Still Quarantining, After All This Time

Quarantine log, Day 30. We're still doing this? Yes. Yes, we are. To catch you up:

• Neighbors are greeted with a wave and quick conversation from respective yards.
• Semi-distant friends, classmates, and relatives are seen through electronics only.
• There are no extra-curriculars, only essentials.
• Online grocery shopping has become an exercise in forecasting what you'll need for at least a week, at least a week in advance, because in-person grocery shopping has become strange what with wearing masks and keeping 6 feet apart and not touching things you're not buying. 
• Working from home is pretty much the same, except now we can have every meal together as a family, even lunch.
• To do lists around the house are getting shorter and shorter.
• Online school is going well; kids are fairly self-sufficient, and Mom is mostly in a tech support role, getting apps to work and reading directions to ensure that assignments were actually completed as intended. Recess time in the fresh air is mandatory!

On the upside, I've enjoyed not using an alarm clock anymore, and starting my day with a cup of coffee over a puzzle. We have surprised ourselves with how many puzzles we actually have, and we are keeping a tally of how many pieces we've combined - we're close to 4,000 now! The second picture is how I found the kids during a "scary" part of a Harry Potter movie. It warmed my heart to see them cuddled up together, thankful we haven't killed each other being together 24/7/30 (and counting).

It is also unusual to celebrate a big holiday, like Easter, under quarantine. At least we had plenty of time to make the sacred Easter sugar cookies this year! I thought they were tastier than usual, but I think the kids did not like the 1/2 vanilla, 1/2 almond flavoring, since we usually make them all vanilla flavored. Oh well, more for the adults.

The weather was a little sketchy leading up to Easter, but Hadley and I decorated the driveway before it got washed away overnight. She showed me a neat trick she has to color her hands in chalk and leave precious handprints behind.

The Easter bunny also managed to visit, even during social distancing. I hope he was wearing a mask while he hid eggs all over our house! Thankfully, he got the kids some new books and activities to help entertain during quarantine.

We attended a live stream of our church (some of us even dressed up) from the couch, ate the obligatory ham meal as a family of four, watched an Easter movie, and hid eggs several times throughout the house for each other, since that is our favorite Easter tradition. Though there were several changes to the holiday this year, at least the hunts were pretty much the same as usual. We even got a surprise hunt from DJAW!