Hello and welcome to a so-far-so-good, fingers crossed, Saturday at our house. Today is March 21st.
Here's a look at how the pandemic affected us personally, which actually started last week Thursday.
After some coaxing, the Second Grader finally pulled out her sticker-by-numbers sticker book (think color-by-number but with stickers instead) she got for her birthday and I haven't seen her since. The WAKWIR completed a level of Geometry Dash after 597 attempts - then decided to put away the Geometry Dash for the rest of the day. Dad went out outside to cut wood and the Toddler is making the rounds, checking in with all of us.
Sunday, March 15th - Mass as scheduled, just no touching and plenty of dispensations dispersed for folks who choose to attend mass virtually. The chalice stayed in the sacristan cupboard, but the Eucharist was still available.
By 10:00 am, Gov. Tim Walz announced schools would be closed starting Wednesday. Church school was cancelled. The kids rejoiced. Toastmasters speech contests were postponed, meetings will go online. The kids asked to go to friends' houses and I launched into a pandemic speech which the Oldest recorded and shared with her friends on SnapChat.
By 8:30 pm WAKWIR came to me and asked to use my computer so he could finally start his homework assignment for Geography. Due the next day, of course. That school closure plan was two days too late.
Monday, March 16th - We all woke up late, individually believing that if we all wished for a school closing, it would happen. A friend sends me a timely article: Writing in a time of anxiety.
Tuesday meeting cancelled. Piano lessons cancelled. Sports practice cancelled. Robotics cancelled. Toastmasters cancelled, although my Winnipeg club met virtually Brady Bunch style and I won the International Speech contest!
With the pandemic of "Creeonavirus" - as the Toddler calls it - in full effect, we are social distancing along with the rest of the world.
Here's a look at how the pandemic affected us personally, which actually started last week Thursday.
Thursday, March 12th - FIRST Robotics announced that all robotics competitions around the globe were cancelled. The Oldest was immensely bummed for two days. She consumed mass quantities of memes and videos expressing her sentiment. I think this shared reality mollified her a bit.
Friday, March 13th - I met with my Ulysses book club partners, but cancelled my trip to visit my mom in central Minnesota. Hardly a minute had passed after telling my husband of the change in plans, when Chester Toyota of Bemidji called to say the part they'd ordered for our vehicle hadn't come in. Perfect, I said. I had to cancel anyway. Reschedule - TBD.
With the cancellation of events globally, nationally, and regionally, it was no surprise when the Second Oldest's speech meet was also cancelled. When I snapchatted my "Kiddos" group that I was staying home after all, here's how they responded:
Friday night, the family was all home (except for the sleepover party kid) and we had great discussion about friendships and choosing friends who make you feel good about yourself. We whipped out a batch of fresh chocolate chip cookies lickety-split that, for once, were not meant for a volunteer function, but for us.We watched A Cinderella Story and then us old folks (i.e. the parents) pulled out our CD movie collection from the early days in our marriage when we were still living in Czech Republic. The WAKWIR shined as he figured out which device could: a) play the old CDs from 2002 and b) connect to our smart TV to c) utilize the TV's sound system. 4 gold stars for this kid. We watched A Knight's Tale, not even minding the grainy texture of the bootlegged film, laughing at the jokes, the Oldest enjoying the comedy as much as we did, until the movie stopped and "The data on this file is corrupted" message replaced Heath Ledger getting ready to joust while his sweetheart, Lady Jocelyn, looked on.
Saturday, March 14th - With no place to be, I wrote. Lots. In my journal, on my business plan, emails, my novel. This blog post. The removal of a sense of urgency actually sparked a surge of optimistic energy. The house was quiet. When kids eventually roused from their beds, The Oldest did some 3-D printing. When I asked her what it was she said, "A cool thing."
After some coaxing, the Second Grader finally pulled out her sticker-by-numbers sticker book (think color-by-number but with stickers instead) she got for her birthday and I haven't seen her since. The WAKWIR completed a level of Geometry Dash after 597 attempts - then decided to put away the Geometry Dash for the rest of the day. Dad went out outside to cut wood and the Toddler is making the rounds, checking in with all of us.Sunday, March 15th - Mass as scheduled, just no touching and plenty of dispensations dispersed for folks who choose to attend mass virtually. The chalice stayed in the sacristan cupboard, but the Eucharist was still available.
By 10:00 am, Gov. Tim Walz announced schools would be closed starting Wednesday. Church school was cancelled. The kids rejoiced. Toastmasters speech contests were postponed, meetings will go online. The kids asked to go to friends' houses and I launched into a pandemic speech which the Oldest recorded and shared with her friends on SnapChat.
By 8:30 pm WAKWIR came to me and asked to use my computer so he could finally start his homework assignment for Geography. Due the next day, of course. That school closure plan was two days too late.
Monday, March 16th - We all woke up late, individually believing that if we all wished for a school closing, it would happen. A friend sends me a timely article: Writing in a time of anxiety.
Tuesday meeting cancelled. Piano lessons cancelled. Sports practice cancelled. Robotics cancelled. Toastmasters cancelled, although my Winnipeg club met virtually Brady Bunch style and I won the International Speech contest!
