pandemic

A collection of 21 posts

COVID-19

How Far We've Come

I no longer feel like I'm staring down a dark tunnel with no visible light.

pandemic

Putting Her Needs First

I feel like every day is just... waiting.

pandemic

To My Past Self

I learned not to apologize for my feelings.

career

Moving On From a Life

One year ago, I made a decision.

COVID-19

The Constant State of Fatigue

November was a difficult month.

COVID-19

A Day With Lots of Feelings

Yesterday morning, my 11-year-old woke up with a cough. He had coughed a few times the day before, but nothing regular. I chalked it up to “reactions to springtime weather” and gave him some Benadryl. But yesterday, it crossed the line into “persistent cough.” Every morning, my kids have to

pandemic

Time With My Rainbow Baby

All of my children started day care by the time they were a year old. I kept them home with nannies for those earliest months, but by the time they hit that “walking” age it became tricky to keep them away from me during the day while I worked – even

pandemic

Beginning to See the Light

All of my “memories” popping up from this time last year reflect our first few days of Shelter in Place in Illinois. Schools were closed and remote learning was mostly independent work (which was a disaster). I made a schedule for my kids and tried to keep them entertained through

birthdays

The Second Pandemic Birthday

When my kids were young, I used to plan elaborate themed birthday parties. They really couldn’t appreciate the work that I put in, but they always enjoyed having friends over and lots of food. As they got older, they opted to substitute a party for a trip to a

anniversaries

One Year of Pandemic Later

It has been a year since had any type of “normal.” On March 13, 2020 we pre-emptively kept our kids home from school. We saw the writing on the wall that schools would likely be closing due to COVID-19, and we were right. Later that same day, our governor announced

pandemic

Back to the Classroom

Just shy of one year since my kids have last seen the inside of a classroom, my kids will be returning to school next week. Remote learning has been a struggle. From the early days of trying to establish a routine to changing techniques to keep my kids engaged, it

pandemic

The Person I Can No Longer Be

I used to be such a confident parent. Now I rarely know what to do.

grief

2020 Has Made Me Numb

On Friday evening, we gathered with some friends in their backyard. This was the first time we had done so since March. Everyone wore masks, we were spaced apart when eating, and we stayed outside. The kids ran around in the giant backyard like there wasn’t a global pandemic

pandemic

This Isn't How I Thought I Would Spend My Afternoons

I never had any aspirations to be a stay-at-home parent.

birthdays

Five

Nelle’s birthday did not arrive slowly as it has in past years. Usually, I could feel the weight of the day creeping up on me. It would be September. I would start to look ahead to our annual trip to the coulee, and the tree where we scattered her

coronavirus

Doing the Best for Our Family

I was positive that my kids would be returning to the classroom this Fall. Illinois has been careful in its reopening, and kept Covid-19 mostly controlled.  A little over a week ago, our school district announced its reopening plan with two options: 100% remote learning, or a “hybrid” model of

COVID-19

The Things I Do Now

"Pandemic Parenting" has turned me into the kind of parent that I never wanted to be.

coronavirus

Ninety-One Days

I remember reading reports out of Wuhan, back in February, when the citizens had been on lockdown for more than 72 days.  When we passed the 40 day mark, I thought “Ok, breathe.  More than halfway through what China went through.” We are now on Day 91.  Thirteen weeks.  “Normalcy”

COVID-19

Acceptance of the New Normal

I try to stay connected with people, but it isn't the same.

grandmother

One Hundred and a Letter

My grandma never shied away from any topic.

coronavirus

In the Face of a Growing Pandemic

Somehow, this week went from "growing concern" to "everything hit the fan" in the past 48 hours. We have been following the spread of COVID-19 (coronavirus) since the outbreak in Wuhan, China.  I remember the spread of bird flu (H7N9) and swine flu (H1N1) years ago.  H1N1 in particular was