MOTHER

Aidan, 44, Musician (not pictured)

Andrea, 37, Creative Director and Owner of Field Guide Los Angeles

Gabriel, 9

Raphael, 3

Anya, 4 months

"We live in Los Angeles, in a part of town called Baldwin Hills, which is roughly sandwiched between Culver City and Downtown. Los Angeles currently has a shelter-in-place order. We’ve been asked to stay at home except for essentials like groceries, care for a family member, or necessary doctor’s visits. L.A. Mayor Eric Garcetti has even offered rewards for snitches who tattle on people not doing essential business."

"I feel fortunate that the only thing I need to do to stay safe is to stay home. I’ve been quarantined once in my childhood—that was for a coup—we stayed at home while there was literal gun fire outside. That wasn’t super chill. I am also pretty frustrated by people who keep talking about conspiracies and staging protests. Which isn’t to say that I don’t believe in conspiracies, but the truth is that people are getting sick and dying and some people and some countries disproportionately so—it’s real. In wealthier countries, the problem is mainly that the health facilities are too taxed and the economy is hurting, but for some of the population and for other countries the situation is far, far, far more dire. For those that this situation is more dire, they’re not thinking about conspiracies or trips to the park—they’ve got a lot more on their plate. Sitting at home, in relative safety, while ordering groceries, while you’re safe at home with all your creature comforts and demanding the right to go to the beach is just not really cool. I am completely one of the privileged few and I feel so damn fortunate for it." 

"Gabriel, my 9-year-old, is our early riser, the rest of the family naturally wakes up a little later. He gets up between 6 a.m. and 7 a.m. Anya, our baby, wakes up after 7 a.m., and Raphael, who is 3, wakes at 9 a.m., unless he hears his brother then he’ll get up to hang out with him. This morning, I found the boys snuggled up together on Raphael’s bottom bunk." 

"The first thing I do is nurse my baby and check my phone. I’d like to pretend I have shame about this, but I don’t. My kids take up so much of my life, checking my email or texting my sister makes me feel like I’m also an adult. After nursing, I change Anya’s diaper, brush my teeth, rinse my face, moisturize, and drink a tall glass of water. I change into something that I can exercise in." 

"A medium boiled egg, sauerkraut, and avocado with some good salt and a squeeze of lemon. It’s my favorite breakfast." 

"Coffee! Normally, my husband and I make a ritual of going out to get coffee, but that’s not an option these days. I actually do not enjoy making coffee at home with coffee grounds everywhere. Coincidentally (thank goodness), my brother-in-law just started a new business for direct-to-consumer, subscription-based coffee. It's called Jot. It’s a concentrate and acts like espresso. I do a tablespoon of Jot (it stands for Just One Tablespoon), some hot water, and a splash of half and half—it’s like a homemade cortado. I also drink a glass of Hydrophoria by Hello.Me. It’s a grass-fed collagen and probiotic blend that you mix right in your water. I’m obsessed with it."

"I made the boys breakfast and just exercised outside. I asked the boys to empty the dishwasher while I put the baby down for a nap. I’m feeling energized! I immediately got in the shower after a few minutes of dry brushing—I never skip a day. Anya has a virtual doctor visit in a few minutes." 

"I have a few set plans, a little exercise, a meeting, and a Zoom dance party with friends this evening."

"I usually wake up feeling a little optimistic, then at some point in the day, inevitably I shed some tears. Today, I’m exhausted, but complaining about any inconveniences feels petty. Last night, however, I began to think about a few of the things I’ll miss during this time—how all businesses have pivoted to care for one another and the way I truly do feel like we’re all genuinely in it together. There seems to be a little more empathy these days… I like bearing witness to that."

"Anya’s doctor says she’s doing great, no news there! Gabriel has been pretty disciplined about his school schedule, so I rarely have to monitor what he’s up to. Raphael has bugged Aidan and me to play Candy Land about a dozen times. I struggled to send out an email to one of my designers for way too long, so I just sent a voice note instead." 

"We really don’t keep a set schedule to be totally honest. Gabriel is very controlled about his school schedule, which is something that really helps him manage his own anxiety, so I’m happy to facilitate that for him. We’re really fortunate to have so much outdoor space—we live on 64 acres of shared garden space, so prioritizing time outside has also been key for us always, but especially now. There’s a lot of screen time around here, America’s Funniest Home Videos have been great for the whole family and the new Disney Pixar movie Onward is on repeat. We play several board games a day. Gabriel has been enjoying Archie comics and Aidan and I have finished every season of every show that has ever been created." 

