons of water and boxes of litter to exercise with.
Anyway, something else that is in short supply is my attention span--specifically for reading. I had noticed this happening before the whole pandemic started, so I think it might have more to do with smartphone addiction than the pandemic. But I can't seem to sit down and read anything for an extended period of time, even a newspaper article. Nothing keeps my attention for very long. Puzzles, however? I have no problem spending hours working on a puzzle. Maybe because my mind can wander when I'm doing puzzles? I also have a few paint-by-numbers that I really want to start. Seth showed some interest so I bought one online that should be here in a few weeks. (See? Amazon Prime--without the Prime!) I think that may be something the two of us can work on together, which should be good.
At any rate, I definitely have enough reading material. I just need to get myself back into the habit. It would probably help if I didn't sleep with the phone on the nightstand. Maybe the first step is admitting I have a problem? LOL
Anyway, something else that is in short supply is my attention span--specifically for reading. I had noticed this happening before the whole pandemic started, so I think it might have more to do with smartphone addiction than the pandemic. But I can't seem to sit down and read anything for an extended period of time, even a newspaper article. Nothing keeps my attention for very long. Puzzles, however? I have no problem spending hours working on a puzzle. Maybe because my mind can wander when I'm doing puzzles? I also have a few paint-by-numbers that I really want to start. Seth showed some interest so I bought one online that should be here in a few weeks. (See? Amazon Prime--without the Prime!) I think that may be something the two of us can work on together, which should be good.
At any rate, I definitely have enough reading material. I just need to get myself back into the habit. It would probably help if I didn't sleep with the phone on the nightstand. Maybe the first step is admitting I have a problem? LOL
Tuesday, April 14, 2020
Zoom
The video conferencing platform Zoom has been one of the most popular ways that people have stayed in touch during this pandemic. From happy hours to Passover Seders to work meetings, it's prolific. There are plenty of other platforms people use, so it's probably more accurate to say that video conferencing is prolific. Saturday Night Live even did a spoof on Zoom during their unprecedented show where all the actors were filming individually in their own homes.
I have participated in a LOT of Zooms. Lots of happy hours, a baby shower, a cooking club (where we all followed along with someone who was demonstrating). At work we're doing a staff meeting Skype video conference once a week. William has been video calling Grandma through What's Ap, since she doesn't have an Apple phone. Yesterday he got to talk to Pepa that way. It's really kind a cool how we adapt and how resilient and resourceful we are. I think I have learned that I'm more of an introvert than I thought, though. I really don't crave company--at least not yet. I don't miss socializing in person. Although it's probably a case of when I start doing that again, I'll remember what makes socializing in person so special.
For now, we'll just keep Zooming!
I have participated in a LOT of Zooms. Lots of happy hours, a baby shower, a cooking club (where we all followed along with someone who was demonstrating). At work we're doing a staff meeting Skype video conference once a week. William has been video calling Grandma through What's Ap, since she doesn't have an Apple phone. Yesterday he got to talk to Pepa that way. It's really kind a cool how we adapt and how resilient and resourceful we are. I think I have learned that I'm more of an introvert than I thought, though. I really don't crave company--at least not yet. I don't miss socializing in person. Although it's probably a case of when I start doing that again, I'll remember what makes socializing in person so special.
For now, we'll just keep Zooming!
Monday, April 13, 2020
One Month
Schools have been closed and Ed and I have been teleworking for four weeks now—a full month. We are so, so, so very fortunate. That's what I keep thinking through all of this. We have jobs, we're healthy, our kids are older, we all get along and are in a really good place in our relationships, we have a nice house, we live in a great school district, we have savings. None of us are struggling with this right now. Ed is a little bit bored and stir crazy at times, but that's the worst of it.
It's hard to imagine at this point what going back to "normal" will look like or how we will even get there. I have absolutely no faith in the federal government at this point that they are in any way capable of handling this. There is NO ONE in charge. The president is a complete disaster. What makes me the most angry is how he is rewarding Republican governors and senators and punishing Democratic ones--or anyone he perceives as an enemy. It is the most unconscionable conduct that I have ever witnessed or that has ever occurred in this country, and there are no political leaders who are willing to do anything about it. It really enrages me and brings me to tears. I am SO disgusted by the enablers. It makes me sick and angry and frustrated and sad and scared and worried.
So, all of that is difficult to deal with. Most of the time, I just try to avoid thinking about it. I don't go on Twitter very much anymore because Twitter is so reactionary and stress-inducing. I'm getting most of my news from NPR Morning Edition, and I get newsletters from the New York Times and The Dispatch (Jonah Goldberg's roundup).
The boys are still doing well. William finally went fishing on his own yesterday. He biked to a little pond he had found along the bike path and spent several hours there. Praise be! Seth likes to ride his bike, too, but he doesn't go far. He mostly just rides up and down our street. Both of them have birthdays coming up and I need to figure out a plan. It might be good to order a few presents for them, too. (If I can get anything shipped on time!) I'm guessing I'll hear more complaining when school starts back up, but I also think they'll be okay with it.
