I haven’t
posted in a couple weeks, and I always process my thoughts/feelings better
through writing, so this blog post is going to be somewhat lengthy. Stop
reading whenever you are tired or bored, lol!
A week
ago last Thursday my sister, who is the District Nurse for a district in OH,
called me and told me her district was closing beginning Monday by order of the
governor. I was a little surprised, but I understood. Fast forward to last
Sunday afternoon. The governor of SC ordered all schools here to close, effective
Monday, also. I was not surprised as between Thursday evening when my sister
called to Sunday afternoon, several states had shut down schools.
While I
wasn’t surprised, I also wasn’t prepared for what that meant. Schools closing
have effectively turned my world upside down. And not just my world, but
everyone’s. I am going to chronicle each week as we employ “social distancing”
from our friends, classmates, and even family members.
Week 1:
3/16-3/22/20
I woke
up early Monday morning with a fever. I had been experiencing horrible back
pain all weekend and thought perhaps I was coming down with the flu. I had no
other symptoms except the fever and back pain. I emailed my primary care doctor
at the VA clinic and she referred me to urgent care to make sure I didn’t have
a urinary tract or kidney infection. All basic testing came back normal so I
was told to go to the hospital for more in-depth. I declined and went home
instead.
Tuesday
morning I felt 100% better. Distance learning (or E-learning) began for 3 of my
kids. I got them going on their work and worked on some projects around the
house that I had been putting off. The
weather was beautiful outside so the kids were outside for most of the day. I
did not allow any friends or neighbors over, though, because I had been sick
the day before.
Wednesday
I had to go pick up the other kids’ schoolwork at their school. We came home
and worked on a little bit of it with my first grader, but the kids mostly
played outside. I still did not allow
friends over. By Wednesday I was really missing my class and was very emotional
as the reality of the situation sunk in. I guess I thought at first it was
going to be like a school break, but as the week went on, I realized there
really is no end in sight. A parent in my class suggested everyone download a
certain video chat app so everyone could see each other. We did, and seeing
those sweet little faces brightened my day.
Thursday
was the first day everyone had schoolwork to do. The kids all went to their respective
work spots and Ruthie, my first grader, and I did her work together. It took us
a couple of hours, but it wasn’t terrible. By lunch time everyone was finished
so I let them play outside again. I did allow them to play with their friends later
in the afternoon, but no one was permitted in the house. I spent a lot of time video
chatting with the parents and kids in my class. It did my heart good to be able
to “talk” to everyone!
Friday
was a rough day. Ruthie’s schoolwork was taking us a long time and I was very
discouraged. I had some things I wanted to do personally and couldn’t because
she is not fully independent with her schoolwork. Also, my littlest guys (ages
5 and almost 3) would not play with each other well. They kept fighting and disrupting
us as we tried to work in the kitchen. By 12:30pm I was so stressed with schoolwork
we stopped for the day. She still has some work to complete, but I needed to quit.
I did have an emotional break down but after spending some time outdoors, I
felt better. I did allow my kids to play at their friends’ houses and allowed
friends to play outdoors here, too. It was good for everyone to get some fresh
air and to just “be kids.”
Saturday
was spent hanging around the house and just doing odds and ends. Friends were
outside here, and my kids were outside at others’. They enjoyed some sprinkler
time and again, it was nice to just “be kids.”
Sunday,
today, we socially isolated ourselves again. Pollen is bad and two of my kids
woke up with headaches and sore throats. I texted their friends’ parents and
informed them we were isolating ourselves again and shared why. I picked up
some flowers for Tanner and me to plant together this week. Since we are isolating
ourselves, I need something to do to keep my mind busy.
Things I
have learned this week:
- I don’t like doing school at home. Believe it or not, I find first grade to be challenging. Not so much the actual work but knowing how much support to give my daughter. We struggled with me helping too much or not enough. I still don’t have an answer.
- We are going to be home for a while. No school, no eating out, no practices or lessons, nothing. I must find reasons to get dressed because it is not good for my mental state to stay in pajamas all day. I am going to shower, dress, and put on make-up just to give me a sense of normalcy in this very not-normal world.
- I already didn’t like cooking, but now I must be more creative in my meals due to meat shortages. I have had to incorporate more meatless meals, which has proven to be difficult because of a gluten-allergy.
- I must plan for this week and hold my kids to a schedule. Last week wasn’t terrible, but again, since we are in this for unforeseeable future, a better planned day can only benefit all of us. Things I need to plan out include daily snacks and snack time, a set lunch time, and a set time for their schoolwork to be completed. It will help all of us to know when each day’s work will end and give us a goal to work towards each day. I need to also plan activities for my little boys to do while we are doing schoolwork to help keep them out of trouble.
- I need to set up a time for me to cook and bake. Even though I am home all day, I have found myself avoiding the kitchen. I do enjoy baking but keeping my kids out of trouble has proven more time consuming than I care to admit.
- I need to take time to get outside each day, even if it’s just to sit and enjoy the sunshine. It is good for my mental health and the fresh air will help rejuvenate my attitude.
So, this
has been our week in a nutshell. I am looking for the blessings in this whole
situation, and there are several. As a social person I need to remind myself of
this truth. It is easy to focus on all the negatives and ignore the positives.
I hope
you have a great week as we enter Week 2. I am sure I have more lessons to
learn this week and will share those accordingly next week. For now, I am off
to make supper and prepare for the week ahead!
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