Pandemic Christmas Break Week 41

Pandemic Christmas Break

 

Week 41

 

Day 279 – Sunday, December 20, 2020

 

I got up earlier than I wanted to, and made a menu for the next few days until we leave town.  I went to Walmart and I’m glad that I won’t need to go back until after Christmas.  The lines were long, even at 8:00 in the self-checkout.  

 

I came home, ate some breakfast and watched a 9am church service.  

 

I did a little more laundry and vacuumed.

 

All the Christmas presents are under the tree.  We will have Christmas in Evansville Tuesday morning.  

 

My friend, Karen, came over for a few minutes to bring me a book.  

 

I made dinner, did the dishes, then watched the last three episodes of the Mandalorian.  Wow!

 

Trent had a rough morning, but found some nice places to sleep in the sun this afternoon.  Tonight, he’s sleeping on my lap.

 

Tomorrow night, the “Christmas Star” (conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn) will be visible just after sunset for the first time in 800 years.  I went out to see the not-quite-conjunction tonight, and I set an alarm for tomorrow.  I hope there are no clouds.

 

Day 280 – Monday, December 21, 2020

 

While I turned off all of my school schedule alarms on my phone, my FitBit still has a few set.  I might turn them off once we get to OKC.  Oliver decided that I should get up at 4:45 which is ten minutes earlier than a normal school day.  After a few hours, he eventually gives up… around the time I’m ready to get up.  This morning I got up around 7:00. 

 

Last night I had cracked open a carton of peppermint ice cream, and I thought it would be tasty if I put a scoop in my coffee this morning.  It was pretty good, but not as fabulous as I’d hoped.  

 

Leah wanted to go to Michael’s and Barnes & Nobel, so we went early.  Google lied and said B&N opened at 11, but it was actually 10.  We left home at 10 and hit Michael’s first.  Leah picked out some wire and gemstone beads to make rings.  As soon as we got to Michael’s, I got a text from Hannah that her left contact from her trial pair had ripped… and she didn’t have anything to replace it with.  I told her since we were near the mall, I’d stop by and see if I could get her a replacement.  Then we headed over to B&N where she ended up buying Hannah a Christmas present with her own gift card (very sweet).  She almost got some fairy lights for her room, but decided against it.  

 

The mall eye doctor didn’t open until noon, and it was only 11:30, so Leah and I stopped by Thornton’s to get fountain drinks, well, Leah got a Fizz Freeze (like an Icee).  Next, we headed to the mall, and I parked in the back lot.  I’m so pleased that I finally realized that was a possibility.  I walked into LensCrafters and the manager of the connected eye doctor spotted me immediately and waved me over.  (We’ve had enough interactions, that he knows me by name…). He got a replacement lens for Hannah.  Her brand wasn’t in stock, but her Rx in another brand was.  I was in the mall for less than five minutes, an all-time record for sure.

 

I told Leah that I’d make her whatever sandwich she wanted when we got home and she opted for a grilled ham and cheese.  

 

I finished my 36^th book of the year which was my goal.  According to GoodReads this is my 9^th year to set a reading goal.  I don’t always reach it, and some years have had extenuating circumstances…2019 I read 39 with a goal of 36, 2018 34/30, 2017 30/30, 2016 29/24, 2015 7/25 (tough year!), 2014 39/50, 2013 54/50, 2012 47/50, 2011 28/50.  I think 36 will be a good number for 2021 as well, and maybe I’ll read more.

 

This afternoon, Hannah was heading to her boyfriend’s house when she called me.  She had pulled over on the Lloyd Expressway because her car started shaking once it started going over 40 MPH…. I’m fairly sure it’s the transmission on a car with nearly 200,000 miles on it.  I really was hoping it would last until summer when my car would be paid off and I could hand it down to her for college, and Elijah would get the hand-me-down Harold-the-Honda-Element.  Harold is going to the mechanic tomorrow, but I don’t have high hopes.  Hannah was able to drive on the shoulder until she could pull into the Walmart shopping area and get back on slow roads home.  

 

Dinner was a quick meal of left over shepherd’s pie since we are leaving town on Wednesday. 

 

I got a fantastic photo of the “Christmas Star” (the conjunction of Saturn and Jupiter) which made me happy.  

 

Day 281 – Tuesday, December 22, 2020

 

Today was our Christmas in Evansville.  I woke the kids up at 7am to open presents.  I’m not sure I’ve ever had to wake Leah up for Christmas before…. 

 

I spent the morning doing laundry (again) so we could pack.

 

I took Hannah’s car to the mechanic and they called saying that it needed to go the dealership.  The diagnostic codes were for an oil pressure switch and a knock sensor.  I’m not sure that either of those would cause it to shake at 40 mph.  When we return, I will likely have the dealership do a full diagnostic and get an estimate.  

 

We got take out from La Campirana (the BEST) to celebrate Christmas, Rosen style.  

