Pandemic Summer Week 19

Pandemic Summer

Week 19

Day 126 – Sunday, July 19, 2020

I had a productive morning of laundry, vacuuming, and cleaning toilets.  So. Much. Fun.

Hannah went on a lake trip today with her boyfriend and his friend’s family.  She wasn’t sure which lake, but there was a boat.  I might get more information when she gets home.  It’s super hot and humid today, so a good day for the lake.  I told her to drink plenty of water and wear some sunscreen.

Leah was supposed to get her braces put on tomorrow morning, but I got a text from the orthodontist cancelling it.  They are closing the office again due to CDC recommendations for our county which has exponential growth of COVID.  Leah and Elijah have eye doctor appointments on Friday.  I wonder if they will be cancelled. Next week we have annual wellness visits with our family doctor and 6-month dental check-ups scheduled.  

I read an article today that said a South Korean study shows that kids 10+ spread coronavirus just as much as adults.  Another article I read last night stated that 85 infants in one Texas county tested positive.  How do we do school safely?

I’m grilling chicken tonight and corn on the cob tonight.  At 7pm, I’m going to mow the back and side yard.  

Day 127 – Monday, July 20, 2020

I ran out of gas mowing the lawn last night, but only the side yard is left.  I forgot to put the gas can in the car when I was out, so I still don’t have gas for the mower.  It rained and thunder stormed a bit, so all that were good reasons not to finish up tonight.  Also, I’m super tired because Hannah didn’t get home until late from her lake trip turned eat dinner at the house of a family who owns a Chinese restaurant…. Leah kept looking at the Life360 app to check on Hannah’s location and wouldn’t go to bed until she got home.  

I got up and went grocery shopping.  I did not get up and do aerobics as I had planned…. Walmart shoppers and employees were mostly good with masks.  I only saw one person blatantly not wearing a mask, but it did see several noses…. It’s better than nothing I suppose.

The orthodontist sent an email saying the office had been exposed to COVID, so they were closed for cleaning and testing.  The text they sent on Sunday was very vague.  They called and rescheduled Leah’s braces for tomorrow afternoon.  She’s glad to get it over with.

Elijah and Leah both needed new sneakers, so we went to Shoe Carnival and got two pairs of Nikes.  A nice lady handed me a $10 off coupon, so that was nice too.  

I took a trip to Daniel Wertz to drop off some items (like I tried to do on Friday).  The main hallway was freshly waxed, so I was unable to get to my office.  Every other classroom in the building was accessible, but not mine.  When I got home, one of our janitors sent me a message saying I could get in my room on Wednesday.  Clearly, he saw me walk all the way around the building (for a second time) looking for a way to my room, but I did not see him.

Leah spent the day checking the mail for her two Amazon packages that were due to arrive today, but they did not.  This pandemic has put a damper on Prime shipping.  We are so spoiled!

Day 128 – Tuesday, July 21, 2020

The day started off slowly.  The kids had a difficult time getting up at 9am.  Not much happened until 10:45 when I started making Leah her “last lunch” before braces.  She had grilled cheese and tomato soup (a meal she can have again in a few days for sure).  

The bug guy came at 11:45 to spray inside and out.  I didn’t give Leah and Elijah enough notice (multiple days) to get their rooms cleaned enough for spraying.  

A little before 1pm, Leah and I headed out the door to go to the orthodontist.  Once we got there, I called, talked to Rachel, the hygienist taking care of Leah.  Settled the bill (ouch), and actually got to walk inside the building to sign a few papers. 

Thankfully, I found the only patch of shade in the lot, where I sat in my air-conditioned car (it was 91 in the shade) and read for two hours.  Once Leah was finally done, she was super chatty.  She had no idea that it had taken so long, she thought it was maybe an hour.  On the way home, we stopped at Wendy’s (on the east side, since the one closest to our house closed) for her promised Frosty.  

When we got home lots of packages had arrived (finally), so Leah was happy.  

I attempted to grill burgers, but it must have sprinkled after I lit the charcoal because the coals did not progress.  So, I broiled them.  From 5-6:45 (Oliver watched the whole thing) I watched the EVSC school reopening plan podcast on FB Live.  I did learn a few things.  I read the plan this morning when it was sent to employees.  It was interesting to see a visual for how many active cases in the county would get the buildings shut back down.  We have to opt-in for busses.  Lunches will have fewer options and a reduced menu (kids will be handed a tray with everything, no/fewer choices).  We got to see some photos of what socially distances classrooms look like.  I probably need to re-watch the second half since I was making and eating dinner.  Dr Smith made it sound like teachers know all about the synchronous remote learning for kids quarantined… but I don’t know any teachers who do.  I have a 27-minute school safety PD video to watch.

