Positives of the stay at home order

[mommyoffive]

Have you had any positives from having the stay at home order?

[Jean in Newcastle]

Sure.

Less gas consumption

talking to more neighbors (from a safe distance) out on our walks

neighbors helping neighbors

keeping in touch with friends a little bit more (just small check in texts that didn't happen so much in the past just because it didn't occur to us)

[regentrude]

No.
More work, more stress, without any of the things that used to make work enjoyable. Chained to the computer because that is now where both my work and all my socializing live.
As an extrovert, I need people, and online "socializing" is not an adequate substitute. Most of my friends have more work, too, and are more stressed.
I am a hiker, and outdoor opportunities are limited.

I can't think of a single positive. (I assume you mean compared to life before and not as in "we won't get the virus if we stay home." that one is obvious)

ETA: And contrary to almost everybody else here, it means that I do NOT get to see my kids. (And I won't get to see my parent this year, making it at least two years between visits). So for us as a family, there is nothing positive either.

Edited April 28, 2020 by regentrude

[Corraleno]

Well this is very specific and won't apply to most people, but due to the lock down the universities that offer the big Summer Language Institutes in less common languages (Indiana, Wisconsin, UIUC) have all moved these online, which makes them available to DS for the first time ever. The fact that he'll be able to knock out two semesters of language this summer actually solves a whole lot of issues he was going to have next semester, with multiple time conflicts between varsity practice and required courses. So, although it doesn't remotely compensate for everything else he's lost, at last it will make one thing easier for him in the fall.

[historically accurate]

Yes.

Learned that my kids and I are more resilient than I thought, even those of us with mental health challenges are doing fair.

Saving gas $ like crazy.

Discovered my youngest loves to bake (she's watched a couple of seasons of Kid's Baking Championship & is making something every few days).

Discovered oldest loves to make bread. 

I am learning to have a more grateful and giving spirit - I was so thankful when a friend made masks for my family for free. I am learning how to share our excess with a happy heart. 

We have time to play board games and do some housework that had fallen by the wayside.

[MercyA]

Yes, my DD and I have been painting together! We are not very good but it is relaxing.

I've been cooking more and actually enjoying it.

I've been cleaning out files, recipes, etc.

Also, here are some nice positives from around the world: https://www.boredpanda.com/positive-news-coronavirus-illustrations-mauro-gatti/

Edited April 27, 2020 by MercyA

[marbel]

I haven't found any. I would like to.  But no, it hasn't been good for anyone in my family. It has not been a time of slowing down for me or anyone in my house.

Oh, I'm sure it will make my kids stronger in the long run.

ETA: Y'all don't have to be sad for me. It's just the way it is, right?  Different stages of life, etc.  🙂

Edited April 28, 2020 by marbel

[fairfarmhand]

I've learned to pray better. I've definitely drawn closer to God.

[Frosch]

I have all my kids and husband home. We've had a wonderful time all together.  Other than not being able to see my non-household family, we haven't had any negatives. We've gardened.  We worked on the house and other projects. The kids have played games together.  The college kids transitioned to online classes. We all need haircuts andI would love to eat a meal out in a restaurant. But I am actually feeling a little sad about the real world coming back in to my little nest that we've built here.  

[BakersDozen]

We've honestly experienced nothing but positive things from the stay-at-home order. I'm an introvert so this has been just lovely for me personally! Without outside activities which demanded our time (and we signed up for things sparingly!) we are relaxing more, getting more done, and just being more "at rest". Mentally I have not felt this much clarity of mind in years. The stress I didn't even realize I was under has gone away. I'm allowing myself to not watch the clock - what a luxury! My older girls are playing their instruments for fun every night. We saved so much on gas money last month we took the surplus and blessed one of our sons who still has to work.

While I'm anxious for certain things to open up again like surgeries I am not at all anxious for a return to full normal. I wonder if I/we will be able to make choices that will help us keep some of this sense of calm and lack of busyness...I hope so.

[Selkie]

Staying at home has also been a good experience for me. I'm a happy hermit.🙂Having all three kids home has been especially wonderful.

[Hedgehog]

Yes - most things, actually. I had gotten very busy with Co-op and the kids' activities, and in many ways it has been the break that I always knew that I needed but never felt right to take, because it would have meant cancelling things they really enjoyed. I think it's amazing how people have adapted and I hope it will make a difference long term in the way people learn, communicate, shop, work... 