 

Tomorrow, we drive…

 

 

People are starting to get the Moderna vaccine.  I just read that the government is working on a deal with Pfizer to get more vaccine from them as well.

 

Day 282 – Wednesday, December 23, 2020

 

Oliver the cat apparently decided that I didn’t need sleep before an 11 hour drive, so he was a brat and woke me up several times.  After I put him in the laundry room, I was unable to fall back to sleep.

 

We got on the road by 6am, as planned.  The first 30 minutes were in the dark on windy, two lane highways which I’m not a fan of.  When it’s light out, no problem.  Around 8am, somewhere in Illinois, we drove under a rainbow which was impressive.  Hannah snapped a photo, but the photo just doesn’t do it justice.

 

Not long after we made it through St Louis (around Eureka) Leah started feeling nauseated.  The girls often get motion sick, but usually in the form of headaches.  My kids rarely barf, but we stopped at gas station to fill up, get drinks, and snacks.  Leah got a Sprite and some pretzels (couldn’t find any plain crackers) to hopefully settle her stomach.  I had Leah take a sip of Sprite to see if it helped.  It did not.  However, after losing that sip of Sprite (the only thing in her stomach) she felt better and was able to nap.  Not half an hour later, she announces that she has a terrible nose bleed which is highly unusual.  This was maybe the third nosebleed in her life, and by far the worst.  I had a similar nosebleed on Sunday.  I had one back in the spring, and maybe a decade ago.  We were discussing causes of nosebleeds (i.e. dry air), and I said that I had not heard of it being a symptom of COVID and it actually seemed opposite of a symptom since blood clots are often the cause of COVID symptoms.  These days, everything is a suspected symptom.

 

Around Springfield, MO, I decided I needed a bathroom break and as I exited the highway for a LOVE’s and torrential rainstorm hit.  We waited it out under the gas pump awning.  I didn’t really need to fill up yet, but I did hit the bathrooms. The storm wasn’t too big, and we were on our way in 20 minutes or so.

 

In Joplin, we met Pete for lunch at Five Guys.  We ate outside because it was 55 and sunny and Five Guys was kind of crowded, but it was SO windy.  The wind was chilly.  We ended up going back inside for about 5 minutes.

 

We were listening to the audiobook Ready Player Two, which I thought would be an easy fun book to listen to.  Hannah, Elijah, and I all enjoyed Ready Player One, and I wasn’t convinced the premise was all that great so I hadn’t read it yet.  So far, it’s super entertaining.

 

Three hours later, we arrived in OKC.  We only made three stops, and my kids would have been fine with just two.  It was pretty windy, especially between Joplin and OKC.  The construction on I-44 in OKC is ridiculous and the setting sun was in my eyes.  There were a couple of times when I literally could not see the road for a few seconds, but we made it safely!  

 

My brother, niece, and nephew came over when they got off work and ate dinner with us.  Our Christmas Eve Eve dinner was potato soup and grilled cheese on Texas toast.  

 

Day 283 – Thursday, December 24, 2020

 

We pretty much sat around and ate all day long.  The girls and I played some Animal Crossing.  Elijah played Zelda, Majora’s Mask.  I started the newest Brandon Sanderson novel (the hard cover edition is 1200 pages).  We all spent too much time on our phones doing whatever.

 

Drew, Parker, and Bailey joined us for our traditional Christmas Eve pizza.  Elijah and I played a few rounds of Keep Talking and Nobody Explodes.  We talked about doing my cereal box puzzle but haven’t gotten around to it yet, maybe tomorrow evening.  

 

Day 284 – Friday, December 25, 2020

 

Christmas breakfast was at 9am, and honestly, we were late.  I got up around 7, but getting everyone ready for the day just took a little longer than I expected.  Drew, Parker, and Bailey joined us for breakfast with Mom. We had the traditional homemade cinnamon rolls, but we had Mrs. Wolfe’s caramel pecan topping instead of our regular icing.  We also had scrambled eggs and link sausage.  It was all delicious, as always.

 

My mom is in the middle of a kitchen makeover, and her dishwasher has not yet been installed.  So, she washed and I dried the dishes. 

 

We killed a bit of time since Christmas dinner was at 2pm (followed by gifts).  We were able to push two tables together to make a long table.  There are 10 of us now, and Drew is no longer relegated to the kids’ table (he’s practically 34).  Dulcey and John arrived and brought some of the dishes.  We generally have a repeat of Thanksgiving for Christmas dinner, and this year was no exception.  

 

We opened gifts, and our stockings were pandemic related.  We got masks, hand sanitizer, and a roll of toilet paper among other things. 

 

After gifts, we had pie, but just two varieties (pumpkin and pecan).  Mom and I washed the dishes again.  Then mom and I started my cereal box puzzle.  We got the edges and two boxes mostly done.  Elijah and I played a few more rounds of Keep Talking and Nobody Explodes.  

 

By 7:30 everyone had pretty much wandered off to decompress.  

