These Laughs Brought to You By Luke
Alternate Title: Comedic Relief in These Dark Times
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| "I'm gonna study your face!" |
Eliza's 12-Day 10th Birthday Festival Concludes
Eliza got home from her trip with Ben on a Monday night, and soon I had pictures like this on my phone:
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| That's my girl. |
We were glad she got a little more time with Grammy before she headed back home too!
Eliza requested grocery store frosted soft sugar cookies for her class birthday celebration, which happened on Wednesday. Then on Friday, we hosted a birthday party right after school. I picked up pizzas from Little Caesars and Eliza and her friends kept busy with some simple activities: they talked and sang after inhaling helium from ballons, busted a pinata, played hot and cold for Eliza to find her presents, decorated their own cupcakes, and did some YouTube dancing. They had lots of fun!
And with that, Eliza's birthday celebration was finally over. I might take next year off.
Jack's Field Trip
I was excited to get to chaperone Jack's field trip to the State Capitol! First of all, I was looking forward to spending time with Jack and his classmates. Second of all, I was looking forward to seeing the Capitol, a beautiful building at which I've spent an embarrassingly small amount of time.
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| The legislature was in session! It was cool to sit and watch them for a while. |
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| View from the House chamber exterior window. |
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| On the main level of the building were several small displays that taught people about Utah, including information about the natural resources and industries here. I stopped for a minute at this one about movies filmed in Utah - there are a lot more than I realized! |
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| Our group, with their scavenger hunt papers, after eating our bagged lunches at 10:30 am. |
There was a health and emergency services fair going on in the central hallway of the Capitol,
and I took pictures of these emergency backpacks and this First Aid Kit for future reference.
This was less than 3 weeks before a big earthquake hit just west of SLC. No, I hadn't made any
additional preparations after taking these pictures. Yes, I think I should now.
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| The Gold Room This is the state room used for hosting dignitaries and it got its name because of all the gold leafing and other ornate European furnishings. Our guide told us it is valued at $3M. |
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| The top of the rotunda ceiling is 50m above the floor and the chandelier weighs 3,000 lbs. There are paintings of famous people and events from Utah's history on the walls. |
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| Original Supreme Court Room - now they meet in a larger facility in a different building. |
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| Our whole group gathered in the Supreme Court Room and had a Q&A with Keith Grover, the Senator for our area. The kids asked him things like "What kind of car do you drive?" and "Do you have any pets?" He has a background in middle school education, which in how he was such a good sport with the kids. He was in the House for several years before being elected as a Senator and said he enjoyed that the House was more lively, but that the Senate is more efficient because it's a smaller group of people. It was fun to hear from him. |
While Ben and Eliza Were Gone
(A recap of what the rest of us did on Eliza's birthday weekend, when she was in Florida with Ben.)
On Friday afternoon, Jack had 3 friends over and Luke had 1 friend over, so it was a boy-filled playdate at our house for a few hours and they had a great time! Then they saw friends at the school skate night that night, during which neither Jack nor Luke skated. Jack played laser tag and jumped on the bounce-houses, and Luke played in the arcade and won enough tickets for some fun prizes. That night, Cat and I stayed up late watching a movie, which was really fun and definitely worth it.
Saturday was more low-key. We were mostly home, hanging out, doing some housework and some homework and some piano practice. Jack assemble items that would represent the book he read for his term 3 book report. He'd read Swordbird, which was written in reponse to the 9/11 attacks, so he made this quick WTC to go in the giant Amazon gift bag he was using.
On Friday afternoon, Jack had 3 friends over and Luke had 1 friend over, so it was a boy-filled playdate at our house for a few hours and they had a great time! Then they saw friends at the school skate night that night, during which neither Jack nor Luke skated. Jack played laser tag and jumped on the bounce-houses, and Luke played in the arcade and won enough tickets for some fun prizes. That night, Cat and I stayed up late watching a movie, which was really fun and definitely worth it.
Saturday was more low-key. We were mostly home, hanging out, doing some housework and some homework and some piano practice. Jack assemble items that would represent the book he read for his term 3 book report. He'd read Swordbird, which was written in reponse to the 9/11 attacks, so he made this quick WTC to go in the giant Amazon gift bag he was using.
Luke and I did get out for a bit and enjoy the warm (45°!) weather with a walk/jog. He was excited to find this little figurine while we were out, which he thought resembled a Minecraft character, though he hasn't actually played Minecraft to the best of my knowledge but his best friend talks to him about it a lot.
On Sunday, Cat was in charge of getting the boys ready and off to church while I was at choir. She rocked it. Not only were they on time, they were 10 minutes early. I met them there a few minutes after the meeting started (leaving from SLC as soon as I could!) and could hardly believe that when we got home from church, the kitchen was also all clean. Cat for the win! The kids played some basketball in the afternoon, then we watched Pres. and Sis. Oaks discussing the new Children and Youth Program on a Face to Face, and we also talked to Ben and everyone in Tallahassee before bedtime.
It was a good weekend, but a little weird not to have Ben and Eliza around - we were glad when they got home on Monday!
