I know, it’s been a long time since I checked in here. Don’t worry- we are all doing alright. I thought that I would give you a recap of what we have been doing all day, how we are staying busy, and the worries and concerns we have experienced one month into quarantine.
When we found out the news that school work would be done at home, it did not come as a shock. We had been seeing other states and schools close down, so it wasn’t a question of why, but when.
Since I am a stay at home mom, and hubby works mainly from home now, we are actually in an OK situation when it comes to schooling the kids here in the house. (I was actually relieved to get a break from being a school taxi for a while!)
The next week, we received our kids workbooks and accessory worksheets for us to be able to teach more effectively at home. It was a great help to be able to have the hard print books in front of us, instead of teaching concepts and watching educational videos.
We have lots of crafts and STEM activities to keep the kids busy. We use what we have already at home, and I have not had to buy anything on my own for materials. The girls like using cereals and candies for markers- it makes it fun and acts like a treat at the same time!
Celebrating Earth Day was a highlight this week because they got to make some fun crafts out of recyclables and learn a bit about the world around them! I can’t wait until we can get out to the garden supply store to get some plants for the house. In the meanwhile, we will continue to just look at the emerging tulips that are coming up in the front of the house!
How are the kids holding up emotionally?
The girls are thrilled to not go anywhere, and lounge around the house all day! I thought it would be tough for them since they love to run around, but they’ve become resourceful with their toys, iPads and assortment of Disney+ movies to watch.
Lucas, on the other hand, wants to go into the garage with his dad and work on tractors. He wants to play with everything in daddy’s “shop” and loves to go for walks around the block to chase the birds.
How are the adults holding up emotionally?
I started out fine…but as the weeks rolled on, reality life hit me like a ton of bricks. I went from pretending to be “super homeschooling mom” to begging my kids to come do their assignments. I’ve become so lax when it comes to a schedule, that I just get it down whenever we feel fit.
I used to have the girls do their school work in the morning after breakfast. But now, we scatter it and have Emmy do hers earlier in the day and I let Charli tell me when she is ready. It might be 10:00am, it might be 4:00pm. The teacher assured us not to stress about it too much and to just do the best we could. We do all of the assignments in a day- but sometimes it’s half of it in the morning and the other half at night.
I worry about poor Lucas as I spend so much time with the girls doing school work. He doesn’t understand why am sitting at the table with them for so long, but he does understand when I tell him to “go play”.
If I just had the two girls, this would be a lot easier. Having a toddler running around while trying to concentrate on school work is not ideal. I really give it up to homeschooling parents because I am 75% sure that I could not handle this long term (LOL!).
I have been making sure that we get outside everyday for a walk. I love seeing the girls practice riding their bikes, and I love the exercise and fresh air. If I do not get out with them (due to weather), then I work out in the basement in the morning or at night!
Overall- my attitude shift has been crazy. Half of the day I’m screaming at the kids, or mad that I have to cook again, clean again, or pretend to be another fairy tale character. Current lifelines are coffee, wine and cookies.
How are we getting the necessities?
I have been using grocery pick up service lately! What a game changer! (The only downside- don’t be wiped out of food before you try to order!) On a normal day, you could get same-day pick up times. During all of this quarantine business, expect to wait 2-4 days before there are openings available for you to get your groceries.
I do make an occasional trip to Costco to get larger bulk items, but I try to stay home and not go in the stores if I don’t have to. Cory has been making runs into hardware stores and he is still working in the field. Fingers crossed he stays safe out there! I worry about him being out with others, but I do understand that he’s in a field and not crowded locations.
Thank goodness I am able to work from home. I have occasional blog work, but it’s been slow this past couple of months. Campaigns are on hold, and some are uncertain as to when they are to resume. I am lucky to do the work I do, as I don’t have to go into an office, and I can work on my own time.
My love for acting and bringing a smile to people’s faces can be seen on my other side gig- TikTok. I love this platform for being silly and seeing light in laughter rather than the somber news on other social networks. Please check it out!( I’m a riot in my own mind….and it’s the only thing giving me sanity these days.)
Although I am saddened by the news of the school closure for the rest of the year, there is nothing I can do. I thrive on the support from other like-minded moms and dads that are in the same situation. We can only get through this together. One day at a time.
I’ve thrown out most rules around here. I am doing what I can to get the kids work done, feed my family and keep our sanity. It’s long days and dreading the next morning because it feels like Groundhog’s Day.
May your coffee (or wine) be strong and lets ALL be safe and get through this so that we can resume our everyday activities again! I miss you all and can’t wait to see so many of you!
How are you doing one month into quarantine? Tell me how you’re getting through it! Are you working a lot, taking up a hobby, binge watching shows, baking yummy treats?
