My Mom Has a New Hobby...A Social Distancing Puppet Show

The last time my mom physically spent time with her grandsons was March 18th. We, as so many families, have been practicing social distancing since then. What used to be a quick 20-minute drive down country roads has now morphed into 12 days apart. That's 17,280 minutes without physical contact. Without seeing smiles up close. Without hearing their giggles in person or being told she's not dancing to "Thunder" by Imagine Dragons correctly.

It's been challenging for my mom to be away from them. She babysat them both as babies. She played and cuddled and tickled them at least once a week. Now it's all virtual. It feels different to her.

About a week ago, my older nephew asked her to come over to his house to play. His face crumpled when she said she couldn't and he walked away, visibly upset, from my sister's phone. 

After we hung up from "Facing" him (his verb for FaceTime), she said obstinately, "I don't like this one bit," as she crossed her arms over her chest.

As a means to close this gap in her heart and share some joy, she had an idea. An alligator puppet from the basement combined with an old breadbox that was ripped away from the counter when my parents remodeled their kitchen and a red blanket provided all the tools she needed to get started.

Introducing Al the alligator!

Every couple of days my mom films a new episode to send to her grandsons. I'm her cinematographer and producer. My dad made his debut appearance as an actor in episode two, where Al got a little too close and bit him. In the episode I'm sharing with you today, Al plays the kazoo. Why? Because her older grandson loves music and loves watching marching bands in parades. She also chose to play a song he sang in the background yesterday as we "Faced" their family.

She's not the only grandparent finding new ways to connect. She's not the only person using this time to be creative. She's just one of the many of us finding new ways to bring joy to our loved ones, but I can tell you, her imagination, creativity, and commitment, have all impressed me. 

Online Grocery Ordering Win! A Poem

Ordering groceries
so far in advance is
new to my parents.
This shifted practice
is yet to become
a routine.

We plan meals
a week at a time,
trying to keep them,
Bernie,
and
Maureen,
out of stores
as
much
as
possible.

When we click our final submission,
they wonder,
"Will we get what we need?"
They're learning,
as I am too,
what we really need
to keep our fridge
and pantry stocked.

Our fingers crossed as
we drove to the store
this morning.
The car, quiet.

Upon arrival,
we dialed the number
and gave our family name.

A man, in his 20s,
pushed a cart
toward our car trunk.
We opened it.
He placed bags inside
and closed it.

We drove home,
put on gloves, and
brought the three bags inside.

Success!
Only a few items missing,
and as my dad said,
"We've got more than
enough right now."

Our New Routine: A Poem for my Father

Each day I knock on your
imaginary office door.

My knock is a pause
at the entrance to the sunroom
where I rap my knuckles on
the wooden pillar which
divides the spaces.

"Yes?" you ask from
your caramel recliner. 
You lookup from the
biography you're reading.

"What time do you wanna walk today?"

You repeat my question back to me.

"What time do you wanna go?"

Each morning I share
one or two of the
to-dos from my list
that I'd like to finish
before we depart.
Based on those,
I make my proposal.

"How about 10:30?"

"Yeah, sounds good," you agree.

For the next hour
I bake, read and write
snail mail notes to
faraway friends.

For the next hour
you read, and
solve your crossword puzzle.

At 10:25, we meet.
Each of us bundled.
Ready to brave the
temperatures and wind
knowing these walks
warm our hearts.

I Spy A Silly Face! A Tale of a Community Window Walk

Today, in Northern Illinois, the city my parents live in the residents participated in a Community Window Walk. The first community window walk occurred on March 17th, St. Patrick's Day. Participating residents placed shamrocks in their windows, and families would walk around neighborhoods looking for as many shamrocks as they could find. This event was so popular, someone, somewhere who should get credit, added other ideas, and wanted to continue the fun. 

In case you'd like to start one in your community, here's the schedule that's 
been going wild around the internet and the world!

My family didn't participate in the first walk, simply because we were unaware of it. I thought, despite today's chilly temperatures, we should join in the fun. So I printed a silly faced emoji I found on the internet and taped it into my parents' front window.

Can you find the second silly face? 
It's my mom.

This afternoon, my dad and I bundled up. Even though spring has officially begun, our temperatures have a differing opinion. This meant wearing extra layers...hats, gloves, scarves and of course the usual uniform of winter coats. We walked about three blocks and hadn't spied any silly faces in windows. Until from across the street, we spied...

Four faces were smiling back at us!

But not just one an entire house full!

Each street-facing window contained a silly face. You could observe the representation of different ages in this home—some silly faces made of scribbles, while others appeared more sophisticated. Regardless of artistic ability shown, we laughed and paused and talked about each one.

For the remainder of our walk, we searched for more. We didn't spy any other silly faces on the streets; we wandered down. I noticed that this small task that defined our walk increased my observational skills. I was observing not just windows but the colors of shutters, yard decor, and tiny stems peeking out from the cold ground.

I'm looking forward to the next walk, on March 23rd, animals.

Here's To You: A 70th Birthday Toast and Poem for My Mother

* This is a draft of a poem I'm working on to give to my mom on her 70th birthday. 

P.S. If you do know my mom, shhh! This is going to be a surprise. 

Here's to Valentine's Day cross-stitched patterns,

embroidered vests and

stenciled Christmas ornaments

that you created and then 

gifted to your family and friends.

Here's to the sound effects

you create to replace

words because 

your feelings aren't precisely captured

by the current English language.

Here's to the traditions you 

created for our family

like wearing matching Xmas jammies 

before it was cool and

gifting each of us

the perfect children's book

on Christmas Eve.

Here's to your dancing,

which sometimes looks more

like parading

in dramatic fashion

across the living room floor

to take a shower.

Here's to nursery rhymes

sung with your unique lyric changes.

Teaching your grandsons a

new and improved

GMo versions.

Here's to birthdays 

celebrated

with feeling.

To making all of us

feel extra special on the 

anniversary of our birth.

Here's to the snail mail

you sent across oceans

to make my heart physically

feel your love

when I read your note.

Here's to you 

being a caretaker

of Gram, and

GUE and GAD.

Taking time to cherish,

and honor 

and love them

deeply.

Here's to you being

strong,

tall,

and funny.

Here's to 70.

Here's to many more.

Here's to you mom.

Happy Birthday, Mom!