Tuesday, March 17th - Happy St. Patrick's Day! Toastmasters speech contest season cancelled, making my big win symbolic rather than official. (I'll take it.) Kids came home ready to have 3 days of vacation. "Because you know, Mommy, NEXT WEEK is when the online learning starts."
Penance service at church is cancelled. All Catholic masses in the Diocese of Crookston are cancelled.
We make a plan for Wednesday.
Wednesday, March 18th - Plan put into effect. There was a general feeling of joy and buoyancy in our house.
The Second Oldest delighted me by cleaning the kitchen and his room all while managing the littles so I can get work done. It also smells nice in the house because this is my kid who loves lighting candles after a good housecleaning. After the domestic duties done, he pulled out his drone and flew it outdoors. (Then fried the lithium battery while charging it that night. I TOLD everyone something was burning and it was NOT the dinner.)
The Oldest pulled out her bracelet-making loom and made a few bracelets for the littles. She checked out an actual book from the public library. The library closed.
We initiated the Kitchen Dance Party and sang the Frozen 2 hit, Lost in the Woods, with carrot microphones. We started riffing on tunes, making up our own lyrics. When, the Oldest said, "You're shirking your duties." I answered, "Shirk your duties! Shirk, shirk, shirk, shirk, shirk, shirk - Shirk your duties!" (And hopefully you guessed the original tune, Shake Your Booty.)
I encouraged the better rhymers in the family to carry on and make some Weird Al Yankovic-inspired lyrics for the song, which prompted them to make me watch Weird Al's video for Albuquerque.
And we started a new tradition: Cheese and "Wine" Hour - a 4:00 p.m. gathering of snacks and refreshments, a la Happy Hour style. The Toddler held up his cracker and "wine" doing his own version of the Eucharistic blessing.
Thursday, March 19th - The novelty of staying home on a school day lasts exactly one day. We all sleep in. No plan. I show up to my Zoom meeting in my pajamas. So do my counterparts. (There was no memo.) Productivity tanks. The family is collectively crabby and it feels like the morning after a great party, but not like elated; more like hungover. Thank goodness for Cheese & "Wine" hour.
It dawns on my why the Second Oldest is being so cooperative. He hopes to go to his friend's cabin this weekend. In the meantime, my phone is pinging regularly with the updates on the increasing numbers of infections and deaths. I would love to say yes to my son's weekend wish. But, at this point, I'm thinking it's just not going to happen.
I dub this period of quarantine, "The Great Hunkering Down."
I catch the tail end of the Indigo Girls on FB Live - their response to cancelled concerts and a way of connecting with fans from their living room. Their newest album, Look Long, is set to release on May 22, 2020.
Kitchen Dance Party evolves into Kitchen Karaoke and the day is spent listening to Power Tracks from Taylor Swift and other powerhouse ladies.
Friday, March 20th - I'm up, showered, and dressed like I'm going to the office. The kids are up, surprisingly before 10am, as well, and all have respectively settled into their tasks and activities for the day. There is peace and an airy feeling of TGIF even though I anticipate the following days to blur one into the other, indistinguishable.
The Second Oldest got his drone back up and running, using his phone as a replacement for the now toasted (literally) remote device.
At a quarter to eleven, the Oldest comes into my office and asks, "Are you ready for me to invade your space today?" (She's working on a new box.)
Which reminded me to ask the WAKWIR to post his own version of "The Great Hunkering Down" adventures. He said yes. And I'm sure he'll do it. What else is he gonna do?
Lost in the Woods is now our official Corona-quarantine family theme song. Good thing it's almost time for Cheese and "Wine" hour!
Stay healthy, stay home, and stay tuned!
Kim
Penance service at church is cancelled. All Catholic masses in the Diocese of Crookston are cancelled.
We make a plan for Wednesday.
Wednesday, March 18th - Plan put into effect. There was a general feeling of joy and buoyancy in our house.
The Second Oldest delighted me by cleaning the kitchen and his room all while managing the littles so I can get work done. It also smells nice in the house because this is my kid who loves lighting candles after a good housecleaning. After the domestic duties done, he pulled out his drone and flew it outdoors. (Then fried the lithium battery while charging it that night. I TOLD everyone something was burning and it was NOT the dinner.)
The Oldest pulled out her bracelet-making loom and made a few bracelets for the littles. She checked out an actual book from the public library. The library closed.
We initiated the Kitchen Dance Party and sang the Frozen 2 hit, Lost in the Woods, with carrot microphones. We started riffing on tunes, making up our own lyrics. When, the Oldest said, "You're shirking your duties." I answered, "Shirk your duties! Shirk, shirk, shirk, shirk, shirk, shirk - Shirk your duties!" (And hopefully you guessed the original tune, Shake Your Booty.)
I encouraged the better rhymers in the family to carry on and make some Weird Al Yankovic-inspired lyrics for the song, which prompted them to make me watch Weird Al's video for Albuquerque.