DH was working from home 3 days a week, and driving a 2hr round-trip to work the other two days, so we are saving £££ on fuel and he is way less stressed, and getting more done around the house (big renos going on here, so it's all to the good!). DD20 came home from Canada where she'd been at uni just in time for our lockdown here in the UK; we've settled into a new groove with her back. She's just got a job at a local supermarket so that'll be good for her. DS14 and DD12 are probably doing more schoolwork than they've ever done, which is really good because I was beginning to worry about everything they were not getting done! 

And I'm very happy in my hermitage. It suits me very well to only go out once or maybe twice a week, and otherwise potter around inside and out, doing a bit of laundry or gardening in between cooking and checking schoolwork. I've got some cross stitch out that I haven't had time for in years, and am actually making really good progress with it. (It's a spray of orchids on linen, so takes some concentration.) 

The only downside to it for me is that DD25 and DD18 are stuck in London until lockdown is lifted. DD25 works as a carer so she has gone to work throughout; DD18 was working in a restaurant, but it had to close so she went out and found a job at a local supermarket. She lives with a couple of friends, so isn't alone. I'll surely be glad to see them, just as soon as we can.

[edelweiss]

So many good things!  I love having everyone home and no where to go.  We have been having so much fun together-- playing games, cooking and baking, watching TV, swimming, etc.  I expect that we will continue this way for the foreseeable future.  

[ScoutTN]

Yes, the slower pace has been good for me physically. I needed more rest, more exercise, more sunshine, and have gotten them.
My yard and garden look better than they have in years. (But my house is not cleaner!)
We have enjoyed the extra time for playing board games, reading and watching movies together.
My kids are getting way more sleep, doing some cooking and letter writing. Making progress on Scout/AHG things too.
Less driving is always a win for me!
We've all learned some techy things we couldn't do before. 
 

Money is the same. Savings on gas more than equalled by more groceries, movies, and random things from Amazon. 
Serious negatives to all this too, which will be intense if we don't have something to do this summer. Schoolwork to do each day is a lifesaver right now!

 

 

[rebcoola]

It hasn't been all good but it there have been some nice things.  

MDD realized she is done as a competitive gymnast the break gave her time to see if she would miss it.     

Plenty of time to train our new dog so she is making rapid improvement in her obedience and what social skills we can do.

The yard looks better than it has in a long time.  

Delivery of food and groceries we really didn't have much I'm hoping all our new choices stay.

 

[wintermom]

There are plenty of frustrations, but looking for the positives:

We've been able to get a lot of interior painting completed (until we ran out of paint and the hardware stores are closed) for our move

Less driving, using less gas

Time for long dog walks, hikes and home yoga sessions

All the boys are around to help with backyard digging and moving dirt

We built our own backyard grass tennis/volleyball court for lots of family play (all our local courts are closed until June 30)

Time for family card games and movies

Opportunity to connect more frequently with fellow boardies here! 😄

Edited April 30, 2020 by wintermom

[Violet Crown]

I've now got nearly all my books entered into LibraryThing.

Wee Girl gets to have Middle Girl and Daddy home all day, every day. If only Mommy would go away and take lessons with her, it'd be perfect.

MIddle Girl is learning to drive on the nearly empty freeway that used to terrify her.

Dh is living in extreme introvert's paradise.

In general, we're having a lovely time. Our home has been peaceful and joyful. There have been hard moments, especially when the girls are missing their friends; but they're connecting on-line and really re-connecting with each other. Wee Girl has been calmer and happier; Middle Girl has been a loving and considerate playmate to her little sister. 

Big Negative: The man-bun is making an unwanted comeback.

Edited April 27, 2020 by Violet Crown

[Shoeless]

At first, I struggled with the SAH order much more than I expected. I guess it was grief. 

I'm enjoying staying home right now. I've been working on some hobbies I neglected (needlepoint and cross stitch).

I've gotten some work done for my eBay store. 

We've saved a lot of money, which is a relief. 

I've been learning to cook a few more dishes.  I'm no Gordon Ramsey, but I've had a few successes lately, so I'm happy. 

Cozy time at home with the boy and the husband. I honestly hope that he decides to work from home permanently.  We clashed for awhile, but I'm really happy to have everyone here, together.

Mostly, it has given me some time to think about what I want and where I am headed in life. 

[Scarlett]

Dh is saving 1 1/2 hours per day commute.  I think we are using it to sleep more on the days I don’t have to go to work.  Saving on gas, saving on eating out ( although we do take out maybe once a week) We are cooking a lot but I was surprised we haven’t spent a lot more on groceries. 
 

