This Isn't a Staycation

Well, we've survived 2 weeks at home.  Our family has been social distancing at home with the exception of Tyler going to work every day.  I work from home while keeping the boys engaged every day.  This last week was technically their Spring Break.  On Wednesday Minnesota's Governor ordered a Stay At Home Executive Order which asks people to stay home as much as possible for at least the next two weeks, but which also closed the schools through May 3.  The boys will start distance learning from their school-issued iPads on Monday (3/30/2020).

As much as I'd like it to be, this isn't a staycation for our family.  This isn't a fun time where we have endless time every day to play games, do puzzles, complete house projects or have never-ending snuggles.  Nope.  Instead I am up well before dawn so I can get a couple hours of work in before the boys wake up.  Tyler is usually at work no later than 4:30am.  During the day I'm juggling work demands with the needs of the boys.  Yes, they are old enough to entertain themselves for awhile, and most days they have to when I have several conference calls in a day.  In the afternoon it's trying to get more work done after Tyler is home and sometimes working again in the evening after the boys go to bed.  Social work hasn't stopped during Covid-19- there's a lot we do that people don't even realize is going on.  The medical supplies Tyler makes at Mayo Clinic hasn't stopped either.  In fact, we are both more busy now than we ever have been at our jobs.  By the time the weekend rolls around, we are too exhausted to worry about house projects that we are supposed to have time for now.

We can roll with the punches.  We can deal with the changes.  Easton, I think, is loving this.  He is a homebody and prefers to be at home.  So all of this is no big deal for him.  Christian is so laid back that this change hasn't really phased him at all.  Charlie, on the other hand, has struggled the most.  A lot has changed for him.  His routine, which he thrives off of, has been thrown off it's axis.  His numerous therapies he has throughout the week have all stopped.  Yes, the therapies that have helped him so incredibly much throughout the years has been suspended the last two weeks and ongoing.

Charlie makes hard separations in his life; school takes place at school, home is home.  Even when school was in session it was hard to get him to do his homework because in his mind, school work should be done at school, not home.  But now, home is now many things.  It's not only home, but also school, OT, therapy and skills work.  This has been the hardest part of all these changes.  Tyler and I are not only parents, but we are now also the teacher, the therapist, the skills worker, the lunch lady, the physical education director and keeping up with regular household demands.  Yes, some of these roles have always been in place, but now the job description has changed to encompass all aspects of life.  With Charlie we focus on goals, keeping his body regulated, and navigating the increase in meltdowns to keep him safe. We work on sensory input throughout the day so his body doesn't feel so out of sorts. We work on social skills which is hard when you're social distancing. All the while trying to support and engage with Easton and Christian too.

Sunny's work has changed too.  Instead of doing a lot of work out in the community with Charlie, she is now doing all her work at home with him.  There are specific tasks she only does in the community that I fear she will lose because she is not using them consistently.  Over the last two weeks we have definitely went on plenty of walks which is where we'll have to start incorporating some of her community tasks so she remembers what they are.

I don't write this to complain.  I don't write this to get sympathy.  I simply want to put this out there so people can see that this blip in time isn't sunshine and roses for everyone.  This blog is meant to educate and show how we do life with autism.  And right now has been more challenging than we ever imagined. What I wouldn't give to be bored for a couple hours! We are trying to find peace and joy amidst the chaos every day.  It's the silence I hear early in the morning when most of the world is still asleep.  It's the first sip of coffee in the morning.  It's the family dinners together where we've had some really good conversations with the boys (even though this was something we did even before social distancing).  It's the long drawn out walks we take in the evenings as a last ditch effort to get some energy run off the boys (and Sunny).  This isn't a staycation.  Nope.  For us, this is survival.