The Bright Side of the Twilight Zone AKA Shelter in Place with Quaranteenagers

It surely feels like the Twilight Zone. My Life360 app shows I haven’t driven away from my home for five days (except once to visit my parents from the driveway).  I’ve been working remotely since March 16^th and like everyone else, my kids have been out of school virtually trapped at home with my husband and me.  My senior in high school worries daily that Senior Prom and graduation will be postponed, as her carefully chosen dress hangs in plain sight. Our Spring Break trip (which was originally a cruise that we had planned nine months ago) is now shelter in place at home. Of course, these are microscopic concerns in the big picture of the COVID-19 global pandemic, but we can all agree that it’s affecting everyone in so many ways. For the sake of this post, we want to focus on the bright side because honestly turning on the news is full of dread, frustration and fear.

Thank you to everyone who is going above and beyond in every industry, especially our frontline workers in healthcare, including my stepson who just started working in the ER.  

For SpMoms readers, we’re carefully updating our pages daily based on closures, policy changes, showing support for local businesses and sharing tips on how to survive at home 24/7 with our ENTIRE family….lol. We all have to keep our sense of humor and find the good. As I strive to choose joy in what is a truly wild ride, here’s my bright side of “the Twilight Zone” from the vantage point of a blended family household during a global pandemic.

1. I’ve seen my kids more in the past week than I have the past few months. We’ve had some great laughs and even downtime to watch some old “home movies” from when they were toddlers. Priceless.
2. They have helped around the house more than ever. Of course, I still have to beg, nag and set deadlines, but they are making a difference.
3. The kids make a dessert every day (and we eat it ALL!) Next on the list: raspberry puff pastry.
4. Our three pets are in heaven receiving continual love, snuggles, treats and extra playtime. Archie our puppy doesn’t even know what his crate is anymore.
5. We dedicated the dining room table to “craft-topia”or what my husband would call a huge disaster and eye sore. We have paint, scrapbooking materials photos and albums scattered about and a puzzle to be assembled. It’s a free-for-all for creativity. I even bought a cross-stitch kit, but no one has opened that yet, lol.
6. We’re exercising at home and using apps and other resources to break a sweat every other day to counter all of the extra snacks we’re eating daily. Note: some days we fail miserably, but we do manage a quick walk around the neighborhood. Fresh air is key to survival!
7. Our closets and drawers are tidier than ever. Everything is getting a thorough clean out room by room, and we still have a ways to go (the quaranteenagers just rolled their eyes).
8. We are feeling ALL of the emotions of this global pandemic brings, but most of all, we know that it WILL get back to normal at some point and we won’t take “normal life” for granted anymore.

Okay, I’ll be honest, I can’t choose joy every minute, every day; so I’ll allow myself to publicly rant on these three items:  

1. I’ve already been a fan of online grocery shopping, but now so is everyone else, so orders take days to be ready rather than hours.
2. My dog has stolen and eaten precious rolls of toilet paper when we forget to close the bathroom doors.
3. My grey roots are peeking through in full force with no word of when my hair salon will reopen. I may be trying an at-home kit which I guarantee in my hands will be a potential disaster. Only middle-aged Moms will appreciate this sentiment.

Bottom line? Keep the humor, stay home, shop local, stay safe and be grateful for all we have.

We love hearing from our readers, share your stories of the bright side of “The Twilight Zone during this time.  We’d love to hear from you via email springfieldmoms.org@gmail.com or reach out on facebook!

Support LOCAL restaurants with takeout, drive-through or delivery! One of our favorites, Maid-Rite on Jefferson in Springfield.