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We Survived

We survived another week in isolation and the first week of virtual schooling. Both feats are amazing considered the amount of work it takes to cajole kids to get to their online classes timely. Teenagers are special – truly. Not since the toddler stages have I found parenting more vexing. Fortunately, I no longer have to change their diapers only deal with their tantrums and attitude.

I know this is stressful for them as it is for all of us, but come on man! Doing the dishes for ten minutes isn’t going to cut into your 24/7 free time to play video games or shoot pucks in the garage. Honestly, it’s not asking a lot just for them to help around the house. Additionally, the course work required of each of the boys, thus far, has been reasonable. Both have a virtual session a day, which is great because it gives them a chance to reconnect with their peers and a sense of normalcy. Bottom line they have plenty of time to help mom and dad.


The past couple of weeks have been a constant test of patience and today I felt like I was about to fail the test. Much of my morning was spent motivating, aka arguing with, Goalielocks to start and finish his homework before the 3:00 pm deadline. After asking him for the 900th time to bring his laptop downstairs to complete his work, I was ready to lose my mind.

And then it happened. Anakin, Maya and I came back in from a brief walk around the block. As I was bending down to switch the leach from Maya to Athena, Goalielocks released Anakin form his leash. Unfortunately, Anakin’ s leash was retractable and retracted from ten feet away directly into my shin splints. Oh joy! I totally lost my mind. I took his phone, grabbed my grocery bag to head to Publix.

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Now to be clear, we desperately needed milk and some other essentials. In fact, I’m still looking for toilet paper. If you’ve ever been to my Publix during snowbird season, you would know it’s not for the faint of heart on a normal day. During a pandemic or pre-hurricane, it’s usually super crazy. Nonetheless, it would bring me so much needed peace and serenity. Yep, that’s something I ever expected to write. I picked up some milk, fresh veggies, so gluten free baking mixes and Cadbury eggs.

I came home to Goalielocks diligently working on his coursework while watching Life of Brian on Netflix. If ever there was a perfect movie for today, that was it. Moreover, Always Look On the Bright Side of Life is exactly the song I needed to hear today. Fortunately, Monty Python was the perfect anecdote to my foul mood. Fortunately, the rest of my afternoon went significantly smoother than the morning and I was actually productive!

Now that we have one week of school of under the belts, I feel better about the boys being successful learning at home. Clearly, it’s going to take an enormous amount of patience and grace. Not only from me, but from my boys as well. Together we’ll make it though this stronger and more resilient than ever. Also, will probably be a lot more round after the quarantine fifteen. Thank you Cadbury, coffee cake, brownies and stress eating for that! Imagine by the end of this, the greatest stress in your life will be on your yoga pants.

Here’s a list of our day’s activities:

*Reading To the Lighthouse by William Makepeace Thackery

*Watched BBC’s production of The Moonstone episode 1 and 2

*Watched Life of Brian

*Completed BBG Full Body Workout week 6

*Ran virtual school for my two teenage boys

*Grocery run to Publix for essentials since all delivery services are booked 

*Baked a gluten free coffee cake

*Took Anakin, Maya and Athena on a walk 

*Worked on Obedience Training with  Anakin 

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Pandemic Reading List

I thought I’d make a pandemic reading list to share with my readers. Truly, this time of social isolation is the perfect time to pick up a book. Two years ago I made a commitment to read every night before bed. It’s the perfect way to decompress every night and I love reading. Here’s the list:

  1. The Decameron by Giovanni Boccaci was originally written during the 14th century during the Black Death., This collection of short stories is sure to both entertain and amuse you. Much like today, the characters in his novel were forced to self isolate in a castle outside of Florence to avoid contracting the plague. Despite the ominous backdrop of plague, the tone of this book is quite buoyant.  See social distancing is not a new idea! This also happens to be one of my all time favorite reads.
  2. Resurrection, by Leo Tolstoy. There’s no Black Death in this book, but plenty of the characters are dealing with consumption. It’s a beautiful and heartbreaking tale of redemption. Tolstoy’s ability to develop characters and his stories is second to none and on full display here.
  3. Narcissus and Goldmund, by Herman Hesse. This story follows two friends that take wildly different paths after finishing monastic school. While Narcissus remains in the Monastery as a teacher, while Goldmund explores life outside it’s walls. Consequently, Goldmund experiences the ugliest society has to offer as the Black Death tears through the region. He often finds himself lonely during this travels. Ultimately, he ends up returning to the monastery and his best friend.
  4. The Divine Comedy, by Dante Aligheri because clearly we’re stuck in purgatory. Of course Dante’s classic works touches on more than just purgatory, but since we’re living it you can appreciate that piece of the work. Moreover, purgatory is the place between heaven and hell, which means it could get worse, but it can also get better.
  5. 1984, by George Orwell. I’m not sure this one needs much introduction, but it’s storyline and themes might feel too close to home.
  6. Pride and Prejudice,  by Jane Austen because we can’t just read serious stuff throughout this pandemic. Who doesn’t love a great love story? I love Austen’s characters and the way they develop throughout the book. I’d highly recommend anything that she has written.

