I was catching up with someone today, entertaining them with stories of parenting while working during the months of stay at home time for COVID-19.

Tales of distance learning.

Life got a lot easier here once school ended, with my having to manage the executive functioning for the kids. “Where are your materials? It’s time to be signing in to __ class.  It’s 3 minutes after class was supposed to have started, are you successfully into the web meeting yet?  What school work have you been doing?  Do you have your work done for ___ class later today?  When was the last time you ate?  Have you done your ___ chore yet today?  What email changes have your teachers sent in the last 5 minutes?”

My kiddos are playing nicely together most parts of most days, right now they’re up playing with stuffed dragons, building box stables for them, organizing care crews out of their other stuffed animals, etc.  It’s always interesting to see the creativity kids display before we force them to conform their way out of it.

Tales of sweating for hours in a mask.

I helped a friend move back into town this weekend (“If I’m going to have to work from home during COVID, I’m at least going to have home be near my new grandbaby!”), in the heat on Sunday, 2 UHAULs and a truck bed and 3 cars full.  Several of us were struggling with overheating and dehydration even though we were in and out of the A/C’d house, and offered lots of water.  What weather to have to be wearing a mask in.

Tales of a stranger invading my house.

My husband had to become clean shaven this weekend, as he had a fit test for an N95 mask on Monday. He’s had a beard and mustache since I met him, and he looks WRONG without them. And so now I have this stranger living with me.  Unfortunately that’s going to have to persist for an ~year, while he’s part of the crew implementing a research study in the middle of COVID.

Tales of woodchucks learning to fly.

We’ve got a naughty pair of woodchucks living in our shed, they moved in right after the really nice neighbor dog died, so apparently we miss the dog for multiple reasons.  They’re even climbing my 4′ tall chickenwire garden fence (ever seen a woodchuck suspended in apparent mid-air?  It’s quite a sight from across the yard) to get into my garden, in addition to chewing holes in my shed to let themselves not just under the shed but also into it  😛

It was all good fun, and she appreciated letting off some steam from a frustrating day, by being distracted by my tales.

I was emailing her again later in the day. I wish it had been to make her smile again.

But this time it wasn’t for fun. This time it was to share the news that someone we’ve both known for years, is suddenly and unexpectedly a widow. A widow my age, with a now-dead husband who had been my husband’s age. And she’s now a single mom to two young kids, the same ages as mine.

I wish I could have gone backwards a couple of hours. I’m assuming the newly widowed wishes she could have gone backwards a couple of days.

I left my computer, came out to find my kiddos, and gave them big hugs. Thankfully they were distracted enough they didn’t spot the tears in my eyes.

I hope you get to hug your loved ones too.