I think I might . . . switch planners for a little while!?
I know, random. And not really a Big Deal. But I think I might. I keep seeing the plans I made in my Hobonichi, and it just makes me sad.
Next week’s page is filled with practical spring break info. Flight times, our car rental company, a Miami Heat game, the birthday party of one of Annabel’s closest friends. Instead it’s going to be conference calls.
I am also starting to worry about official “lockdown” because if that means our nanny can no longer come, I don’t know what we will do. Josh thinks we could somehow alternate working. Maybe. I guess. It would be very difficult though. I could get my clinical work done, but I am being asked a lot for my GME role right now (understandably so).
Honestly, if that scenario happened I might try to find a college student to live-in. (Or ask our nanny, but she has a husband at home and probably would not want to do this. Also understandable).
SOOOO, which planner will I use?
(I know you were all curious!)
I have a Full Focus Planner (the “BOLD” version, marketed to women; contents are same as the other just slightly different design). It has a scheduled and a full page of notes for each day, which would work well for the myriad Webex* sessions I have been on (taking physical notes during conf calls helps me mostly because it prevents me from getting distracted, looking at my phone/email, and missing something major #trueconfessions).
It’s undated, so maybe it was just sitting around waiting for this scenario. I will still use my accessory notebook. And then when life is normal again, I will jump back into the Hobo.
(The Full Focus is only a 3 month planner. So I am operating under the naive assumption that we will be through the brunt of this in 3 months. The planner in me would REALLY like an end-date.)
Today’s Plans:
Leisurely breakfast w/ kids (will make eggs or pancakes)
Outside time #1 – bikes, hopscotch, skateboarding for A&C (this is their new thing)
Kids do journal writing / drawing / play
Lunch (pb & j + baby carrots + fruit)
G nap / big kids screen time. A&C now have 1 – 3:30 ingrained as their window to play all of the Minecraft they possibly can. During this time, I will read, journal, do my meditation, and maybe listen to a podcast. If I haven’t already finished my Beachbody (Dirty 30 today), I will do it then.
Outside time #2 – possibly in our pool which is probably going to be kind of cold but it is supposed to be 82F and sunny (and last night’s low was 74F) so maybe tolerable. (We have a small pool at this house with a very-hard-to-open pool fence around it and we almost never use it, because the community pool is heated and much nicer. But the community pool is closed now, so it’s great that we do have this option.)
Play / let Viva watch a show
Dinner (possibly takeout pizza & salad)
Movie night (we realized yesterday the kids have never seen Sound of Music. OMGGMGM! I need to make a movie list. Recent old movies they have enjoyed include Annie (1982 version that Josh knew by heart and I had never seen) and super old-school original The Wizard of Oz.)
* Webex is our hospital system’s Zoom-type client. Thus far, they have not activated the video feature so I can participate in workout gear.
20 Comments
In the event of a lockdown, doesn’t your hospital offer options for emergency child care? Ours does, and while I’d rather have a nanny or babysitter, it may be our only option if necessary…Also feel like it would be a Petri dish of disease but that’s another conversation.
Would a lock down prevent your nanny, who is caring for your kids so physicians can work, from coming? That would be surprising to me.
I really hope not! But not sure. My husband’s elective cases are cancelled so he doesn’t currently have as busy a work life as usual. And I don’t have much next week clinically bc i was supposed to be on spring break! But after that I will be resuming patient care via telemedicine and on the hospital while on call.
Just watched Sound of Music for the first time with our kids last night (12 and 8). I definitely recommend splitting it into 2 parts — the full movie is 3 hours long and my youngest was bouncing off the walls by the end.
I was going to mention the same thing – it is very, very long, and possibly a little scary for younger kids (nazis, leaving your home never to return…). No judgement, just wanted to share my experience that it was better for older kids.
I believe that is generally an exception for a lockdown, particularly because you are a healthcare worker.
In NYC, they actually offer free childcare to any essential personell (police, healthcare workers, public transportation workers, etc etc).
Here liquor stores are part of essential businesses. Which I get. Now is not the time to watch the city’s alcoholics go to the hospital for DTs.
Wow fascinating (and true!). Yes
I guess there are exceptions. I hope that would be true in our case too.
Two points..
1. My planner makes me sad now. I am basically just crossing through things..no need to consult it other than call because everything is cancelled.
2. I am a NP and my husband works in a classified job (limited amount he can work from home). We are basically patching 2 jobs into 7 days with 1 day of a college age babysitter (colleague’s daughter so already exposed to our clinic’s germs). Hubby working on weekends as much as he can, I worked from home one day last week but my clinic was not happy. The one upside is I feel like we are a strong marriage and this has forged us stronger. We were going to Hawaii in June to celebrate our 10 year anniversary but i doubt that happens now…sniff sniff.
Even here in NY where we only essential services are open, childcare is included in that. In fact, our school (which is closed) may be used for emergency childcare for essential workers.
we actually do have something like that but our hospital system is telling us not to use it (petri dish effect). that said you’re right – if it’s our only option, we’ll have to go that route.
i like the live-in college student idea too though 🙂 we don’t really have an extra room but Josh’s office could be repurposed in a time of desperation.
HOPEFULLY it won’t come to any of this!!
Heard childcare for doctors is considered essential. You guys will be fine ish. Sound of music is like 4 hours long, so prepare lots of popcorn!!
Thank you for posting frequently. Have been reading you via Lagliv for a while; and have picked up lots of useful things/chuckles :). I enjoy another Sarah at http://harrytimes.blogspot.com/ who posts regularly as do I (Liberal Arts prof, with an E.D. spouse) http://www.pocobrat.net/
Love these!!!!
Here in Illinois, taking your child to a caregiver or having them come to you to take care of your child is still allowed under our “stay at home” order based on my reading of it.
My child’s daycare center has been closed, but we have been sending her to her usual night-time/ weekend babysitter since the babysitter’s 9-5 job has closed her office. My daughter is the only child there.
We were also surprised my husband’s financial-related company (not a bank) is considered essential.
This is such an amazing idea! I think I’m going to order a new planner (a little retail therapy also helps).
I’m nearly positive that childcare workers for doctors are exempt. Our school system is shut down, but they were instructed by the governor that they had to figure out how to 1) provide childcare for healthcare workers who needed it and 2) provide lunches for kids who needed it. They’ve somehow done both.
I am a PA married to an NP in Illinois.
Child care providers are deemed essential and open even while sheltering in place to ensure other essential workers can continue working.
Our after school child care provider (now functioning as our full time provider while schools are closed) had already received an email letting her know she could stay open less than an hour after our governor announced the shelter in place order.
Hopefully this eases your mind a bit 🙂
Totally hear you on the new planner thing. Yesterday I went through my planner and just … erased things. It helped a bit, somehow.
On the totally frivolous end, I’d love to know what your kids think of the Sound of Music – it’s one of my very favorite childhood movies and I’d be curious to know how it holds with the next generation!
I totally take notes during WebEx calls so I don’t get distracted and look at my phone! I telecommute full time for my job (even before COVID-19) and it’s the only way I truly pay attention unless I’m the one presenting. Thank you for your honest and true thoughts on getting through this time!
I’m thinking of you guys! Dan and I are cobbling together our work by basically working a little every day. I have more flexibility since the university has shut down all research operations and I don’t have a lot of scheduled meetings.
We are watching classic movies too. We watched Honey I shrunk the kids and honey I blew up the kid this weekend. Both kids loved them, even 2 year old Bennett. He particularly liked the sequel cause it’s about a 2 year old.