Well. Life sure looks different.
Want to have a good time? Introduce the concept of ¨social distancing¨ to your teens.
¨What do you mean I can´t hang out with my friends?!?¨
These are hard times, my friends.
On Tuesday, I was the most hated woman in America when I added some light school work to the chore list.
Later, I made homemade banana bread and I became the most favored woman in America.
My status was quickly taken back down to ¨Most Hated Woman in America¨ when I did not agree to take the boys kayaking.
In March.
We do not live in a warm climate, Friends.
And also, did you know there is no way people can survive without seeing their friends?
The dogs are loving this new time of social distancing. They are taking 2-3 walks a day with me around the property to check on the cows.
Alert: The cows are still refusing to give birth and bring me joy.
I need a calf in my life. I shall name it Corona.
I am trying to connect with my class through Google Classroom. I miss their sweet faces and the fact that they do not sigh at me with disgust like my own kids. My students actually like me and I think they might think I am the bee´s knees.
Little Dude is officially exactly as tall as me.
For all my parenting life, the girls have been hard on me and my looks.
¨Mom? Is that actually what you are going to wear today?¨
¨I guess that outfit is ok. I mean, I would never wear it.¨
And the boys have always loved me with an unconditional love.
Until last night.
Little Dude, my baby, the one whom I lovingly refer to as Cokey the Bear, said this last night:
¨Mom. Did you know Kate (his sister) is trying to get fit? It is probably because she does not want to end up with a body like yours.¨
What the what?
I shall now pick up all the pieces of my broken heart.
How is it going at your house, Reader?
Stay Strong!
Sigh. Yes. Even after sharing great amounts of information about why we are social distancing, I was still there meanest mom when I said no to a sleepover. Our dogs are also getting more walks. There dogs are getting more attention and loving it. For me as a teacher, it was crazy. We had 2 days to figure out how to take our instruction online. I teach 3rd grade and wanted to see it up to be semi-independent. I send them a daily agenda in Google docs and they can click links to a variety of things including videos I uploaded that guide instruction on a couple subjects. We handed off enough of the work/texts to get us through this next week and to Spring Break. My teens are on Zoom with their teachers too. It’s great, but it was very stretching. And this week I get to continue AND get report cards done.
Taylor,
I have been following you for some time now. I’ve never commented. However, I think today is the day – given the circumstances, it’s good to reach out. Your blog completes me. I love how you share stories about your farm life. I too have a husband who has some wild ideas. Mine is an engineer – full desk job. But he is very enterprising at home and we are not allowed to pay people to do any jobs that he can look up on YouTube and do ourselves. Also, we had goats for awhile and then chickens. I did not love the goats. But oh how I love the chickens. We recently moved and no chickens currently. I miss them.
I am also a teacher – middle school (6th and 7th grade), math. Enough said.
As for children, my two boys are old (15 and 17). As of now, the 17 year old knows EVERYTHING. So if you need any help or advice or guidance – he knows it. Also he’s a jerk about it and will make you feel like an idiot. But teenagers.
Thank you so much for your blog. I eagerly await your calf reports (with pictures please).
Life for us is on full lockdown. California, you know. But we live in a smaller community so it has been reasonable-ish so far. My kids don’t like the extra chores either and how dare I ask about school work. It’s like I’m insane.
Stay Healthy!
Michelle, boys ages 15-17 are the WORST about being know- it-alls. After sons 1 and 2 went through it, I looked at son 3 dead in the eye and said “Don’t you DARE act like those two when you hit that age.” And being the kind heart he is, he gritted his teeth and pushed through without causing me more torment–even though it meant a lot of steam blowing sessions on the driveway basketball court. Now I am powering through a 16 year old daughter. Oh boy…
Taylor, I’m remembering something I read somewhere. A family was on the beach dressed in their swim suits. Evidently the mom was in a two piece suit (I am not suggesting a bikini!). The two tween age daughters were giggling over how their mom’s body looked in a swim suit, and the older son told them to stop it. He said, “She looks like that because of US!”
I was so touched that this young man had figured out that mothers’ bodies did not return to their youthful state, and that his mom had sacrificed beauty for babies, and was glad of it.
And that’s as far as I want to go with how children treat their parents. I had 4 girls and 3 boys and there are still eye rolling times from them even though the youngest is 27. I wish I knew what made my eldest son so kind – I would have applied it to every one of the others.