Day 136: August 1

Today marked the end of Stephanie and Jax being in charge of our friends pool and cat while they were away. I’m happy to say (to the dismay of Mr. Dave) that the cat and pool survived during this time.

We love these friends, but every time Steph comes home from their house she wants something new. A few months ago it was a boat… then it was a deeper pool… not she’s asking for a cat. A cat??? With two kids and two dogs!!???? That’s friends disownment territory right there.

Day 137: August 2

The world is ending. The Tropical Storm that just hit us was extremely intense. We’ve lost power and the heat and humidity is threatening to take over… it’s going to be a long few days.

Day 138: August 3

Eversource still has not even sent people out to “assess the damage”

Day 139: August 4

…AND I QUOTE: “it will take days to recover power!”

All I knows not enough baby powder in the world for how hot and humid my house is right now

Day 140: August 5

Happy anniversary to a mom and wife who has successfully navigated work, marriage, parenting, and even more difficult… the apocalypse that has been 2020! We may be celebrating in the dark today, but they say candlelight is romantic, amirite? ❤️❤️❤️

Day 141: August 6

Phone and website= down
Outage map= “experiencing issues”
No text responses
Last tweet at 4pm= we’re assessing damages
No power for 12 hours…
“we’re here when you need us” slogan=
NOT A SUPER GOOD LOOK

Day 142: August 7

Spent half the year in quarantine and now we have no power for who knows how long and have to drive to a main road in town to call find out when we might have power back. At least we have each other:

Day 143: August 8

Hour 75 with no power and there is still no end in sight. The pool is turning green and is now half empty because we’ve had to use that water to flush the toilets . I know things could be worse, but 2020 just give us a break !

Day 144: August 9

We are now leaving on approximately hour 99 with no power we made pizza on the grill and ate outside on a relatively nice night.

That was until a tree came down across the street taking out two poles and is now laying across the whole road. Fire trucks and police car sirens are blaring and chainsaws are roaring. So much for sleeping tonight.

Day 143: August 10

Eversource to the rescue (sarcastic voice). We are now on hour 122 and we finally have a crew out here to “assess the situation!” Fingers crossed for some positive news.

Day 144: August 11

“BY THE POWER OF GRAYSKULL…”

Day 145: August 12

Mother Nature is now F-ING with us. We had power for almost a day and then all of a sudden, the power is gone again. It was only out for five minutes or so, but my PTSD kicked in and everyone in the house almost fainted.

That’s being said we made it though the (almost) second power outage and are now on our way to cranking the AC to North Pole come and leaving every electronic device on in the house.

Day 146: August 13

Today was a horrible, horrible day. Buster had a seizure and we had to rush him to the vet, but this time he is having long term effects. They think it may be neurological but we have to monitor him for the next 72 hours. (UPDATE: After a very visit and days of monitoring hes back to his normal self. Just a little slower. Jax has been so good to buster and is helping him around the house. Oliver even offered to take him around in his little wagon! #BrotherlyLove

Day 147: August 14

It’s been a long summer of reminders. I’m done:

Day 148: August 15

Six year old: “Dad, I want some alone time but my brother won’t leave me alone.”

Me: “Dude, same.”

Day 149: August 16

Cousin hang out day. The four boys got to hang out today.

Day 150: August 17

We’ve been cooped up together for far too long. Apparently, there’s now a cover charge to enter the house. Jax has set up shop in the mudroom with a cash register looking like a bouncer.

Day 151: August 18

Steph told the kids to be good and not fight for 20 minutes so she could take a shower in peace, and then we all laughed and laughed.

Day 152: August 19

This quarantine nonsense has (occasionally) allowed for some quiet time to spend as a family doing things that during a busy summer we would never have the time to do. In those quiet times I always find peace in my life.

The world is upside down, backwards and who knows what right now, but taking time to put away electronics and look through our baseball cards provided us boys one of those quieting moments.

Day 153: August 20

One good thing about quarantine is we’re obviously home a lot more than ever before. So Jax has had time for weekly piano lessons and to practice. He’s beginning to enjoy it and has learned to play a few songs (of course one of those songs happens to be Baby Shark, because why not.

Day 154: August 21

It’s been what feel like 500 years, but tonight we actually got to go out without being parents. A date of sort we both made it through appetizers before we took a nap!

