So, now what?

We’re nearing the close of our second week, working at home with our 3 kids.  We’ve been cooking, baking, snacking, cleaning, more cleaning, arguing, playing, watching tv and movies and TikTok videos.  We’ve worked and cried and yelled and hugged. We’ve watched the news and tried to explain to our kids why they can no longer play with their friends.  We’ve had Zoom calls with our loved ones. I closed my storefront and as an employee essential to operating my business, I’m shipping orders from my home daily while my husband tends to the kids.  Then, when I’m finished, we swap duties. It’s a world I never ever imagined would exist!!

But, aside from the stress (and the stress-eating), there’s some light we didn’t know we needed until now.  Our kids get to sleep in, even if it’s just until 7am. We eat every meal together as a family. We no longer have to rush - there’s a level of simplicity we were missing.  We can focus on puzzles and crafts and nature. We can make silly TikTok dances and belly laugh until our tummies hurt and tears are rolling down our cheeks. Of course it’s even more chaotic with 2 adults, 3 kids, and a big ‘ole puppy at home, but it’s a chaos I never knew my heart needed until we were forced to stay home.

So, what do we do in this time of unknown?  I let the kids play on their tablets probably more than I should.  I force myself to exercise, shower, and get dressed… most days! I try to have a fruit or vegetable at every meal.  I stocked up on our leggings & joggers because.. Well.. it’s nice to change out of one pair of stretchy denim jeans into a pair of even more stretchy pants!  With this extra time, and to be honest.. extra money that we aren’t spending at restaurants, I can shop online with some of my favorite stores. It’s a scary time for our health and our economy, and it’s a scary time for small-business owners.  Just imagine how we’ll all celebrate when we’ve made it through! But, until then.. I’ll keep a positive mindset and just enjoy today.