It’s Day 2 of the quarantine.
How are we doing?
The 3-year-old is eating a sprinkled, frosted doughnut for breakfast, so I’m clearly setting myself up for success.
I’m compensating the sugar with Frozen-themed yoga/screen time with Cosmic Kids. I mean, if she’s vaguely waving her arms in the air, it counts as physical activity, not screen time, right?
Wait, she’s asking for Peppa Pig now, so the four minutes of yoga will have to suffice.
I have made one executive decision. I decided (meaning I set a reminder on my phone) to only allow screen time (TV/tablets) for two separate hours during the day. Again, we’re on Day 2, so we’ll see how this goes.
I feel like we’re in this weird, extreme psychology experiment. Researchers will be analyzing and reporting on this virus for years. Filmmakers and authors will create terrifying stories I’ll avoid for years. And once this passes, we’ll all continue to complain about it for…at least a week or so.
Frankly, I grew up in Florida, where hurricanes routinely ravage the land. The fact that we’re stuck at home with internet, electricity, and water? It’s a dream, y’all.
Also, something very sweet has emerged from the oddness of our situation.
I love watching how kind people can be.
I follow a lot of children’s book authors on social media. While they’re mostly a quirky, fun crowd anyway, I love how they’re giving of their resources to entertain and delight homebound children and families.
For instance, Mo Willems is showing up everyday at 1 p.m. on YouTube. Peter H. Reynolds will be there at noon. Oliver Jeffers is on Instagram at 2 p.m., and Mac Barnett is at 3 p.m. Also, Dan Gutman (my son’s current favorite chapter-book author) is on Facebook Live today at 2 p.m.
Those gentlemen alone would be worth the screen time.
I would sit here and try to give a list of wonderful people offering online services, but I’m too lazy for that. Just go find your favorite celebrity/talented people online and see if they’re doing anything fun. Or your favorite places may be offering cool things.
Also, Mama’s impulse-buying on Amazon is taking a bit of a climb. If Amazon delivery goes down, I think these quarantined (ahem, social distancing) howls will heighten to a fever pitch.
Ah well, at least I get to have the Hubs working from home. He appears from his office lair every now and then to get coffee, tickle a kid, and seclude himself again with his techno music for company. (I mean, this is all true, but I don’t feel bitter about it. At least he gets to work. I’m a stay-at-home mom, so I’m doing my work as well.)
At least I am a stay-at-home mom on the routine, because I feel like I’ve been training for this day. I’m an extrovert-y SAHM, so I’ll get stir-crazy quickly. But, hey, all of my problems are very first-world, so I’m counting my blessings.
Hang in there, friends. And quit buying bottled water.
Currently Reading:
Weirdly, I find myself in a bit of a reading slump. I checked out a big stack of food-related books, so I’ll let you know if I find one that sticks.
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