Back in the States, we would usually self-quarantine after we would go to the doctors or something like that. This basically meant that we didn't have any playdates with anyone for 2 weeks, but we would still go outside and I would still go to the store to pick up curbside groceries. In Taiwan, a quarantine prevents you from stepping outside your door for 2 weeks. We can take walks outside, we can't pick up curbside, we just had to stay indoors for 2 weeks (technically 15 days because the first day you arrive doesn't count). Thank goodness for Uber eats because we depended on their services to bring food and groceries to us after the supplies that our landlord had prepared for us were depleted. Lucky for us, food delivery services like Uber eats is so popular that we were able to eat almost all of my favorite Taiwanese dishes.
The first 2 days was a crazy blur so we just did what we could to survive. Overcoming a 13 hour time difference was not too bad with the help of some melatonin at 1:30 in the morning. The first day we were here, we all went to sleep by 2:00 in the afternoon and then all woke up at around 3 in the morning. In about 3 days time, we were basically adjusted to the new time.
I tried to keep our sanity by following some sort of routine. This would help alleviate the constant asking for screen time. In the morning, while I was preparing breakfast, I would let you guys watch a quick show in Chinese. We would eat breakfast and then you guys would get started on some Chinese and Math homework.
We would then do a little circuit of exercises to strengthen our bodies.
You guys would then get some screen time and then we'd do something like art or a craft until lunchtime.
All morning, I would constantly have to remind you all to stay quiet and not be the crazy rambunctious kids that you all typically are and at noon, Daddy wakes up and the beasts are released.
After lunch, we play for a bit. Hide and seek has been a huge hit with everyone (especially Hailey) we play that every day, multiple times each day. We play some board games...
We have fashion shows and spa days....
Help prep food for dinner...
Skate...
Play pretend restaurant...
We brought the Wii, so we've been playing lots of mario kart, wii sports, and just dance.
And then more screen time, and then snack. We were able to try a new fruit almost each day of the quarantine. Here are a few:
Afterwards, we all do another 30 minute High Intensity Interval Training workout followed by a little bit of reading or free play time...or hide and seek.
We have dinner, eat dessert and then bath time.
Afterwards, Daddy reads stories to Hailey and you big kids read on your own or we listen to an audiobook together.
Bedtime and we repeat 15 times.
We repurposed a piece of cardstock from a toy into a paper chain. Each day we would remove a chain and when all the chains are gone, that meant we could go outside. I think this helped Hailey understand that being stuck indoors was not going to be forever.
Well, we made it. There were a few rough moments, but we made it out ok. Not having to cook food and being able to just get meals delivered was very helpful. E-books, watercolor, paper and trash saved us. This is the one time I was thankful that you guys are also crafters at heart because we had so many delivery containers and generated so much trash that you were able to repurpose some of it in creative ways. If I had to quarantine again, I'd do it again with ya'll in a heartbeat.
We have another 7 days of self-health monitoring, which basically allows us to go outside, but we can go to crowded places like ride public transportation or eat meals with other people. I'll write about those adventures in the next post.
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