Week Five Captain's Log

This week we got the word that Iowa schools will be closed the rest of the year. :( This was not anything I was surprised to hear, but I had not given myself space to fully accept or deal with just because I've been focusing hard on managing my anxiety with just the day's trials. Hearing it officially actually made me feel a lot better, as it was a final decision and we could stop resting in the in-between space of not knowing. 

I know the struggles I am having with online learning are ones others are having too and I'm trying to just be fine with it all. I'm working hard to make sure my own kids are doing their best and that our home is safe and happy. I'm also having fun creating new things online for my students to work on- unfortunately I can't control whether they participate or not. :(

The news came on Friday and we had a good week overall!

Michael: "Sisters, if you want to play loudly, go play over there. I'm trying to talk to myself and I can't even hear myself play".

This week I asked the kids some questions.  Here is what they said: 

Favorite part of staying home:

M: having mom home all-day

A: having Michael and mom make more treats

B: I love Mommy

Least favorite part:

M: missing teacher and friends

A: the rest time

B: not seeing Mrs. Hoyt

Something you like about yourself

M: good at reading, and building things

A: Good at listening to Mommy

B: Good at dreaming big

On Tuesday and Thursdays, I have my office hours at school, where I am available for students and also just trying to get my planning done. The kids are pretty much on their own during these times and so it has resulted in me digging deep into my craft stores. We found some fun window markers and also paint slick crayons that seemed to be a hit. Otherwise it just unlimited screen time! 

Anna has been my friend during my morning workouts. She does the elliptical or plays while I exercise. I have less than 20 days left in my 100 morning program and I am excited to finish it. I feel stronger than I have in a long time (even though I am still not any skinnier nor is the scale showing any progress) but it goes a long way for my overall mental health. 

This is totally random, but I spent a whole day cutting and organizing spools of ribbons that I hand out to my students for checking off their band karate belt songs in their books. They are usually a huge mess in my office and I was glad I got this big job out of the way. I think these ribbons should last me until I retire. :) 

We got out of the house for a drive earlier in the week. I bribed the kids with a treat from Scooters (they like smoothies and they have lots of different flavors). We listened to Harry Potter and relaxed. All the kids fell asleep- win!

Wednesday: it snowed!

Thursday, I watched the movie "A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood" and it was really good. I had watched the other documentary "Won't you be my neighbor?" and read a book about Fred Rogers so I was pretty well versed in the story but I liked the angle the movie took. It was about the main character's dad dying and naturally, that made me sad, too but that is okay. We had to watch it that day to return it to the redbox so I was happy for an excuse to have a bit of time to myself. I've included some of my favorite quotes from the movie. 

It snowed again on Friday! We went out early and played- well the kids, not me. :) It was a good thing they went out early because it all melted as it was a super sunny day. 

As soon as we were done with our schoolwork on Friday, we loaded up in the car and headed to chick fil a for some lunch. We took it to Jester for a picnic in the back of our car. It was a beautiful, sunny day but a bit chilly. We hung out for a while and it was a nice change of pace. 

This weekend Scott and I are working hard on redoing our corner retaining walls. The top one is done already. We tore it down, remeasured, and restacked the blocks. I dug out all the plants and we filled with new dirt. I am planning on using the plants in other places in the yard (probably the side that you see in the photo) and then we will plant new things as I am replanting my whole front with more shrubs and perennials instead of just annuals. A big project, but I'm excited about it and having fun dreaming. 

The bottom retaining wall will be quite a bit smaller than it is now and we are hoping it will be more manageable in terms of plants, weeds, and structure. We have lots of dirt work in our future. 

Stay tuned! :) 

Stay well! 

Captain's Log Week Four and Easter

Week Four! 

Wow!

This was an exciting week because the local weather team was promising awesome weather. Yes! 

However, on Monday, it looked to be a little rainy so I made a last minute announcement to my band families that I was heading up to school to grab items they might need. I visited school to gather items and delivered them to about 15 students. It took about 90 minutes and the ids were great, playing in the band room while I gathered things and napping in the car during the delivery. We celebrated with Mcdonald's ice cream afterward! It was a good use of a rainy day.

When we got home, Michael talked my ear off for 40 minutes during a walk and afterward. Aunt Gwen stopped out to drop off a package and say hi. It was so nice to see her, even from a distance. I loved the daffodils she dropped off. 

That evening we Facetimed Isla for her birthday and also Aunt Denise.

On Tuesday, I made the decision to head to Walmart at 7a.m. to get Easter supplies for the kids. It was my first time wearing a facemask in public but almost everyone shopping was wearing one. The Walmart employees did not have them, which I found interesting. I was not sure shopping for Easter baskets was essential but at least I saved poor Amazon and delivery workers the hassle by getting them myself. 

That afternoon, we did some exploring by Saylorville Lake to find our wizard staffs like from the movie onward. We found some good ones down by the water! It was about 80 degrees and very, very warm. That evening we took advantage of the nice weather and started working on our retaining wall project. Scott and I have been able to get a ton of work done together while the kids run free in the yard. I finally feel confident that they can stay safe with just one eye and ear on them while they play. They are enjoying being outside! 

The rest of the week passed in a blur. We enjoyed the weather and worked on our wall in the evenings. I'm attaching a few photos of our daily routine for posterity. The kids really are doing well and I think our routine helps. It is very fluid and relaxed, allowing for plenty of playtime and tv time in the morning while I exercise before learning. This week has been a bit more difficult as I've had to up my teaching game with meetings, planning, and engaging with students but luckily the kids are good at entertaining themselves during that time. I've also started doing a few household chores while they do their online learning- something they are finally getting very confident at! 

I got my own set of headphones for online teaching! They are awesome! :) 

We've been working hard to explore new trails at Jester Park. There are so many we've never done. This one led down to the water and was not busy at all. 

We had our egg hunt on Saturday as the weather forecast for Sunday was rain and snow (eek!). It was also rainy on Saturday but it turned out to blow through and end up being a nice late afternoon and evening. The kids had so much fun running around the whole yard finding the eggs. 

Next year we need bigger buckets and I think they wanted some little toys in their eggs. I was really trying hard not to buy too much junk after sorting through all that stuff earlier this year. The good thing with candy is that at least it can be eaten and gone. 

We also dyed our eggs, we used two dye pellets per cup and the colors were really bright!

The kids also had experience blowing eggs so I could make the decorations for our tree. We set up our little village and it was really fun for the kids. It seemed like a lot of effort for me at the time but in hindsight, it was a small thing I could do to bring joy to the holiday for my kids. Michael even made a lego addition for it with a chocolate river. 

I made the kids baskets a bit bigger this year with more toys than in the past. They have been so good at home and I thought a few new things would make their day. For the girls, the new jammies were a hit! 

Is there anything better than fresh playdough? With nothing but your imagination to create with? 

All the kids got new super tip markers as they had been fighting over them for weeks. We now have more markers than we know what to do with but at least someone can find some they can use. 

On Easter Sunday, we watched the live stream of Hope downstairs in the theater room and then had a nice brunch afterward. We then spent time with family and it was a really lovely day. We played the game Drawful and it was funny with Michael's creative spellings and drawings. It was a family friendly version of course but some of the things Michael drew made us giggle. 

Overall, the girls said it was the best day ever and it was a nice chance to press pause and enjoy the day. the Easter message was very fitting and we realize how blessed we are to have this time to enjoy the ones we love in a safe home. I pray you also find peace during this time. Every day is a gift if we choose to unwrap it. :)