Living in Crazy Time

Three months ago, I had one of my favorite outings ever. Dad, Mary Ellen, Josie and I attended My Fair Lady at the Kennedy Center. It was one of my favorite outings because it is one of my favorite performances and Dad’s, and we got to see it with him upright, wearing snappy shoes, on the red carpet, as it were… not on a screen in a hospital bed. It was a fabulous performance and an elegant evening.

Two months ago, Finn and I joined the O’Learys and Habtus in a Canaan Valley caravan to take on the slopes of West Virginia. It was beautiful sliding down the crystalline powder under the exuberant blue skies, and the boys had their snowball fights, oblivious to the moody clouds. It was cozy playing games in front of the fireplace and talking at the kitchen table until 1 am.

Last month, we ventured to Deep Creek for some cottage time, if not lake time. We went to the movie theater, ate at Unos with Craig and Diane, played games with Poppy and Grams and the kids had a blast sledding at Wisp while Hugh and I drank hot cocoa.

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A couple of weeks ago, I was at Bannockburn leading the kaoroke table, we were out grocery shopping, and we blithely chatted with friends on the street.

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And now we’re living in Crazy Time. Coronavirus has hit like a ton of bricks. The U.S. has bungled the overall management of it in some ways– although it is incredibly complicated balancing health and economic worries–and over 1,000 Americans have died. (Gov. Hogan of Maryland has done a great job, though.) Basic necessities are in short supply. Kevin bought a 50-pound bag of flour, which gave us lots of laughs, but I have already distributed about 6 10-cup bags of flour to friends and family. (He also bought a 2-pound bag of chia seeds, but no one is asking…)

The six of us Chez Tomlinson are doing pretty well. We are thankful no one is ill, minus Clara, who has ongoing headaches and stomach aches–mercifully not the coughing and fever of COVID19. During the week, we have a semi-functioning routine for the children to keep up with academics in the morning and there’s nothing but free time in the afternoon. There are chores and 30 minutes of PE required, but there’s probably too much screen too. Oh well.

Some of my friends have wonderful home-school routines set up from 9 am to 4 pm. They do Khan Academy math and literature reviews and play beach in the basement. Meanwhile, in my house, Tatum is trying to put mascara on the dog, Finn is learning how to create a booby trap waterfall above the door, and Clara is eating frosting out of a plastic tub.

Kevin, Hugh and I are trying to co-work, squeezing into bedrooms and basement corners and possibly the laundry room and overtaking the kitchen table and porch as needed. I am so grateful for a spacious house and yard.

Finn just asked, “When is coronavirus going to be over?” We all wish we knew. Be well, loved ones. “Stay healthy, stay home,” as the post office clerk told me.