 

Day 285 – Saturday, December 26, 2020

 

We slept in a bit and went shopping at Half Price Books so the kids could spend their gift cards from Uncle Drew.  Elijah got several computer programming books including a classic 1977 book on Principals of Compiling.  The cover was VERY 1977.  Hannah got a stack of books, and Leah got some non-book fun stuff.  

 

I wanted to make cranberry salsa for the family, so I stopped at the grocery store to buy the necessary produce.  I went to three stores before I found cranberries.  I suppose the demand for them is definitely waning as we get closer to January.  The mom and pop grocery half a mile away was the winner.  

 

Hannah and I chopped and chopped and got the salsa put together.  A food processor definitely would have made the process faster.  We did a good job and it was super tasty.

 

We had turkey sandwiches with all the cold salads (and cranberry salsa) for dinner.  I think Mom and Parker liked the salsa, but Hannah and I will polish it off with no problems.

 

There was a discussion about fainting, blood, surgeries, and reactions to prescription drugs… My younger children asked us to please STOP because it was making them ill.  They couldn’t believe how many of these stories we had, and we could have gone on a lot longer.

 

After dinner, Parker worked on the cereal box puzzle hard core.  It was impressive how much of the puzzle he got done.  Drew and I learned how to (finally) play my card game, Star Realms, that my friend Vanessa gave me in the summer.  We liked it, but the instructions were daunting.  The game itself was not that difficult.  Drew is planning on buying his own deck so we can play with four people, maybe tomorrow.  I won, but it was a very close game.  One more turn, and I would have been out.  

 

Being an American, I don’t really understand what Boxing Day is all about, but we had a great one.

 

 

Pandemic At School Week 40

Pandemic At School

 

Week 40

 

Day 272 – Sunday, December 13, 2020

 

Today was a lazy day.  I planned to sleep until 8am, but Oliver had other plans.  I ended up giving up around 7:30.

 

Yesterday, the hot water in my shower did not feel as hot as normal, and I was concerned about my water heater which is over 20 years old.  Today, it seemed back to normal, but I’m still concerned.

 

I did some more laundry and vacuumed.  I wrapped the Christmas presents that I have.  Some of Leah’s will arrive later in the week.  The cats are very interested in chewing on the boxes.  

 

I wanted a short book to read, so that I can reach my goal of 36 books for the year.  I opted for A Christmas Carol which I had never read, but have seen many movie renditions of.  I have to say that the George C. Scott version is very close to the book.  My Kindle app said it took just over an hour and a half to read…. I started another quick read, Will My Cat Eat My Eyeballs – Big Questions from Tiny Mortals About Death.  I have a couple of long books (over 1000 pages) that I’m getting ready to read, but I want to wait until I’ve met this year’s goal, lol.

 

Oklahoma got snow today.  Indiana got gray skies…. Wednesday, we have a chance of snow.  Elijah has finals, so I’d have to drive him anyway.  But I like snow days, and I recently heard that we’d actually get a snow day, and not have to do virtual.  

 

I talked to my mom who spent yesterday putting down new tile in her kitchen.  Her new appliances are due to arrive this week.  She’s getting a new countertop installed as well.  She should have a whole new kitchen when we arrive!  

 

Leah was happy that I made shepherd’s pie for dinner.  She likes it even though she doesn’t care for mashed potatoes (weird). 

 

Day 273 - Monday, December 14, 2020

 

Today is Elijah’s last day in quarantine.  Thankfully, he never had any symptoms.  Tomorrow, he starts his final exams…. 

 

Today was started week two of Grinchmas and the theme was Cindy Lou Who hair.  I wore my Christmas tree head band and decided it was good enough.  There were several girls who had big, tall Cindy Lou Who hair, and I was impressed. 

 

I received a sweet Christmas gift from a set of siblings today.  The funny part was that it was addressed to “Mrs. Brokenrosen”.  I think that might sum up 2020 better than anything else.

 

The school day was uneventful, but Hannah had an eye doctor appointment after school.  I came home, threw layered chicken enchiladas in the crock pot, and took Hannah across town to the mall eye doctor.  I just realized (after 15 ½ years of living in Evansville) that I could park on the back side of the mall, and there are hardly any cars back there…. 

 

Hannah’s eyes had changed a bit more than expected, and the doctor (who appears to be about 20 years old) asked if Hannah had had a growth spurt.  I told him that she hadn’t gotten any taller!  She got a trial pair of contacts to wear home, and a six-month supply has been ordered.

 

The electoral college voted today.

 

In pandemic news, the first vaccines in the US were given today.

 

Day 274 - Tuesday, December 15, 2020

 

This morning, I remembered to take Elijah to school.  I told him that there was no way I could pick him up at half day all week long, but that I would pay for him to eat lunch wherever he wanted and he could wait at the YMCA for me to pick him up.  He decided to ask a friend who lives nearby for a ride home.  That was great until I got the text asking what the garage code was.  He tried it.  His friend tried it.  His friend’s dad tried it.  The keypad to the garage just wasn’t working.  (Leah uses it every day to let herself in…)   Elijah didn’t have a key since I am the one who brings him home.  They just took him home.  I had a 30-minute break, so I picked him up, took him home, tried the keypad (nope, it didn’t work), and went back to work.  I unlocked the front door for Leah and sent her a text.  When I got home, I reset the keypad which took much longer than it should have because I had to look up how to do it.  Elijah now has a house key in his back pack.

