December 2 2020

 oh look. It's December 2020. And today was one of the deadliest days yet. We're heading towards another lock down shelter-in-place situation. We have to fly to Virginia for Christmas this year and I'm so afraid we're going to catch something and get stuck there. 

So far so good with everyone with school and work. I have to have two bed desks (like a breakfast in bed table?) to use my laptop and document camera to get the job done. Last night Sam had his first Arroyo choir "performance" about social justice that was so hard for him. It's not the way this was supposed to be. And that makes me so incredibly angry and sad. He hates choir because it's NOT choir...or the way choir should be. Sigh. 

 

I go to the library three times a week to pick up lunches for myself and the kids. Then I got to Arroyo on Tuesday and Thursdays for school lunches for the boys. We make due a lot with what we have to avoid going to the grocery store more than once every few weeks now. 

I just barely saw this blog and thought I'd update. We're okay. The world is contagious and scary.

Holy Week

It's been Holy Week and I've been trying hard to focus up on that. Yesterday was another worldwide fast for relief from COVID-19. We passed 100,000 worldwide deaths.

So, I've tried to focus on what I CAN do. I can make kids happy.

I made a Pigeon (from the famous books by Mo Williems) to remind people to stay inside.

The Pigeon

 I also thought I would give away some succulents. It started as 7 little milk cartons with cuttings and soil. Over the last 24 hours I've cut 92 cuttings from my aeoniums! People need love right now, big time.

Mom finally started sewing some cloth masks after I got the ones I ordered from a friend in PA. She asked me if I wanted a Red Hot Chili Peppers one...like my favorite band. And this is what I got. She's so cute.

I've stayed busy learning some new creative things and painting along with Facebook live projects. This was a goofy sun I made out of salt dough clay.

The boys are doing okay. Working hard at school stuff. Next week is Spring Break so we're all looking forward to school easing up just a little bit. I met with Room 11 students on Zoom and they're always so happy to see us. So cute.

The line at Arroyo High School gets so long some days. I was about halfway to the window to pick up our lunches. April 10, 2020

I took a virtual field trip today to the Neon Museum of Las Vegas where Tim Burton has an exhibit called "Lost Vegas" amongst the old neon signs of Vegas. It was really cool to be able to take a tour. I even wrote notes!

Lastly I finally made Zephyr's memorial garden in his food dish. It feels so strange to be without our boy. Another neighbor from Corte Ulisses was offering some succulent cuttings. That was the court next to us that Zephyr walked for years and years and years. So it's his "territory". I think he'd be happy they succulents came from there. Oh, Zephyr.

Last shopping Trip

Today is Monday April 6, 2020.

Today I went shopping for what I hope is the last time in at LEAST two weeks. This week will be our last week getting school lunches and then next week is Spring Break.

Everyone is healthy. I will take Mom to go get a blood draw on Wednesday. She HAS to have it. I suppose the hospital is probably one of the cleaner places, but that's where the germs live.

Yesterday I had to go to Kaiser to pick up pills for her and I was literally shaking the entire time. I have come to fear Coronovirus. Poor New York has lost nearly 600 people for the last three days in a row. They are considering a mass grave in Central Park. Horrifying.

The apex is coming.

Zephyr

Sweet Zephyr Nowlin

July 4, 2004- April 2, 2020. 

Our Zephyr

Today we lost our Zephyr. He was in such bad shape. I had an appointment at the vet to remove his stitches from two weeks ago but knew as soon we pulled up to the vet this morning that there needed to be a change of plans. He was lethargic, even more than usual. The vet tech came out to the car and got him. The vet called to tell me that she wanted to start him on iv fluids for dehydration and get some blood work done. At that point, I knew. No. No more for our Zephyr. He was done and he told me that. So, they brought him out to us again and let us snuggle him in a big blanket. He tried to spin circles a few more times. We let him down and let him walk just a few more steps. We called Bryant and had him Facetime to say goodbye, as he had done for me with Cleo. We took photos and talked about  the many, many times Zephyr had cheated death. Then the vet came out and gave him a little, quick shot to calm him down. The boys did not want to be there when he went so we waited a little while longer for the shot to kick in and for him to calm down and then the Vet tech came and took him away. We were outside in the parking lot the entire time for the whole world to see and I didn't care. We cried and loved him so very much. He was our special boy and had been by my side for nearly 15 years. But it was his time. And I know he's running through green fields being watched by my grandmothers and my daughter, Rachel and with Cleo. What a happy reunion. But, oh, I miss him already. Our routine was SO intense. Someone had to stay up practically all night to make sure he was safe for the last 2 weeks.

