Our Coronavacation

First, they closed the schools. Then the libraries. Then restaurants and indoor play spaces. For the last 10 days or so my family has been stuck at home, trying to prevent catching or spreading COVID-19, the dangerous coronavirus that has swept across the world.

It's tough to be thrust into this kind of disruption of our normally scheduled craziness. Anxiety is high, the weather is cold and rainy, and we're all getting on each other's nerves. Here is what we've been doing to stay busy.

• Distance learning 

  

  Somebody help this octopus

• Bickering
• Distance learning while bickering
• Picking apart the mixed Play-Doh colors
• Using books as skates to slip and slide across the living room floor
• Looking for toilet paper
• Crying in the home office
• Kid yoga that devolved into rolling on the floor and kicking one another 

  

  Moments before it all went south

• Not checking our retirement accounts
• More distance learning
• Looking for hand soap
• Yelling "stop yelling!"
• Eating chocolate in the pantry alone
• "You better be careful! I'm not taking anyone to the hospital right now!"
• Somersaults across the living room floor
• More crying
• More distance learning, including a gym assignment (?)
• More yelling
• Interrupting mom trying to work from home 

  

  Not following social distancing recommendations

• "Are kittens real?"
• Fact checking social media
• Exploring the woods behind our house 

  

  Wild vinca and almost-ready daffodils

• Giving the reluctant dog a massage
• "Stop hitting each other!"
• Arguing over what to watch next on YouTube and Netflix
• Lying about bedtime
• "I don't know if dogs believe in ghosts."
• Begging for silence
• Stress-eating ice cream

We've got at least two more weeks, probably more. Godspeed, fellow parents. We may be going crazy but at least we're going together.