Spring break champs

Well, this is it.  After (almost) 6 months home, this is the last day.   Tomorrow we start school.  We have struggled.  This decision pained us.  Yet, here we are.  I enjoyed our spring break!   I remember on March 5 when school let out for spring break, thinking how much I needed some time off.  Little did I know!   Jim and I have been doing this parent thing for 24 years.  We like to think we are decent at it.  Never in our lives have we dealt with anything like this.  And honestly, because it has been so politicized, it is dang near impossible to tell what is true, what is accurate, which “scientific” article to believe.  The science changes.  The ideas change.  It’s like shooting at a moving target, except your gun is broken, and your bullets are possibly aimed at your kid.  

A week or so ago, after spending our summer debating, reading, considering, crying (mostly me), listening to state guidelines, board of education meetings, making senseless amounts of phone calls asking questions, emailing school personnel, and sitting in bus meetings, we made a decision to send our kids back on September 14.  This would give us a couple weeks to see what the numbers did, as well as seeing that protocol are being followed. It was a great plan. And then we started getting the back to school emails, information on new software the kids need to learn, new protocol and training.  It was information overload.  Sending them back seemed easier than not.  The kids (particularly my high school crowd) want to just go back, learn the “new normal” and not try to play catch up while learning it.  And so, after a few more tears, a couple sleepless nights, a huge trip for supplies and more face masks, we are plunging in head first and sending the kids back tomorrow.  I am a very opinionated person.  I own that.  I am usually not afraid of telling people what to do, how to do it, and when to do it.  But this?  I have nothing.  There are no good answers. There is not any real way to do anything except decide and make peace with it. This morning, during mass, Father Jo literally said “you have to find joy in your decisions, and have the grace to carry them through.”  I needed to hear that.  

And if you are the praying type, I have a 2nd grade teacher who has updated her life insurance and asked us to take her animals if something happens.  Guys, she is 24 years old.  We should not be having that conversation.  I also have a head cook, and myself driving a bus where I am not only responsible for their physical safety, I am literally responsible for their health safety as well.  Please pray.  For teachers, school personnel and all these kids.  

Enough of that.  We are resilient. I am putting all my trust in God and refuse to shed another tear or miss any more sleep over it. 

We had an awesome weekend.  Colin and Spencer came to visit.  They brought Volt. We spent some time (outside) visiting my cousin Brenda.  We had Sunday lunch and enjoyed our granddaughter and a lot of our granddogs.  We made a trip to Casey’s for end of the summer slushes. We are getting back to school haircuts and the kids are excited.  We are blessed people!