day 5

So this morning I received the Global Health Advisory - Level 4 Do Not Travel:

“The Department of State advises U.S. citizens to avoid all international travel due to the global impact of COVID-19. In countries where commercial departure options remain available, U.S. citizens who live in the United States should arrange for immediate return to the United States, unless they are prepared to remain abroad for an indefinite period.

Red. This is the highest advisory level due to greater likelihood of life-threatening risks. During an emergency, the U.S. government may have very limited ability to provide assistance.”

Reassuring.  Add to that that the French government announced that:

“As of March 17, European Union external borders will close for 30 days. This does not apply to U.S. citizens departing France to return to the United States. Travel across the Schengen area’s internal borders will be significantly restricted. Commercial flights operated by Air France remain available for U.S. citizens who wish to return to the United States. Check with the carrier directly to arrange or reschedule travel.”

What’s strange is that before all this I had no definite plans to go back to the States but seeing these kind sof restrictions I started to feel a new kind of containment.  As if I were not only contained the apartment but I was also being contained in France. 

Of course I can’t just leave.  My husband is French and my daughter’s passport has expired.  I meant to renew before I left for vacation last week but I just never got around to it.  I said to myself:  It’s not urgent I can do it when I get back. 

Right.

day 4

So for the past four days I play these roles, sometimes all at the same time:

        -Mother
       - Cook
       - House-keeper
       - Teacher
       - Referee
       - Full time employee

It’s tough especially when you get solicited by all of the above at the same time.  And my kids don’t really understand that although I’m at home I’m working.  To simplify I put on a ridiculous red beret and tell them when Mommy’s wearing the red beret she’s working so she’s not to be bothered.  My daughter gets it but it goes something like this:

Daughter:  Mom can you blow this balloon up for me?

Me:  Honey, remember what I said?  What does it mean when I wear this red beret?

Daughter:  You’re working!

Me:  And?

Daughter:  We’re not to bother you.

Me:  Ok.

Daughter:  [Leaves.  Comes back in five minutes] Mom can you blow up this balloon for me? 

At least I get five minutes.   This is how it goes with my son:

Son: Balloon!!!!!!!

Me:  Honey, remember what I said?  What does it mean when I wear this red beret?

Son: Red!

Me:  Yes it’s red but what does it mean?

Son: Red!

Me:  I’m working.

Son: Balloon!!!!!!!

Me:  And not to be bothered.

Son:  Balloon!!!!!!! Balloon!!!!!!! Balloon!!!!!!!

Later my boss messages me with an urgent task.  At the same time my husband wants to know if I need anything because he’s ordering online now because the next available pick up is in one week (normally we can order two days before).  There were also a lot of items unavailable so he asked me to anticipate any needs.  Oh and he wants to know why am I wearing that ridiculous beret?  In the background my kids are having a “who can jump higher” contest on the couch.  So what do I do first?  What’s the priority?  My boss? Having enough food to eat?  Preventing my kids from hurting themselves because this is not the time to go to the hospital?  And these are the urgent things.  I also have to get their afternoon snacks ready otherwise we’ll add hungry unhappy low blood sugar kids to the mix and I should really clear the floor of toys least someone (mainly me) trips and falls and, of course, now is NOT the time for someone to go to the hospital.  

While I’m thinking about all this husband wants to know when we can take the kids out because they’ve been cooped up all day hence the jumping on the couch contest but unfortunately I need to get this thing done for my boss and oh, are there apples available at the store?

Finally I finish the thing for my boss and we take the kids out on their bikes so they can exercise without touching too many things or trying to talk to too many people.  All of a sudden I notice my son is going way to fast across a small street and there’s a car and omg I grab him as fast as I can as the car hails to a stop. 

He’s ok.  I am lucky. 

And ashamed to admit that right before this happened, this was what going through my mind:  I should really stop by the store to pick up some apples since we don’t have enough fresh fruits until next week’s grocery pick up. 

….

Today at 8pm we went out on our balcony to cheer for medical personnel on the front line in the fight against the Coronavirus. 

