Distance learning over

At the end of February for your county schools, along with most schools in the country, went to distance-learning. It was determined it was unsafe to continue having kids in school due to COVID-19. So, for the rest of the school year, the kids did online work from home with very little interaction between teachers and students.

This was a confusing increase in time for me. Each of the kids handled this differently. 

For Ellie, as a middle school her, she was very used to the online tools. I think middle school is actually spend most of their time online. Show the move to virtual distance learning was pretty easy for her. In fact, this was an answer to the challenge she have been facing with regards to having to get up early in the morning and feeling overwhelmed with her schedule route the day. I have an online school, even if she spent more time than the average kid doing schoolwork, it’s still meant she has an off a lot of time to herself to enjoy life and take it at Ellie speed. I don’t think she really missed the social side of it at all. She had text chats with some friends. She hung out with a neighbor. And she was satisfied. At one point she asked if she could be homeschooled permanently. I believe Ellie is an introvert.

For Max, the adaptation to the online tools took some getting used to. Max also really miss the interaction with classmates and I believe the teachers at the school. Max is an extrovert. It’s hard to entertain an extrovert at home, especially with two parents working. Reading as a primary tool for learning information at age 9 is not really Max’s cup of tea. And I’ll be honest, it’s not really my cup of tea either. So, I really did empathize with this challenge you face. In typical Meg spirit, there were some ups and downs, but overall he just persevered. We are still waiting to see the grades, but I am proud that he was able to push through. I know it’s hard for him when he doesn’t have friends to play with. Thankfully, he really enjoy spending lots of time with his buddy across the street. At this point in time they’re spending time together nearly every day. It really makes him happy.

The impact on Clair was also very evident. She needs structure in the engagement of staff and kids at school. I’m not sure if she’s an introvert or an extrovert, but what I do know is that we were not able to keep her entertained satisfactorily at home. Having to work full-time makes it really hard to be as engaging as Clair needs people to be with her throughout her day. She is good at doing things independently. She was fantastic and doing her work each day. I would show her what she had to do and then I would go to work. She did what she was asked every single day. And she generally did it perfect. She still has to work on organization, but she is only seven. The hardest part for Clair was when she heard that there would be no school on her birthday. That pushed her over the edge and brought her to tears. She was very much looking forward to her class singing her happy birthday. We tried to make her birthday special at home, but she missed that experience clearly.

We have no idea what the next school year will bring. I have mixed emotions about the kids going back to school. I know it’s best for their social health but they go back to school. However, I do worry about sicknesses and illnesses without COVID-19 being in the picture. With COVID-19 being in the picture I am cautious about the kids returning to busy compact environments such as school.

I didn’t do a good job of officially book ending their six grade 4th grade and first grade years. I should try to do that sometime soon. Here are a couple pictures of their at home desks.

Gardening

We’ve been doing a lot of work in the garden and Clair has taken quite an interest in it. I don’t know if it’s because she doesn’t have an immediate friend in the neighborhood that she can run and play with so she chooses to take interest in what mommy and daddy are doing for her, she really is interested. Either way it’s great to see an interest in Clair’s head grow. She’s been really helpful planting several flowerbeds. She talks to the plans she loves to care for them. She really wants to watch them grow. She even asked for gardening books. 

What year is this?

This afternoon we were in the backyard doing some work. My mom is here and Claire was swinging on the swing set. She wanted my mom’s attention and she said, “Vonita I mean Gramma.” My mom looked address and smiled and Claire went on to tell her whatever she wanted to tell her about what she had observed. My mom and I thought it was so cute. Clair has never met Vonita and I’m so happy that she’s enough inside Clair’s head that she must know her well enough to confuse her with grandma. Confuse it and probably the right word but to think about her in the same context as Gramma. I think that’s pretty cool. 

A Love Note

Tonight at bedtime Clair excitedly brings me a letter and hands it to me. It’s in her new beautiful stationary, and she hands it to me with a smile! “Here’s a special letter for you mommy.”

I open it and read the most heartfelt, well written, note I think I’ve received in a long time. 

Love this girl! She warms my heart. 

