Coming up for air

Little Guy was in quarantine recently because he was a close contact with a confirmed positive covid case. 

We enjoyed extra time together.  We enjoyed one-on-one time, which I had just recently been praying we would find a way to do.  We spent a week without going to extracurriculars.  We were home. 

And at the same time, our family schedule & dynamics were turned upside down.  Little Miss came home from school at 10.45, but her brother was here, so she didn't get her wind-down time after school.  Instead of a few hours a day together, they had almost all day together, egging each other on.  

And Mom got no introvert time.

7 days of quarantine after a weekend = 9 days of almost no time alone.  By the end of it, I was not a nice person.  This introvert needs some alone time.  

As I explained it to the children, LM said, "It's okay, Mom. You can sleep all night tonight."  :) While I appreciate the sentiment, this introvert needs more than sleep to recharge.  

LG's PCR test was at 9 AM Saturday, and one official told me I would receive results by email in 24-36 hours.  The tester told me 48 hours.  I was hopeful we would have results before school Monday morning.  

I kept checking email all day Sunday between the 24-36 hour marks.  No email.  I woke up shortly before 6 AM Monday, and the email was there!!  Negative!! 

LG & LM left on the school bus at 7.25 AM.  By 7.55 I had tidied the living room, reshelved the children's books, found a pile of books that belong in our room, & a pile of books that belong in the basement.  I had filled a box with scattered toys that are headed to "toy jail."  Then I noticed a few rarely-used items sitting around that really belong in the basement.  

I had time to sit down and eat a bowl of fruit, yogurt and nuts with my second cup of tea, while listening to some uplifting hymns, before vacuuming the living room, sweeping the kitchen floor, unloading & loading the dishwasher, and generally preparing our main living area for my infusion nurse's arrival at 3 pm. 

And I continue on my lifelong quest of finding the right balance of alone time in this busy season of parenting so that I am filled up to do the parenting!  Any & all tips welcome! :)