Week 4 of Our New World: April 4 - April 10, including including Days 22 - 28 of Family Quarantine. Truly Slowing Down, Drinking Water & My Alone Time Reading Books.
We have had 25 nights in a row of family dinners, but the Tuesday night of this week had to be our family's very favorite. Since our 15th wedding anniversary 26 days ago, the kids have wanted to make us dinner 100% by themselves. Well, life slowed down so much that naturally, it just worked out that Tuesday would be THE night. I went on a walk with Megan P. and Blake took Tiger to the vet due to her sore leg and once we returned around 5PM, we were told to go to our room, shower and get something "fancy" on. We followed their instructions and had no idea what we were walking into. When they came and got us, we were shocked to see the dozens of little things they had done to make it so special. The 3 of them had worked together to think of and implement a memorable evening.
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| Life has slowed down to do things that we NEVER have time for, like exploring the empty 4 year old dilapidated house, next door. |
Each week, we have a full plan of lunches and dinners planned and it was helped immensely with us eating somewhat healthy and everyone being on the same page as to what we are having. This week the kids got really involved in helping us cool and it SO nice!
Blake and I have stayed incredibly focused on our training and using this time to become stronger. On Saturday of they week, we ran 8.2 miles, the farthest either of us have run in 8 years, since we last did our half marathon in Dallas in January 2012.
This was first week that I really thought we had everything down regarding school. Mondays, we put a tremendous amount of effort into their NEISD school work. I spend about 30 mines with the 2 older ones, going through every single class and what is on their plate. I like finding out what they are working on. At first I was getting frustrated with how little of learning they are actually doing, as NESID is only allowing work to be a review. I reached out to the principal and even the school district, voicing my concern since this was likely going to be 10 weeks of their precious learning lives. I got no response and the more information I got, I sadly started to see with NEISD is doing. They are are teaching to the lowest common denominator. So, if there are 2 stellar 1st grade teachers adjusting quickly, learning technology and motivated to engage and teach their class, and there is one teacher that is the weaker link and can't keep up, instead of asking that one teacher to learn or 2 have the other 2 willing teachers lead the distance learning, Roan Forest has decided to make the other 2 teachers back down what they are doing. I realized this in week 2 and was angry but by week 3, I changed my mindset and took another path. The kids can get their NESID school work done in 2-3 days and then I have created a supplemental learning plan to start teaching them. While I understand that NEISD may feel like they have to be equitable to all to those that may not have a computer, I am disappointed to not NEISD offering chromebooks to anyone that may need to check on out, like SSISD, Southwest ISD, and SAISD. It didn't help when I found out that week 2, Alamo Heights started truly teaching their kids by having them log in 4 days a week into 4 classes each day.
For a couple of weeks, we have used these laminated schedules for us to keep track of their school work. This is what I used each Monday to help them make plans of what they need to do for the day and for the week.
This week, Carter getting very motivated to build things. Last week, we told me he wanted to go outside and try and build a box. Then, he decided he wants to build a bench. What was really cool was the free architecture software he found and he designed every dimension of it. He worked diligently at his school work 5 hours a week from the end of the doing room table. We continued our nighty game playing as we continued to clean out the game closet. Carter got up with Blake and I a couple of times this week and ran with us. I really enjoyed that! Super special and something that wouldn't happen so regularly, it it wasn't for Corona. This week, the boys gave each other haircuts. We had fun and finally got the Gonzales their house warming present since their big party had to be canceled this coming weekend.
Carter also decided to learn to make home-made salsa and how to can it. That was a fun experience for the entire family! This kid was born for quarantine and is 100% embracing it!
Addie is doing great, still choosing to work 6 hours a day from the guest bedroom bed. She was excited to be charge of cooking dinner one night this week - her famous French Toast. Addie is having regular weekly Zoom meetings with Coach Kevin and her team. This week we really got good at getting outside each afternoon. One day, we went on a walk at 4 and out was so nice to take time slow down and notice things we wouldn't normally have time to, for instance, 2 dung beetles rolling a piece of dung all the way across Fossil Ridge and we even followed them to see where they were taking it. We paused to notice beautiful purple flowers blooming on cactus. PE time for Addie this week, we started stepping it up, with soccer practice and a couple of days of runs with Blake. We had fund with impromptu dance parties on our closet counter top, again, something we would never have time for if we weren't in the current situation. We played some games that Addie loved - like Twister and started timing how quickly we can put puzzles together.
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| The girls went over the rent house with dad to do some work. |
Delaney had a really great week as well, getting to regularly Zoom with her teacher on Monday and Friday mornings. She is working so hard with her work and loves using the apple pen to write. Blake is reading The Great Influenza and we jokingly made a rule that if you aren't asleep by 9:30 PM, you must listen to us reading it outloud. Delaney was asleep with in 90 seconds. Delaney doing huge bubbles during "P.E. time." We had fun continuing playing with all the games in the house. Emma Burek created a "Resurrection Egg Scavenger Hunt," so it was fun to get to walk around the neighborhood a couple of afternoons this week and listen to the story of Jesus. Of course, having Addison there to read them, really brought them alive.
Personally, for this week, it was a great one with regarding family and the children's school work and our schedule. Blake and I got our workouts in every single day, I was productive at work, yet after a couple of conversations with my customers and how bad Corona is effecting them, as small business owners, I started having a hard time going to sleep at night. I would drift off and then wake back up with work on my mind. I wound be thinking about am I doing enough to be there for my customers and their staff. To be honest, when I stopped and talked about it for a minute, I feel this sense of guilt that the past 29 days for us have in many ways been the biggest gift we never would have asked for. The way that Lilly and Gilead are going over and above to support us and to be proactive in telling us our jobs are secure. I hope these feelings will get better because I know loosing sleep over it is not the best thing.
It's a homeschool holiday, Good Friday, so we headed back to the lake.
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