Today is Ben's Birthday and a water heater issue

… Otherwise known as day 18 of social distancing/self isolation during COVID-19. 

Updating the numbers here in Ohio...On March 23, Ohio had 442 cases. As of today we have 2902 cases and 81 deaths. That is a huge jump in 10 days. :( Our county just announced their 6th case. :(  Ohio also just announced that the stay in place order goes through May 1 and that starting Monday stores need to determine, post, and enforce a limit to how many people are inside at one time. We shall see how this goes. I still need to get something for Rebecca for her Easter basket but am thinking about just ordering online. Not sure. 

We are hanging in there. Bill is still working a bit. His employer has laid off about 30% of the workers. His hours have been cut a little but we are trying to make things work. I will admit that I am getting discouraged and can feel the sense of hopelessness creeping in. 

Trying to focus on the positives though... like today being Ben's birthday! He turned 8 years old today. 

A couple of weeks old

A few weeks ago (pre COVID-19 stay at home order)

We can't do many of our traditional birthday things but I am trying to make the day special for him. He came out of his room to find a waterfall of streamers in his doorway. There were donuts on the kitchen table for him (that Bill picked up the other day when he went to get groceries). 

Our day started out crazy as I woke up to a strong electrical burning smell. Bill came to get me and asked me to help him figure out where it was coming from. Upon further inspection, I went to the basement was greeted with this: 

Yep, our hot water tank. Called our landlord, who is under quarantine due to health issues and he has 2 special needs adopted kids at home and he said he would send his son out to look at it. His son thinks it was just the element in the top went bad and he replaced what he could. He thinks this was the issue, but I am to keep an eye on it. I just wish the electrical smell would go away. It has lessened I think but is still here. 

The kids did their school work online. We just found out that after next week ALL work is being done online. It is frustrating to me but what can you do? Next week is our district's Spring Break so I don't think they are assigning any work to give teachers and parents a break. I know that I need it. 

Ben was able to zoom with my sister earlier today. He liked that but started crying at the end because he misses her. 

Currently the boys are finishing up their school work. Rebecca is upstairs on the phone with her friend. Later we will have cake and give Ben his presents. Not sure yet what we are doing for dinner...Ben said he wants hot dogs, because we can't go out. But then he asked if we could get food out to eat here. I am not sure what we are going to do. 

For now, I will leave you with some signs of Spring that we saw yesterday when we went to the park to walk. 

Goose on her nest

How is your Thursday going? (It is Thursday right? LOL) What's happening in your world?