Surreal reality and fishes

I mentioned that Evelyn has been a little under the weather.  She had a low grade fever, and developed a rash.  She has a well child check up on Thursday, but they have now put all well patients in the morning and all sick patients in the afternoon.  Madison wasn’t sure if they would still want to see her in the morning, and she was sort of thinking that the rash might be strep, and maybe they should see her today rather than Thursday.  The pediatric office sort of freaked out. They told Madison they wouldn’t even talk to her unless she called the Covid 19 hotline and got their feedback.  Madison spent 45 minutes on the phone with them, describing the symptoms.  They told her these are not Covid 19 symptoms, and she did not need a test.  Madison then called the pediatric office and they said they would not see the baby unless we went to this drive through clinic and had Evelyn tested for Covid 19.  Madison was scared.  I drove them up.  I know that the pediatric office was being abundantly cautious, but if the hotline said it isn’t the right symptoms, I wasn’t sure why we needed to do an invasive test on a baby.  We arrived at the drive through clinic.  It was pretty crowded.  It reminded me of the scene in the movie ET where they discover the alien and set up the tents and everyone is wearing space suits. It was surreal.  The clinic people were very nice.  They gave Evie a pretty thorough check up (as thorough as you can be in a vehicle). They said she doesn’t have Covid 19 symptoms, and they ran a strep screen on her right there in the parking lot of the north Topeka express care.  They were set up to do flu screenings as well.  Her strep screen was negative, and they said she has roseola.  Luckily that is not a huge deal, and she will be just fine as soon as the rash clears up.  Still a scary, humbling experience.  The reality of the situation is terrifying.  I think I was further frustrated when driving and noticing how much traffic there is.  Also seeing how full the stores we drove past were.  I don’t think people here are taking this seriously yet.  

The girls have been asking if they could get some fish.  Jim told them he actually missed our old aquarium.   We did the Walmart curbside pickup.  I didn’t have to get out of the car except to open the trunk.  I was able to get all the stuff we needed except the fish.  Pet stores are considered essential.  Maybe after what I said about people not taking the stay home orders seriously, I am a bit of a hypocrite, but I did stop off and grab some fish.   The pet store was completely empty of people and they were sanitizing.  I am carrying Lysol and hand sanitizer in the car now. Anyway the happiness that the kids had over some simple fish sure made me feel like it was worth a small risk.  We won’t be going back to town now for at least 2 weeks.  And I might add that I may never do anything other than curbside pick up from now on.  I love this!   

The cats love the fish too.  Both stood on their hind legs watching for the longest time.  We also had a good chemistry lesson about balancing pH levels and learning  about what type of fish you have, and what level the tank needs to be for them.  Preston has accused me of bringing home pets because I am feeling like an empty nester.  Tonight he told me he was sorry he said negative things about the fish, because he found them incredibly relaxing.  I remember asking for an aquarium for my 10th birthday. I was lucky enough to have one of those mothers who always thought our ideas were worth trying.   I had a tank for the next probably 30 years.  When we were selling our house a few years back, I gave my tank away.  I was almost immediately sorry and have missed it.  Jim missed it too.  I have a lot of hours logged late at night rocking babies and watching the fish swim.   I am happy to have a tank again, although I am hoping to keep my fish watching to daylight hours!  

Old school

Back in the day before I had kids, before our lives became a weird mixture of chaos caused by sports, 4-H, school activities and,  well life, I used to be a meticulous person.  Cabinets contained all the right things sorted on the right shelves.  Sort of.  Well, anyway it was neater than it has been currently.  Between life, and a mixture of households, things had gotten a wee bit out of control.  Preston and Quincy worked yesterday at the vineyard pruning grape vines.  They practiced social distancing (staying 2 rows apart from the owners) and were outside, so we allowed it.  Jim had a couple of work issues he had to take care of.  That left Saige, Harper and me to entertain ourselves.  These 2 worked really hard.  We got roughly half of the cabinets cleaned out and organized.  We will do the rest this week sometime.  We can’t work continually right?   

The kids have been walking down to the creek below our house.  It’s a good walk and they seem to need to be outside as much as humanly possible.  

On top of our cleaning and walking, we have also taken the time to do some old fashioned things that I loved growing up.  Puppet shows, pinwheel making, fortune tellers, dressing up chickens, visiting on the phone, watching strange television shows and enjoying more free time.  I often say I love our chaos, but I also love hanging out with these goobers.  

Evie has been under the weather.   I hope it is just teething.  We miss this little family.   

Tomorrow is the official start of online school for the kids.  We have been working on stuff already, and I have of course created some of our own projects, it should be an interesting week as we dive into a new batch of schooling projects.  I am praying for patience and guidance.   

