Play ground off limits Day 16

I'm still walking my five miles a day. When Sean and the girls would ride their bikes I told them they could ride around the park but they couldn't play. Today, this was the scene. It is necessary and no one should be letting their kids play on the equipment but it still made me want to cry.

Sean went to his orthodontist yesterday because one of his bands came loose. They are closed but still see patient's for problems or emergencies. Even going to the empty clinic was strange.

Tomorrow is the beginning of a new month and the Governor has already said everyone is supposed to stay home for the entire month. How many months will this go on? I read today that people in Italy are out of food and money and starting to riot. People are going crazy now and this could get so much worse.

Two weeks and no end in sight

What an interesting time we are living in. We went out to Antelope Island today just for a change. It was a beautiful day. There were more people there then I've ever seen. When we got there we drove in there was no line. We did have to show ID to prove we live in Davis County and pay the $10. The state is now only allowing people to visit state parks in the county they live in. When we left around 1:30 there was at least a two mile long line of people waiting to get in.

It's not St George Island but it is pretty. We hiked a couple miles. The kids walked all the way to the campground area. I walked back about half way so I could get the car and meet them there.

We hiked up the little rocky area. There were quite a few people there. Kylie and Brie went home this afternoon. Sean wanted to go with them but I kept him home.

Today they said the "social distancing" will stay in affect until at least April 30. It's been over two months for China and I'm not sure why it would be any different here.
I cancelled our plane tickets yesterday.  Sean and I were supposed to leave Tuesday. The airlines are giving credit for tickets to be rescheduled later. The only thing I'm out is the trip insurance I bought. I'm really sad about not being able to see Khloe and Vally.

Day 13

The kids spent a considerable amount of time planning their 4th remodel of their tent city. It looked like a refugee camp from the news. Or something you'd see downtown by Pioneer Park.

Each of them had their own separate room and they had a living room with television. Silly kids, they were running around being silly and cooking until 1 a.m.

Day 12

Walk, walk, walk. We are all walking. The kids actually rode bikes, Don, Mao Yu and I walked. I usually walk two or three times a day, morning noon and afternoon. It keeps me from going insane. 

Eat, eat, eat. I think we are all going to be overweight when this shelter in place ends. The kids are cooking and eating and making a lot of messes. On a positive note I have time to clean up after them. 

I ventured out to Walmart to buy milk and inner tubes for one of the bikes. I took some gloves and mask over to the pharmacy. It wasn't crazy. I think people are trying to go to the store less. I've been trying to just go every couple days. There was still no toilet paper which I find so strange. There is no flour which makes sense because everyone is cooking. 

The kids fort grew. It now looks like a refugee or homeless encampment and moved into the living room. It has a fan and internet inside. The kids even took down Sean's TV so they can watch in their camp. I told them they could just put a tent up in the living room but they were much more interested in constructing this village.

Don really wants to go to SGI but all the advice is don't travel. Florida is doing road checks to see where people are going. They are trying to stop people from coming from New Orleans. They've shut down all vacation rentals in Florida for 14 days. Park City has shut down too. The National Parks are only allowing people who live in the county to visit.

What day is it? It's day 11

The days just roll together. Tomorrow is Friday and I have no clue where the week went. We certainly didn't do anything. Don is working from home now. The airforce base has gone to level Charlie, whatever that means.  I met Troy at the classroom Wed and picked up Kylie and Brie. They've been having a good time being busy and making messes.

They built a fort in the game room.

They did Readeo with Jack

They put their pajama robes on their legs.

They spent the better part of the day building a refugee village in the hallway.
They did their homeschooling this morning

I spend a big portion of my day working on the online classes. We have 90 students enrolled which is great. We had our first lab at the classroom today only 12 students showed up. I sent out a sign up sheet today for labs in April. I'm really grateful that the state has allowed us to go online during the pandemic.

Day 8 Pandemic

Today they announced that school is cancelled until May 1st. I don't think they will go back until fall but only time will tell. Sean says he doesn't care about not finishing out the last of the year in elementary but he may start to miss it.

