“What day is it anyway?” I ask this of myself, and then for not the first time on this day, remind myself again, “Today is Wednesday.” The daily cycle of work, exercise, parenting, meal preparation, and homework continues. Living, working, and being at home seems monotonous and almost unfathomable but we have found a rhythm that is much better than Chopin or TobyMac that has helped us through. I have stumbled upon a secret in this rhythm that has kept me afloat. It has framed me in and made the monotony bearable.
Monday is the night that the older portion of the family watches “The Crown.” That leads to Taco Tuesday: We have Mexican food (not just tacos) on Tuesdays for dinner. Everyone loves this! Even our dog gets dressed up for the big event.
Then comes Wednesday. (You undoubtedly knew that and didn’t need me to write it…but I think it’s quite an accomplishment that I can still remember the order of the days.) Wednesdays begin with waffles…so it’s Waffle Wednesday at our house. A hot cooked stack of waffles gets us all through the middle of the week. Our kids actually do the cooking, which is good: By the middle of the week just getting out of bed is an accomplishment for me.
We haven’t named the other days of the week, and they don’t all have a “thing” that we do on each of them…other than church on Sunday mornings. “Worship Service Sunday,” I guess?
Of course, in the at-home lifestyle, there are other things I’ve actually tried to be more diligent about than I did pre-pandemic. I imagine this is true for all of us. For instance, after work I try to get out and walk or run the dog - or maybe it is vice-versa. This rhythm transitions me from the stress, commitments, and joys of my workday! I get to be just his wife and their mom when I get back. This takes the place of my commute and it is much healthier!
My husband has taken care of a number of home projects and “things to do” that had been waiting – from replacing cracked outlet cover plates to installing some cool “barn doors” inside, to putting in a 20-foot section of fence so the backyard is all fenced in, and more. Seeing projects finished gives further cadence to these days and weeks.
All of these kinds of things, from the regular and routine to the maintenance or one-time things that need to be done, have helped us stay sane in this time. And sometimes, I even know what day of the week it is.