Day 155: August 22

Swimming is a kid favorite activity, picking up after the multiple changes of clothes is not a favorite parent activity.

Day 156: August 23

[8 AM]
Wife [walking into living room]: “What time did you get up?”
Me: “5AM.”
Wife: “But it’s the weekend! WHY SO EARLY?!”
Me [sipping coffee]: “I’ve had 3 kid-free hours of silence.”
Wife: …..
Me: …. [smiling]
Wife: “Why didn’t you wake me?”

Day 157: August 24

We’ve done a lot of family time and some (attempting for) alone time during this pandemic. With these two little monsters calm time is not usually and option. Today was what Steve Irwin might categorize as some “beautiful creatures in their natural habitat.”

Day 158: August 25

Raise your hand if you’ve felt personally victimized by a toddler today…

Day 159: August 26;

Who had “unsurvivable” and “catastrophic” hurricane on their 2020 BINGO card. I hope everyone has evacuated and is safe down there! (PLEASE TAKE YOUR PETS WITH YOU!!!) Ts and Ps 🙏🏼

Day 160: August 27

The planning of the reopening of schools has been a very detailed and interesting experience. we’ve been in “quarantine” for five-plus months and it’s crazy to think that in a couple of weeks we’ll have our students back walking the hallways again. It’s even crazy to think that teachers in our town are prepping to have Jax back in his own school. Educators are the real heroes.

Day 161: August 28

The last Friday before my school is officially back full time. We’ve been trying to prep Jax for going back to school too. We’re all going to sleep a little earlier. (Which just means more time of the boys complaining about having to go bed before actually falling asleep at the same time they always fall asleep no matter what time we put them to bed).

Day 162: August 29

Day 163: August 30

When you and your BFFs are ready to get things started. TMNT Arcade Style!!! This game has been quite the babysitter tonight so moms and dads could sit by the pool and relax a bit.

Day 164: August 31

Today is officially the last day before teachers come back to school in my school district and students then are back a week later. I began this DAY BY DAY QUARANTINE CHRONICLING the day my school district (and most school districts went out). So unless there is some crazy development, this will be the last day by day monthly update of the #CoronaQuarantine.

There were smiles and tears. There were screams and cries. There was anger and there was love. These last 164 days have challenged this mom and dad more than anything in the past. We learned so much about ourselves as people and as parents and I know our boys are ready to back to school (albeit HYBRID).

Today provided another challenge for the quarantine/homeschool/work from home process. We woke up to a theee year old with a 105.3 fever and went to sleep with a 103.
Day 9: Tuesday, March 24:
Today I walked in on an interesting conversation. I heard mom ask, “Oliver where does a burp and a fart come from?” Oliver’s response equally as troubling as the question, “your mouth.”

Jax had such an interesting and exciting morning. I guess it’s his new normal… his teacher and class did a group ZOOM Conference Meeting!!! I guess social interaction with his teacher and friends VIA a computer screen are his new normal. They are everyone’s new normal.
Day 10: Wednesday, March 25:

We practiced yoga today. We all needed it today. I don’t know who needed it more… me or them. The house walls are closing in on everyone. It’s a relatively crappy day and everyone is stuck inside except for a few quick runs in the rain and some jumping in puddles.
I can’t organize anything around here anymore than I already have. I’m beginning to reorganize things that have only been organized twice so far this week.
Day 11: Thursday, March 26:
I traveled out of the house to pick up some essentials. People have officially lost it. A woman at CVS was holding a plastic bag over her nose and mouth. Apparently suffocation is an ok way to go out, but COVID-19 is where she draws the line.
The kids are pretty much teaching themselves at this point. Jax was reviewing sight words with Oliver earlier in the morning and rewarding him with NillaWafers for every correct answer. It was like watching a trainer feed the seals at Sea World for performing tricks.
Day 12: Friday, March 27:

Joe Exotic thinks he’s a tough guy hanging out in a cage with five vicious tigers???
Please… try navigating distance learning and 12 days stuck in a house with a 6 and 3 year old.
Day 13: Saturday, March 28:
There’s only so much you can when it’s cold and rainy outside during a time of social distancing. I lit a fire. I might have burned stuff around the house purely for researching purposes in case the quarantine turns into a shelter in place (of course the fire happened in a safe and supervised manor)…

