Around Here Week 21: 05/17-23

A glimpse into what it is like to live in our home just this moment (week 10 of the covid-19 quarantine - yellow phase!)

Intentional Outdoor Hours:  71+ hours (of 1000)

I'm up over 13 hours this week and finally starting to get into the temperatures that make it almost impossible to stay in the house because it's so beautiful outside. It was super windy though this week. The kids had fitted sheets outside on the trampoline holding them open to try to use them as parachutes (that's STEAM homeschooling, right?) 

Reading and finishing Opposite of Always by Justin A. Reynolds (a very sweet YA, but since I've already dug deep with time travel/multiverse stories like Dark Matter and The Time Traveler's Wife - this one left me kind of like, #meh). I'm still also reading Untamed by Glennon Doyle. 

Goat prepping. That included goat fence prepping, researching goat raising, and purchasing our first five goats! We have agreed to get no more than 8 (!) Our first five are two Alpines (1 year olds) and 3 doelings: 2 La Mancha and 1 Apine/Boer. We were so grateful to have my Dad (Chum) and Brandon's Dad (Pappy) come out this week to help work on the goat fence. Brandon tried to use a post hole drill, but our tractor wasn't big enough to man it - so it ended up being 18 post holes dug by hand and at least 60 T posts installed. Both Gemma and Greyson have put in hours down in the pasture to help get the fence up. 

Realizing some very sound love advice while watching Brandon put in the corner posts for our goat pen: Can I just say, ya'll need to get yourself a partner who will operate a two-man auger by themselves to build your dreams with their own hands. 

Shaking my head (and butt! hah) as Red's favorite song is Wiggle by Jason DeRulo. It's incredibly inappropriate - for real- wildly lewd lyrics. But the beat and hook are so catchy. The kids crack up every time it says "big fat butt" and then we hold Red out and swing his body gently back and forth like he knows what to do with his 'big, fat butt' and he is quiet and content. every time we play it and dance. I know....our parenting is inspirational....LOL.

 

Swinging in the trees on our new swings that Abba and Chum got for the kids. Abba asked me if we had any playground thoughts for our house and I shared with her some ideas. We aren't interested in a traditional style playground, but play pieces that can spark the kids imagination and lead into all sorts of play. Abba and Chum spent an afternoon at our house digging through feet of rock (I'm sorry!) to put in the posts for some chin up/flip bars too. (thank you mum & dad!)

Attending my senior students' high school graduation. Our staff and principal put together a beautiful, socially distant evening that allowed our seniors to have as much normalcy as possible for their graduation. We held it outdoors on the football field with social distance spacing, face masks, limited participants, and no lingering afterwards. The seniors came into the event via parade through town (I cried) and then proceeded through graduation complete with speeches from the val/sal and class VP (I cried again). So proud of our kids and can't wait to see all they'll do in life! I will be rooting for you - always! 

Visiting Abba & Chum's house for the afternoon while Brandon worked at High Ridge hunting preserve as a guide all day. The kids were grateful to spend time playing in a new setting (because after 10 weeks of isolation, our house is SO BORING we have NOTHING TO DO and NO FUN TOYS...ya feel me, parents?) I was happy to spend the afternoon not making any meals, not cleaning up after anyone, and having adult conversations with my parents and my aunt Lisa (their next door neighbor!)

Homeschooling with a new and the last (!) packet of the school year. I am not going to lie - kids are OVER IT. (#same) and I'm struggling with getting them to sit down and work on it because I see how much natural learning is going on everyday. Grey has been asking such inquisitive questions ("if I shot my bow under water, how do you figure out how far it would go, ya know because it won't go as far as on land, right? what about in space?") They are baking and building the goat fence and building little dams in creeks and finding animal tracks in the woods. It's really hard to justify in my mind when they are so naturally curious and tackling learning on their own at home to then force them to sit down and do worksheets. It just feels like the place to learn naturally is at home and the place for worksheets and direct instruction is at school and we're getting through it but as always; I love and need you teachers. We miss you so much! 