We had to buy  a new computer for our religious services on Zoom.. I also ordered Dh a new desk which we are going to set up in the guest room because he struggles with the noise in the house trying to work from the kitchen table.  
 

I miss my friends.  My parents came over and walked around our yard today.  They did not come in the house.  I wanted a hug.  😞

[Ausmumof3]

It’s been mostly positive for me.  I’m an introvert whose been running on empty for way too long.  Losing the pressure of kids activities and sports and getting everyone to church on time and feeling like I’m running all the time has been huge.

not taking the kids grocery shopping has been so nice.  Dh working from home a couple of days has been kind of nice.  We are getting some projects finished.

the kids are mostly happier and less stressed.  They do have a few moments of wishing they could see friends.  But because their public school friends have been home they’ve been able to chat to them in the phone. They all get along pretty well.

the various live streamed and free events have been pretty good as well.  
 

we will go back to normal when it’s all over (Possibly sooner rather than later here) because I know it’s healthy for the kids to have activities and friendships but as a mum this is way less stressful. 

[Shoeless]

Oh, and another benefit is that I feel like I've gotten to know a few boardies as real people, and not just names on a computer screen.  That's been a benefit, too. 

 

[I talk to the trees]

Almost all positives here! 
 

Dd is home safely from college, they partially refunded room and board, and all of her professors have been very understanding and helpful with the transition to online classes. I am really enjoying the time we get to spend together in the evenings. We have talked about everything from philosophy to bathroom decor to dinosaur doots (long story.) 

I have finally convinced my 70 year old mother to walk DAILY on her treadmill. We have a friendly competition going to see who can get their daily miles in first. (I do Leslie Sansone “miles” each morning.)

Dh is staying with his brother for the foreseeable future while we wait for things to shake down with the virus. We have been having some pretty serious issues, and I know there is no way I could have coped with having him here while also dealing with “corona stress “. This sounds like a negative on the surface, but it really is a positive. I have actually felt more calm and relaxed now that he is out of the house, and I am dealing with minor emergencies (elderly neighbor locking herself out and then falling, tornado warning, storm door needed repairing) so much better without him here to ramp up the stress level! I was having 1-2 migraines a week, and have had only ONE in the seven weeks he has been gone. I really needed this break!

I am having a great time working with my dogs! Two of the three are working on a quick freestyle routine, and the neighbors- the elderly woman on one side and three little girls, all under 8, on the other side are enjoying watching us work in the backyard. Win-win! 
 

The only real negative to the whole situation is that my daughter is really missing her friends, even though they are texting daily, and her heart is in Williamsburg. She really feels like that is “home” now, and is very eager to get back. 

[Donna]

Yes.

Selfishly positive- I'm enjoying having dd at home again. She would have been on tour with me only seeing her every other month if this hadn't happened. (Mostly this is a negative because she is not on tour doing what she loves and earning money but I do enjoy spending time with her.)

Seeing and meeting more neighbors (from a safe distance). We moved here two years ago and dd and I have been away from home more than home since so it's nice to see/meet so many people on their porches and taking walks.

Dd is teaching herself to play piano and guitar. She wouldn't have the time to do that in her normal life. She is also creating little music projects for herself collaborating with other musicians and has decided to take summer courses since she'll be home. I worried a lot about her feeling down because of everything she is not able to do now but it's been positive to observe her resilience and energy as she makes the most of the situation.

[Jentrovert]

It's a dream come true for this extreme introvert. No having to balance the emotional energy suck of social requirements vs. family/kids/school vs. helping others.

We've saved on gas and it's been easier to stick to not eating out.

No feeling obligated to do whatever activity our social circle is doing even if we really would rather not. Most things somehow seem to involve a whole day or more of family time taken up and/or a hundred dollars all said and done. 

If the kids were older and more independent I'd be tackling numerous projects that never seem to get done. Alas, I seem to have zero extra quarantine time.

There are negatives too, but overall for me personally it has been nice. Of course things will go back to semi-normal eventually, and I want them to for the sake of my more-social introvert and extrovert kids. In the meantime, though, I'm appreciating the break.

[Momto6inIN]

I am selfishly loving have oldest D'S home. I had thought that between his apartment and summer internships and spring break trips he probably would never "live" here again except maybe over Christmas break. So these months with all 8 of us at home are like a bonus gift in that respect.