So one month down, one? two? three? to go!
It's hard to imagine at this point what going back to "normal" will look like or how we will even get there. I have absolutely no faith in the federal government at this point that they are in any way capable of handling this. There is NO ONE in charge. The president is a complete disaster. What makes me the most angry is how he is rewarding Republican governors and senators and punishing Democratic ones--or anyone he perceives as an enemy. It is the most unconscionable conduct that I have ever witnessed or that has ever occurred in this country, and there are no political leaders who are willing to do anything about it. It really enrages me and brings me to tears. I am SO disgusted by the enablers. It makes me sick and angry and frustrated and sad and scared and worried.
So, all of that is difficult to deal with. Most of the time, I just try to avoid thinking about it. I don't go on Twitter very much anymore because Twitter is so reactionary and stress-inducing. I'm getting most of my news from NPR Morning Edition, and I get newsletters from the New York Times and The Dispatch (Jonah Goldberg's roundup).
The boys are still doing well. William finally went fishing on his own yesterday. He biked to a little pond he had found along the bike path and spent several hours there. Praise be! Seth likes to ride his bike, too, but he doesn't go far. He mostly just rides up and down our street. Both of them have birthdays coming up and I need to figure out a plan. It might be good to order a few presents for them, too. (If I can get anything shipped on time!) I'm guessing I'll hear more complaining when school starts back up, but I also think they'll be okay with it.
So one month down, one? two? three? to go!
Getaway
Last week was our “spring break,” and we were supposed to be in Anna Maria Island, FL. Instead, we rented a “yurt” cabin in a tiny town about an hour and a half from here. It was fantastic! And two nights was about the right amount of time. The yurt sits next to a little fishing pond and has a beautiful view of the Shenandoah mountains. The boys fished the pond, we played Frisbee, we built a fire both nights and made s’mores. On Wednesday we hiked along the Rapidan River and William fly fished. Seth quickly got bored so he and Ed bugged out while William and I kept going. It was a major lesson in perseverance and patience for William. He was trying to catch brook trout, and after several hours, he finally caught a pretty big one (big by brook trout standards.) He was so excited. By the time we hiked out and got picked up by Ed, he had caught four more. The weather was gorgeous and it was truly an awesome day. I’m so glad we decided to go. I think it was great for all of us to get out and do something different for a few days.
So now we’re enjoying the weekend before we go back to school and work on Monday. The boys will start learning new material on Tuesday (up to now they’ve just been doing review). We don’t really know what that will involve. I’m predicting that a Seth is going to struggle a little more than William but we’ll just have to see what happens.
So now we’re enjoying the weekend before we go back to school and work on Monday. The boys will start learning new material on Tuesday (up to now they’ve just been doing review). We don’t really know what that will involve. I’m predicting that a Seth is going to struggle a little more than William but we’ll just have to see what happens.
Sunday, April 05, 2020
Masks
When we first started hearing about this novel Coronavirus, many people asked about wearing face masks, and the expert advice was that only sick people should wear masks. Masks aren’t that effective in preventing people from catching the virus. Well, fast forward a mo th or two and now the advice is that anyone who goes out in public should wear a mask. They now suspect that many people are asymptomatic carriers so if everyone wears a mask, it will greatly decreases the spread of the virus. In countries where social distancing has been minimal, but mask usage has been substantial, the infection rate appears to be much lower.
Masks are in short supply, however—at least, the N95 or high filtration masks are, and even surgical masks are hard to come by. William has several fishing neck protectors that are sort of like stretchy scarves. I used one today and it worked pretty well. But it isn’t ideal.
So thank God for the interwebs! I did lots of research and learned that nonwoven material is much more effective than woven. There’s a sewing backing material that works great with two layers of cotton, but that material is now hard to come by, as well. But apparently many reusable grocery bags are made from a nonwoven material called pomyprolene that works well for masks. It doesn’t stand up to super high heat well, so you can’t throw it in the dryer, but still—it’s better than nothing. I ordered a set of the grocery bags thinking that I will bust out my sewing machine and finally learn to sew while making masks for anyone in my circle who may them!
But who are we kidding. By the time I figure that dang machine out, this crisis will likely be over. SO, I also learned that car shop towels—the kind that comes in rolls, sort of like paper towels, work really well, too. AND you don’t have to sew anything. You use a paperclip, the car shop towel, rubber bands, and a stapler to McGyver yourself a pretty dang nice face mask. I made one tonight and it’s actually comfortable and fits well.
So there you have it. I may still try to sew a few when the grocery bags get here. But I’m not going to knock myself out. This week in Spring Break for the boys and Ed and I have the week off, too. We found a place near Shenandoah that has three “yurts” for rent. They’re basically nice 2-bedroom cabins on the Rose River. I have no idea what to expect in terms of activities. It’s right next to a pond where the boys can fish. There are lots of hikes close by, although I have no idea what’s open or available. So many parking areas for outdoor parks and trails are closed. But we’ll see. At least it will be a diversion.