Yesterday school was canceled for the entire year. Everyone needs cloth masks from here on out. Poor New York is slammed. So far it seems like the Bay Area is at least slowing down the curve, which was our goal.

Food Preservation Day!

We have been so blessed to get free lunches for the kids but that meant we had a LOT of fruit, especially pears, apples and peach fruit cups. We like our fruit but there was just too much at once!

So, I blended the peaches and made fruit leather. I dried the pears and apples. I'm excited and thankful I know how to do these things so I have food for my family longer than the food should last.

 

 

 

Peach fruit leather 

Dried pears

ran into a friend at the grocery store. I was buying a red cabbage for the experiment below

Joey and I did an experiment about acids and bases

Joey and I did a chemistry lesson today. That's the theme all week for his Supercharged Science classes. We made a predictor out of boiled red cabbage and then tested other liquids around the house like vinegar, lemon juice, baking soda, 7 Up Soda and bleach. We kind of took the day off from everything else because it was a "day off" from school for Cesar Chavez day.

Worldwide Fast

Today was our 3rd Sabbath at home. We had a nice meeting together studying Enos. Today was the worldwide fast for relief from Coronavirus.

We are still taking our walks. We've had a little bit of rain.

I made some peach fruit leather in the dehydrator today with some fruit cups that we got from the school in the boys' lunches. I also dehydrated some pears that are delicious. I love my dehydrator.

Picasso Ms. Nowlin

I've been staying busy video chatting with friends and last night The Chabot movie theater in Castro Valley did a live stream of Plan Nine from Outer Space so that was fun too. I did some art following the Mrs. Thomas, a teacher from Del Rey that was inspired by Pablo Picasso. I like learning new techniques and I'm pretty excited to have a portfolio by the end. Maybe I can teach an art class someday from them.

Sam, flying.

These are the youtube videos we follow for scripture study. Don't Miss This.

Everyone here is still feeling pretty good. Except for Zephyr, but that's nothing new.

Extended Through May 1st

Well, the isolation has been extended through May 1st. They're saying school MAY resume May 4th but it doesn't seem very hopeful right now.

Poor New York is absolutely slammed with this virus. There was an awful news report saying they are having to use refrigerated trucks for the bodies of the dead because it is so bad. Just horrifying. We live in America. In 2020.

As for our corner of the world, it's quite. We wake up. We take a walk. We do a science class online with Supercharged Science. We go get lunch from Arroyo High School and come home, scrub our hands and eat. Then back to school work for a while. We text with friends and try to keep morale up. I prepare dinner in some miraculous way. We go for another walk. Tonight the boys rode scooters or bikes to break up the monotony. Last night we played card games. Then evening comes and it's time to really take care of our poor Zephyr. He bites at the carpet all day. And sleeps. A lot. I'm worried he won't even make it to our vet appointment next week. He has been my champion for over 14 years and has been our sweet and faithful protector. Then we start the night shift. Someone stays up in the living room with him all night.

The US now has more confirmed cases of COVID-19 than in any other country, including China or Italy.

Bike ride on the evening.

Last chance to get whatever I could out of Room 11

Morning Walk or jump, if you're Sammy

It's Spring in San Lorenzo

Joey Interview March 24

I saw this floating around Facebook and thought it might be fun to do it with Joey.  Age 11. March 24 2020.

1.  If you won a million dollars, what would you buy?
A. Um. I would get a lot of PS4 giftcards. I would give some to you, Mom... so you can get groceries and stuff. And, I would ask people in our family if they needed anything and if they said something, I would get it for them. Donate to charity.

2. How long does it take to get to the U.K.?
A - I don't know I've never been there. Um. I think since it takes like 8 hours to get to Virginia maybe like 20 hours? 

3. What is one thing Mom always says to you?
A -Mom always tells me to go to bed. And to help Zephyr.

4. What job would you like to do when you grow up?
A - My goodness. I don't know. Um. Maybe police officer.

5. What is the capital of America?
A - Washington DC

6. Where do babies come from?
A - their mom.

7. At what age do you become an adult?
A - 18

8. If you could change one rule your family has, what would it be?
A - Homework before video games. Video games are okay any time.


