Fall Life: 2020 Version

Fall is weird [theme of 2020]. It is equal parts the same and completely topsy turvy crazy. We are busy and bored. Quite honestly, we don't know quite what to make of it. But we just keep doing it a day at a time. 

School is weird. We are still in hybrid mode (case counts are not under control in Minnesota!). The kids love in-school days (and there have been zero complaints about mask wearing). We are all less enthused about the distance learning days. We are trying desperately to set the expectation that distance days are regular school days and their primary job is school work (and ours is our regular work). 

That is made much harder by the fact that they do not have enough work to do. It's getting a bit better than it was at the beginning of the year, but we are not confident that the effort we put into supervising the homeschool is worth the microscopic bit of learning they are doing on home days. 

Fiona is primarily self-sufficient with her school work. She has to do a lot of reading, which she is not sad about. She has to do a math worksheet, which she not thrilled about, but mostly manages. She has to work on her public speaking skills, which are going to send her completely over the edge. In two weeks, she has to read a poem in front of her class, so we are practicing it at home to prepare her. It is currently the depths of drama, but I'm hopeful that with practice, she will become more confident.

Quinn is primarily self-sufficient - when she wants to be. She loves her math assignments. She does not appreciate that I push her on her writing assignments because I know she can do better. Or that I make her edit her writing after a mini-lesson (like what it means to "summarize" the reading). We are still working to find the books that will grab her attention, but she doesn't fight me on reading time. It's just not her favorite. 

Declan is doing his work with a great attitude. It's just simply not challenging him enough - and he wants more. One thing he is enjoying very much are his new-found reading skills. He is burning through Fiona's stash of graphic novels at a rapid pace. He's read all the Babysitter's Club books, and now is thoroughly enjoying the adventures of Dog Man. D's reading and comprehension are top notch - but his reading "in his head" skills are crap. So everyone here gets to listen to whatever his book of the moment is. I don't think he knows it, but he does voices while he reads. It's my favorite!

We are in the final days of what has felt like a full-court sports sprint. Last week, Quinn went straight to hockey from soccer on Thursday night, did the same on Saturday, and then played hockey again on Sunday. She was extremely happy - but so worn out from it all. Tuesday nights are tricky, especially weeks when they go to school on Tuesdays (like tomorrow). Dec and Mike have soccer at 5:30 and Fiona has piano at 6:30. So I will make a dinner for Fiona and me that can stay warm enough for Dec and Mike to eat it when they get home around 6:40. Quinn either stays with F and me - or goes to soccer to run around with some girlfriends. And Saturday mornings are typically spent sweating or freezing to death at the soccer fields.

We are so grateful that everyone has a few normal activities and outlets for energy and creativity. But Q and D are looking forward to a week (plus a few days) of reset before the regular hockey season starts. We have one more day of school this week, and then it is fall break. We won't be camping like we usually do, but Mike and I are working on a few plans to make it special for the gang. Same, but different. A break in the boredom. Some downtime to the busy. Current family mottos.