I still haven’t personally been touched by the virus. I don’t know anyone who.’s gotten sick. Only a matter of time, I guess.
Masks are in short supply, however—at least, the N95 or high filtration masks are, and even surgical masks are hard to come by. William has several fishing neck protectors that are sort of like stretchy scarves. I used one today and it worked pretty well. But it isn’t ideal.
So thank God for the interwebs! I did lots of research and learned that nonwoven material is much more effective than woven. There’s a sewing backing material that works great with two layers of cotton, but that material is now hard to come by, as well. But apparently many reusable grocery bags are made from a nonwoven material called pomyprolene that works well for masks. It doesn’t stand up to super high heat well, so you can’t throw it in the dryer, but still—it’s better than nothing. I ordered a set of the grocery bags thinking that I will bust out my sewing machine and finally learn to sew while making masks for anyone in my circle who may them!
But who are we kidding. By the time I figure that dang machine out, this crisis will likely be over. SO, I also learned that car shop towels—the kind that comes in rolls, sort of like paper towels, work really well, too. AND you don’t have to sew anything. You use a paperclip, the car shop towel, rubber bands, and a stapler to McGyver yourself a pretty dang nice face mask. I made one tonight and it’s actually comfortable and fits well.
So there you have it. I may still try to sew a few when the grocery bags get here. But I’m not going to knock myself out. This week in Spring Break for the boys and Ed and I have the week off, too. We found a place near Shenandoah that has three “yurts” for rent. They’re basically nice 2-bedroom cabins on the Rose River. I have no idea what to expect in terms of activities. It’s right next to a pond where the boys can fish. There are lots of hikes close by, although I have no idea what’s open or available. So many parking areas for outdoor parks and trails are closed. But we’ll see. At least it will be a diversion.
I still haven’t personally been touched by the virus. I don’t know anyone who.’s gotten sick. Only a matter of time, I guess.
Friday, April 03, 2020
Things that are Different, Volume 2
My dependence on Amazon has really shifted in the Time of Covid-19. It's like we've gone back in time to pre-Prime days, or even pre-Amazon days. I had forgotten that there are, in fact, other online retailers. In some instances, I just have to get things I need or want at a brick and mortar store (that is still open at this point).
I think, overall, I'm spending less money. I'm spending a lot more on groceries, but a lot less on eating out. Not entirely sure if it's a wash, but there is definitely just less spending overall.
I'm pretty much not exercising at all. I think I already mentioned this before, but it bears repeating. I don't even want to know how much weight I've gained in the last three weeks. I'm hoping the weather will get a bit warmer, and that I can motivate myself to start my day with a jog.
I'm getting a lot more sleep--about 8 hours a night on average. I'm also getting way too used to waking up on my own clock, instead of the alarm clock. Feels pretty darn great!
My wardrobe needs have drastically changed. I'm living in jeans and casual shirts/sweaters for now. I wonder how long it will be until my work clothes get worn again.
As we approach the end of Week 3, I'm feeling pretty good. The kids are doing GREAT, we are all getting along, we are not stressed. I know we are SO fortunate to be in this position--to have secure jobs and a good school system and our health. I'm a little surprised and very happy that this--so far--has been a good experience for us. Things feel very calm and not stressful. We are still at the beginning of this journey, though. So I will try to tuck this feeling away to draw from in future weeks when I'm not feeling quite so Polyanaish.
I think, overall, I'm spending less money. I'm spending a lot more on groceries, but a lot less on eating out. Not entirely sure if it's a wash, but there is definitely just less spending overall.
I'm pretty much not exercising at all. I think I already mentioned this before, but it bears repeating. I don't even want to know how much weight I've gained in the last three weeks. I'm hoping the weather will get a bit warmer, and that I can motivate myself to start my day with a jog.
I'm getting a lot more sleep--about 8 hours a night on average. I'm also getting way too used to waking up on my own clock, instead of the alarm clock. Feels pretty darn great!
My wardrobe needs have drastically changed. I'm living in jeans and casual shirts/sweaters for now. I wonder how long it will be until my work clothes get worn again.
As we approach the end of Week 3, I'm feeling pretty good. The kids are doing GREAT, we are all getting along, we are not stressed. I know we are SO fortunate to be in this position--to have secure jobs and a good school system and our health. I'm a little surprised and very happy that this--so far--has been a good experience for us. Things feel very calm and not stressful. We are still at the beginning of this journey, though. So I will try to tuck this feeling away to draw from in future weeks when I'm not feeling quite so Polyanaish.
Tuesday, March 31, 2020
Groundhog Day
By now, my life in many ways feels like a real-life version of Groundhog Day. Wake up, feed the animals, make the coffee, feed the cat and the guinea pig (ha ha ha), unload dishwasher and clean up anything still left from night before, go for a walk if weather is okay, take a shower, start my workday, break for lunch, activity with Seth (bike ride or ping pong or walk), more work, more quick breaks to interact with William and Seth as they begin to get restless, quit work sometime between 4 and 5, more interacting with the boys, make dinner, eat dinner, clean up dinner, watch a TV show with the boys, read with Seth, boys to bed, zone out with TV or Twitter or Insta or Sudoku, bed.
