COVID-19 Home Life: Week One
Last Thursday night, March 12th, I was reading Ann Arbor Public School's thoughtful letter to their community letting parents and students know they were closing school. Only minutes after that, I happened to catch the governor speaking live as she announced that, starting that Monday March 16th, ALL K-12 schools in Michigan would be closed.
It's crazy that it's only been a little over a week and somehow I am living a completely different life.
I now have four children at home with me full time. When I say 'at home with me,' it's not like the summer 'at home with me' where we go swimming, play on playgrounds, take day trips, visit museums and trampoline parks and spend countless hours playing with neighbors and family. I mean the 'at home with me' where we stay at our home... like all the time. Sure, we still spend a lot of time outside, but it's in our backyard, on our driveway, sadly waving at neighbors as they walk by or play in their own backyard.
I also have a husband, working from home, upstairs in our bedroom. That room has exploded with papers and books and laptops, and all my school materials strewn about. Josh, as an employee of the Michigan Economic Development Corporation, has been working tirelessly trying to figure out how to aid businesses in our state during this time. He can no doubt hear the chaos ensuing downstairs and likely feels pulled in a million directions- wanting to help me, wanting to help Michigan.
He's exhausted. I'm exhausted.
I have spent 12 years preparing an engaging educational storyline for 55ish 11 and 12 year olds and somehow, this task of being at home with my four children has felt exponentially more challenging.
I wasn't sure what our week days would look like, how much academic 'stuff' we should really do or would actually do, or how I would ever have things just right for each child. I have three VERY different learners with different skills and different knowledge. Plus, a baby who, bless his heart, just wants attention.
Deep down, I knew the most important thing was just that the kids were loved and enjoying time with each other and me.
BUUUUT my personality also needed structure, needed routine, to wrap my mind around how we would spend time, how I could support them, how our brains could continue to be stimulated. This situation makes me feel extremely out of control, so I needed to find control where I could. Me planning things, me diving into preK, kindergarten, 1st grade, and 2nd grade standards, me looking up picture books and read alouds, pouring over science experiments, etc is a way to feel like I'm doing something, helping, taking action, getting a hold of my life.
I spent a lot of time last weekend prepping for our new routine, our new normal. More hours of researching, doing and thinking than I will admit here. Not because it was the right thing to do, but because I NEEDED it for me.
I feel like I need to say it again just for the people in the back- we did school-type things and were very much structured much more for ME and MY sanity than my feeling like I HAD to.
So last week, we got into a homeschool-type routine. We had a math block, a literacy block, a daily community meeting with greetings, a calendar, a data question of the day, picture books galore. We had recesses, I suppose, spending good chunks of time outside, we did some science experiments, we learned about the world.
There were rays of sunshine and absolute dumpster fires during all of this and I will say, it's absolutely the hardest thing I think I've ever done. But we were learning. I was doing my absolute best and my kids were too.
Smiles:
- My family group text sending videos of what they are doing. Josh has been sending a couple every day that have brightened us all up
- Watching the Death Cab for Cutie lead singer play concerts from his house on facebook. Listening to Passenger Seat brought me to tears
- Playing hours of chess- I can't believe how much Nolan and Judah have learned in their after school chess club. They are teaching Carter and Josh currently and it's amazing.
- Playing a board game with Josh's parent via Facetime
- Josh and me staying up one nigh to play an Atari
- Sharing pictures/texts/memes between neighbors and friends- both cute projects the kids have done or ideas that went well AND many many texts and memes depicting times of frustration and general stir craziness. It helps me not feel alone
- Hiking in nature
- Reading SO much with my boys
- Planning virtual wine nights and happy hours with friends
- This extra time with my boys who could not be growing faster
- Walking with my neighbor- her on the sidewalk, me in the street but at least we were together
- The fun enrichment experiences we've had- the art, the doodles, the science experiments, watching facebook live broadcasts at the Cincinnati Zoo, etc
- All the good people are doing offering their skills and talents to help others
Frowns:
- When our local libraries closed earlier than they had originally stated, I could not pick up the books I had on hold and I totally had a mental breakdown. I had checked out so many new picture books, novels that Judah and Nolan could read, books we could read aloud together, and also games too. To say I was devastated is an understatement
- Because I am with the kids all day, I have been using the evenings to get knowledgeable about what is going on in the world. This makes a lot of doom and gloom before bedtime, which has significantly affected my sleeping
- I miss my family tremendously. I miss my people tremendously. I miss strangers tremendously. I never knew what an extrovert I was until this. I hate it. My boys must be similar because the other day they were hiking in the woods and say other humans far in the distance and they began screaming and yelling and waving as loud as they could just to get noticed and get a wave in return
- Trying to keep 3 or 4 people engaged, learning, and positive is impossible. There have been many moments of despair, failure, frustration, and feeling like I have reached my limit. Sometimes all of those even before lunch
- I am getting nothing done. I am with the boys all day, putting them to bed and getting ready for the next day. The end.
- I often feel I am ignoring Preston. The other big three need SO much from me as the day goes and it breaks my heart that sometimes Preston just sits on my lap while I'm trying to help others. He is not getting an equal share of my energy and time. I try to snuggle him extra at bedtime
- Accepting this will last longer than expected
- I worry about my sister, mom, brother-in-law, and other family and friends who are in healthcare and all those still continuing to do their jobs even when they are worried about their health and safety. Please know I am staying home for all of you.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I take peace in knowing I am doing what I'm supposed to be doing no matter how challenging it is. My feeds are full of others doing the same. If you happen to be reading this and haven't significantly changed your life yet, please do- I am begging you.
