Aside from all this, Governor Newsom issued a "shelter in place" order that also started March 16, 2020 and only essential businesses were allowed to remain open. There was a run on toilet paper, hand sanitizer, soap, and disinfectant wipes and sprays. I cannot accurately describe the level of panic that set in for the general public when it came to stocking up and getting prepared to be home for the foreseeable future. We were very grateful that we had food storage and weren't as worried as others about hunkering down in our homes.
Dad has been working from home since the start of March, and will remain home working remotely for the foreseeable future. All our travel plans were cancelled and Mom was the only one going out to get groceries each week. The kids didn't go into a store for over three months! All their sports and activities were cancelled as well, so no soccer, softball, or swimming this Spring.
It has been a challenging time, but a truly rewarding one as well. We tried our best to be creative, and we kept activities coming when the kids got bored. We did many, many puzzles, ordered additional Wii remotes and games, built oodles of Lego sets, enjoyed quite a few movie nights, and tried to get outside as much as weather would permit. We have spent so much family time together, and I've loved not having to rush around to get everyone where they need to go all the time.
We've spent lots of time riding bikes, and it necessitated both Hank and Jack getting newer, bigger bikes. The kids have taken lots of walks and participated in quite a few 5Ks. We went fruit picking in Brentwood and Watsonville multiple times (blueberries, cherries, strawberries, and peaches). We have done lots of art projects, including a few gigantic sidewalk chalk murals for everyone in the neighborhood to enjoy. The kids and Dad went on a river adventure out in the middle of nowhere over Memorial Day weekend. When the weather turned warmer, we had lots of water adventures with sprinkles, water balloons, wading pools, Slip N Slides, and Maga and Paga's hot tub. We started having church services at home since we couldn't go to the building and have had many "Tillman Family Church" Zoom meetings with cousins, aunts, uncles, Maga and Paga.
We've gotten really good at socially distancing ourselves from others and have to wear masks when we are around others. Since we've had to cancel so many events, we've done lots of car parades for people leaving, returning, or celebrating birthdays. We've had sports lessons and church meetings via Zoom.
Not being allowed around anyone outside your family has been hard on all of us, but Hank and Lyla got into doing virtual playdates with their friends via HouseParty and Minecraft. Jack has started a weekly cooking competition with a friend to get him into the kitchen and learning how to bake. All the kids have been getting more comfortable in the kitchen, and we've done soft pretzels, churros, breads, pies, ice cream, cookies, cupcakes, and pretty much any snack food you can think of!
We've made it through the school year and are still pretty restricted in what we can do. We are going to try to get out for some adventures, but we will have to be pretty flexible on what happens in the coming months. Wish us luck!
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