We are finishing week 6, and I think today is day 39. We are all doing well and things are pretty much the same. We were initially scheduled to depart Jordan this week, and spend a couple of months in the U.S. before going to Turkey. We realized once the pandemic began that our plans would change, and we are rolling along with Plan B. We are now going directly to Turkey, whenever that may be, and will probably be in Jordan at least a few more months. We will miss not being able to see family this summer in the U.S., but we are thankful to be able to ride things out here.
Friday was the first day of Ramadan in Jordan. During the month of Ramadan, Muslims fast during the day and break their fast in the evening with an iftar meal. They typically gather in the mosque for communal prayers, often with worshippers flooding into the streets, however this year the mosques are closed and gatherings are banned, so culturally things will be very different for Muslims. Streets are typically very quiet during Ramadan, so things will get even more quiet this next month.
The weather was great this week and we spent a lot of time outside. It was only a 3 days school week because they celebrated the Orthodox Easter and had Sunday and Monday off. School continues to go well and they have three weeks left. The teachers and school staff are doing a great job balancing distance learning while taking care of their own families at home.
We decided to mix things up and bring some toys outside. The kids have had these magnet tiles for years and they are still a hit. The boys think of all kinds of creative things to build with them.
Fort building fun and hanging with daddy. Eliza is a daddy's girl!
We also play in the garage under our building a lot. Our building only has a few occupants, so there is plenty of space to play. They can ride bikes, play catch, tennis, or frisbee. We recently took out a remote control helicopter my parents gave us a while ago, and the kids have enjoyed flying it all over the place (if you can see the spec at the top of the picture).
This week the boys made a robot crab, that that received for Christmas. They did a good job filling the instructions to put it together and enjoyed placing it in different locations to watch it sense and avoid edges as it moved.
This girl...she is sweet and fun and loves to be around everyone. She recently discovered juice and to no surprise, she likes it a lot :).
She also loves shoes...just not her own! She has so many cute sandals and shoes that were gifted to her, but she loves being barefoot most. If we can get her to put shoes on, it's her sneakers. She does however love to put other people's shoes on, especially her brothers'.
Lots of biking in the yard.
This week we decided to venture out for a couple walks. The streets are very quiet during the day, but the the evening time, more people seem to be getting out to walk, so we decided to do the same. As a bonus, the government announced extended curfew hours from 8am - 6pm during the month of Ramadan. And this is the first weekend in a month that we are only only complete lockdown on Friday, instead of both weekend days! On our first walk, Benjamin was concerned when we saw the police and said he didn't want us to get arrested and he wanted to go home. After being re-assured it was ok, we a have been enjoying some walks in the evening and it has been really nice. Spring has sprung and there are a lot of beautiful flowers in bloom.
A friend gave us some sidewalk chalk. You can't see it well, but Benjamin drew a mountain night scene with a moon and stars.
He drew the scene on paper too.
I went to the grocery store for the first time in 6 weeks. We had been doing delivery and it is working well, but there were a few things I kept ordering and not receiving so I decided to go one afternoon. The line was not long to get in. They make people wear a mask and gloves to get into the store, and if you didn't have one they give them to you.
This was the first time I wore a mask. I understand why they are required, but I'm not a fan and was glad to take it off for the walk home!
I was also glad to have brought the jogging stroller with me, since we can only visit the store by foot. I initially planned to get the select items I needed, but decided since I was there to get more so we don't have to order groceries this week. The stroller worked great and allowed me to carry about $200 worth of groceries. As a bonus, the bakery inside was making pizzas so we got a salami pizza as a treat.
Yesterday was complete lockdown so we played around the house. As the day went on, the sky became more and more orange as a dust storm moved in. Latest yard improvement was Nathan and the boys trimming the trees. Eliza tried to help too...you turn around and she is halfway up the ladder.
I tried making banana chips yesterday since we had some very ripe bananas...and it was an epic failure, they were mushy even after additional baking time. Maybe I'll just stick to banana muffins.
We are finishing the 5th week of lockdown and everyone is doing well! The kids (and we) are getting the hang of online school, and it getting smoother. We have a good routine during the week for school, alternating work schedules, ordering groceries, piano, and lots of time outside, and then we have lazy weekends since the country goes on complete lockdown from Thursday at curfew until Sunday at 1000. The government announced we these conditions will remain until after Ramadan at the least, so we are embracing this time since we have another 4-6 weeks likely to go. We may even start taking small walks in the afternoon because there seems to be people outside that are not getting groceries, to include families that are taking walks.
Happy day when fruits and veggies arrived from my favorite place that just got their permit to deliver!
We had too many lemons, so we made lemon with mint juice.
In exciting news, Nathan put the legos back in the boys' room and it has been a huge hit! They have been away for a long time, and the boys have been really happy to play with them again. So far, Eliza seems to be leaving them alone and the boys are doing a good job making sure their small parts go back in the drawers when they are done playing.
Each week at school, Caleb has a non-fiction topic he has to come up with, research, and make a poster or mini-book about. He uses a lot of online learning resources the school provide, but their books on the shelf are getting a lot of use too...this is is book of Why....perfect for Caleb! Look how studious he looks in Nathan's glasses.