 

I made the cake that was my Mrs. Brokenrosen present, and made tortellini with pesto and leftover meatballs from the freezer.  

 

Leah and I are hoping for a snow day tomorrow.

 

Day 275 – Wednesday, December 16, 2020

 

We did NOT get a snow day.  At 5am, it was 33 degrees and rainy.  The Weather Channel app, said it was snowing…. They were incorrect.  The temps stayed above freezing all day, but once again it snowed during the entire school day.  Last week, my supervisor told us that the higher ups are planning on giving real, old-fashioned snow days should we ever have a day that actually warrants one.  The school board has already approved the petition to the State that would allow us to count the extra minutes of instruction each day toward a make-up day.  

 

To make up for our lack of snow day, the Social Emotional Learning specialists, who have spent altogether too much time in our building lately, brought Donut Bank donuts for the teachers (yum!).  Our principal bought Papa John’s pizza for teachers for lunch.  EVSC foundation brought us Donut Bank fondant sugar cookies.  People are doing an excellent job of fattening us up!

 

The EVSC high schools have done away with semester finals for this year with the exception of dual credit classes.  AP teachers have the option of giving a final if they want to.  Poor Hannah, all of her classes will have a final. 

 

Elijah is halfway done with his finals, and he seems to feel pretty good about them so far.  It was helpful that he was able to open the garage door when he got home at half-day today.

 

I saw my middle school students today (last time, three of them were on “remote learning” due to quarantines).  One kid was a close contact, one told me “I had COVID!”  Thankfully, it was no worse than a cold for them.  One of the 6^th grade English teachers spotted me and said, “I have something for you!”  Her daughter is one of my preschool students, and she’d gotten me a Christmas candle (so sweet!!).

 

So, it ended up being a pretty good day at school.  

 

Day 276 – Thursday, December 17, 2020

 

If Santa took a peek at Daniel Wertz Elementary today, there are going to be a lot of kids getting coal in their stockings.  Behavior was at an all time low, and one veteran teacher told me, “I despise the week before Christmas break.”

 

This morning, Elijah squeezed himself into some khaki cargo pants that he wore in 8^th grade for his presentation.  I made him change into his suit pants.  Clearly, I need to go through his clothes and get rid of everything that is too small (which is everything that wasn’t bought in the past 6 months).  He has a thicker build than I expected he would.  He’s built more like my brother than his dad.  

 

My day was uneventful, but every time I turned around there was a child screaming or having a tantrum.  

 

A local friend, who is a nurse at Deaconess, got her COVID shot yesterday.  The Moderna vaccine got the green light from the FDA panel today, so it will likely get final approval in the next few days.  

 

The rest of Leah’s Christmas presents arrived today, so I wrapped them and got them under the tree.  Oliver will have a grand old time chewing on the corners of the packages.

 

Day 277 – Friday, December 18, 2020

 

School’s out for 2020!  It’s Christmas Break!!

 

Leah’s Nene (Libby’s grandma) met me in the school parking lot at 7:20 to deliver her Christmas gift.  We have some amazing friends!!

 

Classes were doing fun, Christmas-y things, so my day was extra chill.  I stopped in one class for a bit while they watched part of The Polar Express, made handprint ornaments for parents, and worked on some Christmas tree math problems.

 

THEN, I got to judge the 5^th grade spelling bee.  The contestants are a mix of the better spellers in the class and those willing to be in the competition.  There were about 12 students competing.  No audience this year which I think the kids actually preferred.  Our librarian, Mrs. Sutton was the “Pronouncer” and I was the judge (I got to ring a bell when they got the word wrong).  About half of the kids were out by the second round.  By the 7^th round, we were down to just two girls.  They were neck and neck for quite a while.  

 

One of my barely verbal kindergarteners gave me a gift and said, “Merry Christmas!”  He melted my heart.  I got a text that one of my high school students had brought a present for me, so I headed over to Reitz for a bit.  

 

As usual, I ordered Domino’s pizza for dinner.  It was probably the saddest Domino’s experience we’ve ever had.  I know they are overworked and underpaid… but we got some sad, barely warm pizzas, a full hour after I ordered them.  But when I checked my email, they gave me a free pizza to make up for it.

 

THEN, I went and did something way out of my comfort zone.  I got a tattoo.  Back in 1983, when I was 9 years old my dad drew me a pen and ink picture of a bi-plane on a scrap of mat board that was left over after he cut some mats for one of his photographs.  I had that plane tattooed on my right forearm and had some of his ashes added to the ink.  I absolutely love it.  It hurt like hell.  