Virtual Teaching for the last full week of the year. I offer my students an opportunity called Leave Me Alone Passes all year and usually they are meant to be earned to be exempt from the final. Since I couldn't ensure that a final given virtually would be secure - I offered the students an opportunity to use their earned LMA passes to be exempt from the last week of school work. Many of my students had earned enough and had a week free of work (!). Anyone else read a story about an alien on a mission and answered comprehension questions each day. 

Making lots of food for lots of hungry kids. 

breakfasts: banana bread, pancakes, homemade naan (my first time!) and berries, egg sausage casserole chocolate croissants, and breakfast quesadillas

lunches: lunchmeat sandwiches, chicken nuggets, salads, frozen pizza, leftovers, lasagna (delivered from our dear friends and preschool teachers Miss Kayla & Miss Janell - thank you so so much!!), and hot dogs

dinners: crock pot country-style porkchops, buffalo chicken dip, chili cheese dog bubble up casserole, crack chicken sandwiches, pizza (twice!)

Intentional Personal Growth Series: Who you hope to be

Blog everyday in June

To write everyday was a goal I had set for the month of May when I created my 100 small things list for the year. But apparently, I drastically overestimated my ability to recover from a c-section, take care of an infant, homeschool our two big kids, teach my students virtually, and have all five kids home everyday during a pandemic..

But the summer has arrived (for me today! and for the two big kids on Thursday!) 

So I'm going to go for it!

Writing for me gets all the floating ideas out of my head and into clear, semi-organized sense. It pushes me to be creative. I helps me feel less distracted. It is my favorite outlet for creativity. It brings settled peace to my heart that often times feels too much and tugs too deep. 

I have some thoughts on what I will blog about, some ideas which have been in my drafts for too long and some things that have just been on my mind recently. And I created a blogging calendar to  map out some thoughts on what I will be writing each day to keep me focused and organized. Some of the topics I'm thinking about include

• four kids' birthday posts (!)
• Around Here posts (to keep current)
• Studerbabies farm update
• intentional personal growth series
• lessons learned from five kids and 10 years of mom'ing
• list of ways to support moms with new babies
• school year recap 
• limit setting for kids
• outdoor hours

I'll also happily take suggestions!

So I hope to write

even if it's just a little tiny something

even if it seems like one more thing I have to add to my plate

even if I feel like I have nothing to say

even if all five kids are making me crazy

even if the goats have jumped the fence (hah, yeah - we'll get to that story)

I'm going to write something each day. 

I'd love to blog/write along with you if you need some motivation to get that paper to pen or those fingers to keyboard! It's always easier to finish a challenge if you have a buddy. 

Around Here Week 20: 05/10-16

A glimpse into what it is like to live in our home just this moment (and week 9 of the covid-19 quarantine). 

photo cred: Violet

Intentional Outdoor Hours:  58+ hours (of 1000)

Up 10 hours this week and I even got lovely morning for my ultimate favorite soul recharging activity this week. As I informed Grey when he plopped down in the porch chair next to me, I think my heaven will be a sunny morning with a warm breeze where I can sit on a porch drinking my coffee and reading while the birds sing the day to life. He responded with, 'Um, okay mom.' and then proceeded to hop up and ride his scooter all around the sidewalks. But a few minutes later, he scooted back around and said - 'what do you think my heaven should be like?' I told him that he might be too young to know just yet, but maybe standing in a creek with a fly rod like Daddy's will be. and he nodded, smiled, and scooted off again. 

Mindfulness exercise: what do you think your 'heaven' will look like (or what does your most joyful peace look/feel like)? I hope it is something you find time to do right now on Earth too. 

Reading Untamed by Glennon Doyle and The Opposite of Always by Justin A. Reynolds. I snatched up a whole stack of books from my co-worker and bestie's English classroom while I was at school this week, including The Opposite of Always (thanks Renee!) Still reading The Tiger Rising by Kate DiCamillo too with Grey.  