I initially enjoyed not having any evening and weekend plans, but I'm over that. I need eye contact and I need hugs and zoom just isn't cutting it for me. There might be a few things I will choose not to add back into our schedule when they become available again, but I will happily resume most of our activities.

My anxiety level is creeping ever upwards, and that is not fun either.

[SamanthaCarter]

My yard/garden. 

[DawnM]

• More relaxed family time
• Sleeping in
• Spending less overall
• Working on the house/pictures/decorating
• Work load is lessened by working from home

[SKL]

As an extreme introvert, I am enjoying having an excuse not to deal with too many other people.  😛  Only thing is I wish I could have the house to myself sometimes!

As an incurable night owl, I'm so glad I don't have to leap out of bed every morning and chase my kids around until they run to the bus stop at the last possible minute.

I have been taking long walks alone every evening, which is lovely.  I'm not sure why, but my boss has not given me a hard time about doing this for myself, which is new.

As a "less is more" person, I am happy to not be overwhelmed by all the "more is more" people doing their usual thing.

I'm kinda glad to be back in charge of the house cleaning.

[Excelsior! Academy]

4 hours ago, BakersDozen said:

We've honestly experienced nothing but positive things from the stay-at-home order. I'm an introvert so this has been just lovely for me personally! Without outside activities which demanded our time (and we signed up for things sparingly!) we are relaxing more, getting more done, and just being more "at rest". Mentally I have not felt this much clarity of mind in years. The stress I didn't even realize I was under has gone away. I'm allowing myself to not watch the clock - what a luxury! My older girls are playing their instruments for fun every night. We saved so much on gas money last month we took the surplus and blessed one of our sons who still has to work.

While I'm anxious for certain things to open up again like surgeries I am not at all anxious for a return to full normal. I wonder if I/we will be able to make choices that will help us keep some of this sense of calm and lack of busyness...I hope so.

 

This.

I don't like the constant demand on my time that extracurricular activities bring.  We have had numerous positives. We have been able to support local businesses by purchasing take out,  paint-your-own-pottery and decorate-your-own-cookie kits.  One dd has planted tomatoes and another has baked.  My kiddos have learned new skills and have gotten to Zoom with friends. I've been able to join online video-chat style Bible studies with friends that live in other states. Our family has also connected more with grandparents that don't live close by.  These are things that could've, but likely never would've happened prior to the quarantine restrictions.

[Guest]

Because church is now online, I've been able to "go" to my Childhood best friend's service, something that I haven't been able to do since she became a pastor. 

[Terabith]

I've been walking more.  And baking more.  I've really enjoyed having everyone home together.  I hate it for my kids though, who are really struggling with the lack of friend time and the switch to online learning.  I miss being around people, too.  

[Pen]

Main positive is that my state stopped doubling cases every 3 days. 

Medical system is doing okay.  

So far disaster has been averted.  

[ElizabethB]

My husband is getting a lot of projects done around the house, including a small garden.  

For church, a friend holds an online Sunday school, we've been watching that, he did it in person before and is in another state.  He and my husband have been good friends since high school, I met him 25 years ago.  That's been fun!

I am enjoying the slower pace.  

I just paid $1.79 a gallon for gas--good for me, bad for those in oil/gas areas.  Don Potter has lost a few tutoring students, he is in an oil/gas area of Texas.  He is tutoring on Skype if anyone needs cursive or phonics tutoring!

The kids do miss their friends, especially my son.  My daughter chats virtually with her friends and goes for walks with them in the neighborhood.  

Our state is pretty low risk so there are still a lot of things people can do safely.  Everyone in the neighborhood is out walking, hiking, and biking more.  We've been chatting with the neighbors more (at a distance.)

[klmama]

We feel better connected as a family.  It's good.

 

[ScoutTN]

Adding to my previous list:

More connection to neighbors, and a renewal in my bread baking life. 

[Laura Corin]

Less driving, easier opportunities for exercise.  I've read more.  I've re-connected with some people online.  More people are out during the day in the village, so I've talked to more people locally (at two metre distance). 

It's not pretty to say this, but it's also given me a break from my mother, who is in a care home that I can't visit at the moment.  I write to her twice a week, call the home weekly to see how she is (she's too deaf to speak on the phone and isn't interested in further technology), do the shopping for the things that matter to her, make sure her newspaper is delivered weekly.  But I don't have to deal with the pressure of her personality during weekly visits.

