Ten on Tuesday

Hi. Day 10 of social distancing for us (meaning no known exposure and everyone healthy here (so we're not technically on quarantine or isolation)...only going out for groceries and moving Noah and his old roommate's stuff off campus...all while exercising social distancing precautions of keeping 6 feet distance and washing hands frequently). Here are some things I've learned so far (the "light" edition)...

1. There's less laundry. :) Without karate and climbing clothes to wash, we're definitely lighter on the normal laundry here. 

2. All the hand washing leads to dry hands. I've scrounged up numerous hand moisturizers from around the house...thankful for the many samples and gift sets I've acquired over the years. 

3. We're able to have dinner earlier! While we don't have to wait for Nathan's bus to get home on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, we can eat dinner earlier. Nice. (Incidentally, it's been more than two weeks since Nathan's taken the bus or gone to his office in Boulder.)

4. I'm really tall in my shadow in the morning. ;) It's been awhile since I've run outdoors (and last week was overcast), so I didn't remember that. Went for another run this morning...appreciate the fun artwork along the trail!

5. So far, online schooling for Asher and Micah is going just fine. Having been in charge of their own schedules during homeschooling and having taken a few online classes then, too, seems to have prepared them just fine for this situation. 

6. Rescheduling standardized tests is annoying. Don't get me wrong. I totally get it and am fine with doing so...rescheduled both the ACT and SAT tests that Asher was set to take in April. Given that everyone's in the same boat, though, the nearest testing center I could get into is an hour away. Bleh. Wondering what will happen if the June tests don't happen either...most juniors need test scores before they can start applying for colleges in the fall. Guess we'll cross that bridge later...

7. Date nights are complicated. ;) Generally, Nathan and I try to go out for a date night weekly...not always anything big, sometimes it's just a drink after dinner at a local brewery or restaurant to catch up away from home. In any case, that's obviously not happening right now. Now that I'm realizing it, though, I'm working on ways to still incorporate some time into our routine...maybe just nice drives or walks together. 

8. One on one time with each boy needs the same attention. I try to do something with each boy at least monthly. Again, it's going to take a bit of creativity these days, though. :) (Neither date nights or one on ones are a problem...I'll figure it out. I'm just making a note because I'm realizing I need to be intentional about it.)

9. The spin bike, in case you were wondering, is getting plenty of use and appears to be helping to keep Micah's arthritis flare ups down...hooray!

10. I wonder if the traffic engineers in town will adjust the traffic signals during this pandemic. I was realizing that the signals are longer than necessary right now with so much less traffic out and about. ;)

That's enough for now. What sorts of pandemic lessons are you learning these days?