Celebrating Mother's Day with our Quarantine safe group. We had our Adams family join us at our house for a cookout around the fire. We planted hanging baskets, played kickball, chatted around the table while sipping special mother's day cocktails, and hoverboard'ed around the patio. It was a beautifully chilly, sunny, windy spring day. After, we stopped by to visit Gigi and Mimi each for Mother's day. Mimi got to hold Red (for the first time!) It was so wonderful to see and spend time with each other. 

Recognizing that I created addicts when I introduced the kids to Glee. We have been full on singing and dancing maniacs over here. Brandon and I watched Glee when it was on tv and loved it, but there are some mature topics - so the rule has been that they aren't allowed to watch it without a grown up (to talk them through questions and fast forward if necessary...hello Madonna episode with a lot of horizontal kissing!) but the kids have been majorly obsessed and all Alexa ever gets asked to play is Glee cover songs. So we're taking a Glee break for now - it's literally they only thing they've wanted to watch and they ask incessantly to watch again when it's time for a tv break. So - Glee is off limits for the time being until we can get this addiction to show tunes back under control. 

Feeling overwhelmed daily by about 4-6p, which not coincidentally is also the bewitching hour for children. Red has been very clingly and I've been sporting the baby carrier for most of the day. As a four time Babywise parent - I know he needs practice and guidance to create a normal napping routine - but also between virtual teaching and homeschooling and chores, it feels a little unmanageable at the present moment. So instead, his naps end up being in the carrier while I shuffle between my laptop and the other kids and the kitchen for the non stop cycle of preparing-eating-cleaning up. And so by 6p, I've been near tears for the past week. Also, it's been about 6 weeks of less than 4 hours of a sleep at a time, so yeah. Only two more weeks until the end of the rotten 8, I can do this! 

Discovering my spirit tree, Agnes. Brandon brush hogged the field next to our house last fall and as everything is starting to get green again this spring, the kids claimed a tree to climb. As I was checking out their hideout with them, I felt this huge rush of joy come over me. Looking up from the ground, through the branches and leaves blowing in the spring breeze, I somehow feel connected to the past and future while rooted in the present. I think of farmhouse kitchen curtains blowing and old time aprons and baking bread and falling asleep in the shade of a tree just like this on a summer day. The bark and the leaves and the twisting branches wake some creative part of my soul that has been dormant for so long in this momma-must-tend-to-all-the-other-needs-right-now bustle. A little ways down in the field is my Agnes. She is the same type of tree (pretty sure its wild black cherry) and she is my special girl now.

Listening to all the trees for their names. The big kids roll their eyes at me when I tell them that if you listen closely and ask the trees, they will tell you their name. But even amidst their eye roll they also still have the hope of believing in there. Grey and I stood for a long time listening to a pine tree in the goat pen. He decided that he 'heard' Bowie. We also have a Priscilla (apple), Abigail (wild cherry), Boris, and Spooks (two trees side by side that have twisted vines all over them). 

Attending my 6 week postpartum visit. It is always good to see my cousin/midwife/ob Megan and chat, but also a great visit to know that my body has made it through the six weeks mostly unscathed and well. I have been feeling better and more like myself in the last week and a half - so it feels like the official, let's get back on track starting line. 

Quarantine safe grouping - Gemma and Rust had a sleepover with Abba and Chum,Violet had a sleepover at Aunt Uch's house, and Grey got to stay at Uncle Jonny's house after turkey hunting on Saturday and he was overjoyed. It has been so incredibly valuable to their emotional souls to get some special one-on-one time with people they love. They all, but especially my girls, have been suffering from attention deficits during this isolation #bigfamprobs, but even more so because we've added a new baby to our family right in the middle of it too. Violet whispered to me the other day after she sat and watched me sing a lullaby to Red while he stared into my eyes cooing for 3 minutes straight, "Momma, I wish I was a baby again so you would do that to me." I did pick her up and pretend to hold her like a baby and sing to her and we giggled about it, but I hear you girl, we are all in need of a little special attention right now. 