 I get calls from students wanting to know when we are going to start holding classes in the classroom. I guess I should be pleased that they think I am so smart that I know the answer.

I turned all the alarms off on my phone and all the reminders for things that need to be done, piano, pick Sean up from school, go to work, LegoMindstorm, meetings. There is not a whole lot going on. I've been walking 5 to 7 miles a day.

Angela started teaching piano online today. I'm glad Sean can keep learning and she can keep teaching.

Day 7 of social distancing...So why not cook a turkey

Lot's of spare time. Reading, watching Netflix, keeping up with my online students, walking, lots and lots of walking. Today I cooked a turkey and a cake. When Sean and Carter asked why I asked why not?

St George Island has closed their beaches to the public which means we couldn't walk on the beach beyond the boundaries of 300 Ocean Mile. I'm going to cancel our plane tickets tomorrow. It's an awful feeling to know that I have no idea when I will see Khloe and Vally again. That is the thing that makes me the saddest. Thank goodness for the internet. It's what keeps all of us sane. Well for me the internet and walking. I walked two miles three separate times today.

And the social distancing continues

It's such a dilemma. Do we go through a drive through for something to eat and support the businesses that are open or do we eat at home. My hair needs colored and the salon is still open but that seems frivolous. Don and I walked to the grocery store today for a few things and we did go through the drive through at DQ for dinner.

Carter's gym is still open and he's still going which is ridiculous. He came over to get ketchup. I asked him if the grocery store was out and he said he didn't know but didn't want to go to the grocery store because he might get sick. I told him he was a lot more likely to get sick at the gym. Now he's all freaked out wanting me to "test" him. For what I asked. "Test me for a cough" he said. "Are you coughing" I asked. "I don't know" he said. Well, hell then you are not coughing. I took his temperature which was normal and told him he looked paranoid not sick.

The state is allowing us to hold classes online and clinical are waived at this time. They just have to come in for 16 hours of lab. We will have aides who have never entered a care facility or changed a brief. Interesting. I'm glad we can still make money and pay our rent. I don't know how long students will have any money to pay for the class but hopefully we can save some so we can keep the business going until things return to normal.

I did Readeo with my little CASA kid today. He really had fun and wanted to keep going but his battery died. I will read with him again next week. He's not a good reader and he's almost in 3rd grade. He tries hard though. All visits with CASA's are cancelled and only the attorneys are going to court. We will have a team meeting online next week.

Day 4 of homeschooling and social distancing

Sean is not at all bothered by homeschooling. He does his work, plays his piano, obsesses over shoes online and plays Fortnite. He is practicing becoming a professional gamer.

Read some books online with the girls.

Living in a young adult dystopian novel

I wrote that title yesterday BEFORE the earthquake.

 Don left for work at 6 am and Sean and I were still asleep. I was in one of the spare bedrooms with the window open and the fan on. I've quit taking sleeping pills and have been having a hard time sleeping.

A few minutes after 8 the house started shaking.  I jumped out of bed thinking are you freaking kidding me!! First we are all "sheltering in place", school's are cancelled we are only supposed to leave are house for work (if you still have a job) doctors and the grocery store. We can still walk around the neighborhood but are supposed to practice social distancing and not get closer than 6 feet to anyone.

The house was shaking, I was standing next to the bed looking for clothes as I sleep in the buff. Sean comes running in yelling "earthquake." I said "go get some clothes on" he said "I have clothes on." Oh yes, it was me that needed clothes. I told him to get shoes so we could go outside. The house stopped shaking. I called Don he had gone under his desk at work.

I turned on the TV and they were already covering it was a 5.7 earthquake. The news reporters were shaking when they first started talking. It was pretty scary. We had a couple of significant after shocks. It was just a surreal day. All day news coverage about the earthquake. Utah was making national news. For a day corona virus was not the lead story in our state and I don't think that's a good thing.

