COVID19 Day 1

We received a call at 5AM from the Loudoun County Public School System that schools would be closed from today until 20 March.  Two days ago, the school board decided to have a teacher work day on 18 March to plan for distance learning if and when schools needed to shut down in response to the coronavirus.  We knew it was coming...eventually...but the drastic turnaround in less than 36 hours was shocking.

At 0626, I walked into Wegmans.  Our Aces baseball friends, the Crains, were walking out of the store with a cart full of groceries, which was impressive given that Wegmans only opens at 6AM.  They warned me that the lines were insane, making their 26 minute trip all the more successful.  I stocked up on necessities to make it through the next two weeks with the kids at home.  I managed to get bread, snacks, meat, chicken, a pork shoulder, and several canned goods.  The lines to check out snaked through the store.  Wegmans typically only has one or two cashiers when the store opens, and were understandably unprepared for the deluge of shoppers.  Thankfully, I ran into another Aces friend, Kaija Johnston, and we got in line to check out together, which meant one of us could hold the line in the event that the other had forgotten something and needed to run and get it.  It was 0700 when we got in line at the back of the store where toilet paper normally would be found.  Of course, there was none.  In all, we stood in line for 90 minutes.  We both saw several friends, all of whom had rolled out of bed and straight into the store.  Everyone was civil, friendly, and congenial.  We didn't have any of the riots that would break out in stores later in the day.



Our tennis team had a match scheduled for 1PM, so I left the kids at home while I headed to the Trump Country Club to play.  Debbie and I won 6-1, 6-4, and--despite government recommendations to practice social distancing--hugged to celebrate our win, noting that if one of us got COVID19, we would be going down together anyway.  Afterwards, we headed to River Creek to celebrate our win with a bottle of champagne.  Chad was already there, working remotely, and our friend Marybeth joined us.  We sat outside drinking champagne and crying.  To be clear, I cried...the other two just drank.



We met our friends, the Sweeneys, for dinner at the club.  Somehow, we are always with the Sweeneys when we get bad news, so it's only appropriate that we should spend the evening with them.  We have had countless dinners together where at least one of us has been without words, shellshocked, or just down.  Tonight was no different.

When I arrived home, we found our neighbors, the Murphys and Gentrups, had set up a Corona party in our driveway, complete with a firepit, grill, cooler, and garbage can for empties. To say I love my neighbors is a gross understatement.  They have become our family.  I love that they threw a party at our house while we were away.  It was a balm for my weary soul.

Crossfit Day 1

Last night, I went to my first CrossFit session.  Truth be told, it wasn't even really a "REAL" session, but a "fundamentals course."  My quads are screaming that it was fundamentally torture.  I can honestly say I did more squats in the first half hour than I have ever done in my life.  Squats with no weights, back squats, sumo dead lift high pulls (squats with the added pleasure of a kettle bell), box jumps (wherein one jumps--or hops--onto a box 12-18 inches off the ground), and then a few pushups thrown in just for variety.

It was surprisingly fun...until I figured out that was really the warmup for the 10 minute newbie variation of a workout or WOD (workout of the day) as seasoned veterans would call it.  I confess that prior to this moment, I had generally thought ten minutes was a fairly short amount of time.  We watch a lot of legal movies and television shows around here; and you sometimes hear that it took someone ten minutes to die.  I usually thought that wasn't such a bad thing...because ten minutes really isn't that long.  I would now like to offer my apologies to all the fictionalized characters of the crime genre whose suffering I wantonly dismissed.  I was wrong.  Ten minutes is a lifetime...especially if you have warmed up with 30 minutes of varying squat exercises and now are trying to see how many more you can do in these 600 seconds.

When I finally made it home--which was something of a miracle considering I wondered whether or not my legs had enough strength to properly control the gas and brake pedals--I downed half a gallon of water and forced myself to eat some cashews.  I made it up the stairs with no problems but actually had to sit and slide down on my bottom to get back downstairs.  That's a little pathetic...but precisely pathetic enough to ensure that I will be be back Wednesday morning.

Harrison suffers the great misfortune of being the third child.  To compound the problem, the first two years of his life (and, yes, I realize he is only two) were a blur of sleep deprivation and failed attempts to wrangle his brother and sister into some sense of order. 

Anyhow, yesterday, Thatcher asked Chad and me what his first first word was.  We quickly replied that it was "Dudya."  Naturally, he then wanted to know what Hadley's first word was.  We instantly told him it was "Thomas."  As a matter of course, he then wanted to know what Harrison's first word was.  Silence.  I honestly have no idea.  He could have recited the Gettysburg Address when he was eight months old for all I recall.  My only hope is that I managed to record it on the blog; but, truthfully, I'm more likely to find it somewhere on Facebook, but that would take forever to search.

In an attempt to be a better mother to our "sweet lovin' baby," here are some of my favorite Harrisonisms.  When he isn't chattering away, Harrison is singing!  Because he loves to sing, I'm including some hits that he frequently belts out around the house. 

Harrison's Favorite Phrases

• Yes. (I feel this is noteworthy for two reasons, the first of which is most children usually get hung up on saying, "NO."  Secondly, Harrison says this with his tongue touching his top, front teeth.  It should sound like, "yeth," but it surprisingly does not.  The "s" is almost hissed.  It's entertaining.)
• Need iPad.  (Harrison wakes up saying this.)
• Need iPone
• I don't wike it.
• Tickle kiggies.
• Tickle chest.
• More tickles.
• More please tickles. (What can I say, the kid LOVES tickles.)
• More please choc-wet (chocolate).
• Molly take it (usually through tears when Molly takes whatever stick Harrison is playing with...those two are constantly fighting over sticks).
• Need choc-wet milk.
• Go see Mrs. Knapp.
• More please puppies.
• Want talk to Papa.
• No, Hadwee.

Harrison's Favorite Songs



• Thomas The Tank Engine Roll Call
• Twinkle Twinkle Little Star
• Don't Fill Up on Chips - by Randy Kaplan
• Candace Party - from Phineas and Ferb
• Jesus Loves Me - by Danielle P Davis because the traditional melody was just too offensive to him. 

Big Prayer

Tonight, Thatcher prayed the following:

Dear Heavenly Father, I know that I am a sinner.  I believe that you died on the cross for me and that you rose from the grave.  I want you to come into my heart and be my Lord and Savior.  I want to live my life for you.  Amen.

A Question for Harrison

Dear Harrison,

Why have you stopped napping?

Love,
Mom

My Funny Valentine

When asked if he would be my valentine tomorrow, Thatcher responded, "Of course...because you have all of my love.  I keep it in my underpants; but tomorrow, I'm going to let it all out."

Hadley's Letter to Santa

Mommy, those people at the post office were sending letters to Santa.  Do you know what letter I'm going to send to Santa?  The letter "H" because Hadley starts with H.