I've been very preoccupied today and haven't had much time to catch my breath, let alone get any writing done.
We're as prepared for this pandemic as we're going to be. I have a few things like paper towels and cat food showing up on Thursday. I also have new trash cans ordered as well because someone stole our trash cans. To be more precise, they stole 4 of our 6 trash cans. That's kinda frustrating and trash cans are expensive.
I have everyone's medication refills current and with the exception of Gavin, we should be good for the next 30 days.
I found out this afternoon that a 4th case of COVID19 was confirmed in Ohio. I was prepared for more cases to be confirmed in my state because as we begin testing people, the numbers are going to grow exponentially. We know this to be the case. What I wasn't prepared for was the 4th case to be within about a mile of my house. That's really scary and I'm grateful that I was able to get my preparations done before it becomes unsafe to do so.
Again, it's important to remember that I have a child with a severely compromised immune system in my house. I have to be very, very careful. I take this seriously and can't afford to take any risks.
The kids are still dealing with the remnants of flu and for the most part, they're feeling better. They are however, still under the weather and I am as well. Thankfully, Gavin is still doing quite well and I'm very grateful for that.
The kids are aware of the serious nature of COVID19 and we're adopting new habits that will help limit our risks. I need the kids cooperation and so they need to know what's going on, at least to some degree. I'm preaching preparedness, not panic and I'm doing my best to lead by example. When I first learned about the confirmed case, very close to my house, I was admittedly freaked out.
When I get that way, I always call my Dad because I get out the jitters on the phone and it puts me in a better headspace to be what my kids need me to be.
We have no plans on leaving the house anytime soon. I filled the tank in the car and made sure we had everything we needed. Lizze and I have decided to stop any visits for right now. There are people at high risk in her house and one in mine as well. It's better to practice social isolation at this point. This is already hitting very close to home and I must do whatever I feel I need to do in order to keep my kids safe.
The boys wouldn't be in school anyway because they're still sick. I'm hoping by the time they feel better, the city will decide what they're doing with the schools. I believe that they should be shutdown until such time they can safely be reopened. If that means cutting the school year short, so be it.
I've been hearing rumors that schools around me will be closing, if they aren't already. I've not been able to independently verify that but I think it's a necessity at this point. We only have one chance to get this right. This is the worst pandemic in 100 years and it makes no sense to take any chances.
Please stay safe. Be smart and only rely on reliable sources, like public health officials, for information on COVID19. Remember not to panic but be prepared.
