Since we already homeschool I feel fairly prepared for our week. A few things will be different though: we typically go to the Y for a couple of hours in the middle of the day, and we rely heavily on library books for our schooling (neither are a big deal in the grand scheme of things). We may have to do some things differently in the weeks to come but I don't see that being a problem.
We followed our normal school routine until noon and then decided to go for a hike. We invited a neighbor's son to join us (his mom had a big project to finish up today). We completed our hike and then Jack and his friend were able to play outside for several hours. It was chilly but they stuck it out most of the afternoon, playing and riding bikes. They ran out of things to do outside (and probably needed a break from each other) after five hours.
While out hiking and walking in the neighborhood we ran into two families I had never met before. We kept a reasonable distance as we chatted. While there is a lot to be worried about, it is also nice to have time to chat in the street with someone new and check on people who are out walking their dogs.
This afternoon there was an update that instead of a two-week hiatus, the public schools will be out until April 13th. A lot of people are expecting school to be out for the rest of the school year. I know lots of working parents who are trying to wrap their heads around being home with their kiddos all day long for the foreseeable future. It is definitely a learning curve with good days and bad days, no matter how seasoned you are at this homeschool thing.
I need to stop looking at Facebook and the news. While there were lots of sweet posts of people helping each other, and pictures of kids doing school at home, there is also a lot of heaviness and concern about the unknown and what is to come. What countries are shutting down their borders? Will we? Will citywide lockdowns be implemented? How bad is it really going to get? A week from now, what will this all look like. Italy is in dire straights right now and we are wondering if that will be us soon...
At least we have toilet paper.
Monday, March 16, 2020
Sunday, March 15, 2020
CVSD: Day 4
Daniel got an email this morning from his boss saying that his department will have a staff meeting tomorrow. On site. !$#*?! His company is a government agency, don't they realize we are all supposed to be practicing social distancing? It's hard not to be frustrated by this.
We are starting to tentatively adjust to all being together. I know it is just Sunday, but our routines are already off with church being cancelled at the building. It is going to take a bit of time to get used to family dynamics of being together (if Daniel's work does finally let them work from home). We just need to remind ourselves that it will be like our camping trips when we are together 24/7. We got this!
We had a live televised worship service for church this morning, but it wasn't quite the same as being in person with our church family. For one thing we were all in pajamas and there was coffee and hot chocolate. No matter, the message was good: Love our neighbors. And also the reminder of, "what then can separate us from the love of Christ? Neither trouble nor hardship nor the coronavirus..." (paraphrase of Rom 8:35).
After lunch Daniel checked with our elderly neighbors to see if they needed anything and to let them know we are available if they do have any needs. We are also thinking about others ways we can fill needs in our community, while continuing to practice social distancing. I checked in with my small groups from church via text after worship service, trying to encourage one another during a time when we are all so unsure about so many things.
It rained all morning but cleared up after lunch. Daniel went to run a couple of necessary errands and I let the boys play outside with a friend. One of my good friends asked if I could go for a walk. The fresh air and sharing our concerns about the upcoming weeks was good for my soul.
The boys played outside for most of the afternoon before coming back around 5pm. I think they finally reached their play-together quota when it comes to outside play (they are seriously missing playing Minecraft and other inside games together). After supper two of Daniel's friends dropped by. While we are distancing ourselves from others, true isolation may prove difficult.
I know many families who are gearing up for their first day of imposed homeschool starting tomorrow. I am cheering them all on from the sidelines. My best advice is to make your kids go outside or do jumping jacks when things get out of hand. Or hide in the pantry and eat chocolate. Both work wonders.
I read somewhere that the coronavirus is just three degrees of separation away from each of us. I experienced that reality last night. A friend texted out a prayer request: she has a neighbor who owns a small company in North Georgia where a woman in her 30s (and her husband) both tested positive for coronavirus (after testing positive for the flu and pneumonia). She is currently in ICU at Emory. Her husband is also in ICU but doing better than her. They had not traveled at all and probably picked up the virus from a crowded place. It was all over Facebook this morning. Three. Degrees. of. Separation.
