...and then we stayed home

It's mid March and Covid 19 is spreading across the country. Many schools have closed, including ours.  Life has changed drastically and it's weird and scary and different. We began "online learning" at home after a week of the schools closing. Shortly after that, we were put under a "shelter in place" order.  We are supposed to stay home except for necessities like food, prescriptions, and medical visits.

Texas Instruments had strongly encouraged employees to work from home in the beginning but now it has became mandatory. Thankfully Markham can work from home. I am still teaching with VIPKid so after I am done teaching, I clear off my desk and he works all day in the office. Meanwhile, the kids get up, have breakfast, brush their teeth and launch Google Classroom from the kitchen table.

When that's all done, it's around noon. 

Life.....has slowed......way down. 

It's been a week since I drove the van. 

There 

is

nowhere

to 

go.

I always would say that life goes too fast. I wished I could hit the pause button sometimes. Be careful what you wish for I guess. While we are taking walks and bike rides around the block, other people are sick and dying and millions are out of work. It feels like a dark and twisty twilight zone.

We have quiet time.

We play games.

We cuddle the pups.

The kids connect with their classmates online.

The girls take their dance classes through Zoom.

Markham's birthday came and went without much fanfare except for a surprise box from Tiff's Treats. I had it delivered to the house. A pretty box with warm cookies and cold milk. It was left on the doorstep. We had cake and sang after dinner of course, but it was a far cry from the plans we had made. We were looking forward to dinner and a Dallas Stars game. I had also planned to join him in D.C. for a few days during a work conference. Both were cancelled. Serious bummer. We will make it up when this is all over.

They were delicious. Happy Birthday Mard. I love you.

****

Truth be told, I was freaking out about Covid since end of January when it broke out in China. Since our California trip was during the first week of February, my anxiety was already rising. According to the CDC, the incubation period can be as long as 2 weeks, all the while an infected person can be shredding the virus.  This information was a nightmare.  I was sure it was at Disneyland. I was kinda a mess and thought about canceling our trip but Markham reassured me that it was going to be OK.  I packed plenty of hand sanitizer and after each ride and before we ate anything I made the kids use it.

We got home and I was relieved. It wasn't for a couple more weeks that things got super crazy. Cruise ships were being quarantined all over because of infected passengers onboard. The NBA canceled the rest of the season after a player on the Utah Jazz was confirmed Covid positive. Then March Madness was cancelled. Disneyland closed. Schools closed, restaurant dining rooms were closing, open only for drive thru orders. 2020 Olympics postponed until 2021.

It has been insane and I still find myself doubting if it's even real. The stores are out of toilet paper and bottled water. The USA now has more cases than any other country. The stock market has been a rollercoaster ride of sharp drops and small climbs. The experts say it's going to get worse in the coming weeks. 

Our plan it to stay home and away from the grocery store. We are pretty stocked up. I had been buying extra supples for the last few weeks. Everyone told me I was panicking for no reason and being overly dramatic. I wish that were true.