So, we're all home and in quarantine. It might last a 10 or 14 days, I've gotten different messages from the school districts. But no need to fear: Teacher Natalie is here!!
Joseph is isolated in the messy basement, which is where the kids usually set up "school" - so for yesterday Natalie set up her class room in the kitchen.
They all have boxes set on upside down on a barstool for their desks. These are the boxes/bins that were holding the Christmas decorations until I gave permission to decorate yesterday. Last night they were storage boxes. Today: school desks. Natalie's students Daniel and Owen.
And class continued today - different day, but same "desks" and same clothes on these two boys.
It's ok though, cause we're not going anywhere. The kids have also been playing a Santa game where Owen is the reindeer and pulls them around the house, using a red santa scarf as the reins. Pics of them playing sleigh yesterday:
I don't think they deliver presents to anyone, they just go on a Christmas Eve test drive / joy ride around the house.
So, we felt a little bad for Joseph being stuck in the basement. I was the chosen person to deliver food and pick up his dirty dishes. I thought he might be happier down at BYU, and if 3 of his roommates were positive for covid too, maybe they could all isolate down there together? I called BYU to check it out, the person I talked to said he should probably just stay here. Joseph was calling and asking too, and I told him he could do whatever he wanted to do - he was welcome to stay, or if he wanted to go, I was happy to take him down. Last night he decided he would prefer to be back on campus, and that they had a room for him in some apartments that they had dedicated to covid students, he just had to be there by 10 pm. So he packed up, we loaded up, did not give anyone hugs goodbye, I gathered some food to last him for 2 weeks if necessary, since he couldn't go to his room down there to get his food. He's set up with oatmeal, pasta, tuna and tortillas, he should survive. Then he sat in the back seat of the van and we drove down with the windows cracked. Have fun in the leper colony, Joseph!
That's Corey's little joke, he calls it a leper colony. Joseph calls is "the island" like he's on survivor. The door was locked so Joseph walked around and I watched his 72 hour kit until he came and opened the door to get his stuff. It has been a little easier and less stressful with him gone, and I think it was the right decision because we all got our results back today that we are negative.
That surprised me, I thought for sure a few of us would have it, and that I had it for sure since I've been around Joseph the most, but hey I'm not complaining. We are going to watch ourselves for symptoms and if any of us do show any signs of illness they will go get tested again. But as for now, we're all negative, and with the leper out of the house, we're going to wipe things down again and then we'll be clean and hopefully stay clean and the kids will be able to go back to school soon. I went to get disinfectant wipes at Walmart and didn't notice the 1 item limit they had. The lady at the self checkout was nice and let me take 4 even though I had 9 in my cart. I wonder when this pandemic will end.
Of all the kids, Abi was the most sad to not be able to go to school. She loves her friends and dance classes. We were gone in Hawaii for 2 weeks, then gone for Thanksgiving break, the get to go back for 2 days and now we're locked up at home again! So sad. This is a pretty good trial to have, if you take a broad view of the history of the world and the variety of trials others have faced. This isn't Valley Forge, nor Martin's Cove. This is ok, we can handle this. A few other pictures and quote of the day - I heard laughing from the tree and Owen was over there but it was Daniel laughing, and I looked and didn't see him, but then got down on my knees and saw a little elf hiding in our tree, so cute!
And Owen's teacher asked for a picture of him sitting with legs crossed for a photo gift they are doing at school. So here's Owen's picture for that - cute boy.
The girls practiced violin today, hallelujah. We had practicing music be the thing they had to do before Corey and I would leave on a date, and thankfully the kids value their parent free time on date night enough that they practiced so that we'd leave. I have been struggling with getting them to practice or with having anything to motivate them and I don't feel like using threats right now. But today, after Corey got Lily to practice her saxophone for an hour, Sophi wondered if she could practice violin for an hour, and it was easy - 20 minutes of scales to my piano guys playlist, then 20 minutes of review, followed by 20 minutes working on her new piece, and voilà - you did an hour! That was easy! I practiced for 30 minutes with Natalie too, and did more on my own, so it was a really good violin day for me, yay.
We went and got take out at Beaumont Bistro for our date - but first we went by and picked up a backpack kid carrier for Peter for when we go skiing. Corey found this on his own! A $200 carrier, used, but still in good condition, for $35! Way to go sweetie! Corey is excited for all of us to go skiing! Now that we have a carrier for Peter even he and I can go. I comment how if I carried Peter, I'd fall down with him on my back. Corey's reply made me laugh: "Well, you're better than nothing." haha. We had a nice dinner in the car. I had the beet salad. Corey's comment about giving tips: "Would you like to pay more? Allright." We also reminisced on our trip to Hawaii - Corey comments on why Hawaii was good "You can swim in the ocean for the 'this is legit' then come back and swim in the pool 'and this is nice.'" That was a great trip, we should have stayed there and away from all the spiking cases here in Utah! Oh well. It's still good to be back, covid and quarantine and all.
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