My day started right on time with my alarm, although more sleepy than usual, as I was up late the night before picking up after Social Distancing: Day 1. I finally rolled out of bed at 5:03am and found Kendrick fast asleep in my chair.
Coffee time!
While I'm waiting for the coffee, I run a load of darks down to the laundry room and get it started.
I had to relocate for the morning, since sleepy Kendrick had taken my spot, so I got things set up, then went to grab my coffee.
Anyone else stock up a tinge for the zombie apocalypse? I didn't go too crazy (it normally is just slightly less full than this on an average week), but I did grab an extra creamer and an extra box of gogurts.
I have been so thrilled to have found this creamer. Most of the alternate creamers are vanilla flavored, and I'm also very sensitive to vanilla (it gives me really bad heartburn), so I'm so happy to have not just a so-so creamer, but one that's YUMMY!
5:18am - Finally time to sit and dig in! I just finished the book of Genesis, and was starting into Exodus chapter 4 this particular morning. So much to glean from this book. I feel like Moses and I have a lot in common when it comes to being used by God. (i.e. lots of whining and "but I don't WANT to! Pick someone else" going on) What I loved the most about Exodus 4 is how it mentions that God knows exactly what's going to happen, and it isn't going to be positive or good, and he flat out tells Moses that Pharaoh isn't going to do what he's asking, and God has a plan for when that happens. So much more, but this is a day in the life post, not a "what I'm learning in my devotions" post.
5:52am - Go over my calendar for the day. Pretty sparse when you can't do any of the things, right?
6:00am - Time to get myself ready for the day.
I picked up this little wooden sign while in St. Augustine, and it's so fitting for this whole pandemic stuff. I'm pretty glad that I had to learn my lesson already about anxiety and panic, but just as a reminder to all the people ;)
6:20am - Ready to go!
This little guy was up by the time I had gotten ready, and was SUPER grumpy. Their daycare hasn't closed (yet), so I'm still taking the little two in the mornings, and they'd MUCH rather stay home with the babysitter I have coming for the big kids.
6:27am - This little lady was all smiles when I came in, but refused to change out of her jammies. I've not been willing to fight that fight lately, so I changed her diaper and jammies it was for her and Ryan. She was super excited to take her blankies and kitty "Meow Meow" with her today.
6:30am - Girls all ready to go!
6:45am - Our new babysitter showed up and I showed her around while trying to corral Kinsley and Ryan, who were unchracteristically running and hiding from me, so that took a bit longer than usual.
6:58am - Daycare drop off. I was in and out quickly and on my way, a little late for work.
Responding to a Polo to my friend Sarah on my way in. That time between dropping the kids off and getting to work is about my only time to communicate many days.
7:10am - getting settled in at work. Not many pictures from the morning, but certainly a LOT of this going on. I keep forgetting about that "don't touch your face" thing. My hands are so dang dry!
Ready to dig in! And seeing this picture now, I'm realizing just how much I need to clean my keyboard lol
8:40am - second cup of coffee! I had forgotten breakfast this particular day in my rush to get out the door, so I grabbed a handful of almonds as well.
2:16pm - totally forgot to capture anything midday, but it was a pretty typical day at work for the most part. The focus has been a lot on getting day out communications on the internal website for all employees for this COVID-19 stuff, but also for me on beefing up my laptop for those days I end up having to work from home. It's funny the things you realize you don't have loaded on there when you're not just doing tech support in the evening occasionally. I went home for lunch and visited with the sitter and Cashel and Kendrick for a bit, then had to head back to work.
Lots of precautions taking place across the plant. I guess you could say we're quarantined within our office anyway. This is the door right next to my cubicle.
3:00pm - I had therapy today, after going through a screening to ensure I was safe. I think people don't consider mental health a medical service at all, but it is just as important as physical health. Lots to process this particular day. I'm certainly handling it all like a boss, but it's overwhelming still trying to juggle it all. I've learned that I have to have backup plans and then backup plans for my backup plans considering my situation. Trying to figure out how to have care for my kids while still working full time and making sure Mark is still stocked with the supplies he needs lately on top of making sure I have not just food to make meals but enough snacks for these kids and other odds and ends I don't usually buy or think about (like...cereal, because my kids always eat breakfast at school or daycare, so I never have it on hand, since on the weekends, and I make eggs or waffles or pancakes and sausages or bacon).
4:10pm - Pick up the littles from daycare a little earlier than usual so I don't have to go out again, then home for a little snack.
I've been more weary than usual in the late afternoons/early evenings. Between putting in a little extra time working after the kids go to bed some nights and then keeping up with laundry and dishes each day, it's just a lot. I haven't been getting to bed until closer to 11:30 or midnight a lot, so I'm working on changing that.
