Week Two: A.K.A. "After the Meltdown"

Well here we are in week two. The week didn't start out with me crying on the floor of my bathroom while contemplating how appropriate it would be to start drinking at 10 in the morning, so I consider that significant progress! Yay, me! Give me a sticker! I was able to sit and enjoy my first cup of coffee of the day while listening to the chatter on the girls' computers. One is in the dining room, the other in her room. We realized during our test run the day before school even started that there is no way that they can be in the same room if they aren't in the same class. They seemed happy and pretty well adjusted if you forget about the epic clothing meltdown my 3rd grader had before school started. I am having them wear a modified uniform (polo shirt with bottoms of their choice)so they look presentable on camera and start getting back into a uniform mindset for when they do go back to the building. Natalie is going to have a rough time going back to uniforms after months and months of fashionista freedom... So week two seems to be much better. I'm really hoping this remains true. A friend and fellow librarian posted something on her Facebook over the weekend that spoke volumes to me. I told her that I want to print it out, laminate it, and carry it with me whenever I find myself struggling.

I hope you are all successfully navigating this new reality! In talking to my friends, both with kids in school and at home, I have discovered that uncertainty, concern, doubt, and anxiety are common among all of us. Take some time for some needed self-care. For me this involved purchasing super cute leopard print sandals that were on clearance(!), drinking a pumpkin cream cold brew from Starbucks, and binge watching several episodes of Gilmore Girls (one of my favorite shows EVER because you know I am a total Lorelai!) Talking to friends also helped immensely and made me feel a little less isolated. My teen librarian counterpart and I have also been brainstorming ideas for things we can do to be the crazy youth librarians we are amidst all the madness, so I am feeling a bit more invigorated career wise. Got some amazing news from a close friend too. Maybe things are finally starting to look up. If nothing else, I am thinking more like a super optimistic, shiny, perky children's librarian again!