So. We have officially been shut down/quarantining/social distancing for a full month now, and this is our first week of Virtual Learning Time (VLT) through our school district. It has been over 2 weeks since I have been in a store (although I did go through the Taco Bell drive-thru this past weekend, hopefully that minimal contact did no harm), and we’re all still so far so good with no COVID-19 symptoms.
Since the big 3 now have lessons given to them directly by their teachers each weekday morning, I’m off the hook for lesson planning! It also means I won’t have so much to list out each day, but I’ll still update here with notes and pictures and stuff, just to keep track of this time.
I know it’s only day 2 of VLT, but it’s going great for us so far. Yes, it’s difficult to keep the twins out of our hair while I’m trying to help all 3 at the table command center all morning, each on their own computer with their own set of lessons and own amount of time it takes to finish them all, but I’m doing it. I’m not only being especially mindful to be more patient with the kids but also with myself. This is so different than regular life for all of us, I just have to keep reminding myself that they all have weird feelings about this, too, that they can’t always communicate. That’s my job – to realize that, figure it out, and help them through, without it seeming too different than any other day. Smooth waters.
Ryan is obviously still working from home, but even he’s recognized that we all have to shift a little with VLT starting. He can’t be constantly yelling across the house for me to keep them all quiet anymore, and I’ve noticed these past 2 days that he’s actually going in the bedrooms for his calls, where it’s quieter. And magically, he seems much less crabby. He was even extraordinarily helpful yesterday when they all had their weekly in-person class meetings on their learning platforms (D and M at the same time to boot), helping keep the twins away from the ones who were meeting and helping L with her computer while I got a chance to ride the bike downstairs during naps.
Like I said, I know this process is in its infancy here, but I’m determined to keep steering us this well. I know all the kids were happy to see and talk to their teachers and friends yesterday, and my heart swelled to watch their excitement during the video sessions. Morrison especially loves making videos on his learning platform, sending them to his teachers, and always telling them how much he loves them. And they always respond, which makes them all feel so special.
I’ll throw in a couple pictures from Easter, since it technically started this week off, and I actually got a picture of all 5 Goonies smiling! It must’ve been a cosmic miracle, since the twins’ behavior quickly deteriorated from there. 😀 I was able to watch the Andrea Bocelli concert live streamed from the empty Duomo in Milan, though, which was spectacular and brought me to tears.
Here are the links to the past 4 weeks if you’d like to recap:
April 13, 2020
- Every morning will now start with lessons for the day given to the kids by their teachers in their respective online learning platforms. They include social studies, reading, science, writing, math, P.E., art, music, guidance, and maybe Spanish. They get videos with mini-lessons from their teachers, other videos to watch, audio books to follow along with, then numerous activities to complete that correspond to each lesson. One really nice thing is that the teachers from both the girls’ grades are collaborating with all the other teachers from those grades to give the lessons. So they get to learn from all the teachers now, not just their own. They were both excited to see this.
- They all have half-hour, in-person video meetings with their classes on Mondays, which are awesome. This week they all got to talk about fun things they’ve been doing so far at home while we’ve been away from school.
- Ryan taught Della how to brown ground beef with an onion and seasoning, so she can start helping get dinners going. She loves it!
April 14, 2020
- Happy 414 day! That’s Milwaukee’s area code, for those of you not in the know. 😉
- Della chooses a couple of her squishies to be her school friends during her lessons now. They sit next to her on the table or windowsill, and it’s so cute! I’ll try to get a picture of her bunch tomorrow.
- Even though it’s cold and windy today (with an early evening mini-blizzard?!), I sent all the kids outside after the twins’ naps for some outdoor activity. I can tell they’re all getting a little cabin feverish. M got really sad this morning after I asked him to be quiet and calm down for the eleventy billionth time, so we talked through it and I said whenever you start feeling all wound up and silly or sad inside because of all this just tell me – you can go outside and run around for as long as you need. So he did! But they still needed to go out again this afternoon! He’s definitely the most emotional of the bunch, and I try to remember that before I get upset with him.
- Della helped make a side for dinner again. Broccoli and cheese Rice A Roni – her favorite!
- I’ve decided to try to get back into an old hobby. Why? No, I suddenly have no extra time, but I just felt like it. I’m trying to polish my long-dormant skills on a couple things, actually. So stay tuned for those… I also finally started reading a book I’ve been dying to get to, while I ride the exercise bike. And the angels sang Hallelujah!
April 15, 2020
- It was freezing outside today after our mini-snow last night, but the boys especially wanted to go out and play. So after Morrison’s ending P.E. lesson, I sent the 3 of them out into the backyards. Yes, alone, but they did a great job all staying back there until I could come out. M got helmets on the twins and everything so they could scooter around. He loves them so much!
- Lana came out after a few minutes and wanted to stay with the boys as I went inside. She taught Nat how to put his hands in his pockets to keep them warm.
- After lunch, Lana asked if Morrison could skip his nap so they could continue their game of squishies and Funko Pops. She was having a great big sister day. 🙂
- Snakes & Ladders and Ramen Fury tonight
April 16, 2020
- Lavender in the diffuser this morning for good brain waves
- Morrison was the helper today! When they’re in school, the helper gets to do things like turn on/off the lights, do the weather and calendar, choose songs, etc. So his teachers sent out an email asking what the kids miss most about school and what counting song they want when they’re the helper – M said he misses being the helper and chose the Star Wars counting song.
- We got word that school is officially closed for the remainder of this 2019-2020 school year, so VLT will continue.
- The sun was out, yet still chilly, but Ryan assembled the new swing for the kids anyway. It’s in the back corner of our back back yard, under a big pine tree, so it’ll be nice and shaded in the summer heat. It is already a huge hit!
- I played the first long song that I was really, really good at as a kid for the first time in what feels like a century. I was still actually not bad!
- All About Me books
April 17, 2020
