There’s been so much togetherness (and zero me-time) here at my house! With three young kids, a dog who doesn’t believe in personal space, and a husband whose love language is alwaysthisclose, it has been…wonderful!
The untold hours of quality time are a gift and I’m grateful to spend them in such unyielding closeness with the people I love most. Really, when will we ever have such stark calendars or numberless days strung purposelessly together with no end in sight? When is the next time we’ll have nothing but time?
Seriously, when? Somebody warn me.
What? I mean…I am loving our relaxed schedule and the sweet, unexpected surprises The Great Pause has afforded our family. For example, without this quarantine, my children wouldn’t have so many opportunities to interrupt my work day:
“Mom! Look how long I can stand here!”
“Mom! He threw a ball at me!”
“Mom! She won’t take turns!”
As if the kids aren’t enough, the dog now believes we’re going for a walk every time I stand up. If I don’t produce her leash in .03 seconds, there’s a 100% chance she saunters off and destroys something in another room.
And have I mentioned the bunches and bunches of together time in the kitchen? So many meals! So many snacks!! So many dishes!!! We make meals and snacks and put them on the dishes, and then we wash the dishes and put them away only to take them back out for more meals and snacks. We repeat this cycle every seven minutes, every day. I LOVE IT SO MUCH.
The other day, when I had met my limit for together time in the kitchen, my husband held me hostage while he was slicing tomatoes for his 80th sandwich of the week. All I wanted to do was escape with 90s hip-hop and a basket of laundry, but the man looked at me and said in earnest, “But don’t you want to talk?”
Are you swooning? Awww, he wants to talk to her! He loves her!
STOP.
At that moment, during the tomato slicing, I needed my earbuds and music and the mindless monotony of folding. I needed to be a little less together because outside of those earbuds, WE ARE TOGETHER ALWAYS: in the morning, at night, at every meal, during school, when we fight. Rhyming is fun. Oh and hey, know what pairs well with all that togetherness? Privacy.
Alone time. Peace. Quiet.
As an extrovert, my normal social:solitude ratio is a solid 85:15. But this quarantine has my social:solitude ratio off its axis and I’m beginning to feel the effects.
The other day, I tried taking the experts’ advice and “carved out a little me time.” I attempted a bubble bath, but running water is my five-year-old’s siren song and she appeared at the edge of the tub the second I got in. “Hi, mummy! Can I touch dat bubble? Your boobies look weird!” She obliterated my solitude and confidence in one fell, smiley swoop.
I assume the experts do not live with five-year-olds.
But it’s cool. This, too, shall pass and when it does, I’m sure to be one of the loony tunes lamenting these days. Until then, I’ll continue keeping a list of all the stuff that pisses me off and turn it into something we can laugh at. Once we’re able to mingle with family and friends again, though, you’ll find me locked in my bedroom. Bless.
Did you coin the GREAT PAUSE? I like that.
I like snacks
Oh my goodness! Exactly how I feel, except I don’t have kids but instead 3 young dogs that require training and walks, separately. And, if one is getting attention, at least one of the others is barking, at nothing. All the while trying to work full time from home. I can’t wait to have a girls night out (and I’m not talking about with my dogs) away from my house and husband. Too much togetherness.