Accountability Thread 3/15-3/21

[Critterfixer]

Clearly, I didn't listen to my soothsayer well enough and the Ides of March got me. Started with a cough Friday that was disturbing, but explainable (sleeping with the window open all Thursday night and the pollen floating around), but by Saturday night, I was running a low grade fever. No fever this morning, but my head, throat, and chest are so sore from the coughing. I'm monitoring things at the house and staying home, but I have a feeling there might be very light school this week, and the boys may be in charge of seeing to the house and cooking. I am exhausted.

Other than that, doing well. No one else is sick yet. 

Today's goals: rest, read. Not necessarily in that order. 

[serendipitous journey]

Critterfixer, hoping you feel better soon.  You are in my thoughts & prayers. 

Good news here: it is raining!  Really, really raining, which our bit of the country needs desperately.  A little of that Christmas-morning feel when I saw it coming down. 

Today: don't get all frozen with anxiety about, well, everything.  Work in house; focus on the bathrooms, which were on last week's list & got neglected; plan our week's school.  Do our day's work, work on memory stuff too, get exercise in.   For "garden" work do planning.   Check over supplies on hand, food, look for art & science kits, find games I've been meaning to play with the children.  Draft a schedule for the day; DH is taking the boys out to a local place for ice cream cones this PM.     

Argh: my head is full of bees, hope I can think better after breakfast. 

ETA: Notes:

• pick up earth science with younger, focus on understanding formation of solar system + composition of earth. 
• + hands-on geography materials with him: we have a short & sweet Montessori unit to work through, leftover from when elder was little
• plan for AM exercise tomorrow

After-action report for the day: well, no bathrooms and no memory work.  I am incredibly inefficient, just very anxious I suppose.  We did do writing, math, languages and some piano.  So: right after I post this I'll set a timer and spend 15" prepping tomorrow's school.  It should start with memory work + piano (one boy can practice while I review poetry with the other) and something specific for each boy, I guess science, a science kit for younger and help elder move his chemistry stuff into the new space for it.  Ought to include a chunk of time for ME to work on memory binders and for me to read up on the new system for our RPG group.  We'll take a break from writing tomorrow to open up some space but will do reading, languages, piano, and game night.  !!! 

After I plan/prep that school, I'll yoga and head into tonight's dinner. 

Sending love + well-being to all y'all. 

Edited March 16, 2020 by serendipitous journey

[Critterfixer]

Morning! Dragging in late because I was at the triage center this morning getting all my available tests done. I'm waiting on results for flu, RSV, and strep. That's all our medical community can do right now because the COVID tests are in such short supply. They are saving those for the most sick and at risk, which is a good plan, and doing a R/O diagnosis on the rest of us who aren't so sick. If all my tests are negative, I will be in quarantine at home for two weeks, sort of like a presumptive diagnosis thing. Works for me.

Today's tasks:

House: laundry, dishes, cat boxes, light cleaning.

Cooking: burgers, fries. I might possibly make cookies if I feel like it, but I probably won't today.

School: none. I'm still not feeling good, and the boys are going to be handling most of the chores and cooking, so I decided they could have the week off.

Writing: Revise Chapter 1, 2 in one novel, character work for another, personal reading, blog post at some point today.

[Critterfixer]

The results are in from this morning. I have Flu Type A. Meds being called in and I should be right as rain in a day or five. Although I've been told to expect to be wiped out for about ten days.

[Critterfixer]

Morning! I'm still coughing a lot, and it's a lot more gross, but I did get some sleep last night with medicine. Talking my antiviral as of last night. I'm hoping to be well enough to work this weekend, but if I'm not, I'm not. I don't want anything else on top of this, and I don't want to spread flu either.

Today's goals:

House: laundry, dishes, cat boxes, light cleaning?

School: none

Cooking: Cook some chicken for chicken and rice, and make potato soup. I might also make some fried apples. The oven is full of pumpkin seeds in pots at the moment, so everything has to be stovetop.

Writing: Send back the Beta read I've been working on, continue revisions on my novel, character work, personal reading.

[serendipitous journey]

@Critterfixer: so, so glad it is just the flu.  I hope you feel better soonest.  And that the ten wiped-out days are ... what would work?  The days on Jupiter are 9-ish hours: perhaps you should recuperate in Jovian days. 

