Corona Virus pt 1

It's been 8 weeks now. My children left school for spring break on March 13, 2020. The news was full of loud, fast paced reporters talking about Covid-19 and being quarantined. I went to Costco that same Friday, like I always do did. I saw countless people rushing through the isles with water, soap, Clorox disinfectant, and toilet paper! Lots of toilet paper. I was there to shop for Easter. I figured if California or maybe the USA was going to lock down and I was stuck at home, the Easter bunny would still arrive at my house. I had more than half a Costco size pack of toilet paper at home and all this crazy should blow over before that ran out-boy was I wrong. Anyway, back to Costco, I was shopping for flip flops and Easter candy and picked up a couple different sized shade tents. I thought, well I'll take the kids to the beach! That should be a good use of time. And I'll get hiking backpacks so the kids can carry their own water. We will use some Spring Break and lockdown time to go hiking. I always buy SoftSoap brand refill jugs from Costco when they go on sale. They were on sale that week. But were sold out. They were SO sold out that I was laughed at for asking about it. I thought, okay, it's fine. Costco keeps their coupons running for about 3 weeks. I'll come back next week and get some.

I'm embarrassed to say now how wrong I was, but in all fairness, hindsight is 20/20. There's so much more to say about the past 8 weeks. But I want to start with these photos so I don't forget it and my last trip to Costco when I thought it was as crazy as it was going to get.

 Walmart 'cleaning solutions' section. Soaps and disinfectants are gone. Everything is rationed.

 This is the fresh, bagged salad section at Safeway here in Jackson, CA. There was nothing in the produce isle. Well, there was arugula, but I remember that even my goats in Ohio wouldn't touch that nasty lettuce.

Not my best shot. Looks like I'm aiming for the floor, but I was distracted at Safeway because there was meat! Shelves of meat! but I wanted to get a picture of the produce stands one more time. No onions, no tomatoes, avocados, bananas, grapes, berries, lettuce, potatoes, carrots, oranges...the list goes on. There was nothing fresh there to eat! I happen to find one party platter of precut veggies. I snagged that veggie tray like my life depended on it and took it home thinking it was going to be the last time I tasted fresh produce. It wasn't the last time. But the anxious feeling and lack of predicability  was and still is very real. 

It's time...to blog again

Here I am, 4 years or so from my last post. SO MUCH LIFE HAS HAPPENED.

I don't know where to begin. So I'll start with this:

I was in a pickle, feeling like a terrible person and a worse mother because I couldn't locate all the pictures of my children's "first day of school". That escalated to "where are all the birthday pictures I've taken over the years" Which leads me to this post.

I'm hunting down my past. I'm finding lost treasures! I'm going to get as many of the long lost birthday and backpack photos I can find and possibly start journaling my life again. The good, the bad, and the ugly truth. 

Playing in the jungle

So the backyard used to be nothing but dead tumbleweeds and dirt. Now days it's covered in rogue grass. If I had photos readily accessible I'd show a before and after.
We collected grass clippings through a friend and threw them down to cover the dirt that turned mud-pit during the spring and fall. Apparently that's a cheap way of planting seed because it took root and is growing with a vengeance!

Anyway, the kids have been enjoying the backyard jungle this spring, making up games, using the grass to make-believe fishing poles etc. It's been a joy to watch them play and get dirty!

Can you find Emma and Parker in this photo below?!

Making wishes with rocks and grass and throwing it in the bucket.

The Allergy Follow Up

We made it to the allergist and found out flax is the culprit. At least through the process of elimination we are 99% sure it's flax. Parker didn't enjoy being back in the 'hot seat'. He was pretty upset when the doctor poked his little back with all the extracts…but I feel more confident as the mom knowing what's going on. 

I'm officially a 'label reading mom' Thank goodness we're only dealing with flax right now, not something more common and life altering like wheat. I can only handle so much change and upheaval at a time!

Sewing

Starting to get some sewing done…fun quilts to follow!

Playing in the Dirt:

We got a fun package in the mail (thanks grandparents)! In the box we found some fun toys to play with. With the expectation of moving, we chose not to invest in a garden this year so it was the perfect place to play.

The one about the allergies

Be Warned, I find theses photos to be very disturbing








While sewing at a friends house last week we found ourselves enjoying some healthy, delicious smoothies around lunch time. Thirty minutes later Mr. Man was acting like he had a cold (sneezing, coughing, asking to sit still in Mommy's lap etc.) Within the hour it was obviously time to leave and get him home for a nap. He was not doing well. So we packed up the sewing project, tools, cleaned up toys, and found Parker's eyes had hives on them and he was starting to wheeze. It was obvious at this point it was more than a cold, it looked like an allergic reaction (not that I've seen one 'blossom' before my eyes).





Long story short we ended up in the E.R. to monitor symptoms, and bring down the swelling. Emma ended up at a friends house (thank goodness) and Parker fell asleep while we waited about 4 hours…I see the allergist later this week.

He was fixated on this tube (an alcohol swab I think). 

The next day, spunky and happy and most of the swelling is gone.