Hybrid school 2020-2021

 It’s funny, as I was reading over my last post on how we closed out the summer I laughed because that was pretty much how this last week went for us too. I feel like school is not the main focus of our days right now. And the weather has been so beautiful we have been able to do all the fun summer activities still. So pretty much our week looked a lot like the last! Just a few differences: 

The boys have transferred to a new elementary this year: Roosevelt. Aaron was EXTREMELY nervous so we had father’s blessings, Back 2 school dinner night, read our tradional “Kissing Hand” book the night before school, and drank “jitter juice” just before leaving to school; he still went as nervous as could be, clinging to the umbrella that he and Maddix shared on the walk to the doors (it was raining so hard; it made me grateful I took pictures at their PTC’s a few days before). As expected, they came home thrilled with their teachers, the school, and that they only have 8 kids in their class this year! Also, they were excited to find out their music teacher actually lives just across the street from us. 

Their school has chosen to do a hybrid system this year. So my boys are in class on Tuesdays and Fridays. They are doing at home learning Mondays and Thursdays. And everybody has Wednesdays off. I was pretty excited to pull off the impossible… I was able to arrange almost all of their lessons and practices on Wednesdays so that we don’t have a crazy amount of activities going on every night of the week this year! I was a little disappointed to learn that their at home learning program is only one hour of online work each school day. They decided to leave it up to the parents on how they would like to supplement the at home portion of their learning. They also won’t be sending laptops home to even start the online work for three weeks. Now I don’t mind coming up with lesson plans and supplementing, but to find all of that out just one day before school was supposed to start was a little overwhelming. So, I ordered some learning books, flashcards, and Built little school area down in the basement where we will be conducting our at home days. It’s a work in progress and we’re adding in just a little each time, but I think it should go well. I have also decided to sprinkle in practical life skills to break up all their desk learning. For example, they have to work in the garden, take care of the dogs, learn how to load laundry, fold it, and put it all away. As well as help create a grocery list, and make the meals. This has not been received well, and essentially I have been told that I’m basically keeping them home as free labor… As I said, we’re all adjusting!

Aside from school, we have been outdoors as much  as possible. The boys and Travis has baseball and football practices all week, so I took the girls/dogs and went for walks with our new friend, Heather and her baby Josie. Travis also make Addie’s whole week by taking her mountain biking and then for treats afterwards. Then they watched a cartoon together while they waited for practice to end. 

We were able to have Ashlynn come spend the weekend with us. Travis and I got to go out to dinner at Gejos pizza in Clear Lake, as well as go biking the next day together.  I was finally able to progress on a table top jump I have been working on all summer! We washed windows and did yard work while the girls napped. Later, he took Ashlynn and the boys out biking and she loved it. We were also lucky to go Play kickball as a neighborhood in the Carter’s backyard. And then they put on a projector movie and showed the new Mulan. 

On one of the boys at school days I was able to take the girls and the dogs over to the dog park. The dogs were exhausted within 20 minutes and then I was able to take the girls across the street to ride bikes in the tree lined pathways. It was a nearly perfect day and I just love the weather we’ve been experiencing! However, we keep being warned to enjoy this weather while it lasts because this is the last week of warm weather before it really drops off! They also call for a long early winter…

... So for now we will keep enjoying these beautiful days and soak in all the time we get in the outdoors while it lasts!

Ps  we finally got a purple mattress and it’s. A. Game. Changer!! Life altering comfort coming my way! Time to say goodbye to back pain!