Remote Learning Day 1

I said to Nathan this afternoon that I had no idea how parents that don’t have the insider knowledge that I have will get through this. Between getting kids to read ALL of the directions, logging into multiple programs, going back and forth between the Learning Plan and the Google Classroom, etc. all while trying to do my job… I finally had to call it and say no more school work today. The tears and whining were just too much!

That’s not to say today was a complete disaster. It started off fairly well. We started the day with Bible study individually, then took the dogs for a walk. We even tried playing Pooh Sticks on the bridge on the way back.

I had put together a new schedule for them based on the approximate times given in the sample learning plan. Changes will need to be made.

Monkey Boy took it very literally and would rush through a subject so he could play Roblox until the next scheduled time. Unfortunately, that meant he missed a few things because he assumed he knew what he was doing. And of course, when I checked on him and discovered he’d missed an instruction, he would be fighting tears. I finally told him he could go back and do what he missed tomorrow. I have suggested that tomorrow we try working 45 minutes, then 15 minutes of brain break. But not on the computer. We will see if that helps.

As for Squirrel Girl, she asked at the beginning of the day if she could rearrange the schedule. I told her to do whatever order she was most comfortable with. She is using my iPad until we pick up a chrome book from the school on Wednesday. Working in so many different apps, especially ones she’s unfamiliar with, took up a lot of time. She got frustrated that her brother got through his work so much faster. I pointed out that being on a computer helped, as well as him skipping some of the instructions. I actually had to suggest more than once that she take a break. When I finally cut both of them off from school work, she pushed to sit on my lap so we could have a 2-minute hug (she timed it). I know this was her way of dealing with the stress she was feeling. Again, I suggested that we build in brain breaks so she’s not working herself to insanity.

While they each had some difficulty with the directions or technology, I didn’t have to help with the content. I am confident that once we work out the kinks and they get the hang of online learning, they will be mostly independent in their learning.

My work space.

While trying to keep the kids on track, I also had to do my job. I spent a great deal of my day answering texts and emails from teachers about issues their students were having with technology. I reset passwords, sent step by step directions, created school-wide material, and more.

I tried my best to reassure everyone that it was inevitable that today would be rocky. Today the learning curve was all about technology. Each day should get a little easier. And everyone needs to give each other and themselves a lot of grace.

One of the best parts of my day was getting to have a zoom meeting with my yearbook students. It wasn’t anything formal, just an opportunity to see them and let them know I missed them. This group of kids is truly special and I really hope we will be able to finish out the year and distribute the yearbook these kids worked so hard on.

Later, I dug through the fridge and managed to make a decent dinner, but when I announced that I felt like we’d all had too much screen time for one day and we should play a game after dinner, Monkey Boy had a meltdown saying he never gets to do what he wants to do. This is what happens when he gets too much screen time. His emotions swing from one extreme to the other. Nathan suggested that starting today we put individual electronics away completely (including our phones) from 6-8 and spend time together. We will take turns choosing what we want do together and everyone else has to go along with it. Today I got to choose. I decide to play Skipbo. I won. When we finish playing, MB wanted to have a dance party. So we did that while Squirrel Girl took her shower. And then it was bedtime.

Long, draining day. I hope I’ll be able to sleep tonight. And that tomorrow is a little easier.

Anxiety overload

My chest has been tight and my stomach in knots all day. (I’m pretty sure it’s not COVID-19, but that’s one more thing to add to the worry list!) Tomorrow my teachers are officially teaching online and my children are learning from home. Both of these those are making it impossible to sleep.

My day started with quiet Bible study, as it has every day for months. It seems I spend longer and longer each day. That’s a good thing, right?

After we all got dressed for church (I insisted), I got us set up to watch online.

Monkey Boy was not happy that I expected him to put away his kindle for the duration of the service and tried his best to not listen.

He’s going to hate that I included this picture.

There were times in the service that I got teary. But when Children’s Time started, the tears streamed down my face. MB was secretly paying attention and asked me why I was crying. I couldn’t give him an answer. There were many reasons. I just didn’t have the words to explain the multitude of emotions (both positive and negative) that I was feeling. I cannot express how much I love and miss my church family. They are such a huge part of our lives and being cut off from them in this way leaves a hole in our hearts. But the fact that we still have ways to connect is simply amazing and the people that have worked so hard to make it happen are such huge blessings!

After service, we did FT Sunday school again. Not quite the same goofiness as last week. But we did get in some good discussion about how we can be generous, even from our homes. I hope we can do some of them this week!