Now that the district has it’s plan made public, the individual schools have to have theirs out by Friday.  I feel for the principals…. They haven’t had much guidance.  The trickle down to teachers has been minimal as well. Therapists? Well, we know nothing.  It’s a fun time all around.  But I’m not going to stress over it.  I will take it one day at a time, and do my best given what is available.  

Day 129 – Wednesday, July 22, 2020

I ran to Walmart at 7am to get some new-braces-friendly snacks for Leah.  I thought I was buying Cheetos puffcorn, but I got Cheetos popcorn which I didn’t even know existed.  I’ll try again.  The Gerber Puffs, or goo goo puffs as we affectionately call them, and they are a big hit.  

Later in the morning, I ran to school to (finally) drop off some stuff.  I saw one of my favorite 1^st grade teacher’s car in the lot, so I went to find her in her classroom.  She was attempting to find spots for all of the students’ desks six feet apart.  Thankfully, she has a small class, but it’s also a small classroom.  Previously, we had discussed me attempting to do “push in” speech/language therapy in her classroom where I would lead a small group.  No small groups this year.  Honestly, my job is not possible without small groups.

I came home for lunch and heated up some Stouffer’s frozen mac & cheese for Leah’s lunch.  She thought it was okay, but not as good as KFC…. 

Leah conned Libby’s mom into bringing Libby over to see the ducklings in our neighborhood pond and somehow got a DQ Blizzard too. 

We had chicken club quesadillas for dinner and Leah was able to eat one that was cut into one-inch squares, so she was happy.  She’s been happily chomping goo goo puffs all day, so she’s much happier than last night. She’s been a champ about brushing with her new Oral B electric toothbrush with Bluetooth (it tells you how well you brushed among other things) and flossing.  

Day 130 – Thursday, July 23, 2020

This morning I went to school for a few hours to organize a cabinet, so I have more room for cleaning supplies and talk to a few teachers.  My principal checked to make sure it was possible for me to be 6 feet away from a student in my tiny office by measuring it with his bow staff, which was awesome.  It is possible, so that’s something.  I found out that a couple of my special education students will be using Virtual Academy this year.  I will miss them, but it will lighten my load a bit (a tiny bit).  

Leah was able to each a grilled cheese cut into tiny squares.  I gave her toothpicks and she dipped them in tomato soup.  The eating thing is getting better for her.

After lunch, I made a quick run to Walmart for puff corn.  Guess what?  There was NONE to be found, of any brand.  Is the creation of puff corn somehow negatively affected by Pandemic?  Is that why Cheetos sells popcorn?  We need answers, lol.  I ended up getting a giant container of cheese balls since they are almost exactly the same thing (Leah disagrees, but she loves cheese balls too).

Then I did nothing but sit around and read for the rest of the afternoon and made spaghetti and meatballs for dinner (which Leah also ate).  

Day 131 – Friday, July 24, 2020

Today was an exercise in extreme patience, lol.  Elijah was driving me crazy this morning, nothing specific, but also everything.  I’m at the point when I want to start getting ready for the school year, but I’m not sure what needs to be done.  I did get some emails with professional development that needs to get done ASAP.  I probably should have gone to school for an hour or two this morning, but I didn’t.

Leah and Elijah had eye doctor appointments at 2:00 and 2:30 across town.  The eye doctor wants you there 30 minutes early to get paperwork filled out, get you through the pre-exam stuff, so the doctor can see you at your appointment time.  We left at 1:00, got there a few minutes before 1:30, waited for a bit, then started all the pre-exam stuff with Sean, who is way too smart to be a tech (he’s going to school to be an optometrist).  Sean talks way too fast and remembers everyone.  He’s my favorite!  After the exam, the kids go to the contact lens room and start trying to put contacts into their eyes.  For full disclosure, I went through this process when I was 24, and It took me 90 minutes to get that first lens in.  I would say that Leah got her first one in at about the 90-minute mark, and Elijah closer to the 2-hour mark.  We left at 5pm, and neither are rock stars yet.  I will probably have to take Elijah’s out tonight.  

On the way home, we did not hit one red light on the Lloyd and made it from the mall to our house (a mile north of USI) in 15 minutes.  It was amazing, lol.  We were all starving because Leah ate 4 chicken nuggets at 10am, and Elijah ate a couple of waffles in the morning and a protein bar in the car at 1pm…. I ordered pizza, and when it arrived, we devoured it!

Hannah bought a fish hat for the cats and made Oliver and Georgia model it, lol.  Georgia didn’t seem to mind, and we gave Oliver treats afterward.  What a day!

Day 132 – Saturday, July 25, 2020

Last night, my friend, Julie brought puffcorn to my house for Leah.  So nice!!  It was also nice to chat with her for a few minutes.

