Lockdown Continues

It's official ... the kids will not be going back to their school this academic year. They are sad. I am sad. Teacher Daddy is very sad. The writing has been on the wall for a while, so we have been quite honest and preparing them for this possibility. The day our governor made the announcement was a hard day. But then something interesting happened. Attitudes shaped up a bit. It was almost like knowing (even if we didn't like it) felt better and more in control than not knowing.

I will say it again - all three kids have the best teachers!! Their teachers are just as sad to miss the end of the year with the kids. But the teachers are working so hard to bring some of that end of the year magic to distance learning. We are so grateful for them. And for technology to keep them connected. And for kindergarten teachers who take the egg hatching unit online and set up a Google Meet for a Sunday night so that the kinders could watch and participate as duck and chick eggs went into the incubators.

We had a rough couple days after Easter. It was cold. It kept snowing. As much as we like winter, we had gotten used to the springtime weather. The walls were closing in on us. So when the sun came out on Wednesday and it warmed up to tolerable, you can bet that we were out enjoying it after work and school were done. [To be fair, we were out even when the weather wasn't very nice. But it was much more fun later in the week!] Attitudes also shaped up with more fresh air!

Mike is clearly missing his IT work - and has decided that if he has to teach Art, there is also going to be computer class. So he grabbed an old desktop computer and monitor that we have (there are so many random computer components that live here!) and configured a computer for the kids. He is bound and determined that these children are going to learn how to use a mouse. Fact: they were so completely confused by the mouse at first. This tablet generation is like "I do what and click how?!?!"

He added Klondike solitaire, which Quinn has been obsessed with. She's getting the hang of it and has even tried with real cards a couple times. Dec is also learning how to play it - but needs a little more help. Fiona claimed she didn't want to try ... but then I found her testing it out a couple days ago when the other two were outside. She does not want to learn in front of Quinn. But she and I had a good time working on it together. Mike also put on a paint game that all three love. They are creating awesome pictures - and really working those finer mouse skills. Tricky tricky daddy.

We changed up our evening a couple Thursdays ago and watched the Disney Family Sing-a-long on ABC. Everyone snuggled up in blankets with their pjs on - and it was just a nice break in the monotony. I don't think they knew a lot of the celebrities who participated, but they enjoyed the songs, sang Let It Go at top volume, and were thrilled to see the cast of High School Musical all sing.

Our state "stay at home" order expires next Monday. There will likely be a slow reopening of things. We don't know what that will mean for us yet. Until we know more, we'll continue on with working from home, distance learning, lots of family time, and trying to find fun in each day.