Some kind of normal

Mallory had 2 days of teacher-y meetings and planning.  I feel terrible for teachers.  My daughter is having to come up with plans for school 3 different ways.  The first way is normal back to usual classes but while wearing masks, washing hands hourly, and socially distancing children at all times.  The second way they are calling “hybrid” which essentially means they would only have half the kids there at any given time.  The kids would go to school 2 days a week, follow all the guidelines and the rest of the time they would be doing online learning.  While this is better, I still have so many issues with it.  The third thing is called remote learning which means children will stay home and be taught through the internet.  Guys, this is a disaster.  All of it.  All of these options suck.   I have real, big, huge problems with all of this.   I don’t even know how we should proceed.  Added to the logistical problems is the fact that all of it is a political game to the very people who should be looking out for public safety.   It’s terrible.   

Anyway I guess I don’t have the time to write an essay about it, and it wouldn’t matter anyway because it’s out of my control.  Jim and I have decisions to make, and we are in the process of educating ourselves so we can do what is best for our family.  

Well I got off track there.   My picture above was what happens when Mallory has to go back to work after 5 months of being home.   She was worried about the Olive dog.   I told her the girls and I would go pick her up and let her spend the afternoon with us.   Olive was happy to go, but she ended up puddle jumping and was a complete mess when her mom came to get her! We were both in trouble!  

Besides the great school debate, I know that my kids are grieving for the stuff they have lost.  Despite out best efforts, we can’t shield them from knowing what is going on.  These kids, particularly our younger crowd, have been busy since birth.  I often joke about the fact that we took Quincy from her hospital room after being born, straight to a softball tournament.  (This is a true story).   I have made a big effort to keep them busy.  I am attempting to keep their minds occupied, keep them from seeing our inevitable fear, and stimulate their love of creativity and learning.  Yesterday we agreed to having a couple of friends over.  Saige was so excited to have an afternoon with Lylah!   Harper had Chloe over.  They all swam for about 3 hours and then Quincy kept them busy with a cookie decorating bar.  I appreciated her efforts but that child is a messy cook!   She did (mostly) clean her mess up though.  I think I’ll be needing a new bag of flour!   

Preston has predicted that we won’t be going back to school.  He has decided to turn his attention to fixing things. He has been working on the Honda that he bought.   He has put in a new starter and it runs now, but it lacks brakes.  He is working on that currently!   He also organized the tools and cleaned the garage.  He found an old hammer and added a new handle that he made from some of the hedge Jim and Cameron cut down this week!  

Speaking of Cameron, he has been a ton of help while he is home.  I know when he moves back to Manhattan, we will all miss him, but Jim definitely will!   A few days ago, I walked out to see him up in a tree with Jim below warming up the chainsaw.  My boys always have to have a project.  I sometimes have to put the girls on watch duty and walk away because they make me nervous!   Cameron is gearing up for KSU to restart.  He is going to teach a Leadership Studies class, and work as an RA this semester. I am on record with saying I love this so much more than when he worked as a bar bouncer!   He was given his move-in time for the dorms.  On August 1st he has from 11:00 to 11:15 to move in.  I guess he’s packing light!   The dorm rules and regulations will be vastly different and I know he is a little bit concerned over how that will work. Never being one to back down from a challenge, he has been exploring some options. We know once he moves, it will be hard for him to come to visit us due to consistent exposure.  One more disappointment on a long list of things the pandemic has caused.  If 2020 has taught us anything I guess we now know first hand how much pandemics suck!