Welcoming six new chickies into our home. I sent B and the two biggest out to pick up take out for dinner and get dog food and chicken feed from Tractor Supply...and instead they got the dog food, chicken feed, and brought home six little all white chicks. No take out though. hah! The chicks are already two weeks old and getting feathers, so the store was sort of desperate to sale them. So, Brandon got suckered in by the Grey and Gem's pleading (and the pleading of the sales ladies!) Third year in a row that we have the baby chick set up stationed in the dining room.  

Not turning away from the violence and heartache of our black and brown brothers and sisters in this country. I know I have the privilege of looking away because I am white with a white husband and white sons and daughters. But to look away is to give silent consent to the systemic racism that I have been soaking in (and subsequently benefiting from) all my life. My heart aches for Ahmaud Arbery and Breonna Taylor and their families; but also for all the black and brown families who are fearful and tired. How can I do better to promote human kindness? How can I be a better ally and example to my children, to my students, to my adult friends? 

Mapping out where we plan to install the goat pen. Yep, you read that right. Straight up farmette goals over here.

Zoom birthday party attending for Uchie's bday on Friday night. We chatted, virtually cheer'sed our drinks, did a Just Dance, played Notice the difference (thanks youtube!), and played virtual rock/paper/scissors Survivor style (if you lost, you signed off! HAHA). Afterwards, I cleaned up the kitchen while listening to the Live concert from The Evergreens (a local band) that played a request for Uch's birthday (!) It was a perfect Friday quarantine night. 

Homeschooling and finishing another packet in time for drop off (barely - we had 10 minutes to spare when we pulled into the parking lot, hah). More of the same around here - ya know, missing zoom meetings and arguments about finishing their work. I make mental notes all day long about how much education their getting otherwise to make myself feel better. Like, Grey cooked breakfast by himself, that's math, STEAM, and reading the recipe. Gemma helped pick out flowers from the nursery, that's science and math working out the price. I mean, the learning is happening - they just want to fight me on the worksheets.

Virtual Teaching with kids listening to music! We did a música focused week where students were to listen to Spanish (or Spanglish) music and answer questions each day with a little extension activity. We are down to the final two weeks of school for my students! I headed into school on Tuesday to clean out my classroom and the first thought was "oh Gosh, why do I decorate so much?!" Hahhaa, but for real - a rainbow threw up in my classroom. Thankfully, I stayed focused on the task and then Brandon came down from the admin building to help me and we got everything done! It was kind of sad to take everything down myself, each year the students help disassemble my room and it is such a comforting exercise in going back through all the memories and things we did that year. The students are always saying, "Aw, I remember this" or asking to keep work...but B and I were just like ripping things off the wall and closing up shop as quickly and productively as possible.  

Making

breakfasts: egg sausage casserole (made by Grey for mother's day), cereal (twice), eggs and sausage in a tortilla, egg and ham sandwiches, cupcakes (for Uch's birthday), and toast

lunches: Mother's day feast (church picnic chicken, shrimp, homemade strawberry shortcake including homemade whip cream (!), and Mother's day sangria), ham and grilled cheese sandwiches, leftover chicken over zucchini, salads and wraps, take-out from Tailgatez, and lunchmeat sandwiches

dinners: hot dogs, frozen pizza, fundraiser spaghetti take out (for my student who lost her house to a fire), buffalo cauliflower and burgers, korean style ground turkey and green beans over rice, pizza delivered (from the Vorndrans - thank you!!), and leftovers. 

Around Here Week 19: 05/03-09

A glimpse into what it was like to live in our home just this week, which was also week 8 of covid-19 lockdown and Screen Free Week!

Intentional Outdoor Hours: 48+ hours (of 1000)

Up another five hours thanks to some outdoor hikes. We had some solid 'spring' type weather in the early part of the week and then it straight up snowed by the time the weekend rolled around. Snow in May?...welcome to 2020 - hon.est.ly.