Yesterday was busy with a run out for food -- not crazy amounts of anything, but a bag each of the flours I use, some olive oil and a pound of butter, vinegars & baking powder & vanilla/spices and I was able to splurge on some smoked salmon.  DH thought it was absurd for me to go early for food shopping, but came 'round to my way of thinking once the "shelter in place" order for our county came down.  Then he reminded me to do the dog food, too, so we had a PM pet food run.  And a lot of the day was taken up in stripping & showering when I got home, and wiping packages down -- not sure if our improvised decontamination system will have much effect, but with an 80+ dear one living upstairs we have to do what makes sense to us. 

The children are fraying a bit and were, I think, oddly relieved when I sat them down for 25 minutes of school at the end of the day to spend some time on languages.  They didn't complain that our school ran past 4:00 pm (the sacred, if unofficial, cutoff during more normal times) AND they took our first day of French instruction in stride.  !!!!  Now I know the world is ending.  😉 

Today:

• Main goal: "bring the kingdom": work toward a space of grace, joy, and wellness.  I'd rather eat cookie dough and angst over coronavirus news, I'm embarrassed to say.
  • AM exercise for me, moving toward my goals: I'm trying to leverage the next three weeks of "shelter in place" to get fitter.
  • AM work with boys: piano, exercise, and the "Exit" boardgame a friend gave us.  If we have time after move into reading, writing, math.
  • PM work with boys: PM exercise, languages, finish leftover AM school, memory work.  Get school setup to start with science on Wed.
  • Get outside with boys & do some community service.  We live in a semi-rural area at the edge of our municipality and there is a scotch broom problem (invasive plant species), so we can maintain social distance out on the hillside pulling weeds. 
• E-mail: esp. confirm online conference for tomorrow with a piano teacher, set up & troubleshoot Zoom, figure out what the children ought to do while I'm in the conference.
• House: continue to clean.
• Garden: work in it a bit.
• Dinner: sauteed chicken, rolls, salad, baked apples I hope. 
• Longer term: draft some mellow, flexible goals for the next three weeks & sketch out next 18 mos of work, start a supply/resource list.  That would actually take us fairly nicely through the current set of work & the next "year" worth: WTM 9th for the elder, 5th for the younger.  For later this week: daily focus on history, science, art (?)

 

Edited March 17, 2020 by serendipitous journey

[Critterfixer]

That sounds like a good plan. And yes, early grocery runs or pick-ups are probably what everyone will need to go to soon. I have my steamer ready to go and I think it makes good sense to have everyone shower and strip coming in. Good idea to wipe the packages down, too. Even a soapy rag would probably do some good.

We have to go help with fish stocking in a pond on Thursday. I've had to ask MIL to let me bring the kids, and to please not get anywhere close to us while we are moving the fish. It's a pain, but it's just safest.

[Mommyof1]

Hope you feel better soon, Critter.

[Critterfixer]

Morning. Still coughing. But again--I slept really well. I think my body is trying to recover from the three days I was coughing so hard I couldn't sleep. Today I need to make the call on whether I can work or not this Saturday. We need the money. But on the other hand, nobody needs the flu. I'm checking my temperature and will see how my cough does today. If I'm still running fever today and coughing, no. I already had to take cough medication this morning, and it's really better to be three days clear of all symptoms. 

Today's goal:

House: laundry, dishes, cat boxes, light cleaning

Cooking: pan-seared chicken breasts, broccoli, fried apples, sauteed mushrooms

School: none. Boys have their seeds planted for the garden, and my oven is serving as the warming box.

Writing: continue revisions, personal reading, character work

[serendipitous journey]

Morning!  Wishing you health & rest, Critterfixer, and crossing my fingers that your temperature is normal. 

@Mommyof1: Hope all's well as can be with your family.  You are in my thoughts. 

Today: ????  DH is starting to fray, things are just very odd, naturally with "social distancing" and the shelter in place DH & I are both showing signs of somewhat-serious anxiety/depression.  There is a lot of good news: we are healthy here so far, DH's salary is secure for the time being, and the children & DH's mother are actually doing very well.  If anybody is fraying it ought to be the middle-aged folks in the family, seems to me, and if anybody ought to be able to thrive it is the old folks and the little ones. 

