Feeling a little trapped and just fed up with home renovation + COVID-19 restrictions

[Kestrel]

could you barrow or rent an RV? Small, functioning kitchen beats no kitchen! Plus, you could work there in the quiet even if workers are in your house.

[KpbS]

What a nightmare. I’d stock up on supplies and go to the vacation home. Kitchen and heat are more important than perfect internet.


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Yes to this! Go, it will be fine. Take books for the kids to read, paper for them to write, and they can do math on Khan Academy. They can cook, craft, draw, paint, etc. Don't worry about academics now. It will all be fine. Sanity and warmth and safety are more important.

[wencit]

Another suggestion I saw on a different board: public facilities may be closed, but they might have left their WiFi access on so that people who need it can still get it (assuming they have their own device). He mentioned seeing kids and parents sitting in the parking lots of schools and libraries.

But I agree with the suggestion to not worry about the little stuff right now! It'll all work out in the end.

[o_mom]

Can you set up an outdoor kitchen?

I'm assuming if you have no heat, you are in a somewhat mild climate. Buy a gas grill with a side burner and you will have many more options for cooking. Sell it when you are done (if you don't want to keep it long-term).

[ourbabygirl]

No advice other than what's already been given, but I just wanted to send you hugs, as you're dealing with a difficult and stressful situation. I'm so sorry!

[smiles33]

Thanks, All. We decided we will go up to our vacation house this weekend. Then we can test out the satellite wifi to confirm it can work for DD1's daily online/live streamed 8th grade science and math classes. Her teacher requires them to be logged on, and DD1 is the kid who follows rules and goes above and beyond (she's got an A+ in every class--including PE and Art--except math, which is an A- and frustrates her). If wifi is too weak, then we may head back on Sunday.

If schools are out for the rest of the year, then she won't even return to this middle school. Thus, I've been trying to tell her to slack off a little and not focus so much on all the busy work the teachers are assigning. Self-care is important right now and we're all a little anxious and off-balance.

o_mom: Yup, we have a makeshift outdoor kitchen. I bought a stainless steel table at Costco to put next to all of DH's equipment so he has prep surface. He's got a smoker, BBQ grill, pizza oven, and a firepit (he's cooked baked beans in the Le Creuset over that fire!). It's just that we've been dealing with cold temps (for us) and rain. He did grill pork chops a month or so ago when we had unusually warm afternoons. But no one wants to be outside for an hour or more when it's in the 40s and 50s. Plus clean-up sucks with only a bathtub or bathroom sink. My back can't take washing pots/pans/dishes in the bathtub so if it doesn't fit in the sink, I have to go outside with a garden hose. Cold water on my hands when it's that cold is just intolerable, so DH has not cooked as much outdoors as he knows I hate the clean-up when it's cold.

Anyhow, thanks all for your support and encouragement. I hope your families and loved ones are hanging in there during these challenging times.