Brodie told me yesterday (in the 12:30 to 3pm window of interruptions) that he rejects the idea of a “new normal.” I get that. I want life as we knew it to return, too. And it will. Sort of, and eventually. And because, as Father Michael Dangelo reminds us twice daily and on Sundays that “this will pass,” I wanted to capture a typical pandemic day in the Life of Lees. Teenage boys are wrapping up a year of high school. Hero is still a puppy. Bernie is WFH. And I’m doing All of the Things. My guess is most of you (especially the mommas) could white-board a similar schedule.
8 – 9:30am Wake up, walk dog, make puppy breakfast, drink coffee, wake up boys (WHO SHOULD BE WAKING THEMSELVES UP), make them breakfast, drink more coffee
9:30 – 10:30am Listen to Morning Prayer while walking Hero all over the neighborhood
10:40am At least one boy wants 2nd breakfast
11:20am Snackish children emerge from rooms for lunch, but it’s too early for lunch for everyone but the puppy
Noon Quickly frying dumplings because now everyone is starving and school starts again in 20 min but we had sandwiches yesterday
12:30 – 3pm Interruptions for political commentary of the day from Brodie, chitchat with Bernie, query from shirtless Teddy about his “gains” from a slightly altered workout, conversations with various contractors/painters/vet all while trying to OMG ANSWER JUST ONE EMAIL
3:30pm Boys need differing snacks/protein shakes after workouts. Hero hangs out on the deck half-heartedly barking at golfers, other neighborhood dogs, turkeys, the wind, and ghosts. Bernie emerges from Zoom purgatory asking if it’s too early for cocktails. It is too early for cocktails.
4:30pm We have decided it is no longer too early for cocktails. We listen to Evening Prayer and walk Hero all over the neighborhood to give the ghosts a break so they don’t start planning retaliation hauntings.
5:30pm Start preparing dinner during which the boys wander in and out looking for pre-dinner snack offerings and play with Hero for maybe 3 minutes and 45 seconds even though this is the only time of day he really needs lots of attention and the only time I ask them to watch the PUPPY THEY WANTED
6pm Dinner is ready. Not everyone else is. They eat anyway, because they are constantly starving anyway and also are good like this and will sit down right away and eat up every last bite while making yummy sounds and I just adore them. Bernie sneaks Hero little morsels even though the puppy eats like the princely puppy he is and already had his supper.
7pm Hero has the “zoomies” and cannot decide if he should be inside or outside or doing crazy figure 8 races around the furniture, so he does all of these. More barking at ghosts.
8pm What day is it? If Thursday, Friday, or Saturday, we’ll probably continue cocktail hour. Scroll on demand channels for 27 minutes, realize neither of us wants to watch the same thing, so we watch something meh that is too girly, too violent, or puts both of us to sleep.
10pm Hero is a sleepy puppy and does the cutest slow walk to his crate. The tell tale puppy plop signals bedtime for everyone except teenage boys who suddenly appear for dessert.
11pm – ??? Teenage boys are doing Internet things that might be for school, but who are we kidding. Only the ghosts know.
Hero, adorable… and also sees dead people… probably.
Blooms and Bubbles 
adorable!
>
My dog Benny also heads to his crate when he thinks it’s time for the day to end. Never mind the fact that he’s not actually slept in his crate for over six months now – he’s been in my room on the bed. But it’s his routine and he’s sticking to it! As soon I start making a move to bed, he pops back out again and gallops through to the bedroom. He must sleep with one eye open waiting for movement.
Hero is extremely cute! Although I’m surprised he can see any people, alive or dead, with all that fluffy fringe. At least his haircut is in style during these lockdown days.
Pingback: Front Yard Pursuits | Blooms and Bubbles
Pingback: Immunology is Hard | Blooms and Bubbles