Quarantine Day 36

Over an entire month at home. 36 days have come and gone just like that. Yesterday I started week 5 of e-learning with my kiddos. I had a full week off for "Spring Break." It was so strange not to go anywhere or do anything during that time. I feel like I exhausted all of my usual enjoyable activities. I read, I took the dog for a walk, I took a lot of naps, I read some more, watched a little TV, played games on my phone, and then I did it all again. 

About halfway through the week and in the middle of book number 3 (of the week, I am at 8 since quarantine started) I realized how much I missed the kids and that even though I am not a fan of the online learning, at least it was giving me something to do. One day when it wasn't raining, I got the bike out and loaded it in my car and took it to Brookgreen Gardens, which thankfully is still opened, and road around there for part of the afternoon. I put the bike back in the car and walked the part of the gardens bikes can't go. I was there a few weeks prior and it was so wonderful to see more things in bloom. This is my first spring in the south and I am glad places like that are open and you can practice social distancing while also enjoying nature. I notice I breathe (then sneeze because, you know, allergies) a little deeper when I am out in the gardens. 

Starting back to the online learning yesterday was great and made the day fly. I checked in with the kids, got to see some of their faces on google meets, most of them are just getting out of bed so they tend to hide their faces from the camera, but it's still great to get to talk to them. A few even went on the virtual tours I sent them the day before break, so it was entertaining to hear their stories about some of their favorites. 

I feel like with all this extra time on my hands and being home all day every day, I should be able to keep up with blogging or journaling. But I am truly struggling to continue to know what to say. I mean most days seem to run together and I don't really do anything out of the ordinary, other than maybe spend at least $70 each time at the grocery store, for no reason, at all. I am trying to stick to a semi-normal routine, one that is similar to what I was doing when I was actually working. It seems to help me stay sane. Some days, though, I don't follow it at all and you know what I've learned? That's ok too. This is a strange time we are going through and deal with it any way you can, that's what I am trying to do, at least. 

Well, I feel like I have written a bunch of nothing, so I am going to come back another day when maybe I have more insightful things to say. 

Love from the girl who is living for the beautiful cloudless days and spending as much time on her patio as she can. 

Quarantine Day 21

Well they say that it takes 21 days to break a habit or start a new one. Here we are 21 days into this quarantine and we're still chugging along. I really hope that this does not become the new normal.

I thought I would write more, but in all honesty, the days have actually flown by. Well, most "school days" seem to fly by and I feel like I get barely anything accomplished. Then there are other days where I feel like I have nothing to do and the day drags on. I think I have found a balance of working and being on the computer and taking small breaks. I never sit this much and I am starting to feel it in my hips and my legs.

We started Week 4 of e-learning this week, I can't believe it's been a month of being out of school. It's actually gone by really fast, but I hate that I am missing the kids so much. Monday and Wednesday are my favorite days because the kids hop into our google meets and we get to check in with each other. Last week, we shared our animals and had a range of pets show up on the screen. Dogs, cats and even a bird. My honors class has been finishing up Romeo and Juliet, and although we are not in the classroom right now, they've done a great job of reading the play over google meets. We are finishing it up this week and can move on to other things.

Outside of doing school work way more than I ever asked for, like all weekend long and in the evenings, I haven't done much else. This past Saturday I walked around Brookgreen Gardens. Getting to be out in the sunshine, enjoying the flowers and walking around was so good for the soul. And before you go with the whole social distancing thing, I was. I wasn't around anyone and kept my distance when other's were near. Plus, it's an outdoor garden with acres of land, free from touching anything.

I am looking forward to this 4 day week. Friday starts our Spring Break. I am looking forward to some time off. Deciding on where to go still, maybe you could help me. Should I go to the living room, bedroom or patio? I'm leaning toward the patio if it's nice out. I get solid sunshine in the morning and then in the afternoon there's a light breeze, plus the animals love being out. I'll let you know what I officially decide later in the week, or next week.

I hope everyone is staying safe, healthy, and sane.

Love from the girl who is extremely tired of screen time.