The birds don't seem to know there is a pandemic happening. They just keep singing that it is spring.
We are starting to tentatively adjust to all being together. I know it is just Sunday, but our routines are already off with church being cancelled at the building. It is going to take a bit of time to get used to family dynamics of being together (if Daniel's work does finally let them work from home). We just need to remind ourselves that it will be like our camping trips when we are together 24/7. We got this!
We had a live televised worship service for church this morning, but it wasn't quite the same as being in person with our church family. For one thing we were all in pajamas and there was coffee and hot chocolate. No matter, the message was good: Love our neighbors. And also the reminder of, "what then can separate us from the love of Christ? Neither trouble nor hardship nor the coronavirus..." (paraphrase of Rom 8:35).
After lunch Daniel checked with our elderly neighbors to see if they needed anything and to let them know we are available if they do have any needs. We are also thinking about others ways we can fill needs in our community, while continuing to practice social distancing. I checked in with my small groups from church via text after worship service, trying to encourage one another during a time when we are all so unsure about so many things.
It rained all morning but cleared up after lunch. Daniel went to run a couple of necessary errands and I let the boys play outside with a friend. One of my good friends asked if I could go for a walk. The fresh air and sharing our concerns about the upcoming weeks was good for my soul.
The boys played outside for most of the afternoon before coming back around 5pm. I think they finally reached their play-together quota when it comes to outside play (they are seriously missing playing Minecraft and other inside games together). After supper two of Daniel's friends dropped by. While we are distancing ourselves from others, true isolation may prove difficult.
I know many families who are gearing up for their first day of imposed homeschool starting tomorrow. I am cheering them all on from the sidelines. My best advice is to make your kids go outside or do jumping jacks when things get out of hand. Or hide in the pantry and eat chocolate. Both work wonders.
I read somewhere that the coronavirus is just three degrees of separation away from each of us. I experienced that reality last night. A friend texted out a prayer request: she has a neighbor who owns a small company in North Georgia where a woman in her 30s (and her husband) both tested positive for coronavirus (after testing positive for the flu and pneumonia). She is currently in ICU at Emory. Her husband is also in ICU but doing better than her. They had not traveled at all and probably picked up the virus from a crowded place. It was all over Facebook this morning. Three. Degrees. of. Separation.
The birds don't seem to know there is a pandemic happening. They just keep singing that it is spring.
Saturday, March 14, 2020
CVSD: Day 3
The day started out rainy. The kids watched Netflix and played Legos. We prepared them for the possibility of no social interaction. We are all for social distancing but are still on the fence about whether one or two neighborhood interactions would be ok.
In the end we decided to let Jack see if one neighborhood friend could play. The other mom and I texted and agreed that the kids could play outside together. We stressed that they couldn't play on the playground equipment at the neighborhood park. Playing with sticks, riding bikes, being outside, all seem relatively safe.
Daniel took the boys and our neighbor's son for a neighborhood bike ride after lunch. I stayed home and washed our sheets then wiped down all the door handles and light switches with Lysol wipes. I also cleaned the bathrooms.
I called my parents to make sure they had enough food on hand and to see if they were taking precautions to self isolate. Their church, like ours, has cancelled services for the time being. We normally video chat on Tuesdays, but it was nice to talk outside of that time. Breaking routines may prove to be a good thing.
I assessed our food again. We had a bag of apples that had become mealy so I looked up recipes and ended up making homemade applesauce in the crockpot. At a normal time I try not to waste food, but this seems even more important now.
Once the apples were cooking, I found a graham cracker crust and pudding mix that I had been saving for a rainy day. What better day than today? It was rainy, and it is Pie Day (3.14)!
I watched the news before bed. There is one confirmed case of the Coronavirus in our county. It turns out the man is a priest who came into contact with many people before realizing he was infected.