9. If you could be a superhero, what superpower would you have?
A - Invincibility so people could test cancer on me without any risk. 

10. What would you do to help planet Earth?
A - If I see trash on the floor I can pick it up.


11. If you could eat one thing for the rest of your life, what would it be?
A - Pancakes.


12. How much does it cost to buy a house?
A -$600,000.

13. Why do you think we should be nice to others?
A. To make people happy so people will be nice to you.


14. What does love mean to you?
A - When people are nice to each other and just don't be mean to each other.

15. What are you scared of?
A -Getting kidnapped. Dead mice give me the heebie jeebies.

16. What is most important to you?
A - Family. I could live without video games I guess. 

Mental Health Check In

Our new Sabbath

Today is Sunday, March 22, 2020.


Every one is feeling okay around here. The boys STILL have lingering coughs but other than that ok! No fevers anywhere, thank the Lord.

I have some catching up to do. Yesterday I watched Wicked, the musical and drew Mrs. Thomas (a 2nd grade teacher at Del Rey)'s art project inspired by the words of Romero Britto. Generally just tried to relax. We did a brief online astronomy class with Supercharged Science just to break the day up a little. We still took our morning and evening walks.

Today is Sunday. I don't FEEL like I got a lot done today but it is the Sabbath. We had our own version of home church. I found a Conference talk or today was a Book of Mormon video on the church's Roku app and we watched it. We studied 2 of the Book of Mormon scripture mastery verses and then we did the lesson for Aaronic Priesthood. We studied Jacob 5-7 last week HEAVILY and apparently we were a week ahead so it was a lighter duty lesson. Afterwards we read a chapter in the Indian in the Cupboard together.

This evening I made a delicious turkey noodle soup from turkey I had put up at Christmastime. It was so tasty. I also made bread rolls that were quickly woofed down. When I make bread I always set aside a little dough for malasadas. Portuguese donuts. Just take the dough (ANY bread dough. When I was little my grandmother would just buy frozen bread dough and we'd use that), fry it and roll it in sugar when it's still piping hot.

Tomorrow will be one full week home under Shelter In Place. I am so afraid someone in our house will get sick. I feel like FINALLY my dad is taking this seriously and not going to movies or the store just for fun. If we need anything I walk down to the Asian market down the street, pick it up and leave as fast as possible. Wipe everything down when I get home. Wash hands. Possibly change and wash my jacket. It's pretty serious out there. Women are making masks out of fabric to help the nurses because we're so short on n95 masks. In at least some good news, it seems like the actor Tom Hanks is feeling better. He came out two weeks ago that himself and his good wife had Corona virus. They've spent two weeks in isolation and are doing much better.

Our sweet Zephyr seems to be gaining some weight! I wonder if he didn't have a doggie UTI or something because we have 2 days left of antibiotics and he seems to be doing better on the whole. No crazy discharges from his wound at all. He's still confused and spins a lot but he can get up and walk with much more ease right now. Praise the Lord. The day we lose him will be such a sad day.

But today we are grateful for what we have, including our health and that we have the luxury of staying home and not feeling ruined. We have a home and can pay the mortgage. My job will still be paying me. The boys have plenty of work to pass the day quickly. Our internet is good. We have excellent technology to stay close to friends. We have a lot to be thankful for.

Living History

I can't wait!

Make it clear. We're all in this together.

And thus this blog was born.

Complete Shelter In Place

I didn't get around the journaling yesterday. I think I'm just in emergency mode and throwing myself in hard to homeschooling the boys.

Yesterday we did our first science lesson online with someone from Facebook. Physics. The boys remarkably had a great time and built catapults along with the teacher. I had an hour off from "teacher/head nagging lady" duty. Thankfully the boys are super self sufficient with school. They make teaching a joy.

Today we went for walk around the block first thing. It gets the boys up and moving well. The weather was beautiful today. Sunny. The first day of Spring. We then did another online science course on oceanography that Joe enjoyed. There was a fun experiment with a hard boiled egg...which we happened to have. There was a second class on medical terms but I didn't realize it focused on Coronavirus and we just DON'T need more about that, thanks very much.