 

Day 278 – Saturday, December 19, 2020

 

Today, I did almost nothing.  I did laundry and I read.  I read all day long while Trent slept in my lap.  It was amazing!

 

It’s been three months since I had the basal cell removed from my left cheek.  The scar is still more prominent than I expected, but it is getting better.  

 

Hannah finished up a pen and ink drawing of The Old Post Office in downtown Evansville.  It looks amazing!  

 

 

 

 

Pandemic At School Week 39

Pandemic At School

 

Week 39

 

Day 265 – Sunday, December 6, 2020

 

I didn’t want to get out of bed this morning, but I did want to get grocery shopping done as early as possible.  I managed to leave the house around 7:15am.  Walmart was very calm, which I appreciated.  

 

I did more laundry, and dishes.  Hannah and I accomplished her “to do” list for IU.  They were basically auditing our FAFSA.  Filling out the information was no big deal, but they want real live signatures… so email you the completed form, you print it, sign it, scan it, and upload it.  At that rate, filling out a paper copy makes more sense.  

 

Trent barfed at least a dozen times, and he clearly isn’t doing well.  He often throws up three times in a day, but lately less than once a day.  He finally got comfortable enough to sleep on my lap for a bit, and later moved to his heating pad.  Poor guy, I’m not sure how much longer he’ll be around.   

 

I made the girls grilled cheese and tomato soup for lunch at Leah’s request.

 

Elijah has spent 99% of the day in his room.  He said he’s kind of looking forward to online school this week.  Tomorrow, he has a half day, and I’m happy that I don’t have to give up my lunch to run him home.  

 

Hannah and I watched a couple of episodes of The Mandalorian.  We are behind…

 

The day seemed really long, but I don’t mind that on the weekend.  

 

We have a Merry Grinchmas spirit week at school this week, so I have my holiday clothing ready to go!  I ordered a Grinch hoodie for Friday.  

 

Day 266 – Monday, December 7, 2020

 

Today was the start of our two weeks of Christmas/Grinch-mas spirit at school.  Today was wear a Christmas hat/headband/headwear, so I got a headband with a 6” pipe cleaner Christmas tree from Five Below over the weekend.  Normally, I don’t go for that sort of things, but the kids went crazy for it.  It was pretty funny.

 

The school day was pretty uneventful, but the kindergarten moving back to two classes was WONDERFUL!  

 

Leah had band practice after school, so I just waited in the middle school parking lot for 30 minutes.  

Hannah said a group of Reitz students had their own Christmas dance and, of course, one of them was sick with 102* fever.  

 

Elijah got back his PSAT scores, and I am very proud of my boy.  Next year is the year that counts, but I expect he’ll start getting college mail very soon.  

 

EVSC just announced that four regular days in the spring will be virtual days.  

 

The state of Indiana is requiring all schools to have proof of residence for all of their students.  I’m sure someone in the state government is afraid Indiana is paying for loads of out of state students to be educated.  

 

Day 267 – Tuesday, December 8, 2020

 

Today was Ugly Christmas Sweater day at school.  A few years ago, I found a 1980’s vintage sweatshirt with a snowman applique (wow, I didn’t spell that on my own!) at the thrift store.  It’s super comfy as well.  So, that’s my ugly Christmas “sweater”.  I am thinking about buying a Star Trek or Mandalorian sweater for next year.

 

I asked the custodian if there was any word on when my heater would get fixed.  It’s cold in my office.  He said that he’d check on it, but lots of maintenance people are out due to COVID…

 

The morning went well, and I only made the kid who hates working with me scream a little bit.  One of the other kids made up for it by screaming that everything was “TOO LOUD!!” all morning even when they were the only person making noise.  

 

My two virtual students both showed up, but both were late.  I was able to accommodate them, so I did.  That is not always possible.  There are times when my schedule is super tight.  

 

My afternoon seemed extra chill, and I’m not sure why.  I had time to do a little bit of laminating.  

 

When I got home, I played a little Animal Crossing.  Apparently, I hadn’t played in over a month!  What is this world coming to?

 

Elijah was supposed to give a presentation today, and he even dressed up even though he is quarantined.  Three out of the four kids in the group are quarantined, so the teacher said they could do it when they are back in school.  That’s probably good for them because it didn’t sound like they were actually ready.

 

Day 268 – Wednesday, December 9, 2020

 

I started the day by heading to Culver for a Speech Therapy Department meeting.  They gave me a Willowtree angel and a wooden “comfort cross” to remember my dad.

 

When I got to Daniel Wertz, I had a continuing education video from the school district to watch about epilepsy.  I actually learned several things that I didn’t know or that had changed since the last time I took a first aid course.

 

Apparently, I haphazardly packed my lunch because I was missing my Crystal Light (I brought the cup to drink it from) and I failed to pack a fork…. I thought I was paying attention.

 

My afternoon was full of WebEx IEP meetings which are ridiculously boring.  I did get some things laminated before the meetings started, and I got quite a bit cut out.

