Is it bad to admit that sometimes I miss those early days of quarantine? The weeks when everyone just stayed home and hunkered in and ate meals around the table again? Don't get me wrong, I am so thankful our kids are back in school and we are back to work, but there are parts and pieces of those days last spring that I was committed to carrying through once life did go back to "normal."
One of the things that changed for us this fall was the opportunity to close out our chapter of daycare. We were done with full-time daycare once Mila went to kindergarten, but still paid for the option of before and after school care at our same center. But after a few months of working from home with kids at home, we mostly realized Cruz and Mila were easy to have around. And now that my job is temporarily here at home, we moved some things around to allow the kids to be home before and after school. Some days they ride their bikes, most days I bring them, and only a few times has this created some havoc on my work schedule, especially when I have 40 college students on Zoom watching as Mila is losing her mind about Cruz eating her snack. That and the fact that the door bell rang a total of five times during one 1-hour class a few weeks ago.
Our mornings have been one of my favorite changes around here. Beau used to bring the kids to daycare and would be hustling to get them out the door by 7:15 so he could get to work by 8. More times than not someone was either extremely annoyed (Beau), someone was looking for a lost glove or stocking hat (Cruz), someone was crying about a tag itching her back or the wrong snack packed (Mila), and someone was wishing for a restart button (me). Now, Mila is rarely up before 7:30. I get to sneak into her room every morning, push her bedhead out of her face and snuggle up for a minute or two against her warm sleepy self under those covers. I make my coffee about 7:40, and Cruz and I promptly read ten pages of Harry Potter together on the couch while Mila wakes up. We talk about things like student council, equivalent fractions, or gaga ball over breakfast, and all take our time packing our bags and loading up the car to head up the street to school. I get to wave at neighbors, listen to good music, smile at all the cute dogs with their heads out of car windows, and kiss the kids goodbye as they pile out of the car and walk side by side into school. Mila's newest thing is to turn around and give a salute before walking through the doors. It's the best way to start my day.
So if I am thankful for one thing that's stuck since all this COVID stuff, it's finding a little more slow in our morning routine. A few other things that have stuck around since COVID...
Surprise lattes on the front porch thanks to next door neighbors...
A really fun book club who just happens to pick the best books to get lost in...
Blankets and books in the reading chair...
What new habits were formed earlier this year that you hope to continue to invest post-quarantine?
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