Day Seventeen (Wednesday, April 1): April 1st. April Fools Day. But there’s no foolin' around today (although my son has played a few pranks on his brother). Today was the day my husband was supposed to show up at their high school dressed in a banana costume; instead, he’ll dance behind them during a Zoom class. We love this “holiday” at our house. But just like everything else, it all seems a little “off” today.

I took a break from blogging because I needed a break. (I also had to deal with a little skin cancer - only basel cell, but still, the lingering affects of growing up in Arizona).

During the first week of our quarantine, I was glued to my computer, to the news, and to any resource I could find to read and learn as much as I could. And while it’s good to stay informed, sometimes too much information is…too much.

This past week, I have watched (Maryland) Governor Hogan’s press conferences, I continue to follow the Johns Hopkins graphs and updates, and I thoroughly enjoyed the creative songs and videos circulating on Facebook; but I have tried to take a step back from non-work-related technology. We’ve played games, built LEGO, and taken so many walks my dogs run away from me when I take out the leash.

The truth is, I’m lost. And reading news on the internet doesn’t help. I want to stay informed while staying sane. I am trying to responsibly navigate a new world of parenting, especially a high school senior who feels like his entire world has been taken away. Now THAT I understand. I understand being 18 years old and feeling like life isn’t “normal;” I understand being sad that I can’t be with my friends; or the frustration of not being able to go back to school. While the circumstances are so different, many of the emotions are the same. And while I lived through it, I’m a little lost at how to parent through it. But, like everyone else, I’m trying.

While today is a day for jokes and pranks, there is so much in our world that’s not funny right now, that is not a joke, and that needs to be taken seriously. I’m hoping some of the jokes inside our house bring a laugh and a smile, and some sense of normalcy.
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