Friday fun

Overall, we are not struggling much with social distancing and staying home.  There are things about the stay home order that make the kids sad though.  Not the things I hear other people are struggling with. I have friends who say their kids are missing friends, wanting to go play basketball at the park and a lot of other things. My kids are sad about not being able to get a Casey’s slush.  They are sad that although drive-throughs are open, we aren’t taking them to get their Dairy Queen 6 buck boxes.  Now don’t get me wrong, nobody here has gone without food, they just like what they like.   Yesterday I convinced them that we could make a decent slush at home.  Unlike the frozen soda at Casey’s, we used frozen fruit and some milk.  You know, healthier stuff.  They did not believe me, but were very happy when we were finished.  Quincy told me it would do for now. Harper told me it was better than she expected.   They have little faith in my culinary skills.   Even Saige drank a slush - which I count as a huge win because the girl doesn’t eat enough fruit or vegetables.  We also tried our hand at egg drop soup.  This was an epic fail, and Jim did end up bringing home cheese pizza from Casey’s. (Lent pizza problems).  Everyone is happy if you get Casey’s anything I guess.  

Everyone is happy when daddy gets home from work!   

One thing I was talking to the kids about - they should be thankful that this pandemic happened during a time in history with this much technology.  The internet is filled with places giving free virtual tours right now.  They can text friends.  They can FaceTime with friends.  They are not isolated the way we would have been if this had happened when I was a kid.  They are using zoom to connect with their classrooms. It is amazing.  And I love FaceTime the most.  I have been able to see and talk to the big boys, who are not close.  I text them frequently and we FaceTime as we have time.  It is not the same as having them here, but it is nice to see their faces.  I also used FaceTime to see my buddy!   She spent this week with her grandma Rachel.   We had made these arrangements several weeks ago.  Jim was supposed to be at a conference this week, which got cancelled.  Grandma Rachel still wanted to keep Evie though, so we haven’t gotten to see her since Monday.  I can’t wait until next week when I can watch her again!  I missed her.  

Local history and thankfulness

Yesterday was a hard day.  My brother had a 7-8 hour open heart surgery.  Because of the hospital policies, and the Covid-19 outbreak, we are not allowed at the hospital.  Had this been any other time in history, we all would have crowded the waiting room, supporting each other and being together.  Instead, we all waited at home.  If you know me at all, you know that you can ask me to do just about anything and I will try.  But wait?  Nope.  I do not wait well at all.  The kids and I did pray for Eric, and we did have a couple of people at the hospital giving us updates, which we were thankful for.  My brother has a genetic condition in which he had 2 heart valves where you would normally have 3.  We do not know how he got to be into his mid-40's without ever noticing this, but until he hit the mud face down a few weeks ago, nobody knew.  He now has a brand new onx valve that will hopefully last him the rest of his life.  The surgery was long, scary and lifesaving.  I am told that he is up sitting in a chair, waiting for breakfast, with only some minor discomfort.  I have no doubt that he will have a long recovery, but I am thankful that he gets the chance. 
Less importantly, we were also very thankful to see the propane delivery people yesterday.  We ran out of propane on Monday.  Luckily, it has not been cold, so the furnace was not an issue, but we had no hot water either.  This is a very big deal considering that the children are all home, it has not stopped raining, and we are constantly muddy.  I was so happy to see the truck yesterday!  Instant hot water, I love you!  I have been boiling water for baths and dishes.  I know it is not a first world problem, but I am spoiled!  

Yesterday was the day our county decided to put out a stay at home order.  I am not sure exactly what the differences are, considering they have been begging people to stay home already, and nothing new is closing.  We are still allowed to go to the grocery store, allowed to get pet food, allowed to go to work if you are essential, allowed to buy gas.  The only major difference I see is that they are telling people not to use playground equipment.  Jim and I both work jobs that are considered infrastructure.  I am thankful that we are being allowed to continue to work.  I think that there are many people who will suffer economically as a result of this  pandemic.  I do feel like the steps they are taking are for the greater good however.  I am limiting myself to 10-15 minutes a day of news coverage, as seeing the numbers is enough for me.  I continue to try hard to be honest with the kids, but shield them from some of it too, because I am trying to make our house a place of safety and comfort.  I like the idea of having a place to decompress, and if you can't do that at home, you won't do it at all. 

And with everything going on, we watched our 10 minutes of news and we said our prayers for Uncle Eric, and then we loaded up and did a little driving around to learn some local history.  Yesterday, we looked up information on Twin Mounds, Kansas.  We live on the back side of the mounds.  We can see them from our deck.  We learned that there had once been a town there, including a post office.  The only thing left of the town is the one room school house, and the cemetery.  We were able to locate the grave of the town's founder, Henry Hyatt.  Mr. Hyatt at one time wanted to start a university at Twin Mounds, however that plan was abandoned when a university was built instead in nearby Lawrence.  I think we can all say that we enjoyed this little bit of local history.  I actually love this sort of thing.  The kids were all just happy to get away for a little bit.  I let the dogs go along....this was the first time I allowed them into my new car.  They love to go, and I have felt bad for them, because every time we go they stand by the door of the car wanting to ride along.  I know they will get dirt and hair on the new seats, but is life really worth living if you can't take the dogs for a ride now and then? 

One thing about this pandemic that I am enjoying is watching the kids all hanging out together.  Last evening, they spent over 2 hours working on fixing bike tires, teaching Saige how to ride a bike, and biking around together.  Ollie had to stay inside with me though, because he likes to grab the bike tires with his teeth when they ride by.  I guess that is annoying?  Ollie and I made a carrot cake while they were out biking around. 

