Ten Joys of the Season

Random things we have enjoyed during COVID19 stay-home orders

1. Riding bikes around the empty parking lots of businesses that are closed.

2. School busses delivering lunch to our neighborhood.

3. The AMAZING flood of memes, videos and general funny circulating on the interwebs. Even with a deadly virus lurking in our midst, we are funny, America. Truly.

4. Time to clean old photos off my phone. 2016 is now officially documented in a photo book!

5. All kinds of fun instructional videos that are popping up online. This weekend we learned line dancing from an urban cowboy from Toronto.

6. Daily walks around the neighborhood. Because we gotta get out. of. the. house. Also, the bear hunt thing is pretty fun. (If you're in our 'hood, look for the pig and penguin in our upstairs window)

7. Puzzles. Full disclosure, I'm kind of a closet granny and I love puzzles even when I am allowed to leave the house.

8. Using the internet as a tool to connect rather than disconnect.

9. The fantastic Snapchat instructional videos Thomas' teacher posts (complete with funny voices and ridiculous lenses).

10. Attending virtual church services in our jammies. The coffee hour snacks aren't as good as what we've come to expect, but the lax dress code and comfy seating are fantastic.

Space Kitties Charter School Diary - Episode 3

March 23, 2020

It's Monday, the start of week 2 of our homeschooling adventure. It was a busy day.

Highlights:

• Everyone slept in and got going on their school work without any nagging. 
• Again, they worked independently and saved all their questions for the moment I jumped on a video conference call. 
• Field trip #3 was another trip to pick up groceries and deliver them to my parents. 
• A hail storm in the afternoon made me regret my decision to convert the garage into the Space Kitties Charter School room. I quickly shoved the school stuff to the side and put the car back in the garage. Thankfully the hail was small and passed quickly. 
• We put out a homemade rain gauge in the backyard (thanks Grandma!) and will be measuring rainfall as part of our ongoing science project. 
• Late in the afternoon when the storm clouds cleared out, we walked to the park to kick the soccer ball around. We now maintain safe a "social distance" from the playground equipment, but still appreciate the open space to run around and get our wiggles out. 
• On the walk home, we took the long route and the kids had a great time stomping in puddles and rescuing worms on the sidewalk. Watching the kids stomp in puddles has always been one of my most favorite things to do as a mom, and today I'm thankful they haven't yet outgrown that simple pleasure. 

Clean hands. Open Hearts. Growing Minds.

Space Kitties signing off.

Home School Day: 5
Toilet paper inventory: 9 rolls
Wine on hand: 2 bottles
Crying fits: None

March 24, 2020
Hey! We made it today six before we had our first serious meltdown. I guess that's a success story? Ironically the crying fit wasn't even about school work or being bored in the house....it was when I was trying to teach the kids how to play hop-scotch. (I mean the real game with place markers and all that....not just jumping around the squares) One child (who shall remain nameless) was not quite as good at it as the other child. The frustration level kept rising as the other sibling was more and more successful....and then it all fell apart. Tears. Screaming. Lying down on the ground. Truly, it was quite a show. I'm sure the neighbors enjoyed it.

We managed to get ourselves back in the house without any major damage. Everyone is recovered, we got the laundry put away, and now the kids are parked happily in front of their electronic device for TV time.

I nearly had a crying fit of my own when I realized today is Tuesday and not Wednesday, the day I have a conference call scheduled with my high school girlfriends. So, that wine inventory is holding steady for another day.

Clean hands. Open Hearts. Growing Minds.

Space Kitties signing off.

Home School Day: 6
Toilet paper inventory: 9 rolls
Wine on hand: 2 bottles
Crying fits: 1

PS....Our reading nook game is strong in this house. Pinterest, eat your heart out.

March 25, 2020

If I had a nickel for every time someone sent me a creative idea for home schooling, I would be a millionaire by now. I get it!! There are a zillion great resources out there for homeschooling. Also....I'm working, and the school sent home a very complete collection of things to keep the kids busy. So I really haven't had the opportunity to do much of anything outside the box. But today we executed a Pinterest-worthy art project in the back yard.

Step one: Use masking tape to lay out a grid on your wood fence.

Step two: Color in the spaces with sidewalk chalk

Step three: Remove the tape and you have a stained-glass window on your fence! 

This is probably the first time an internet art project actually turned out as good as the original picture. #winning

Clean hands. Open Hearts. Growing Minds.

Space Kitties signing off.

Home School Day: 7
Toilet paper inventory: 8 rolls
Wine on hand: 1.5 bottles
Crying fits: 1

Space Kitties Charter School Diary - Episode 2

March 18, 2020

So far, our favorite part of home schooling is the sleeping in part. Well, the kids sleep in. I get up at 5:30am to do yoga, eat breakfast, shower (sometimes), and get ready for the day. This morning I was at my computer ready for work at 7am, and the kids rolled out of bed between 7:30-8am.

While I was embroiled in a 2-hour video conference call this morning, the kids interrupted me approximately 72 times to ask questions about how to do their assignments or how to login to their online classroom resources. The internet is their native language and suddenly they have no clue on how to interface with technology. Go figure. Even at this very early stage, I'm over trying to appear engaged on video conference calls for work. Now that the whole country is home schooling, I'm just assuming people can give me some grace and pretend not to notice when I'm talking to my kids or interrupted by the cat who needs some attention.