This morning, Elijah was able to put his contacts in with zero coaching or help in about 10 minutes!  I was shocked and amazed!!  He spent the morning volunteering at the Franklin Street Bazaar.  (Leah was unable to get her contacts in, and I couldn’t get them in either.  Too much squinting.)

After I brought Elijah home, the rest of us went to a birthday party for our favorite almost-5-year-old, Jacinda.  She had a dinosaur/Harry Potter theme pool party.  The girls were happy to get out and socialize with friends (J’s big sisters).  On the way home it poured raine from Epworth to Stockwell (about 2 miles apart), then it was sunny the rest of the way.

We had an easy dinner of pulled BBQ chicken sandwiches.  Then I mowed the lawn even though I kind of hoped that it would rain. 

Pandemic Summer Week 18

Pandemic Summer

Week 18

Day 119 – Sunday, July 12, 2020

When Elijah got home yesterday after working at the bazaar, he slept from 2-6pm when I woke him up for dinner.  He went to bed at 11pm and I woke him at 9am.  He’s not used to being outside or doing anything physical.  It’s been a long Pandemic.

We had grilled chicken and corn on the cob, my summertime favorite.  

My new contacts that I’m trialing are multifocal Air Optix.  They are extremely comfortable, easy to insert, though a little slipperier than I’m used to.  My far distance increased a tad, but I’m not sure about the near distance on these.  They don’t seem much different than having none.  I’ll give them a week, but I may ask to trial a pair of Ultra which I previously wore. 

I slept until 8am.  Remembered to get the kids up at 9:20. Elijah really wanted to get Subway sandwiches and there was $5 footlongs if you order from the app.  True, but not at the Subway we went to.  It was fine.  I like ordering from an app and picking it up from the drive thru.  

I need to pick up an Rx (drive thru!) today, and I need to vacuum.  I did take the vacuum out of the closet!  LOL.  I suppose I need to wash towels as well.  

Leah is sad that her birthday is during all this craziness, so I’ve dubbed it “Crappy Birthday”.  She will likely end up getting more “stuff” since we can’t do much of anything.  

Day 120 – Monday, July 13, 2020

Leah and I did some online shopping for her birthday last night.  Packages should start arriving in a few days, lol.

I started the day off by getting a COVID test.  I had to register to schedule an appointment, but if you cancel your appointment, you can just walk in and get a test.  Interesting arrangement, but that’s what I did.  It was not busy with just one person ahead of me and another walked in before I finished.  The people doing the tests were super nice and explained everything well.  Results will take 3-7 days.  It was the short swab test, not the super long one.  The powers that be are unsure of reliability for asymptomatic people, but are just as accurate as the long swab for those with symptoms. 

After that I picked up my groceries curbside, and headed home.  

I’m a terrible mother because I didn’t realize that Elijah had the same symptoms as Hannah and me.  I’m not sure if he didn’t tell me, or I just wasn’t paying attention.  Leah has no symptoms, but maybe that’s because she lost her sense of smell way back in March… Who knows?

Day 121 – Tuesday, July 14, 2020

I attempted a nap yesterday, and within five minutes I’d attracted Leah and two cats, lol.  I did doze a bit.  

I received a text in the late afternoon that sent me over the edge.  Just when you think your emotional resilience is up, there is proof against that!  After dinner, a hard cider, a phone call with a friend, and lots of messages to a group of close friends, and a chocolate ice cream cone I felt better.  Thank goodness for being able to socialize over distance! (and ice cream)

This morning the weather was so nice outside, I decided to eat breakfast on the deck.  The dew was extremely heavy, and I had to wring out the washcloth after the first pass of wiping off a section of the table and my chair. Seventy-five degrees with 75% humidity was very pleasant (the dew point was 66, and the temp had dipped to 63 overnight, causing the heavy dew).

I decided to start an Amazon wish list for the start of school.  I really hadn’t started to think about how I would need to do things differently… but there are a lot of things.  I’m going to attempt to have each students’ items in a labeled Ziplock bag, which will be kept in a filing system.  I will likely start the year with 80 students, over a third of which have autism and need to be seen individually.  It’s a lot to think about!  School starts in just over three weeks.  

Day 122 – Wednesday, July 15, 2020

We were supposed to grill burgers last night, but I opted for Chick-Fil-A sandwiches instead.  It could get dangerous having CFA so close! 

Leah wants an ice cream cake for her birthday tomorrow, strawberry cake with vanilla ice cream.  So, I put in a grocery order to pick up this morning with all the things plus the rest of the school supplies on Leah’s list.  

Leah and I made the cake, and I got it put together with ice cream layers a few hours later.  I finally used the spring form pan that I bought many years ago.  Tomorrow it will be topped with whipped cream, gummy candy, and 13 pink candles. 