The weekend was a break in that routine. And next week will be spring break, so that will take some creativity. Things are still pretty good though. Today the boys and I played Clue and Taco Cat Goat Cheese Pizza and ping pong. We started watching an old season of Amazing Race. I canceled the rental car and hotel rooms that we had booked for spring break. I finished sorting through my huge collection of recipes and managed to pitch more than half. Now I just need to organize them.
Maybe tomorrow I’ll get a little crazy and clean the bathrooms and change the sheets on the bed. Maybe I’ll even do a load of laundry. The possibilities are endless.
Somehow, I’m still super tired by the end of the day. Go figure!
The weekend was a break in that routine. And next week will be spring break, so that will take some creativity. Things are still pretty good though. Today the boys and I played Clue and Taco Cat Goat Cheese Pizza and ping pong. We started watching an old season of Amazing Race. I canceled the rental car and hotel rooms that we had booked for spring break. I finished sorting through my huge collection of recipes and managed to pitch more than half. Now I just need to organize them.
Maybe tomorrow I’ll get a little crazy and clean the bathrooms and change the sheets on the bed. Maybe I’ll even do a load of laundry. The possibilities are endless.
Somehow, I’m still super tired by the end of the day. Go figure!
Sunday, March 29, 2020
Two Weeks (Feels like Two Months)
We’ve made it through two weeks of social distancing, online school, teleworking. And it definitely has been a long two weeks. But honestly—it has not been nearly as bad as I feared. I know—there’s still plenty of time for break downs and freak outs. But so far, it has not sucked.
Today I took William fishing at the Georgetown Waterfront and our friends met us there. We sat 6 feet apart and the boys fished and it was nice. The weather wasn’t great, but it’s always soothing to be by the water and to chat with a friend.
The weather finally turned nice in the afternoon and Seth begged me to go bike riding down this hill near our house. Before Corona, I probably wouldn’t have done that. He probably wouldn’t have asked me to because he would have been with friends. But today, he asked so off we went. We rode around and went up and down the hill several times. It was fun. Then we rode around a little more and he asked if I could ride with no hands. He has just recently acquired this skill and as I watched him practice and grow more confident, I could so clearly remember my 11-year-old self watching older kids ride with no hands, and wishing I could be that cool, and then learning to ride with no hands, and then feeling so cool and confident when I mastered it. So I took my hands off the handlebars and got the hang of riding with no hands again, and Seth and I cruised down the street, feeling pretty darn cool.
So my bike ride with Seth and my fishing session with William and having friends to chat with are two things today that I feel grateful for. The third thing I’m grateful for is the sunshine and warmth that came out this afternoon.
As we head into week 3, I just hope things continue this way. I know it sounds really corny, and I know we have a way to go, but I’m actually enjoying spending times with my kids and my family. What a crazy time!
Today I took William fishing at the Georgetown Waterfront and our friends met us there. We sat 6 feet apart and the boys fished and it was nice. The weather wasn’t great, but it’s always soothing to be by the water and to chat with a friend.
The weather finally turned nice in the afternoon and Seth begged me to go bike riding down this hill near our house. Before Corona, I probably wouldn’t have done that. He probably wouldn’t have asked me to because he would have been with friends. But today, he asked so off we went. We rode around and went up and down the hill several times. It was fun. Then we rode around a little more and he asked if I could ride with no hands. He has just recently acquired this skill and as I watched him practice and grow more confident, I could so clearly remember my 11-year-old self watching older kids ride with no hands, and wishing I could be that cool, and then learning to ride with no hands, and then feeling so cool and confident when I mastered it. So I took my hands off the handlebars and got the hang of riding with no hands again, and Seth and I cruised down the street, feeling pretty darn cool.
So my bike ride with Seth and my fishing session with William and having friends to chat with are two things today that I feel grateful for. The third thing I’m grateful for is the sunshine and warmth that came out this afternoon.
As we head into week 3, I just hope things continue this way. I know it sounds really corny, and I know we have a way to go, but I’m actually enjoying spending times with my kids and my family. What a crazy time!
Saturday, March 28, 2020
What's Different?
Now that we've been through one full week of work/school, I'm reflecting on how things are different now (other than the obvious--that we're all home!)
For one thing, I haven't blown dry my hair since this all started. I'm just working in some kind of curly hair product and letting it air dry. Another thing--I've been making my bed every day. I have time, and my "office" is the sitting room off the bedroom, and a made bed makes a bedroom look SO MUCH BETTER, so it's kind of a no-brainer.
Something else that is different is that I'm making lunch for the boys almost every day. Some days we've just scrounged, and some days Ed has gotten them situated. But for the most part, we are all breaking for lunch around the same time and I'm preparing something or putting things out to eat.
Another different thing is that I'm doing a LOT more puzzles. I don't know what it is about puzzles that I find so soothing, but I'm happy to have periods throughout the day when I just zone out with the puzzle.
