Blending

We're about a month into our new normal. I am such a homebody, that it doesn't phase me too much. I miss my friends and I miss church. I miss my students. I miss my colleagues. I miss my family. It's a hard pill to swallow, to say the least. I miss just normalcy. I mean, normalcy of being able to have the freedom to go out to dinner with friends, meet up for backyard BBQs, monthly gatherings at events, running events...It was all swept away pretty fast and has taken some time to adjust, to grieve. It has not been easy.

However, it has caused me to pick up my camera a little more and document our reality. Our days kind of blend together, but here is what a day in the life looks like for us.

Essential Shopping
If I can avoid the grocery store, I will. However, I took these pics as reminders of how crazy these times were. What made the shelves empty: cleaning materials, hand sanitizer, bleach, bread, and toilet paper. The new norm is walking into a store with a mask on and stand on the selected squares reminding you of the distance you need to keep from everyone else. Honestly, they should have those up all the time. I hate when I am checking out and people are up in my bubble, giving me absolutely no space. We've used Instacart a few times, which makes our lives easier. If only they had it for Home Depot, we could get a bunch of projects done and avoid having to go out to buy anything. :)

Costco Bread aisle empty

Cleaning materials empty

They had plenty of TP, but nothing to clean with.

Working from Home

Working from home is a whole other level of stress. I adapt pretty quickly with technology, but it has been technology overload. I am exhausted and my eyes hurt by the end of the day. Zoom meetings are tedious and the rapid fire changes that keep getting thrown in our direction is mind numbing. I don't know what the expectations are, but I also don't know how to handle the expectations already thrown at me. My good friend told me "They may be dictating some of your time, but you are ultimately the curator of your own life." I am taking that statement to heart. I love my students and my job, but there is only so much I can handle or want to do when it comes to this new online realm of teaching. I am trying to breathe and recognize that sometimes things are beyond my control, and I have a small ounce of control over certain things. Anyway, I am trying, to say the least. And if people think teachers aren't doing a damn thing, then that is completely insulting. Between teaching AND homeschooling, what a trip...

But, here we are. We have been fortunate to have some lovely weather, so I took advantage of it and worked in the backyard, sitting in the sun. Of course, my face doesn't exactly say "This is fun!" I think I was being inundated with a bunch of new requirements and expectations at the same time. SO. EXHAUSTING. Brad texted me an image of him on his job, kicking back and relaxing. He said they haven't been super busy, so he had time to mock my work ethic. 😆

Brad working hard.

Professional Development: The Low down about Google Meet (formerly known as Hangouts)

Catching some sun on those legs

The look on my face says it all: I miss my students.

Maddy's chore board has now become our schedule board.

"Home" School Life

School at home has gone rather smoothly for us. We have occasional days where there is evident frustrations and such, but we definitely try to regroup, break, and come back to whatever assignments are giving us fits and split up the learning into workable chunks. For Maddy, it is best when we get our work done first thing in the morning so she has the afternoon as free and down time. For Jaxson, he does one or two worksheets provided by his preschool teachers and then he is off to the trenches of being a typical preschool aged boy: making a mess, playing imaginatively, and waiting patiently for Maddy to join him.

His art project was to make rainbows. He was learning about clouds that week!

We did a science experiment creating baking soda volcanoes.

Zoom meeting with her class.

Creating a hat out of recyclables, a challenge by Aardman Animations, the makers of Shaun the Sheep.

Maddy still working on hers.

Jax gluing his.

His monster hat.

Drawing a chick for his preschool show and tell by following Ms. Money's directions on a YouTube video.

We made cool tye-dye hearts on paper towels and added some construction ones to our rainbow window.

When he realized Easton was on the Zoom meeting, too.

Showing his chick he decorated to his preschool friends and teachers.

Down Time and Spring Break

We were able to enjoy spring break, although it was supposed to be a fun road trip adventure to Southern Utah, we made due here at home. Brad worked the week instead of taking it as vacation and only took Friday off to celebrate Jaxson's birthday. The weather was perfect, so we made the best of being outside.

Face covering while bike riding to the post office.

We couldn't go camping, so the kids camped out in the guest bedroom instead.

Dye for the eggs

Easter morning crepes

Egg dipping

Her beautiful egg

Dying their eggs

Easter Morning

Easter loot

Helping check out his loot

Exploring at the docks on The Hook

Seaglass Hunting

With the rest of our down time, we have been spending plenty of time outside. The weather has been divine. Maddy "played" with the neighbor girl by social distancing while riding their bikes on opposite sides of the road. Jax discovered Maddy's old tablet, so he has been playing on that and discovering fun games. Maddy also had the chance to Zoom chat with her best friend, which made her so happy. It's been rough on these two, not being able to see their friends. Trying to keep them in good spirits. We're in this together. We also did a little photo shoot, as it's been two years since I did them last.