Family Games

We have been trying to find ways to not only keep ourselves occupied but to keep ourselves active during the pandemic. Our Kinect games have made a resurgence. The kids like playing Kinect Disney Rush and Kinect Sports. We also bought Fruit Ninja. Even I like that one.

I also bought some new board and card games. We found one, From One to T-Rex, which is ridiculous fun. Its charades with a twist - you don't try to guess what the person is doing, instead, you try to guess the intensity with which they are doing it and find the other player who has the same intensity card you do. You do things like disco dance, ride a bull, and act like a dinosaur. Brendan is especially funny at this game. Imagine "applause" at a level 1. Its crazy and I laughed so hard I couldn't breathe. 

Jason also taught the kids a game he used to play with his brothers. Actually, it was mainly with his middle brother to bug his oldest brother. the idea is to throw the ball past the middle person while getting it close to them but not actually hit them. In the case of Jason's childhood, the middle was usually Fred who didn't want to play and is trying to ignore the other two. 

Of course, sometimes just plain video games are what we play. Paige likes to watch Jason play. 

Pandemic Date Night

This is what daddy-daughter date night looks like under a stay-at-home order. They are eating homemade chocolate chip cookies while watching shows on the laptop swinging in a hammock set up in the garage.  You do what you can do, I guess. 

What School Looks Like

This is what school at home looks like. Doesn't she look enthusiastic about learning? 

Here is Darby waving hello in her very first video conference with her classmates. I am grateful for technology right now. 

Paige's teacher is trying to get a regular video conference going too so she can help her students with the packet. It's proving tough to keep her motivated. This little extrovert is having the hardest time with quarantine. The videochats help in a small way.

And this pretty much sums up how I feel lately. 

Keeping Busy

Jason got home okay after a delayed flight, a missed flight, and some re-routing. It is nice to have him back home. We are still staying around home but it was such a nice day so we had treats in the backyard today. I feel for the people whoa re stuck in apartments in bigger cities. 

I am very grateful for our KiwiCo and Raddish subscriptions. They give the kids things to look forward to and things to make. 

Eva has taken up baking. Some baking supplies have been harder to come by lately at the grocery store but I got the one of the last bags of flour. These were good cookies! Might have to buy another America's Test Kitchen for Kids cookbook. 

Meanwhile, in Utah . . .

Jason is still in Utah. He has been hanging out with family, playing lots of board games, helping his Mom with the funeral and burial preparations, doing some home improvement with Drew and Brad, and generally trying to keep busy. Utah is under similar restrictions as North Carolina so there is a lot of staying inside. Fred is trying to move back to Utah (he's tired of Vegas) and has started to look into the church again. He's trying to stop smoking and drinking and wants to get his life back on track. It's good that Jason can be there to help. 

Fred cut Jason's hair. Hair salons aren't open now anyway. Too bad we can't import Uncle Fred to cut my hair and the girls'.

The funeral was set for yesterday, March 19. He will blog about that when he gets back. There was a graveside service and not much else due to the pandemic. Nancy got a folded flag in memorial and she saved roses from the floral arrangement. 

He hopes to fly home tonight. Airports are like ghost towns. We really hope he can get a flight and doesn't get stuck somewhere. The news about COVID-19 is very scary.

Braces Off

Darby got her braces off today! Here is a before picture.

And an after. :)

She has a retainer and is getting used to it. They gave her a gift bag full of "forbidden foods" like popcorn a, gum, Pringles, and suckers. She also lost a baby tooth. It came off after they took the braces off. 

Due to COVID-19 they took our temperatures at the door and made me wait in the lobby. Paige was supposed to start her braces journey today but we canceled until life is a bit more settled. 

Shaking

An earthquake in Utah?! I got a text from Jason today. He said that locally they estimated it to be closer to 5.7 on the Richter Scale. He said, "It was so LOUD! I wondered who was driving a truck through the basement." Yikes!

