Today has been one of those days where it’s crystal clear that everything surrounding COVID-19 is getting to us. Everyone is grouchy and quick to jump down the others throat. The kids are fighting and when they’re not, they’re hiding in their phones or on the Xbox.
Emotionally, I feel like I’m in a decent place but I’m exhausted. The last few nights I haven’t been sleeping well because I started working out in the mornings and I’m still in the soreness phase. I hurt but it’s a good hurt in my book.
Anyway, I’m dropping the parenting ball right now because I’m not staying on top of everything. I’d like to have fun things planned out and I just don’t. We’re obviously limited in what we can do but I’d love to find a better balance. That better balance is proving to be very difficult.
Elliott is constantly wanting to go hiking but that’s getting harder and harder to do. COVID19 cases in Ohio are significantly growing and while we are now under a mask mandate, most people aren’t wearing them. That makes doing things like going to the park harder to do safely.
We did sneak out for a little while this evening and while we went to a more remote location, we still ran into people and none of them were wearing masks. We kept a healthy social distance but it’s upsetting that people don’t take this seriously.
In fact, while we were looking for a place to walk, we passed lots of people. Out of the 100+ we saw along the way, 3 people had masks on but only 2 were actually wearing them.
There’s zero excuse not to wear a mask, barring an actual medical condition, and if that’s the case, you probably should be sheltering at home. I’m a very tolerant person and I try so hard not to judge people but this mask thing just blows my mind. It’s pretty straightforward. Wear a fucking mask if you’re in public.
Aside from the frustration, I feel like we had a decent time. Our trip didn’t last more than a mile or so because Gavin said something thoughtless to Elliott, causing hurt feelings and frustration. He didn’t mean it in an offensive way but Gavin’s not great with words and Elliott is super sensitive since his mom left. I’m constantly trying to stay ahead of this because it’s an ongoing issue.
Once we got home and everyone could go to their separate corners, things calmed down and we had a better night.
Tomorrow is a big day for us because it’s the first day of a new routine, or at least part of it. I’m working on a bigger post about my status with establishing a new, workable routine but it’s not quite there yet.
