Home and Safe

It was a good Sunday.

Baking

cleaning

Some netflix

DS2 made it up north where his gf lives/teaches as he will stay up there for the next few weeks.

DS1 made it home safely after dropping his buddy off

We visited through the open front door briefly...safely spaced apart. He is still grumpy about the 14 days and I am hoping he will make it. This is the first time he's been there since we moved out. He said it doesn't feel like we are gone. Makes sense since we left the furniture and most of the things on the wall. He's definitely missing his cats.

and now I can relax

Weekends

DS phoned close to midnight. They had safely crossed the border. There was actually minimal fuss there with border patrol just handing them pamphlets about Covid and saying they should be doing a 14 day self isolation.

At this point they were exhausted. They wanted to push on. "It's only 7 more hours to home".

I told him to stop. Get a hotel room in the city just across the border. Eat. Shower. Rest.

The boys were complaining about the snow and temps. Poor little beach bums had forgotten what Sask weather in like.  They agreed to stop for the night.

The old house is ready to go. Everything's clean for him and I have stocked it with things he might like. I hope he gets how serious the 14 day self isolation is. And the law. but he's a social butterfly and hasn't seen his gf since early December.

a Lull Day

If I didn't think too hard, it could almost be Easter Break . Friday off, long weekend. No work duties.

I wandered for a good hour this morning, in my own home. I needed to shake it off. Do something. Do anything.

I baked a few batches of cookies and muffins, definitely appreciating my kitchen aid. The smell of baking was calming in a weird way. And I didn't eat a ton of cookie dough. Score!

I looked at my school pile and had to put it in a room to try to forget it for awhile. We weren't sure exactly what we were supposed to do, so give it a few days. A response team was meeting provincially and then would trickle the information down.

DS would call every few hours and update us. He and his buddy took turns driving four hour shifts while the other slept. Their grandiose ideas of stopping and enjoying the drive were out the window. They only stopped for fuel, snacks and a pee break, but each stop things felt a little more like 'this shit is real' as signs started appearing with guidelines for safety.

They are slowly making their way through the 33 hour drive.

And Boom... it starts

There was more of a spring in my step heading to work today, than yesterday. Not sure why. Perhaps the nerf gun war
I finished doing some room tidying and filling in documents for the district.

At 9:20 there is a page for another staff meeting. This time we aren't all gathering in the library. Three groups of staff, three admin, three different rooms. Same message.

We are all instructed to download an app and test it. Then we are told to finalize our paperwork, get our stuff together, and go. Preferably within the hour.

Pause would begin early. No nerf gun war. No last visits. Just get whatever you think you are going to need for online learning. Get your laptop and cord. And get out.

We were forbidden from entering the school - until at least May 1.

I threw a few resources I thought I would need in a box, got my marks binder (yes I do it old fashioned first before putting in online), a few books and I left.

It was really bizarre driving away from the school. Disconnected. Unreal. Confusing.

I drove home and just sat. For over an hour. It was a real 'what the hell just happened?"

DS called about  PM. He and the other boy did their check outs and left by noon. It is starting to become real to him. All this time he was of the 'it's no big deal' mindset. Now, with borders closing it's becoming real. All Canadians lose their healthcare (if something happens to them while down there) if they are not back in the country by Friday Midnight. A caravan of boys started together and will split around Nashville, some heading towards NY, NJ and Ontario others heading up to the west to Michigan, Minnesota and Canada.

I let DS2 know he needed to clear out of the house tomorrow so it's safe for the 14 day self isolation required by law.

Hump Day Happenings

The halls are hauntingly empty.

At our staff meeting this morning they said we are a go until Thursday 3:30. Then, according to the province, we will have Friday, and next week as Pause, as they are calling it. Time to be at home and figure out this new world for our family as well as for teaching.

The govt stated in that initial announcement that online learning is optional and everyone passes.

NOT well thought out to say the least. So many what ifs and our hands are tied. Really wish they would include us in conversations.

I finished my marks and updated my report cards for Term 3. My EA and I began cleaning around the classroom. Wiping desks and computers. Finding library books and returning them. Making lists of students to contact that they had belongings in my room.

We as a staff have planned a nerf gun war for our noon tomorrow. Tensions are high and everyone is shell shocked. We need a bit of levity and togetherness before we say goodbye to each other and the building.

After work, DH and I went for a big grocery shop. Unsure of how this is going to go, we are just making sure we have what we need for at least  couple weeks. The stores were crazy. Jammed. Panicy. Like right before Christmas but more stressful.

Carts are piled high. Shelves are bare. Almost no canned goods. No milk or bread. Surprisingly, the ice-cream bins are empty. This, in addition to the now usual - no cleaning products, flour, TP etc.

We didn't hoard but just made sure we had a few of each item we would want. It was one of the biggest bills I have had grocery shopping. Took forever to put away.

DS phoned tonight. Their league is suspended. He is doing his close out interview tomorrow (Thursday), taking care of his banking, and cleaning their condo.  One of the boys on the team is from SK. He had planned to fly home but was more than a little nervous about it. That, and last minute flights were exorbitantly expensive. DS decided they would come home together. How they will get 2 sets of equipment (the buddy is a goalie), and all their belongings in DS's Jeep Compass, is beyond me.

so much for their big plan of "many of the boys are going to caravan together, stop in Nashville for the night, etc)

DS2 is cleaning up our old house and getting his things ready to clear out before DS1 gets home.