We're doomed

We just got word that the one of the two summer day camps we were hoping to put A. in going fully online. Considering how much she loves clowning around on video chats, it might as well be closed. And of course, there's a good chance school will be entirely online in the fall. We're still planning to visit family this summer and that should help, but any time we're around the house for the next 4 months (eight months? 14 months?), we'll be both working from home full-time and trying to parent.

Cautious Optimism

The past couple days have been better than the last week or so. Work wasn't too busy. No tantrums or battles of will with the kid worth mentioning. There was one amusing interruption of a conference call, but she was well behaved except at that exact minute and no one on the call seemed to mind.

I don't know why things went better. That halfhearted attempt at vaguely scheduling "family time"? We wore the kid down? The weather?

We're doing fine except for our sanity

Talking to my parents today, someone suggested moving up to their house in Bethel, Vt. due to the coronavirus. It was just a random thought, but I can't stop thinking about it.

I much prefer living in DC to living in Bethel. I like not needing a car. I like having dozens of options for dinner within walking distance, even these days (they're open for delivery or takeout). Food aside, there's more choices in bars, movie theaters, events, etc. in any city. I like my daughter growing up surrounded by diversity. She's accustomed to races, religions, and gender expressions I didn't encounter until after I graduated from high school. And of course, there's the world-famous tourist attractions we encounter on the way to work or an afternoon family outing. When the kid expresses interest in a historical figure, we can show her the portrait in the Smithsonian.

But T. is worried that DC won't reopen this summer, or even this fall. I don't like that.

The hardest part of the coronavirus for me is the parenting. I feel a bit guilty about this, but of course it's fucking difficult to parent and home-school while working from home. For the first month of social distancing I only worked about 25-30 hours a week, but I've been putting in something more like a full day for the second month due to a change at work. I've been telling myself I only had to juggle everything until summer camp/daycare started. If that doesn't start? If school is still distance learning in the fall? What'll we do?

Going to Vermont might be as simple as getting a car and packing suitcases. There MIGHT be problems with our jobs, but maybe not. Mail can be forwarded. T. or I could drive down here every 2-4 weeks to make sure the house is intact. My parents have at least three indoor pets and T. has allergies, but she's dealt with that before.

We'd be giving up a lot, but A. would get a better education and we'd get some peace and quiet.

Outings

All three of us went to the grocery store yesterday. We're trying to rely on deliveries more - signed up for a CSA, expecting a Costco shipment soon - but we were low on or out of some things that are hard to get delivered. Today, all three of us went to A.'s school to take advantage of their lunch and get a distance learning packet, and in the afternoon A. and I went to a drugstore to get a Mother's Day card and little present for T.

Important business meetings in pajamas

After weeks of working from home and attending online meetings and conference calls, today I had to lead one for the first time. It sucked. Just setting it up was a huge mess. I Googled instructions and found several different ones but none of them applied to the version I was using and it took me way too long to figure that out. Took me literally an hour of troubleshooting and phone calls with a co-worker. Once everyone was finally on the same page, I thought the content of the meeting went well enough, although I'm slightly worried I made myself look like an idiot. Not any specific problems, just in general.

Outings

Today we went to the farmer's market (the open layout of the past has been replaced by one entrance with a handwashing station, one exit, and numerous reminders to wear masks and give people space) and the bodega for some basic shopping. In the afternoon we went on a bike trip. Afterwards I took A. straight home and T. went to a beer store. Then there's a biweekly neighborhood gathering - half a dozen families gather, but, again, try to maintain a distance.

Monday or Tuesday we went out to the bodega for some similar essentials. I think there was nothing in between, not counting walks or playing outside or getting delivery.

The highlight of the neighborhood gatherings is the music. There's a DJ among us. "Don't Stand So Close to Me", "It's the End of the World As We Know It (And I Feel Fine)", "Can't Touch This," and so on.