Sean started his online school today. They gave the teachers two days to get it up and running. He was facetiming with Ethan, playing Fortnite and doing his work. That's multi tasking at it's best.

I've still been walking my five miles. I had Sean go with me yesterday to get him off the computer. Today after Don got home we all went for a walk including Mao Yu.

These are crazy times!!

Piano season

Spring is in the air and it's time for piano performances to begin. The kids did a mini recital and Creekside assisted living today. It's a new facility in Bountiful and it's very nice. I think I'd like to do some clinical there.

Corona panic

This is the toilet paper aisle as the Centerville Walmart. Literally not a roll on the shelf. I don't understand the toilet paper hoarding. This is a respiratory illness. People are also stockpiling bottled water. I admit I've gone out and bought canned goods, rice and beans, Advil and cough medicine in case the state goes into lock down but I have not bought cases of toilet paper.
 I've talked to UNAR about holding classes remotely if schools are cancelled. If we can't teach class for months we are going to be in trouble. If we can teach class then we can at least keep going and have the students do clinical later. I worry about Sean's asthma with the flu but he's done a lot better the last few years. We've got a trip to Fla scheduled for the end of the month. A lot of uncertainty going on in the world.

I went to Rancho market today to buy empenada disc and they had toilet paper. Apparently it's only white people who are going crazy buying toilet paper.

Good bye little yellow boat

I wasn't sad about the chickens....but I am a little nostalgic about selling our little yellow boat. I know it's just a remnant of the lake condo but it sure has a lot of memories. Years and years of summers with out little yellow boat at the lake with lots and lots of people. So many first boat rides for so many people.

 I noticed a wheelchair in the back of the truck of the guy buying the boat and I recognized the chair. I asked the guy what his daughter's name was and sure enough it was Kayla from DIA. I've known here since kindergarten and now she's in 8th grade. I'm happy her family will make memories in the  little yellow boat

Goodbye chickens

Lunch with Sabrina. Jennie told her not to conspire against her so I sent her this picture and then she called. Sabrina is working right by our house. She never stays anywhere more than a couple of months or as she and Jennie say "once I learn my coworkers names it's time for me to go."

I'm just done with chickens. No one cared about them but me and I realized I don't care about them either. I cared for them but not about them. I don't like the chicken poop, I hate knowing there are rats in the yard, I don't like walking through the mud and snow to get eggs. I wasn't sure why we were keeping them and decided to get rid of them. I put an ad on KSL and we sold them to a nice family from Roosevelt. They have five boys and the dad is a vet.

Goodbye chickens, I won't miss you.

Feeling the Bern

On the Monday before Super Tuesday there was a Bernie rally downtown at the fairgrounds. I've never been to a political rally and decided I would go. Sean wanted to come and I invited Laura. The rally was outside and this is a little snowman Sean made during our two hour wait.

Sean was really good about all this waiting and talking about politics. I think it was a good field trip and worthy of missing a day of school.

Jack's birthday party

Jack turned 5 and had a birthday party and Chuck E Cheese. Sean said he doesn't like Chuck E Cheese and Jack should change it. I told him no one over 8 likes it they only go for someone they love. The girls and Lanette were there too. It was strange. It was the first time they had been around Jennie's family and friends in 8 years. The kids felt pretty awkward.  Tony is in really poor health and on oxygen. His wife had her boobs literally pushed over the top of her tank top. Tony's step daughter said to Sean "oh you are one of the son's she dumped." I looked at Jennie and said "did she just say that." Jennie said "WHAT?" and I said let's just keep walking. I know the girl isn't very smart and was just repeating what she heard but it was strange. Some of Jennie's foster siblings were there. It was a really ghetto place. The kids kept coming and sitting with me and Lanette and we kept telling them to go meet people but they were really uncomfortable. When we were leaving Jack really wanted to come home with us so I brought them all for a sleepover.

Kylie and Don putting Jack's scooter together.

The kids all said the party made them uncomfortable. I said to Sean a couple of days later that must have been weird knowing that's your family and could be your life and he said "that's an understatement."