Coping Mechanisms

Remember when we all had jobs and the kids had school and life had an actual schedule? I actually got up at 6am ON PURPOSE to shower before Melissa left for the office. And everyone had breakfast before leaving for school at 7:30. My days revolved around managing Pook’s various appointments and schlepping Boogie along with plus errands and groceries and housework and cooking dinner. There was a rhythm.

Then mom got sick and the Rona hit and life tipped sideways. Melissa has been working remotely since March and all school is online. Corporate Me would call that a Radical Paradigm Shift. Mom Me calls it Too Much Togetherness.

We’ve all developed our own coping mechanisms. The babies watch too much Disney Jr and I don’t care. Bean spends most of the day drawing. And Noodle and Roo have become obsessed with Minecraft. The other day everyone was chilling on tablets and I hear Noodle cry out from downstairs : JAXON, YOU BURNED ME! And I came down ready to rage on my son for (a) playing with fire and (b) being a moron, only to discover the fire was Minecraft lava into which Noodle had been pushed by his twin. My seven year old was actually crying real tears about pixelated lava. Corporate Me would call that an Emotional Trigger. Mom Me calls that My Sons Are Both Morons.

My own coping mechanisms involve frenetic crafting, feeling compelled to buy myself an iced latte every time I manage to escape the house and ignoring the morons who are currently pounding a bright green kickball with their butts on the kitchen floor. It’s really a matter of time until one of them starts caterwauling. It’s ok because I’m gonna ignore that too. You’re welcome, neighborhood.

I showered before 7am today, the babies got bathed AND I got an iced latte, so clearly today is a win, butt-bouncing notwithstanding. There’s no schedule and no rhythm and the whole world is sorta on fire, but it’s ok because at least we’re all together.