Our lessons today went pretty smoothly (other than the aforementioned 72 questions during the 2-hour video conference).  My 3rd grader colored and labeled the different layers of the earth and practiced his cursive pretty much without assistance. My 5th grader did her online math practice and writing exercises mostly independently. We laughed together at some point during the day. There were no tears (other than the somewhat irrational tears that sprung to my eyes while watching this goofy video from the school administrator.) And although our garage/classroom was "too cold" for class today it is now properly decorated with a Space Kitties Charter School banner. So we're classing things up a bit and making this a professional operation.


On day two of home school, we took our second field trip to pick up the free lunch being distributed at school. The kids never get school lunch, so this was a pretty big treat. And by treat I mean the entire meal was basically dessert: Chocolate milk, Doritos, Apple juice, Uncrustable PB&J sandwich, some kind of mystery frozen fruit smoothie thing and baby carrots. If this is the post-Michelle-Obama lunch, I'd hate to see what school lunches looked like pre-Obama.

I don't know how homeschool moms and dads do this without peer support. I was on a Facebook discussion group at least three times today looking for advice, asking questions and complaining. I'm thankful to have a motley crew of mamas to turn to when the going gets rough or I just don't understand the teacher instructions. I have a call scheduled tomorrow with my sister in law so she can help me speak the language of common core math. I told my son to "carry the one" today and he looked at me like I was from outer space. I guess we're all going to get schooled together during this adventure!

Clean hands. Open Hearts. Growing Minds.

Space Kitties signing off.

Home School Day: 2
Toilet paper inventory: 10 rolls
Wine on hand: 2.5 bottles
Crying fits: None


March 19, 2020
The home school operation has officially moved to daddy's house for the remainder of the week! Phew. I was planning to use this time of quiet and solitude to get caught up on work, but my brain is still largely incapable of focusing for large periods of time. I find myself getting distracted by checking the news, watching social media, and generally just a lot of staring at the screen waiting for words to come.

I don't feel particularly scared of this COVID-19 drama....but I do feel unsettled. I find myself wondering about what kind of groceries will be available the next time I go to the store, or how other kids are doing homeschool if their parents don't have time or interest in doing any kind of home learning. It feels a bit like 2018 when the Carr Fire was raging through our region. With such big news going on in the background, it's tough to focus in on anything else.

I did get out for a walk with a friend today, and enjoyed some sunshine and fresh air. We joked about how we might need to sneak out for walks if a Shelter in Place order came through. And then a few hours later, the Governor of CA issued a "Stay Home" order for the whole state. Doesn't seem so funny anymore. I guess after massive wildfires we should be thankful that nothing is burning. After rolling black-outs, we can be happy there is electricity. After a few days of rain, I'm appreciating the sunshine. And of course, having a home in which to stay put is a blessing that many don't enjoy.

Clean hands. Open Hearts. Growing Minds.

Space Kitties signing off, until next week!

Home School Day: 3
Toilet paper inventory: 9 rolls
Wine on hand: 2.5 bottles
Crying fits: None

Space Kitties Charter School Diary

March 17, 2020

Well, like pretty much every other family in America, we are embarking on a homeschool journey. As a mom who works from home and values the peace and quiet that comes with that....let me just say up front I'm a little skeptical. Intimidated. Anxious.

Due to the current size of our home (tiny) I decided we needed some dedicated space for school work. So, the car has now moved outside and the garage has been converted into our home school classroom. Our classy reading nook is constructed from a cardboard box, strung with Christmas lights and padded with a camping mat. The matching bookshelf really sets the tone for the room, I think. We borrowed a card table from Grandma & Grandpa, and viola!! We're in business.

Reading Nook. 

I am pleased to introduce to you the Space Kitties Charter School!! The kids picked the name, hoping the cat would be their class pet. So far, she has no interest in that. I'm not exactly sure where the space theme comes in....maybe it just makes school seem more exciting? Anyway, that's the name that the kids picked and if it makes them feel more excited about hanging out in the garage all day...so be it.

Today we had "home school lite" since we hadn't yet picked up our official work packets from school. There was reading, online math practice, PE (One kid did Yoga, the other opted to ride his bike in the rain), science observations, and a history lesson that entailed interviewing grandparents about their history with diseases and hospital visits.

Our first day of home school also included a field trip!! We drove to WalMart to pick up our grocery order. I wouldn't let the kids get out of the car, because, social isolation. I nearly crawled out of my skin when the clerk put her finger on my ID that I had to produce for the wine I was buying. Overall the grocery pick up was a success, although somehow we ended up with 14 bananas and no bread. That's a lot of bananas, even for a house full of kids that love bananas. The kids seem excited about the challenge of eating them all before they go bad. I think there's a science experiment brewing here about the impact of bananas on your GI system....