Leah decided that she wanted to get a tray of subs from Penn Station East Coast Subs for her birthday dinner.  I got that ordered today.  They must not do that much catering business (at least not since March!) because the manager had to call me back with price since she couldn’t find the paperwork, lol.  I will pick that up tomorrow at 6pm along with a ½ gallon of lemonade.  

Leah’s first birthday package (that we ordered on Monday) arrived today.  She’s anxious for the rest to arrive.

Other than that, nothing is going on.  I will grill burgers tonight and probably read.  

Day 123 – Thursday, July 16, 2020

It’s official, I now have three teenagers.  Today is Leah’s 13^th birthday!  Pandemic Birthday!!!

Just before midnight, my phone alarmed for a Tornado Warning.  By the time I processed that, and got Hannah downstairs, the small tornado had already passed about a mile north of us.  No damage at our house, thankfully.  I did get to say “Happy Birthday” to Leah at midnight while both girls snuggled in my bed waiting for the Warning to expire.  

When I got up this morning, I got the ice cream cake out of the freezer, took off the springform part of the pan, and frosted it with whipped cream.  I got it back into the freezer ASAP.  I need to put the candles on and put it back in the freezer.  Leah will decorate it with gummy candy right before we serve it.  

My COVID test result came back negative.

I took the girls to JoAnn and Target, and I have to say that I think the Evansville Mask Mandate that went into effect yesterday seems to be good for business.  Lots of people shopping, and everyone was in a mask.  I only saw one nose sticking out.  I’m thinking that maybe people are feeling safer if everyone is wearing a mask.  

Leah’s friends put on a Surprise Birthday Parade and completely made her day.  She was pretty bummed out beforehand, so watching her light up was great.  Afterward she sorted through all the presents they left for her (lots and lots of Sour Patch Kids).

We picked up a platter of club sandwiches, fries, and lemonade for dinner.  It was an awesome birthday dinner!  After dinner she asked to play Apples to Apples and Life which we couldn’t refuse because she’s the birthday girl.  Then we got out the ice cream cake, which Leah quickly decorated.  We lit the candles, sang Happy Birthday, and cut the pieces.  It is a very tasty cake!  I would never have thought to put strawberry cake in an ice cream cake!  Next time, I will likely put it together a little differently.  

So, thanks to great friends Leah’s “Crappy Birthday” turned into an amazing birthday!  Yay!!

Day 124 – Friday, July 17, 2020

The started off at midnight when Leah woke me up to tell me that her birthday balloons that I had left on her door handle and gotten tangled in her ceiling fan.  I got a step ladder and cut them down.  That was unexpected.  Not too surprisingly, I had a hard time getting up this morning.  

After lunch we got ice cream at Milk & Sugar with a couple of Leah’s friends as her birthday “party”.  We sat on the shady (but still really hot) library lawn and ate the best ice cream in town.  I had peach which was amazing.

We had to get home in time for my 3:15 WebEx conference with the Daniel Wertz staff.  When I got on, my principal asked if I’d gotten the text that had just been sent by the district announcing the start of school date was being pushed back two weeks.  (I didn’t get the text for another hour).  So, our hour staff meeting lasted 15 minutes then we all went to watch the press conference on FB live to see what was going on.  

Our superintendent laid out all the plans the district has made to enable a safe start to school, then pushed it back to the community to do their part and “do the things they know they need to do”.  I do think our mask mandate will help decrease our number of cases, but if the bars don’t do their part it will be for nothing.  Don’t make Dr. Smith come and use his teacher voice with you!

The first half of the alphabet will go to school the first three days of school to learn procedures, the last half of the alphabet will go days 4-6.  Day 7, all students will be in the buildings at once.  I have to admit that I’m happy with that arrangement.  Likely days will be taken from our first semester breaks, so that we will only to school one week later than planned.  …until something else changes everything…

Day 125 – Saturday, July 18, 2020

We are wrapping up week 18 of Pandemic and week 8 of Pandemic Summer.  

Leah spent the night with Penny last night, and they got to swim twice and stay up past midnight doing whatever 13-year-old girls do.  Penny’s little sister, Jacinda is nearly 5, and she is a HUGE fan of Leah.  The 2-year-old identical twin girls, not so much.  They haven’t left the house in 4 months, and they don’t like strangers, lol.

Elijah volunteered at the Franklin Street Bazaar again (that will be weekly until the end of August), and he was pleased that his BFF Dawson was also volunteering this week.  It was hot, he got a little sunburned around the edges and he fell asleep as soon as he got home.  I think it was a good time.

Signature School sent out an email that school would start August 5^th, as planned.  Their board voted on it yesterday morning… EVSC made their announcement to delay yesterday afternoon.  Will Sig follow suit?  I think Sig can probably make it work safely better than the public schools, and I trust that they would make sure people wore masks inside.  We’ll see.  It will be a mess if our calendars are off by two weeks.