After church we all did our own thing for a bit. I decided to make burritos/quesadillas out of the leftover red beans and rice from last night.

The kids had flour tortillas, I used corn

Unfortunately, MB misunderstood and thought I was going to use refried beans. He wasn’t happy with the reality. I’ll admit I was less than patient with his response (or Nathan’s attempt to diffuse the situation). But in the end we all settled down.

We got in some family game time, which was fun. Squirrel Girl took the victory!

Halfway into the game

To help MB recover from his loss and feel like he had some sort of control, we let him pick a restaurant to order dinner to go. He chose Fuzzy’s. Nathan went to pick it up and discovered that you can get margaritas to go right now! He brought one home for each of us.

BIG margarita!

I was hopeful it would help me get some sleep. So far, that’s a no. 😢

I think what I need is a really good cry. I feel like I’m a bottled up soda that’s ready to explode at any moment. If I could just ease some of the pressure that is building, maybe I can keep from overflowing. But I’m trying to be strong in front of the kids. I don’t want them worrying more than they are already. Hopefully once we get started with the online learning I will feel better. Or this is just the way it will be until this is all over. 😢

Materials Deployed

This morning was busy and emotional.

I went to the school to help with getting students the materials they will need for learning from home. I stayed inside and did not get to interact with any of the families (Nathan and our nurse felt that would be a bad idea for me), but those that took book boxes out to the cars took pictures and the messages of support brought tears to my eyes. 🥰

I came home just before lunch. Everyone was having a lazy day (no schedule on Saturday). Nathan started talking about what we will do if he has to take care of any COVID-19 patients or if any of us come down with it. We both had a hard time keeping in the tears.

I know this situation has Nathan worried. I’m trying my best to put my faith in a God that can use this situation for good. I’ve turned to my Bible more in this last week than I ever have. I’ve even gotten the kids to start a Bible plan in the Bible App. It really has helped me to keep a positive outlook.

I have no idea what will happen over the next few weeks or months. But I know we are very lucky to be living in a world where technology makes it possible to spend time with the people we care about while still being apart. I look forward to getting to see my students, even if it’s on my computer screen.

Work Day

Today I had to leave my “class” in the hands of a “substitute” (Nathan) while I went up to the school to collect what I needed to bring home with me and help in any way I could. I spent from 9:00-3:30 at the school (no lunch break).

From what I understand, the kids were good for the sub and even got extra free time when they got ahead of the schedule. It’s good to know they will get their work done even if I’m not here to supervise.

On my end, I’ve prepared as best I can for hosting library time from home. I brought a few books home, but expect to utilize online resources, just like our students. I have been posting resources and instructions for teachers to get ready to launch their online teaching on Monday morning. We had an virtual staff meeting where we tried our best to answer questions and calm any fears.

Virtual staff meeting

I’ve let my colleagues know that I am here to help, but Nathan keeps reminding me that I don’t need to be available 24/7. It’s hard not to check in on everyone and help at all hours. I know we have teachers that are terrified of technology and feel lost in this new world. If I can help, I want to. But I have to take care of me too. I’ve gotten little sleep this last week.

Tomorrow we distribute materials to students. It will be an organized chaos, most likely. This is the hardest thing I’ve ever faced. But we will get through this. Together (but separate). My mantra this week has been “We’re all in this together.

New normal?

Man, I’m lucky I’ve got good kids! I spent the majority of today working (from home), but they really stuck to the schedule we’d set. Tomorrow I’ll be going in to work at the school, so we will see if they keep it up for the sub (Nathan). 😜

I tried to get in a CG workout, but couldn’t find the live feed, then got frustrated choosing one of the printable workouts because they all had burpees! So instead we did some Go Noodle. Not quite the same, but at least it was something.

Squirrel Girl really wanted to play the game she created yesterday, so I played a round with her while Monkey Boy took his shower. It used addition AND multiplication!

I had work I needed to do, so the kids were on their own the rest of the morning. Both decided to work on writing stories in Book Creator for their writing time. I need to go and look at what they’ve written. I love how much kids enjoy using Book Creator.

I made a point of stepping away from the computer to help Monkey Boy make lunch (Squirrel Girl’s turn for Imagine Math). He really didn’t like the idea of not using a recipe to make food. So he chose a recipe and replaced everything in it with something we actually had. He wanted to make “Sloppy Dogs” (sloppy Joe’s on hotdog buns), but had to replace ground beef with hotdogs, buns with bread, and combine the last bits of two different tomato sauces to have enough for the whole recipe. As he said “Not the best thing I’ve ever had,” but we managed to eat it.

