Coronavirus Crisis - early days

Our family's 2020 started off in a rushed and chaotic manner - looking back now - I would take that "chaos" over the current state of chaos any day. 

After we became to feel healthy again {the flu took it out of me for over a week and even then...I had a terrible cough and was really fatigued}...we realized we had a bigger dilemma ahead of us...

Coronavirus-19

Everyone has a story surrounding the COVID-19 crisis of 2020. I started jotting down daily notes in a notebook and realized, I should just add it to the blog. I haven't been as active on here as I would like...writing is really therapeutic...and I might as well publish it to remember/review years down the road.

Thursday, March 12 - We received notice from our school superintendent...tomorrow will be the last day of school for the next four {4} weeks in abundance of caution. We will have two weeks of e-learning, followed by a NOW two week spring break.

Friday, March 13  - a busy day - S and I spent time working at a wine shop promoting travel...I called to get a new script for L's super expensive ADHD medication filled so we can survive the next month...I missed my annual check-up at the OBGYN b/c of the chaos and Dr leaving early {or rather, I was a tad late} - a sobering day - I cried at the afternoon bus stop gifting our bus driver a little gift card + a jar of homemade strawberry jam with a note...and expressed that we are going to miss seeing him for a month. Knowing the bus drivers aren't receiving a paycheck during this time, many of us along his bus route dropped him cash, gift cards or other tokens of our appreciation. He is amazing!
Apres dinner family happy hour with friends in the neighborhood - light-hearted jokes about social distancing and stocking up supplies/food.

Saturday, March 14 - cancelled babysitters due to cancelled bar plans and created an epic family-oriented Saint Patrick's Day Party - green everywhere + delicious everything + soo much fun had by all. Small talk about COVID...and talk about school being closed for MUCH longer than planned. A few of us searched VRBO for 8-bedroom FL homes complete with private pools, hot tubs and resort amenities for a 2-3 week staycation. J shopped at Kroger - it was semi-stocked.

Sunday, March 15 - we woke up researching VRBO rentals but then came to our senses. We realized maybe it's not the smartest idea to leave the state or the comforts of home during this chaos. We enjoyed the distraction of a puzzle as a family...

Monday, March 16 - Aruba closes its border to everyone...e-learning begins.
E-learning is something we have used since L has been in school here...any time there is a snow day, our students use e-learning at home with practices from all of their subjects. This e-learning feels different, much more comprehensive...and labor-intensive. This poses a challenge as we continue to work...I spend TEN hours on the phone on hold/calls striving to cancel client travels.

We did make green play dough for one of L's "math assignment":


Tuesday, March 17 - Happy Saint Patrick's Day - we tried but didn't catch the Leprechaun.
6,100 cases in the US...95 deaths

Sight words with our "bunchems" 

Wednesday, March 18 - 7,500 cases, 125 deaths

Daily art lesson with the art teacher from school on FB Live
The leprechaun decorated our house!! 

Global studies - we counted in Spanish while playing ping pong

Fresh air, when we can! 

2k20 - WOW!

Despite starting 2020 with the most amazing experience of fireworks + music on a gorgeous beach in Aruba...we came home in the following days/weeks and I gathered January 2020 started off a bit nutty...it was crazy with work, family life {L getting off of her ADHD meds due to a  HUGE increased expense in the monthly rate of her prescription}, Jeremy's extensive work travels and just a feeling opposite of the zen - balanced type of life I usually craft.

So...I declared February 1st the new "new year" and gathered some dear friends (some whom also had a crummy January) and we spent a beautiful morning enjoying foot massages together, followed by a visit to Starbucks together.

The highlight of February was mid-month, cashing in on my Christmas gift from Jeremy with an AMAZING concert by The Lumineers...alongside some dear friends. It was a beautiful, fun + memorable night. One of the best nights so far in 2020.

Quickly February became tarnished after S had the stomach flu on Monday {nothing worse than seeing your child vomit and unable to help them}, followed by Mommy getting it on Friday (while Jeremy was away for nearly 8 days straight)...and then L came home from school the day prior with stomach pains. As I waited {impatiently} for the stomach flu to run it's course through L...it actually turned out to be a severe urinary tract infection which her Dr was concerned was a severe kidney infection and giving strict orders for a check within 48 hours, or else we were heading to the hospital to be admitted.

Let me just pause to recite our TWO hour visit to the pediatrician that Monday: I'm mid-way through a long solo-parent journey, S is acting out and quite needy climbing all over me...L is off her ADHD meds and stubbornly refusing to give a urine sample while experiencing a 103 temp and a laundry list of symptoms. We try and try...over and over...in the bathroom. Dr is extremely concerned and will be using a catheter to get a sample if L won't pee in the "hat" in the toilet, or a cup or anything! First, we swab for the flu - negative, then we rule out strep. Next up is a cath... and I literally didn't think I was strong enough to hold her down - either emotionally or physically. Thank heavens...I offered her $100 CASH and daddy offered her a pass code to a special technology {over the phone}...and it did the trick, just 10 minutes shy of the office closing. Turns out the urine was "horrific" according to the Dr...and two different antibiotics later and about 48 hours on the dot - she was doing MUCH better! 

Three days later...Mommy became sick, again {my guess is it was from the 2 hours spent in the public bathroom of a Dr office in the aforementioned story}... and on Saturday evening at a med-check I was confirmed with influenza A. I cannot recall a time that I had been that sick and I spent days in bed through early March.

So...the first 60 days of 2020 were unique to say the least...