Tonight, I mowed the front yard and sprayed some weed killer around the edges.  It’s so hot and humid that I will mow the rest of the yard tomorrow evening, and do the edging (which is out of control) Monday.  I saw my first tick of the season, but it was on the floor after I changed, not on me.  I hate ticks.

Since we added two weeks to summer, Hannah and I will be able to go to the big thrift store (it will finally open in August), and I have more time to fit into my work pants, lol.  I’m getting back on track with diet and exercise!  Really, lol.

Pandemic Summer Week 17

Pandemic Summer

Week 17

Day 112 – Sunday, July 5, 2020

We had a fantastic 4^th of July here in OKC.  Our festivities started when my brother arrived in the late morning and organized a game of Nerf gun Capture the Chicken in the backyard.  The “A” Team was Leah, Elijah, Bailey, and Pete (who came to visit the kids); the “B” Team was Parker, Drew, Hannah, and myself.  The “B” Team was nearly unstoppable, though Leah did manage to capture the chicken (a blue rubber chicken dog toy) at least once out of a half dozen games.  

We had an amazing mid-day meal of cinnamon pork roast with apple chutney, roasted (mostly root) vegetables, broccoli slaw, and homemade yeast rolls.  My brother brought brownies for dessert and we had left over ice cream from the previous night’s dinner to go along with them.  

While we digested, we had a puzzle contest with 100-piece puzzles.  We picked our puzzle by lot, and some were definitely easier than others.  Parker won and I came in second, and we definitely drew the easiest of the puzzles.  Mom passed out prizes in reverse, so Leah who finished last got to choose the first prize.  

There was swimming, then snacks and a viewing of The Empire Strikes Back.  At that point fireworks had started in the neighborhood.  My parents’ newest neighbor set off an impressive number of expensive fireworks.  We got a nice show.  I didn’t hear any late-night fireworks, and I believe we all slept well.

This morning, Hannah and I got up a little later and decided not to swim yet.  

Day 113 – Monday, July 6, 2020

Yesterday, we did a few Clue themed activities.  The kids played Clue (I’m not the biggest fan) in the afternoon, and we watched the movie.  The 35-year-old movie that I originally saw in the theater (clearly, I’m old, lol).  It was slapstick funny, and I remember none of it.  Elijah loved it…

Mom made lasagna for our big mid-day meal, and it was pretty amazing.  I wish I could have eaten more, but I was stuffed!  She has a special serpentine lasagna pan that keeps the pieces neat while you cut it.  You can make a taller lasagna that way.  I’m all for taller lasagna!

There was much swimming and goofing off.

The temperature is a little cooler today (predicted high around 90).  My dad says it’s humid (55%), but it feels okay to me, lol.  

Day 114 – Tuesday, July 7, 2020

Yesterday, there were several games of Clue and Farkle.  Leah made chocolate chip cookies and they were amazing.  For lunch we had leftover grilled chicken breasts on sandwiches which were fantastic as well.  

EVSC had a podcast for employees and a FB Live event for the general public.  I think we received three bits of information.  1) school nurses will be FULL TIME; 2) an entire class will go into quarantine if there is a positive test, but not the whole school; 3) high schools will NOT have a block schedule, but will go back to a traditional schedule for the year.  

After dinner, Mom made fried ice cream.  The servings were gigantic, but delicious.  There was swimming after that, but several of us were too full for any sort of activity.  

This morning, we had a few rounds of Farkle after breakfast, and I’m sure there will be a few more. 

Tomorrow, we will head home.  I need to go put gas in my car today and pack everything up.  

Day 115 – Wednesday, July 8, 2020

The kids and I swam yesterday afternoon so our stuff would dry before we needed to pack it.  While I sprayed sunblock on my arms, I failed to rub it in and I got pink in a few places.  

I grilled the burgers for dinner, though my dad prepared the coals and my mom prepared the burgers.  I did the grilling.  That’s a good set up, lol.  We had strawberry cake to celebrate Leah’s birthday next week, and we watched the first episode of the Mandalorian because my dad and brother hadn’t seen it.

I slept poorly, but I still got up at 4am to pack up the car.  We headed out at 5:15, a few minutes earlier than planned.  The trip was more eventful than I care for…. In Tulsa, Hannah barfed.  I’m not sure if it was motion sickness since she’d had a horrible headache and stomachache for the past couple of days.  We stopped at a QT to get resettled.  It was a really nice QT in a really sketchy area.  I’d never seen a convenience store with its own security guard.  

