First Day "Back"
Monday was our first day "back" to normal. Normal as in the kids are back to school; Joerg never stopped working, he just stopped walking to the office.
So everybody has returned to "work" and while the execution is different (sitting at home instead of at school or in the office) they are doing what they would normally be doing during the week. Like Joerg, little has changed for me and I have continued to do my work despite the upheaval in the schooling arrangements (which includes me not having to teach music anymore this year). But things are definitely different.
I tried to do my "Monday Chores" and felt like I was walking on eggshells everywhere. Joerg needs quiet for telephone calls and concentration. Patrick and Katherine need quiet so they can hear and participate in their classes. Of course, they don't all take breaks at the same time so I did my "quiet" chores during the day but couldn't run the vacuum cleaner until everyone was done schooling and working. Have you ever tried to work in the kitchen without clinking silverware or bumping dishes together? And no more blasting my Spotify "Clean the House" playlist throughout the house while I'm working. What normally takes me three to five or so hours took me most of the day with interruptions in my workflow to answer questions, engage in conversations, or delay noise-producing actions.
Other changes associated with this everybody's-home-all-the-time lifestyle.
Joerg, working from home.
Katherine, ready for her 8:00 class (Algebra 2) to start.
Patrick, in his meteorology class.
So everybody has returned to "work" and while the execution is different (sitting at home instead of at school or in the office) they are doing what they would normally be doing during the week. Like Joerg, little has changed for me and I have continued to do my work despite the upheaval in the schooling arrangements (which includes me not having to teach music anymore this year). But things are definitely different.
I tried to do my "Monday Chores" and felt like I was walking on eggshells everywhere. Joerg needs quiet for telephone calls and concentration. Patrick and Katherine need quiet so they can hear and participate in their classes. Of course, they don't all take breaks at the same time so I did my "quiet" chores during the day but couldn't run the vacuum cleaner until everyone was done schooling and working. Have you ever tried to work in the kitchen without clinking silverware or bumping dishes together? And no more blasting my Spotify "Clean the House" playlist throughout the house while I'm working. What normally takes me three to five or so hours took me most of the day with interruptions in my workflow to answer questions, engage in conversations, or delay noise-producing actions.
Other changes associated with this everybody's-home-all-the-time lifestyle.
- We go through more food. I'm not sure exactly how this happens, but my grocery bill exploded. I guess it's mostly because no one is eating out for lunch or buying hot lunch at school so we went from one full meal per day (not everyone eats breakfast) to two. And people are snacking more.
- We create more garbage and recycling. It is not unusual for our garbage and recycling dumpsters to go out on garbage day half-filled with room to spare. But this week they are filled to the top, and the lid pops up just a little.
- And the dishwasher runs every.single.day. Typically, we can get through two days before I have to run the dishwasher, and even then it has empty spots. Not anymore. All three drawers are well-filled with dishes, glasses, coffee cups, and silverware.
I guess it's time for me to get going. I have quiet things that require my attention. :)
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