A Long Post in Which I Chronicle the Recent Effects of Coronavirus On My Family
I publishd a few posts last week as usual, a few weeks behind, as usual, as if things were happening as usual in real time, though they were anything but.
Coronavirus has been in the news, at least on my radar, since January. But it didn't begin to effect my life in any meaningful way until Wednesday, March 11th. At that point we'd been warned not to shake hands, to be extra diligent about washing hands and not touching our faces, and to allow for extra space between strangers. Eliza's gym informed parents of extra health measures they would be using. Some minor changes had been announced for General Conference.
But on March 11th, things started getting real. It was announced that General Conference will not have any spectators: only General Authorities, their wives, the musicians, and the technicians will be present in the Conference Center. Ben and the other managers at his company told employees to begin working from home. That night, President Trump announced that people would not be allowed to fly from Europe to the US. We had a serious talk with the kids about the virus and the things we can do to keep ourselves and others healthy: washing hands thoroughly and often and not touching our faces. When Jack went to bed that night, he was worried. "I don't want to get the virus," he told me. I reassured him that he was safe (only a few cases in Utah at that point), but that he still needed to be extra careful about hand-washing and avoiding touching his face, two things that do not come easily to him.
And on the 12th, the world seemed to begin unravelling. Piano lessons would be held over video chat. Cat's two soccer seasons (playing with a girls' rec team and training with her school's boys' team) were suspended for two weeks. Utah Governor Gary Herbert restricted gatherings of 100 or more people beginning the following Monday, for two weeks. He announced that schools throughout Utah would be on "soft closure" for two weeks also. And most surprising of all, President Nelson announced that all church gatherings would be suspended until further notice.
I started to feel tied to my phone, checking the news and reading emails constantly. What is going to happen next?? My younger kids were out of school on Thursday and Friday, on previously announced 2019-2020 school calendar student holidays. Thursday was a mostly-home day, but we did venture to meet up with cousins at a playground (it's still safe to play outside, right?). Then I tried to run to the grocery store for ice cream cones for the kids and a few items for the family but after seeing a ridiculously long line, we just got the ice cream cones. And a few boxes of Girl Scout cookies on our way out.
With so many developments the last two days, I wanted to get the kids out on Friday before everything around us shut down. We went to the library in Provo (the one in Orem was closed beginning that day) and stocked up on books and DVDs, then we went to a trampoline park to play for a little while, washing and sanitizing our hands much more often than usual. It felt good to put my phone down and just play with the kids for a while! That day, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints announced that beginning on Monday, proxy work in temples would be suspended. We were very thankful that Cat and Jack already had appointments to do baptisms for the dead that night.
The day we left, Moab, a very small town with a very small hospital, cut back restaurant services significantly and stopped accepting hotel reservations from visitors (allowing people who work in or around Moab to stay at hotels) in an effort to discourage tourists from coming.
It's now 8:56 on Wednesday morning and we're all home, trying to figure out our new normal. (Of note: we had an earthquake at 7:09 this morning. I hope that won't be part of the new normal.) Ben is working upstairs. I'll pick up the kids' school materials later this morning. And other than piano and schoolwork, our schedules are literally completely clear.
Honestly, I'm thankful for more time with my family; I've been wanting this for a while. But I'm also nervous about how we'll do this, how to help everyone be happy and get along and hopefully create some positive memories, while also keeping up with schoolwork and piano practice.
I know there will be challenges, and I wish I knew how long it would all last, because I'm fairly certain it will be more than 2 weeks, but I'm not scared. I feel like we're temporally and spiritually prepared, doing our best to take care of ourselves but remembering that our faith and trust are in our Savior Jesus Christ. We're in His hands, and in the end, everything will be okay.
Coronavirus has been in the news, at least on my radar, since January. But it didn't begin to effect my life in any meaningful way until Wednesday, March 11th. At that point we'd been warned not to shake hands, to be extra diligent about washing hands and not touching our faces, and to allow for extra space between strangers. Eliza's gym informed parents of extra health measures they would be using. Some minor changes had been announced for General Conference.
But on March 11th, things started getting real. It was announced that General Conference will not have any spectators: only General Authorities, their wives, the musicians, and the technicians will be present in the Conference Center. Ben and the other managers at his company told employees to begin working from home. That night, President Trump announced that people would not be allowed to fly from Europe to the US. We had a serious talk with the kids about the virus and the things we can do to keep ourselves and others healthy: washing hands thoroughly and often and not touching our faces. When Jack went to bed that night, he was worried. "I don't want to get the virus," he told me. I reassured him that he was safe (only a few cases in Utah at that point), but that he still needed to be extra careful about hand-washing and avoiding touching his face, two things that do not come easily to him.
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| I had already been unable to buy toilet paper for a week, but on 3/11 I saw this for the first time. |
And on the 12th, the world seemed to begin unravelling. Piano lessons would be held over video chat. Cat's two soccer seasons (playing with a girls' rec team and training with her school's boys' team) were suspended for two weeks. Utah Governor Gary Herbert restricted gatherings of 100 or more people beginning the following Monday, for two weeks. He announced that schools throughout Utah would be on "soft closure" for two weeks also. And most surprising of all, President Nelson announced that all church gatherings would be suspended until further notice.
