Bopril

Quarantine Notes: Week Two

Tomorrow begins week three of our quarantine and homeschool life. In an effort to remember these strange (but not altogether awful) days, I'm back to share highlights. 

Week two continued in a very similar vein as week one. I am finding that tackling most of the academic work in the mornings works best for us, which means I tend to schedule most work meetings in the afternoon. I spend a few minutes each night (and a good chunk of time on Sunday evenings) planning out what's next, printing any needed documents, and scheduling in workouts and other things likely to fall by the wayside if not specifically and dutifully written into the schedule. 

Our homeschool sessions find me rotating between each kid, but I've created a staggered start that sets us up for less frustration and better output. I'll get Rowan set up with a solid understanding of the lesson at hand, and then can leave her for bits of time to work through self-led exercises and computer assignments, responding to any questions she has along the way. Graham requires more diligence as once would expect. We watch videos and complete assignments together, checking off our lists as we go. His morning zoom meetings with his teacher and class are precious and earnest in a way that really pierces my heart. I'm grateful to be able to glimpse them and participate during this period. On Friday, a classmate celebrated a birthday and G's sweet teacher offered a blessing that had me bawling. "Why are you crying, Mom?! Danny's birthday is fun, not sad!" This is a sweet and fleeting age, and I'm happy to have access to this view of his learning. 

We go outside daily - the backyard continues to be great for stretches of independent play. We find them playing school and house and acting out sports games and driving their playhouse-turned-boat. They make good use of chalk and kinetic sand and bubbles, and we are grateful for outdoor space to facilitate their play. We continued our daily walks this week, but we upped the ante with new bikes for Mom and Dad. Family bike rides have become our new thing, and I really love it. It's a nostalgic throwback to the countless hours my brother and I spent tearing thru neighborhood streets on our bikes, and it has been amazing to watch Graham go from a tentative pedlar to a passionate biking pro in the span of a few days. His eyes are barely open for the day before he's asking when our next ride will be. 

The rest is a mundane mix of everything else: we wash our hands (a lot), we disinfect countertops and electronic devices, light switches and doorknobs, faucets and toilets and everything else. We follow the news on a schedule that balances our need for information against our need not to be overwhelmed with dramatic headlines and a never ending flow of sadness and uncertainty. We read books, and lots of them. We workout and take vitamins. We eat three meals a day together. That's such a nice change of pace from normal meals which are largely separate and even when together, hurried. And yes, the kids (and us) watch movies and shows and play games. We try to limit yelling and frustration - I must confess that BJ is better at this than me, but I have a new week ahead to try again. 

We remain grateful for our health and for each other, and we pray diligently for our family and friends and loved ones near and far, for our heroic healthcare workers, for world leaders and for our fellow humans all over the world. I hope we will soon be able to relish in a new way the gift of hugs and time together. And I hope we'll keep some of what we've learned with us forever. 

Be well, friends. xo 

Quarantine

We are living through a strange time, and it occurred to me today that it was worth documenting so we could all remember some day when it is (hopefully) a very distant memory. 

It is unsettling to have life upended, to go from full speed working, social schedules, extracurriculars, school and nanny to the four of us at home, wading thru all of the above. 

It is nice though, the space. The knowledge that we're on our own schedule, responsible for our own days, actions, accomplishments, energy. Our kids are definitely not accustomed to boredom, and it is interesting to watch them navigate their new expanse, even as it can feel quite restrictive. Truthfully, their first instinct is to turn to screens, and during these early days, we have mostly let them. I'm hoping though, that as we get our legs with this new normal (as it seems like it will be prolonged), they'll remember their imaginations and let them run wild. Just tonight I found them "driving in the car" (our stairs) with dolls and stuffed animals behind them, intent on arrival at their new destination. Their creativity is so rich at these ages, and I am finding the revival of it to be a silver lining of this crazy time. 

I am running the kids' homeschool curriculum alongside my day job, and this is tough and exhausting. Teachers have always been superheroes in my mind, but this has catapulted my appreciation well beyond what I've known, even though I'm the daughter of a retired teacher.

I thrive in the scheduling and organizing of it all: I've got calendars and checklists and color coded everything. I mostly ensure everyone shows up in whatever virtual spot they're supposed to (and on time). But what I have in those traits, I more than lack in the actual patience required to sit with them in the learning. Kindergarten and second grade require much shepherding through this process, and managing their wavering attention spans, shifting moods and attitudes, all while ensuring they remain on track has definitely had my head spinning. It's a work in progress. We will get there, and in the meantime, I take deep breaths and remind myself to try to give us all a lot of grace. I screw up. Yell at them. Apologize. Take another deep breath. Try again. And this is the way it goes. I am grateful to be able to work from home, and to get this up close glimpse of their learning, of their becoming at this stage of their development. The rest is gravy, and we'll figure it out. 

We are finding time outside to be critical for sanity. The backyard is a treasured respite. They run and play, shoot hoops, draw with chalk, blow bubbles, and participate in daily "PE" sessions with Dad. We sit out there, too. Soak up the sun, change the scenery as we work, read a book, enjoy a glass of wine. We go for walks and bike rides in the neighborhood, load up in the car when we are feeling particularly squirly, roll down all the windows and cruise. 

BJ cooks every meal and we serve every snack at home. That has been an interesting shift, too. To see how we manage shopping, especially with certain items in short supply. To wonder what the long term impact will be on our spending, how much will we save by spending time together at home? How will it feel to live with less...less going out, less packed schedules, less external interaction, just LESS?

Our community rises like always. Zoom playdates for the kiddos, Zoom happy hours for the parents. Organized birthday greetings and drive-bys for kids whose parties have been cancelled. Group texts and emails that keep sanity in check, keep camaraderie alive. FaceTime sessions with grandparents, cousins, aunts/uncles and friends. As ever, I am unspeakably grateful for our village. 

Week two starts tomorrow. Onward we go. Be well, friends. Stay safe and stay home. Let's kick this thing and gleefully return to the normal we will never again (I hope) take for granted.