Things changed quickly with COVID-19. The week before Spring Break, things were in "just in case" mode [homework packets "just in case" we have an extended break or take laptops home "just in case" you are working from home for a few days]. During our trip change was in the air. By the time we returned home we were under stay at home orders from Governor Polis. School buildings and businesses were closed indefinitely. Our remote learning was extended from 30 days to the rest of the year within a few days [that's how rapidly things were changing]. Toilet paper quickly became impossible to get. When you are overjoyed to find a couple of packages at the Dollar Store ... you know "sh#t is getting real".
We were allowed 15 minutes to go into the school and grab what we thought we might need to teach from home. It seriously felt like we were on Supermarket Sweep ...classroom edition.
I did find these adorable notes that were left for me from the Friday before Spring Break when I had a sub. 💜
Quarantine brought out the desire for a major hair cut.
We took off over 6 inches.
Our first COVID Car Date
Yoga sessions in the basement started happening
Our puzzle love grew ... Kars became my puzzle partner!
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| Quarantine Puzzle #1~ Bear Lake |
Trying to manage school and work at home
Turns out doing puzzles became kinda trendy during Quarantine, so it was almost impossible to order one on Amazon that wasn't $40 or more. We pulled out some old ones from our basement.
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| Quarantine Puzzle #2 |
April Fools did not get overlooked.
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| She's pretty clever |
Got a few kids pretty worked up about this
Bailee fell for this so hard that she contacted her boss at the Oregon camp to make sure it was still on. It was all fun and games until they actually did cancel it a couple of weeks ago.
She was so disappointed about that:(
We started finding more things to get us outside.
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| Quarantine Puzzle #3 |
Weird things like this started happening
Virtual Spirit Week ~ picture with your pet day
Desperate times .... when this is where you end up parking to eat your Cane's
Home School has it's perks
We all loved the flexibility of doing projects when we had some free time during the day
And she's back ...... the pains of bringing all your college stuff home.
How in the world did she fit this all in her dorm room?
Google Meets happening on the daily
Work meetings and lunch sometimes didn't coordinate well :/
Dinner together in the evenings became something I looked forward to. It was so nice to have everyone home and it was a great way to connect after all being online for a good part of the day.
Something that can easily be taken for granted.
We hit the trails
Red Mountain Open Space
Went somewhere public for the first time since masks were required
More Meets ... this time doing our best to celebrate a friend on his Birthday ... virtually;)
Prepping care packages to send to my students ....
Great minds ....
Another date ... another car
A new puzzle finally came. Kars and I were knocking these out like crazy!
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| Quarantine Puzzle #4~Mesa Verde |
Tiger King was KING~ So captivating ... so disturbing
Then I discovered this cool feature on Google and I went a little nuts. Still working on mastering it!
Lots of downtime with Dottie ... enjoying her new playpen
Started a Puzzle Exchange with my family. Didn't know we had so many that enjoy a good puzzle [or they were just desperate ~ either way it was a fun way to connect]. This one might have been my favorite.
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| Quarantine Puzzle #5 |
This is what happens when your hubby finds Easter candy on clearance ... and you'r spending a lot of time lounging at home.
Spring storm rolled in. It was beautiful but glad it didn't last more than a day.
Also very glad we were all at home.
This is how we do virtual meetings sometimes. Especially when you can turn off your camera.
The day after that big spring storm. Walking along the Poudre River trail
More Yoga. Mark wouldn't join us .. he just took pictures in our most flattering poses.
I'm getting used to these car dates.
An oldie but a goodie
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| Quarantine Puzzle #6 |
Lots of time at home together means looking through old pictures and videos.
Good times... and sad times realizing how quickly that time goes.
Sunday night cookies became a thing
Karsy's version of doing school at home for submission to the yearbook.
A little napping here and there
Beautiful chalk art creations became more intentional
Another puzzle. Sean was right. We loved it until we got to the center!
COVID Car Date # 5
Finished at last Quarantine Puzzle #7
Got some helpers with the weekly "COVID Cookies"
Tulips bloomed and reminded us there is beauty in the world
The mullet of virtual meetings ... business up top .... party on the bottom
Inspirational chalk art ... words I need to try to live by.
