So much has changed since last posting. Last time, I wrote about giving kids the tools to plan their outdoor adventures. In the weeks between, the COVID-19 virus has upended our lives, and everyone is dealing with a new reality.

My daughters’ school and day care are closed, and we are self-isolating as a family due to the fact that I’m nearly 30 weeks pregnant, and the COVID-19 associated risks for pregnancy are largely unknown.

I’ve had questions from many people about my fitness routine during this time.  To be honest it’s largely the same as usual: I’m going on early morning walks and some hikes, and my husband is doing the same. There are activities I’m not doing: swimming, climbing, and gym work are out. We both relish the activity and we both need the time alone to mentally sort through present circumstances, so we walk, hike, and walk some more (our dog is not hating this.)

For our kids, they are bummed about no swimming, soccer, or climbing, and mostly bummed that we’ve eliminated all playdates. However, they’re champs about going on long walks outside, climbing rocks, and exploring the neighborhood. We’re avoiding playgrounds, so on days we stay close to home, we are enjoying spotting new flowers, strange yard ornaments, and other features on our “urban hikes.”

We’re used to spending a lot of time outside, so I’ve also given my daughters free reign to make “fairy gardens” in the garden. The only rule is that they can’t dig up anything that is actually very visibly alive and cultivated; otherwise, fairy homes, castles, and lakes are in full swing. An hour of engineering a fairy village in the sun and spring gusts using twigs, extra dirt, leaves, and other random things in our yard (there are many!) let’s the girls experiment and engineer to their hearts’ content.

Do the girls get on each others’ nerves? Absolutely. We have a mandatory “quiet time” in which they spend an hour apart, in different rooms of the house, doing whatever they like. Reading, dress ups, stickers, Legos, Polly pocket…neither actually nap, but just as I need a solo walk, my daughters also need time to reset.

This is our current status, and I wanted to share our new ‘normal.’ I know this routine will change and evolve.

What are you doing for outside activity? How about changes in parent fitness routines with work from home?