1. diaper box- forgot to take off the tape and shipping label. That smelled bad! Also, it didn’t fall out of the fireplace and almost light all of Steph’s EASTER decorations on fire.
2. An avocado peel. Cool flame color from that.
3. A wet log from the outside fire pit (my bad I forgot it was out in the rain, it didn’t feel wet)
4. Some random lint I found in the under-underneath of the couch cushion (there was a tiny hole in the back side of the couch in which i found the above mentioned lint, a cupcake wrapper, a fire stick remote, three Direct TV remotes, three magnets and some painters tape.
   Day 14: Sunday, March 29:
   Rainy Sundays are always a bore, but even more so when you’ve already been home for 14 straight days. We needed to spice things up a little bit and there’s only so many times you can recreate scenes from Frozen II. That’s when the perfect song came to mind.

As rock music blares through the house, the boys and I are standing in our boxer shorts in the middle of kitchen feeling very free and ready to bring some excitement into this dark and rainy Sunday afternoon. Jax and Oliver clearly stole the show as they strut across the room with makeshift microphones and oxford button downs. I’d like to say my slide would have given TOM Cruise a run for his money… but then again, I’d rather keep that video hidden from the public eye.
The day ended in a makeshift fort (that resembled a pretty well built lean-to that even Bear Grylls would be proud of) all snuggled up watching… what else? FROZEN II.

Day 15: Monday, March 30:
The kids are shockingly having spaghetti and meatballs for the 8th day in a row.
Day 16: Tuesday, March 31:

You know Distance Learning has become just another day when your three year old has his own Zoom Meetings to attend. Oliver got to Zoom his friends today. Witnessing multiple toddlers try to figure out how to take turns on a video conference call was as insanity!!!
We’ve now resorted to posting a ZOOM MEETING family schedule.

Day 17: Wednesday, April 1:
It’s Poppa Peep’s birthday today. We spent the day prank calling him. Jackson thought it would be funny to get Alexa to sing him, Happy Birthday dear fart!”
Day 18: Thursday, April 2:
Today was a lot. The New Normal is beginning to be just normal. There’s so much to balance… but in reality there’s always so much to balance. I try to continue to look at things as they come. There’s always another hurdle to get over (track and field reference) and if you know how to be flexible… truly flexible and more importantly resilient, then you can continue to get through things. Never perfectly, never easily… but you can continue to evolve.
Jax has taken this massive change very well. He’s struggled a bit, but that’s expected. He misses school, his friends and his teacher, but he’s dealing way better than I’d have ever imagined a five year old would. Oliver however, is a mess. There’s been a lot of tears and lot of falling asleep around 4:30 wherever his head hits a pillow.
We’re all exhausted. Everyone’s exhausted.
Day 19: Friday, April 3:
Today I ventured out… I had to make a trip to the UPS Store. It was what I expected. People standing far apart from each other and giving dirty looks if you coughed or let alone breathed heavily.
I’m at the point where I’m convinced if someone hears me sneeze than some government agents are going to come get me like in Monsters, Inc.

Day 20: Saturday, April 4:
It feels like the 473rd day of the year. Luckily, I love being around my kids. Yes, they drive me and mom nuts, yes they can be as annoying as Lloyd Christmas on a road trip… but in the end, this extra time with them is a blessing.
Day 21: Sunday, April 5:
It had to happen. The two of us. The hair was out of control. Shaved heads.
Oliver… get ready. You’re next.
Day 22: Monday, April 6:

Steph and the kids are down at the bottom of the driveway now drawing a six foot containment area with sidewalk chalk so that their best friends could come over to say hi.
Jax decided to draw it a little bit up from the bottom of the driveway so that they could park at the bottom of the driveway to block it off. He asked if everyone could bring some chairs so that everyone could sit and talk.
I’ll put my kids chairs in the bed of the truck, I don’t trust them otherwise. High school kids is a different story. Harvey and Oliver will immediately run up to, and lick each other!
Day 23: Tuesday, April 7:
Good day today, Zoom meetings and Google Hangouts for days, but it was actually one of the first smoothly run days so far. Things ran like clockwork. One meeting ends, the next one starts, Jackson’s school work was done with little pushback and lots of higher level thinking. Oliver ate more of his lunch and dinner than he fed to the dogs for once.