In Vinita, where the giant McDonald’s straddles I-44, and small plane nearly landed on the interstate.  I can only assume there is an airfield there, but it was disconcerting.  We stopped in Joplin to get gas, go to the bathroom, and pass out breakfast snacks.  We had planned to stop in Rolla for lunch, but we weren’t hungry, so we just made a pit stop.  We ended up stopping in St Claire at McDonald’s.  Just down the road in St Louis, it started pouring, and once again I couldn’t see the road.  I got off the highway and stopped at a gas station for cover.  After it let up a bit, I filled up the tank and headed back to the highway.  We stopped at the rest area near Mt. Vernon, IL and we were the only people there.  That was weird.  We got to Evansville 11 hours and 15 minutes after leaving OKC, and it poured (and there was lightning and thunder) for the last 5 miles.

I’m done.  We are heading to the new Chick-Fil-A in a few minutes.  Unfortunately, Hannah doesn’t feel like eating just yet.  Poor girl.

Day 116 – Thursday, July 9, 2020

I slept until 7am and it was fantastic!  I managed to get ready, menu plan, make a grocery list, and get to Walmart by 9:00.  I estimate the mask wearing to be at 75% or better which included children.  That’s good because our county’s numbers are increasing quickly.

For the first time in a while, I was able to buy everything on my shopping list.  I’m sure it’s happened in the past 4 months, but that list didn’t include disinfectant wipes, and today’s did.  The toilet paper aisle is slowly filling back up.  

Hannah had a telehealth appointment today with her doctor.  I think we should all be using Google Meet, it was fantastic!  I think I’d be up for more telehealth appointments since it kept us from driving 20 miles round trip.  Some visits need to be in person, of course.  

Hannah and Elijah seem to have recovered from their headache & gastric distress, but the headache hit me around lunch time.  Advil + Excedrine is helping a lot.  I’m going to rest all afternoon.  

Assuming, I feel ok, I MUST mow the front lawn tonight.  It’s super tall.  I had planned on mowing it the night before we left, but it rained…. The backyard is crazy too, but it can wait another day since no one can see it. 

Day 117 – Friday, July 10, 2020

It’s Friday?  LOL!  

I grilled burgers for dinner last night, then mowed the front lawn.  It was crazy tall, thick, and lush.  I will do the backyard tonight, and the edging Saturday evening.  Then I can get back to a normal weekly schedule.

My headache came back before I went to bed, so I took some Advil before turning in.  I slept WELL, and I slept until nearly 7am.  No headache today!  Yay!!  I got the kids up at 9am, to try and get them on a reasonable schedule before we head back to school.

To lure Leah out of bed, I had promised a trip to Target to get some school supplies.  I had a few things to do on the way.  I mailed a couple of cards and dropped a few things off at my office at school, then we trekked to Target.  Leah has a difficult time making decisions and she had to 1) pick a backpack, 2) pick 2 spiral notebooks, 3) pick 3 composition notebooks, and 4) pick scissors.  It was exhausting.  We saw our friends Heather and Penny there as well.  We did not find any lanyards at Target (students will hang their masks on them when not wearing them), but I had previously seen them at Walmart.  So, we went to Walmart as well and got lanyards and the recommended calculator from Leah’s list.  

I’m going to add ear loops to some of the masks I made to replace the one long tie (the kids struggle with it…), and I thought strips of old t-shirts would be nice.  I recently cut sleeves out of an old gray t-shirt for yard work and kept the sleeves “for something”.  However, when I went to look for them, I must have thrown them out when I was cleaning up my room…. Oh well.

I just heard that one of my school BFFs took a new job.  I’m happy for her, but SAD for me.  

We (school employees) are starting to get tiny bits of information here and there.  It is going to be the WEIRDEDST school year ever…. 

Day 118 – Saturday, July 11, 2020

I think my headache is trying to return, and the “gastric distress” started yesterday.  Though I don’t actually feel bad at all. 

Elijah is volunteering at the Franklin Street Bazaar for his community service hours that his school requires.  He was there from 8:30-1:00 today.  He actually had a pretty good time, and got some BBQ out of it for lunch (I’m assuming Miller’s, but he wasn’t sure) and got a horchata to drink.  He’ll be there every Saturday through August.  

While Elijah volunteered, I had an eye doctor’s appointment.  The office is in the mall, and I had not been in the mall since…. well, before March.  About 50% of the crowd was wearing masks (that will change Wednesday, when the mask mandate goes into effect).  However, inside the eye doctor, there were ALL the precautions.  I’m trying out a new brand of multi-focal contacts since they didn’t have any trial pairs of the brand I’ve worn before.  They are extremely comfortable, but my brain is trying to figure them out.  

Elijah found a CRT TV for free that we were able to pick up on the way home.  No idea if it actually works, but it was bigger than he expected (25” when he was expecting 13”). I was a lot of fun to carry down some really steep steps (because who on the west side doesn’t live on a hill?).

