Pandemic Made Me Blog Again!

It's been 8 years since my last blog post! I know, that's really bad. I've got the cliche excuses of being a mom of two, working full time, kids sports, etc. But I really should have dedicated more time to writing and documenting life.

However, now we're in a global pandemic....Coronavirus, or COVID-19. I felt it was necessary to document this since I may never see anything like this again in my (or my kids') lifetime. It all started for me around February 2020. There were reports that there was a virus being spread at a rapid pace in China, but I didn't really think much of it. I live in a small neighborhood in Dallas. What could a virus in China do to me?! I had talked to a co-worker who is normally very level-headed. She told me how frightened she was and told me she had been stock piling canned goods and toilet paper, etc. in case it came to our area. I looked at her like she was crazy.

Fast forward two weeks. The virus had hit the United States hard and there were talks about a "shelter in place" order for Dallas. That basically meant that they didn't want you gathering with people outside of your home. The kids were several days away from spring break and the school decided that on the last Friday before break (March 13, 2020) they would send all the kids home with their school iPads in case they had to do school from home after the break. We were all a little shocked. No one expected this to happen.

Today is April 8, 2020. We have been in either "shelter in place" or "quarantine" since March 13. The kids started home school or virtual school on March 30 so we are in week 2 of that. It's been interesting to say the least. Shawn and I are working full time and trying to home school two kids. We don't leave the house unless we need groceries or gas. We can walk around the neighborhood or bike, but we have to take care to avoid anyone we see. I wore a mask for the first time today to the grocery store. Seeing everyone lined up and in masks made me feel like it was the end of the world.

They are reporting that the virus can live on various materials for days. Every time you purchase something, you have to take time to wipe it down. Shawn and I have decided that we will do what we can, but we can't stress out thinking that everything we touch has the virus on it. Below is a picture I took this morning waiting to get into the grocery store.

I won't make this post too long. I just wanted to get this started again. Until next time.