Bravo.

day 3

So it’s not exactly true that people can’t go outside.  You’re allowed to go outside for the following reasons:

1.      In order to go to work if you cannot work from home and your work cannot be done at a later date.

2.      To buys “necessary” things

3.      Moving about for something related to your health

4.      Extremely urgent matters relating to family

5.      Brief outings close to home for exercise (as long as it’s not part of a group) or walking household animals

In order to do so you have to have a self-declared certificate outlining the reason you are out.  It states your name, your date of birth, where you live and which reason of the above you are out and about, the date of the outing, and your signature.  

So we actually have gone out.  Yesterday it was to pick up our groceries in our car (we had ordered online) and today we took the kids out on their bikes while we went jogging.  Despite having handwritten my certificate (we don’t have a printer) with me there was no check.  We must have seen about twenty other people in a space of about one hectare in a duration of 45 minutes.  The types of people we saw:

- People jogging
- People biking
- People walking
- People sitting on benches
- People blowing bubbles with their children
- People walking their dogs
- People with grocery bags 
- People driving cars

Do these people fit into criteria of allowed outtings?  Maybe.  It’s hard to tell, or even check.  Which makes me wonder how effective the measures put in place are.  Apparently France has one of the highest infection rates.  Every day the number of people infected grows by more than 30 percent.  As of today there have been 264 deaths.  Yesterday alone 89 people died and more than 900 are in the process of resuscitation due to the Coronavirus.  Authorities predict that the worse is yet to come.  Add that to the “normal” medical emergencies that occur every day I can understand why they need to stop this thing. 

So today was a good day simply because we are all together and safe and I’ve gotten news of family and friends all over the world who are living the pandemic who are also a bit bothered, but ok.  And that’s something to be thankful for.  

Today my daughter told me she knew the origin of the virus.  I asked her to draw a picture of what she knows.  Here is it:

(With explanation):

day 2

So my husband was like, this is just like when the strikes where happening.  I begged to differ.  The strikes where like this:

Day 1:  You working at home with a five year old.  Can go outside.

Day 2:  You working at home with a five year old and a three year old.  Can go outside.

Day 3:  You working at home.  Can go outside.

Day 4:  You working at home with a three year old.  Can go outside.

Day 5:  You working at home.  Can go outside.

Some combination of the above for an indefinite amount of time. 

This would be what lock down would be like:

Day 1:  You working at home with a five year old and a three year old. Cannot go outside. 

Day 2:  You working at home with a five year old and a three year old. Cannot go outside. 

Day 3:  You working at home with a five year old and a three year old. Cannot go outside. 

Day 4:  You working at home with a five year old and a three year old. Cannot go outside. 

Day 5:  You working at home with a five year old and a three year old. Cannot go outside. 

Repeat for at least two weeks. 

So basically you never get a break from your kids.   Not only that you’re expected to work while you take care of them.  I wasn’t sure how this was possible without plopping your kids in front of the t.v. all day which basically is what happened on Day 1 due to all the uncertainty and food hording going on. 

My kids are awake ten hours a day.  Subtract meals and bath and that means I have to fill six hours.  The average duration of a child’s attention span varies from two to five minutes for each year of their age. This means my five year old daughter’s attention span is ten to twenty-five minutes.  My three year old son’s attention span is six to fifteen minutes.  Our daughter’s teacher had given us assignments for her to do during the lock down.  There were four of them.  That wouldn’t fill a half a day.  

And remember that I’m supposed to be doing eight hours of work each day.  Oh and no one can go outside. 

Good thing is that my kids are pretty good at entertaining themselves so I let them do that until one of the following happens:

-        They do something that can permanently damage property or each other  

-        They fight and can’t work it out that the noise caused by fighting is distracting/attracting unwanted attention from neighbors/cops

-        They run around like headless chickens

-        They ask for t.v.

-        They are completely quiet (this one is the most alarming)

Once one of the above happens I intervene with an activity.  Today’s activities included Pictionary, baking muffins, drawing, singing, and picking up groceries.  Total hours of t.v. watched:  0

I’m pretty proud.  Even if my daughter drew this today:

She said it was a rabbit in prison.