What a different world we are living in right now. A new virus, called Coronavirus, or COVID-19, has reached the United States from China and Europe. Iowa’s first case was 3/8/2020. Our Spring break started 3/13 and we have not returned to school since then.
Our lives have been turned upside down. Initially Justin and I were still going to work, taking turns taking care of the kids. 2-3 weeks after this started, Justin’s company has required everyone to work from home. We expedited doing telehealth in my dialysis clinics so I spend part of my day doing that from home, but have still been going into clinic to see patients in the office. We are thankful to have our jobs still. Many people have lost their jobs or are furloughed.
Gradually things around us started to close: Restaurants and bars closed, then libraries and other non-essential stores and most recently all parks. We are supposed to stay home except for essential errands, (i.e. getting groceries, medication or other essential needs). I typically try to do these errands when I am going to and from the office. It is recommended that we wear a mask or face covering when out in public and stay 6 feet away from other people. Grocery stores have labels on the floor telling you which way to go up and down each aisle and how far back to stand from the check outline. Clear, plastic shields protect you from the individual checking you out. It is so eerie walking around the store, seeing masks on everyone, not able to see anyone’s facial expression.
The kids think this is just an extended spring break. Parents have become teachers, lunch ladies, cleaning ladies, and are also trying to juggle their careers at the same time. It is exhausting. Most days we are grateful just to get through the day.
We are trying to educate the kids are much as we can. Encouraging them to read daily and they have assignments online that their teachers send out each week. Weekly the kids have Zoom online meetings where they can see and visit with their teacher and classmates. We feel they are getting the short straw and are missing out on so much! Thank goodness for technology. Besides weekly meetings with their classmates, they are able to face time and keep in touch with friends, cousins and their grandmas! I think the grandmas have especially enjoyed this.
I had to cancel a conference in New Orleans, and our Schaack get together in Ames. We did make a trip to Madison before COVID-19 really exploded and spent a weekly quarantined with my brother and family. It was a really fun weekend and we kept all 6 kids entertained inside the house! Our vacation planned for early June to Myrtle Beach has been postponed to August now.
We have had to avoid all friends and family which has been so hard. We did a quarantine lunch with grandma a couple weekends ago which consisted of picking up Hickory Park to go and then eating on one side of her driveway while she sat on the other. We have tried to do this every 1-2 weeks with her. A week ago we got creative and did a family face time call with grandma and my brother and family. We played Catch Phrase, with me holding up the clues to the camera and if it wasn’t your turn to describe the clue, you had to shut your eyes. For May Day we did have a few families over for s’mores. It was expected to be a staggered event with families coming at varying times to avoid all being together. Of course it ended up being 5 families hanging out, the adults having cocktails, the kids playing together and for a moment it seemed that everything was back to normal. We really needed this for our sanity.
We are in the middle of the 8th week of this new world. Last week 77 counties in Iowa had some restrictions lifted: Restaurants, gyms and libraries can open in these counties but the number of patrons in these places will be limited. This does not include Polk County. More than 1.2 million people in the US have been infected with Coronavirus and over 73,000 people have died. The death toll in Iowa is a little over 200.
Unfortunately until a vaccine is developed and available, our concerns about Coronavirus may continue. It is predicted this virus will not go away and may become an annual concern very much like influenza. School will not resume this spring. We are unsure if kids will return to school in August. Our spring was supposed to be busy. 6 sports, preparing for a dance recital, weekends full of soccer and softball tournaments. I miss all of it. I miss the busyness. I miss watching my kids do what they love. I miss watching them improve and learn. However, I have loved having this time with them. It has forced us to slow down. It has taught us to enjoy the little things, especially your family. It has demonstrated we need to be appreciative of what we have.
When this is over, we will ache to see and hug family and friends. We will busy ourselves scheduling to see those we have missed. Never will we take for granted the ability to jump in your vehicle and go somewhere, anywhere, just to get out of the house. We will remember when we couldn’t go to the mall to shop for new summer clothes.
I have no doubt that our current situation will impact us for years down the road and we will never, never, forget when we had to be quarantined because of the risk of COVID-19.
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