Edited April 28, 2020 by Laura Corin

[Carrie12345]

I don’t know that trading one stress for another is really a “pro”, exactly, but I’ve definitely enjoyed the break from running around to 8,000 spring activities the way we have for the past 8 years or so. They’re not things I want to give up permanently, though.

I’ve gotten another glimpse at how awesome my kids are. To be honest, my teens are holed up in their shared room a lot, and the younger boys are on electronics a lot. But all 4 go for walks and bike rides when the weather’s good, cook/bake together, play some games together, etc.  None of them is super happy about being stuck in a small house, but fighting and bickering is actually WAY down from our norm, and that’s with a lot of crummy weather that’s been reducing outdoor activity.  There are still a lot of cons with them but, overall, I’m amazed by how they’re coping.

I also think it’s great that many people are recognizing the importance of people who work the jobs that keep society going. It’s one thing I wish would never go away.

[MEmama]

I love being home with DH and DS. I am hopeful DH will be able to work from home more regularly once his office is reopened. Of course for DS I’m very much looking forward to things going back to somewhat normal for him, but since he’s home I’m definitely holding him close. We are all introverts so mostly staying home is fine, although DS is at an age where his friends play an important role and I do hate that he has to miss out on that interaction. 
 

I'm also appreciating sleeping in. I'm an early riser by nature but just waking naturally around 6 or so feels luxurious. And naps. I love my afternoon naps on the couch with the kitties.

I'm running more and sometimes I even like it. I’ve tackled a few house projects and have plenty more lined up for when the weather warms up. 
 

 

[Guest]

Though I am an introvert and do like how that translates for *me*, it has been problematic for dh to be here more often than not, and also ds is periodically furious with me, as if I am the sole reason he’s kept from his friends. As things start to open, it is going to cause me tremendous stress; I can see this already, because dh and ds will view it as, once it’s legal, what is my problem? For example, they are already talking about Memorial weekend and have plans that just make me think of germ transmission. Ds is also supposed to go to summer camp and we don’t know yet what official plans the camp has. IF they are creating ways they can socially distance the campers and can rely mostly on being outdoors to keep the camp, then I will reluctantly let him go. But if I don’t get an outline from them soon, I’m going to cancel. I have already decided I am definitely NOT paying the balance until/unless I know what the plan is. But both ds and dh will be furious with me if *I* cancel it, not the camp. We have already talked about it a few days ago, so I know this. 

I’m getting the definite impression that, going forward, there’s going to be a lot of tension between people who are ONLY obeying the law, not doing things to prevent germ transmission vs. people (like myself) who would choose that to stay safe. I just had a text conversation with someone else yesterday, in which the person said XYZ had been rescheduled for July. I said I thought there would still be problems in July. Person responded that (that state) is “not as strict as Maryland is.” This POV makes me feel very stressed. It makes me *happy* I live in a “strict” state. 

[Chris in VA]

It has been a positive in that my husband is home. We have been through something extremely painful and we have time and space to work on it. 

[Jentrovert]

43 minutes ago, Quill said:

I’m getting the definite impression that, going forward, there’s going to be a lot of tension between people who are ONLY obeying the law, not doing things to prevent germ transmission vs. people (like myself) who would choose that to stay safe. I just had a text conversation with someone else yesterday, in which the person said XYZ had been rescheduled for July. I said I thought there would still be problems in July. Person responded that (that state) is “not as strict as Maryland is.” This POV makes me feel very stressed. It makes me *happy* I live in a “strict” state. 

I feel stressed about this too.

[SKL]

Yeah, I've come to appreciate my kids' relationship (with each other) even more than before.  Helps me feel like I've maybe done something right (humor me).  Gives me hope for the future when they will have to rely more on each other than on me.

[SanDiegoMom]

There have been some positives.  I am happy to have my oldest daughter home -- she's been going through a lot of ups and downs at college and just had a big disappointment recently,  so I am glad that she was home for us to help her through it. I think she bounced back a lot quicker because her family wasn't 2500 miles away. I do hope she can go back in the fall, but I think she will be more grounded and stronger mentally.  

The younger two aren't really affected -- they play a lot with their online friends and while my younger daughter really misses her ballet studio (she was there about 12 hours a week) she has adjusted well. 

The down side is we are preparing to move across the county, bought a house in February before everything really hit, and just kind of in the whole stress of getting everything ready.  I wish we could take it slower and enjoy the baking time and family walk time, but their school work takes up just as much time and then half our nights are spent tiling the kitchen floor (why did we start this project!) and the other half recovering from the work we just did. 

