Diary of a Covid Times/Virtual School/Business Owner/Mother: Tuesday. This is all just Tuesday.

 5 year old wakes up first at 7am (bless him it's never before this since he turned 4).  I went for a walk around the yard with hubs to start day on a positive sunny note and left tv on as babysitter.  Hubs says 5 yr old will not notice we're not there, I disagree.  We walk in after 20 mins, 5 yo is on the couch, slightly surprised to see us. Point 1 for hubs, he has not noticed.

Make oatmeal, put away dishes. Chat work from phone to make sure all is good and underway.  Run up to computer, everyone who should be online is online. Run back down to not burn oatmeal.  Run up, change, run back down.  

Breakfast served for the 5 yr. old - sit for a moment to enjoy coffee with him and work on our mindfulness journal.  Make some semblance of reference to lent and try to impress that we need to give to people.  Send a short prayer up to god for our classmates - 5yr old says he has nothing to add and no, he'd not like to give away any toys at this moment.

8yr. wakes up (only known by footsteps) but decides it's a hard pass on being awake and goes back to bed - not asleep, just fake asleep.

Snack #1 for me while scheduling an appointment with the plumber and 5yr old starts his virtual morning schooling.

Text received: Soccer was updated to 5pm not 6pm - today's careful post pm planning tumbles, I call my mom to solve.  She solves beautifully (bless her) and the day is back on track.

Revive 8yr old out of bed, he eats breakfast, gets dressed, brushes his teeth and makes his bed all without my asking while 5yr old is having panic attacks on tags in his shirt, balancing scissors while walking down the stairs and asking to do an exercise video.

Exchange funny texts with my in laws and have a little break while watching 5yo do a work out video and working from my phone.  My coffee is cool at best but I've forgotten what hot coffee tastes like since 8yo was born.  Is lukewarm not an ideal coffee temp?

8yr old goes to sign into virtual school but his lego minecraft characters are not present which delays his sign in attempt. A self imposed delay.  Turn around to find him staring out the window.  I feel ya buddy.

8 year old is typing during virtual school while his teacher is talking and snickering.  Correcting him and asking what he could be working so furiously hard on if his teacher is asking questions to answer out loud.

5 year old is next to my computer reading letters out loud for a design I'm working on while trying to blow up an already blown up balloon and hitting himself with it.

I'm trying to touch base with an employee having a hard time focusing as well.

5 year old is driving a remote car through my office

Called 8 yr old upstairs to remind him of respectful learning techniques. Says Gandhi is not interesting so his focus is off (calling my parenting into question as we speak, haul me away now, I'm an unfit mother).

5 yr old needs to charge car - does this in the most inconvenient spot imaginable amongst 5 other plugs (but you're not so strict with the 2nd one, right?)

Me:  listening to teacher giving small group assignments and my 8yr old maybe ignoring it?

Homeschool help has arrived

5yr old doing spanish class loud

8yr old trying to get away with playing on his computer

Plumber comes (to fix the disposal that got jammed a week ago, my husband and I tried to play chicken on who had to call the plumber, I caved). Kids love the plumber, everyone stops schooling to meet him.  Dog follows the plumber around like she'd happily rehome with him.

Find out a metal disc dropped in the disposal, there's a special key to unjam a disposal and that once again, I am the least handy person in the world.

Back to work, have not yet had a full meal but have snacked 5 times today (but one was a vegetable, winning!).  Have also had my "I intend to work out today" clothes on since 8am.

Chats in work on employees, systems not functioning smooth and lending support in inboxes to make up for an employee who is out this week.

Managing calls and emails from company #2.  Coordinating unfinished projects and trying to be polite while trying not to rip my hair out from tasks being done late while trying to also convey my support.  Via text.  It remains to be seen if that worked.

Back to sales and general email work, things are smooth. Staring down the barrel of "second half of day" which involves less kid structure, an in person meeting for me, a phone meeting for me, a hot minute to chat with my mom - possibly (hopefully!) going to soccer.  Shit I forgot to buy shinguards.

Why don't I remember what commercial invoices are?  Pepperoni is delicious and an easy sixth snack.

Meeting with co-owner - as expected not a moral builder but a necessary conversation either way.  

Mom managing the kids who are apparently trying to skateboard and use spray chalk at the same time.  Hop downstairs a quick minute and see door is sprayed with spray chalk, it's not great but alas there's only so much I can control.

Finish conversation, move into panic mode to be able to get sales done - remember I still don't have shinguards, kids are leaving in 40 minutes.  Run to target, grab shinguards,socks (cost as much as the shinguards, awesome) and a size 3 ball.  Wait in interminable Target line and head home.

Kids are thankful I'm home and 5 yr old is beyond thrilled with socks and the need for shinguards (tells me he can now kick people hard - I refrain from correcting him - why kill the joy?).  They hop in the car with my mom.

I run back upstairs to eek out another hour and a half-ish of work.  Type like a madwoman, send emails, forget I still haven't actually had a meal.

Kids come home tired and happy, go straight to play Mario brothers and my defenses are weak and hungry.  Make myself an omelet and enjoy the peaceful meal in the kitchen only slightly interrupted by singing the Mario song out loud while it's also playing on the TV.

Make a deal with hubs, dishes for bedtime stories - I do the kitchen, watch some Netflix and he does stories and wind down.  Allergy medicine for both, lots of kisses and day is winding down.  20 minutes of modern family and at the ripe time of 8:30pm, we're listening to meditation and I'm out shortly thereafter.

Sleep. Repeat.