Reading Untamed by Glennon Doyle and starting The Tiger Rising by Kate DiCamillo as it is part of Greyson's school packet for the next two weeks. We're doing it a combo of independent reading and Read Aloud. I love Kate DiCamillo, so I'm definitely cool with it and I think his teacher, Mrs. Miller (hi!) picked it on person as a nod to all parents who have binged Tiger King on Netflix during the lockdown (I see you, Mrs. Miller - you're a cool cat). 

Going Screen Free for the week. We have been so dependent on screens during this isolation and even though National Screen Free week was postponed (they've been encouraging Screen Free Saturdays if you need motivation!), I knew we all could use a force look-up. I kept tucked in my heart that I would give myself a enough grace to call it quits if I needed to (it is a global pandemic after all), but we stuck it out Monday-Friday night. It was standard screen free joy around here - dirty, tired kids with lots of outdoor time and random naps all over the house. I did 'meh' because while nursing Red, sometimes scrolling is the only thing that can keep me awake (!) but I tried to stay mindful at least to how often I feel the urge to pick up my phone. The funny thing is - if I announce it's screen free week, the kids huff and roll their eyes for approximately 4 minutes and then they figure it out. They push through boredom and find something else to do. The moment I waver a little bit on the rules, they see that weakness and pounce, man. And then it's all whining and begging and I'm ready to pull my own hair out. So I actually kept the Screen Free status in place for my own sanity! 

In case anyone is interested - our normal screen rules are: 

1. no tv/screens until at least 11am (which usually means there is naturally no screens until after 3p because they're already playing so intensely)

2. no screens at the meal table

3. no screens at practices/games 

4. no screens in the car

We have two tvs (the living room and our bedroom) and only the living room tv has streaming capabilities like Netflix/Prime/etc. We also have an XBox and 2 working iPads that rarely get used. No child has a phone and the goal is (and the kids know) that they won't have their own phone until they are in 8th grade/14 years old. (even that seems young- so we will see when we get there). I know I'm a broken record about this, but there is a huge behavior and emotional difference in our kids when we are so intentional about screens and when we are not. The creativity and capacity for patience is staggering when our kids aren't so zombie'd out on screens. As a high school teacher I am regularly exasperated by students' disinterest and apathy and I know screens aren't entirely to blame - but....aren't they kind of? 

Embracing our "quarantine safe group" rules and spending time with the people in our self designated "safe group". Grey and Gem had a sleepover at my parents' house (!) while the meatballs (Vi & Rust) got a full day to spend with both my parents and Brandon's parents. The kids and I met my parents and sisters at Aunt Kitty's house for Cinco de Mayo dinner on Tuesday night which was such a nice distribution of kid energy for me while Brandon had his school board meeting. Our kids are so much more at ease to have their people back near them and in their arms. We set rules that they can hug but not sharing food/drinks and no kissing. Red has finally gotten the snuggles he deserves from his closest family. We are following all other social distancing and face mask rules, but we need our nearest and dearest people - so we're going safe group style for now. 

Hiking to a very cool waterfall right in our neighborhood! We didn't even know Yoder Falls existed until my friend and co-worker Nicki asked me about it. We decided to take a family hike and loved it. It was a little more intense of a hike than we were expecting (hah, Brandon had Red in the baby carrier!) but the kids had a blast and it was really beautiful. I fell once in the creek on a slippery stone, as did Violet and Rusty. When we got to the falls the kids were all begging to go swimming (!) but we barely convinced them it was still too cold - they were appeased with putting their feet in at least. 

Listening with a smile as Grey has read DogMan (Tale of Two Kitties) to Rusty each night this week - they actually finished the whole book and both of them requested another one from the series to read together at bedtime. 

Exploring Stackhouse Park with our whole crew, my sisters, and Lady (Uch's pup). It has such peaceful and gorgeous wooded trails and the kids loved looking for crayfish in the stream while I nursed Red in the pavilion halfway through our park visit. Grey even accidentally found a geocache and we signed the booklet! 