This will hopefully be our last move, though (fingers crossed) so eventually it will all be worth it! 

[J-rap]

No.  Literally everything important and urgent we need to be doing right now involves being able to be out in the world and with other people.

But I will say I've heard a lot of really beautiful and moving stories about people helping other people.  So, maybe that's a positive.  My faith in the goodness in people's hearts has certainly increased.  🙂 

 

[stephanier.1765]

I saw a positive today. I took our new kitties to the vet this morning and it was packed. It's a low cost clinic and operates first come, first serve. They had to close their list of patients only 30 minutes after opening. They said this has been happening every day. So people must be using their time at home to care for their pets. I guess, though, it could also be seen as a negative. Maybe the large number of people means a large number of people are out of work and can no longer afford to take their pet to their regular vet.

[hippiemamato3]

SO MUCH TIME with my son who will be 18 in November. I feel like it's been something of a gift, honestly. 

[cabercro]

I am a public school teacher but also a wannabe SAHM/homeschooler. I've been lurking on the boards since before I had kids, so to have this little slice of pretend homeschooling time has been lovely. It helps that my daughter is only 2.5 and pretty darn amenable. 😊 Honestly I feel a little guilty about how much I'm loving this.

 

- Our jobs and healthcare are secure. All our people are fine and are respecting social distancing/stay at home orders.

- We're all healthy and don't have any medications/appointments to worry about getting messed up.

- I've taught using a flipped/blended model for years, so all my lessons for the year were already pre-recorded. My students are literally able to do the same basic work at home, with a few tweaks on my end. Thus, I am way less stressed than most of my colleagues and have way more kids turning in work. I have 2 or 3 final things to finish prepping this week, and then the rest of the school year will just be keeping tabs on students, attending virtual staff meetings, keeping up with email, and doing professional development.

- My husband is a teacher in the same district so we're all home together. We have a good routine and have always been good about splitting housework 50/50. We coexist well. We also have our small travel trailer parked in the driveway currently, so having a mobile office/escape room is helping a lot.

- My daughter is a reliable sleeper and happily naps/plays in her crib for 2 hours every day, so I get the bulk of my work and planning done then.

- I've finally been able to pull out all the tot schooling stuff I've wanted to do but never had time. BambinoLuk, Farm Math, Cuisenaire rod play, and a bunch more ideas I've tucked away from you all are being used on the daily. Plus hours of playdoh, water table, playing kitchen, and ridiculous amounts of art.

- Lots of curriculum and programs being offered as free trials (for my daughter and my students), so I've been able to check out a lot of things I've considered using at home or in my classroom.

- My house is clean. Like, so clean. And purged. And organized. And now that so many other obligations have fallen away, I feel like we're finally able to create new habits and routines to keep it that way. 

- We've been re-watching Parks and Rec and will finish just in time for the reunion special tomorrow.

 

I worry a little that my father will get fed up with social distancing eventually and put my mother at risk. I'm bummed that I was working on my National Boards certification for teaching and won't be able to finish this year (but can defer it to next year - though I worry the supplement our state currently gives for it will be taken away). I miss my very wonderful colleagues. My students this year were a really great bunch of humans, so I'm sad to have my time with them cut short. We're super bummed that our annual summer RV road trip will almost certainly be cancelled. We had 53 nights booked in 4 states (another benefit of a 2-teacher household!) and even if things open up, so much of our trip is planned around cities and museums that there's just no way. There are two stops that are remote enough that we could genuinely social distance, so I'm hoping we'll be able to do something. My daughter asks daily if "the people are all better" so we can go to the children's museum/park/zoo (we live 10 minutes away from our state's very well-regarded zoo, so my daughter is used to going multiple times a month).

[prairiewindmomma]

Solidarity like, Arctic Mama...not trying to minimize the hard things. And yay on the kitchen!

[prairiewindmomma]

This has mostly been a hard thing for me, TBH. We have been pretty healthy which is awesome because normally we are bringing home a ton of germs from church.

Church is planning ahead, though, and wanting us to commit to things. Some are phrasing it as an act of faith. That is super frustrating. We won’t be there, even in July, and it’s not from a lack of faithfulness or from acting from a position of fear.

[slackermom]

For me the big positive is that I am alive. I feel in my gut that catching this virus now would be the death of me. So I am appreciating this window of time to spend with my almost-16 year old child, to temporarily avoid the inevitable.