 

Leah had band practice after school, so I picked her up at 4.  I had bought a frozen lasagna that I thought would be a good fit for tonight.  I was shocked at how long it needed to bake.  I was expecting maybe 75 minutes, but no.  Two hours and eight minutes!!  I decided it would be worth the wait.  After 20 minutes of cooking, it’s was supposed to be recovered.  The rest of the cooking time was an hour and 48 minutes which was too long to put on my oven timer.  I cancelled what I believed to be the timer and put the timer on my phone.  At 6:30, I went to check on it…. and I had turned the oven OFF not the timer.  So, I had three starving kids (we’ve been eating in the early 5:00 hour) and no food.  I scrounged together some leftovers and rounded it off with mozzarella sticks and dino chicken nuggets.  The lasagna will thaw in the refrigerator and I’ll cook it tomorrow.  I bet it only takes an hour then!

 

Leah’s Wednesday night church activity was cancelled since all but one of the leaders are in quarantine.  Leah was left a make-your-own-gingerbread-house-kit on the front porch.  She put that together after dinner and had a good time.

 

Hannah’s boyfriend is in quarantine because his gym partner at school (why is that even a thing this year?!) tested positive.  

 

Elijah had a panic attack during chemistry as they were going over the last test.  He got a lot of the problems wrong and he was sure he had failed it.  Afterward, he talked to the teacher who said the test still needed to be curved, and Elijah had a good grade.  

 

During Leah’s first period gym class, the school mascot, a panther, walked in.  She said she was surprised to realize that she is still terrified of furries.  The last time we went to Disney, she was 7 or 8 and she did okay…. 

 

It was an interesting day all around.

 

Day 269 – Thursday, December 10, 2020

 

I can’t believe that I forgot to mention that my office HVAC got fixed yesterday.  It hasn’t worked since August so I had forgotten that it blows constantly.  I’m not sure why teachers can’t be trusted to have normal thermostats, but we have idiot proof ones that don’t allow for much adjusting.  I can adjust it up and down, but I can’t tell it how many degrees… just up or down.  It does reset itself overnight.  I would like the blower set on “auto”, but apparently the only setting is “on”.  Today, it was 65* in the afternoon, of course.

 

On Tuesday in the UK, the first Pfizer vaccines were given.  Canada approved that vaccine yesterday, and the US is expected to do the same in the next day or so.  Indiana expects to get their first allotment of vaccine next week, and Evansville is slated to receive 1,950 doses which will be given to frontline healthcare workers.  The Courier & Press headline was “The Beginning of the End of the Pandemic”.  I sure hope they are correct.

 

Our new kindergarten teacher started yesterday; her name is also Brooke.  It is so nice to see the small classes!

 

Leah had an 11:00 orthodontist appointment, so I left school at 10, picked her up, took her home to brush her teeth, drove 30 minutes to the ortho, waited in the parking lot for her for 30 minutes, grabbed lunch at Chick-fil-a, drove 30 minutes back, dropped her at school, and made it back just after 12:30.  She opted for purple elastic on her bands, and went from two skinny rubber bands, to one thick rubber band.  They are pulling some back teeth into place, so I’m guessing that one tooth was being stubborn?  

 

When I got back, I had one virtual student (who showed up!).  Then I spent the rest of the afternoon looking for new therapy materials… I was not successful.

 

When I got home, I popped the now thawed lasagna in the oven for an hour, and it came out perfect!  We only ate half of it, so I guess we’ll have another meal this weekend.

 

Leah missed part of her science class to day while at the orthodontist, so I got to help answer questions about the digestive system.  It’s a good thing I just finished a book on that topic.  

 

Day 270 – Friday, December 11, 2020

 

I got some very exciting news this morning.  Hannah was accepted into Hutton Honors College at IU.  She went ahead and “declared her intent to enroll” at IU.  She’s working on an essay for further scholarships, it can be about anything, but should be an argumentative essay with citations.  She’s writing about The Great Gatsbysince she’s super familiar with it.  

 

My school day started with an IEP meeting for a high school virtual student who has missed 36 days of school since October 5 when Virtual Academy started tracking attendance.  The phone call was ended abruptly by the parent.  So, that happened.

 

A few minutes before my 1:00 virtual therapy session, I decided to check that kid’s attendance… He was no longer in the system.  I sent an email asking if he’d been withdrawn from EVSC.  Yes, his parents are going to homeschool him.  Fine, but was anyone ever going to tell me??  

 

This afternoon I realized that Hannah might actually have a normal year at college next year, assuming people are able to get vaccinated by August.  

 

Colleges got Elijah’s PSAT scores this week, and his email is now FULL of colleges trying to get his attention.  He’s not thrilled with his full inbox.

 

Day 271 – Saturday, December 12, 2020

 

The morning was filled with grocery shopping and laundry.  

