To give a little context I’m compiling a series of stories over the past seven years.

My mom is the epitome of what we should all be more like.

This is the story of my life. Where can I begin or even start? As you may know I'm Grace but I go by Gracie. To those who don't know me; Hi thank you for taking the time to read this.

I woke up groggy the morning of Angus’ death. My eyes still had sand around the edges and my hair was jutting in one hundred different directions. I didn’t wake up by choice. I rolled over to my bedside table where my mom’s face had popped up on the phone screen. The time said 7:28 in the background. It was the only thing I could see in the pitch black. The violent buzzing from the call was a brutal sound for my headache. The sass in my head is a ruthless being, “What do you want?” I say in my best teenage attitude. My mind flipped through the past week thinking about every scenario that I could have possibly warranted a lecture at 7:28 in the morning. In the moments right after I answered, I damned myself as the most self-centered person in the world.

Being stuck at home, once sounded like an easy task, but as the days pass by it can prove more and more challenging. Our kids need stimulation that stems beyond staring at screens all day, but as parents, finding activities to allow our kids to actively participate, can prove to be a difficult and daunting undertaking. This can be exacerbated by the circumstances around the pandemic. While it may seem difficult, don’t feel like you are alone in this. Consider these tips and tricks to keep your kids busy which will help you and your family stay sane and satisfied.

I am a mother and a wife, and I work a full time job. My husband is disabled and I am the sole breadwinner. My son, who is 9, has autism, and even though it is what medical professionals refer to as high functioning, whew, is it something to deal with. My daughter, who is 16, suffers from anxiety of the social kind and just about every other kind as well, and depression is honestly a bit easier to manage since I myself deal with both depression and anxiety. Oh, and did I mention that my husband is disabled too? Yep! In a wheelchair due to a form of muscular dystrophy called Charcot-Marie Tooth's Syndrome. I have to a lot to aid him through the day as well. I work full time in the medical field and am a student myself. Put the insomnia to use to get my studies done. So, tired yet? I am.

Fast forward to a little over a year and the world has flipped upside down. A global pandemic, a race war, some mention of murder hornets thrown in the mix. My now 6 year old had just started to make friends in his new school and get the hang of kindergarten and 6 months in he's thrown back at home with me for a teacher.

What is a normal life? Can someone truly say that the life they are living is normal? I'm sure everyone has asked themself this question at least once in their life. In this article I want to share my experiences with you, in Hope's of clearing up the answer to this question.