Too Much News

Logically, I know that I need to turn off the news. In practicality, I am finding it hard to walk away. I know that I'm not going to miss anything, but I feel a nagging anxiety when I am away from the news for too long. I am in a vicious, and unhealthy, cycle that needs to break. Right now, I am not in a good place.

The images of the Capitol breach from Wednesday continue to evoke the same degree of frustration, anger and astonishment as they did when it was happening in real time. My emotions have not tempered. Instead, they have grown exponentially. 

I know that going cold-turkey on the news is not feasible. For my own mental health, I need to severely taper back. This weekend, starting today, I am limiting my news watching to one 30 minute block per day. Hopefully this will help restore my emotions while allowing me to remain informed.

This weekend, I'm pledging to turn off the cable news stations and turn on Food Network and the Hallmark Channel. Wish me luck!

Shocked

I had been dreading yesterday for weeks, warning my Mom that something catastrophic was going to happen. I was horrified, but not surprised, when I watched the Capitol building overrun by the mob. Scott, Robby and I were glued to our television yesterday afternoon, gobsmacked and disgusted by the scenes unfolding in the Capitol building. This is not the America I grew up in, and I mourn if this is the country that my children will know. 

 

Robby has always worn the label "Patriot" with immense pride. He has volunteered his time with Freedom Flights, and with wounded military. He voraciously absorbs American history and has curated an eclectic collection of military and US memorabilia in our basement museum. I often find myself astounded by his passion and love for American history.

Today he is afraid to refer to himself as a "Patriot." The moniker, which has always been worn with pride,  has been hijacked and perverted by the misguided terrorist mob. We've tried to explain that the actions yesterday were not completed by patriots, they were conducted by terrorists committing treason. Unfortunately, it is difficult to convince him when the President heralds the acts of domestic terrorists as Patriots.

I am sad for him, and for everybody who loves this country. Left or Right, Blue or Red. Patriotism suffered a blow today.

I hope that today we can all begin to heal.

Smoother

After an extremely chaotic day on Monday, I found myself dreading getting out of bed yesterday morning. I stayed covered up, hibernating from the world as long as possible. When I heard Timmy start to stir I took a deep breath, slipped on my leg and put a smile on my face. 

Timmy was chipper and happy when I greeted him. He eagerly sat down for Circle Time and flew through his schoolwork without complaint. My goodness, what a difference from Monday! He was my little scholar, finishing assignments and working through problems without any lamenting. 

Robby surprised me by following his little brother's lead. My Koopa took his laptop and immediately began to work through his Biology homework. By the time Timmy and I were finished with Circle Time, Robby had finished Biology and most of his German work. I found myself so relieved and grateful that we were not having a repeat of Monday.

After a day of fighting and tears, both boys worked diligently and finished all of their assignments shortly after lunch. We were able to play outside for several hours, enjoying the final clear day before the rain moves into the area.

Monday night I went to bed feeling like the worse Mom in the world. Yesterday I felt redeemed.  Here's hoping to smoother school days ahead!

Stressed

After a nearly two week hiatus, yesterday was our first day back to reality. In the first 90 minutes of my morning the relaxed, vacation vibes I had accumulated completely evaporated. My day was chaotic, stressed and filled with bickering and lamenting. 

Everybody, including Scott, had a difficult time adjusting to the sudden influx of work. I spent my day alternating between listening to complaints, nagging and badgering everybody to stay on task and trying to hide in the bathroom. By the time the sun was beginning to set I was ready to go hibernate in bed!

I'm hoping that today is smoother, and that yesterday was just a blip in the road. Fingers crossed!

In Plain Sight

Towards the middle of September I noticed a raggedy sheet of paper on the floor of our hallway. My arms were full of dirty laundry at the time, so I didn't stop to pick it up. Instead I let it lay and walked over top of it. As I was folding the laundry, I noticed both Scott and Robby walk on top of the sheet of paper, kicking it slightly with their steps. I then watched Timmy bounce over the paper on his ball, and my curiosity was piqued. 

How long would everybody in my family walk past, kick and ignore a sheet of paper in the middle of an otherwise clean floor? I had to find out. I carefully folded the paper and taped a $10 bill inside with a note marking the date the "prize" was added.  I was certain that the paper would only last a few days before it was picked up. 

I could not have been more wrong. The days wore on, and the paper became tattered and dirty. I sat on the couch and watched the vacuum push the paper right past everybody, depositing it on the other end of the hallway. It stayed there until the robot vacuum was again deployed and the paper was pushed to another location in the living room.

Boxes and bags of trashed have all been put on top of the valuable paper, but it was never picked up. Our Christmas tree was pulled over the paper when it was being set up, but Scott simply kicked it out of the way and continued to focus on the tree. Timmy has ridden his scooter and played with his cars right next to the paper, but he never bothered to pick it up.

As the weeks wore on, I added to the pot. By Christmas, more than 80 days after my little game began, the prize was up to a whopping $50.  Finally, a few days ago, I challenged the family by telling them that there was something valuable hidden in plain sight. If they found the item, the money was theirs. 

I set the timer and watched as they tore through the house, frantically searching for the valuable item. In plain sight, they failed to pick it up. When the timer rang, I bent down and picked up the paper, revealing the prize. 

I'm keeping the money. After 90 full days of walking around, over and kicking the same piece of paper, nobody in my family bothered to pick up the randomly placed sheet of paper. 

I think I need to put the money towards a housekeeper.