Here are things I'm not doing, that I really should be doing. I'm not reading as much. I attribute this to trauma, and hopefully, I can overcome this soon. I'm also not exercising, which I attribute this to just plain laziness. I'm also not cleaning/organizing as much. I'm wiping surfaces a lot (door handles and things we touch all the time), but I have yet to mop floors or organize the pantry or go through recipes or photographs. There's still time, though. This is a marathon, not a sprint! And it's not like I have TONS of free time. I am still working full time during the week. And the boys still require a good amount of my time.
Still, I will feel like a dolt if I don't get at least a few significant projects done. So on that note, I'm off to sort through my recipe folder! (Not only does it need sorting, but I need to get back into menu planning. But that's a thought for another post.)
For one thing, I haven't blown dry my hair since this all started. I'm just working in some kind of curly hair product and letting it air dry. Another thing--I've been making my bed every day. I have time, and my "office" is the sitting room off the bedroom, and a made bed makes a bedroom look SO MUCH BETTER, so it's kind of a no-brainer.
Something else that is different is that I'm making lunch for the boys almost every day. Some days we've just scrounged, and some days Ed has gotten them situated. But for the most part, we are all breaking for lunch around the same time and I'm preparing something or putting things out to eat.
Another different thing is that I'm doing a LOT more puzzles. I don't know what it is about puzzles that I find so soothing, but I'm happy to have periods throughout the day when I just zone out with the puzzle.
Here are things I'm not doing, that I really should be doing. I'm not reading as much. I attribute this to trauma, and hopefully, I can overcome this soon. I'm also not exercising, which I attribute this to just plain laziness. I'm also not cleaning/organizing as much. I'm wiping surfaces a lot (door handles and things we touch all the time), but I have yet to mop floors or organize the pantry or go through recipes or photographs. There's still time, though. This is a marathon, not a sprint! And it's not like I have TONS of free time. I am still working full time during the week. And the boys still require a good amount of my time.
Still, I will feel like a dolt if I don't get at least a few significant projects done. So on that note, I'm off to sort through my recipe folder! (Not only does it need sorting, but I need to get back into menu planning. But that's a thought for another post.)
Thursday, March 26, 2020
Routines
Now that I have a considerable amount of time to read, I can't seem to read anything other than texts, tweets, and news headlines. In all truthfulness, this has been a trend for a while. I'm spending way more time scrolling through online newspapers, Instagram, and Twitter than I am reading actual books--even Ebooks. The dopamine-charging effect of smartphones is no joke!
Anyway, we are almost through week two and I feel like we've established a little bit of a routine. We wake up, Ed usually showers, I usually head to the kitchen to clean up and make coffee and feed animals, Seth usually begs me to make him something to eat that he can easily make for himself (like a bowl of cereal, for example), and then I go back upstairs to shower or change or just start working. I'm taking a wait-and-see approach to the shower-every-day thing. If I exercise and get sweaty, well then--duh, I'll shower. If not, and my hair doesn't look terrible (like today), I'll just put on clean clothes and call it a win.
My boss established "core hours" from 10:00 to 11:30, when everyone in our office should be at our computers and available. The boys are usually doing their school work at this time, although some days they have finished by 10:00. Regardless, they manage to keep themselves occupied in the morning. By 11:30, though, they're starting to get bored. So I've been breaking around then or noon and we've all been eating lunch together. The best lunch we had was when I made grilled cheese sandwiches using the homemade bread Seth and I made. Those were awesome. Today the boys had sandwiches and I had leftover pizza. We all ate standing up in the kitchen. Seth and I went outside to throw the football around, and then we went for a bike ride to deliver a puzzle to the Hills. Weather was nice today so I wanted to make sure we took advantage of it.
The afternoons have been a mix of working and trying to get the boys to do creative things while they complain of being bored and ask for screen time. Good times. Now that the Senate is out of session, I can knock off at 4:00, so today, I took William fishing at the Georgetown Waterfront. A lot of people were out enjoying the weather, but the steps were pretty empty, so it was a very pleasant hour or so. Then we came home and I made dinner. I've been cooking but we've also ordered in a few times. Gotta do our part to try to help our restaurants stay in business! I'd like to get the boys to take some responsibility and cook a meal, but neither one is even remotely interested. Not sure if it's worth the fight I'd have to undertake to get them to do it. Tonight I had a much-needed "happy hour" at 6:30 with my book club friends, so the boys ate dinner without me.
After dinner, we've been watching an episode of The Mandalorian. Tomorrow night will be the last episode of the season, so I'm not sure what we'll watch together next, but I hope we keep up with this ritual. It's a good way to end the evening and signal the bedtime routine. We have kept to the 9:00 bedtime, which is really nice. (Although William has been staying up later to read, and I'm all in for that! My biggest failure as a parent is that my kids claim they don't like to read!)
I'll end my with my three bits of gratitude for today. I'm grateful for this beautiful spring. I'm grateful for Winston, our cat, who is such a nuisance but so precious. And I'm grateful for sharing the bike ride with Seth today and the fishing time with William today.