Some of the projects we have going on right now are starting to take off.  Saige was relieved that some of the stuff she planted has finally sprouted.  We still have a few cups that haven't taken off yet, but I am hopeful that they will in a couple more days.  Quincy has duck eggs incubating,.  She is good at remembering to turn them and add water to keep the humidity up.  I am not good at reminding her, so I am glad she has taken the responsibility of it.   The baby chickens and ducks are huge!  Sprouting feathers and stinking up the garage.  We will be figuring out a relocation for them very soon!  I am thankful for the things we can do together as a family.  

No boredom here

We are noticing that Frankie is excessively crabby and seems to be molting.  After talking with a friend who raises parrots, we learned that this is mating season.  Frankie might need a girlfriend.  He’s not getting one because one parrot is plenty.  This bird is so smart, so funny, and so loud.  When we are all home, he doesn’t understand why he can’t be the center of attention!  The good news is that he’s cute, so we guess he can stay.  

Yesterday while Quincy and Harper baked a Texas sheet cake, Saige made salt dough.  We baked and painted some snakes, turtles and a few other creations.  The girls liked this a lot.  Preston was busy playing games online and couldn’t be bothered with art time. 

Today was pick up day for the kid’s chrome books.  Whereas we have a home computer,  we probably would have been ok, but I thought trying to do online school with 4 kids and one computer seemed like a combination for disaster.  So the girls and I ran to all the schools and picked these up.  They were all relieved that  they got back their own devices, passwords were the same, work they had been saving was still there.  Pictures of their friends still saved. It gave them a huge sense of happiness and peace.  A component I hadn’t really thought about.   School officially starts back up on Monday.  I began getting the instructions yesterday, and I admit to it being a little bit overwhelming.  It was just so much information. So many things all at once.  I have now waded through most of it, the kids were very well trained on how to use most of it already.  I thought I was up to speed on the things my kids are doing at school.  I thought wrong.  Their computer use goes much deeper than I realized.  This is an eye opener for sure.  

It is beautiful today.  The neighbor was generous enough to let us go fishing in their pond.  It was fun for the girls, and they were happy that they all caught some fish.  Preston is working at the car wash.  He does this occasionally.  He is outside. He is wearing gloves and practicing his social distancing!   I say any day spent outside in the sunshine is a good day!  We are finishing out the day grilling some dinner and enjoying having the windows open!    

New week - new ideas

We might be watching too much of the news.  Saige made her own mask and wore it around the house most of the day yesterday.  I felt unmotivated.  I have, on occasion, tossed around home school.  We have, on numerous occasions discussed private school options.  I love the idea of my kids getting more out of school than what is offered at public schools.  I have wondered what would happen if they were submersed in a curriculum that taught them history, foreign languages, and maybe found art and music to be more important.  But the truth is, I like our public schools.  My kids have really thrived there.  They have friends, great teachers who genuinely love their students, and have been given a lot of extras like sports and music that have brought great joy into our lives.  We are overall very happy with our kid's school.  I figure if I want my kids to learn certain things, we can do that on our own time.  We have tried really hard to do stuff together as a family.  I think all of them would tell you I have forced them to go to more museums, craft shows, and classes than they would care to admit.  That being said, I don't really want to home school our kids.  I want our house to be a place of safety, a place of fun, a place that they come to unwind and decompress at the end of the day.  Hell, I want that for myself as well.  And so, as we are faced with the reality that we don't have a choice but to finish out this year homeschooling our children, I am trying to find a balance between fun, education, necessity, and not making this time into some sort of a living nightmare for these little people, who I love so very much.  And I admit that yesterday, I felt overwhelmed, and unmotivated.  We skipped out on doing educational things.  We skipped out on having any real sense of order in the day.  We had to go to get dog food, and I picked up a few craft supplies because we genuinely enjoy doing crafts together.  Nobody complained.  Nobody really even noticed as far as I could tell.  We cooked together.  We laughed at some random stuff Preston thinks is hilarious, and we had a nice day of basic nothingness.  I won't apologize, and I won't say we won' t have any more unproductive days.  We are in strange times, and I am winging this junk. 

The older girls and I made lasagna, and Saige made beer bread.  She refused to even try the bread, because she is too young to drink.  She was worried first that she would get drunk, and then worried she would be arrested.  She has too many older siblings. 

Saige spent an unnatural amount of time trying to build an obstacle course out of dominoes. 

Preston "groomed" our dogs.  They love to be brushed.  Ollie has been getting into the trees a lot and has a lot of junk caught up in his fur.  Scissors are needed.  The photo quality is terrible, but I think the dog smiling is hilarious.  I was not amused with the dogs tracking mud all over the carpet I just cleaned though.  Stupid mud. 

I also noticed that our cat Jewwy has the longest fur growing out the bottom of his feet.  Seriously it is like an inch long.  Nothing says I am a lazy, worthless cat more than that!  He is no mouse cat - he is too lazy to even catch a cold.  :)  I am thankful for him though, another distraction from the news.