Covid Pandemic quarantine

Through out my day I keep thinking "I will blog about this when I do my Covid post in a few months when all this is over".  Well last night I realized that I should document some of this as I go.  It will be better that way.  Even now I am overwhelmed at the thought of going back - way back - to 2 or 3 weeks ago when this all started.  So for now I won't.  I don't have pictures either.  I guess later I will do an "official" here is what we did during our quarantine post.  But for now a few bullet points.

• Going to the store is hard becasue everyone thinks I am hording.  I want to wear a sign that says "I have 5 kids".  They see me with my 5 gallons of milk, 6 dozen eggs, and 4 loaves of bread and it looks like hording - I get it.  But I buy this every week.  
• Also even going out for walks and bike rides I get looks because it looks like my kids are playing with friends.  Most people assume normally when I go out that i have a kid or 2 and the rest are friends - because they all look about the same age.  So it looks like we are not social distancing.  
• The number one thing I enjoy about a 16 month old is the outings.  They are the best at this age.  The zoo, aquarium, swimming, parks, children's museums, everything is SO FUN at this age.  Dane is still wonderful and playing in the backyard is great - but my heart yearns to take him to a place he has never been and see and do things he has never seen.
• Truly - this isn't that "hard".  I am not feeling stir crazy.  I don't really miss people.  I don't need to get away from my kids.  I am not sure why.  I am just fine.  I do love having everyone home.  I am so grateful Jason was home for a year and a half and for a whole summer and we were able to learn how to all be home together and figure out our roles and expectations and I learned to enjoy it and have a good attitude.  We have not had one hiccup in this whole thing.  We slid easily back into our "everyone at home" roles and life has continued as normal.  I love having him home.  If this were the first time in 7 years he was home - I think I would be having a harder time. 
• We are doing pretty well sticking to a schedule.  Our mornings are great.  Well until this week.  Dane is right in the transition from 2 naps to 1 nap.  So that is throwing me through a loop.  It would be wonderful if he still napped every day at 9:30 and we can all work on school.  But the last 2 days have been hard trying to help them and keep Dane entertained in the morning.  I am still trying to decide what I am going to do.... let him go to 1 afternoon nap (best for him) or keep him on 2 naps (best for the rest of us).  BUT it is also good for him to do 2 naps because he would get more attention, get to do more fun things, etc if he naps in the am and then is up to play from 11:30 - 2.  His life really would be better if he did that. 
• My biggest trial right now is screen time and being intentional.  I have said over and over again that it would be so sad to look back at this time in our life and remember that we did school and had screen time.  Some days it feels like that is all that happens - and that is a failure to me.  I recognize this as a true gift.  TO refocus on the family and on each other ( I think I will write about that more tomorrow).  In the morning I am full of energy and good intentions and think: we will do school, and then an activity, and then some great hobbies like cooking, or building, or sewing (the girls have been asking for weeks), and then dinner and then a family game.  But by the time we are done with school we are ALL SO TIRED.  Me mostly.  I just can't do it.  If i weren't pregnant things would be different.  I need help.  I need to have the energy and push to make my vision a reality.  Everyday I say "tomorrow will be different" and while was have had a few days that matched my vision - they are 1 or 2 in a week of 7 days.  Maybe that's ok?   I would rather have 1 or 2 days of screen in a week of 7 than 1 or 2 of non in a week of seven.  My plan is to make a plan today.