So the fundamentals are strong.  But I see that we will need to work hard & be creative, be flexible to ensure that they stay that way.  DH especially is used to a lot of bicycling each day on his commute & very busy days full of talking with people he finds interesting & challenging.  Being at home in his little study space is a huge change, he usually works from there a day or two each week but not all day every day.  And of course it is harder for us to do our normal school with him wandering around -- we school at the dining room table, mostly -- and so that tends to push him back to his desk.  And I am getting almost no time alone during the day, which is a problem: DH has a miraculous knack, it seems, for wandering in just when I've sent the boys out for a break and could grab some moments of quiet solitude. 

And both DH and I are just off our games.  It is the strangest feeling, almost like being lagged in time.  I just am not making the best "calls", my intuition for what works well is not serving me as usefully as it should, the usual strategies & solutions aren't working as well.  I'm profoundly grateful for this experience of disconnect in a way, since it opens up a new window into how other people have sometimes felt, but honestly I'd prefer being happy & comfortable.  🙂 

Okay.  Thanks for this space to reflect.  I'm going to try & identify a few strands of life and focus in.

1. our spirits.  We need to be in touch with our deeper callings & sources of joy. 
   1. For boys:
      1. regular homeschooling so that they continue to see & make solid progress.  Esp. include the arts -- poetry, writing, visual arts, music -- to build more avenues for expression & engagement.  Making concrete: 1.  Print out WTM schedules, make minimum changes necessary to accommodate piano, languages, drawing/music education goals and poetry/Shakespeare/Bible.
      2. tap into their joys
         1. elder: building things, also role playing games and social connections: write letters to our friends.  Make concrete: 1.  Move chemistry supplies into schooling area.  2.  Set up Zoom that our RPG can use.   3.  Begin RPG conversation about games moving forward, esp. City of Mist characters.  4.  Initiate process of building an address book.  5.  Find & use card-making kit to send handmade cards to friends. 
         2. younger: work on games, projects & kits; ideally help him run an RPG for our family (?), pay attention to him and notice where his joys/callings are.  Make concrete:  1. A game every other day.  2.  Daily hands-on project/kit.  3.  Work on family RPG with him: plan 15-20" per day.  4a. Find a journal and 4b.  write a sentence or two about each boy, each day, in it.
   2. For DH:
      1. His science: I can read a bit more on science generally and find brain science resources for boys so that the family can be more engaged in his work.  Concrete: read 1 science, one non-science article each day. 
      2. His social circle: encourage what socializing he is able to do and make our homeschooling space more amenable to his presence (move our table work into the living room??), encourage him to reach out to friends, reach out to friends myself so that the sense of our social space is greater.  Concrete: 1.  Sketch plan for table in playroom.  2.  Figure out where reading chairs, working chairs, workspaces, and exercise space will be.  3.  Draft a lighting plan (it is dark in there).  4.  Implement. 
      3. Us: shift our evening dinner, dessert + storytime routine earlier to allow more time together in the evening before we have to get to sleep. Concrete: 1.  Dinner on between 6:20 and 6:30 or so (aiming for earlier than 6:30).  2.  Begin younger fellow's story a bit before 8:00. 
   3. For me:
      1. Set aside time to read Bible & Christian writing daily.  Concrete: Bible reading before school each day. 
      2. Set aside brief times to meditate (I can do a 5" breathing exercise that helps me have a sense of being "alone").  Concrete: take 5" to breathe after each meal, or before it. 
      3. Work on my joy/calling: at the moment, homeschooling, homemaking, gardening, friending.  Concrete: 1. Continue to do 2 or 3 cleaning cycles each day.  2.  Plan hedge and then find the plants.  3.  Make an e-mail contact each day for the next week.  4.  Do some math each day.   5.  Do some writing each day. 
2. our bodies. 
   1. Boys: continue with fitness, keep working on clearing hills of scotch broom, set aside time for them to get bikes in good repair so they can go biking with DH.  Concrete: 1.  DareBee daily (twice on Sunday if we miss Saturday).  2.  RCAF daily.   3.  10" outside work 5x/week.  4.  Work on bicycling 3x a week until it is up and going. 
   2. DH: restructure our days so that the family can go hiking several times a week, get DH on board with this.  I must say: there are advantages to living in a county that considers hiking with the family an "essential activity".  Concrete: not sure this is the best idea, given schedules.  Instead:   1. work outside with DH 3x/week.  2.  Do a nature walk/nature day with boys once a week.
   3. Me: exercise, continue to improve my fitness.   Concrete: 1.  "Ballet" daily.  2.  Aerobic step on days I don't do strength.  3. Strengh 3x/week.  4.  Add an early AM walk.
   4. Everybody: nutritious, yummy food to eat.  Concrete: 1.  Fruit-based breakfast for me once this week.  2.  Veggie-based lunch for me, veggies at lunch for boys.  3.  Plenty of veggies at dinner, too.  3.  Daily eggs for me.  4.  Continue to serve well-rounded, mild dinners that won't trouble elder DS' tummy. 
3. homeschool:
   1. Work daily on my plan until I have it going (I'm using Pam Barnhill's planning method, more or less, so there IS a finish line here) with a focus on arts, hands-on activities, and lots of literature & reading aloud.
   2. Balance strong progress in the basics with the other, more-rewarding stuff.
4. home environment
   1. Continue to work hard on cleaning & organizing.
   2. Focus on having a cheerful, positive & encouraging spirit.
   3. Find some one spot to increase beauty and work on that.
5. relationships: Remember that caring for, cherishing, celebrating, encouraging and enjoying each other is pretty much the point.  Do the same for myself. 