Worrying about all our beautiful blossoming trees and new buds and flowers as the cold and snow descended...in May - how!? why!? We have a dogwood tree in the back rock garden that has been trying to come to full life for the past two years and this year -finally!- it was starting to bud. So my fingers are crossed and we keep whispering "grow" to it every time we are outside in hopes that it makes it big debut this summer despite the frost. 

College'ing by turning in my last paper! I'm done! I also got in all my paperwork for my mentors and my cooperating teacher (hi, Renee!) wrote me the kindest letter of recommendation that had tears in my eyes. 

Homeschooling with a new 2week packet for the kids. They've received new material and ughhhhhh. Here's the truth for all you non-teacher parents out there trying to homeschool:  homeschooling is no joke. I'm a teacher, I love teaching, I love teaching your kids. Let me repeat that for those in the back - I love teaching YOUR kids. not mine. YOURS. I love my own children. I teach them manners, hygiene, life skills, respect, house work, responsibility, sharing, even read alouds, like hell yes I'm in. Teaching them academics? No thank you. I'm responsible for all the other learning in their life, academics are for their other teachers - this is why it's a village. we need other people who can carry this load of raising up children. I am good on the parenting side, I need their teachers on the academic side. (I love you, teachers and I'm doing my best - but also there are five kids over here - including a newborn - and so if you don't know why my kids work looks like poo and they miss a hundred zoom meetings, it's because they need you...I NEED YOU). so much love to all the teachers - I know you miss them too (because I miss my students). Parents - hang in there and give it your best, but also, like...I get it. #drowntown (to the homeschool parents who do this regularly - you all are not from this planet and I idolize you. for real). 

Virtual teaching for the last week of their country research projects (pop culture!) and really impressed with their work as I've been peeking in on their projects. Friday should have been our prom, so I woke up feeling a little sad about thinking of how it would have been if we weren't in the lockdown - spending the day with my prom committee kids putting up final touches on the hall, setting up for the grand march in the high school auditorium, getting dressed up and having a date night with my handsome hubs. 

Making kind-of keto meals to eat this month. Brandon is going a little stronger on the keto than me, but we're trying to make conscious choices at least - baking chocolate chips are my literal downfall everyday, I'm addicted.

breakfasts: scrambled eggs & bacon, pb&j toast (twice), keto mug bread, muffins from a mix, pancakes, banana bread, cereal

lunches: lasagna (from Abba!), taco tuesday for cinco de mayo, everything chicken with cream cheese sauce, baked bbq chicken tenders, mac & cheese with leftover chili, 'lil smokies in crescent rolls, keto cheesy breadsticks, frozen pizza

dinners: burgers, "fancied up" leftovers, tacos at Kittys' house for cinco de mayo, grilled cheese sandwiches, hot & ready pizza from little caesar's, swedish meatballs in the slow cooker over mashed potatoes, chicken pot pie over biscuits

Around Here Week 18: 04/26-05/02

A glimpse into what it is like to live in our home just this moment (week 7 of covid-19 lockdown)

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Intentional Outdoor Hours:  43+ hours (of 1000)

Up just 4 hours this week, this spring is turning out to be kind of strange and I'm feeling the effects of getting kind of old. I told Brandon that if the temperature is not above 60 degrees, I'm just too cold and hateful. That sounds ridiculous especially coming from someone who has lived the majority of her life in PA, but for real. I probably just need better clothes, but the chill in the air and the wind this spring (so windy!) has me hesitant to spend tons of time outdoors...well that and the newborn, but still. 

Reading and finishing Dig. by A.S. King. I loved it so much that I felt sad for the rest of the day because I was done with that story and those characters. My copy of Untamed by Glennon Doyle arrived - it's our next Books 'n Brews book - and my blood is moving more swiftly through my veins and I can hear the beautiful female song of all women who came before, stand with me now, and shall come after me. I legit screamed when I read the prologue and the cheetah's name was...TABITHA. Literally a message to me to free my soul and live bigger. I hear you, Glennon. 

