Quarantine exhaustion has officially set in and I think everyone is desperate to make life feel normal again. Our corner of the country is still very much feeling the effects of COVID with no end in sight. And I’ll admit, seeing everyone else’s Instagram reel of sending their kids off to school, playing sports, and traveling has me feeling a little down… mostly the school part.
Cameron, almost 4, and Parker, almost 2, are both now attending Montessori Preschool up the road while Jackson is 100% remote Kindergarten at home with me. Our schedules have been ever-changing and I am so thankful to the schools for being so flexible with our family. It has been a nightmare trying to figure out what the right call is when it comes to school but right now, it feels like we are in a groove.
Parker is entering the terrible twos and yes, they are terrible. People think this is such a fun age. Da hell? He is extremely needy (with me only), can’t express his wants, frustrations, or needs and just slams his body on the ground in a fit of rage. Cute. NAHHHHHT. Hence why he started school. Right now, he is the spoiled little baby at home. The older boys know that if they want P to stop crying, just give him the toy he wants. Not the way life works, bro. But sure, take the toy and just stop it already.
School has already been a God send for him. He’s learning that there is structure to the day; it’s not always free choice. We have to transition from playing to sitting in a circle and learning. We have to transition to the lunch table. And no, when you cry it doesn’t always lead to you getting what you want. What a concept! The first week was rough with a lot of tears but now he realizes this is real. Mom drops me for a few hours each day and always comes back. Ok, that’s cool! Now he runs in and doesn’t look back. I already know this is the best environment for him. At home, I am constantly working with Jackson, getting him prepared for his Zoom calls, doing assignments in between, and trying to foster a real Kindergarten environment. Parker was getting the short end of the stick here and I finally feel like we’re all where we are supposed to be.
Cameron has blossomed over the last couple of months and I credit that to his new school. Of course he wants to be just like Jackson and copies his every move but now that they aren’t attached at the hip 24/7, he’s gaining confidence and independence. While he’s my most sensitive boy, he’s also the sweetest and extremely outgoing. If you came over to my house right now, he’d march you upstairs to show you his bedroom and all of his LEGO cars “he’s” built (I built them. Labored over them. My fingers actually ache from them). He’s approaching 4 and that baby fat is slipping away.. a true boy to his core, all banged up all the time 😉 See: his forehead.
So, Jackson. And remote learning. My heart is with the moms and dads (but let’s be honest, it’s mostly moms) who are struggling with this. The working moms especially. HOW?! How, how, how do you juggle this? I find it impossible and I am not working. My hats off to you. Jackson is in Kindergarten and he has 4-6 Zoom calls a day with mini breaks in between. It starts at 9:20 (right after little brother drop off) and ends at 3:50. Do you know how long of a day that is on Zoom calls? In between, he is expected to be reading, doing educational games, workbooks, and assignments that he absolutely can’t set up himself. This requires 100% adult interaction. So we don’t go anywhere.. we are home ALL day waiting for the next call. Luckily, we have Wednesday’s “off”.. meaning, no calls but work is still expected to be done. We try and complete those assignments on Monday and Tuesday so that Wednesday really is FREE. This is where the silver lining comes in. We get to spend the whole day on Wednesday just him and me. We go to the skate park, run my errands, get lunch together, build legos, and just HANG. It’s good. It’s really, really good and I’d never get the opportunity to do this otherwise. So while I wish he got to go to school in person, I also know this is so unique and one day I will look back fondly on some of these days where it was just him and me.
Now, let it be said.. the teachers are ANGELS on Earth. True Superheroes. Jackson’s Kindergarten teacher is a SAINT. She is patient, kind, loving, and so interactive with the children. My God I am in awe of this woman. And she has a baby at home. She is juggling it with such grace and poise and I know she wants to be in person, too. And while I know Jackson would be learning MORE in person, she is doing a fantastic job keeping them on task and REALLY teaching them. He is learning even though sometimes it feels like a total shit show. I bow down to all teachers.
Right now feels like groundhog’s day. We drop the littles at school and come home to Zoom all day. I try to focus on blog content, recipe planning, and keeping up the household chores while being an assistant Kindergarten teacher 😉 I know I am lucky that my kids are still SO little and don’t really feel the impact of this pandemic. And even though we can’t participate in sports activities or go to school, I am blessed that I can create those experiences for my kids at home. We have built soccer and baseball nets and a putting green so that in between school, we have some fun. And sometimes, we play hooky 😉 Shhh, don’t tell on us. Sometimes, Jackson gets to hit the driving range with his dad during lunch time. When else could we pull him from Kindergarten and do this? Never. So we are trying to make it special. That silver lining, again. We are trying to find them in the monotony of everyday life at home.
My husband and I agreed to maintain a really healthy lifestyle between now and Thanksgiving because the holidays, even during COVID-times, will get busy and eventful aka WINE. So we aren’t drinking, cooking healthy meals, and trying to be really present with our family right now. I wouldn’t say I am 100% Whole 30 compliant because #halloweencandy and candy apples oopsies but maybe I am 97% 😉 I know, that’s not the purpose of Whole 30 but LET ME LIVE. I definitely miss the occasional glass of wine or hard kombucha but I feel great after a lot of binging since March. Time to reel it in over here!
For Thanksgiving, we are heading to Orange County to see my family as my dad hasn’t seen the kids for almost a year. I am hoping I can see some of my very close childhood friends who I haven’t seen in so long (and meet their new babies).. but from a very safe, outdoor distance. We also decided to venture out to Palm Springs after the holiday and spend a few days in the sun before heading back to Seattle for the holidays. Jackson can ZOOM from anywhere, right?!
So there you have it.. how we’re doing and how we’re feeling in a few paragraphs 🙂 How are you holding up?
xx, H