In the end we decided to let Jack see if one neighborhood friend could play. The other mom and I texted and agreed that the kids could play outside together. We stressed that they couldn't play on the playground equipment at the neighborhood park. Playing with sticks, riding bikes, being outside, all seem relatively safe.
Daniel took the boys and our neighbor's son for a neighborhood bike ride after lunch. I stayed home and washed our sheets then wiped down all the door handles and light switches with Lysol wipes. I also cleaned the bathrooms.
I called my parents to make sure they had enough food on hand and to see if they were taking precautions to self isolate. Their church, like ours, has cancelled services for the time being. We normally video chat on Tuesdays, but it was nice to talk outside of that time. Breaking routines may prove to be a good thing.
I assessed our food again. We had a bag of apples that had become mealy so I looked up recipes and ended up making homemade applesauce in the crockpot. At a normal time I try not to waste food, but this seems even more important now.
Once the apples were cooking, I found a graham cracker crust and pudding mix that I had been saving for a rainy day. What better day than today? It was rainy, and it is Pie Day (3.14)!
I watched the news before bed. There is one confirmed case of the Coronavirus in our county. It turns out the man is a priest who came into contact with many people before realizing he was infected.
Friday, March 13, 2020
CVSD: Day 2
I developed a cough a couple of days ago. No fever. Most likely allergies. Should I be concerned?
It's Friday the 13th. This week there was a full moon and a time change. There's a meme going around about how we are all doomed. It's hard not to feel that way. And for some unknown reason, there is a toilet paper shortage! It's becoming quite the joke.
Daniel dutifully went to work. I sent him a list of things to grab at the grocery store on his way home. It's the end of my normal shopping week and we are completely out of meat. If the country is shutting down, it seems like we should freeze at least some meat.
Daniel texted me from Aldi around 4pm. There were slim pickings there: No coffee. No chicken. No ground beef. No eggs. He grabbed bacon and strawberries and some non perishables. We decided I would run to the local grocery store on our mountain once he got home.
Pruetts was packed when I arrived at 5pm, but it was sufficiently stocked. Part of me felt guilty for putting three pounds of ground beef and three packs of chicken in my shopping cart, but there was plenty left and we can always share. Most importantly I was able to pick up a couple of bags of coffee!
The boys played with a neighbor until dark, and I wondered if we would have to put a stop to neighborhood play at some point. I feel good about them being outside in the fresh air. And it doesn't seem like a virus would spread through sword fighting with sticks. It's supposed to rain every day for the next two weeks. I think we will make sure to do daily hikes. The Y has officially closed for the next month. Preschool is suspended and co-ops are stopped for at least the next two weeks.
Today, in particular I have contemplated how thankful I am to get to be with my kids every day. They drive me crazy sometimes but I am so incredibly grateful for the moments we get together on a daily basis. I'm thinking a lot about my friends who work full time and how this is going to affect them. Even if they work from home, it will be more of a challenge to be with their kids and get their work done.
With all of the things I'm worried about, I am also encouraged. There is a video floating around the internet about quarantined people in Italy singing together from their balcony windows. I see posts online of people reaching out to neighbors and it makes me believe that there is goodness in humanity. And I thank God for that.
It's Friday the 13th. This week there was a full moon and a time change. There's a meme going around about how we are all doomed. It's hard not to feel that way. And for some unknown reason, there is a toilet paper shortage! It's becoming quite the joke.
Daniel dutifully went to work. I sent him a list of things to grab at the grocery store on his way home. It's the end of my normal shopping week and we are completely out of meat. If the country is shutting down, it seems like we should freeze at least some meat.
Daniel texted me from Aldi around 4pm. There were slim pickings there: No coffee. No chicken. No ground beef. No eggs. He grabbed bacon and strawberries and some non perishables. We decided I would run to the local grocery store on our mountain once he got home.