I gotta say it was a good day!
Day 24, Wednesday, April 8
Today was a relatively light day. Lots of Zoom meetings, and a few teacher and parent chats. Interestingly, I was notified by a student VIA Email that researchers in India, recently discovered a new species of green pit viper and that they have decided to name the snake after the “Harry Potter” book series character Salazar Slytherin.
The fact that during this unprecedented time in education a student reached out to me about a random snake in India and its relationship to Harry Potter let’s me know I’m doing my job as an educator in both building relationships and promoting reading!
Day 25: Thursday, April 9:

Buster and Max must think we quit our jobs to spend all of our time with them. They are in heaven with all the attention and extra food they are getting everyday!!!
Day 26: Friday, April 10:
Our town’s school lunches are on point. We decided to pick up today after reading that every child in town qualifies and that it helps keep the school’s meal numbers up which helps with funding. Plus Jax was so excited for a “hot lunch.” This massive haul is for both kids and on Friday’s they give you three days worth for the weekend!

Although I will say, Jax was very disappointed they package the calzone with broccoli, because now the calzone smells and taste like broccoli. Also factor in that Stephanie told Jackson to dip his calzone in the sauce that came with it… Mind you it was salsa not marinara.
Day 27: Saturday, April 11:
I’ve seen Trolls world Tour six times in two days and Onward twice. Jax is in two pairs of underwear because there’s no school today, he said. Oliver wore no socks; Jax had on one sock all day. Their feet are filthy. Oliver just drew a goatee on his face in sharpie, guess what I.DON’T.GIVE.A.SH!T
Day 28: Sunday, April 12:
Easter
Today we celebrated Easter… from a distance. Well… the distance between the street and the front yard.

The Easter bunny did a quick drive-by and left some eggs in the house… And the neighbor sent their Easter bunny over to drop off some eggs in the front yard… And then Mima and Papa keep came a bit later and dropped off even more Easter eggs.
Needless to say there are more pennies nickels and dimes in this house than you can even imagine. There’s candy flowing from every orifice and every cabinet. It’s stacked on every shelf and hiding in every drawer.
Day 29: Monday, April 13:
First day of April Vacation
I’m done. I’m listening to Stephanie just threaten the boys, while I hide in the Harry Potter Cupboard. They just laugh at us. They are in control and they know it.
To top off our first day of “April Vacation” we lost power.
Two toddlers ✅
Corona Quarantine ✅
Pouring Rain ✅
Power Outage ✅
Pray for us 🙏🏼
PS: Sometimes I wonder if they got this corona if it would slow them down?
Day 30: Tuesday, April 14:
I couldn’t get five seconds to do anything today. I take out the lawnmower, “can I push?!!!” I take out the rider lawnmower, “can we drive it?!??” I take out the weed wacker, “can we use it!???”
Want to know how I solved that problem. I gave the kids two pairs of scissors and told them that they had a very special tool that was used to trim long grass against the pool fence.

It kept them busy for almost 45 minutes. And the best part is Oliver used scissors with the plastic blades that doesn’t cut anything but Play Dough.
Day 31: Wednesday, April 15:
I can not watch Trolls World Tour one more time, I just can’t!!!
Day 32: Thursday, April 16:
“The best day of my life!” According to Jackson. For the first time he asked to go out and play baseball together, unsolicited. He hit, I pitched, we laughed, I cheered and he kept asking for tougher pitches. It was amazing.
I am so impressed with the development of his swing over the course literally only an hour. He hit righty and lefty and by the end of the day he was identifying what he did wrong with his swing, even if he made contact.

We also had another first for Oliver. He received his first ever REAL baseball glove. I’d been saving it and had it stored away for the right occasion and today was the perfect occasion. A beautiful sunny (quarantined) day, to play the field while his brother took BP!!!
Day 33: Friday, April 17:
Quarantine art project… the kids repurposed old chairs from my school. They really look great and will brighten up the office! I’m excited to get back and set them up.

