When we decided to have a third baby, we weren’t intimidated by the idea…because it was going to be like having a first baby, but with more experience. Cash and Quinn were going to be in school most of the time and Colin would be on parental leave. We were going to hang out, watch movies, take naps, and spend time together. Obviously, it didn’t quite work that way. Within about a week of Gray’s birth, schools closed and all five of us have been “working” from home ever since. The boys had distance preschool, while Colin and I had our own work to do.
For the most part, I think we’ve done a pretty good job with balancing a new baby, a global pandemic, two very full careers, and distance learning. Every once in a while, though, we bump up against an obstacle or two that has us revisiting what this all means, how to best schedule our time, and how to prioritize all the work that needs to be done. This is why it’s midnight and Colin is downstairs working and I am in our bedroom working. It’s also what led us to start looking at bigger houses…ones with an office with a door! Tonight, fortunately, the kids are sleeping! Some weeks there just aren’t enough hours in the day to get it all done during the day, which is unfortunate, because we are often woken up in the middle of the night and would love to be sleeping more.
I hope to remember this time sweetly, a time when we were all together at home, playing, learning, adventuring, and spending time doing things we love. I hope to remember this time as empowering, because some days I really feel like Colin and I must be superheroes to be able to keep this thing on track. I hope to remember this time as the ultimate juggling act, one that we did in a way that kept our kids happy and healthy through all of the chaos and uncertainty.
Some days it hits us just how hard this all is. It’s usually when we’ve gone a few days without good sleep or when we haven’t figured out how to feed ourselves. At the end of the day, though, it’s always nice to reflect together on what we’re doing well. Cash and Quinn are three and four years old. It’s easy to forget how recently they came into the world and what an amazing job they’re doing as little humans with so little experience. Their independence, love of learning, joy, and creativity have amazed me. And Gray is just so sweet and squishy that he makes any negativity fade away with his leg rolls and smiles.
We don’t know how long the germs will be lingering in our community, nor do we know what next year will look like. We do know that if we can get through this first six months, that the rest will be a piece of cake. As long as we can also stay healthy, we can get through whatever comes next.
Joyful Striving 