A Little Bit of Normalcy Knocked Me Out

We’ve been in quarantine for a little over 3 months. When the quarantine began, our lives came to a screeching halt. We were forced to give up the daily grind to which we were accustomed. It was quite an adjustment at first, our once filled calendars suddenly empty. Now, my family has eased back into our routine, and our calendars aren’t as bare. These past two weeks, my family and I took some steps toward normalcy. It wasn’t nearly what we were used to doing (and we wore masks and maintained social distancing), but it was something. I was excited to return to some semblance of our previous life, but I had no idea how drained I’d feel. I don’t know how we did it before; I’m barely awake enough to write this post.

Dining Out

Before quarantine, my family and I (often with my parents or in-laws) went out to eat a couple of times per week. Obviously, when restaurants were closed, this weekly tradition stopped. Even when restaurants re-opened, we still chose not to dine out in our usual family group. However, I recently met my girlfriend for brunch. It was just the two of us and wasn’t anything fancy, but we had a great time. When I got home, I was so tired, but I just figured maybe it was the mimosa. But no, I genuinely needed a nap.

Having a Playdate

My 7-year-old’s best friend invited us over to swim and celebrate his birthday. We swam, ate lunch, and had cupcakes. That was it. We were at his house for just a little over two hours, but before we even completed our 15-minute drive home, my son was asleep in the backseat with me wishing we could swap places. That easy celebration sucked every ounce of energy out of us.

My little one needed a break to float and relax during our swim date!

Back at the Ballpark

Our first baseball scrimmage was last weekend. My 7-year-old played two games, each one a mini-game lasting only 50 minutes. We were planning on going on a picnic at the lakefront that afternoon, but we quickly cancelled that plan after the game. We all came home and flopped on the sofa utterly drained from our morning at the ballpark. Even the next day, I still wasn’t fully recovered; it took everything I had just to run to the grocery.

The Pool’s Open

The pool we belong to just reopened. Today was our first day out there. The lifeguards have shortened hours, so while we would normally make a day of it, we were only there for 2 hours. When we got home, I sat down to watch one Friends re-run and didn’t even make it through the first commercial break before I fell asleep on the floor. My boys, who have generally outgrown naps, crashed until almost dinner.

I’m wondering if this is the experience of most families as they emerge from their homes. Now, perhaps it’s worth noting that I don’t go to work or work from home. My children aren’t in summer camp. So, for the past 3 months, my family and I have been lounging about at home. We hardly even left our neighborhood until very recently. Maybe it’s different for those who’ve had to maintain a work-from-home schedule or those who’ve had to go into work. Maybe they’re used to more activity and therefore not experiencing this fatigue. At my house, though, we are slugs.

What about you? Is your family getting back in the swing of things? Are y’all exhausted, too?

Alyson Haggerty
Alyson lives in Metairie with her husband, Patrick, their two boys, and their Morkie, Beignet. After teaching for almost ten years, she left a career in education, earned her BSN, and now works as a pediatric emergency nurse. In her free time, Alyson enjoys flipping furniture, writing, dancing, and painting. She is always looking for a racquetball partner and loves streetcar rides and playing board games with her family. A good cook, she is constantly on a quest to answer the age-old question, “What’s for dinner?” but has thus far been unsuccessful.

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