More than a mom: COVID-19 Pandemic

Today marks the beginning of week six of being at home due to the COVID-19 global pandemic. The whole thing is still a bit surreal to me. If someone would have told me two months ago that school would be canceled for the year, professional sports would not be played, churches and temples would be closed, and even the Las Vegas strip would be shut down, I would have laughed in their face. And yet, here we are.

As of today, there are over 2.4 million confirmed cases and 169,000 deaths worldwide. In the US, there are over 750,000 confirmed cases of the virus and 41,400 deaths. New York has been the hardest hit, with over 250,000 cases there alone (crazy!). Most states have some sort of "shelter-in-place" order, though some states are stricter than others. All "non-essential" businesses are closed, including hair and nail salons, dental and orthodontic offices, malls, etc. Grocery stores are still open and have implemented "physical distancing" measures to limit customers and keep people at least 6' apart. Toilet paper is a hot commodity...it literally flies off the shelves as fast as it comes in. I felt like I hit the jackpot at Target early this morning when I scored a 24-roll package...enough to see us through a couple of months at least!

The local schools are doing a great job with their "distance learning" programs. I am grateful that Jack and Grant are the ages they are and have the ability to work independently. There was some early disappointment over not seeing friends and sports being canceled just as the season was beginning, but they've mostly gotten over that and adjusted to the new "normal."

Our daily schedule looks like this:

7:15-8:15 Exercise
8:30-9:15 Breakfast and scripture study/seminary
9:30-12:00 Schoolwork
12:00-12:30 Lunch
1:00-3:30 Schoolwork
3:30-5:30 Free time, outdoor chores
6:00 Dinner
7:00-9:00 Games, TV, etc
9:30 Bedtime

There have been lots of ping-pong games and hops in the pool to break up the monotony of the day. Over the weekend, Steve and Jack created two golf holes on the side yard. I am grateful for plenty of open space at our house to enjoy the outdoors and not feel confined in any way.

We haven't been to church since March 7. Jack and Grant have administered the sacrament ordinance in our home each week, and then we've been doing online ZOOM meetings with the Snow and LaPlante families. It is nice to share spiritual insights and feel like we are still nurturing our spirits even though we are unable to gather together with our ward. I really miss the temple...after a year of attending the temple weekly, it definitely has left a hole in my soul to not be able to go!

There have been some big blessings through this experience, in spite of the inconvenience of it all. With Olivia recently home from her mission, it has been such a gift to have all three kids under one roof for what is likely the last time. A few weeks before Olivia got home, I was feeling sad that our boys were so busy with school and sports that they wouldn't have much time to spend with Olivia before she went back to school. To have everything come to a screeching halt has meant endless family time with games, laughter, talking, and dinners together...all of which have brought us closer. The boys are having a great time together and it just feels like a huge blessing to have this time together so close to Jack leaving home (and Olivia leaving home again!).

I try not to get too anxious about the economic effects of all of this, or the government taking so much away from us. There are all kinds of conspiracy theories circulating on the news and social media and it is easy to get sucked into the rabbit hole. I am naturally a very trusting and optimistic person and so I don't want to think or believe that there are any ulterior motives behind what is happening...but time will tell! In the meantime, I'll just take lots of deep breaths and focus on what I can control, not what I can't!

Ping-pong is great stress relief, haha!

I've been sewing masks to donate to hospitals and friends...the public is encouraged to wear a face-covering in public.

We took an impromptu drive up to the snow one day...this is I80 East, normally packed with Tahoe traffic. The roads were empty! We found a little place to pull off the road and play in the snow!