At this point it’s all getting a little repetitive right? You get the gist, we wake up, eat breakfast, try and limit screen time by getting a few hours in of books and / or e-learning. Netflix, Netflix, again, more Netflix. Dinner, bedtime, repeat. Sometimes we squeeze in a fun adventure to get some fresh air and exercise. (Safely)

Day 7

Charlotte learned a little cooking by helping with breakfast. Had some quiet reading time and finished up the Week 1 matrix of their e-learning. Actually managed to get the boys clothes folded and put away in their room. Will work on the girls piles eventually. All the children were cleaned and bathed and I finally combed through all of Charlotte’s knots. (A chore in and of itself) Eleanor drove her red convertible around the block and apparently got lots of honks and waves. Exactly the homecoming queen response she lives for. I downloaded an app on the kids tablets to allow them to start having virtual playdates. The level of excitement that ensued fleshed out the majority of the 2nd half of the day. These kids are now officially obsessed. Have I made a mistake?

Here’s the footage:

This is actually organized chaos, I promise.

When you make progress in one room, another goes to shambles. A project for another day. The girls room legitimately terrifies me. I found salsa under a bed here last week. What is this life?

Day 8

Wooo this morning was rough but somehow we managed to make it through. Started the Week 2 matrix of e-learning and tried to get through it without us all losing our minds. Ollie was inconsolable and screaming his head off while I am trying to help Sebastian read and Charlotte write. Goodness gracious it was a mess. End result? Keep Oliver quiet while he draws all over a chair. Thank goodness for washable markers. We did educational stuff from 9 - Noon and committed to no tv even for the children not working. Eleanor decided to make a fort of stuffed animals while the rest of us were upstairs at the table.

At noon I packed our lunches and we went on a class field trip to the Morton Arboretum. 1,700 acres of nature and no chance of violating any social distancing. We decided to hunt for trolls since the exhibit is still up until June 30th. Basically we drove from troll to troll but did accomplish one long hike. This hike involved children tripping in mud and two girls being literally trapped in a mud bog that I had to rescue them from. Memories for ages. The philosophical question being, did you really go on a hike if no one heard the children screaming and whining? Anyways, I really enjoyed driving through the whole arboretum and getting a better idea of it’s huge layout. Notated some spots I want to revisit in the future.

Came home around 4:30 and had dinner, video chatted with cousins and grandparents. It was really nice to see everyone but also very sobering that this is how we visit with family right now. Lesson for tomorrow’s class? How to say goodbye politely during a video chat and not just pressing the red x because you don’t feel like talking anymore. Video chat courtesy 101.

After bedtime I hopped in the shower and treated myself to a full Beauty Counter skin care routine. I refuse to come out of this quarantine looking like death becomes her. Even if that’s how I end up feeling on the inside.

Voice les images: