To say everything has been pretty crazy the last month would be an understatement. Covid-19 has turned the whole world upside-down and has made life in the Robinson household pretty different. There have been ups and downs and anxiety and joy. Overall, we feel really blessed to be relatively unaffected by this. Neil and I both have been able to work from home and somehow keep Pete alive at the same time (day care has been closed for a month now). Pete has been enjoying all the extra time with mommy and daddy. So what have we been doing at home? Outside of work, we’ve managed to find some fun activities.

1. Family Bikes

A year ago, I won a bike from a drawing and it has been sitting in a box in our living room ever since. Since we’ve been going on lots of walks, we decided to get Neil his own bike, finally set up mine, and get a toddler trailer for Peter. Pete loves it – but I think he might love the “bike hat” the most.

2. Mystery Book Bundles

We used to go to our local Half Price Books almost every weekend to walk around and explore. With everything closed, that is no longer an option. However, they are offering up “mystery book bundles” where you get five undisclosed books for $10. I got a science fiction one, Neil got a mystery genre one, and we got a kids’ bundle for Peter. It gave us something to look forward to and enjoy unwrapping. In a sad twist, my science fiction bundle ended up being a fantasy bundle and if you know me then you know that was a major disappointed. However, the books I did receive sound so fantastically terrible that I might actually read them if only for a good laugh.

3. Lots of Bubble Tea

This doesn’t need explaining. We’ve decided as part of our contribution to our local economy, we are getting more boba tea than usual.

4. Neighborhood Walks

As almost everyone else in America, we’ve been going on lots and lots of walks. My coworkers know that if I’m on a work call, then I’m probably also outside running after Peter – thank the Lord for AirPods.

5. TV/Movies

Yes, we’ve been watching more TV. And Peter has been watching more TV. We have definitely gone beyond the recommended daily allowance of TV for Peter and I only feel vaguely guilty – we’re living through a crisis, something’s gotta give! We’re currently into Poldark and Peter is enjoying Dora The Explorer. Neil also watched Shawshank Redemption and The Lizzie McGuire Movie for the first time. He loved one of them.

6. Neil’s Pokémon Instagram

Neil has decided to use the quarantine to launch a passion project of his – a Pokémon Instagram account where he posts card highlights and pack openings. Neil is also growing a Covid-beard which may or may not make an appearance. You can follow him at @poke.deckster.

7. Haley’s Home Reorganizing

I’ve done a lot of re-organizing. We’ve moved around the furniture in our living room, bedroom and Peter’s room. I’ve gone through my closet to donate old clothes, and I’m in the process of straightening up our kitchen storage set-up. In the words of Olaf from Frozen 2 (which we have seen exactly 346,002 times since the lockdown began), “We’re calling this controlling what you can when things feel out of control.”

8. Peter’s Growth

Peter has taken this pandemic in stride. Of course, he doesn’t really know what’s going on. We think he is a bit confused why he’s not going to school and he misses his friends sometimes. Truth be told, while we know he loves the extra time with us, we also know he is tired of us. He keeps trying to leave us outside. Overall, we’re very grateful to have this time with him at such a fun age. He’s learning so much! His vocabulary is expanding! He’s getting taller! His hair is getting longer! He’s laughing and dancing! He’s such a fun, adorable, loving, little boy. He also likes to lay down in random places…

9. The Paper Chain

We’ll do a separate post once it’s finished, but one of my favorite things we’ve been doing is building a Covid Paper Chain. Every night, we write one thing we’re thankful for and one thing we’re excited to do after the quarantine is over on a strip of paper. Then, we use it to add a link to our growing paper chain. Once this is all over, we’re going to use it as decoration for an End-Of-Quarantine Party.

Overall, we know that we are lucky and privileged to not have been impacted so far (other than the anxiety and stress I’m sure many are dealing with). I have friends and family who have been furloughed or lost their jobs – some are essential workers who have to go into the office. I know some people who have to worry about how to put food on their tables or pay bills. Thankfully, no one I know has been sick. Our hearts break daily to hear the stories of how this event has affected other people in our social circles, community, and around the world. We’re keeping our eyes and ears out for ways to help when and where we can. If you know of anyone who needs support, please don’t hesitate to reach out. We want to share our bounty with those who need it more. In the words of Troy Bolton, “we’re all in this together.” And we truly are.