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!