Here are some random thoughts, having wrapped up NINE weeks of being home with my kids:
I have no excitement about anything... because I feel like anything I'm excited about gets cancelled. Anticipation is half of the fun, so in that regard, the future looks bleak. Or at least unexciting.
I think we were all waiting for the quarantine to end so things could go back to normal, but there is no normal, so we're not re-entering a familiar world. And there's no indication of when things will get back to normal, if ever. When will kids be in a normal school classroom? When will we go to Chik-fil-a to play at the playplace? When will the kids play on soccer teams? When will we have playdates? Or meet at the playground with friends? Will there even be public splash pads open this summer? When will I not feel irresponsible for taking my kids to Target just to look around? When will my kids be able to fill their free-time playing outside with neighborhood friends? When can I hire a babysitter???
My house has been repurposed in a lot of ways, because its working overtime. We often have coloring things spread out ALL over the dining room table, which before would have made me crazy. But since we're home so much, and the kids literally draw for 1+ hour every day, it makes sense and I've learned to live with it. Things are generally just messier because there's more going on at home. But the surface mess makes me want to deep clean and organize. But I don't have the bandwidth to do much of that.
As an introvert I feel like I rarely get alone time. Well, I get an hour every day, when the kids' quiet time overlaps with Enzo's nap. And it flies by way to quickly. And I probably don't use it productively. I try to quick clean, zone out on my phone, read my scriptures, stretch/exercise, eat, troubleshoot all the kids' problems, etc. So I often feel my mental energy depleted.
This experience is confirming that we're homebodies. My kids enjoy playing outside if I make them, but there are days we entertain ourselves just fine inside and nobody is bursting to go out. I enjoy the mental break of driving somewhere and changing scenery, but its less of a big deal than not having alone time. My air conditioning makes being inside even more ideal.
The biggest miracle of this quarantine is how well Mila, Siena, and Tiago play together. They used to whine regularly about not being able to go outside to play with friends. (A rainy day was the end of the world... "the worst day ever") but now they are mostly perfectly content with each other. They enjoy playing together. Yes, they still fight, a lot, but they have gotten quite imaginative and play well together. I think Tiago views the girls like peers, and they love being involved in his plans. It's interesting to see what they do/don't play with. (Most of our toys are untouched... but they do a lot of pretend.)
I think my kids have enjoyed having school at home. Probably because we don't do much and that gives them time to play more. They don't express that they miss school (although I think initially they missed their friends, and they miss their routine and the fun centers the teacher sets up.) Tiago would rather be home reading his own books and building Legos than at school. And doing school from home has allowed the kids to sleep in a bit longer in the morning. (Instead of being woken up by the alarm and then fighting to get out the door on time.)
I always intended to teach my kids to play the piano, but we never previously prioritized it in our "after school" time, when the kids usually wanted to go out and play with friends. It's nice to have finally taken the plunge. The kids have the basics, and I think that's the biggest hurdle. (Well, motivating them to keep going is probably the biggest hurdle. But I no longer have to explain what a beat is, or why notes have names, etc.)
I always intended to teach my kids to play the piano, but we never previously prioritized it in our "after school" time, when the kids usually wanted to go out and play with friends. It's nice to have finally taken the plunge. The kids have the basics, and I think that's the biggest hurdle. (Well, motivating them to keep going is probably the biggest hurdle. But I no longer have to explain what a beat is, or why notes have names, etc.)
Enzo can now take naps whenever it fits best for him, without working around a school pick-up schedule. (Having him awake at 3 pm was the worst!) That's been nice.
Hyrum worked in the office for the first month, with military obviously being an "essential business". (Dallas had a mandated quarantine at the end of March, which ended May 1.) Each day it seemed the were coming up with a new plan. Baby steps were easier for everyone to wrap their heads around, rather than jumping right to the worst-case-scenario, which came regardless. What the ended up doing was screening applicants before they came to the MEPS, turning away anyone who could potentially have Covid-19. A few weeks ago (after an employee tested positive and the had to close the office for a few days) they divided the staff into two teams that rotate which weeks they work from home. That way if someone tests positive, they can clean and have the non-exposed team back in the office ASAP. So what they means for us.... is that Hyrum is home every other week. He tried working from our dresser, in the kitchen, and we settled on moving the white table from the breakfast nook into the bedroom. We've discovered that our cell reception in the house is SO spotty so that makes conference calls nearly impossible. It also means Hyrum is home to wake up early with Enzo. :) (On his in-office weeks, he works 12+ hours and leaves before 5 am!) It means I can go for a walk with the baby while the kids are playing or doing quiet time. It means no commute. It definitely has its perks! (Although there are also benefits of going to work. After the first week tele-working Hyrum commented that he missed going out and having interaction with people. I asked what he thought I've been experiencing for 6 weeks.)
Hyrum worked in the office for the first month, with military obviously being an "essential business". (Dallas had a mandated quarantine at the end of March, which ended May 1.) Each day it seemed the were coming up with a new plan. Baby steps were easier for everyone to wrap their heads around, rather than jumping right to the worst-case-scenario, which came regardless. What the ended up doing was screening applicants before they came to the MEPS, turning away anyone who could potentially have Covid-19. A few weeks ago (after an employee tested positive and the had to close the office for a few days) they divided the staff into two teams that rotate which weeks they work from home. That way if someone tests positive, they can clean and have the non-exposed team back in the office ASAP. So what they means for us.... is that Hyrum is home every other week. He tried working from our dresser, in the kitchen, and we settled on moving the white table from the breakfast nook into the bedroom. We've discovered that our cell reception in the house is SO spotty so that makes conference calls nearly impossible. It also means Hyrum is home to wake up early with Enzo. :) (On his in-office weeks, he works 12+ hours and leaves before 5 am!) It means I can go for a walk with the baby while the kids are playing or doing quiet time. It means no commute. It definitely has its perks! (Although there are also benefits of going to work. After the first week tele-working Hyrum commented that he missed going out and having interaction with people. I asked what he thought I've been experiencing for 6 weeks.)
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