When I got home the other night, Nathan and the boys were on the roof listening to the curfew sirens.
This week the boy's school had a virtual talent show. Caleb read poetry and Benjamin played the piano. Here's is Caleb's poetry reading. Yesterday, we watched the show. It was creative of the school to do this, and the kids enjoyed watching their friends' showcase their talents.
Poor Twix....the magical cat. She is 17 years old and still patient as ever.
Other happy news is Nathan aired up the boys' bike tires and they have really enjoyed riding their bikes again. They ride in the yard and down in the garage under our building.
Nathan built the boys a bike rack with some spare wood. He is always busy creating something.
The weather has been beautiful and have enjoyed eating dinner outside many days.
The boys got Corona cuts, even Nathan did too! He did a great job on the boys's hair. I think it looks so cute short.
Yesterday we tried making a gingerbread house we received before Christmas.
It was an epic failure, but the candy tasted good!
It has been a good week, and we are ready for week 6...and probably another 4-6 to go.
Happy Easter! I am so thankful for the meaning of Easter and that we have had the opportunity to have more time to spend with the kids this year to teach them, and we pray that they will grow in their love and relationship with God. Even though we are on lockdown, Easter was pretty much the same for us, minus receiving all the delicious Easter candy from family :). The week leading up to Easter, we read in the Bible each day about the events of the Holy Week, and the weekend before Easter we dyed eggs. On Easter morning, we had to get pictures...dad and mom were still in our PJs!
My parents sent us the Easter stuff in February and then I thought that's so early...in hind sight, I'm glad they did because we would not have received them! Thank you dad and mom :)
On Easter morning, we surprised the kids with an egg hung in the yard. When cleaning out Eliza's closet a few weeks ago, I found last years' eggs and we had M&M's and Reeses pieces to fill the eggs. We were rebels and invited the neighbors over the wall over to the garden too. It was a hit and everyone had a good time!
Eliza enjoyed her first egg hunt and she got the hang of it quickly.
Best buddies :).
Then she discovered what was inside...let's just say she likes chocolate!
The kids counted their eggs and drank hot chocolate. We let them play a little longer and suggested they re-hide the eggs, and they enjoyed doing that for a while!
The boys got new sweat pants, journals, and stickers from their school and a little bit of candy.
That afternoon we had an early dinner. I made brown sugar and pineapple crock pot ham, mashed potatoes, green beans, rolls, and chocolate cupcakes. We didn't have many leftovers.
At the end of the day, Benjamin and Caleb said this was the best Easter yet, which made us happy considering how different things are these days for us all. Happy Easter to all of our family and friends around the world! We love you.
I will finally be caught up blogging after this massive Coronavirus lockdown post. Today is day 25 of the lockdown in Jordan. We are thankful that the government took early and extreme measures to help slow the spread of the virus. On March 17th, the airports and borders were closed, to include entrances to cities, and we were all told initially to stay at home for two weeks. All businesses and restaurants were closed, except for grocery stores and pharmacies. Then a couple days into the lockdown the government abruptly decided to close the grocery stores and pharmacies as well. Here is a picture of our street from the roof. We live on the busiest street in our neighborhood and it was odd to see it with no cars driving or people walking around.
A few days into the lockdown, the government attempted to deliver bread and milk via public buses to the country, however the bread made it to only about 50% of the country and bread and water trucks were attacked by mobs of people. After 5 days of complete closure, the government re-opened the smaller grocery stores and mini markets and pharmacies between 10am - 6pm, however you could only visit grocery stores by foot. On the first day the stores re-opened, we arrived a little early and had to wait almost 1.5 hours to get into the store. The police were making sure people kept distance between each other (though you can't really tell from this picture), and would only let people in as people left the store. Within an hour, the line stretched back to our house's block, which is 3 blocks away and we heard some people had to wait as long as 4 hours to get into the store.
This guy was smart, he brought his suitcase!
We were glad we went because the government decided our neighborhood grocery store was too big, and was shut down. We could visit the mini markets in our neighborhood if we needed staples, and we were glad when deliveries became available about one week later, even with the challenges of not knowing how many days it will take for it to arrive, or what items you may or may not get.
Close to the end of the two-week period, they announced another 2 week extension, but the government stated they will indefinitely extend the curfew as long as needed to keep people healthy and safe. Fortunately, Diplomats have an exemption for critical work, so Nathan and I are able to go to the Embassy a couple of times a week on a very limited basis, but otherwise we need to be at home. At 6pm each evening, curfew sirens sound and the military patrols the streets to make sure people are not violating curfew. Last weekend, the government instituted a 24 hour complete lockdown and this weekend there is a 48 hour complete lockdown, to help epidemiology investigations where there is concern the virus is spreading. As of today, Jordan has 372 cases, 161 recoveries, 7 deaths, and 204 active cases. The government posts daily reports on the caseload. The government is doing a good job to communicating regularly with the people about the cases, putting measures in place to ensure people are getting paid by companies, and there are a number of official and unofficial funds that are helping day laborers and others who rely on daily wages to meet needs. We pray for the government's wisdom as they navigate this unprecedented circumstance, and that people can stay patient and continue to get their needs met during these challenging times, so Jordan to continue slowing the spread. Right now, things appear to be under control, however an outbreak or high numbers would cause a lot of stress on the country due to the limited medical facilities and supplies available to test for and treat the virus.