I have some laundry to finish up, and I plan on grilling chicken and corn for dinner.  The corn selection was greatly improved this week, which makes me happy.

Here’s to wrapping up week 17 of Pandemic.

Pandemic Summer Week 16

Pandemic Summer

Week 16

Day 105 – Sunday, June 28, 2020

I did laundry and vacuuming yesterday (summer cat hair is just ridiculous). 

At 2pm, I took Elijah out for his first ever (with me) driving lesson.  In October, my cousin, Randy, let him drive a truck on some country roads and explained some of the basics.  Yesterday, we started out in a parking lot, the Burdette pool (it’s closed) parking lot.  He learned to start the car; turn on headlights; use windshield wipers (it started raining when we got there); putting the car into ‘park’, ‘drive’, and ‘reverse’; taking your foot off the break; the tiniest bit of using the gas pedal; driving in a square; and pulling into a parking space.  He’s driving Hannah’s vehicle, which doesn’t look that big out the outside, but is HUGE on the inside.  He did a really nice job but made enough mistakes that he realized just how little he knows.  On the way home he commented that he wasn’t sure how one ever got confident enough to drive on streets with traffic. The plan for vehicles, is just to pass them down.  I will get a new car, Hannah will inherit my car, Elijah will get Harold (Hannah’s car) because it’s an around-the-town vehicle not a drive-two-hours-home-from-college vehicle. 

Last night’s menu was supposed to be grilled pork tenderloin with grilled corn on the cob.  I got the charcoal started with no issues, but when I checked on it 30 minutes later, it just hadn’t gotten very far.  Then it started sprinkling, and there was no saving it.  So, I got out the deep fryer and fried chicken strips, mozzarella sticks, and tater tots.  It was on the opposite end of the healthy food spectrum from what I had planned, but it was delicious.  To Leah’s delight, I fried too much chicken, so there is cold, fried chicken in the fridge for lunch.  

I slept in and got NINE hours of sleep; I usually get about 6 ½.  Really loud thunder (and a cat who shall remain nameless) woke me up several times this morning, but I just kept going back to sleep.  It was fantastic!  When I did get up, it was pouring rain, but it seems to have tapered off now.  Looks like I should be able to grill tonight, so that’s positive.  

Day 106 – Monday, June 29, 2020

I grilled that pork tenderloin last night.  I should have used the stupid meat thermometer but didn’t.  I undercooked it, so I sliced it, and tossed it back on the grill in foil, and overcooked it… It was ok.  

This morning, I went grocery shopping at Walmart.  Well, it was more like snack shopping for our road trip to OKC on Wednesday.  We have some healthy options along with the normal junk.  I was proud of the west side Walmart this morning, because almost everyone was wearing a mask.  

At 9:00 I headed to Schnuck’s since I need to get an Rx and that’s when the pharmacy opens.  I’m sad that CVS is taking over the Schnuck’s pharmacy this week, which means prices will go up.  Since I was at Schnuck’s I grapes and apple slices for the trip along with individually bottled drinks for the kids.  Usually, on our road trips, I let the kids pick a drink and a snack when we stop for gas.  Those have been pre-purchased this time around.  I always use the self check-out, because I prefer it.  Today, the regular check-out line was long, and an older gentleman asked if I would help him use the self check-out.  He was amazed at how easy it was (he only had two items).  

Elijah thinks he has a cold, but I think it’s allergies.  He has watery eyes and a runny nose.  No fever, no cough, no sore throat, so hopefully the allergy medicine will help.  I’m going to blame Saharan dust.  Hannah had hives on her face yesterday, and that is also getting blamed on the dust! 

Day 107 – Tuesday, June 30, 2020

Last night’s dinner was a “what can I make with ground turkey and hamburger buns?” kind of meal.  We ended up having BBQ sloppy joes.  Last week I thawed the ground turkey because tacos were on the menu, but I forgot I had promised Leah they would be shredded CHICKEN tacos.  No idea why I had an entire extra package of hamburger buns…. I liked it, the kids ate it and didn’t complain, so that’s a “win” in my book.  

This morning, I took Georgia in for her annual vet appointment.  I do think the vet’s office needs to let people know of their new procedures before they arrive.  I was a little shocked when I called, that they would come pick Georgia up from the car.  It went very smoothly and was extremely efficient.  Once the vet examined her, he called and talked to me.  Then the office staff called to check out and get my payment information and let me know they had scheduled Georgia for next year.  Then Georgia was brought back out to the car.  The best news is that she has lost 6oz since last year.  I started her and Oliver on diet food almost a year ago.  She has a petite frame and isn’t very active.