Distance Learning

To try to mitigate some of the effects of being out of school for two weeks, the district has hastily put together learning packets for all the elementary kids and online lessons for middle through high school. The packets for Darby and Paige have a few activities in each subject to choose from per day. They aren't so bad but they are nothing compared to in-person teaching. But, you do what you have to do I guess. It makes me glad that we have enough devices for this and that my kids are able to do much of it without my help (except Paige who needs redirection, clarification and support - she learns MUCH better with human interaction).

There are a few issues with the packet of work. One of them reminds me of the old excuse, "My dog ate my homework." yep, Darby had to make an animal skeleton out of pasta. The dog found it and chewed on it before we could take a picture and send it to her teacher. She had to make another one. 

I don't think the dog minds at all that the kids are home all day. She gets so much attention. She is missing her runs with Jason though. She gets very hyper by the end of the day with no exercise. 

We've got at least another week and a half of this. Hopefully, at some point they will give the teachers control of the lessons instead of a work packet for every grade level. I can't imagine grading all this paperwork. There are still a lot of questions about what this will mean for testing and graduations this late in the year. We've just got to wait and see.

Jerry Jay McDaniel (7/5/1950 - 3/17/2020)

Jason called today. After a long battle with kidney disease, Jerry passed away today. It was expected but still so sad. 

These pictures show the last time that the kids and I saw Jerry. At least it was a happy time. This is how we want to remember Grandpa Jerry. He was a gentle soul who loved his family and Jesus Christ.

Jason and his brothers were able to go to the hospice facility yesterday and say goodbye. A little while after they left, the facility was closed to visitors due to COVID-19. The virus has shown alarming mortality in people 65 and older and in those with health conditions, all of which a hospice facility would house. Jason considers it a blessing that they were able to be with Jerry and Nancy at all before he died this morning. 

Now Jason is helping his mom with the funeral arrangements. I don't think we will be able to go due to the pandemic. Travel is being restricted, the number of people gathering has been restricted  (in Utah it is ten people) and it generally isn't considered safe for Nancy and other health-vulnerable relatives who may attend.   

Jason and his brothers wrote his obituary. It reads:

Jerry Jay McDaniel passed away peacefully on 17 March 2020 after a long struggle 

with kidney disease. He was 69 years old. Originally from Arimo, Idaho, he studied at

Idaho State University where he met his other half, Nancy. A more complimentary

couple has never existed as Nancy can talk like no other and Jerry couldn’t hear

very well. Jerry joined the Air Force as a young men and eventually settled in the

Salt Lake valley. Jerry was a hardworking, gently soul prone to legendary laugh

attacks. He loved his family and the gospel of Jesus Christ. Jerry had a genuine

passion for family history and temple work. He is survived by his wife Nancy and three

sons, Fred, Brad and Jason and eight grandchildren. He has joined his beloved daughter,

Eva, in the Spirit World.

Due to public health concerns, we will be having a simple graveside ceremony at Utah

Veterans Cemetery at 10 am on 19 March 2020. It is the family’s wish that instead of 

flowers donations be made to the Temple and Family History fund of the Church of

Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.

We love you and miss you, Grandpa Jerry!

While Daddy is Away

Here are some texts that give you and idea of what goes on while Dad is away. Sigh.

We also watched a nature documentary and there were baby otters. The kids requested that I take a picture for Daddy. So cute!

The Beginning of Boredom

I figured it would happen. I got this message from Paige's teacher today. The governor has announced the closure of schools due to COVID-19. 

As of now, it is for two weeks. The schools will try to scrape together some sort of online work or worksheet packets. This doesn't seem good for end of the year testing. It also interferes with other school events like assemblies and field trips. I am anticipating a lot of boredom as there's is now no school, no church and we are under a stay at home order. We already have off anyway since it is the end of the third quarter and a teacher workday. With nowhere to go the girls are finding creative ways to keep busy this weekend, including superheroes in pajamas.

The girls wondered if they could hang all the Lalaloopsies off their house. I may or may not have been the instigator for this. Oh, the things boredom can bring.

Success! Its funny how excited we all were about this.

Silly selfies are another form of entertainment when you are stuck inside.