One Week In...

One week into the governor's imposed "self-quarentine" and we haven't killed each other yet. Today we got the news that we have 48 hours until a strict 'stay-at-home' directive is in place in Washington State. I don't really know how that will change things beyond what we are already doing (no school/work, non-essential medical procedures cancelled, no social life whatsoever).

Two days before the toilet paper craziness began, I purchased TP from Costco because we were down to two rolls. I never felt the frenzy urgency to buy it, but now, just the idea of possibly running out is gnawing at the back of my mind. On a positive note four bags of my favorite coffee arrived in the mail today, so my kids are safe!

The past week has taught me not to take ANYTHING for granted. One day you are greeting your little students first thing in the morning with a smile and a hug, the next day you are told not to hug anyone! This is torture for me. I come from a long line of huggers. From my immediate family, including my Nana to my Aunts, Uncles, cousins, Great-Aunts, Great-Uncles, third cousins you rarely see, cousin-in-laws, friends that are like family, friends of friends, people you see on the regular, I hug them all! Now, to simply walk away with a smile and a nod is just so against my MO. Here's an interesting fact about me though, if you know anything about the five love languages...mine is definitely NOT affection. I can't explain the hug thing...but it is what it is.

I went to the grocery store today to get eggs because I started making cinnamon scones when I realized I was out. I was saddened by the atmosphere in the store. People seemed to fear one another, nobody made eye contact anymore and they were careful to keep their distance (which is good at this time, don't get me wrong). But the palpable vibe of fear was what worried me, everyone seemed to look at one another in a skeptical way. I long for the days when life goes back to normal.

One rule I've had to implement for the kids is, 'You get three meals and an afternoon snack a day, that's it.' If I didn't, their five mouths would eat through our food supply like hungry termites in a rotting woodpile. That being said, I still feel like my days go like this: wake up, make coffee (everyone makes their own breakfast), clean the kitchen, do something for awhile, make lunch, clean the kitchen,  say 'no' to more food, do something else, tell the kids what they may have for snack, do something or take a nap, make dinner, clean the kitchen again, do a few things, pray the Rosary, go to bed...wake up, repeat.

Is it bad that I want to be called out on a search? It would provide me a chance to see my ESAR family whom I miss.

Here's to good health everybody!

Goodnight.

Hang in there, we are all in this together...

Day 2: COVID-19 Self "Quarentine"

What an ugly blog post title!

Anyway, I have a less demanding schedule these days and the desire to write is coming back. In June the kids and I will have our 5th anniversary of living in the house we are in. Five years is the longest we've lived anywhere! When we first moved up here we were blessed by good friends who let me rent one of their rentals for dirt cheap. It was a difficult time, but that little, tiny house located in a very "iffy" neighborhood is so precious to me because it is where I brought home the baby of our family. It is also where I spent those priceless years with my kids when they were so little and loving and...cute! It's hard to believe how fast time really does fly. After five years of living there we transitioned into a nice house with a big yard and lived there with my parents for two years. That place, also, holds precious memories of my kids surrounding my dad as he read them stories before bed, my mom making all of us pancakes for breakfast and being so close to my Nana that we could walk and visit her anytime.

But the time for me to find a respectable house for myself and my kids had come again. My folks were moving back into their home and our landlord wanted to sell. I looked on various online home rental sites and found one that I was interested in. I set up an appointment with the realtor to go check it out. It turned out to be an old turn-of-the-century (or even older!) home. Its exterior was built with stone and the interior had all kinds of interesting and unique built-in nooks and crannies. There was one room that interested me because to enter it you had to climb into it as the door to the room was a good 2-3 feet off the ground! Yet, this room wasn't hidden away, it was right next to the kitchen. We continued to see the rest of the house and finally I asked the realtor what was the purpose of that one room? "Do you really want to know?" was her response. Umm, ya, now more than ever! She told me it was the quarantine room for those afflicted with tuberculosis. There was a window very high in the room so that family could look down from the upstairs to make sure they were ok, but otherwise, usually the afflicted would go in there to die. So, I never went back.

I think about that house now and what a nice bed and breakfast I could have made out of it for anyone afflicted with COVID-19. I also think about how we are living in historical times. When my oldest looks back on the year he graduated high school, he will more likely remember how he barely attended his third trimester and all anyone talked about was the Coronavirus, rather than the celebrations and transition into adulthood. I read something the other day that said those graduating this year were born in a world recently affected by the events of 9/11 and will be graduating in the year of a pandemic. I believe they will be strong. They will affect the world in their own way.

Soooo, we are in day two of our self-quarantined, homeschool adventure. The first day was St. Patrick's Day and we enjoyed a delicious meal at home with our priest and good friend as our honored guest. I was happy to have all my kids home, safe and healthy. Today I needed to get out and take in some of that beautiful sunshine that has been gracing the PNW. So I decided we were going hiking.

Fun-ish notes about the day: I had an Irish Coffee at 9 am... just checking, but that's kind of like drinking a mimosa, right? One of those alcoholic drinks totally acceptable to drink first thing in the morning? Mmkay, good.

Second fun-ish note: I had the wind knocked out of me today! It was only witnessed by my 6 year old niece, myself and the ball of fur and muscle that is my brother's black American pit-bull who happened to be the culprit. As I approached the back yard deck all of a sudden I felt my legs lift up from under me and I landed with a thud flat on my back on a pile of gravel. For a few seconds, I didn't even know what happened! I stood up, kind of ticked off and wanting to cry, then I was just upset that it wasn't caught on video to share with all of you and maybe win $100,000 on America's Funniest Home Videos.

We hiked 2 vertical miles today at Mt. Peak. The mile up took us 45 min. That will be the time to beat next week. When I used to have to climb that peak for PT while I worked on a DNR Wildland Firefighting crew we'd have to do it in 28 minutes. That is my goal.

Other than that, schooling went well...there was some whining, some bribing, some slamming books, so, you know, nothing out of the ordinary.  Healthy days to all! Goodnight.