Anyway, we are almost through week two and I feel like we've established a little bit of a routine. We wake up, Ed usually showers, I usually head to the kitchen to clean up and make coffee and feed animals, Seth usually begs me to make him something to eat that he can easily make for himself (like a bowl of cereal, for example), and then I go back upstairs to shower or change or just start working. I'm taking a wait-and-see approach to the shower-every-day thing. If I exercise and get sweaty, well then--duh, I'll shower. If not, and my hair doesn't look terrible (like today), I'll just put on clean clothes and call it a win.
My boss established "core hours" from 10:00 to 11:30, when everyone in our office should be at our computers and available. The boys are usually doing their school work at this time, although some days they have finished by 10:00. Regardless, they manage to keep themselves occupied in the morning. By 11:30, though, they're starting to get bored. So I've been breaking around then or noon and we've all been eating lunch together. The best lunch we had was when I made grilled cheese sandwiches using the homemade bread Seth and I made. Those were awesome. Today the boys had sandwiches and I had leftover pizza. We all ate standing up in the kitchen. Seth and I went outside to throw the football around, and then we went for a bike ride to deliver a puzzle to the Hills. Weather was nice today so I wanted to make sure we took advantage of it.
The afternoons have been a mix of working and trying to get the boys to do creative things while they complain of being bored and ask for screen time. Good times. Now that the Senate is out of session, I can knock off at 4:00, so today, I took William fishing at the Georgetown Waterfront. A lot of people were out enjoying the weather, but the steps were pretty empty, so it was a very pleasant hour or so. Then we came home and I made dinner. I've been cooking but we've also ordered in a few times. Gotta do our part to try to help our restaurants stay in business! I'd like to get the boys to take some responsibility and cook a meal, but neither one is even remotely interested. Not sure if it's worth the fight I'd have to undertake to get them to do it. Tonight I had a much-needed "happy hour" at 6:30 with my book club friends, so the boys ate dinner without me.
After dinner, we've been watching an episode of The Mandalorian. Tomorrow night will be the last episode of the season, so I'm not sure what we'll watch together next, but I hope we keep up with this ritual. It's a good way to end the evening and signal the bedtime routine. We have kept to the 9:00 bedtime, which is really nice. (Although William has been staying up later to read, and I'm all in for that! My biggest failure as a parent is that my kids claim they don't like to read!)
I'll end my with my three bits of gratitude for today. I'm grateful for this beautiful spring. I'm grateful for Winston, our cat, who is such a nuisance but so precious. And I'm grateful for sharing the bike ride with Seth today and the fishing time with William today.
Wednesday, March 25, 2020
Life in the Time of Covid-19
We're halfway through our second week of social distancing/teleworking/homeschooling. I felt a little less panicked today. I had a pretty specific and monotonous task for work that kept me occupied. And I didn't pay a lot of attention to Twitter or the news, so that helped. It rained most of the day, so that wasn't great for the boys. They were done with school by late morning and then they were bored. They both had virtual music lessons, so that took up a little bit of time. Ed is pretty adamant about no screen time on school days (other than their obvious screen time for school, and texting, face time, Spotify, or news apps). I know it's ultimately a good thing, but they're really struggling to find things to do. Maybe it will get easier as the weather gets nicer. Things might also change again when they stop doing review lessons for school and start actually learning new things and engaging more with their teachers.
Now that I'm sitting here blogging again, I'm remembering why I quit in the first place. By the end of the day, I am spent. I don't know how I kept it up so long when the boys were so little. At any rate, I will do my best to keep this going. And I will end with small gratitudes. I'm working on a cool puzzle (Disney Pixar movies); the grocery store had almost everything in stock that I was looking for; I got to face time with Tina and Morgan and got a Marco Polo from Heather.
Now that I'm sitting here blogging again, I'm remembering why I quit in the first place. By the end of the day, I am spent. I don't know how I kept it up so long when the boys were so little. At any rate, I will do my best to keep this going. And I will end with small gratitudes. I'm working on a cool puzzle (Disney Pixar movies); the grocery store had almost everything in stock that I was looking for; I got to face time with Tina and Morgan and got a Marco Polo from Heather.
Tuesday, March 24, 2020
We're Still Working It Out
Well, it's taken a national calamity to get me blogging again. As a historian, I know that accounts of what it's been like to live through the Covid-19 pandemic are going to help tell the full story of this time. And I've been trying to put pen to paper and record my thoughts, but I've been too sporadic and unmotivated at the end of the day. And then I remembered this old thing! So here goes nothing.
