Today is 10/10/2020. Here we are. Still living through the pandemic. Trying to parent three young children who are lonely, confused, scared, and anxious as our country battles a deadly virus that prevents them from going to school or playing real sports, a contentious presidential election in which everyone's opinion is right and no one is willing to listen to the other side, a supreme court justice confirmation just weeks before the election, wildfires that have left us stuck indoors for days due to poor air quality, hurricanes in the gulf coast that make watching the news scary, and a major home remodel that has left them missing the comforts of their usual gadgets and books. What else could go wrong?
Of course, we are healthy and that is ALL that matters. Truly. I know that. I lost a dear friend in April so I am acutely aware of our blessings.
But whoa. What a year it has been. I find myself gasping for air some days as I try to manage all that is going on, while trying to keep "my game face" for the kids. They do not need to know that I am anxious as well. I am literally taking everything one day at a time. I do not think much about the next day until I get through the current day. If I think too far forward, my anxiety rises. There are too many unknowns right now.
The kids are doing well with virtual school. I give them MAJOR KUDOS. They are all excellent at logging in each morning and managing their various classes/zoom calls/assignments without too much help from me. I am juggling meals, my own job, and remodel selections so I really don't have the time or the energy to sit with them and make sure they are getting their work done. I figure this is a safe time for them to make mistakes and learn from them. But so far, I have not heard any negative feedback from any of their teachers. Although, I should note that I received an email from Matty's P.E. teacher a few weeks ago asking if he is doing okay because "he looks so miserable during P.E." Ha! I am really proud of my three for managing online school. I have heard lots of stories from friends whose children are skipping assignments, playing videos games during zoom calls, etc., so I am grateful for my kids' attention and work ethic. The school announced a plan for the kids to sloooooowly return to in-person learning, starting with special needs kids and then moving to kinder and 1st graders followed by 2nd and 3rd graders, but the plan has been put on hold since the district cannot come to an agreement with the teachers' union. So, we wait.
Taylor has gone back to dance. She is taking two classes a week. The classes are hybrid, which means she takes the class in the studio on "A" weeks and then logs in to take the class virtually on "B" weeks. Just getting to go to the studio every other week has done wonders for her. The smile on her face when she jumps in the car after class makes me so happy.
Taylor, Matty, and Brayden are all playing soccer this fall, but the season looks very different than previous seasons. At this time, games are not allowed, nor is any contact, so the kids go to a "skills training" each Saturday morning for an hour. The kids are dropped off at the soccer fields after a health screen and temperature check. A volunteer then walks them to their field, where they do no-contact drills for an hour (they were told they do not need to wear shin guards since the ball will not be passed at all!). After the hour, they are escorted to another area where parents are waiting to pick up. It is soooo weird, but at least they get out and have some fresh air each Saturday morning. Today is week #3 of 6 (the first two weekends were cancelled due to air quality from the forest fires). There is a chance they'll be able to play a game or two by the last two weekends, as our governor is sloooooowly easing our restrictions. I am not optimistic.
Matty's baseball team was able to play a couple of double-headers the past two weekends, and they won all four games. It was great for him and his teammates to get out and play some "real" baseball before taking a break until winter training. I have also signed him up for indoor soccer starting at the end of October. A group of boys from school played last year and he missed playing with them. I agreed to let him play this fall/winter since it appears there will be no basketball this winter. Of course, we are all hoping that they can play games by the end of October. Regardless, the restrictions placed on the kids and parents make it look very different this year!
Brayden is slipping into a black hole of video game addiction. It is becoming a real problem. I struggle with this daily, if not hourly. He thinks about games all day and runs upstairs the second school is over to log in to the Xbox. I promise I try to manage his gaming, but he still plays more than I would like. I try to encourage him to build and create with train tracks, magna tiles, and marble runs, and he makes amazing creations, but the next Fortnite/Minecraft/Plants vs Zombies game is always in the back of his mind. It is hard to get the kids outside to play because our rental house is on a busy street and the backyard is awful... there is very little yard in the back before a steep upward slope full of weeds.
And the rainy, dark days are coming...
Let's hope we can end 2020 on a high note!
0 comments:
Post a Comment