Quarantine: Tues. 4/7
We got the notice today: schools in NJ are closed indefinitely. It's not a surprise at all but it was still jolting to see it. The longer this goes on, the farther away from normalcy I feel, and the less possible it seems that we'll ever get back to regular life. What version of it will we wind up with? No one knows.
Lucia was airing lots of worries tonight about the virus: what if we get sick, what if our family gets sick, what if our friends get sick. I assured her we're staying safe by staying home, and that everyone we know is staying home too. But ugh. She's ten. She doesn't understand why there's no 'cure' for this yet. She's incredulous that she hasn't seen her friends for a month. She had a video conference with her math teacher and some classmates today, and I think that made her realize how far from normal we are right now--she's been happy and fine all this time, but this glimpse of pre-quarantine life seems to have set her off a little. I promised her we'd make time to play a game tomorrow, just the two of us.
Greta and I worked on her Harry Potter Legos again today while Lucia watched a Mo Willems doodle episode. Having even half an hour of one-on-one time seems to make a big difference in these days of constant togetherness.
It was a gorgeous day and the kids played outside a lot. We made another chalk mosaic. Farrah traipsed around the backyard and hung out with us on the porch (we block the stairs with a gate so she can come out there with us). I took her for a walk while talking to Mom and Dad on the phone. We had hot dogs, baked zucchini, and cantalope for dinner. After piano practicing, we watched an episode of Pick of the Litter. TBH, guide-dog training seems like Greta's destiny, but she said it absolutely is not and that she'd hide her trainee dog in a closet instead of returning it to the training center.
I scored an Amazon Fresh order today!!!!!!! I filled a cart on Sunday and have been obsessively trying to snag a delivery slot, and finally, at a random time this afternoon, I got one. A large assortment of non-essential but very much missed foods will be delivered tomorrow. All along we've been focusing on meat and vegetables and fruits, forgetting in our panic about snacks--and we're almost out. Tomorrow will bring chips and crackers and junk cereal and Cheetos and Combos and Cheez-Its and frozen TGI Friday's spinach artichoke dip and onion dip and so much more. Also celery and three canisters of breadcrumbs, because that's what happens when I'm panic-filling a grocery cart.
And the big news of the day (even bigger than Amazon Fresh): at long last, after about two years of my encouragement and nudging and strategic shelving, Lucia has fallen in love with Choose Your Own Adventure. I am thrilled. What better books for quarantine? At the last library sale, I found a vintage copy of my very favorite CYOA: The Mystery of Chimney Rock. And that's the one she picked. And tonight she kept running up to me when she reached different endings, so excited about the turns of events and the possibility of changing everything just by making a different choice here and there. Parenting achievement unlocked.
Quarantine would actually be an excellent time to get both girls to read the entire Babysitters Club series. NOT the graphic novels--the originals. With the original covers. I'll strategize. For now, I'm thrilled to pieces about Chimney Rock. I still remember my favorite ending--when the main character turns into a mouse and chants something like run, hide, eat for the rest of his life. Now that I think of it, maybe a little TOO apt for quarantine?
Lucia was airing lots of worries tonight about the virus: what if we get sick, what if our family gets sick, what if our friends get sick. I assured her we're staying safe by staying home, and that everyone we know is staying home too. But ugh. She's ten. She doesn't understand why there's no 'cure' for this yet. She's incredulous that she hasn't seen her friends for a month. She had a video conference with her math teacher and some classmates today, and I think that made her realize how far from normal we are right now--she's been happy and fine all this time, but this glimpse of pre-quarantine life seems to have set her off a little. I promised her we'd make time to play a game tomorrow, just the two of us.
Greta and I worked on her Harry Potter Legos again today while Lucia watched a Mo Willems doodle episode. Having even half an hour of one-on-one time seems to make a big difference in these days of constant togetherness.
It was a gorgeous day and the kids played outside a lot. We made another chalk mosaic. Farrah traipsed around the backyard and hung out with us on the porch (we block the stairs with a gate so she can come out there with us). I took her for a walk while talking to Mom and Dad on the phone. We had hot dogs, baked zucchini, and cantalope for dinner. After piano practicing, we watched an episode of Pick of the Litter. TBH, guide-dog training seems like Greta's destiny, but she said it absolutely is not and that she'd hide her trainee dog in a closet instead of returning it to the training center.
I scored an Amazon Fresh order today!!!!!!! I filled a cart on Sunday and have been obsessively trying to snag a delivery slot, and finally, at a random time this afternoon, I got one. A large assortment of non-essential but very much missed foods will be delivered tomorrow. All along we've been focusing on meat and vegetables and fruits, forgetting in our panic about snacks--and we're almost out. Tomorrow will bring chips and crackers and junk cereal and Cheetos and Combos and Cheez-Its and frozen TGI Friday's spinach artichoke dip and onion dip and so much more. Also celery and three canisters of breadcrumbs, because that's what happens when I'm panic-filling a grocery cart.
And the big news of the day (even bigger than Amazon Fresh): at long last, after about two years of my encouragement and nudging and strategic shelving, Lucia has fallen in love with Choose Your Own Adventure. I am thrilled. What better books for quarantine? At the last library sale, I found a vintage copy of my very favorite CYOA: The Mystery of Chimney Rock. And that's the one she picked. And tonight she kept running up to me when she reached different endings, so excited about the turns of events and the possibility of changing everything just by making a different choice here and there. Parenting achievement unlocked.
Quarantine would actually be an excellent time to get both girls to read the entire Babysitters Club series. NOT the graphic novels--the originals. With the original covers. I'll strategize. For now, I'm thrilled to pieces about Chimney Rock. I still remember my favorite ending--when the main character turns into a mouse and chants something like run, hide, eat for the rest of his life. Now that I think of it, maybe a little TOO apt for quarantine?
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