So, what's it like to live through this Covid-19 pandemic? Let me see if I can reconstruct my timeline. We started hearing about this novel coronavirus showing up in China in January. I can't remember when cases started showing up in Washington State and California, maybe early February. A bunch of cruise ship passengers from a cruise out of Japan started getting sick and all of the passengers had to be quarantined. By the middle of February, people in Italy and Iran started to get sick. It hit a nursing home in Seattle really hard and at the end of February or the beginning of March, and then there was the day (March 11) that Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson announced they tested positive for Covid-19, and the NBA canceled its season when several players tested positive. After that, things seemed to suddenly get real. The boys were out of school on Friday, March 13, for a teacher workday, and over the weekend, the superintendent made the decision to close schools until after spring break (April 15). We had to go to the school to pick up their laptops. They would be off Monday through Wednesday, March 16-18, and then they would begin online learning on March 19. The teachers prepared 10 days worth of review lessons that they posted to Schoology.
Meanwhile, restaurants, malls, movie theaters, bars, churches, parks--basically everything is closed. Grocery stores and pharmacies and Targets/Walmarts are open, but other than that, we are basically sheltering in place. We saw this happen in China and Hong Kong and Italy--the idea of "social distancing" and "flattening the curve." I can't say that I really thought about what it must be like when I read about it happening in those places. It completely tanked the stock market and has severely slowed the gears of the economy. The House and Senate are desperately trying to pass legislation to alleviate the fallout--cash payments to individuals, loans and bailouts to businesses, increased unemployment insurance, free healthcare, etc. etc. etc. As always, the devil is in the details.
Yesterday, March 23, Virginia's governor announced that schools in Virginia would close for the rest of the school year. Even though I think we all kind of expected that this would be the case, it still seemed to catch everyone off guard, kind of like a punch in the gut. Until now, I guess there was a small part of us that thought, maybe, maybe we could still salvage something of "normal" for our kids. But maybe it's better to rip off that bandaid and get on with figuring things out.
As for my own situation, I am now telecommuting full time. Fortunately, our office had started a telecommuting pilot program in November, so the transition has not been too bad. Our office had three laptops that we shared among eight staff members. Last week, we weren't sure if we would all be telecommuting, or taking turns as skeletal staff in the office, or if we'd just have pandemic leave and only work once in a while, trading around the available laptops. Our IT people managed to pull together enough laptops for almost all of us to work from home, so for the foreseeable future, Ed and I both are juggling work and kids.
The boys are adjusting pretty well. They enjoyed their three days off last week. Seth was still playing outside with a few neighborhood kids. I took William fishing several times--to the tidal basin and Georgetown Waterfront. Thank goodness the weather was gorgeous! They seem to be fine with doing their schoolwork online. It doesn't take them much time at all. We are trying to stick to the no-screentime-on-school-days regimen, which is really, really tough and requires much more of me. We've been doing some game playing (we LOVE Taco Cat Goat Cheese Pizza), baking (Seth and I are figuring out how to make homemade bread), lots of walking and riding bikes, making fires in the chiminea, puzzles. And we are making one exception to the screen time rule. After dinner, we started watching The Mandalorian. I fear that all of these diversions will quickly lose their charm, and we will all be at each other's throats in no time.
William got really sad today because I let the boys know that we will most likely not be able to go to Florida for our spring break. We're supposed to go to Anna Maria Island on the Gulf Coast of Florida for the week. We rented a house with a private pool about a block from the beach. I booked a fly fishing guide for William. We were really, really looking forward to it. And we were thinking that since we were planning to drive anyway, and the house and pool are private, and the beach is just a block away, and we can bring our own food and eat at home or order takeout, and we can just as easily social distance there as here--that maybe, just maybe, we could still go. But as I'm reading about traveling right now, it just isn't a good idea. No one wants tourists right now, using up valuable resources like groceries and toilet paper and God forbid hospital supplies if they get sick while they're there. We can hopefully get a credit and do it all again next year. And there's a slight possibility we can rent a yurt in Virginia for a few days instead so William can get his fishing on and we wouldn't be putting anyone out. But I don't want to promise anything this far out. We just have to take a "wait and see" position.
But man, breaking that news was hard. I think it really hit William what this all means. There have definitely been some really nice things about this togetherness, this slowing down, this culture shock of not having the social outlets and the "business" that we are all so used to. I know that if I can remain positive and calm and empathetic and creative, the boys will follow my lead. I know there will be moments when I crack, but I just hope I can hold it together in their presence. They need to not see the panic I sometimes feel welling up inside of me.
And then I start to think of the kids and the wives and the husbands who feel trapped, who no longer have the refuge of school or the office or the house to themselves during the day. How many people will suffer horribly during this time? And it breaks my heart. That's when I start to cry--when I think about the unbearable stress that so many people are dealing with out there. This is all unprecedented and who knows what we will be on the other side. I can't do much more than pray for people right now. Make donations where I can. Spend as much money as I can to help the economy. Look out for neighbors and others in my community. And good Lord--reach out to my friends and family, as often as I can.
I started this blog 13 years ago, and at the time, I really was working it out. I'm not sure if I realized then that I'd probably always be working it out, but as it turns out, that was a really good title for my blog.
