This blog has been pretty quiet for the last 4 (or 5?) years. That doesn't mean life has been quiet for us. We've been back in MN since January 2019...but, I'll write more on that later.
I'm a little rusty in blogging, but with current events I'm feeling a need to write and capture our feelings as we begin this unprecedented epidemic of Covid-19, aka the coronavirus. Today was to be the kids' first day back in school after last week's spring break - Aidan, Maddie, and Zoe are in 5th grade, and Eliana is in 8th - but schools are closed. As of today, we have been told to expect instruction to begin again on March 27, 2020 via "distance learning", likely meaning online classes/schoolwork. Only time will tell what that will look like.
The kids are understandably pretty excited to have more time off from school, but I think reality will set in soon enough. The challenge will be to keep them engaged in their studies and not backslide in what they've learned already this year. Zoe in particular has had a challenging year, particularly in math. My mind is swirling with thoughts of how to help the kids manage and keep things as normal as possible, but in truth, I'm more than a little nervous about what's to come.
I've been off work on vacation over the kids' spring break, and probably paying too much attention to the news, which is ever present. Other countries - and some US cities - are on lockdown; today, the MN's restaurants and bars were ordered to shut down but for takeout/delivery. Other non-essential, recreational businesses such as movie theaters and gyms will also close to prevent people from gathering and spreading the virus further. Grocery shelves are becoming bare, some supplies are hard to find. The stock market has been nose-diving; I don't dare check the balance of my 401k.
Honestly, we have no idea what the next few days, weeks, and months will bring. I know we'll get through this, but as a mom, the unknown is terrifying. While not diagnosed as medically fragile, Zoe in particular seems to always catch any bug that's going around; she missed the last two school days before break due to a low-grade fever. It's hard to get the kids to understand the severity of the situation when I don't fully comprehend it myself, and without scaring them unnecessarily. I worry about my parents and the possibility that, if infected, they could develop significant complications that a severely strained healthcare system may not be in a postion to manage. I'm torn with the reality of going back to work tomorrow and potentially exposing myself to the virus in the course of my job, while leaving the kids to manage their time unsupervised.
I keep reminding myself to be grateful to be healthy and safe at home with the kids. I trust that God will guide us. Once we're past the worst of it, I suspect we'll have a deeper appreciation of what's most important in life.
In the meantime...day 1 of voluntary "quarantine" allowed us time to finally create our gingerbread house that we bought before Christmas - and ran out of time to decorate! Who says you can't have a spring/Easter-themed gingerbread house? (I have to give credit to the Kothe family, who, if I recall correctly, had a St. Patrick's Day gingerbread house a few years ago?)
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| Maddie's poor apple tree collapsed despite our best efforts to prop it up with toothpicks. |
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| Eliana and Murphy managed to get some quality snuggle-time in today too. |
Stay safe, everyone! And wash your hands. Again.
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