In some ways, I can't believe I made it through a week in one piece and in another way, I am gearing up for this week with hope and enthusiasm. Maybe you all are feeling similar.
Sending my love all around. Week 2, here we go!
It's crazy that it's only been a little over a week and somehow I am living a completely different life.
I now have four children at home with me full time. When I say 'at home with me,' it's not like the summer 'at home with me' where we go swimming, play on playgrounds, take day trips, visit museums and trampoline parks and spend countless hours playing with neighbors and family. I mean the 'at home with me' where we stay at our home... like all the time. Sure, we still spend a lot of time outside, but it's in our backyard, on our driveway, sadly waving at neighbors as they walk by or play in their own backyard.
I also have a husband, working from home, upstairs in our bedroom. That room has exploded with papers and books and laptops, and all my school materials strewn about. Josh, as an employee of the Michigan Economic Development Corporation, has been working tirelessly trying to figure out how to aid businesses in our state during this time. He can no doubt hear the chaos ensuing downstairs and likely feels pulled in a million directions- wanting to help me, wanting to help Michigan.
He's exhausted. I'm exhausted.
I have spent 12 years preparing an engaging educational storyline for 55ish 11 and 12 year olds and somehow, this task of being at home with my four children has felt exponentially more challenging.
I wasn't sure what our week days would look like, how much academic 'stuff' we should really do or would actually do, or how I would ever have things just right for each child. I have three VERY different learners with different skills and different knowledge. Plus, a baby who, bless his heart, just wants attention.
Deep down, I knew the most important thing was just that the kids were loved and enjoying time with each other and me.
BUUUUT my personality also needed structure, needed routine, to wrap my mind around how we would spend time, how I could support them, how our brains could continue to be stimulated. This situation makes me feel extremely out of control, so I needed to find control where I could. Me planning things, me diving into preK, kindergarten, 1st grade, and 2nd grade standards, me looking up picture books and read alouds, pouring over science experiments, etc is a way to feel like I'm doing something, helping, taking action, getting a hold of my life.
I spent a lot of time last weekend prepping for our new routine, our new normal. More hours of researching, doing and thinking than I will admit here. Not because it was the right thing to do, but because I NEEDED it for me.
I feel like I need to say it again just for the people in the back- we did school-type things and were very much structured much more for ME and MY sanity than my feeling like I HAD to.
So last week, we got into a homeschool-type routine. We had a math block, a literacy block, a daily community meeting with greetings, a calendar, a data question of the day, picture books galore. We had recesses, I suppose, spending good chunks of time outside, we did some science experiments, we learned about the world.
Smiles:
- My family group text sending videos of what they are doing. Josh has been sending a couple every day that have brightened us all up
- Watching the Death Cab for Cutie lead singer play concerts from his house on facebook. Listening to Passenger Seat brought me to tears
- Playing hours of chess- I can't believe how much Nolan and Judah have learned in their after school chess club. They are teaching Carter and Josh currently and it's amazing.
- Playing a board game with Josh's parent via Facetime
- Josh and me staying up one nigh to play an Atari
- Sharing pictures/texts/memes between neighbors and friends- both cute projects the kids have done or ideas that went well AND many many texts and memes depicting times of frustration and general stir craziness. It helps me not feel alone
- Hiking in nature
- Reading SO much with my boys
- Planning virtual wine nights and happy hours with friends
- This extra time with my boys who could not be growing faster
- Walking with my neighbor- her on the sidewalk, me in the street but at least we were together
- The fun enrichment experiences we've had- the art, the doodles, the science experiments, watching facebook live broadcasts at the Cincinnati Zoo, etc
Frowns:
- When our local libraries closed earlier than they had originally stated, I could not pick up the books I had on hold and I totally had a mental breakdown. I had checked out so many new picture books, novels that Judah and Nolan could read, books we could read aloud together, and also games too. To say I was devastated is an understatement
- Because I am with the kids all day, I have been using the evenings to get knowledgeable about what is going on in the world. This makes a lot of doom and gloom before bedtime, which has significantly affected my sleeping
- I miss my family tremendously. I miss my people tremendously. I miss strangers tremendously. I never knew what an extrovert I was until this. I hate it. My boys must be similar because the other day they were hiking in the woods and say other humans far in the distance and they began screaming and yelling and waving as loud as they could just to get noticed and get a wave in return
- Trying to keep 3 or 4 people engaged, learning, and positive is impossible. There have been many moments of despair, failure, frustration, and feeling like I have reached my limit. Sometimes all of those even before lunch
- I am getting nothing done. I am with the boys all day, putting them to bed and getting ready for the next day. The end.
- I often feel I am ignoring Preston. The other big three need SO much from me as the day goes and it breaks my heart that sometimes Preston just sits on my lap while I'm trying to help others. He is not getting an equal share of my energy and time. I try to snuggle him extra at bedtime
- Accepting this will last longer than expected
- I worry about my sister, mom, brother-in-law, and other family and friends who are in healthcare and all those still continuing to do their jobs even when they are worried about their health and safety. Please know I am staying home for all of you.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I take peace in knowing I am doing what I'm supposed to be doing no matter how challenging it is. My feeds are full of others doing the same. If you happen to be reading this and haven't significantly changed your life yet, please do- I am begging you.
In some ways, I can't believe I made it through a week in one piece and in another way, I am gearing up for this week with hope and enthusiasm. Maybe you all are feeling similar.
Sending my love all around. Week 2, here we go!
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