Monday: school update

 Well, we did get more school information today, as promised.

The new news is that masks are required for all people, regardless of age.  We can change our option around Thanksgiving.  Everything else that they told us I had already assumed would be in place.

We have been given until Wednesday to (re)make our decision.

Thursday and Sunday

Last weekend Joshua drew a book.  We stapled it together, and he read it to several people several times this week.

Isaac helped put up some blinds.

This morning I was greeted by a ghost once I woke up.  The ghost had made a bunch of scary things: slimes, spiders, snakes, and monsters to scare me.

Isaac made some eye monsters.

Saturday: chef

 A day or two ago Joshua was SO excited because he had made a special dessert for everyone.  It was the first thing he said to me when I got up from my nap.  It was the first thing he said to Ben when he walked in the door. ...but it was a surprise so I couldn't look in the freezer.

Well, he had put food coloring in water and frozen it.  He paid careful attention to the colors though and tried to give everyone their favorite color.  When we had drunk some of the water, he offered to upgrade it at a later time.  Sure, why not.  I put mine back in the freezer.

The upgrade came today.  He put frosting on top of the ice and refroze it.  He excitedly got them out again at dinner time, although I'll admit mine didn't make it to the table.  I tried a bit later and said the prerequisite, "yum", after which Ben told me the boys thought it tasted a bit funny.

Friday: school

 Well, we're (somewhat) signed up for virtual school.  We did not receive any additional information or answers to our questions.  (Although we could probably make a case to change next week if the information that is supposed to come out on Monday changes our minds.)

So I don't love this selection, let's be honest.  I was really, really looking forward to both kids being in school.  The main reasons we went this way include:

1) No masks are required in K-5 classrooms.  This troubles me.

2) While I'm sure they will try to social distance, I've been in those classrooms.  There is not enough room for 6ft apart.  With however far apart they are able to go, I expect the kids will have to sit there most of the time and that's not fun either.

3) I would not be at all surprised if everybody is changed to a remote learning plan at some point.  I feel we have a small leg up with a teacher that was already expecting to teach on-line.  (This could be offset by the kids not seeing their teacher in person, which would be a bonus of in person schooling.)

4) Both kids are ok with virtual schooling.  Isaac's been listening carefully to some of the discussions I've been having and doesn't want to get sick.  While the boys getting sick is actually rather low on my list of reasons to virtual school, Ben and I could get sick and we still don't know the long term effects of the virus if the any of us get sick.  Joshua wants virtual learning because he just likes to stay home.

Now, if you're reading this and chose the other way, that's a good decision too.  Well, maybe I should say that it is an equally bad decision?  I went back and forth so many times and could give you a very similar list for having the boys actually go to school.

Wednesday: annoyed

We got an automated phone call today from the school.  I think it was the principal, although the person never gave her name.  She said that we need to respond to the in-person or virtual learning options by Friday, and then on Monday they can give us more information.

While I understand that it's hard to give information without knowing how many students will fall in either category, I am unimpressed.  Is this the additional information that she said I'd get by the end of the week now moved out to after the deadline?  Many school districts have been given more information along with optional town-hall meetings.  Do they need to have all the answers right now?  No.  Do they need to try harder to get us some answers?  Yes.  Exactly what were they expecting?  That parents wouldn't have questions?  Even if we were given a lot of material parents would still probably have a lot of questions.  They must have some answers, otherwise they wouldn't be able to get us the additional information by Monday.  Can we at least know what you do know??

In other news, a lot of Lego creations were made yesterday and today:

Isaac's blue Lego block that is actually a monster:

Joshua with wings

A control room for Ben and me.  Unfortunately, it only controls electrical things/machines, not people.

We went on a hike at a new place today.

And Joshua, unprompted, put together a food box for the black community (following Black Lives Matter).  I'll drop it off with our other donation box.

Tuesday: well, there's some good news

The good news: I fixed the microwave.  It was still on demo mode from the factory.  (I decided to look at the troubleshooting guide.)  I felt silly for not looking at that first, but I also feel as though the installers should have tested it.

The other news: late Sunday night we finally got some info about the boys' school stuff in the fall.  There was a reasonable amount of information about virtual school.  There was almost no information about in-person schooling, other than your standard procedures (social distancing, masks).  K-5 are not required to wear masks in the classroom, which I find kind of a big deal because there is not enough room to stay 6ft apart, even if they want to.  There was no other information about what the classrooms would look like.  We are supposed to decide by Friday.

I emailed the principal today to ask some questions.  (I'm sure she's overwhelmed.  I get it.)  I got a response back around dinner time saying that later this week more information would be coming out.  However, do the math...later this week probably means Thursday at the earliest.  We are suppose to decide by Friday.  Hopefully the date is modified or they actually get the information to us Wednesday or Thursday.  (Now, there is some flexibility to change before school starts so I need to keep that in mind too.  I'm just not sure it would be super easy to change after Friday.)

This decision is keeping me awake too much.  I think we should do one option, only to think about it and decide it's a dumb option.  So I think we should do the other option, only to think about it and decide it's a dumb option.  So I go back to the original option...

Saturday: puzzle, microwave

I finished a puzzle that I started earlier this week.  It was a good puzzle, but I realized about an hour after I got it out that I didn't really want to use up that much floor/counter space.  I tried to do it quickly.  I also couldn't stop thinking about how much work it was going to be to pack everything back up in the car (and unload afterwards).  Why do they need so much stuff at the beach?

Our new microwave finally was installed today.  It doesn't work.  Apparently they didn't actually test the heating/defrosting function before they left.  It'll probably be two weeks before the maintenance can get out to take a look at it.  (But maybe we'll be lucky.)