Dear Kids,
Don’t worry. I’ll slow down on writing these for you because, by now, you know Mom likes to write and ramble and I know you probably think you have better things to do. Ahem! Video games are not better things, unless you’re older than I think when you’re reading this and work in that industry, in which case it might be more important because you have to make a paycheck. Anyways, an interesting peek into how your mom thinks when you’re only 2 and 5? Don’t look at me and call me crazy.
It just struck me today that our days under the safer at home order and our days during the summer aren’t that different. I suppose I should be thankful this is happening when only one of you is school, and just starting in a regular school at that. Right now, the weather has been wet and dreary. I don’t feel up to taking you for walks, nor do you want to leave our cozy home to deal with puddles, raindrops, and the cold that will have you coughing in about 5 minutes. In the summer, it’s the opposite. It’s just too hot to venture out. Unless it’s 6 in the morning. In which case you should still be asleep.
But our days now aren’t too different than every summer. We spend most of the time inside. We open the windows in the morning, otherwise there are plenty of things to entertain us inside. My dear little boy, you have your Nana to blame for all the workbooks and learning activities I’ve made you do every summer. I’m not sorry to say I started you on it between preschool and Kindergarten. Sweet princess, yes, this is why you also started between preschool and Kindergarten.
Our mornings are filled with educational things and reading. Our afternoons are filled with fun and running around. Our evenings have Dad in them, and, too often, a piece of chocolate.
Our first week of this, of everyone being home, was complete madness. There was Dad trying to figure out how to be productive with two kids running around. There’s was Mom trying desperately to figure out how to juggle everyone and everything and making workable schedules. And there were the two of you, needing to be educated and needing to be played with. Everything was chaos. I honestly can’t even fathom how we made it through that week, and we’re only on day 2 of the second week, but everything has the other side. We reached the other side of that, and we’ll reach the other side of this virus and having to stay home. We’ll just see how many marbles we have left between all of us.
The one big difference between right now and the summers is Dad being home all day every day, unless he needs to go to work because he’s considered essential. Otherwise, it feels a lot like summer.
So far, week 2 is shaping up to be 100 times better than last week. I’ve finally figured out how to work all your online resources, found things to keep both of you busy, and have hit upon a routine that actually functions. But, most of all, I have to credit both of you. You may only be 2 and 5, but you’re doing remarkably well adjusting to things. Neither of you gets as much attention as before and you’re learning very quickly you must self-entertain. But you’re happy doing it, so I guess I have a virus from our ancestral land to thank for teaching you to self-entertain. Finally.
Anyways, kids, there isn’t too much else for me to tell you now. The number of cases and deaths in our county continue to rise. Restrictions on what can stay open has tightened (gun stores are now deemed non-essential). Grocery stores are still mostly bare. Good luck finding toilet paper. But the sun peeks out once in a while. The cat is showing her face more often. There are toys littering the floor like I haven’t seen in about 2 years. And we’re chugging along. We’re happy and healthy and there are plenty of laughs and family bonding going on.
Love,
Mom
The Lily Cafe 