The boys and Nana and I started to read The Indian in the Cupboard. An old classic..I read it with Joey in Book Club last year. Somehow, Sam got away without reading it in elementary school so we're reading it together. Mom downloaded it for her beloved Kindle. It makes it easier for her to hold.

We went and got our lunch like always. I appreciate the routine of it. The boys love the chocolate milk and almost always inhale most of it after we wash our hands. It's a small reminder of our old normal as we get used to new normal.

We did some fun art with sidewalk chalk. I think we've had that dang chalk for years and years. I saw the idea online and we went for it. The boys were super involved and enjoyed it (remarkably. Sam hates crafts). We then made a hopscotch course on the sidewalk for people trying to get out and get some air.

Governer Newsom keeps threating Marshall Law to keep Californians in their homes. I wish we could just GET IT and stay inside unless absolutely necessary. He also keeps threatening to get the kids to get used to the idea of not going back to school or seeing their friends. Just awful. My heart hurts for my students. I miss their smiling faces. I really do. I miss my interaction with one of my favorites, Anthony. His favorite phrase is "Work hard. All day!" and he must repeat "Ms. Nowlin!" maybe 100 times a day. And I miss it so much.

Zephyr and exhaustion

My poor old doggie. This morning it was wet outside and the gardeners had just been by so grass...everywhere. Poor Zeph came in from his morning outside and was just a mess. Grassy everywhere and stinky. So, I had to give him a dreaded bath. He's so weak it's just sad to bathe him..and he has mats. I went to go and cut a mat and he fell and my scissors slipped and I cut him. Badly. Enough that we whisked him off to the emergency vet. $600 later, he's stitched up and okay. But my good grief.

on our way home.

The luckiest St. Patrick's Day ever

The boys did really well with "School" stuff today. We took a walk in the evening once Zeph was home safe and sound. I was sure I was going to lose him or that they'd tell me he wasn't strong enough to justify stitches even.

I made corned beef hash for those that like it. Yuck. I made delicious baked potatoes for everyone else. I'm afraid even stupid potatoes are going to be a thing of the past before long. I just put another big order in on Amazon hoping it gets here. They've said they are prioritizing the orders now...so it's only a matter of time before online ordering will no longer be fulfilled. We did stop by and pick up school lunches today in an effort to conserve what food we DO have already. The boys enjoyed that. We did it AFTER we knew our Zephyr would be okay.


This is one crazy crazy mixed up worth we're living in. I cried my eyes out over Zeph, sure we would lose him. I just want to cry my eyes out for my children. Governor Newsom seems to think school may not go back into session this school year. Then I get afraid thinking of having to get the kids to Virginia this summer. And leave Mom and Dad behind? This is an impossible choice right now. I pray that Bryant see's that this is not the time to be traveling around and we can just stay put this summer. Or really I pray this plague to be gone. Just leave. Everyone stays indoors and it dies out because we're being good. Oh, how I wish that could be true.

Memes

March 16, 2020. Official Shelter In Place

I was so angry going to work this morning. My boys were home, safe and sound. Mom and Dad are doing just fine...as long as Dad stays HOME. So I went off to Del Rey.

It was a ghost town when I got there.I started to quickly print out schedules and educational stuff for the boys before anyone else got there. The whole campus was eerie. If you saw someone else in the hall you switched to the other side to move the 6 feet away from them. We had a staff meeting this morning..which sounds insane. And it was. But we had the ability to video conference in so that's what we did in Room 11. It actually went very smoothly for Del Rey's very first video conference! We learned in that meeting that the district wanted us to come in for Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday...but we were to hurry back to class to make work packets for our students. I decided I would use my sick leave if I need to, but I would NOT be coming back to school to waste my time.

Around 2pm I got a text from Michelle Clowser who had heard that Alameda County, along with almost all of the Bay Area, would have to go into Shelter In Place starting midnight tonight. I knew what that meant: no more work! The announcement was made publicly and within 5 minutes, Mr. Carpenter, our principal went on the loud speaker: we were to leave with our personal belongings NOW. Everyone had to vacate within 5 minutes. It was serious. Thankfully our work was done. I had made a very nice list of resources for the students to use since we're so good at Google Classroom daily. Unfortunately, those very nice packets are sitting in our classroom. With no way to get them to the students. Lucky for Joey I went to his teacher's room and got his materials just 10 minutes before we were told to evacuate. Lucky Lucky Lucky.

