With The Dads Must Be Crazy podcast going on temporary hiatus, we decided to keep a blog of how our days are going under this new, relative isolation from the rest of the world. This will not be posted every day, but often enough that our home-bound stories about parenting in this "new normal." We will probably post it 3 or 4 days a week. Stay tuned for updates on the podcast. In the meantime, you can check out old episodes at https://niagaraswatercooler.podbean.com/
Day 5
Howie:
Today was easily the gloomiest I’ve felt all week. I didn’t realize how much I’d come to enjoy leaving the house most mornings to go to one of several schools in the area and stand in for one of our local teachers. I know that both my daughters used the computer for some distance learning, and I know that I managed to wash a couple different floors, finish cleaning all or parts of 3 rooms, and I know I did laundry. But man oh man, today felt different.
Like Wednesday (Day 3), I found myself writing about Thursday (Day 4) the morning after. And my entry for Day 4 will be short since the monotony doesn’t lend itself to a full page of anything new.
However, the bracket idea we talked about yesterday? I am happy to report that I found a blank bracket template and have arranged 64 entities. It’s not movies, because that’s been done. Perhaps if the making lemonade out of lemons idea is a hit, we’ll revisit the movies some other time. For now, though, I’m in the early stages of something else and I’ll be getting input from both Craig and Bobby before we put it up on the site.
I do hope everyone’s week has been ok, and I do hope that if you hadn’t been taking this seriously, you have changed your tune. The sooner things return to whatever normal is anymore, the better.
Day 6
Bobby:
So this morning I woke up and immediately started working out. It was a good workout. It is what helps keep me sane. I also took my family and dogs for a walk/bike ride today. Don’t worry, there was no one else walking so we were always 6ft. or more from anyone else as the CDC recommends. The family needed to get out of the house for a moment. Short, but sweet.
Tonight is a leftover night. I have been making sure to save all of the leftover food and pack it away. During these times with the shelves of grocery stores empty, we cannot afford to be wasteful. I can’t help but think of all those that must do without that my mother taught me about while growing up. She always said “There are those that want what you scrape off of your plate.” These times make me think about it more than ever. I have always been mindful, but seem to enforce this lesson more so now than ever.
The doom and gloom seems to be spreading and everyone is shut in. I noticed it during the walk with the family. I only noticed 4 cars driving while we were out. I did not even hear cars traveling up High St. of Davison Rd. Normally that is a sound that is frequent and often. Not today. I keep telling myself America will make it through this. Our beloved country has made it through worse in the past. I know we can do this. I will continue to do my best to continue living what normal is within the guidelines of the CDC. Come on y’all. We got this!
Howie:
I spent today not feeling as gloomy as the day before, but simultaneously, I was still pretty unproductive around the house.
However, I did work with Craig and we put our bracket idea into motion. It can be found here (link) and we hope you follow the links and vote in our polls. The seeding process was very non-scientific, and one person who does not work for us believes the Candyland/Battleship Region to be absolutely stacked.
Have fun with it!
Craig:
The natives are restless. There is only so much Minecraft someone can play, only so many books to read, only so many videos to watch, before you’re bored out of your mind. And God knows how the kids are feeling!? But enough about me.
I didn’t write over the last day or so. Just didn’t feel like it. Friday, Wendy’s grandmother needed some groceries. She’s almost 90, and doesn’t drive, so we said we’d get her the things she needed. Wendy and I went together to get those groceries and some for us just because it’s been a week since we were last out. Since I’ve barely heard any traffic going by the house, I figured it would be quiet out on Transit. I was wrong.
All the stores on Transit were packed. And everyone was in one of those old fast walk jogging speeds as they steered around the store. I’ve seen some empty shelves before a big snow storm, but nothing to the level that I saw Friday. Every single aisle was maybe at 50% capacity. I’ve never seen a store that empty unless they were going out of business. It was very eerie.
Ironically, the bar soaps were full. I say ironically because one of the simplest things you can do to prevent the spread of the disease is to wash your hands. Even bar soap will help. The toothpaste aisle was full, too, which just makes me cringe a little. I know you’re not going to be up close and personal with many people during this time, but dental health has such a major impact on the rest of your health, it just seems absurd not to be on top of that, too.
On the drive out to the store, I did see one of the saddest things I think I’ve ever seen. There were people standing outside a nursing home talking to patients through a closed window. People who are already so isolated and alone can only talk through panes of glass. There’s a cost right there that can be attributed directly to Covid-19 that won’t show up on any stat sheet.
Saturday was another day at the house. They are starting to blur together if I’m being frank. We did almost nothing all day. The kids are definitely struggling to adjust. We’re all social butterflies here. One of the twins is really having a difficult time with not seeing other people. She sat and cried about not being able to dance or see friends.
To pass the time and to have a little fun, we had a household Wii bowling tournament. That ended up being two or three hours of a lot of fun. We had brackets and everything. For the championship game, Josephine and I had to have a single game playoff as we got the same score in the previous round. I won by 9 pins and then faced IdaLena in the championship. It was a strike fest by both of us, but I had a couple less than she did. She took home the virtual trophy. Thankfully it wasn’t a long trip.
The kids are starting to come up with new ways to occupy themselves. Patience is teaching herself to juggle. Corliss is drawing MCR fan art (and still ignoring her school work). Jo seems the most bored and spent too much time on the couch. IdaLena is trying to convince her friends that now is not the time for parties and sleepovers. I have plans to keep working on my library. Progress is super slow. Wendy wants some painting done. I like painting. Maybe I’ll do that.
One of the things I haven’t done yet is resort to wearing pajama pants all day. I just can’t do it. Every morning, I have to shower before I can begin my day. And then I dress like I normally would. It makes me feel a little more in control. So far.
Keep yourselves safe.