Covid Quarantine: Day One

Ok, so we aren't technically quarantined. I am legally allowed to go out in public. I am also in charge of grubby, germy, face-touching, booger-creating little beings - and am terrified they will infect the world with SOMETHING...so we keep to ourselves.

The husband and I did go to a movie over the weekend, while we were still measuring our response to all this outpouring of data. I opened the doors with my sleeve and maintained six feet of space from all people. We brought our own snacks and didn't touch a counter or a cash register. We sat through "I Still Believe" with one of us crying through half of it (I am not allowed to say which one of us) and enjoyed ourselves. Then we both agreed that was our last public outing until this virus plateaus.

This morning, he left for work and I stayed home with the kids and attempted to work. I have worked from home many times with kids and it is always a struggle. Working from home, while trying to educate my 5 and 7 yr old, AND work is something that is going to have a steep learning curve. We will get there - but not today. Today was mostly checking in, seeing if I could help, touching base with my family that are legitimately at risk, and getting my ducks in some kind of scraggily row.

Today was officially my kids first mandated day off school. Friday I kept them home voluntarily due to a field trip - just didn't think it was worth the risk. I always go with Mommy Gut, glad I did. Last night I wrote myself a loose schedule of what our day should look like. My kids thrive on routine and get crabby and emotional without that structure, so I wanted to start today as I mean to go on. I think that probably goes for all of us, running our days differently than normal. Knowing what comes next is the kind of thing that brings me comfort anyway.

Today we tried an hour and a half of 'school' in the morning and an hour and a half in the afternoon - sticking to basics; memory work, spelling words from sight word lists by grade, math facts, reading, and brain teaser puzzles. I downloaded the Khan Academy for free on my phone and whenever I read with one kid, the other played on my phone - which I never let them do - and that worked well for us. We decided to have daily chess matches so they can attempt to beat me. (Not happening suckers.) Something really neat to come out of this enforced home school is all the resources people keep sharing on Facebook. Tomorrow we are going to add in Mo Willems Lunch Break as 'art class' and the daily video lesson from the Cincinnati Zoo as 'science class'. Both of these look very interesting and my kids won't even see them as educational. Win.

In between, we made sure to get outside and get some sun therapy. We walked around the yard, counting spring bulbs popping up. As awful and scary and uncertain as all this is - what a gift to dawdle in the garden with my kiddos and watch spring pop out day after day. And to get extra cuddles and to play boardgames (you need Moles Rats In Space in your lives people, no matter how old you are) and to binge watch Fuller House in sweatpants with Cheeto dust. We are luckier than most in our situation, in that we could adapt. But we are still feeling that feeling of being cut off, of missing out on what our tribe is doing. We are a social bunch and hanging out in our own little corners is not how we roll. We are all craving a little connectivity, so here is my outlet...back to blogging like before I had kids, right? Any mommas at home in the trenches with good ideas, share with us please! We are all going to need a little help, a little online community, to keep us sane for the next few weeks.