 

Hannah went to her friend, Grace’s, house to study for an AP Physics test.  She kept telling me that energy problems should be easy because there are only two equations to know.  I told her that energy problems were confusing, and she agreed.  When she got home, she told me they kept plugging the wrong numbers into the equations, doing the math, then checking their answers with the study guide, then realizing they’d used the wrong numbers…. Elijah is taking the same class, but they are a unit behind (even though they started school two weeks earlier).  It would be better for everyone, if his class was at least at the same point since he tends to grasp it a little faster.  Elijah would really like to take the next AP Physics class next year, but the school needs a certain number of interested students… and Elijah may be the only one.  However, I’m super proud of Hannah for taking the class.  She really enjoyed her regular physics class last year and the teacher.  No college major that Hannah would ever consider would require a physics class, but she was interested in the content.  She just loves to learn.

 

Leah’s friends had a Secret Santa gift exchange which ended up not being very secret, lol.  They met outside, masked, to exchange presents.  These four girls are so quirky and fun.  I’m so glad that this is middle school for Leah instead of some of the typical nonsense that goes on.  

 

Hannah had ripped a contact last week, but decided to just wear glasses until she would normally have replaced the lens.  Today was that day… and she realized that she didn’t have anymore.  I called to order some, but she’s due for an eye appointment.  I was able to schedule one for her Monday after school.  

 

I pressure cooked enough chicken for three of our dinners this week.  I don’t usually do that, but it will cut down on both prep time and clean up time.  I’m all for that!  Tonight we had chicken club quesadillas inspired by Moe’s Southwest Grill.  

 

I finished up the book Spook, Science Tackles the Afterlife by Mary Roach.  I’m not sure that was the best book to read right now, but none of it was upsetting to me until the end.  She covers near death experiences which I find fascinating… and so did my dad.  That’s what got me.  

 

On a happier note, the FDA officially approved the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine for the US on Friday night.  Vaccine started shipping today, so it can arrive at hospitals specially chosen by their states on Monday.  This first vaccine is described as “finicky” and needs super cold storage.  Deaconess in Evansville got the required freezers and are slated to receive 1,950 doses of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine on Monday.  This looks to be the beginning of the end of the pandemic.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pandemic At School Week 38

Pandemic At School

 

Week 38

 

Day 258 – Sunday, November 29, 2020

 

Got up, started more laundry, and went grocery shopping by 7:30 (yawn).  

 

The plan was to get the Christmas tree up, but in order to do that I had to rearrange things in my room to move the sewing table back in there.  Then I had to vacuum.  To get to the tree, I had to pull the car out of the garage.  I ended up getting out the leaf blower to clear off my front porch.  THEN I got out the Christmas tree and decorations.

 

We have one of those Christmas light projectors for the exterior of the house.  I’ve had it for 3 or 4 years, but only used it once.  I got it all set up, but the green laser doesn’t appear to work… bummer.  I think there are fancier versions now, so maybe I’ll upgrade.

 

I spent a considerable amount of time cleaning, and rearranging the shelves around my TV to add Dad’s memorial to it.  I think it looks nice.  The bottom shelf still needs some work, and Leah ended up setting up the Little People nativity there.  

 

We had baked potatoes with BBQ pulled chicken for dinner.  It was my first time making baked potatoes in the Instant Pot.  Very easy and quicker than the oven.  

 

Day 259 – Monday, November 30, 2020

 

We didn’t get our snow day, but it did snow from 8am to 3pm… it just didn’t stick around.  What a waste.

 

It was a very busy day for me at work because I had to finish all of the things that got left undone when I left unexpectedly on the 19^th and see my scheduled students.  I think I’m all caught up, so that’s good.

 

Brand new, hasn’t even started yet, kindergarten teacher is quarantined.  I helped wrangle a couple of kindergarteners today… we need that new teacher!  Too many kids!

 

Mrs Wolfe brought me a new, light projector for the front of the house.  I’m excited because it has LOTS of different projections.  I need daylight to set it up… and there is not much of that when I get home.

 

My Secret Eagle was Gena Allen, and she knitted me the softest chunky yarn blanket.  I love it .  I still need to get a big gift for mine… I missed the reveal party last Monday.  Today, I was busy running all over town picking up orthodontic rubber bands and prescriptions and picking up Elijah and making dinner and paying bills…. Hopefully, tomorrow will be calmer! 

 

Day 260 – Tuesday, December 1, 2020

 

December?  Seriously?  

 

My day at school started in the 1^st/2^nd grade self-contained classroom.  The first kid on my schedule was out sick.  I saw the second kid on my schedule, and he clearly felt terrible.  He ended up going home within the hour.  I have one student (Student A) who always has a meltdown after recess when I see him (time doesn’t matter, he’s not a fan of working with me).  He calmed down and was working pretty well when another student (Student B) had an aggressive outburst.  The victim (Student C) of the aggressive outburst ended up sitting in my lap while my other student (Student A) did his work.  It was quite a scene, I’m sure.  