Lots of running around and playing outside today. Don't even ask me why Kendrick felt like going outside without a shirt when it was 42 degrees and misty outside.
I decided we needed to stop spending $40/week in pizza a few weeks ago. I switched to frozen pizzas, and the kids honestly didn't even ask about it. In fact, they all were raving about what an excellent cook I was this particular night. 🙄
I tackled a little laundry while waiting for the pizza, and put on Watership Down on Netflix, which Cashel and Ryan snuggled up to watch.
6:30pm - Time to eat!
My kids take such flattering pictures of me lol
Ryan and Kins went to go wash their hands after supper, and I was finishing up and come in to find Ryan taking a "tiny bath, Mom" lol
7:30pm - Bath time (for everyone) complete and ready for jammies!
All jammied up and ready for some snuggles.
8:00pm - time to head down for bedtimes! Both of them want to be carried all the time, and if they aren't, it's total meltdown city, so I figure this is what I lift weights for, right? lol
First up, Miss Sassypants. She LOVES going to bed now (hallelujah!), so it's actually pretty fun. And yes she had to switch jammies, becuase she had an open applesauce pouch I didn't see, and when I re-adjusted her, the whole pouch all over her (and me). She's my easiest: A book, a song, a short prayer, and it's lights out!
The most frustrating part about bedtime these days is that Ryan never wants to go to bed (especially on the days he takes a nap), but then he likes to follow me from room to room, bothering everyone elses' bedtimes. Case in point...
I finally got him out just in time to catch him writing with (not dry erase) markers on the whiteboard.
I tell him to go pick his book, and he runs off upstairs, so I opt to go put Cashel down next!
8:30pm - Time for Cashel's bedtime. I half fell asleep during each kids' bedtime last night, so bedtime ended up being much later than intended.
He likes taking silly pics with me lol
8:40pm - Every night when I come up to get Kendrick to bed, he has every single light in the upstairs on. He doesn't say anything typically, but if I ask him why, he always tells me that it's "scary" up here. I've gotten into the habit of letting him have 15 minutes of tablet time before bed so that he'll just stay upstairs and leave me alone while I'm trying to put the other kids to bed.
As I'm waiting for Ryan to brush his teeth and head down to bed, I triage the damage from the evening.
Anyone else feeling an urgent need to lock up ALL the snacks these days? I mean, 8 GoGurts and 16 pouches of applesauce in about a 2 hour span is just ridiculous. I know there are 4 of them, but I need to do better.
8:45pm - I go downstairs to find Ryan in bed, quite obviously "Not tired, Mom". They all looked at me weird for having my phone and taking pictures lol
9:00pm - Kendrick's turn. He told me I was a weirdo for wanting to take a picture of us at bedtime lol
9:25pm - After reminding Kendrick repeatedly to go to sleep (sleeping in and just chilling all day with a babysitter didn't wear him out enough), it was finally time to collapse a bit.
Except not really, because literally 2 minutes after I took the above picture, my phone rang and it was work, needing an emergency fix, so...back to work again.
10:00pm - Showered up and ready for bed! Except...
...2 baskets of laundry to fold, so not really. My therapist had recommended a short Netflix series called Virgin River, and so far, 2 episodes into it, all it has done for me is to give me baby rabies lol
I mean, NEVER again, but I sure do miss my tiny little babies. I just absolutely LOVE my newfound sleep these days with zero interruptions. But those tiny little baby noises...I just was melting!
As an aside, the worst part, so far, about this whole social distancing stuff is that I feel torn about accepting any help into my home right now. Obviously the childcare bit is totally necessary - I don't really have a choice in that matter as I still have to work, and I can't do that with kids without childcare at home even if I did work remotely, but I've been on edge about having my regular help come in and do laundry or cleaning. I mean, although it's necessary, I can just run myself ragged and halfway keep the house up to par and people in underwear and socks, right? And it'd be more effective social distancing too.
That just means, though, that my nights go from bedtime at 9:30/10pm to now 11/11:30 instead, replacing 5-7 hours a week of helpers. I can keep that up for a couple weeks, but not long term, so...we'll see.
11:00pm - Finally in bed! Of course, I spent more time finally responding to a few Marco Polo messages from my girlfriends, since I had left my phone charging in my room as it had died earlier, and then I ended up reading way too dang much crap about COVID-19 scrolling through Facebook, and didn't end up actually going to actual sleep until closer to midnight, but that's a wrap! As an aside, I'm not reading about it because I'm scared or fearful or anxious, but more along the lines of, "What should I avoid doing? How is the rest of the country doing? Are there any ways I can do more or help more than I am currently?" and just being plain fascinated by the whole phenomenon.
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