"Gabriel asked me what it was like all the times we were quarantined growing up. I told him about my coup story and he couldn't’ believe it. Raphael misses school, but he has no idea what’s happening. That’s just the thing with kids, though, things just feel normal and ordinary to them unless we tell them otherwise."

"Rice balls with furikake and seaweed. My friend Erica posted it on her Instagram this week and I had to make it. The good new is that the kids love it!" 

"Anya just woke up from a nap, so I nursed her and grabbed the mail. We got the newest issue of Bon Appetit, so it's a good mail day! I spent a few minutes reading it while she sat alongside. My husband Aidan is exercising outside. I am still in a bathrobe."

"Raphael had a meltdown, so I told him we could go on an adventure. I took an empty egg carton and told him it was our treasure chest. We ventured outside for a bit. He was easily distracted by Solo, the neighborhood cat who is the friendliest little creature we’ve ever met. Raphael can spend all day with animals; he’s always had a lot of love for them. He told me Solo was his cat. He comes back into the house smelling like fresh air and his energy has completely shifted."

Mother Nature to the rescue!

"Aidan and I have always divided responsibilities with the kids since we both work from home. We’ve never had a very formal method for it, just sort of a relay race, constantly passing the baton to one another. I think when we only had Gabriel, we kept score a little more, but with the addition of the two littles, there’s just an understanding that we’re both doing a lot and we also both have to pick up the slack. I usually put Anya to sleep and he puts Raphael to bed, that’s about the only formal division of responsibility." 

"Gabriel just informed me that it’s PE time on his schedule, so he went outside for a bike ride. The boys looked to me for entertainment, so I made up a game—they have to act out a movie in 30 seconds and I have to guess it. Gabriel turned the entire thing into interpretive dance, so it turns out I’m the one that got entertainment from my game."

"The kids are restless and Aidan made a huge batch of guacamole, so we all sit and snack on it. My friend and neighbor Rachael passed by to share some of the produce she got from her gigantic CSA box. I’m always so grateful for my friends, but these days, gratitude doesn’t even begin to describe how I feel about my community. I’ve got a Zoom meeting in a few minutes and my clothing choices are questionable at this moment, as I'm still in a bathrobe. I have one of Rachael’s shirts hanging in my closet, so I’ll throw that on and position the laptop so that my clients can’t see I’m in my undies (postpartum + quarantine = no proper pants)."

The aforementioned shirt-and-undies getup.

"Raphael’s meltdown wasn’t the most fun, but I also know that a little outside time, a little one-on-one time, and some 'huggles' as he calls them, really solves many of those challenges right now." 

"I just got off a Zoom dance party with my friends, and I'm a little sweaty again, but it was incredibly fun and I look forward to it every week. My dad called to FaceTime with the boys. He lives in the Philippines and we used to only FaceTime once a week, but now we do it every night. It’s so sweet. I have to get Anya ready for bed soon."

"I really, really enjoyed Gabriel’s impromptu interpretive dance moment. I also loved having a dance party with my girlfriends. It’s such a great release and helps make us all feel just a little less distanced." 

"Aidan’s mom dropped off some panko-crusted chicken that Aidan cooked along with some garlicky green beans and crispy roasted fingerling potatoes. He tops the chicken with lemon, butter, and capers. It’s so delicious and I am so happy to not have to do a whole lot of prepwork for dinner." 

Yum!

"Typically, the kids all bathe and change into jammies. I give Anya a little baby massage and put her to sleep by 7 p.m. Aidan reads a few books to Raphael, and Gabriel listens in as well. Then he goes off and reads on his own. Tonight is a little different since it’s Friday. The boys stayed up after Anya went to sleep. We’ve all been enjoying America’s Funniest Home Videos, so we watched another episode of that and Gabriel stayed up a little later tonight to watch The Hobbit. Once the kids are asleep, that's when I get my work done. Evenings have become my office hours. Tonight I’ve set aside time to work on some ideas for ads for a client. I have some copy for a website that I have to edit. I also catch up with some of my high school friends—we’re in touch every day through an app called Marco Polo. Tonight we’re talking about home waxing kits and federal vs. state governments."

"Hugging my friends. A night at the Korean spa. And a little healthy social-distancing from my kids Ha!"

For more on Andrea and her family, follow her on Instagram.