My kids have been getting along and getting creative. Here they area during a Lego bridge building competition. Notice Franny has her phone and earbuds right by her hand.

You may have noticed I adjusted the title a bit.  I think we can all agree that at this point, using the word “vacation” is an insult to the travel industry.  Therefore, let’s go with “lockdown.” We can reassess on Friday.

It’s the weekend!!  Days Seven through Nine (March 20th, 21st, 22nd)

Honestly, does it even matter that it’s the weekend?  The only difference is that Ted seems to be paying a little bit more attention to us.  We end up watching church services online and both kids have Sunday school lessons.  The highlight of the quarantine so far is on Sunday when we make a last-minute decision to surprise one of Franny’s besties with a birthday car-parade past her house. It is dark and snowy (yes, it snowed here, bonus!) and we hop in the car at 6pm with a big sign saying “Happy birthday!”  We shoot a last-minute text to a group of her friends and five minutes later six cars drive by, girls hanging out windows and sunroofs yelling “happy birthday,” holding up signs, honking horns incessantly, until she comes to the door. It truly was the high point of this quarantine and I had tears in my eyes seeing the love and friendship these girls have for each other.

Day Ten (Monday, March 23rd)

Back to reality.  It comes as no surprise that the things that are normally pet peeves of mine have been heightened in our secluded world.  Each person (and animal) in the family is grating on my last nerve.  First, believe it or not, is Franny.  She and I are very close, and she is generally easy-going, kind and helpful.  And even when she loses it, it’s usually because she is tired or hungry.  But, boy can that girl talk.  A lot.  I mean A LOT.  I mean, ALL. THE. DAMN. TIME.

Things she talks about: What she is doing, what she is thinking, what she saw on TV, what she saw on YouTube, what happened yesterday and lest we forgot, what happened a few minutes ago (which by the way, I actually WITNESSED HAPPEN a few minutes ago!)  She starts talking as soon as she wakes up and doesn’t stop.  I recently learned she even talks IN HER SLEEP.  And yes, the irony is not lost on me. There might be a certain blogger who also likes to talk.

Teddy, on the other hand, who is often moody and solitary, has become more open and even-keeled.  Unfortunately, his habit of asking what we are having for dinner has become more irritating than ever because of our close quarters.  Before the quarantine, it was the first thing he would ask when he would get home from school. Now, he asks it at around noon.  Since we are surviving on a diet of all of his favorite foods I don’t understand the problem. When is dinner?  What’s for dinner?  Can we have dinner?  It’s a depressing reminder that I will be making dinner for the rest of my life.  In fact, I once figured out that if I live till I’m 70, even if we eat out twice a week, I will still have to think of 5742 dinners before I die.

The dog, who is my best friend, (wait, let me amend that, I am HER best friend), has been acting wonky.  She is following me around even more than usual and can’t seem to figure out why I am sharing my love with others.  Social distancing is not in her lexicon.

Shockingly, the person who is bugging me the least is Ted. Generally, when he is home he likes to follow me around.  Thankfully that hasn’t been happening too much.  In fact, the only annoying thing so far has also been amusing: Watching him try and adapt to a standard stay-at-home lunch.  Even before the quarantine, Ted struggled with eating lunch at home.  For many years he would seem confused about why we weren’t having a full meal at lunchtime.  Where is the three-course meal of soup and salad and a hot sandwich?  Where is the appetizer?  (He mentioned to me that when he was little his mom would make burgers in the morning for him to take to school.  Ummm, that ain’t happening here, mister.  Eat your peanut butter sandwich like everyone else).  So this being the first time he has been home during the day for a significant amount of time, he is bewildered.  The other day, his attempt at a “sandwich” was three slices of American cheese on a hamburger bun.  I noticed later he had added chips and salsa to the INSIDE of the sandwich.  Help me.

One week down.  Two to go?