Here she is wearing her birthday outfit she got from Gramma!

Birthday Eve

Tomorrow Clair turns seven. Today has been dubbed her birthday eve. She’s had a countdown to her birthday for at least a month. She’s very excited for her birthday.

She did cry when she found out school would be canceled on her birthday. She wanted to be able to go to school on her birthday and enjoyed hearing the classing happy birthday to her. I love that Clair still loves school.

Today Miss Jodi gave her a birthday present. She was so excited and ready to open it. I told her she needed to wait until tomorrow and she was not happy with me. But she listened.

Today I made her birthday cake, a special order. She asked for a rainbow cake with chocolate icing and a pokey bowl on top. I hope she’s not disappointed by the pokeball I drew on the cake. 

The past hour and she’s been getting ready for bed the excitement has been boiling over. She is so looking forward to tomorrow. We were talking to granddaddy to wish him a happy birthday and it kept turning into a conversation about her birthday. Granddaddy didn’t mind of course.

As we are finally getting her in bed and I told David I’m very tired but I have lots to do. He looks at me and asks what I need to do? Clair very excitedly proclaims “uh, decorate for my birthday daddy of course!” Followed by a giggle full of energy. 

As we finally get the lights off and I lay down to put her to sleep like I do on most nights. She lays in my arm and then pops back up quickly telling me I need to “ Sit up, Mommy😘 sit up!” I start to worry if there is something gross in the bed and ask her “why do I need to sit up Clair?” She says because otherwise you’ll fall asleep and you won’t go get ready for my birthday like you need to do.

She was not interested in having me fall asleep in her bed with her tonight. Last night she would try hard for that to happen, but tonight she knew she needed to get me out of bed so I could go prepare for the party.

Given where the world is today. Claire will celebrate her seventh birthday with just her family around her. COVID-19 has us in a position where we canceled her party. She’s not real thrilled about that, but we are looking to make tomorrow a special as we can for her. So with that, I’m off to decorate. David has gotten a Headstart already, which I am very thankful for.

Given where the world is today. Claire will celebrate her seventh birthday with just her family around her. COVID-19 has us in a position where we canceled her party. She’s not real thrilled about that, but we are looking to make tomorrow a special as we can for her. With that, I’m off to decorate. David has gotten a Headstart already, which I am very thankful for.

Tomorrow, my youngest will be 7! 

These are too candid shots I’ve taken of her over the past week. In the first one she was doing an art show. In the second one she had just finished running the bases at the park.

Clair has such a wonderful ability to share her feelings

Daily Clair finds ways to express herself that astounds me. She is better at this at 6 then most adults I know ever become. I hope she always continues to few deeply and share these feelings with those close to her. 

Two recent moments from the past 24 hours led me to this post. 

Last night after dinner Clair decided she wanted to be helpful. She took on washing every dish before loading them into the dishwasher. While she was working away, she was of course talking away. :) 

She is proud of being helpful. She proclaimed that “being helpful makes her “heart light up!” She went on to continue to describe how she feels about being helpful. She stuck at this for a good 15 minutes until the job was done. 

Fast forward to Friday morning. I’m working in my office. When I go to run to the bathroom for a quick break between meetings, I see the attached letter which has been slid under my door. This just makes my heart shine! 

Ellie’s last baby tooth

About a week or so ago Ellie lost her last baby tooth while eating a sugar daddy. She is 12 1/2 years old. 

Time flies parenting. This is another one of those milestones that has come and gone quickly in the hectic moments of the days.

My first baby is almost a teenager and in less than five years will be 18 and ready to leave the house and go to college and turn into the adult she was made to be. Thanking about this makes me proud excited and sad. I’m a ball of emotions.

In the midst of this crazy time being quarantine due to COVID-19, I took the tooth fairy a really long time to come. Ellie still believes. We kept telling her the tooth fairy must be in quarantine as well. She hopefully chose to believe that she would be safe and eventually be able to come. 

Parenting is fun, exciting and exhausting. 

I love you Ellie Grey, today and always. I’m so glad I got choosen to be your Mom! 

Seen above making homemade soft pretzels for snack one afternoon last week!