Thoughts from a Hamilton County Mom

As our nation begins to reopen after the devastating Clovid-19 pandemic, it seems that everyone has a different opinion on if we are ready and how that should look.  Some people see us as not ready to let certain businesses be open and patrons moving about in them. There are people that have barley left the house in 9 weeks and if they did it was absolutely necessary and you bet they had a mask and sometimes even gloves on. Some people haven't been closer than the recommended 6 feet from anyone other than their immediate family at all. They are not sure when they will feel safe to get back to normal(ish) but its not going to be til after the vaccine is readily available.  Then there are others who either by choice or necessity have ventured out of the house freely. Any store that was open they were there wanting to buy something. They let their kids play with friends and support local restaurants and business as much as possible by placing pick-up orders. They might have a m...

As we can see the light at the end of the long, dark tunnel for the Coronavirus quarantine I realize that I have gotten used to staying at home so much. While I cannot wait to get back out there and go to a store, dine out and travel, I realize there are some aspects of this ‘stay at home’ order that I will miss. I’ll miss my wardrobe staples. Out of the almost 2 months we have been told to stay at home I have worn leggings, gym shorts or pajamas all of the time. I have been beyond comfortable for so long I don’t know if I’ll be able to even think about constrictive clothing again. The next time I have to put on heels I’ll probably fall. I love these comfy clothes so much I might not be able to give them up. Hugh Hefner had it right. I’ll miss working from home full time. Getting up 5 minutes before I should start working has been fabulous. It’s amazing how much you get done when everything is remote. Former meetings that would take an hour can be summed up in 15 minutes. I...

During our Coronavirus Pandemic, (which I now refer to as The Rona) so many nice people have expressed how badly they feel for our High School Seniors. In Indiana, we are on e-learning for the remainder of the year. So, all of our kids here in the good ol Hoosier State had their school year abruptly cut short on March 13. They didn’t even know they weren’t going to come back to school at that time which means that nobody really got to experience that final goodbye. If you’re a High School Senior, this means that you are missing out on the final months of your High School experience. The final months of your childhood. The final months of that often wonderful time with your friends, your community. The final months of high school often include some once in a lifetime experiences such as Prom, Spring Break, your final season of your High School Sport and other often ‘Seniors Only’ activities. Yes, that even includes possibly missing out on a Graduation Ceremony. While we don’t ha...

What I hate most about the Clovid 19 quarantine is how people feel and react about others. Nowadays, people are afraid of other people. If you start to get close to someone, they quickly back away from you with a paranoid look on their face. They walk on the other side of the road if you are walking towards them. Gone are the days when we helped our fellow citizens. A month ago, if someone in my community passed out on the side of the road, then there would be tons of people that would rush to help. If someone screamed out for help currently, I shudder to think of how many of my fellow, typically-helpful Hoosiers would actually turn their cheek. You can’t even see another’s beautiful smile because of these masks that people wear everywhere.   They look like they are in a horrible scary movie. We have been told not to get too close to anyone so if you are even appearing to be approaching someone they jump away as if you are Freddie Kruger with a knife in your gloved hand. ...

April 2, 2020 is a memorable day for many. We are in the thick of it with this Coronavirus, that is spreading like wildfire and taking lives across the globe. We have a Stay at Home Order in Indiana. Going to the grocery, where some shelves are bare, is about the only reason for us to leave our house. The kids are being schooled by e-learning and let's just say its not the same as going into school. Besides these challenges, April 2, 2020 was going to be an exciting day. It marked the beginning of our much anticipated Spring Break after another cold mid-west winter. Today, we were going to excitedly pile in our car after school and drive to Chicago and spend the night in order to be just a couple minutes away from the airport for our early-morning, direct flight from Chicago to Montego Bay, Jamaica. The kids first time out of the country and first all-inclusive resort . . . But April 2nd turned out to be different than I expected. It was finally warm & sunny (at the same time...

I remember when I became a new mom and the lifestyle of caring for a newborn was so hard for me. My husband & I had a life where we cared for our selves and that was it. So, to suddenly have to take care of a newborn was such a different level. I remember chatting with a mom friend about how I couldn't possibly get used to taking care of this baby, not getting any sleep, having to breastfeed every two hours. Her response, "you'll get used to it." It sounds so simple and yet it made so much sense. Throughout my years as a mom there is so many times that this mantra has held true. I've said it to many mothers over the years about many situations. You'll get used to it. I never thought I would get used to the lack of sleep in my life. I needed a full eight hours before I had my children. Sometimes even 10 hours was needed. It took awhile but eventually I did get used to waking up every 3 hours and I could still function. sleeping in spurts became my new nor...