Back to work for me, and art time for them! I believe they watched more Mo Willems and JJK, along with something they found on their own.

When I pointed out that it was reading time, they stopped mid-video and pulled out their books. I wish I could have joined them. Eventually, I think I will, but right now everyone is crazy with trying to get things ready for online learning. I’ve been getting a ton of questions. I am happy that everyone realizes I’m here to help. But it can get overwhelming at times.

At 3:00 I looked out the window and saw that it was a beautiful afternoon. I wanted to take advantage and get some sunshine, so I suggested that we do a nature scavenger hunt for their STEAM time. I found a random scavenger hunt list and printed it out, then we locked up the dogs and went out! It was a much needed break!

They started on scooters, but SG changed her mind and took hers back.

They decided the best place to find a flat rock would be the creek. I wasn’t sure if they would ever get back up that muddy slope!

Chore time was approached willingly. I decided we all needed to clean off our work spaces. MB’s desk was the least messy, but SG and I needed to clear a surface to put the computers we will be getting from school to get our work done.

While they had free time, it was back to work for me. Then I made dinner (Chicken nachos). Nathan got home with new sketch pads (we’ve run out of paper with all the drawing they’ve been doing!) and pencils. They both drew while they watched TV and Monkey Boy kept drawing at the dinner table and while watching LEGO Masters.

I love this book library he drew! 🥰

Tomorrow I won’t be home much. It’s going to be an unusual day. We shall see what happens…

Back to work!

I managed to get in a workout and shower before getting a phone call from my principal asking if I could come in to the school for a planning meeting today. Nathan was at a meeting for work, so I told her it would have to be later in the day.

In the meantime, I spent a lot of time learning how to use Zoom, so I would be able to create instructions for the teachers. Having started our routine (and posted it on the wall), the kids were pretty good about continuing to work on their scheduled tasks. I’m hopeful that this means I will be able to get work done the next few days and that they will be prepared for their online learning that starts Monday.

I wish I could share the great activities they did, but about the only one I was involved in was preparing lunch. It was Squirrel Girl’s turn and she got to learn the art of “Pantry Surprise.” She started to reach for her Disney cookbook, but I said she would have to just look to see what we have and come up with her own recipe. She found rice, bacon, olives, cream cheese, coconut aminos, and apples.

Knife skills need work.

It’s not a combo I would have put together, but it was surprising good!

😋

After lunch they used Quaver to do a music lesson, then watched more Mo Willams for art!

I really don’t know what they did after that, because I left for my meeting. Very strange to be met at the door by my principal with hand sanitizer and a thermometer!

When I got home I was pleased to see they got their chores done and SG was working on a STEAM project she’d chosen. I did yet more work all the way up to dinner time.

I had to place my phone in the other room for dinner because the announcement of the move to online learning went out and my phone started buzzing like crazy with teachers asking questions. The problem is, I don’t have all the information!

It was already difficult to sleep because I couldn’t turn off my brain. Now I’m pretty sure it will be impossible! The next few weeks are going to be crazy!

Word of the day: Flexibility

So our schedule got rearranged a bit today, but we still got most of it in. I’m not sure that Monkey Boy got a shower (sneaky monkey!), but he really wasn’t as stinky as days that he gets to play with friends at recess, so no harm done.

The first thing we did was take the dogs for a walk. MB begged to take a basketball with us so he could shoot hoops at the park and I gave in, figuring the kids that were playing there last night wouldn’t be out yet. I was right. While Squirrel Girl and I ran with the dogs in the roller hockey rink, MB played one man basketball. Unfortunately, one of the baskets was too small and the ball got stuck! 😮

See. Stuck.

So we walked home to get a broom handle to try to rescue the ball. SG stayed home with the dogs and we drove to the park. After one (failed) attempt to push the ball up and out, a kind lawn guy on a riding lawn mower stood on his seat to get it down.

Trying!

Afterwards, we decided to grab breakfast at a drive thru while we were out. MB said to me that if he were paying with cash and there was change, he’d say “Keep the change!” so those that were working would have more money and know they were appreciated. 🥰

After eating our breakfast, I gave them time to write and socialize with their friends. SG even set up a Google Slide to share with all of the 4th graders we could think of (that I could contact through their parents) so they could share what they were doing.

While they did that, I set up a Flipgrid to post in Google Classroom, hoping some of the students would see it and share what they have been doing. It’s amazing how much I miss them!

We extended their writing/social time and decided to push lunch back a bit. At 12, Monkey Boy made lunch with me while Squirrel Girl did Imagine Math. Then we watched Mo Willams’ Lunch Doodles while we ate.