Kars was surprised with a sign that was secretly delivered to our front yard by Poudre Staff
[her math teacher, Mrs. Ecton]
[her math teacher, Mrs. Ecton]
Mark and Bay got out to do a little fishing
Another date
There's always been a rainbow hangin' over your head
Quarantine Puzzle # 8
Dance class via Zoom
This became the weekly "get out of the house" treat
Emmrey fixed up my hair to be "Princess Leia-esque" for my "May the 4th" meet with my students
Bi-annual skin check COVID style
We copied the idea that was going around in my family and sent a Box of Sunshine to
Gpa & Gma Smith and our friend Len.
Cruising around town
Beginning of the Mask Craze ~ Thank you Susan!
Car parades became the new norm for .... everything and anything. In this case, one of my students moving.
Another date ... this time we had a third wheel;)
Chalk Art taken to a whole new level💜
When you all end up with wavy hair and it's totally unplanned.
Car Date #???
Announcements went out despite not having a definitive when, where and how.
Decided we may as well have a sense of humor about it.
In love with this adorable picture from my sister Jill for Mother's Day. Landri did such a great job:)
Masks on the ready
I could get used to Staff Meetings like this
The middle school teachers set up an end of the year parade through Wellington. Lucky for us the route came right in front of our house. I loved that they did this!!
This was the sign Emm made that I kinda forced her to hold as they came by.
Continuing our weekly car date
End of the year gifts for my 4th graders ... Character ROCKS!
We missed class pictures due to remote learning. This was my way of compensating for that.
Practicing good citizenship with a trash pick up. Genius parenting to suggest the outing and then be the designated driver [Mark] ... girls loved that;)
Mark and Kars went to check out some local ponds
Finally was able to return to my classroom for a couple of days. Felt very surreal to see everything frozen in time from the day we left for Spring Break. So sad thinking about all the things that were still on the calendar ahead of us.
I had to clean out the students desk as they were not allowed in the building. I make it a point to not get in their desks. It felt weird. Some of them were so neat it made me so happy [and made it easy to bag everything up].
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| my little cologne spritzer guy;) |
Some [I knew exactly which ones] would greet me like this. Ugh .... no matter how much I got after them about keeping their desk clean and organized. Also the ones with food in them .... yuck!
I had some extra time to take down extra things on the walls and get the room somewhat ready for next year. I had the sweetest class this year. It made me so happy thinking about them as I took down all the notes they made me. It also made me so sad that we had to end the year this way.
The next day was material return/retrieval. The kids went through a drive thru process to pick up their belongings and return anything that belonged to the school. My teammate and partner in crime, Lauren is not coming back next year. She is returning to Kansas to be with her family. I will miss her terribly. She was my confidant and a true friend.
The pick up was pretty awful for me. It felt so impersonal and rushed. It is not how any teacher wants to end the year [or student for that matter]. The strict guidelines and they system our principal set up made it nearly impossible to get a whole lot of time with families/students. When the opportunity presented itself, I did grab a quick photo with my buddy Jude. Hey Jude ....
The day was exhausting .... physically and emotionally. When I got home that afternoon my little tribe had this waiting for me. They truly are my biggest support system and cheerleaders.❤️
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| Cakery treats in the box |
Final Lunch Bunch with a few of my favorites.
Middle School version of pick up. Sometimes I have to take a step back and absorb how hard this is for everyone. I feel like I am operating on auto pilot lately and forget to think about all the things we are missing out on.
They had a slick system. Parents stayed in the car and kids did get our at one point of the stations course to go through the building to pick up their locker contents and yearbook. Emmrey was pretty matter of fact about it all, but I wonder what feelings might have come up for her.
Later that afternoon, I received a surprise visit from a little friend and her mom who live within walking distance. After mailing things to my students, they all had my address. It was just fine in this case. I love my little Pearl. She is one of those kids that makes teaching joyful like it should be. We broke the social distancing rules for a split second.
This is what it looks like when you have kids that want to pop the balloons, but a mom that has a phobia. ...you do it on the deck.
Lot's of love for this 2020 graduate!
That's all. Actually a hefty post, considering that we have been at home 95% of the time the past couple of months. It's a good reminder that there is significance in the mundane.
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