Keeping Up When Everything is Standing Still

I finally got around to updating my calendar.

How on earth will I keep this all straight?

     No more than a month ago, 14YO was looking at the calendar on the side of the fridge. Most of us have a calendar on our phones to keep us abreast of what's going on, but I like to have a main, centrally located calendar we can all see at a glance. I've honestly been better at keeping this thing up-to-date than I thought I'd be. I even use different colored dry erase markers for each person, though David and I usually share the same color. 14YO's things are usually in blue, while 17YO's things are in red. It helps to see it all in one place and I would probably be lost (or more lost, anyway) without it. Since the youngest in the house happens to also be the busiest (and cannot drive herself anywhere yet), this calendar is usually more blue than any other color. 

     Despite the fact that this thing has been updated pretty consistently and the colors have remained the same, it was on this day not even a month ago when 14YO happened to look at the calendar and say, "All of the blue stuff is just mine?" I held back what I was really thinking and curtly replied, "YEP." Once the little turd had confirmed that our world pretty much does revolve around her, she chuckled and said, "That's pretty lit."

And then she walked away.

     You see, this kid never really stops. She plays travel softball in the spring, summer, and fall. She takes weekly pitching lessons. She plays on school teams for a couple of different sports as well. Between school and friends and sports, my kid is living her best life and I'm her ride. And now...

THERE. IS. NOTHING.

     No practices, no games, no school, and no gatherings of any kind. 17YO's prom might be canceled, and it definitely won't happen on its originally scheduled date. We are all getting antsy and anxious for what's to come. Their schools have now pushed the return date back to the beginning of May. If they do go back then, how is this all going to work? The last month of school is normally so chaotic, but imagine trying to cram extra activities of the five or six weeks missed into that last month as well. 

*shudders*

     I'm not sure if cabin fever has completely set in, but the inability to just go somewhere and see people is starting to wear on me at times. I usually alternate between viewing this time at home as a gift and a hostage situation. I really get why we need to stay away from each other, but not everyone sees it that way. We're really fortunate to live in a time where so many jobs can be done remotely. Thanks to programs like Zoom, teachers are able to connect with their classes and explain lessons, with everyone staying safely in their own homes. Without a better screening process to catch this thing before it spreads or, even better, a vaccine, we need to keep from going places and touching each other just a little bit longer. 

     In the meantime, 14YO is attempting to bake a cake from scratch. Her attention span is pretty close to that of a goldfish with a brain injury, so we're all a little nervous. She just confused cups with teaspoons and was about to add 1 3/4 cups of baking powder to her mix. If this girl had her own cooking show, it would be found in the comedy section! And only the bravest audience members would want to try her creations. And her show would likely be sponsored by Pepto Bismol and Tums. Don't worry, she can laugh at herself....we taught her how!

     Here are a few of the things I am hearing as I type this:

"This cake is going to be BOMB DOT COM."

14YO-"After I finish this cake, they will be calling me Bobby Boucher."

Me-"The Waterboy?"

14YO-"Who?"

Me-"Do you mean Bobby Flay?"

14YO-"Isn't that Adam Sandler?"

Me-"....."

"Mom, what color should I make this cake? I never see green cakes, so I'll make it green."

(Luckily, she changed her mind about that one!)

     At least we can say that this experience is a good exercise in her reading comprehension skills and her understanding of science. Or so we can hope. This is a good time to go back to basics in a lot of ways. Board games, jigsaw puzzles, books, and family walks are usually forgotten in the rush of everyday life. When you get sick of that stuff, there's always Tiger King!

“If I were home more, I’d...”

            You guys, is this real life right now? It still feels like we are in a movie. A comedic thriller, of sorts, combining your worst fears with some of the best memes of all time. We joke, but not because we don’t respect the reality of the circumstances. We joke because we need a reason to laugh now, more than ever.

            I’ve ignored this blog for years now. A lot has happened the past few years. I earned my bachelor’s degree in psychology. I am about to start applying to get my master’s degree…if I ever nail down the one I want to pursue. The Paradox of Choice is so real in my life right now! The oldest of my spawn is married now. The baby of the family is about to be in high school. My middle daughter continues to make me feel like she is the one raising me, and she is less than a year away from being a legal adult herself. Needless to say, life keeps David and I pretty busy. In fact, I spend a lot of time making excuses for my shortcomings by saying things like, “If I were home more…”

            Well, guess what? I’m home more for the time being. David’s job is still considered essential, so he leaves for work everyday. But the rest of us…we are HOME. School, travel sports, and my current position as a substitute teacher are all on hold indefinitely. I know we will get back to our regularly scheduled chaos eventually, but that chaos is something I find myself regularly complaining about. Personally, I don’t do well with little downtime. I need time to withdraw, escape, allow my mind to wander and process all the things. All the things just feels like too many things, most days. It’s safe to say that I identify the most with my self-proclaimed introvert friends. I would rather sit somewhere quiet and read. In fact, the busiest times in my life will find me giving up several hours of sleep, just to find that time alone I crave. 

            This week, I’ve really had a chance to think about the things I would like to get done with this gift of time that has been bestowed upon me. My girls still have homework online, so that needs to be a priority. 14YO (yes, the baby!) is working on Punnett squares, and I am sort of geeking out in the hopes she lets me help her. It took me one human biology course to realize how much I enjoy Punnett squares. Apparently, I’m way more of a nerd than I ever allowed myself to realize. 

            I’m okay with that. 

            The first task I tried to knock out was cleaning up my laundry room. While I’m definitely not finished, I made a huge dent in there. Did you know I have a sink in there? I mean, I guess I knew that, but it’s just been so long since I’ve seen it. At some point, a few small pieces of laundry must have fallen off the top of washer and into the sink. I found little, bitty odd socks and teensy-tiny panties. It’s been such a long time since anyone in this house had such small feet or such a pint-sized backside. Yes, it’s been that long since I’ve seen the bottom of that sink! I didn’t get much use out of the sink for several reasons, so it’s no wonder it’s been so long. But, it’s still ridiculous nonetheless. The faucet is “splashy” and makes more of a mess than is worth it, and the newer front-loading washing machine and dryer are larger than those types of machines were when this house was built. The sink is back in the corner, and there’s not really adequate space to make it easily accessible. 

            But my usual excuse of “I’m not home enough” is not really going to cut it, given the current circumstances. So, I plan to try to work on those things that I always put off, because I’m “never home.” My two youngest have also started to do things they don’t usually have the opportunity to do. For instance, they have been fighting more. Now, I’m not talking about the usual bickering that comes with fighting over clothes or who gets to choose dinner. These girls have the opportunity to fight over actual space, leading to pushing, screaming, and chasing each other with spray bottles. I, for one, love it. Those kinds of fights have always been so typical between siblings, but often get missed because we are all too busy to really infringe on each other’s space. 

            That is so sad to me! I feel like we learn so much about ourselves and other people when we have those typical squabbles with our siblings. Also, our world just became a whole lot smaller, even if it’s only temporary. We are bound to have to elbow each other out of our way at one point. 

            So, there might be quite a few more posts from me over the coming weeks. I mean, what else I am going to do with my time? (Besides sharing memes...I will be doing that no matter what!)