Coronacation

I started this week with grand notions of planning stimulating activities for the kids, but so far, this unexpected break mostly feels like vacation (or "coronacation," as some people are calling it).

Daddy (and Daniel) started the day with some electronically-assisted exercise.

Anna had a virtual meeting with her teacher and many of her classmates.

Joy practiced a new style of drawing.

Anna had a virtual play date with a friend.

The kids and I got takeout at Subway (partly to support our friend who owns it, and partly because we were desperate to get out of the house).

And I'm growing green onions, celery, and basil in our bay window.  It's fun to grow our own food, even if the yield isn't very big.

St. Patty's Day 2020

Coronavirus pandemic notwithstanding, today was still St. Patrick's Day, and we celebrated accordingly.

I fixed a corned beef dinner with roasted root veggies and scones.

The scones tasted great with the jam our friend Kristin gave us, made with black raspberries from her own garden.

For dessert we had shamrock peanut butter blossoms . . .

. . . then went hunting for (chocolate) leprechauns in our family room. :)

Home-Centered Church (and Piano Lessons)

Some things about this "school break" feel very familiar . . .

. . . like the kids playing made-up squishmallow games . . .

. . . and a few rounds of Checker Flick.

Other things feel very different, like virtual piano lessons (with a teacher who's still learning where to point her camera) . . .

. . . and having our church meeting at home yesterday.  Daddy assigned various family members to prepare talks, choose songs, and offer prayers.  He conducted the meeting, played the piano, and blessed and passed the sacrament to us.  I appreciated that Daddy got dressed up to bless the sacrament, and I'm grateful that he can perform that sacred ordinance for our family.  The kids had a little trouble being reverent during our little sacrament meeting, since it seemed weird to them to have church in our living room.  I think it might help in the future if we have them get dressed in Sunday clothes too.

Pi(e) and Donuts

Today is Pi(e) Day, and we had planned to celebrate by inviting friends over to enjoy some pie and games this evening.  Alas, given the current health concerns in our state, we thought it best to cancel and just eat pie as a family tonight.  Joy was particularly sad about that, since the party was her idea, but she found another way to have fun today.

When I came downstairs this morning, I found this (illustrated) note announcing that she and Daniel were taking a scooter ride to the donut store.

I peeked out the window just in time to see them put on their gloves and helmets . . .

. . . then take off down the driveway.  I wondered whether I should let them go, since more coronavirus cases are popping up in our state every day, and two of our neighbors think they may have contracted it.  My gut feeling is that it's still safe to go to the donut store in our town, but that window of time is rapidly closing.  I decided to let my kids make a donut-run memory while they still can.

Daniel was pretty worn out after his long scooter ride this morning, so he spent the rest of the afternoon reading while I made shepherd's pie for dinner.  Then we had raspberry pie for dessert, because I love Phillip, and he loves berry pie.

Happy Pi(e) Day!

And Then the Schools Closed

Other than a bit of anxiety and some empty shelves in the grocery store, life still seemed pretty normal yesterday.  Then we got a call after dinner, saying that our schools would be closed today as officials consider how to respond to the coronavirus threat.

At lunch time, the kids ate the lunches they had packed for school last night.  We may not need those lunch bags again for a few weeks (or months).  I also paid a visit to the library to check out a bunch of Joy's favorite books while I still could.  I don't know how long school will be closed, and I want to give my voracious reader at least a little more variety than what we already have on our shelves.  

Later in the afternoon, Anna suggested that we go to the park.  That seemed like a safe enough plan, since the park was practically deserted.  Todd rode his scooter around the sidewalk loop . . .

. . . while the big kids played with their toys for about three minutes.  Then rain came pelting down, and we all scrambled for shelter.  Sometimes it isn't a virus that throws a wrench in your plans.  Sometimes it's just good old-fashioned weather.

Daffodils and Bare Shelves

Today . . .

. . . there are daffodils on our table . . .

. . . and robins on our lawn, because spring is coming to our town soon.

There are also bare shelves in the pasta aisle . . .

. . . the soup aisle . . .

. . . and the dairy aisle, because the coronavirus is probably coming to our town soon too.  This week, the governor declared a state of emergency as the number of confirmed cases in Massachusetts jumped from a couple dozen to over a 100, most of them connected with the Biogen conference in Boston last month.  I'm so glad I stocked up on toilet paper last week; there's nothing on that aisle today except tumbleweeds.

No More Carrots for Joy

I know Joy doesn't LOOK excited . . .

. . . but trust me, she is.

Because she finally got braces today!  She's been asking for them for a while because she has an uncomfortable overbite.  She's looking forward to having that fixed, but she's going to miss eating carrots and apples for the next year or two.