Coronavirus Quarantine Week 1



This has been a week for the books. We are in an unprecedented time with the COVID-19 quarantine. First, last week we found out that school would be cancelled for two weeks. The Governor of Illinois first closed the schools, then started limiting groups of 1,000 people, then 500, then 250 and now 10 or less. Restaurants are closed for dining in. Finally, this past Friday, Illinois was put under a shelter-in-place order. People are not allowed to leave the house unless it is for groceries, medical needs or if their job is deemed essential. There are many essential jobs, so many people are still out. It is a crazy time.

Quarantine Day 1 - The kids were up and fighting before I woke up. Nate's parents were here so I went and walked with the church ladies while they were at home with the kids. When I got home, Max was acting out of character so I took him to the doctor. He was diagnosed with Hand, Foot and Mouth. I got home and the thermostat told me that I needed a new filter for the furnace. This is a new furnace so I had to find the opening and discovered it was a rare type of filter. I had to track down this filter and go get it so we could have heat. I look at the school work that I need to do with Zoe and cry.


Sick Baby

Quarantine Day 2 - Max didn't sleep well because he wasn't feeling well. Markers were banned by 9am. Zoe told me that I smelled like stinky cheese. When I asked her why she would do work for her teacher and not for me she replied, "You're not my teacher." Good times. Nate's parents go home. Zoe does Lunch Doodles with Mo Willems. This is so cool. Mo Willems is the author of the Pigeon books and the Elephant and Piggie books. They are some of our favorite books. He shows the kids his original drawings for the books, teaches him how to draw his characters and answers letters from kids. I think I am enjoying it more than Zoe.


Much prefers her teacher, Mrs. Kasten over me.


Finally used the laminator I bought a couple years ago for her sight word cards.



Quarantine Day 3 - Hannah (our newest teacher to our school) came to hang out with us. She just moved here and said she would come hang with me and the kids. I think she was worried that I may lose my mind. She has a good read on me already. Anyway, she watched Zoe and Max while I took Zach to get a haircut. On the way home he had two suckers in his mouth, and when I handed him two to give to his sister, he had a meltdown because he wanted more. This kid has a serious sucker problem. Hannah hung out with us most of the day and helped Zoe with her homework. She got more homework done with Zoe in 5 minutes than I did in an hour. Kids.



Quarantine Day 4 - Max didn't sleep well all week so by this point, Nate and I are exhausted. I headed to St. Louis to get baby formula because that was the only place that had it in stock. I didn't think I would need to stockpile formula, but I was wrong. Sam's was crazy. It was busy and the shelves were eerily empty. The scaffolding where all the stock is kept above was empty. I couldn't believe it. I stopped in Target and Total Wine. I needed essentials. Wine is essential. As I was driving home, one of my friends said that the governor might be closing the border. Thank goodness I was almost over the river. It was then announced that the next day we would be ordered to stay home. I was pretty much keeping the kids at home anyway.





The essentials. (The Red Velvet Bailey's is what dreams are made of.)


Quarantine Day 5 - Nate worked a lot on recording the church service for Sunday. He came home and watched the kids while I ran to pick up more formula that my friend Emily got me at another Sam's location. While out, I saw two people wearing Chicago Cubs shirts, they must think that with all of this stuff Hell is freezing over and the Cubs may win again. I then stopped by the Hoffman Supermarket which is a gas station with a tiny little market. Hidden in the market is an excellent meat counter that was stocked. Meanwhile, Walmart and all the other stores were out of meat. Shop local people! Nate texted me while I was out that there was somehow gum on the couch. Neither he nor I had brought gum into the house. It is a mystery. Also, it got on his pants. The conversation is below. After dinner the kids were insane, so Nate bundled up Zoe and Zach and made them run around outside for a while. Cabin fever is getting real.




Snuggles with mama.


Clean little lamb.


Ready to run outside.


My friend Mary Beth came by to pick up some wine from my porch. We had to practice social distancing. It's not going well for my extroverted self.


Who knows what the next few months will hold. Despite the stress, illness, and losses, there has been a lot of good coming from this crazy time.

That's all for now. God is good.


No comments