March 16, 2020. Mama's thoughts.

I'm going to use this as an outlet to help my anxiety. Maybe getting it all out will help me feel more at peace with all the unknown upon us. And the kids will be helping out too. This will be a safe space for them to share their thoughts and feeling as well as practice their writing skills. I always tell my students to write from their heart and share what they are thinking and feeling. This will be a great artifact to look back on when we are out of this pandemic. This will be great to look back on.

Today we began a new adventure. Not a new job, a move back home, or buying a new house. 

Today we began the quarantine process. We all stayed home together like one big happy family. We didn't kill each other. ;) 

The past few days we have done the best we can to prepare for the unknown. We have stocked up on groceries-not stockpiled. We have a freezer full of venison thanks to D's successful hunting season. You can get a lot more deer when you aren't limited to a week. 

We didn't have school on Friday-it was supposed to be a PD day, but it turned into a day of prepping for the unknown. We made packets to send home just in case but were told to plan on a normal week on Monday. 

Saturday we were under a state of emergency in Allegany county. Students were to be done Wednesday 3/18. We were to have Monday to plan, and then students would have Tuesday to come in and get everything wrapped up. I was excited to get back in my room to bring things home for my kids to work on. I would get a chance to give my borrowed babies hugs and let them know how much I love them and will be thinking of them while we are apart even not knowing what the future has in store.

Sunday night. That's when we found out that there were 2 confirmed cases in the county. Then the panic and worry. How close? Scio? Wellsville? Is it someone we know? We found out this morning it was at ICS less than 10 minutes from where we live. We have friends that go there. It's the town we live in. At this point all we can do it stay home with our babies and pray to stay healthy.

We live in an amazing town, county, state, and country. I have no doubt moving forward that our leaders will do the very best they can do. We are moving into uncharted waters and doing the very best we can. I'm pretty good at winging life and pretending I have some clue of what I am doing. I have faith that our well trained and well educated government will make the tough choices that will bring us out of this with a new perspective on life.

Those are my thoughts for today. Stay tuned.