Day ... 9?

I have no idea what day we’re on. I sometimes forget what time of day it is. Today, an hour after our regular lunch time, I caught a glance at the clock and thought, “I guess I should think about feeding them soon.” 

And honestly, that’s one of the best parts of this whole wacky experience. Not the part where I forgot to feed my kids, but the part where I have no idea what day or time it is. It’s like Zack Morris hit the pause button on life. We wake when we’re ready (well, except me …. looking at you, Henry.), we eat when we’re hungry and we make mud pies several times each day. 

I’ve also been fascinated by what this experience has done for the kids. I’m not going to say we were the busiest family, but we were busier than I would have liked. With a couple of activities for each girl, we had something going on nearly every night of the week. Add in dinner, homework and showers, and the days, weeks and months blurred into one another. We were mostly just coexisting together. 

With everything canceled, our whole family has the space to breathe again. Our movements are slow and savored. We spend our time doing what fills our buckets and warms our hearts. Some of my favorite moments lately: 

Family walks in the woods: with spring rains, the woods are looking different lately. All donning rain boots, we explore the mud and the puddles with excitement.

Outdoor play: with no expectations of playing with anyone else, the kids have started actually playing with each other. The other day, Claire and Grace were pioneers living their hard-knock lives in the backyard playhouse. Pre-quarantine, this was NOT a thing that would have happened. 

Shared meals: with Scott home, the whole family has been eating lunch and dinner together way more than normal. It’s been so nice to reconnect with each other. We’ve also been hard at work spring cleaning the backyard and have enjoyed breaking up the monotony with a few meals outdoors. But to be real for a second, can we all just agree that fallen leaves are buttfaces? The extra time with Henry may be influencing my vocabulary.

More gratitude: Grace said to me yesterday, “You know, Mom. This whole thing has made me realize how lucky I was before. I liked going to school before, but not being able to has made me just miss it so much.” I think she nailed a sentiment we all share. Sometimes we're going so fast and we're so busy, we don’t realize all of the amazing things happening around us every day. When the teachers from the girls’ school drove by in the car parade yesterday, the girls were happily waving, excited to see their teachers. I’m sure they were completely unaware of the deeper message that was taking root. Your teachers aren’t just there because it’s their job. They are there because they love and care about you so much. That was abundantly clear yesterday as they drove down the street honking, waving and crying. Realizing the depth of a teacher's commitment is just one of the many things we have a newfound gratitude for. Watching our community come together to during this time has been nothing short of inspiring. Neighborhood chalking, drive-by teddy bear hunts, fundraisers, creative solutions — it's deepened my love for this place.

Movie night, every night: With Henry not taking naps, his bedtime has been bumped up and that gives us and the girls some time together. Some much-needed time together. We’ve been slowly making our way through the Marvel movies and bonding over which heroes we like best, least, etc. Grace is a fan of Cap, while Claire's fav is Hulk.

I am acutely aware that these are silver linings. And while I can find the good in this situation, it by no means I’m glad we’re in it. My heart aches for those who are suffering and grieving, for those who have lost jobs or income, for those whose businesses and livelihoods are at stake. For all of us, I wish this to be over as soon as possible. But when it is over, I do hope that we can all take the silver linings and weave them into our regular lives.