The 6pm sirens. Nathan took the boys and Eliza up to the roof several times to hear the sirens, and watch people hurry home!
Amidst the lockdown and new challenges, we are finding joy each day, and are so thankful for our blessings. We love being home more and having all this time with the kids, and we are getting into a new groove with weekday routines of online school. We are so thankful that their school has a distance learning program, and we have enjoyed doing school with the boys each day. School is generally from 10-2, and their teachers post morning meetings, a few assignments for math, reading, writing, and they have a special of either PE, Art, Music, or Arabic. It has been great to observe the boys' learning styles and able to work with them individually in areas they have more needs. They have not announced it yet, but we would be surprised if they go back to school this year. The year is scheduled to end the end of May, but we will see what happens. The boys use the dining room table for school, and sometimes if they have videos to watch they go to the couch or out to the glass room.
Another neat thing we have all enjoyed is Skype piano lessons! We were a little apprehensive at first on how it would work, but it is going great. Their teacher is very talented and patient with kids, and both boys are making great progress and enjoying the online learning. One evening Benjamin put on a piano concert for us :). He especially loves playing the piano and we have really enjoyed seeing his love for music grow. In addition to his book, he asks his teacher to teach him songs that he is learning by ear, and has learned Fur Elise, Dance Monkey, and Pirates of the Caribbean so far..
We love seeing the bond that the kids have and they play really nicely together (most of the time)! Each boy has a special way they play with Eliza and they are so good about including her in what they are doing. There are times where she inadvertently ruins a fort or knocks over something they were building, but that's siblings! I think she loves having the boys home and will be really sad when they got back to school.
Big smily girl :). She loves all things music - listening to music, singing, dancing, playing the drums, and her xylophone.
During the day, one of us is at work, the other does school with the boys, and Tes watches Eliza. We are so thankful for Tes, and how she too has had to adjust to all of us being home. Her family is all doing well in the Philippines, and she too is looking forward to when she can go back to see them again. Their borders and entry to cities are also closed, and hopefully they will open soon too. We were supposed to leave Jordan in a couple of weeks, and she was going to have a few months with her family until she could come with us to Turkey, so her plans have had to shift as well.
I have loved spending more time in the kitchen. We have been making old favorite recipes and exploring new ones and the kids have been good helpers. One day we made pita chips...we get pita in quantities of 3kg, which is way more than we typically eat, so when it is going bad, make chips!
Another favorite is pita pizza.
Elizabeth sent me a yummy hash brown egg muffin recipe.
We made chocolate chip cookies another day.
Sometimes we can't find certain fruits and other times we have too many of a certain kind. We had a lot of apples, so we made apple muffins.
One night we enjoyed a BBQ crock pot packet we picked up in IL this past summer and had BBQ shredded chicken. This is one of the kids favorite meals.
When the weather is nice, we spend a lot of time outside. We are so thankful for our outdoor space, especially at this time when we are not allowed to be out and about. The kids typically play outside before school starts, during lunch, and then for a longer time after school. Eliza is loving having her brothers around all the time!
Benjamin started a lockdown rock garden. He makes a rock for each day of the lockdown. Lately he has been experimenting with different country's flags. So far, there is the United States, Jordan, Kuwait, Palestine, Turkey, Philippines, and the United Kingdom.
The yard looks amazing! Nathan has spent many hours chopping trees, weeding, and cleaning things up. He has recruited the boys for some projects too.
On the weekends, I have been doing yoga outside. My old yoga teacher is posting classes online for us during the lockdown and it has been fun to do her classes again!
Nathan has been doing lots of push-ups throughout the days too!
Caleb likes getting her ready to play baseball!
We have been purging too. This day was the boy's room. After purging, they wanted to go through the memorabilia box in the top of their closet, where we have kept some of our favorite things as they have grown up. We did not get rid of any of this stuff :).
This was a fun book Elizabeth gave us for Caleb's baby shower. Hi Grandpas and Grandmas!
Caleb's big brother announcement shirt. We found sweet blankets people made, the boys first walking shoes, and tiny little clothes.
Eliza is a good helper. She likes to clean up and help unload the dishwasher.
The boys have been making impressive forts just about every day. They are getting really creative in the layouts and the are different every day! This one has a bedroom, reading room, game room, and a journal room!
We have been watching movies almost every night before bed. This little girl loves pop con, as she calls it!
More outside fun.
These three really love each other and play nicely together, and we are thankful for how they have bonded even more during this time.
The boys have friends that live on the other side of the wall. They sometimes throw the ball back and forth and have conversations over the wall :).
The boys are good about reading books with Eliza. It is sweet to watch them work with her and play with her.
We let them sleep in their fort last night, and they amazingly slept all night! This may be a new weekend lockdown thing.
And when the streets are clear, the sheep wander freely...well, they wander the streets even when they are busy.
