The Kids' Thoughts So Far On Coronavirus

I wanted to document how the kids are currently feeling about all of this. I must admit, I was surprised about how sad they both are and how much they miss their friends. I knew they missed their friends of course, but we've been having fun at home and they're both handling it like champs. Layla and Marcus truly are best friends and while they have their normal sibling spats, they really get along well, care for each other, and have fun together. I think their relationship has helped them through this more than they can realize at their young ages. The gospel, our faith in Christ, and prayer has also helped us all feel peace and have peace in our home. I hope they come to realize all of this as they get older. My hope is that they will look back on this time with some fondness, despite the craziness of it all. Because it truly is crazy!

This weekend we set up a tent in the basement. It is the epitome of glamping! They have lanterns, Harvey's fake tree scratching post outside the tent window to make it feel like we're outside, and the sound of crickets chirping on the sound machine. We've been roasting marshmallows over the gas stove to make s'mores. The kids have slept in the tent two nights in a row now. Last night they convinced me to join them, and while I can hardly walk today because it hurt my poor hip so much to sleep on the floor, it was worth it to see how happy it made them. I love their little guts!

Now on to their thoughts on COVID-19:

Marcus:

I remember hearing that Coronavirus was dangerous and that it killed a lot of people.  I heard that school shut down. I was kind of scared that it was going to be around a lot, like fevers. They’re going to make medicine. I was hoping no one in my family would get it. I want everyone to stay in their houses, but maybe they can go outside if they stay away from everyone. “Maybe we need to shut things down,” is what the President said one day. Before that, I didn’t get any reports that my school was shut down, but one day it shut down and I didn’t bring anything home because no one knew that would happen, so we weren’t ready.

Now I like homeschool because we hardly have to do anything. I like being home from school because I didn’t have to ride the bus, so it doesn’t take up that much time of my day so I can play more. I don’t have any homework cuz I was at home the whole time, so we just did schoolwork, so it was just the same thing.

We have to get dressed at home still. States started shutting down. People got more worried, the stores got really empty, everybody was staying in their houses. Then the whole world got shut down. That’s kinda it.

So, I’m assuming we’re gonna have to live on Mars.

I feel like it’s going crazy bananas. And that everybody’s being crazy. Some people are risking their lives to go in the store a lot. Some states got super serious about it, like you have to have a special pass to go outside.

I’m feeling okay that I’m in my house so that I don’t get Coronavirus and I’m glad that we have sinks and soap to wash our hands in. I feel sad that I don’t get to play with my friends. I feel happy that I get to do lots of stuff like camp downstairs in a tent and roast marshmallows over the stove and I just wish I could play with my friends so that we could do all this stuff together and we don’t have to have everything virtual like karate.

We get to walk to the waterfall in Fruit Heights. I love that. I have way more time because school at home is so short and I don’t have to ride the bus. And we don’t have to have time to drive to karate, we just have to have time to turn on a computer with a button. 

Layla:

I first heard about COVID-19 when Mom was talking to Grandma Bott. I heard Mom say, “Oh, I didn’t know that. Good to know.” I thought, “What is happening?” because I couldn’t hear what Grandma Bott was saying. I was kind of scared, wondering if something bad was going to happen. Then Mom told me and Marcus about it. She said there’s a new virus going around, so we need to wash our hands and be careful and not put our fingers in our mouths, even though the virus is in China.

At school, we were talking in the bathroom about how we need to wash our hands, and Emily talked about the virus in China. Then it became this whole big thing and everybody knew about it. Then school got canceled!

I’m kind of happy school is out because I don’t have to go to school, but it also gets kind of crazy and I’m kind of annoyed because Marcus is crazy and I’m crazy and it’s all crazy. I’m glad that we set up the tent in the basement to go “camping” at home and we got Kindles to read books on. I’m also kind of scared because Coronavirus is in Davis County and we live in Davis County. And I’m also scared because I feel like if we get sick it will be even more crazy.

The last day of school was March 13^th. They said we might go back in two weeks, but now they are saying May 4^th. Now I got a packet from my teacher with all the papers I would have done if school was still in and I am doing them at home. I like that we can go at our own pace each day because some people learn quicker than others in our class and I kind of learn quicker so I don’t like waiting while the teacher explains and answers everybody’s questions because most of the time I don’t have any questions and I get it. Now I can do it at my own pace.

I’ve been emailing friends from class on Outlook. Most of the time the big groups that are emailing constantly are Emily, Kaylie, Maggie, Emma, and Adriella. Adriella started this big email chain with everyone she could email in the class and a few other people. It helps me feel connected to them while we can’t have any play dates.

I’m sad we can’t have any playdates. I want to be able to play with friends if we’re stuck at home. But, I have been emailing people from my class and FaceTiming Oakley because I can’t email her on outlook. It’s been fun to FaceTime Oakley and see what’s been going on at her house and show her what we’re doing here.

I’m really sad because my birthday will be virtual because of Coronavirus because we don’t want to risk getting anyone in our extended family sick. For some of the people, getting coronavirus would not be good because they could die. My birthday party with my friends was going to be a pool party at the rec center. I was going to invite 10 people from my class and Oakley. Now it will be postponed and I will have a virtual birthday party on my real birthday with family. I will just have to do the swim party later.

