Covid Week #2

We have now completed week #2 of Covid-19 "social distancing" and sometimes I feel like it will never end and other times I feel sad thinking about how it will end and they won't be home with me all the time again! It really is a strange time. I never would have thought I would be having conversations about how I can only get one thing of eggs or bread or meat at a time and that is even if the store has them in stock! It is surreal going to the store and there are empty shelves where the toilet paper and cleaning supplies should be.
Our kids are pretty young to understand what is going on but today Quinn told my mom, "Don't go to any more stores! I am scared you are going to get sick!" Leo was yelling at Reid the other day after he blew a raspberry in his face, "you are going to give me coronavirus! That is how people get coronavirus!"
My dad is currently off work as are many people and we are praying this doesn't last as long as they are thinking because we know it is financially hard for so many people. We feel really lucky that Dave is still working and that we are not having to stress about bills at this time like many other people are.
I have good days and bad days and so do the kids. Honestly it is such a mental rollercoaster. I love having the kids home and the games they are playing and the memories they are making together are really great. At the same time the pressure to get school work done and turned in on many different websites is very stressful. I also feel the pressure of doing all the other house/life things that happen on a normal day but now with everybody at home and the schoolwork it can be overwhelming. I know this is such a weird time and we will hopefully be back to normal soon so I am trying to give myself some grace and just accept what is for now.
As we approach April and the social distancing was just extended until the end of April I think it is going to be pretty hard. We had several people visiting and trips of our own planned and Spring Break and it was going to be so much FUN! Now we will be at home (which is where we should be to stay safe) but that is hard to know of all the things we should be doing with friends and family. If/when this is all over, we are going to travel ALL SUMMER!!!
Some of our highlights this week included: finding a tick on Quinn's neck (ewww! NJ is full of ticks), Quinn made Dave soup and we dropped it off at his work, the kids made dinner with their Raddish Kids kit and it was a big hit, we jumped in puddles and chatted with friends (from far away).

Yelling at the neighbors. Luckily our house faces the kids little besties so they enjoy yelling across the yard and showing each other toys. And the parents enjoy it also! We miss spending time with friends, we live in such a great neighborhood and it is sad to not get to spend time with all the people in it! 

 

It has been pretty cold and wet this weekend and we needed to get out! It was freezing but they had a great time and I have plenty of time to wash everybody's clothes when we get home. 

    

This kid is just too big! Stealing sister's stuff and hanging out in her bed. Dave and Reid both got haircuts in our bathroom this weekend because the barber shops are all closed.

 

The little kids are so lucky that Leo is a future Engineer and have had a lot of train track play. 

 

Friday night is pizza and family movie night and this week that was a picnic on the living room floor. 

 

Charlie doesn't know why the kids are home all the time but he loves the extra attention. 

 

We had some great sunshine this week and busted out the water table. 

We currently have a swing on our front walkway and with no end in sight to this type of lifestyle, I think we will just leave it there for now. 

 

Reid is always around when the kids are trying to get work done. 

   

   

Yelling at the neighbors some more. 

  

Super sugary cereal out of a plastic egg? Sure! 

  

Quinn loves talking with grandma and even got to bake some with her this week. 

   

  

We are going to make the best of this situation and pray that everybody stays healthy and that we all come out of this experience better than we were before. 

Homeschool is good-ish, life is good. 

