Before and After
I've written drafts of a few posts and had a few more ruminating in my brain, but on week 3 of the pandemic, it feels fake to write and post as if our whole world hadn't been put on pause for the foreseeable future.
What odd times we are living in! I feel obligated to write and reflect on what we're doing, or rather, not doing so that one day we can look back and remember what it was like.
At the same time, it's almost like there is an absence of what to write - this is the first spring break in 4 years that we haven't gone on a trip, trips the grocery store have changed from being an enjoyable family outing to being a solo mad-dash to simultaneously stock the house without forgetting anything and touch as few things as possible.
Now we spend all our time at home. Honestly, not that different from before with two small kids, but small changes make big differences. Rudi isn't going to daycare any more. There are no music or library groups to join. Even walks are a bit stressful if there are lots of people around and it becomes challenging to keep 2meters away from others.
We are learning to settle in and hunker down. I have come to understand that time will still go on, and can even be enjoyable, if you don't leave the house for 2 hours in the morning. This is a bit of a revelation for me, as all my stay-at-home-with-kids experiences taught me that gettting out of the house from 9-11 or so was key to having a good day. Turns out we can have good days staying here all day!
We are playing and doing crafts more. Rudi wants to paint daily - so we finally got out the paints he received for his 2nd birthday 7 months ago.
We read books, run laps around the center pillar in our house, and take our time with every chore. We are organizing every drawer and cupboard and closet one by one.
We're making a new adjustment again this week as my mom, who was living with us for 2 weeks while her husband was quarantined after a trip to Mexico, went home today. When she was here she moved on her own natural rhythm and we did ours. Sometimes they lined up during the day, other times not. But she was always here for supper and I realized that was a very nice and appreciated marker at the end of the day.
All in all, my family is very lucky. Our jobs are both secure. Our income is stable. Our house is beautiful and we enjoy spending time here. We are not paying a steep price due to this pandemic - others are taking the brunt of it much much more than we are. I try to remember this always, but especially when the unknown timeline starts to weigh on me.
Just going to keep taking it day by day. Slow down. Notice the good. Stay in the moment. Be grateful for what we have. Hang in there.
What odd times we are living in! I feel obligated to write and reflect on what we're doing, or rather, not doing so that one day we can look back and remember what it was like.
At the same time, it's almost like there is an absence of what to write - this is the first spring break in 4 years that we haven't gone on a trip, trips the grocery store have changed from being an enjoyable family outing to being a solo mad-dash to simultaneously stock the house without forgetting anything and touch as few things as possible.
Now we spend all our time at home. Honestly, not that different from before with two small kids, but small changes make big differences. Rudi isn't going to daycare any more. There are no music or library groups to join. Even walks are a bit stressful if there are lots of people around and it becomes challenging to keep 2meters away from others.
We are learning to settle in and hunker down. I have come to understand that time will still go on, and can even be enjoyable, if you don't leave the house for 2 hours in the morning. This is a bit of a revelation for me, as all my stay-at-home-with-kids experiences taught me that gettting out of the house from 9-11 or so was key to having a good day. Turns out we can have good days staying here all day!
We are playing and doing crafts more. Rudi wants to paint daily - so we finally got out the paints he received for his 2nd birthday 7 months ago.
We read books, run laps around the center pillar in our house, and take our time with every chore. We are organizing every drawer and cupboard and closet one by one.
We're making a new adjustment again this week as my mom, who was living with us for 2 weeks while her husband was quarantined after a trip to Mexico, went home today. When she was here she moved on her own natural rhythm and we did ours. Sometimes they lined up during the day, other times not. But she was always here for supper and I realized that was a very nice and appreciated marker at the end of the day.
All in all, my family is very lucky. Our jobs are both secure. Our income is stable. Our house is beautiful and we enjoy spending time here. We are not paying a steep price due to this pandemic - others are taking the brunt of it much much more than we are. I try to remember this always, but especially when the unknown timeline starts to weigh on me.
Just going to keep taking it day by day. Slow down. Notice the good. Stay in the moment. Be grateful for what we have. Hang in there.
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