After grocery pick up we headed to the library to pick up a book that had been placed on hold. I had to bring the kids inside with me but gave them strict instructions to TOUCH NOTHING. They lasted about 20 seconds before they leaned their entire bodies all over the checkout counter. (Insert eye-roll emoji here)

Next stop was school to pick up independent study packets. The kids stayed in the car while I got doused with hand sanitizer and picked up oodles of fun things to keep them entertained for the next 3+ weeks.  Bonus: They were giving away free snacks! I don't know why milk tastes better when it comes from an individual serving-sized carton, but apparently it does. When we got home and I saw this worksheet for parents in my son's packet, I literally got tears in my eyes. God bless the teachers that take the time to give us home-schooling rookies a fighting chance by bribing our kids with treasure chest prizes. I mean really...she had like 24 hours to pull together home lesson plans for 3 weeks and she takes the time to toss in this nugget?? Saint Crystal, I thank Jesus for you.

There are a lot of reasons why I love Ms. Crystal. This is near the top of the list. 

And our final stop on the very first field trip for the Space Kitties Charter School was Grandma & Grandpa's house to drop off groceries. Again the kids didn't get out of the car, which kind of puts a damper on the fun of going to G&G's house. I'm not sure this field trip will make anyone's "Top 10" list, but it's our first day. We've got lots of time to practice and get this right. That is until they tell us to shelter in place. I guess we have that to look forward to. And when that day comes, the kids most certainly will look back on this field trip as the BEST. DAY. EVER.

Clean hands. Open Hearts. Growing Minds. Space Kitties signing off.
Home School Day: 1
Toilet paper inventory: 10 rolls
Wine on hand: 3 bottles
Crying fits: None

Parenting in the Age of Coronavirus

Oh Coronavirus. Just a few short weeks ago you were a blip on the radar. A menace in China, half a world away. And today you're knocking on doors across America. No longer can we ignore the news, or the shortages of hand sanitizer.

Concerts are cancelled.
Professional sporting events are cancelled.
Broadway has gone dark.
Schools are closed.
Churches are live-streaming.
International air travel is restricted.
And of course there's the real stuff that will go down in history books...the insane hoarding and subsequent rationing of toilet paper.

Interesting times to be alive, wouldn't you say? Interesting times to be a parent, for sure. Today's challenge: Telling your kids they are fine and not to panic, while the world around them is essentially being turned upside down.

I have tried as much as possible to use this as an opportunity to open up discussion with my kids so they understand what is going on around them. There are two main points I want my kids to understand:

1. If they become sick, they probably have nothing to worry about. They'll be sick and then get over it.

2. Some people won't be so lucky. Some people will die. And for this reason, we are all doing our part to keep this virus contained as much as possible.

By isolating ourselves we can keep the virus from spreading quickly. We can buy some time, slow things down and give our healthcare facilities a fighting chance to help those that will get REALLY sick when the virus hits.

These are big, somewhat abstract concepts to teach to kids. There is this mystery virus circulating, that is probably not a huge risk to them personally, but a very big risk to people that they may never meet. And in spite of kids being relatively safe, they are asked to make significant lifestyle changes for the good of the order.

What a beautiful teaching moment we have for our kids.

We're all going to be inconvenienced.

Do we bitch and moan about every inconvenience, or use this as an opportunity to be models of grace and compassion?

Do we panic in the face of uncertainty or do our best to embrace the unknown and adjust as rules and directives change?

Do we turn inward and focus only on keeping our own family safe, or do we take time to check in with neighbors and friends to see if they need help weathering this season of uncertainty?

Do we break the rules because we aren't personally at risk, or do we do our part to keep EVERYONE healthy.

I understand it's a lot. This whole situation is just a LOT.

And also, the kids are watching. They are wondering if they should panic. They are learning about how to behave when the going gets tough. They are noticing how much energy we spend on blaming and how much we spend on doing. They are taking note of how many hours we spend on social media or obsessing over the news vs. how present we are for them during this time of uncertainty. They have questions that they may never ask if we don't take the time to pause, look them in the eye, and ask them how they are doing.

Nobody ever, anywhere, at any time ever said that parenting would be easy. And now, as most of us face WEEKS alone at home with our children (while simultaneously trying to work remotely so we can still pay the rent) let's remember that we signed up for this. We created these little humans and they are now looking to us, in this weird, uncertain, stressful time. Let's show them we are people of grace. Compassion. Patience. Love. Community (with appropriate social distancing). Let's do our best to take advantage of this teaching moment that has dropped in our laps.

I give this pep talk as much for myself as for anyone else. I'm not excited about the weeks ahead (especially given the forecast of rain that we have locally and the fact that I will have to go out and hunt Toilet Paper soon.) I love my kids, and I love my work, but when I try to attend to both of those at the same time, it makes me a little insane. So the weeks ahead feel a little daunting. I plan to do a lot of praying. Some deep breathing. And a lot of disco dance parties, walks, talks, and hugs with these two precious humans that I don't have to isolate myself from. I have faith that the cries of boredom will eventually bloom into creativity. And thats one thing that I love to see.

Just as long as they use the TP sparingly.

PS...

If you're looking for educational resources for kids, there's a great list here.

If you need help, or you're in a position to help others during the weeks ahead, consider signing up for the C19 Help Squad.