Smelling skunk after Bullet got sprayed on Sunday night. One of my students also taught me something interesting after I shared with my class that Bullet got sprayed. He said that since dogs lift their tail as a sign of a greeting/submission - dogs think that when skunks lift their tails they are just being friendly - hahha! (thanks for sharing Connor!)

Loving that Rusty says:  Tinja Nurtles

Social distance visiting with family. Mimi and Kuma came over with their masks on to say hi to Red and the kiddos and deliver Grey his very first Amazon giftcard (coolest gift ever Aunt Pam! He picked out polarized sunglasses for fly fishing and magic 8 ball - literally the epitome of explaining Greyson at 10 years old). My Dad (aka Chum) came over one afternoon to check out our projected back porch plans and give us some thoughts on what he thinks we should do. He got roped into multiple kickball games and brought us snacks for a fire ring dinner that night! On Saturday, we stopped by our cousin's house for a cookout outside and the kids did actually a pretty good job staying away from each other in the yard. 

Impressed with the contraption Grey and Gem built which they hoped would be a usable tire swing but was made out of scrap wood, so it wasn't able to hold a child's weight - but it was still legit. That counts for what in homeschooling...shop class, STEAM, math, and physics...right?

Restocking the fridge and pantry by (finally!) snagging a Walmart pick up time.

'Squatching. Grey pulled out the gorilla/bigfoot costume we have and ran through the yard pretending he was Bigfoot to spook Rusty (ughhh). I reminded him that it would be more funny to make him laugh instead, so they set up a photo shoot in the woods to create 'squatch photos. I just can't with these children. 

Doing a happy dance that our Redland is one month old! He is already changing his look from fresh newborn to growing baby. This also means we are halfway through the rotten 8 and thank goodness because omigoshImsotiredIthinkImightjustdie. 

Enjoying slow Saturday mornings since its still turkey season and my two biggest boys (B and Grey) leave at 4am to get into the woods.  

Considering how we can maintain social distance and do our best to keep all of our community safe - but also have the help, love, and hugs of our own people.  We are tossing around the idea of creating a "Quarantine safe group" which would include grandparents and aunts/uncles. We still have low numbers of covid-19 here in our region and we've been away from our people for 7 weeks! It's starting to feel like, if/when the virus gets here and any of us get sick - we've all missed out on the last 7 weeks of hugs from the people we love most and then what would have been the point of all the separation. Also, after 7 weeks of all kids at home and then the addition of a newborn (while virtual teaching, homeschooling, and taking a college course)...I just kind of need some help. 

College'ing by writing and turning in my second to last assignment for class! I also got to flip some lesson plans into the college official format to prep for my last assignment. 

Homeschooling and finishing their 2 week packets for turn in on Saturday. I also missed BOTH of the kids' class zoom meetings and didn't realize it until looking at the clock about an hour late each times like, 'oops.' 

Virtual Teaching with continuing the Spanish speaking country projects. This week students were researching historically relevant information about their countries. I also set up at powerpoint that we all shared in adding photos called "bring your pet to school week" and I got to see the kids' animals with whom they spend their days. There were wet noses and sweet little whiskers and even some other kinds of pets (birds and lizards!) 

Making

breakfasts: bagels (from Heather) and cream cheese, cinnamon toast, egg & ham breakfast wraps, homemade blueberry scones (easy and my first time!), pancakes, cereal (twice)

lunches: leftovers, baked ravioli, sub sandwiches from our local deli, hot dogs, corn on the cob (some elote for me and Brandon!) with kielbasa and sauerkraut, salads and yogurt parfaits, and chili 

dinners: french toast, mountain pies and hot dogs on the fire, chicken & green beans (from Heather), cereal, creamy Italian chicken in the crockpot over egg noodles, Murphy's wings (from our neighbors) and buffalo chicken dip