Pruetts was packed when I arrived at 5pm, but it was sufficiently stocked. Part of me felt guilty for putting three pounds of ground beef and three packs of chicken in my shopping cart, but there was plenty left and we can always share. Most importantly I was able to pick up a couple of bags of coffee!
The boys played with a neighbor until dark, and I wondered if we would have to put a stop to neighborhood play at some point. I feel good about them being outside in the fresh air. And it doesn't seem like a virus would spread through sword fighting with sticks. It's supposed to rain every day for the next two weeks. I think we will make sure to do daily hikes. The Y has officially closed for the next month. Preschool is suspended and co-ops are stopped for at least the next two weeks.
Today, in particular I have contemplated how thankful I am to get to be with my kids every day. They drive me crazy sometimes but I am so incredibly grateful for the moments we get together on a daily basis. I'm thinking a lot about my friends who work full time and how this is going to affect them. Even if they work from home, it will be more of a challenge to be with their kids and get their work done.
With all of the things I'm worried about, I am also encouraged. There is a video floating around the internet about quarantined people in Italy singing together from their balcony windows. I see posts online of people reaching out to neighbors and it makes me believe that there is goodness in humanity. And I thank God for that.
Thursday, March 12, 2020
CoronaVirus Social Distancing (CVSD): Day 1
I woke up to news on Facebook that Italy is under a country-wide quarantine for the Corona Virus. There are so many sick that doctors are having to choose which patients to treat and which to let die. I wrestled with that idea all day.
Daniel dropped Isaac at preschool. Jack finished his morning work and I dropped him at his co-op at the YMCA across town. I ran my own errands before heading to my class at the Y. It was a small class. The thought of quarantine was on everyone's minds. I silently wondered if we were in the last days of normal. Would this be my last class at the Y? Would my parents be okay? So many people were on my mind.
My brother texted to say that one of the staff at Vanderbilt had tested positive for the virus. He's worried. My sister (a nurse) responded, "Wash your hands!" Daniel texted to say TVA might have most employees work from home for the next two weeks.
I finished my workout, took a shower and headed to pick up Jack. We popped into Duck Donuts for a treat and finished up Language Arts for the day. Again I contemplated if this would be a last moment for us for awhile.
On our drive across town Daniel texted again to say that Hamilton County schools would be closing their doors for the next two weeks. Jack wanted to know if he gets to skip school too. Hah! He's homeschooled, there is no skipping...
My good friend, Jordan, picks up Isaac from preschool on Thursdays. Every week we pop in so our kids can play and we can visit. Jordan and I are both worried. We are concerned about kids who might not be able to eat in the coming weeks because they depend on schools. We worry about family members and neighbors who are already immune compromised. We both wonder about our parents who live far away from us. It's a heavy afternoon. The kids play, mostly oblivious to our conversation.
Daniel comes home and says his particular department has yet to approve working from home. He has a meeting in the morning. We hope they will tell them to stay at home...
Daniel dropped Isaac at preschool. Jack finished his morning work and I dropped him at his co-op at the YMCA across town. I ran my own errands before heading to my class at the Y. It was a small class. The thought of quarantine was on everyone's minds. I silently wondered if we were in the last days of normal. Would this be my last class at the Y? Would my parents be okay? So many people were on my mind.
My brother texted to say that one of the staff at Vanderbilt had tested positive for the virus. He's worried. My sister (a nurse) responded, "Wash your hands!" Daniel texted to say TVA might have most employees work from home for the next two weeks.
I finished my workout, took a shower and headed to pick up Jack. We popped into Duck Donuts for a treat and finished up Language Arts for the day. Again I contemplated if this would be a last moment for us for awhile.
On our drive across town Daniel texted again to say that Hamilton County schools would be closing their doors for the next two weeks. Jack wanted to know if he gets to skip school too. Hah! He's homeschooled, there is no skipping...