This morning: engage the process.  Talk with DH, start school by 9:00.  Need to prepare for tomorrow's meeting with piano teacher and edit, try to figure out how to implement the above list and modify as needed/based on DH's feedback.

Edited March 22, 2020 by serendipitous journey

[Critterfixer]

Morning. It's raining again. It was kind of nice to see the sun for a while yesterday, but it's gone again.

Today's schedule:

House: cat boxes, laundry, dishes. 

Cooking: smoking a brisket, and I still need to cook my mushrooms and fry some apples later

School: none

Writing: continue revisions, character work, personal reading

[serendipitous journey]

Good morning!  On the slate for today:

Before school starts: some exercise for me, eat, read some Bible.  School: start with science kit for younger + science work for elder, prob. cleaning out an area in which he can do science.  Languages, math, and writing today; plenty of read-alouds; and I need to prep. for and have an online meeting with a piano teacher about their instruction.  Also: housecleaning (kitchen, food storage, living room, school storage, bathroom, outside, boys' rooms + desks), pizza & salad for dinner, work on yesterday's New Reality troubleshooting list to finish making things concrete and bring them online. 

Edited March 19, 2020 by serendipitous journey

[Critterfixer]

Morning! Well, it's been a week, but I think I'm finally emerging from under the blanket of sickness. I still don't have a ton of energy, but I feel brighter. My head doesn't feel like it's stuffed with feathers at least.

Today's goals:

House: laundry, dishes, cat boxes, bedroom and bathrooms, wash linens

Cooking: pork chops, broccoli, maybe something with peaches for dessert. I haven't been baking. Pumpkins in the oven.

School: next week's schedules--we start back, but I have one day planned off to go out to a secluded lake somewhere with DH and the boys. I need to remember to think ahead for picnic things.

Writing: character work, personal reading

[serendipitous journey]

Critterfixer, so glad you are feeling better!  <germ-free e-hug>

Today: stay sane and kind.  

School is alternating piano with other things (house, exercise, "Exit" escape game, dabble in languages + math).  Piano lessons online today.  Can't think straight!!!  And am in headache treatment mode; will post more when things feel more calm. 

[serendipitous journey]

Good Afternoon! 

This AM was slow Saturday stuff; DH went shopping, I did the disinfection protocol on the stuff he brought home, now he & boys & MIL are on a hike. 

Our local nursery is actually open, so today I'm going to make a trip to lay in our outdoor necessaries and ideally make sure we can work outside a good deal in the next couple of weeks.  So I'll spend a few minutes planning for that and head out.  Rest of today: exercise all around; house cleaning; prep week's school; contact folks; and finally clean up my earlier thoughts about moving us into the current, shelter-in-place reality with some grace & joy. 

Hoping you are all well, friends.