The Corona Pandemic Week 1

Now for Corona Quarantine Week 1.  We found out we would not have school for this week so we just got an extended Spring Break at this point.  On Sunday, March 8th Scot went to do the usual weekly grocery shopping.  He went to Walmart and Kroger and this is what he found:

On Monday Joshua had his viola music lessons like normal, but the streets were eerily empty and gave us that ghost-town feeling.  Then on Tuesday, March 17th we found out that we would be out of school for 2 more weeks at least - until April 3rd.  So then plans went into overdrive for how we were going to orchestrate distance learning at home for our students.  As we realized we might be out of school for awhile we started thinking about our seniors and all that they would be missing if we don't go back to school.  Spring sports seasons, state championships for those who qualified in certain activities and sports, possibly no prom and delayed or cancelled graduations.  It is a sad time for students, parents and teachers.  We miss our students and feel sadness for them.

Scot and I were planning on celebrating our anniversary on Friday, March 20th.  Our 26th anniversary was on Thursday, March 19th.  We found out on Wednesday, March 18th that all restaurants' dining rooms and bars would be closing at 9:00 pm on Wednesday.  So we were able to change our reservation to Wednesday and have a small (albeit scary) celebration before the restaurants closed down.  And our sweet Rachel made us a special scrapbook for our anniversary that was originally an English assignment, but turned into her own special creation.  Love our sweet girl!

We also found out on Wednesday that my Christmas present to Scot was already cancelled as well even though the event was not until the last weekend of April.  Many important things being canceled and this seems like a small inconvenience but it still made us sad.

On Wednesday I had my 1st virtual work meeting - a Google Hangouts meeting with my Math Department Level Leaders.  It made me happy to see all my math peeps, but made me sad too that we can't be together during this time.  On Thursday I had a virtual meeting with the PreCal level leaders at A&M Consolidated and College View High Schools as well.  Then I met with my Geometry PreAP and PreCal team teachers to hash out our plan for distance learning these first 2 weeks.  We are providing one hour of learning for our students per week and are just reviewing previously taught skills that need to be continued.

Finally we had a very rainy and cold weekend and were stuck inside all day and had some puzzle races.  We also had our 2nd week of live streaming online church.  I am thankful for technology and being able to still worship each week with my church family.  I am also thankful for time with my family and time to refocus my priorities and what is important.

The Coronavirus Pandemic Spring Break

I once again I have gone too long between blog posts. I really wish I would blog more, but with so many social media platforms and other ways to record memories it falls to the back of my mind. Another person gave me the idea though of blogging about this pandemic that we are just beginning to live through right now. One day it will be a piece of history.  So here I am on Friday at the end of Week 1 of no school because of the Coronavirus.

First let me start with our actual Spring Break, which was March 9-13th.  Things were just starting to get scary in the US with Corona in Seattle, Washington, New York and on the East Coast.  China and Italy had already basically shutdown their countries and cruise lines were getting docked and people getting quarantined on some ships.

We still got to have some fun during our Spring Break before though.  On Saturday, March 7th, I sent Rachel off with a friend to Galveston for some fun until Thursday. 

 Sunday, March 8th, we got to go to an Aggie Baseball game.  If I had known it would be the last one of the season, I probably would have tried to enjoy it more.  We did blow lots of bubbles and the game got called in the 7th inning because the Aggies run-ruled the other team.  

Tuesday, March 10th, I took Mom to Ulta and out to eat for lunch to Panera while Dad took Joshua to Washington on the Brazos museum and park.  

 

The Corona talk was getting more serious and there was talk of schools being delayed.  The first reports were on Wednesday that A&M and most colleges were going to delay school after Spring Break by one week.  The SEC basketball tournament got canceled just as it got started.  Then Rachel went to George Bush International Airport with her friend to pick up a foreign exchange student from France.  I started to stress a little over that. 

 Then I found out from Jordan that someone on his base had tested positive for Corona and a dining facility worker had as well.  So they shut down the DFAC immediately.  Then my concerns began to rise.  We had already planned to go to Horseshoe Junction in Brenham on Thursday and they were still open so we went for a little fun. 

 That day so many new and breaking news pieces were coming out, such as the NBA had decided to suspend the rest of their season.  Originally the NCAA March Madness tournament was going to be played without fans, but once the NBA canceled the rest of their season March Madness was canceled too.  So sad for a family who loves to watch it and has a competition with brackets every year.  Now almost all colleges had decided to go to online classes only for the rest of the semester.  It was getting crazier by the minute!  Then all the local school districts decided to close school for an additional week after Spring Break.  Now being a teacher and my kids being in school, it was about to get real.  We had one last thing we had planned to do for Spring Break and that was to go to Aggieland Safari.  They were open and we figured this was the last thing we would probably get to do before getting quarantined for good and everything shutting down.  So we went for the first time and had a great time.  Our favorite part was feeding the parakeets!  So fun!!

Then church got cancelled the next day and pretty much all the local churches went to live streaming online.  You know it's getting serious when that happens.  I will save the next blog post for our first week out of school during this world-wide pandemic.