My good friend, Jordan, picks up Isaac from preschool on Thursdays. Every week we pop in so our kids can play and we can visit. Jordan and I are both worried. We are concerned about kids who might not be able to eat in the coming weeks because they depend on schools. We worry about family members and neighbors who are already immune compromised. We both wonder about our parents who live far away from us. It's a heavy afternoon. The kids play, mostly oblivious to our conversation.
Daniel comes home and says his particular department has yet to approve working from home. He has a meeting in the morning. We hope they will tell them to stay at home...
Sunday, March 01, 2020
Weekly Hikes in February
Three Gorges Segment of Cumberland Trail, Mowbray Mountain
Our February hikes looked a little different from our January hikes. We had more rainy days, an unexpected snow day, and less people were able to join us overall. But true to my commitment, my boys and I hit the trail every single week during the month. We even squeezed in some extra hikes and outdoor activities.
We actually almost cancelled our first hike of the month. Most of our friends had decided not to come because of the rain and my boys were a bit miffed that I was going to make them go hike with the one girl who was able to come.
I promised my boys that we could get slushes from Sonic and the acquiesced.
It was at a location we had never visited before, and guess what? This turned out to be one of our favorite hikes. I'm so thankful we didn't skip. There was a waterfall to explore, big Indian Rock Houses (overhangs) and cracks in the bluff to climb through. And then the kids spent a solid thirty minutes making mud bombs. They were a muddy mess by the end, but everyone had a great time. This hike was the Three Gorges section of the Cumberland Trail on Mowbray Mountain, and even in the fog, it was so gorgeous!
Snow Day
A couple of days later we had a surprise snow. This wasn't a hike, but we enjoyed an entire day outside. Including sledding and pulling the kids around the neighborhood park behind our four wheeler.
Stringers Ridge Pump Track, Chattanooga
Mabbit Springs, Signal Mountain
At first Jack was mad at me because I wouldn't let him climb around the rocks and waterfall like I normally would. Fast moving water is beautiful but it scares me. Thankfully being in nature helped his attitude (and mine!) even if there was no extra climbing on this particular day.
Hidden Hills Farm Maple Syrup Day, Collegedale
The same week as our Mabbit Springs hike, we had a chance to go to Hidden Hills Farm for their Maple Syrup Day.
Dirt Bikes at the Park
Rainbow Lake, Signal Mountain
Some of our best friends had the day off for MLK day so we invited them to join us on a hike to Rainbow Lake. The best thing I heard was when my friend's son exuberantly shouted that this was the best day ever! I love to see kiddos test their limits, try new things, and see the outdoors up close. It is the very best kind of thing.
Ritchie Hollow, Suck Mountain
Middle Creek, Signal Mountain
We did one final hike, just me and the boys, on a Tuesday to Middle Creek because it was a suuny day and there was threat of rain for Wednesday. There is something so soothing about hiking in the woods next to a creek. The boys could spend hours throwing rocks into the creek and building little dams with small stones.
Fall Creek Falls State Park
On the last day of the month Jack's cub scout troop had a cold-weather camp out at Fall Creek Falls to earn their Polar Bear badge. It was a cold day (in the 30s) and even colder night (in the 20s). But it was perfect for hiking down to the falls. Daniel wondered if Isaac would be able to handle the 2.5 mile hike (down and then back up a top of steep steps), but with all of this weekly hiking we've been doing, Isaac had no trouble.
I know that February can be a dreary month, but I also know that you can find joy in the outdoors, regardless of the weather. We sure did.
Saturday, February 29, 2020
One Second Every Day: February
One second every day in the month of February. Daniel
worked on our chimney (unfortunately it’s still not fixed). Even though
the weather wasn’t great, we managed six good waterfall hikes. We had a
fantastic snow day (and several other days with dustings of snow).
Winter months get a bad wrap but we fit in quite a bit of fun this
month, ending with a Leap Year hike and camp out with Jack’s Cub Scout
troop.
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