And we started a new tradition: Cheese and "Wine" Hour - a 4:00 p.m. gathering of snacks and refreshments, a la Happy Hour style. The Toddler held up his cracker and "wine" doing his own version of the Eucharistic blessing.
Thursday, March 19th - The novelty of staying home on a school day lasts exactly one day. We all sleep in. No plan. I show up to my Zoom meeting in my pajamas. So do my counterparts. (There was no memo.) Productivity tanks. The family is collectively crabby and it feels like the morning after a great party, but not like elated; more like hungover. Thank goodness for Cheese & "Wine" hour.
It dawns on my why the Second Oldest is being so cooperative. He hopes to go to his friend's cabin this weekend. In the meantime, my phone is pinging regularly with the updates on the increasing numbers of infections and deaths. I would love to say yes to my son's weekend wish. But, at this point, I'm thinking it's just not going to happen.
I dub this period of quarantine, "The Great Hunkering Down."
I catch the tail end of the Indigo Girls on FB Live - their response to cancelled concerts and a way of connecting with fans from their living room. Their newest album, Look Long, is set to release on May 22, 2020.
Kitchen Dance Party evolves into Kitchen Karaoke and the day is spent listening to Power Tracks from Taylor Swift and other powerhouse ladies.
Friday, March 20th - I'm up, showered, and dressed like I'm going to the office. The kids are up, surprisingly before 10am, as well, and all have respectively settled into their tasks and activities for the day. There is peace and an airy feeling of TGIF even though I anticipate the following days to blur one into the other, indistinguishable.
The Second Oldest got his drone back up and running, using his phone as a replacement for the now toasted (literally) remote device.
At a quarter to eleven, the Oldest comes into my office and asks, "Are you ready for me to invade your space today?" (She's working on a new box.)
Which reminded me to ask the WAKWIR to post his own version of "The Great Hunkering Down" adventures. He said yes. And I'm sure he'll do it. What else is he gonna do?
Lost in the Woods is now our official Corona-quarantine family theme song. Good thing it's almost time for Cheese and "Wine" hour!
Stay healthy, stay home, and stay tuned!
On This Day
Historic Highlights (credits)
2006 - Jack Dorsey sends the world's first Twitter message, or tweet
The microblogging service revolutionized the communication and social networking landscape. In 2012, about 340 million tweets were posted per day.
1985 - South African Police kill at least 21 black people commemorating a similar mass shooting 25 years before
The Sharpeville massacre in 1985 had left 69 unarmed people dead. It was a turning-point in the history of South Africa.
1970 - Earth Day is celebrated for the first time
The first edition was limited to some cities in the United States. Today, Earth Day is observed by about 1 billion people around the world.
1952 - The world's first rock and roll concert is held in Cleveland, Ohio
DJ Alan Freed presented the concert, which was closed down after only one song because of over-crowding.
1943 - A plot to assassinate Adolf Hitler by suicide bomb fails
German Wehrmacht officer, Rudolf von Gersdorff, failed to blow up the dictator but managed to defuse his bombs just before they went off and avoid suspicion.
The microblogging service revolutionized the communication and social networking landscape. In 2012, about 340 million tweets were posted per day.
1985 - South African Police kill at least 21 black people commemorating a similar mass shooting 25 years before
The Sharpeville massacre in 1985 had left 69 unarmed people dead. It was a turning-point in the history of South Africa.
1970 - Earth Day is celebrated for the first time
The first edition was limited to some cities in the United States. Today, Earth Day is observed by about 1 billion people around the world.
1952 - The world's first rock and roll concert is held in Cleveland, Ohio
DJ Alan Freed presented the concert, which was closed down after only one song because of over-crowding.
1943 - A plot to assassinate Adolf Hitler by suicide bomb fails
German Wehrmacht officer, Rudolf von Gersdorff, failed to blow up the dictator but managed to defuse his bombs just before they went off and avoid suspicion.
Happy Birthday to You!🎶
1980 - Ronaldinho, Brazilian footballer
1978 - Rani Mukerji, Indian actress
1960 - Ayrton Senna, Brazilian race car driver
1940 - Solomon Burke, American singer-songwriter
1806 - Benito Juárez, Mexican lawyer, politician, 25th President of Mexico
1978 - Rani Mukerji, Indian actress
1960 - Ayrton Senna, Brazilian race car driver
1940 - Solomon Burke, American singer-songwriter
1806 - Benito Juárez, Mexican lawyer, politician, 25th President of Mexico
Remembering You
2013 - Chinua Achebe, Nigerian author, poet, academic
2008 - Klaus Dinger, German guitarist, songwriter
1843 - Guadalupe Victoria, Mexican politician, 1st President of Mexico
1656 - James Ussher, Irish archbishop
1556 - Thomas Cranmer, English Archbishop of Canterbury
2008 - Klaus Dinger, German guitarist, songwriter
1843 - Guadalupe Victoria, Mexican politician, 1st President of Mexico
1656 - James Ussher, Irish archbishop
1556 - Thomas Cranmer, English Archbishop of Canterbury
Have some cheese and wine with your loved ones and make it a great Saturday!
Kim
ReplyDeleteThis could be the new routine for awhile.