[A bellowing] H E L L O from the other side!
We're a full ONE week deep into social distancing over here, and holy whoa: on every level possible, WHAT an unbelievable week it's been! Here we were 2 weeks ago thinking we wouldn't make
it out alive after Daylight Savings Time, a full moon, and Friday the
13th; then, coronavirus reared its ugly head and blew all of that out of the
water. Reacting and adjusting to this has been insane; I honestly can't wrap my mind around the magnitude of all of it and what it means for our country, but with each day that passes I do grow more fearful for "healthcare" as we know it and also anxious for my beloved co-workers and all healthcare workers and first responders across the country. Oyyyyy vey, these are not good times.
On a more positive note, things at home have been better than ever! I'm notorious for getting a little stir crazy if I'm stuck inside the house too long, but [so far] I've been very even-keeled and pleasantly surprised with the smooth transition that all 4 of us have made to "sheltering in." While it's been hard to explain to the kids why school and daycare are closed and we have to stay at home .e.v.e.r.y...s.i.n.g.l.e...d.a.y., I have to commend Harper's teachers for guiding us through this confusing and unprecedented time. Literally two days after the governor shut down all Illinois schools, I had 2 weeks worth of home learning materials in my e-mail inbox from Harper's teacher. Between e-mails and Facebook posts and videos, the school teachers and administrators have been so present, caring, and steadfast through all of this. We definitely feel their love and compassion for the kiddos and can't wait to see them all again soon! *fingers crossed*
So! The last week in [not] a nutshell...
...and Monday was "business as normal" for 3/4 of us with me to work, Brian to work, and Scarlett to daycare. Harper stayed with Grammy Ann since the schools closed.
Tuesday was St. Patrick's Day, and we made the best of spending it at home this year [which
was a TOTAL BUMMER, because we are Dogtown parade patrons through and
through!]. We got festive with green eggs and pancakes for lunch!
Tuesday was also Brian's first day working from home, and the kids loved having him here even though he was "off limits" most of the time!
Many neighbors hung shamrocks in their windows so individual families could walk around the subdivision on a shamrock hunt. So fun! Have I mentioned lately that I love our neighborhood?! We hung a few in our front windows for other families to find!
Again, thanks to Harper's teachers for the home learning packet and craft materials!
Tuesday evening, we had to take a roadtrip to the rentsies' house to get Brian's large computer monitors so he could set up a better/more practical workspace to actually work from home. In hindsight, the kids and I probably should've stayed home and sent Brian up solo, but my heart knew this would be one of our last "outings" for a while and it was actually a little sad knowing this was also the last time we'd see all of the grandparents for several weeks, so off we went... We have stayed connected via FaceTime as the week progressed, but it's definitely not the same as seeing our parents love on our babies in the flesh! :(
On Wednesday, we buckled down on the home learning and Harper worked on color sight words...
...while Scarlett colored her Easter craft from Grammy Ann! We also constructed an EXTRA large fort to read books in [all 4 of us could get in, yet all 4 of us could not get out without breaking the mold, lol]!
On Friday, we learned about caterpillars and butterflies. After hearing the word "metamorphosis" [or "mor-fa-meth-a-sis" as Harper called it] for the first time since age 18, I became a little concerned that my home-teaching abilities may max out after the Pre-K level!
^^ After finishing the school worksheets, we made all sorts/shapes of butterfly artwork...
...and also listened to The Very Hungry Caterpillar on YouTube and colored a paper of all the things we thought a veryyyyy hungry caterpillar could eat through. Here's mine! ;) :)
All of this caterpillar/butterfly schoolwork inspired me to impulse-buy a butterfly farm/growing kit on Amazon. I think the kids will really enjoy it, though, especially since we're homebound indefinitely and there aren't any other living/growing/metamorphosis-ing activities going on around the house! If it turns out as I hope, we will be sure to keep you posted with our results!
Saturday was my birthday, so I'll cap it off here and add those photos to COVID Diaries: Week 2. Stay tuned!
...Also stay healthy.
...ALSO...STAY HOME!!! :)
To be continued...
As
part of their original plot, my parents kept Scarlett at their house
for the 5 nights/4 days we were gone. Part of my momma heart shattered
at the thought of leaving her behind [surely she would enjoy Disney,
too?!], but as soon as we arrived at Hollywood Studios on the first day
with one very active 4-year-old who didn't require daily naps and
bi-hourly snacks, I knew it was the best decision! Our first FastPass
there was at the Voyage of The Little Mermaid, and I may or may not've
teared up midway through the show at the sight of our baby girl smiling
from ear to ear while experiencing the true magic of Disney [...and to
think, this show was just the tip of the iceberg that would foreshadow
all the other exciting events to come]. The light and sound effects
were all so amazing, and I don't know, I guess it just brought back such
fond memories and flashbacks of being at Disney with my family when I
was a kid. To be a momma now and be able to watch all the magic through
my child's eyes was a feeling I'll never forget! 