My overall feeling is happy and sad. Happy because we don’t have to go to school. But sad because we have to do school at home and my birthday party has to be postponed and because I can’t play with friends. I’m also happy because I can email and FaceTime my friends.

Mom says I’m handling it all like a champ, but in  my mind I’m going crazy. I want to play with friends and have a big birthday party close to my birthday.

And my play! My school play had to be postponed! We were going to do it in front of a videographer when all of this started and we couldn’t have an audience, but even that got postponed. I’m not sure when we’re going to do it in front of the audience and videographer. I hope it will be soon before I forget any of my songs or dances, but I probably won’t forget any of them.

I hope this will be over soon! I’m happy and I’m sad. I learned that social distancing can be important under certain circumstances. 😊 When I pray, most of the time, there’s some part in there about all of this being over. 

The Beginning of 2020

One word:

CORONAVIRUS.

Wowzers, it's amazing how much that one word has changed our world. The entire world.

The abbreviation is COVID-19. It's a virus that started in China late last year. It quickly spread to the rest of the world. We started hearing about it the end of January; China was forcing all of their citizens in certain areas to stay in their homes to mitigate the spread of the virus. It sounded crazy and surreal. Then a cruise ship had patients test positive and they were quarantined on the ship for 2 weeks before they could go home. More craziness. From there it rapidly spread until it affected all 50 states in our country.

Students have been out school for weeks. Businesses are closed. Grocery stores have many empty shelves. We are having church at home. All community events are canceled. The economy is in shambles. People are staying home in an effort to stop the spread.

The virus is mild for most people under the age of 40. 98% percent of the deaths are in people over the age of 60. There are still so many unknowns, but at it's core, COVID-19 causes breathing problems and leads to pneumonia and eventually death, especially in older people with underlying health conditions.

On top of that, we were awoken one morning this week to a 5.7 earthquake.

It all feels so surreal.

But every day, I am reminded of the good. I am reminded that despite conflicting rumors people are spreading out of fear and as a result of the media, there is one source I can always trust.

I have felt comforted, guided, and inspired in the weeks and months leading up to this crazy time. Several weeks ago, I felt the need to replenish our short-term food storage. Mitch has been led to make certain financial decisions for our savings accounts and stay current on our tithing. We truly feel that we could not be more prepared for this time. Between our personal inspiration and the guidance from our prophet, we feel blessed and ready.

Not to say that moments of fear don't creep in. Fear and confusion are always lying dormant, waiting to creep up when we let our guard down. Those are the moments when I have to close my eyes and say a silent prayer. I might need to count my blessings, remind myself that Heavenly Father is in charge and He loves His children, or give myself a good sanity check (especially after talking to people who are gullible and panicked).

It will all be okay. This will not last forever. Eventually the days of staying at home and not interacting with family, friends, and neighbors face-to-face will end and we will all give each other big hugs.

But for now, it is our responsibility to take care of one another through social distancing.

So, as I type, my hyper, cooped-up kiddos are video chatting with Oakley at her house since they can't play in person right now. Another thing I'm thankful for during these times: technology! Mitch is still able to go into work and follow the CDC guidline of "no gatherings larger than 10 people." I'm grateful he is still being paid. Many people are not receiving an income right now as businesses have had to close.

I have found this profound amount of down time to be refreshing. The kids and I can connect on a level that we haven't had time to do before. No schedules or places to be really makes us slow down and enjoy one another more (with a healthy dose of needing breaks from each other too :) ). Mitch and I have had opportunities to testify to the kids of the importance of heeding the words of the prophets because "if ye are prepared, ye shall not fear."

It's fascinating to me to watch different people's perspectives and attitudes lately. I have to remind myself that not everyone grew up like I did, going to church and understanding that some day Christ will return to Earth, and before He does, things will be hard. Everything that is going on has been prophesied of for thousands of years. We can read about it in the scriptures. It's all right there. But yet, so many people either don't know, or don't believe. So all of this is amazing and scary to them. Probably partly because they have not had a church leader guiding them to build a food storage, build financial safety, and to be ready for these times.

But to me, these times are amazing! It's exciting and fills me with peace. It's a reminder that God is in charge, that His Son will return to Earth, and that good will prevail over evil. It excites me to think of the work that is still left to be done and I yearn to be a part of it. I don't know when Christ will return to the Earth, but I know that what we are seeing in the world today is not a coincidence. My hope is that it will cause all of us to turn our hearts to Christ, to find peace through Him, and do what is necessary to be personally prepared temporally and spiritually. There is so much good in the world still--I have enjoyed seeing the many Christlike acts of love throughout the last several weeks. I choose to focus on the good, be part of the good, and see the good in others. That feels so much better during these uncertain times than focusing on the bad. It's harder to choose to be and see positive things, but it's definitely worth it.

I'm hoping I can update more in the next few weeks. Right now I need to get back to my kids. We're all a little stir crazy. But happy and in good spirits. We're happy to do this if it helps save some people from getting sick.