To open your pandemic reading, I would start off with The Decameron.  Just be aware that this 14th century novel can be a bit saucy in parts.   Tonight I’m hoping to finish up Vanity Fair before starting Virginia Woolf’s To The Lighthouse tomorrow.  

Here’s a list of our day’s activities:

*Reading Vanity Fair by William Makepeace Thackery

*Watched The Office season 9

*Ran 2.5 glorious miles.  The weather was amazing, my stomach was not.  Nevertheless, my time was much better than Tuesday’s run.

*Run virtual school for my two teenage boys

*Took Gentle Yoga for a Strong Back on Zoom with Jenn from Open Heart Yoga Studio

*Took Anakin, Maya and Athena on a walk to see Goalielocks fishing 

*Worked on Obedience Training with  Anakin 

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Unbelievable Joke

Not only was March an unbelievable joke, it also lasted a century. Okay perhaps March didn’t last a century maybe just a decade. The pandemic, the isolation, the toilet paper run, and the insane people all on global scale made March 2020 a month we will all remember. Consequently, we find ourselves in a global crisis that promises to long disrupt life as we know it.

I know it seems daunting, but we have an infrangible spirit. Together with our family, friends and communities we will get through this period. Honestly, it was talking with my grandma that gave me the most hope. My grandma’s generation lived through both the depression and World War 2. They know all too well the sacrifices and fear that happen during a global crisis. Just like her generation, we too will make it through this and we will be changed. Hopefully, we will come through this kinder, more humble, less wasteful and more generous.

One thing that has become crystal clear is that our nation’s teachers are saints. I say this after two days of virtual school with my younger two boys. I spent my day repeatedly harassing my boys to complete their work. Truly, the whole experience is exhausting. Nonetheless, I’m grateful to our school district for enabling online learning during this time. As someone who spent ten years convincing people online education was viable, I’m thrilled to see online learning come to our country’s rescue. It’s truly phenomenal that the kids can continue learning and connecting with their classmates throughout this pandemic. These social connections are everything!

There are some positives to this experience. mean I guess the upshot of social distancing is the perfect excuse for an introverts night in or ghosting someone. Additionally, it’s given me an opportunity to slow down and reconnect with people. I’ve talked to more people on the phone over the last couple of weeks than I have in the last year. Importantly, I’ve made it a priority to check in on the grandparents. We cannot discount the loneliness and isolation many feel while we’re in lockdown. My grandma’s building has been locked down for weeks, so social interaction is at a minimum. Jake and I both try to call her regularly to make sure she’s ok.

 

Positive things we can do throughout the pandemic:

  • Spend quality time with our families
  • Reconnect with friends and family in meaningful and regular fashion
  • Find innovative ways to hang out with friends and family outside the home (i.e. Uno games via Zoom.)
  • Spend time creating a manageable workout routine
  • Learn a new skill or language (mine is teaching – it’s not going well.)
  • Become a Facebook expert on all things epidemiology, international relations and financial markets
  • Support the small business owners in your community by getting take out, buying produce boxes from local farms or taking virtual fitness classes from your favorite gym or teacher.
  • Be kind to yourself – this is a difficult season for everyone including you.
  • Treat others with grace – see the bullet above
  • Foster an animal from your local animal shelter.  I promise you that puppy kisses make everything better.

Here’s a list of our day’s activities:

*Reading Vanity Fair by William Makepeace Thackery

*Watched The Office season 8

*BBG arms and abs week 6

*Run virtual school for my two teenage boys

*Took Anakin on a walk to see Goalielocks fishing 
*Worked on Obedience Training with  Anakin 

Affiliate advertising supports this blog.  By clicking on the link and making a purchase, you are helping to support the blog with no additional cost to you.  Thanks!