Hello my BFF’s, I’m coming at you live from my tiny sunroom fort, the place I go to hide away and get some quiet time since I am surrounded by my peeps these days. But, they are on to me and have found my hiding place. They like to be close to momma, (who can blame them, and quite frankly, I will miss them when they no longer want to) but they have taken over my fort on many occasions so that the cat and I have to find someplace else to go. There are now toys in my fort.

One of my fave sayings is that “Awkward Birds have more fun” and I have to tell you that this house of awkward birds is definitely having fun. We have shunned the advice that tells us to keep a routine, which includes getting up at a certain time and doing things the same way, or to put on real clothes and to do things to keep our brains mentally fit.

Nah. We do that in “real life”. But this weird virus quarantine shut-down life has found us doing things we normally do not do when life is humming along as usual. Video games, junk food, and TV are treats that my kids are enjoying way more than this old-school momma allows. I find myself doing way more exercising, and actually liking it, than I normally have the time for and interest in. In truth, there are plenty of projects and hobbies that I could be working on but I am interrupted every 2.3 seconds so I select activities that can be disrupted without making me feeling too cranky. That’s exercise.

I’ve added some toning to my routine and since most of our life is still packed away in boxes, and any weights I may have saved through the years, I am using a common pantry staple to buff up with –  a white vinegar bottle. I can make pickles, soften my laundry, clean out my coffee maker and pump up with this bottle of wonder.

I’m pretty sure my 7-year old has not changed into daytime clothes since he left school mid-March. My peeps have even tested me with asking to wear to bed the same clothes that they had on all day. There is a slight pause as the automatic response is “no, put on pj’s” but then my awkward brain recognizes that it doesn’t really make a difference. I’m sure it’s just prepping me for more “pick your fights” moments in the coming adolescent years ahead. I do have to add that clean underwear needs to happen, although I suspect that they are “yes-ing” me.

Homeschooling takes up the first part of our days and then we play. I do not have a strict routine set up for my kids for homeschooling but I helped them to recognize that getting it finished in the morning is helpful for many reasons. They have started participating in online video chat sessions with their teachers and classmates and I chuckle because my kids are at a loss for what to say when they are asked what they are doing while they are home. We live in the country and lots of kids are having fun country spring things going on but because we are waiting to get up to our farmhouse, we have put the brakes on gardens and animals and other country activities this year. Once the shut-down is over, hectic life begins and I wanted to keep a realistic approach to my days, which is so unlike me, but I’ll be glad I did. So far, I have heard some extreme details to make our otherwise simple days appear dramatic and one of my peeps even said he was having a hard time coming up with a schedule for doing his homeschooling. Seriously? He’s discovered that he likes to get to it after breakfast and he’s done way before lunch. He’s the first kid done in our house. I suspect it’s just a need to have something to contribute to the online video chat conversation and for drama.

We don’t have any.

This opposite world also has me periodically feeling the need to wear civilian clothes and put on jewelry and make-up, which I normally am not a fan of. My peeps wanted to know why I was all fancy the other day. I’m not sure why that need came over me either but I go with it when it hits. I had been wanting to put on make-up for a few days but resisted because I would just have to wash it off, but I finally decided it was just what I needed to do.

I liked it.

The one routine I do not mess with is early bedtime. There is no “opposite world” with that routine. My kids are asking me why it is so light out when they have to get into bed now. Ahhhh….nostalgia. I remember asking my mother that same question and now I know why we were in bed when it was still daylight out. If the cat and I could figure out how to get them into bed sooner, we would.

We’ve been working around the online grocery ordering and pick-up option and it is our big moment out and about in the world. The kids are fascinated to watch people wearing their masks while we wait in the car in the parking lot for our grocery cart to arrive. Ordering groceries while sitting in your jammies is so nice and pleasant, especially compared to grocery shopping with kids. I may never switch back.

I became very bored with serving my kids the same healthy snacks all day long while on quarantine so I had them go through the grocery store flyer and circle anything that looked good.

Even Doritos.

Best. Mom. Ever.

We are not using these days to become especially accomplished or better or useful, we are just “living” daily with no goals or major aspirations and it is wonderful. “Opposite world” is a gift for us to have nothing on our plates for this time being, no rules (aside from bedtime and my loose rule for clean undies for kids…because I always opt for clean undies, just so you know…is that TMI?) and I for one am savoring our “opposite world”.

I have a slight fear that if “opposite world” continues for an extended period of time, I may never go back to the me I was before. But sitting around a lot more these days is making me twitchy and my self is feeling the need to get into all of those boxes I have moved endlessly over the last two years and start to purge, organize and re-box until I can empty them for good. All positive signs that “opposite world” is a much needed break for my mojo but I’ll be back once it is over.

Phew!

Awkward birds have more fun. Join the flock!