 

My afternoon went as expected.  I added a kindergartener to my caseload.  She’s very sweet, but she would have really benefited from early intervention and preschool therapy.  

 

After I picked up Elijah, I took Leah to Walmart to shop for my Secret Eagle gift.  She is in the market for an Advent calendar (last year she had the Harry Potter Lego calendar), but I didn’t see any at Walmart.  I got a Facebook ad a few weeks ago for a Totoro Advent calendar, but the website seemed sketchy.

 

I reheated last night’s leftovers for dinner, then made tomorrow night’s shepherd’s pie and put it in the fridge.  

 

I just finished reading a chapter of The Legend of King Arthur to Leah.  I promised I’d read the last chapter since she hates reading to herself.  I am completely unimpressed with the story…

 

My friend's teen who just got one COVID now appears to have mono. Elijah is constantly thinking he's going to be a close contact and get sent home to quarantine (not yet). 

 

Day 261 – Wednesday, December 2, 2020

 

I went to the middle school this morning, and three out of my five students were absent.  I did check attendance before leaving my office, so I was aware of the possibility.  It made for an extra quick stop there.

 

I had a group lesson where I had the kids answer “would you rather” questions.  Two out of eight were absent (one of those was “remote present” over WebEx).  

 

One 3^rd grade class was down to 13 students out of 18.  The other 3^rd grade class had their teacher go home.

 

My high school life skills class also had their teacher out as a close contact…

 

My friend, Karen, brought over cranberry salsa and chips for my family to enjoy.  YUM!

 

Leah has her Wednesday night church group, and I stayed because driving in the dark isn’t my thing. 

 

Day 262 – Thursday, December 3, 2020

 

The day got off to a good start.  Then I got a call from Elijah’s allergist’s office.  He had an appointment this afternoon and they wanted to change it to telehealth.  Fine.  They wanted to change the time to earlier in the day.  Not fine.  I rescheduled it for January.

 

At lunch, I texted Elijah that I would pick him up at the regular time instead of early for his appointment.  He texted back that his friend who came to school SICK on Monday had just gotten positive test results back.  I told him to text me when they came to collect him as a close contact.  So, I picked Elijah up just after noon.  He is quarantined through 12/14, and will get tested Saturday morning…. 

 

I headed back to school and saw a few groups of students.  

 

I made chili for dinner, then Hannah and sat down and crunched numbers for colleges.  Looks like Hannah will be a HOOSIER at the University of Indiana!

 

Day 263 – Friday, December 4, 2020

 

Because Elijah is quarantined at home, I was able to drop Leah off a few minutes later and get to work 20 minutes earlier…. That’s positive for us, if not him.  

 

My self-contained kiddos for today were great, even though I accidentally set one of them off first thing in the morning.  Oops.  He was able to pull himself together for speech, and had an okay morning.  The best dressed guy in the school today told me twenty times in a row, “Say P five times”.  I told him “no”.  Later, he was demanding one of the assistants say “drum” when he saw me and demanded that I say “drum”.  That time, I complied, and laughed.  Their teacher wanted me to make sure to write that the student who would rather scream than work with me, was absolutely perfect for me and earned all of his iPad time… That may be a first that both of those things happened on the same day.

 

My Friday afternoon schedule is a little lighter than my other days (by design), and neither of my virtual students showed up.  

 

Starting Monday, kindergarten will be back to being split into two classes.  Hallelujah!  

 

Since I didn’t have to pick up Elijah, I got home half an hour earlier than normal, so I was able to set up the Christmas light projector Mrs Wolfe gave me.  

 

I ordered pizza with a gift card (thanks Heather!), and added the Domino’s tracking app to Alexa.  She told me when the pizza was on its way.

 

Day 264 – Saturday, December 5, 2020

 

Elijah had an 8am appointment downtown for COVID testing, the first time slot of the day.  We got there at 7:45 and were the 4^th car in line.  The testers arrived to the site at 8am.  The information guy came to the car window and said, “Do you have a MyChart account?” 

“Yes.”

“Have you gotten this (information) paper before?”

“Yes.”

“Of course, you have.”

…and he walks to the next car.

The testers start swabbing at 8:15, there is no longer any gentle explanation of the testing procedure.  Elijah said this was his worst test experience (it’s his third time), and he felt like his nose was bleeding (it wasn’t).  

The testers were exhausted before they even got started.  I can’t even imagine.

 

Elijah continues to feel fine and has no new symptoms (he lives his life with a few symptoms on a daily basis).

 

The girls and I went to the thrift store, Target, and Five Below.  Each store was more crowded than the last.  

 

I did laundry and talked to Karen.  We were going to get Starbucks, but Hannah informed me that they all (except the one inside Target) were closed.  No word on what that was about.

 

Hannah and Dylan made peanut butter cookies.  Elijah, Leah, and I ate leftovers for dinner.  

 

Elijah’s test result came back negative, so YAY!  There’s still a 38% chance that it is a false negative being tested on day 5 after exposure.