day 15

So when I went to buy groceries today I was surprised to see three military guys complete with rifles.  I had never been gladder to have my self-declaration papers with me.  Turns out they were just there to buy groceries, just like me.  It’s a strange feeling to be in a Parisian suburb reaching into a display refrigerator for yogurt while a young man in full military gear and FAMAS reaches into the display refrigerator three doors down for a cold red bull.

Still no flour and now there are no eggs.  There’s also a rumor they will stop selling alcohol by the end of the week.  I stocked up.

day 14

So since all we hear about is the coronavirus we tend to forget things like daylight savings time.  The only reason I realized it was because the time in the apartment was different than what I saw on my computer.  Thinking “Spring forward” made me also realized also that I forgot about the first day of Spring. 

day 13

So the French government has extended the lockdown until April 15th.

I don't think my son understands we're going to need that toilet paper:

day 12

So like with all things the lockdown isn’t all bad.  Some things I’m actually grateful for:

- Less pollution
- Less laundry
- My kids speaking more English even if my daughter says things like “Swwwweeeet!” and “Dang it!” (My kids are obsessed with Loud House at the moment)
- Instead of spending ten hours a week in public transport I have breakfast every single day with my family
- Instead of waking up to my alarm I wake up to my son yelling from his room “Mommy, can I come in bed with you?” (Answer:  Yes)
- Taking cuddle breaks during the day with my kids
- Doing things around the house that we have always meant to do like clearing out the “messy” room to make a real office
- Taking meetings in my pajamas although the meetings go something like this:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yyuFDcysihY

day 11

So this was the criteria I used to buy groceries before:

-    Organic
-    Price
-    Origin
-    Environmental impact
-    Treatment of animals

Today this is the criteria I use to buy groceries:

-    Is it available? (Take it!)
-    Will it make someone in the family happy? (Take it!)
-    Will it reduce frustration in the apartment? (Take it!)

I also used to take my time choosing and usually only bought a couple of items that I could put in my book bag throughout the week in supplement to our online purchases.  Now I buy as much as I can in order to not be out so much. First I go through heavy/non squishable items so I can put them first in the bottom of my shopping trolley and then move on to squishable items so I can put them on top.  I also need to make sure to separate the hot/cold items least my essential chocolates melt next to the rotisserie chicken.  At the end I make one final sweep in case they re-stocked anything I haven’t been able to find since the beginning of the lockdown like flour or mustard.

I have to be quick and do this all before my self-declared “why am I out” certificate expires.  Oh and I try to keep at least a meter and a half away from anyone else (a real challenge when you get in line) while remembering not to touch my face (a real challenge in general).

Then I get home and my kids rush at me like dogs wanting treat biscuits and I avoid them best I can without using my hands as I make my way to the bathroom to wash them. 

After I finish washing my hands I come out to put away the groceries only to find half the stuff on the floor and my kids stuffing their faces full of snacks.  They are happy.

Which makes it all worthwhile.

day 10

So Today I received this from the U.S. embassy:

Health Alert - U. S. Embassy Paris, France  (March 25, 2020)

Event: France has confirmed cases of COVID-19 throughout the country. U.S. citizens who live in the United States should arrange for immediate return home or be prepared to remain abroad for an indefinite period.  You should have a plan to depart from France that does not rely on U.S. government assistance.  Direct flights to the U.S. are available through Air France. Currently, there is one direct flight per day.  Book flights directly through Air France at https://www.airfrance.fr/en.  Flight availability is subject to further restrictions.

Curious I went on the Air France site to see what was available:

For some reason there are no flights next Monday or Tuesday.    There are still available flights but most of them go through Amsterdam and then New York. I found the one “direct flight” from Paris to New York.   The next available one is Friday the 27^th.  There were 7 seats left:

France has also gotten stricter regarding the lockdown.  Last time we went out all the benches were blocked off (this really upset my son for some reason).  My husband and daughter were checked by the police.  Now if you go outside you need to stay within one kilometer of where you live and it can be only for less than one hour.  Your self-declared document needs to include not only the date but the time as well. 

We went to pick up the groceries we ordered online and got about half of what we ordered.  We tried ordering for next week but instead of a long delay there are no more available pick up times.  We tried another grocery chain.  Again no available pick up times.  

The French president addressed the French pubic again thanking everyone for their efforts especially doctors and nurses and promising to recompense them for their efforts and injected much needed money into the hospitals.  Instead of addressing the public from the Élysée as he had before, he’s outdoors in front of the Military hospital constructed in Mulhouse to aid France’s most affected region.   

We watched the speech mostly to know if the lockdown will really end next week, or will it be till end of April as rumored.  The president said he will address this in the following days.