Goodness, it's been a long time. Lots has happened to everyone. Pandemic, quarantine, Covid, riots, marches, protests, wildfires, hurricanes, murder hornets, meth gators, flying snakes, giant tarantulas, rabid bats, self published books, social distance hang outs, zoom hang outs, births, deaths. Good times, amiright?
Our family has weathered the storms of uncertainty fairly well these past several months. Our distance learning started out ok, but quickly nose dived as Asher decided he just flat out didn't want to do it and started refusing to do about 2/3 of his work most days. Eden is stubborn in her own right and I am definitely not cut out to be a teacher, so she and I butted heads a lot. Elijah, thankfully, was fine, and sailed through his work fairly well most of the 6 (or was it 8?) weeks we did it. Rebekah was essentially on her own. Anyone who followed my fb posts in the spring will remember her "Frozen studies."
We finally gave up and stopped with Eden because she was done, I was done, and we needed to stop for everyone's safety and sanity. About ten days later, the boys were done, too.
School started back September 8 and it's been going fairly well for the past two weeks, and it's a micro school (only 13 kids total) and they have an adapted schedule, with only the younger kids there in the morning and the older kids there in the afternoon, but since they're not under the school district, masks are not required. Because of this, only our kids and one other are wearing them. This was the only thing about what the school is doing that made us hesitant, but we talked to the pediatrician here and she said if our kids would wear masks, maybe it would be ok. So we proceeded.
Eden had her six month cardio check up yesterday and she wanted to hear about the school situation and when I started to describe it, she was nodding. As soon as I said no masks, her eyes widened and she shook her head. She said "I'm not comfortable with that, I don't want Eden there. Pull her out." I asked about the boys, and she said she didn't want them there, either. So, the boys and Eden are on a mini break while we sort out distance learning again.
We talked about Rebekah's MDO program, and as far as I can tell, the teachers are wearing masks enough that she's ok to stay. I will be talking to the director to verify that, though. If they aren't, then she can't stay there, either. Dr. S also wants Austin to work from home as much as he can, if possible. There are some all day meetings every three weeks that he pretty much just needs to go into the office for, so he either needs to go to the office, or we need to figure out somewhere else for him to be on those days.
We're going to sort out some kind of zoom situation for the kids to do their classes virtually, and we have laptops for the school to use and we have laptops to use here and their teachers are going to create packets of their schoolwork like we had in the spring. We talked to the kids about it last night and they seemed on board. They're definitely ok with having a couple of days off while we figure everything out.
We have back up plans, and back ups for our back ups. Anyone who knows me knows I plan for months out. We were instructed not to have our kids in a school environment where everyone is not wearing masks for the next six months. I've been planning ahead for stuff for the next 4 months ANYWAY, so that wasn't too far ahead of me. I'd sort of been planning for this, so I wasn't caught too off guard, but I was disheartened to hear it, and I did cry a little as we left the cardiology department. Eden just reached up and held my hand as we walked to the elevator.
It's so frustrating that people around us don't see the importance of masks. They don't think this virus is that big of a deal. They think it's just a bad flu. They don't see the big deal, because no one they love is a higher risk person. Or even if someone is, they don't necessarily believe that they will get it or be that sick, because they haven't seen anyone get really sick with it. They see wearing a mask as an infringement on their rights. What about my daughter's right to life? To being able to go to school with her friends? To being in a safe environment? What actual right are you being forced to give up?
I do get that wearing a mask is uncomfortable. I don't enjoy it either. The cloth ones are decidedly less comfortable than the disposible ones. I noticed that for sure yesterday at the hospital. They insist you wear the hospital grade ones, not the homemade ones, and pass them out at the entrance, and it was far more comfortable and I felt like I could breathe better in it. But for the safety of those around me, I will continue to wear them whenever I'm out and around people I don't live with.
This is not to call anyone out or to disparage the school. I think the teachers are doing a great job overall and they are doing the best they can. They made the choice not to require masks and that is something I knew going in. I understand why they made that choice and why they left it up to each individual family as to whether or not their children were going to wear masks. It is still an excellent school and my children are still getting a quality education (or as quality as they can with me being in charge of any part of it). It's just taking on a slightly different form right now. I love and respect both of the teachers tons, they were my teachers and one was my "other mother" growing up (she had all sons and would periodically "borrow" me). I even gave her Mother's Day cards and gifts for YEARS. My frustrations are my own...and maybe Austin's. After twelve years of marriage and ... what, seventeen? years of knowing him, I feel like I can somewhat speak for him.
It's going to be an interesting adjustment, but I feel like we can do this. I hope, anyway. In any case, we'll give it the old CAZA try.