I won’t lie, as excited I am to get back, I am loving the extra time with my family.
Day 34: Saturday, April 18
No comment. I’m done. I have nothing to say about this nonsense anymore.

Four humans and two dogs… I don’t know if this is even real life anymore. I literally put shoes on this morning just to remember how they felt.
It’s effecting everyone:
Jackson: Is today Saturday?
Me: What do you think?
Jax: You don’t know either, do you?
Day 35: Sunday, April 19:

It’s such an interesting time right now. How can we explain “social distancing,” quarantine, or the cancellation of life as we know it to our children, now and even later?
Its not even like saying, “what was life like before DirectTV, cell phones, or the internet, etc.” In those days you could at least walk to your neighbor’s house, or down the road and play with everyone in your neighborhood. Now, my children are begging to talk to the neighbors across the street.
“Dad, when the coronavirus goes away, can Kendal and Scarlett come over to play again??!?? I really miss them!”
Of course they can buddy… when… that’s the question.
Day 36: Monday, April 20:
So, today the governor issued an executive order in Connecticut. Masks or cloth face coverings are now required in public in an effort to slow the spread of coronavirus as the number of cases nears 18,000 and the death toll passes 1,000. This isn’t a problem for me as I had my mask all set to go.
Day 37: Tuesday, April 21:

I give up. Kids are now fending for themselves. “Ohh you’re thirsty, find a puddle.”
Day 38: Wednesday, April 22:
Pouring rain outside✅
Social Distancing in effect ✅
Every place closed ✅
Indoor bounce house…
Best investment ever ✅
Day 39: Thursday April 23:
It’s barely the end of April, but we needed to do something drastic. We needed something to entertain these kids and were running out of ideas. We didn’t want to do it, but we felt we had to. It was are only option!!!
The pool is now open! The temperature outside is a balmy 53* and the temperature in the water is 41*. But that didn’t stop Oliver from splashing his feet on the steps and Jackson from attempting a penguin plunge.
Day 40: Friday, April 24

ChroniclesOfANewUncle

Today Stephanie and I became an aunt and uncle for the second time and the boys are now cousins again to a beautiful baby boy.
Roman Micheal who surprised us a few weeks early this morning is sporting the family’s good looks and big nose. Congrats to Tricia Kershaw and Dustin Kershaw ❤️❤️❤️
Day 41: Saturday, April 25:
Day 42: Sunday April 26:
Got this message from Stephanie today:
14 days!??? Please… remind me when it’s tomorrow.
PS: Any recommendations for a Quarantined Mother’s Day gift?
Day 43: Monday, April 27:
Today we celebrated a birthday unlike any birthday ever! Our brand new SIX YEAR OLD was in heaven with all the virtual and social distancing love he got on his special day!!! Thank you to all Jax’ friends and family for an unforgettable birthday.

Telling a six year old he can’t have a party can be a difficult thing to explain. But we more than made up for it today!!! A MASSIVE SHOUT OUT TO THE FIRE AND POLICE DEPT FOR THEIR SIREN AND LIGHTS DRIVE BY!!!
Day 44: Tuesday, April 28
When your child calls your name for the millionth time during quarantine:

Stephanie still has to go into work once a week. It’s nearly impossible to work from home and still teach your kids/keep them alive.
I have so much respect for the parents who are maintaining some sort of normalcy and routine right now and even more respect for the children who thrive on structure and schedule, because most of the days we wake up and throw all of that out of the window. It’s just organized chaos at this point.
Day 45: Wednesday, April 29:

Day 46: Thursday, April 30:
With mom in budget meetings and me participating in Columbia Teacher’s College (virtual) workshops all day, the boys were set up for a rough day.
But, today the end of the month, 46 days since we went into this crazy state of quarantine, they were phenomenal. They read, worked together on math problems, and sat next to each other (arms around each other) watching a movie as the sun set on another long day of coronavirus life.
 
CHECK OUT THE TOTALITY OF THE CORONAVIRUS CHRONICLES MONTH BY MONTH:
Month 1.5: 

CoronaVirus: The First Month+ (March/April)

Month 2:

CoronaVirus: The Second Month (May)

Month 3:

Coronavirus: The Third Month (June)

Month 4:

Coronavirus: The Fourth Month (July)

Month 5:

Coronavirus: The Fifth Month (August)