Lunch Doodles with Mo Willams

Then we did more art with JJK. Today’s lesson: emotions.

Mine

In STEAM time (that’s what they’ve dubbed it) they each chose activities on a list their AIM teacher shared. We started with making music with water in glasses.

Monkey Boy

Squirrel Girl

Then SG tried an experiment with pennies in vinegar (didn’t go too well) and MB froze a toy in ice in anticipation of creating a time lapse video of it melting tomorrow.

I stumbled upon a lesson from Dan Santat on Instagram that taught the meanings of the words quarantine vs isolation and gave them a challenge of doing nothing for 20 minutes (they wouldn’t even try) or reading for 20 minutes. They had no problem with that, and it took us right into DEAR time!

I get to read too!

Today, chore time was much better received. Clean your bathroom sink and the counter around it! I did mine as well.

It was bad! It looks much better now!

I told them that the faster they finished their chore, the more free time they would have! They got it done quickly (amazing how much time can be saved by not complaining!) and immediately wanted to check the Google Slide to see who had contributed. They desperately need human (other than family) interaction. I certainly can’t blame them. After checking in, they spent a good chunk of time watching TV. Monkey Boy kept asking if he could watch another episode. I told him he was free to do what he wanted with his free time.

Dinner was potato skins stuffed with ground pork, cream cheese, and chopped spinach. It was super yummy and got no complaints! I used the potato that was scooped out to make potato soup for later. 😋

Not bad, if I do say do myself.

After dinner, MB asked if he could have skittles. When he started to divide the colors into piles, I told him he should figure out the fractions and simplify them. He did a great job!

Skittles fractions!

Squirrel Girl didn’t want to be left out of the Math lesson, so she pulled out all the different types of kisses we had in the candy box in the pantry to find the fractions.

Kiss fractions.

We ended the day with barely any time for reading together, but managed one chapter. We may have to adjust when we read together if we are ever going to finish!

While we did deviate from the plan a little, I told the kids that we will have to stay flexible. Some days may need more time in one area than others. The whole purpose of the schedule is to help us all, in this time of uncertainty, know what to expect. Boy do I wish I knew what to expect beyond this week!

Schedule started

Today we started our schedule. It went surprisingly close to plan! We may make some slight adjustments, but overall I think I timed activities appropriately.

We decided not to shower right away so that we could get in some exercise first. After eating breakfast we took the dogs for a walk.

Walking the dogs

But we’d barely made it to the end of our road before it started sprinkling. So I told them we could try again later. But to get in our exercise for the day, we did some Go Noodle. I used my school account, but there’s a free home account too. We all did it together.

Mirrored my iPad using the Apple TV so we could all see.

While Monkey Boy showered, I went through the workout CG had sent. While I showered, he and Squirrel Girl got onto Google Docs and wrote to their friends from school. By sharing with the friends, they are able to write back and forth. It’s something we discourage when school is in session, but I felt like having an intrinsic reason to be writing was more important.

SG used my iPad and wrote out a long letter to her friend with proper format.

MB used his computer to chat with his friend in real time.

Had I let him, Monkey Boy would have chatted with his friend all day. But at 11:00, it was time for Math. MB did Imagine Math and then worked on his LEGO story while SG helped me with cooking lunch. Tomorrow they will switch.

Clockwise from the top:
Cream cheese stuffed breadstick “wands”
Homemade mayo using the colored egg wash leftover from the breadsticks
Ham wrap
Carrot chips

At 1:00, there were several live streams we were interested in viewing, but luckily the recordings can be viewed later. So we watched the marine biologists from Oceans Initiative and learned about orcas on FB Live. When that was over, we watched the recordings of Mo Willams and Jarrett J Krosoczka teaching art. They will be doing these every day on YouTube, so go check them out!

Then came Squirrel Girl’s favorite part of the day. DEAR! (Drop Everything And Read). I made sure to read at that time as well.

Then it was Makerspace time. Which wasn’t quite the same as when I do this at school, but they each chose a random challenge from a 30 Days of LEGO calendar I saw floating around Facebook and got busy building.

Monkey Boy’s pirate ship.

Squirrel Girl’s circus on wheels.

Chore time is when it almost fell apart. I gotta say, though, that I totally impressed myself with how calm I stayed. Thankfully, only one of them gave me trouble.

I told them that we would have one task to complete and when it was done, they could start their free time. The task was to gather any clothes that was not where it belonged and put it away. Monkey Boy thought this was going to be easy, until I reminded him about all of the clothing on his closet floor. That’s when he went nuts and threw a gigantic tantrum, complete with throwing things, laying on the floor kicking, slamming doors… if I haven’t mentioned, he’s TEN not two.