We have a very rainy day in store for us, and I’m hoping that all the rain happens today, and tomorrow will be dry for our trek to Oklahoma.  Elijah wants to drive today, and Leah wants to swim.  I’m not sure if those things will happen.  I should probably just take Elijah out and get it over with.

Day 108 – Wednesday, July 1, 2020

Happy July!!

Today was a travel day.  Shockingly, I slept well (I often don’t before a trip), and got up at 4am.  I got myself ready, the kids up, and the car packed a few minutes before 5:30, when I wanted to leave.  

The trip started off foggy, but I was happy that it wasn’t rain.  Evansville had had two days of heavy rain.  We made good time and our first stop was 25 miles east of St Louis after about two hours of driving.  The rest stop was practically empty.  I passed out breakfast snacks to the kids and headed off toward St Louis.  

Around Rolla, I needed to stop for gas, but Love’s card readers weren’t working on the gas pumps, so we ended up at a tiny Sinclair station.  Some really nasty clouds had just rolled in at that point.  Just as we got back on the highway it started pouring, like can’t-see-the-road pouring.  That lasted about 20 minutes and was incredibly nerve wracking.  It continued to rain but until we stopped in Conway for another bathroom break.  When we got out of the car, the temperature had dropped to 70 degrees!

We drove on a little farther to Springfield to eat lunch at Chick-Fil-A.  Wow!  I thought our CFA had a crazy drive-through, but this one was even crazier. We went to the one by Bass Pro Shop (on the corner of Sunshine & Campbell which of course reminds me of my friend).

We made our last bathroom stop at the Oklahoma Welcome Center and stopped for gas at the QT in Claremore (I think).  We arrived at my parents’ house in OKC at 4:45 which was within the expected 30-minute window.  It was 100 degrees!

After we ate BBQ sandwiches, we hopped in the pool for an hour or so.  It was a delightful ending to our day.

Day 109 – Thursday, July 2, 2020

We ended the day with some strawberries dipped in fudge frosting, banana and/or applesauce muffins, and conversation with Mom & Dad, Drew, and Bailey.  We went to bed around 10pm and made Elijah go to bed too (we are all together, so no late nights for him!).

Hannah and I got up around 6am and ate some oatmeal with Mom & Dad.  Around 7:30, Hannah and I hopped in the pool and swam 20 laps (40 back and forth lengths).  Then we floated and sunned until 10am.  The pool was very refreshing this morning, and floating before the sun was too high in the sky was the most relaxing thing I think I have ever done.  The sky was a gorgeous shade of blue with cotton puff clouds strewn crossed it.  A delightful morning if ever there was one.

Plans for today include, lunch, lol.  More swimming.  Dinner.  More swimming.  Maybe some games.  I am going to order groceries to be delivered for tomorrow night’s belated Mother’s & Father’s Day celebration.  I’m making me signature grilled marinated chicken and corn, with (kale?) salad, some kind of bread, and dessert (I’m thinking a cobbler with ice cream, of course).  

Day 110 – Friday, July 3, 2020

I did grocery delivery from Walmart, and once I finally got the order in, it was amazing.  I tried to remember the 3-digit number on the back of my credit card, but got the number order wrong… and so it simply wouldn’t let me use that card (understandable), so I had to use another card.  They didn’t have fresh corn still in the husk, but they did have some packaged fresh corn on the cob, so I got that.  I’ll just have to wrap it in foil before grilling. 

Mom made ham casserole and broccoli salad last night, and it was amazing.  After dinner, we went swimming again.  Elijah’s swim shirt, which was orange when I bought it over a year ago, is now a faded red.  We just noticed that last night, and he and Leah INSISTED that he had another swim shirt that was orange and I was tricking them.  This disagreement went on for way too long, the better part of the hour.  It’s weird, but true, apparently the yellow dye faded out of the shirt…. And he just has the one swim shirt. 

This morning was pretty much a repeat of yesterday, so practically perfect.

Day 111 – Saturday, July 4, 2020

Happy Treason Day to my fellow Americans!

We watched Hamilton yesterday and we really enjoyed it.  Hannah listened to the music since it came out, but the rest of us, not so much.  I wasn’t sure if I’d really like it since musicals aren’t really my thing, but I did.  My favorite parts had King George, lol.  I’d happily watch the first half over and over, though the second half is pretty sad.

Last night was not a good night for sleeping.  Fireworks on the next street were being set off at 1:30am, and there was a thunderstorm with torrential rain and hail around 3:00 (no visible damage, so the hail must have been pretty small).  

We did not swim this morning since the pool needed to be cleaned up from the storm and all of our towels that were hanging out to dry were soaked.  

My brother is planning on coming over this morning with games to play with the kids. We will have a festive meal at mid-day.  I assume we will swim this afternoon.