We are on day 10 of our Shelter in Place and what I've learned so far is it's important to make a schedule and get dressed each day. And I mean both of these pretty loosely; I try and do yoga every day, I do something for school, and I do get dressed but that could be sweat pants or other activewear. Most days I make food for both of us. Today is the first day our teenage daughter is home with us. She's been on quarantine with the family she traveled with for Spring Break for the last week. She doesn't have any symptoms and neither does the family so we deemed it safe for her to come home. We don't know what's really safe and what isn't yet we missed her and felt like it was just time. It's hard to keep our distance and it's extremely difficult not to hug/cuddle but we're doing it because this is the new norm. In another week I'm going to feel comfortable to hug her.
Yesterday we had a teacher/car parade through our school neighborhoods. It was fun to honk and see students and families--I miss them all. It's a lot more fun to teach class in person than remotely. The teenager here is struggling to understand a new set of rules for school as well. She has one college-level course that needs real assignments. Her teacher posted assignments with no due dates and no real instruction. It's confusing and not exactly how she wanted the last months of her senior year to go. Everything is off the table; senior skip day, prom, dance recitals and competition. Really it's the essence of being a senior that's been cut short. Plus her sibling are all trying to make it through. Kaylee is in Brooklyn trying to shelter in place as she works from home. She takes walks and even then it is too crowded on the streets she says. Tristan is still going to work every day hoping he doesn't fall ill. Everyone is worried about money and rent, house payments and toilet paper.
It would be real easy to bury your head in your covers and not come out for a few weeks. Obviously I've contemplated this more than once but I find it much healthier to get up at a decent time, have breakfast, do some yoga, clean something (even myself), and read. I limit watching shows or movies until the evening. We've been great about taking our dogs for walks, getting out breathing the crisp air. We've played cards and board games-don't know how we will do that with the teenager yet but we'll figure it out. March seems to be going out like a lamb not a lion so I hope spring weather is just around the corner. I would love a walk without the biting cold. I always said my house would be the best place to be stuck indefinitely because I have stacks and stacks of books.
Right now I'm reading The Way the Crow Flies by Ann-Marie McDonald (800 pgs). And I've finished Netflix's Next in Fashion, Virgin River, and still watching Sex Education. I think my goal for next week is to read chapter books using Google Classroom and posting for students to listen in. What are you doing to keep yourself busy?
