Today was a day of emotional recovery. Mother's day was tiring, with all the pressure and expectations that seem to go along with holidays, including that one. Yesterday, exactly as I described it in my post. It was supposed to be my day of recovery from Mother's Day but did not turn out to be that at all.
After finishing my post very late last night and then responding to some emails that needed to be answered, I finally headed up to bed around 12:30. All four kids were camped out in my room (see photos below), which had not happened in a while. They had trickled in, one-by-one and I hadn't had the heart to turn any away. I crawled in my very cramped bed and tried to get to sleep. I was not very successful simply because I had stayed up way too late trying to finish my post, had too much on my mind, and too many bodies in my bed. I finally started to doze off around 1;30 or so when Miles woke up crying. He was startled and perturbed that since falling asleep many hours before, Garin had inserted himself between Miles and me. By doing so, Garin had ruined our Mommy/Miles special night in his eyes and that was not going over well at 1:30 in the morning. He got mad and insisted that Garin move out of the middle spot and switch places with him and sleep on the outside. That's all it took to yank me out of my almost-asleep state and keep me awake for the rest of the night, literally. Miles tossed and turned and was pushing me off the bed for the rest of the night. Hours passed and I felt like I was in a sleep deprivation torture program. I think I may have finally dozed off at around 4 or 5, getting an hour or two of sleep before having to get up to face Day 62 of Quarantine.
I expected today to go much worse than it did, given my lack of sleep. Surprisingly, I was productive and not as cranky as one might expect for a quarantined mother with four kids and complete sleep deprivation. After getting my full morning walk in, I returned home and started in on my gardening. We had gone to Home Depot late yesterday to pick up some very useful power tools (curbside pickup, of course), that I was excited to try. So Miles and I headed out to the front yard, he with his garden clippers and me with my new electric hedge trimmer and we went at it. It was cathartic, after the events of yesterday, to have a powerful and destructive power tool in my possession. I was just tearing through the front yard, ridding myself of some plants that I have wanted to change for a while and it felt really good.
Having Miles as my Sous-Gardener didn't hurt either. He was having a ball, watching me saw down huge bushes with my new trimmer. I could tell that he was dying to use it, but of course, he could not. Watching all that destruction was a little boy's dream come true. I have not seen him as engaged in anything, since the lockdown began, as he was this morning, as my right-hand man, second in charge, of garden destruction.
At one point, I asked him if he would assume the very important job of hauling away all the stuff that I cut, to one pile. I told him that it was a very important job and even came with a fancy title, "Hauler-Dude." That went over well at first, but after about five minutes he said emphatically, Stop calling my Hauler-Dude. I am not a Hauler Dude. Yes sir, Miles!
After gardening much of the morning (in addition to checking on my 3 homeschoolers), I spent the afternoon delving into my bi-yearly closet re-organizing for the kids. I do a cleanout and reorganization twice and year (Spring and Fall) to switch out clothes that are no longer fit, with the ones that do. . I will spare you the details of the project because it would be as boring for me to write about it as it would be for you to read about it. I make mention of it only because I was pleasantly surprised at my ability to accomplish so much on so little sleep.
The final third of my day entailed going to our local farmers market to get produce and then returning home to prepare a rather impressive dinner for a mom who had already done so much in one day, on no sleep. If I had declared it "Cereal Night," I don't think anyone would have complained.
Tomorrow I am hoping for a hum-drum day. It is the first day of our new extended three-months of lockdown in Los Angeles. I have just completed two months of quarantine and am ready for the Funny Farm. I ask myself tonight, If not the Funny Farm, what will I be ready for by August?
This was my room last night at midnight. Daycare at nap-time, like I said.....
Miles and Garin cuddled in together. If they had stayed asleep and given me an inch of room to sleep, it might actually be cute.
My Sous-Gardener.
You should try gardening in your pajamas, like Miles. It's quite liberating.
My new power tool. I cannot get enough of it! A good way to get out all your frustrations.
Hauler-Man had a lot to haul as I cut away.
Taking a much-needed break on the slide.
Catherine came out to join us in her PJ's. This was at 1:30. My cellmates are rebelling against me and not getting dressed anymore. I am too tired to care.
The days-long Spring clothes organizing project is officially under way. Fun times!
I started in Catherine and Graham's closet. They were enormously helpful.
I tought them how to properly fold a dress shirt and they perfected it in no time.
Graham doing a little fashion show.
4 PM and Miles is still in his PJS. The boys began dismantling a small deck in the backyard as part of our gardening improvement project.
Mexican Fiesta Night! Fish Tacos with Guacamole; Herbed Rice and Refried Beans.
Graham and Sloathy enjoying dinner.
Hauler-Man devouring his taco after a long day of hard labor.
Our favorite Banana Walnut Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting.
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