So, what's it like to live through this Covid-19 pandemic? Let me see if I can reconstruct my timeline. We started hearing about this novel coronavirus showing up in China in January. I can't remember when cases started showing up in Washington State and California, maybe early February. A bunch of cruise ship passengers from a cruise out of Japan started getting sick and all of the passengers had to be quarantined. By the middle of February, people in Italy and Iran started to get sick. It hit a nursing home in Seattle really hard and at the end of February or the beginning of March, and then there was the day (March 11) that Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson announced they tested positive for Covid-19, and the NBA canceled its season when several players tested positive. After that, things seemed to suddenly get real. The boys were out of school on Friday, March 13, for a teacher workday, and over the weekend, the superintendent made the decision to close schools until after spring break (April 15). We had to go to the school to pick up their laptops. They would be off Monday through Wednesday, March 16-18, and then they would begin online learning on March 19. The teachers prepared 10 days worth of review lessons that they posted to Schoology.
Meanwhile, restaurants, malls, movie theaters, bars, churches, parks--basically everything is closed. Grocery stores and pharmacies and Targets/Walmarts are open, but other than that, we are basically sheltering in place. We saw this happen in China and Hong Kong and Italy--the idea of "social distancing" and "flattening the curve." I can't say that I really thought about what it must be like when I read about it happening in those places. It completely tanked the stock market and has severely slowed the gears of the economy. The House and Senate are desperately trying to pass legislation to alleviate the fallout--cash payments to individuals, loans and bailouts to businesses, increased unemployment insurance, free healthcare, etc. etc. etc. As always, the devil is in the details.
Yesterday, March 23, Virginia's governor announced that schools in Virginia would close for the rest of the school year. Even though I think we all kind of expected that this would be the case, it still seemed to catch everyone off guard, kind of like a punch in the gut. Until now, I guess there was a small part of us that thought, maybe, maybe we could still salvage something of "normal" for our kids. But maybe it's better to rip off that bandaid and get on with figuring things out.
As for my own situation, I am now telecommuting full time. Fortunately, our office had started a telecommuting pilot program in November, so the transition has not been too bad. Our office had three laptops that we shared among eight staff members. Last week, we weren't sure if we would all be telecommuting, or taking turns as skeletal staff in the office, or if we'd just have pandemic leave and only work once in a while, trading around the available laptops. Our IT people managed to pull together enough laptops for almost all of us to work from home, so for the foreseeable future, Ed and I both are juggling work and kids.
The boys are adjusting pretty well. They enjoyed their three days off last week. Seth was still playing outside with a few neighborhood kids. I took William fishing several times--to the tidal basin and Georgetown Waterfront. Thank goodness the weather was gorgeous! They seem to be fine with doing their schoolwork online. It doesn't take them much time at all. We are trying to stick to the no-screentime-on-school-days regimen, which is really, really tough and requires much more of me. We've been doing some game playing (we LOVE Taco Cat Goat Cheese Pizza), baking (Seth and I are figuring out how to make homemade bread), lots of walking and riding bikes, making fires in the chiminea, puzzles. And we are making one exception to the screen time rule. After dinner, we started watching The Mandalorian. I fear that all of these diversions will quickly lose their charm, and we will all be at each other's throats in no time.
William got really sad today because I let the boys know that we will most likely not be able to go to Florida for our spring break. We're supposed to go to Anna Maria Island on the Gulf Coast of Florida for the week. We rented a house with a private pool about a block from the beach. I booked a fly fishing guide for William. We were really, really looking forward to it. And we were thinking that since we were planning to drive anyway, and the house and pool are private, and the beach is just a block away, and we can bring our own food and eat at home or order takeout, and we can just as easily social distance there as here--that maybe, just maybe, we could still go. But as I'm reading about traveling right now, it just isn't a good idea. No one wants tourists right now, using up valuable resources like groceries and toilet paper and God forbid hospital supplies if they get sick while they're there. We can hopefully get a credit and do it all again next year. And there's a slight possibility we can rent a yurt in Virginia for a few days instead so William can get his fishing on and we wouldn't be putting anyone out. But I don't want to promise anything this far out. We just have to take a "wait and see" position.
But man, breaking that news was hard. I think it really hit William what this all means. There have definitely been some really nice things about this togetherness, this slowing down, this culture shock of not having the social outlets and the "business" that we are all so used to. I know that if I can remain positive and calm and empathetic and creative, the boys will follow my lead. I know there will be moments when I crack, but I just hope I can hold it together in their presence. They need to not see the panic I sometimes feel welling up inside of me.
And then I start to think of the kids and the wives and the husbands who feel trapped, who no longer have the refuge of school or the office or the house to themselves during the day. How many people will suffer horribly during this time? And it breaks my heart. That's when I start to cry--when I think about the unbearable stress that so many people are dealing with out there. This is all unprecedented and who knows what we will be on the other side. I can't do much more than pray for people right now. Make donations where I can. Spend as much money as I can to help the economy. Look out for neighbors and others in my community. And good Lord--reach out to my friends and family, as often as I can.
I started this blog 13 years ago, and at the time, I really was working it out. I'm not sure if I realized then that I'd probably always be working it out, but as it turns out, that was a really good title for my blog.
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