Out like a lion
In this weekly blog series, “Life in the time of Covid-19”, I will be sharing a candid view of my family’s journey as we navigate the Covid-19 pandemic.
Well, we made it. Our first full week at home, all together, during this crazy pandemic. This week we started to settle into new routines, discovered some emotions, and found comfort in the emergence of spring.
Anton, our introverted 5-year-old, was tickled pink to be home all week but was disappointed that we instituted some stricter screen time guidelines on Zelda: Breath of the Wild. He keeps on asking if today is a “stay home day” and we continue to answer “Yes. For now, every day is a stay home day. But today is not a weekend day.” I’ve noticed some bigger emotions in Anton as the week progressed. But, that could also be the ways of a preschooler (and our lack of a solid routine at home).
Despite much needed social interaction, Edith, our not so introverted 10-year-old, is doing remarkably well. I think having her brother around all the time has actually been a lifesaver. Yes, there have been fights. But for the most part, the kids have kept each other entertained. No doubt the fights will escalate in the coming weeks. So, I’m taking the time right now to enjoy these relatively calm days.
On Thursday, Edith and I headed to her school to gather supplies for the upcoming week when she would begin distance learning. It was an eerie experience being ushered through a silent school by orange cones and friendly faces 12 feet away. We did get to wave to her teacher which may have been the highlight of her week.
My husband Kris is lucky to still be working full time which is really fortunate for our family as my work has basically come to a full stop. In the hope to ease his added stress of working from home, I’ve shifted the majority of our newfound domestic duties to myself. In a lot of ways, this has worked out really well. It’s good to have a functioning household. That said, as a woman (and a bit of an overachiever), I’m programmed to feel continuity guilty that I’m not doing enough. In the back of my head is the advice a wise friend once told me, "We all have seasons in life where we need to focus our energy on certain things… and that’s okay. Embrace it and know that this too will change." So, that’s what I’m trying to do.
While this week has been better for me emotionally (I was a bit of a wreck last week), I’m still at a loss when it comes to what to do as a business owner. As of today, it looks like I won’t be able to take any sort of face-to-face sessions until May, and more and more likely that may be extended until June. So, finding other ways to build and support my business has been racing through my head all week. While marketing plans and business procedures should be my top priority, it’s been frustrating to think about the future. So, as a healthy distraction, I’ve decided instead to spend more time working on my craft. Yesterday, I played with still life photography and hope to continue practicing this as a form of therapy. I’ve also brought my video gear home so I can finally hone some video skills.
March is almost over and I can safely declare that it’s going out like a lion. Luckily, this is not true for our weather (or the river levels). This week brought warmer temperatures and sunshine which allowed everyone to be outside. Anton is learning how to ride his bike without training wheels, and I put up our big swing for Edith. Mud and dirt are everywhere, which has made our much needed outdoor excursions even more fun. No doubt that the coming weeks will bring plenty of dirt-digging time and enjoying the sunshine.