Covid- 19 craziness

A pandemic seems like a good time as ever to start blogging again. Life is crazy and this is a great reminder (and kind of forced) to just SLOW DOWN. Funny right, how life works.... just last week I was crying real tears because Reid was 2 and all my kids are getting so big and I missed the time when they were all home. Enter Covid-19...... and we are all here for who knows how long!
This is such a crazy time and the uncertainty of it all is very stressful at times. Since this is my first ever Pandemic, we are trying to take it one day at a time. I feel like that is really easy to do during the day because life is SO BUSY with all the kids at home but once they are in bed I feel a little panicky. "How long will we have to live like this?! Can we not go home this summer?! I hope nobody I know gets sick! I hope we don't get sick! ..... ahhhh it is just so much!"
I do feel so very lucky because we live in such a supportive and fun community. Dave is still working and we are not feeling the financial burden of this like many people are.
Dave is working so very hard and we are really proud of him. To be honest... I am mostly proud but also really annoyed. It is very HARD to be home with the kids all day long and to feel like I am doing it alone. I know in the big picture this is not a very big sacrifice but it is how I am feeling. Finley keeps talking about how daddy is "keeping people from getting Coronavirus" she is so proud of him!
This week was a big transition from "normal life" and Dave was working nonstop so I gave myself some grace and we just tried to figure how what this new normal might look like. We didn't get much of the kids "school" done and might have been marked "absent" a few days but I am thinking they will be a little forgiving in the midst of a freaking pandemic!

 

One thing I am really enjoying is slow, lazy mornings. We are no longer screaming "we are going to miss the bus!" about 15 times. Everybody comes and climbs in my bed and we turn on the TV and just lay there until someone (usually Charlie) demands we head downstairs. 

Leo is so great with Reid and the other morning I just was not feeling it and as I was making my Italian coffee he totally got Reid breakfast. Reid absolutely adores Leo and how he currently says his name "Llllll-Eo" is the cutest. Our hearts are breaking for Italy and praying this will end soon! 

Quinn said her favorite part of the day is taking walks. We try to get outside as much as we can.

Another favorite of our day is the 3:00 Cincinnati Zoo Facebook Live event. We climb into my bed, eat a snack and watch and learn all about animals. This is the "ending" of our school time.

Quinn made a hopscotch the other day and I counted this as both art and gym! She didn't do any of her "extras" last week so we really do have a lot of work to catch up on this week.

Today for dinner we made pizzas and FaceTimed with grandma and grandpa. Technology really is great and is helping us to not feel isolated during this time of separation.

A little art class which will double as Easter decorations. 

Being home with 4 kids and also trying to get something accomplished is no joke. Between juggling the big kids work and their online "classroom meetings" while getting Reid to nap and trying to get Finley to nap it feels like nothing gets done. She isn't interested in napping but she needs it! 

Charles is not sure what to think about the kids being on his couch all the time now. 

Quinn has been spending a lot of time talking to grandma. I have no idea when she got so dang big! She is giving me such a hard time with this homeschool thing and actually told her teacher her biggest challenge of doing "virtual learning" is her mom! However, Leo said his favorite part of being home was spending time with me, so you win some and you lose some. 

The other day Finley wanted to play "kitchen" like she does at school but I sold our kid kitchen because it annoyed me so we made an oven out of a diaper box. And guess what.... they loved it! 

Leo is an absolute homeschool champ and by far the easiest child currently. 

We have been getting in a morning and afternoon walk. Reid is learning all about that military life and having to stop riding his bike at 5:00 pm. He also has been helping Quinn with school. 

 

Here is a tent set up outside of the med group. Everything on base other than the commissary and BX are closed and the med group has a screening process before you can enter the parking lot. It really is such a crazy time. Our military members are working so hard to figure out the best way to handle this on base and being so close to NYC we have such a high chance of this thing hitting NJ very hard! 

Evening yoga to get everybody calmed down. 

Leo made a tent on the couch and the kids took turns playing in it for days. 

I also started watching Schitt's Creek during this madness and it makes me laugh every evening. 

Prior to Covid-19 I was doing really good with a workout plan but it has been pretty much wrecked since the kids are home. I am trying to make it work and this day I shut my door and told them to LEAVE ME ALONE for 30 minutes. I think they only interrupted 9 times. 

 

Finley helped me set up a "library" where they could come check out books. This was so sweet because Leo was sad he couldn't go to library at school. 

We made it through week one. It was not perfect but we made it and we will keep making it until this is over! And once it is over.... we are coming for you Ohio!

Slowing down is good..... life is good.