School officially began on Monday. We have opted to keep our daughter, Jordan, home and utilize the cyber school option offered by our district. I have to say, the last two days have gone very well. Jordan is happy, she is attentive to her academic duties, and we get to spend a ton of time together. I like having her home. She is a naturally happy child, she is smart, she is helpful, and she keeps things lively. The past two days have flown by in a whirlwind. I am working diligently to keep her on a schedule. Being on a schedule is just good for everyone but Jordan in particular seems to thrive with structure. I too enjoy being on a schedule but I feel very pressured to keep said schedule…I think I might know where my daughter gets her type A personality…sigh.
The last two nights, I could not get to bed fast enough and when the alarm goes off at 5 a.m. the snooze button is hit repeatedly. I feel exhausted. I began to think about the last two days and it dawned on me, I am exhausted because I am wearing so many different hats. Being a stay at home mom can be exhausting. Being a small business owner can be exhausting. Being a teacher can be exhausting. Being a lunch lady, a hair dresser, a stylist, a nurse, a therapist…all exhausting. These are the hats I am wearing on a daily basis. It also seems that I have to be mentally prepared to change hats at the drop of a dime. Most days, I am not mentally prepared to do laundry…no wonder I am walking around thinking just 30 minutes, if I could close my eyes for just 30 minutes, I would be a better human. However, I am apparently destined to be a subpar human because those 30 minutes never come.
Our day now begins with a hot breakfast. When my friend CiCi was staying with us, we had a hot breakfast promptly at 7:30 every morning. I really liked breakfast when CiCi was here. Now, I don’t understand why The Bibbed Wonder can’t just be happy with a Pop Tart or some Lucky Charms…sigh. Now, its eggs and kimchi or porridge and cabbage…I know oatmeal and cabbage sounds gross but it’s surprisingly good and very healthy. Breakfast is a huge time suck.
We then do The Pledge of Allegiance with The Bean and say a quick prayer for a good, productive day. We fire up the computer, get The Bean Started and begin our day of soap duties. All the while, answering questions, offering help, offering support, and offering snacks. I don’t have to refocus The Bean, instead I have to force her to take a break. She would buzz through everything just to have it done if left to her own devices. She is annoyed she can’t work ahead more than a week. I’m pretty sure if it were up to her, she would have her whole year completed by Christmas. It is work to temper that type A personality.
Lunch is promptly at noon. We now eat our big meal at lunch time and have a light supper. I’ve been utilizing the fresh produce from the garden and trying to stay on track with eating healthy. I’ve also been trying to utilize the crock pot for the sake of time management. Again, I miss the days of slapping some meat and cheese between two slabs of bread and calling it done. Being healthy, that is a huge time suck too.
We then head back to the studio to continue with science and math. Afternoon classes take a bit more effort for all. Although The Bean is good at math, she doesn’t like it. This is where my bibbed wearing math wizard steps in. He quells those anxieties of fractions and decimals, he explains the importance of math with real life examples, and he makes it fun. I get a bit of uninterrupted soap time. The Bean finishes up around 2:00. We finish the day with half an hour of reading time and then some structured taekwondo practice for good measure. Eric and I continue to work until 5 and then we jump into barn chores, house chores, and dinner.
It’s a busy schedule but it’s worth all the effort and the reward. I find I get frustrated with the amount of time spent on things like hygiene, healthy eating, and housework…sigh. Like most people, I feel like there aren’t enough hours in the day, I don’t have enough energy, and I wish I were 20 years younger. I’m not sure if I struggle with time management or being anal retentive…perhaps both. I do know, I miss my afternoon nap that makes me at least civilized until 6 in the evening. After six, no guarantees on my mood or behavior.
As we continue down this newly forged path of cyber school, pandemic concerns, and political upheaval, remember to stay safe, stay smart, wear your many hats well and of course wash your hands.