I’m not sure why I’m posting this today, exactly, only that it’s one of those times where I feel like if I don’t spew some of this out I’ll burst.
So what’s been going on? Well, to summarize, COVID raged through my kids’ summer camp at the end of June. They didn’t even make it 2 weeks before it happened. First, it was Felix’s group. Then Stella’s. Stella definitely tested positive (and felt poorly for a few days, losing her sense of smell for a few weeks), and we don’t know about Felix. CVS lost his first sample. His second sample a week later came back negative. I emailed HR where I worked, honestly expecting some understanding. When Stella’s homeroom had to quarantine last November, they were more than willing to allow me to work from home full-time for 2-3 weeks. After all, we had all just worked full time from home for quite a while, and IT WORKED. Stuff got done. This time? Nope. I had to take a shit-ton of leave to stay home with my kids who are too young to be vaccinated, much less left home alone. I had no one that could help out, as my in-laws aren’t vaccinated. We couldn’t take that risk.
Y’all, I was and am seriously pissed about that, and call me petty, I’m having a hard time letting that go. I am just now getting caught up at the office and am much lighter in the leave department. I guess that’s not too catastrophic (right now) since we just cancelled yet another visit from my mom – the 4th since this all started. We were to have taken a road trip this summer in early July (cancelled since Stella had COVID), and now a Labor Day visit is off due to our out-of-control case count here in Louisiana. Has my HR seriously remained this antiquated? Have we not learned anything from this? We can pivot and do things differently. Taking that on board and allowing workers to adjust when necessary would have been a positive change. I guess I expect too much from these people.
What I’m most pissed about is the lack of planning and guidance. My kids just started school 2 days ago. Already the app for Stella’s school is pinging me with “an individual at our school has tested positive” alerts. For all I know, we’ll have to quarantine again at some point soon. And then what? To my employer, and likely many others, this thing has ceased to exist and we should be back in the office full-time like nothing ever happened.
Sorry. I’m just so angry. I’m so anxious. I know I’m not alone.
But yeah, Stella is now in middle school, which is all by itself something of a mind fuck. Felix is in 3rd grade. We’re having to learn a whole new schedule are routine. Some demented asshole here decided that middle school hours should be 7:05 to 2:25 (elementary is 8:15 to 3:25, roughly). Given that I don’t want Stella on a bus (which would have to pick her up at 5:38 AM on the side of a busy road), nor does her bestie’s mom, bestie’s mom is doing the evil early daily morning drop-off. I get off work at 3:00, fly to pick up the Dude at elementary, and then race to pick up the girls from their school’s extended day program. I know it’s only been a couple of days, but it’s been pretty awful so far. Carpool has taken me total about an hour and a half each day. Part of that is no doubt first day issues. It’s like parents suffer from some sort of severe memory loss when it comes to carpool procedures (despite the fact that they haven’t changed in years and the school is quite good about sending out tons of emails and messages with diagrams, etc for the few noobs). They just can’t do it right. It’s maddening. We’ve also had some serious bullshit weather – we’re talking biblical level. The first day was lightning, pouring rain, and hail. Yesterday was flash flooding. Today will be what? Blood rain? Toads?
I know the school shit will become more…familiar, if not easy. Right now everything just feels exhausting.
Dramatic Momologue 
Again, I’m so sorry this is happening to you. I have, more than 100 times since Covid, thanked the Universe that my children are big. I know so many people who are struggling or who have changed jobs just to make way to parent through the pandemic.Let alone when someone gets sick! Seems there should be a policy in place.
The carline, I’ll never understand. It will get better, as it always does, but the first few weeks at school carline are like the first few weeks at the gym in January. I look forward to when people get lazy and let go of their expectations. I have been a carline mom since 2003. Carpool mom off an on throughout. Prior to 2003, buses had been no problem. We’re paying one of Moo’s classmates to bring her home on certain days he’s available, so that she gets home near 50 minutes earlier. FIFTY minutes.Yesterday, she walked three blocks away to escape the carline madness and then I picked her up. When we drove by, the buses hadn’t even departed.
It’s the anxiety from all of it (mostly the COVID, sometimes the carpool) that’s just pretty damn crippling. I know I could have it so much worse, though!
Anxiety is my devil, too. Just because things could be worse doesn’t mean you can’t complain ❤ Cut yourself some slack: these are real problems.
That’s garbage about your job. All that understanding and finding ways to work things out just gone out the window. I’m holding out hope my husband’s employer will put off bringing them back in, but it doesn’t look good.
Hopefully next school week goes better!
Thanks and me, too!!