After 30 minutes of him yelling at me that I wanted to ruin his life and I’m the meanest person in the world, and truly trying to get me to yell back (quite frankly, I’m not sure how I managed to keep my cool), he asked if I would help him. Once he calmed completely, I did just that. And lo and behold, we got it done. (I’m still fully expecting a medal for my parenting skill today.)

I made dinner and we ate, then we decided to take the dogs for anything walk, since the clouds were clearing up. We were not the only people out walking. It was nice to get fresh air and I met my (super low at this point) step goal for the first time in days! We played in the roller hockey rink so the dogs and kids could run before heading back home.

This is the hockey rink where Puck got his name. 😍

We ended the day with me reading the first chapter of The Girl and Her Sweep out loud. Then bedtime.

Bring on tomorrow!

Sunday is for Worship

I woke up this morning determined to make our day as “normal” as possible. I showered, got dressed as if we were attending church in person and made the kids do the same. I offered to make hot chocolate to fill in for our weekly Missions Cafe purchase, and even sent Nathan out for donuts. (I then made an online donation to our church missions so they can continue doing good, even if we can’t be there in person.)

We joined our church family by tuning in to the Live Broadcast online. It was a bit unusual to hear only my voice singing the music with the praise team. Not to mention Squirrel Girl and Monkey Boy building with LEGOs as they listened to the sermon and the dogs asking to go out more than once. But I’m so glad we had this option. My church means so much to me.

I promise they were listening as they built!

After worship ended (much too abruptly, if I’m being honest. I’m used to mingling afterwards), we connected to friends via FaceTime to go through the Sunday school lesson that was sent by the children’s ministry.

Thankful for technology!

The lesson was about the Good Samaritan and being kind. The children were asked to imagine a monster. Their imaginations were so fun. We had:

A goo monster

A ghost monster that needs a hug

A LEGO monster

And a TP monster 😂

After thinking of their monsters, they were asked if they would be surprised if the monster helped someone in need. It was decided that, naturally, the TP monster would help someone with digestive issues. 😂

I loved having friends join us for the lesson. They went on to build LEGOs while using FT to feel as if they were together. I hope we can do more with friends in the days to come. I even made this post on Facebook (along with a link to free online educational opportunities):

The possibilities are endless! And even as a educator, a bit overwhelming. I imagine it’s a bit too much for non-educator parents.

So let me tell you this. If you do NONE of these things, it’s OK. It doesn’t make you a bad parent. For some of us (meaning me), planning and sharing ideas is just our way of coping with the uncertainty. I have no control over what will happen in the coming weeks, but I know how to plan activities and share resources. It’s what I do. Without that to focus on, I would go (more) nuts.

So this is my offer to you. As a PARENT, not an educator. I am happy to FaceTime (or Google Hangout) with your family to guide you through an activity with my kids. I’m happy to share any of the ideas I come across.

Feel free to do all or none of what I share. But I absolutely do not give you permission to feel like you aren’t doing enough! You are doing exactly what you should be doing. Coping. It’s all any of us can do.

That, and praying. Praying without ceasing. 🙏

And that goes for anyone that might stumble upon this blog.

Simple Saturday

Today was a nice, relaxing family day. We started by catching up on shows we watch as a family; Masked Singer and LEGO Masters.

Which inspired hours of building bridges and developing stories around them!

Monkey Boy’s bridge with alien ship attacking

Squirrel Girl’s bridge with laser eared bunny

I absolutely love how creative they got with their builds. Not just the designs of the bridges, but the stories and worlds they created. They both gave a full explanation of how the given situation came to be. I hope to use this to get them writing later in the week.

After sending pictures of their work to family, they decided to FaceTime their aunt and cousins so they could play Plants vs. Zombies together. I love that technology brings these cousins together, even states apart.

Next thing I knew, it was time to make dinner! We chose to watch a movie while eating (not my favorite plan, but the others all enjoy the practice). When the movie was over, it was bedtime!

Tomorrow is Sunday. We usually go to worship and Sunday School, but both have been canceled for at least two weeks. However, our church will be doing a FaceBook Live broadcast of worship and the children’s directors sent the Sunday School lesson for families to do at home. My plan is to do both, fully dressed and showered as if we were attending in person.

You’re welcome to join our virtual church day! Join the service Sunday morning at 9:30 (Central Time Zone) at https://restream.io/?ref=Kyz3l