 Why yes. That IS an asparagus on my cleaned off desk! We grew it in the garden. We planted almost all of our seedlings just praying they take. And of course, we had dentist appointments last week only to find Joey needed a new crown on a back molar. The dentist was still open so Dr. Yee got Joey in just in the knick of time. Trust me, Joe was NOT happy about it... I was just making him laugh for a photo. I'm proud of how brave my boys have been. I sure didn't feel brave earlier today.

We are now on Shelter In Place until April 7th. That means only going to the grocery store or the hospital. The end. The grocery stores are empty. Completely empty. I'm glad I've heeded the words of our prophets and we have a good amount of food storage. A lot of it was destroyed by mice we had earlier this winter but we'll have enough. It won't be exciting...but we'll eat without having to go out. Joe and I stopped at KFC (Kentucky Friend Chicken) on our way home from the dentist and got some food since that will most likely be the last fast food we get in a long time. I froze some of it. These are some sketchy times. Tomorrow we will start our home routine for learning, exercise and good mental health. We'll go to Arroyo and get lunches and breakfast for the next day while they're still supplying it.

Our first Sunday home

So I didn't update yesterday. I've been sleeping a ton. The kids have been playing video games. They both still are a little congested with a cough but the cough subsides during the day time when they're upright. I'm healthy. Mom is relatively healthy. Dad has a cough but then again, yesterday he decided to go to the busiest place of all: Costco. Only to buy meat. And then he went to the gym.

For now we're all being told to be 6 feet away from each other. Social distancing. Today is the third day we've been home. It's raining.

Today is our first Sunday without church services. Before services we went out to walk around the block to get some air. The neighborhood is quite,  It's a little weird. I did not make my boys dress up just to be around the house or to have our own version of "services". We watched Elder Uckdorf's talk from last conference about the hobbits. We wrote notes and I think it went well.

Next, I decided since all of us have relatively like-new condition scriptures that we would work on the Book of Mormon scripture mastery, so we read and marked the first two. The boys enjoyed that.

Last we followed along to Don't Miss This, a great channel on youtube with two LDS people teaching the lesson for Sunday School from Come Follow Me. It made it very easy to write notes and STUDY.

I've also been getting by texting friends and sharing memes. I hope one day they're all SUPER funny and we all over reacted to save the world. I really hope so.

March 13, 2020

The last few days have been complete whirlwinds.

Today, Friday, was a planned professional development day for the teachers. As a para, I did not have to go. The teachers had a last minute change and were told to make 3 5-day sets of work for their students to do independently at home. So, we knew a closing was going to happen due to Coronavirus.

As the day dragged on more and more school districts declared they would be closed for 2-3 weeks. Texas declared they would be out for 6 weeks. Finally, at 8:30pm SLZUSD came out and said we'd be closed for ONE week. ONE. And employees have to report to work on Monday. I am so afraid I'll bring home this bug to Mom.

The boys started having sniffles on Wednesday. Sam stayed home for the first time all school year. Joe muscled through. Both boys went to school on Thursday and stayed through after school enrichment (for Joey, he's in PE) and Sam had flag football try outs. Of course, that's all before hearing that our lives would change with an unprecedented school closing.

Mom has been happy quilting and that makes me so happy, too. She wants an ironing board to iron on better. I thought I'd try to run to Walmart to pick one up for her. I walked in and saw the lines. They were ridciulous. So, I turned right back around. No thank you.

I've been working hard for the last few weeks getting provisions for our family. The big joke is toilet paper running around everywhere. And hand sanitizer. And soap. And rice. You can't find any of that stuff in stores anymore. I stocked up a while ago to just us by. Amazon doesn't even have any. It's pretty crazy.

I printed out a schedule for the kids to follow during the day. Fresh air in the morning to keep our lungs healthy. Reading, math, science and music times. Joe needs to practice his ukulele and Sam can fire up the keyboard piano he spent two years learning about. I'm sure they'd prefer to just play video games all day with their friends from school. It's heartbreaking that they really can't spend time with them. And now we won't even see them at church.

These are pretty frightening times. I'm hoping I can write down some reflections as our efforts drag on to "Flatten the curve" as their calling it. We're going to have the outbreak...but we're hoping by people just staying at home we can minimize the crush on health care workers. I've got to keep Mom and Dad safe and healthy. So far, so good. No fevers anywhere. I check everyone almost twice a day.