I’m checking in to see how all of you are doing during this very strange time in history. I have to admit, I love not driving Hezekiah to band practice at 6:30 am three times a week (and picking him up an hour later). I love not having days packed with multiple appointments. I love not having the school call me to pick up a child who has been suspended.
I also know full-well that, for the moment anyway, we are blessed that
Chuck is still working. We have no idea how long the work will last, but I am thankful everyday he is able to go earn a paycheck.
Apollo is thrilled to have his siblings home all day. Hezekiah and Tucker (and I) miss our quiet homeschooling days together. Neither Jubilee nor Avi are loving the sudden switch to distance learning. Mordecai seems much more relaxed now that the pressure of going to school is off.
All of Frodo’s wildest dreams have come true now that all the kids stay home all day long.
We bought this large platform swing (affiliate link) for the tree in our front yard. I have been eyeing these for a long time and we finally took the plunge. It has quickly become a favorite hangout spot just as I knew it would.
This particular swing holds up to 700 pounds (though I doubt our tree branch will hold that much weight). It has a swivel on it so the kids can spin, swing, or just sway gently in the wind.
Apollo and I have been watching Fatal Attractions before bed. We have learned that if you keep a wild predator as a pet, it may eventually kill you. And probably by eating your face off.
Who knew? Animals we have decided not to own as pets: tigers, lions, hippos, chimpanzees, crocodiles, cougars, bears, hyenas, panthers. We have also learned that we shouldn’t keep giant Nile Monitor lizards loose in our home, or pythons. I mean really, who knew?
And speaking of watching things, have you seen LEGO Masters? Our family watched and loved this show. We had to buy it for $14.99 on Amazon Prime in order to watch it but it was well worth it. I really, really, hope they make another season.
And now just a few photos from quarantine.
Chuck and Tucker give Frodo a bath.
Somehow Jazz Band at home, alone, over the internet, is a little less exciting than meeting and making music with friends.
Old shoots, Beatz, and kittens.
Jubilee and I organized our chest freezer.
Bikes and Backpacks
Brothers gaming together.
Let me know in the comments how you are doing. Loving or hating distance learning? Has the pace of life changed for your or is it business as usual?
I’m loving it and hating it. I’m a 6th grade math teacher and sad that I won’t get to finish the year with my students all together. This distance learning is interesting, sometimes feeling suspiciously too easy (compared to my typical work load on a normal school day). I live in Texas and we’ve been told we are still required to provide students their modifications and accommodations per their 504 or IEP but I agree with this decision and have some great TA’s and interventionists who are helping me and my students meet their needs. I usually have a few hours in the morning set aside to helping students via zoom but then I extend those hours and offer more individualized help to my students that require it. I’m actually getting to spend MORE one on one time with these students which is nice, I feel like I’m getting to know them more than in a typical classroom setting. We don’t have any Life Skills students in 6th grade this year but we do have a small class and I’m curious how their needs are being met, but we have an amazing special education team so I think they’re figuring it out.
When my 3 kids entered public school 2.5 years ago, at grades 7, 9, and 11, I was so ready for it. But now that we’re all home together, even hubby is working from home, I’m realizing the dividends of all those homeschooling years. Everyone can do all the things – laundry, dishes, cleaning. The weather is finally feeling spring-like here in Saskatchewan, which means we can be outside more. There’s still some online school, but pretty low-key, not all classes have been continued. Overall it’s nice, if a bit boring and surreal 🙂
Believe it or not, my term is just beginning–I teach at a German university that’s using Moodle for electronic teaching–I find it the reverse of intuitive. But everybody’s good-humored about this sad situation, and Germans are better at following reasonable rules, it seems to me, than Americans (I keep seeing the latter demonstrating for the “right to assembly!”).
A great deal of patience is required to get through COVID, and a good deal of ingenuity. I’m enjoying inventing recipes with whatever we have.
Just husband and I here in the apt. He was sent home to work-call center. Set up in our bedroom. Im a school bus driver-so of course out of work. Its fine, I keep up with all the grand kids and family online.
Watched some shows on cable, Call the Midwife was good.
My new favorite page on FB is Bin Isolation Outing. Check it out it is a bit of fun.
I pray everyone is well, and continue so.
I have 3 grandkids doing home school and 2 not yet old enough. I never liked teaching (i was an ESE teacher) and would never dream of doing it for my kids. And having to do it with 3 grandkids is driving me nuts. I spent half the day trying to figure out how the one in K is supposed to do this when I can’t even get to the program online. Luck has it that his twin 14 yr old sisters have used the county program for 3 years. That said they don’t use the part of the program geared for elementary kids. So between tears of frustration and defeat the teacher finally called and gave a try at teaching me, but she is also just learning the program since our regular teachers don’t use it. Basically only STEMs kids do. Oh yeah and on top of that my one in K is also ESE and trying to get help there is another thing. I love having the grands here but not having to play teacher or enforcer as it may be. And of course all the programs when teachers are actually teaching reading or math is in the middle of day. This school year cannot end soon enough for me.