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| Cat watched Gov. Herbert's press conference with the boys' soccer team in the coach's office after practice - the last time they'll be together for a while. |
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| Another first, at the grocery store. |
I decided to outwit the other stocking-up-in-case-of-quarantine shoppers in my area by getting up early to go to the local 24-hour grocery store at 5am on Friday, March 13th. I walked in at 5:15 and saw that the check-out line literally went to the back of the store, and walked out - we have enough food (and enough toilet paper, fingers crossed) for now and maybe the panic will die down in a week or so.
With so many developments the last two days, I wanted to get the kids out on Friday before everything around us shut down. We went to the library in Provo (the one in Orem was closed beginning that day) and stocked up on books and DVDs, then we went to a trampoline park to play for a little while, washing and sanitizing our hands much more often than usual. It felt good to put my phone down and just play with the kids for a while! That day, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints announced that beginning on Monday, proxy work in temples would be suspended. We were very thankful that Cat and Jack already had appointments to do baptisms for the dead that night.
On Saturday we went skiing as a family, as had been on our calendar for weeks. We were so glad to have something we could do where we felt safe getting out of the house for a few hours! That day we got an email from our bishop, letting us know that we would be able to administer the Sacrament in our family when we have our home-church on Sunday. I was so thankful, and excited about that. (Our bishop also recommended we communicate via technology or semaphore, which I laughed about, after I looked it up.)
We had our first home-church ever on Sunday. Sacrament Meeting (can I call it that?) was in the living room. Cat chose the hymns and played piano, Luke gave the opening prayer, Ben blessed the Sacrament and Jack passed it, Luke shared the 3rd Article of Faith, Jack bore his testimony, Eliza shared a story she'd read in The Friend, Ben gave a talk on Alma 34, and Eliza offered the closing prayer. Then we moved to the kitchen table and I led a CFM lesson on Jacob 1-4, talking mostly focusing on what it means to "look beyond the mark."
Then we ate lunch and got everything ready for a coronacation (term stolen from some hikers we overheard talking at Canyonlands) to Moab for a couple of days. We debated about this, but decided it was a safe choice, since there had been no reported cases in our area and none in Southern Utah and we'd be spending the vast majority of our time outdoors or in our hotel room. We had a great time on our trip (more on that later) and I kept thinking I was so thankful that we got out while we could, enjoying being out of our house and making fun memories before we're effectively quarantined.
We did get some news updates and emails about the virus while we were gone, including the new recommendation that no gatherings of more than 50 people take place for the next 8 weeks, and President Trump's recommendation that Americans stop discretionary travel and stop dining-in at restaurants. I started getting information from teachers about how and what to do for schooling for the kids, and Cat's school closure was extended to Spring Break. Gymnastics practices and the last meet of the year were cancelled for Eliza, and Jack's play cancelled (after getting a revised rehearsal schedule just the day before). And all Utah ski resorts were closing, thwarting my plans to do a lot of skiing with the kids while they were out of school (figuring that between the outdoors and the hazmat-like gear you wear when you're skiing, it was a safe option).
It's now 8:56 on Wednesday morning and we're all home, trying to figure out our new normal. (Of note: we had an earthquake at 7:09 this morning. I hope that won't be part of the new normal.) Ben is working upstairs. I'll pick up the kids' school materials later this morning. And other than piano and schoolwork, our schedules are literally completely clear.
Honestly, I'm thankful for more time with my family; I've been wanting this for a while. But I'm also nervous about how we'll do this, how to help everyone be happy and get along and hopefully create some positive memories, while also keeping up with schoolwork and piano practice.
I know there will be challenges, and I wish I knew how long it would all last, because I'm fairly certain it will be more than 2 weeks, but I'm not scared. I feel like we're temporally and spiritually prepared, doing our best to take care of ourselves but remembering that our faith and trust are in our Savior Jesus Christ. We're in His hands, and in the end, everything will be okay.
Eliza's 12-Day 10th Birthday Festival Continues
Ben took Eliza on a trip to Tallahassee, which happened to be over her birthday weekend. She had an absolute blast.
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| Breakfast in the Sky Lounge |
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| Quail hunting at Papa's friend's farm in Thomasvile, GA |
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| Eliza helped with decorating this beautiful and yummy-looking cake, then shared it with more family friends, the Smiths. |
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| Fun with Mema! |
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| More shooting with our good friend Roy |
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| FSU Baseball game |
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| Go Noles! |
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| Obligatory FSU Football Stadium Picture |
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| Ben got all dressed up (FSU-themed, of course) to accept an award for his company at the Seminole 100 Saturday night. Eliza hung out with Mema and Papa, eating pizza and watching Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. |
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| Quail for Sundy dinner |
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| Love this. |
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| Mema and Papa's yard. |
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| Mema and Papa took Ben and Eliza to St. George Island Mondy morning for a quick fishing trip before they flew out that afternoon. |
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| Eliza didn't catch anything, but she reeled in several fish her father and grandfather caught. |
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| To top off an already fun trip, Ben's ticket was upgraded to first class for the first leg of their trip back to Utah, and he gave Eliza his seat. |
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