Christian the graduate... created in Canva!

 

2020 = Chocolate Chip Pancakes

Dad is great he makes chocolate pancakes. It's a song mom sings when Dad makes me this for breakfast EVERY DAY! Everyone around me wants 2021 to come fast, but 2020 for me has been a great year for Dad and me! During lockdown Dad would take us for drives to get out of the house every night, I get to do school from home, and I've got the entire kitchen table for my toy horse arena! Mom is very busy doing mom stuff, so's dad. But dad always takes breaks to help mom out and clean! It's nice having everyone home until it's not. Every night I get upset because of something my older siblings said or left me out of. But Dad always ends my night with Uno and a prayer. 2020 was not a good year for a lot of people, but for me, it was a year of Dad and chocolate chip pancakes. 

 

2020 Graduation

Chrisian's school announcement regarding this years graduation....

We have decided on an in person graduation that will take place in our current building at 1394 NW Civic Drive, Gresham. OR 97030 on Thursday, June 11th. Each graduate will sign up for a time (sign up sheet will go out shortly) that they can bring two guests and walk across a "stage" in the MEWA lobby area. We will practice social distancing and of course be sanitizing any surfaces in between graduates. We will have to require guests, graduates and MEWA staff to wear masks during the ceremony. There will be a photographer present and we will have a zoom link available that families can share with others who are unable to attend in person. **This event can only take place if we have enough students wanting to participate.

Like this year's prom, we have social media to help us celebrate....

2020 Quarantine - Day 46?

Distance learning week 2 day 3. I'm losing my EVER LOVING MIND!

I did the math. I have 4 kids, that's 2 hours a day, times 4, equals 8. Let me double-check because I've been instructed we always double-check 4x2=8 HOURS!!! Holy crap how are moms across the country doing this every day? OK, let me be honest... I would never spend that amount of time on schoolwork with my kids, but the amount they are assigning would equate to about that much. So we've been skipping the "specials" like P.E., music, and library. I figure we go on a walk and they listen to music on nightly drives with Dad. Shouldn't reading through their assignments count as library time? I know, that's very crass of me.. but I'm getting crass with all the rules!

However, even one hour per kid is challenging! YEP 4 kids, no kidding! They have been told it's OK to take breaks, don't stress. While I agree with keeping things chill and not stressing, it's frustrating when one kid will do a little bit of work and desire a break, then wait till I'm busy with dinner to want to finish their school assignments. That said, the assignments between the two littles have been stacking up. I feel like I'm drowning!

Let me vent about math, my favorite subject. LOL (2nd grade... have yet to look at Sam's 5th-grade assignments this week. I'd like to be that mom... teach the ways of math. How to carry the one. Yikes, I know others before me have tried and failed. Today, 2nd graders reminded teachers to follow the instructions on new math, those that don't toe the line will have to try again. Considering they record answers, I also, had to learn how to add "friendly" numbers with "big hops" and "little hops". I'm finally getting it! :) 

Emma using sass and confidence teaches New Math....

 

Learning new long division with Samuel

2020 Quarantine - Day 38?

 Received news regarding the new ODE requirements for this semester's classes.

"To earn the credit for your classes this semester, you will need to complete 33.3% of the
coursework in each class with a passing grade (60% or above). The grade you receive will
be either a Pass/No Pass/Incomplete. Classes should be complete by June 15th"

This is both good and bad news for my teens. Good, it gives them the chance to complete another semester's worth of credits in the last month and a half of school. Bad, the great grades (A's and B's) they currently hold will not reflect on their GPA.
\

2020 Quarantine - PROM!

Last night my teens and I watched this livestream! So much fun!! Someday they can brag John Krasinski hosted their 2020 Prom with guests Billy Eilish and the Jonas Brothers!

2020 Quarantine - Day 36

Losing track of the days!

2020 Quarantine - Day 30

One month ago (March 13th) the littles had no idea that it would be the last day they saw their friends and teachers for the rest of the school year. An extended Spring break is all, we'll be back to normal soon!
Today the kids got to see a glimpse of their teachers from a "safe distance"..

 A TEACHER PARADE!!! 

After the parade, we logged into their learning app and did a few assignments. So far it seems easy enough. Basically just learning how to navigate the site and a bit of review. The biggest problem we're facing is our internet glitching. Dane's working from home (3 computers), the two teens both do online school (2 laptops),  Sam uses mine, and Emma has a school loner (2 more laptops)!

2020 Quarantine - Day 33?

As time goes by I'm sure this will all be updated.. but so far to date...

The COVID Rules:

1. Basically, you can't leave the house for any reason, but if you have to, then you can.
2. Masks are useless, but maybe you have to wear one, it can save you, it is useless, but maybe it is mandatory as well.
3. Stores are closed, except those that are open.
4. You should not go to hospitals unless you have to go there. The same applies to doctors, you should only go there in case of emergency, provided you are not too sick.
5. This virus is deadly but still not too scary, except that sometimes it actually leads to a global disaster.
6. Gloves won't help, but they can still help.
7. Everyone needs to stay HOME, but it's important to GO OUT.
8. There is no shortage of groceries in the supermarket, but many things are missing when you go there in the evening, but not in the morning. Sometimes.
9. The virus has no effect on children except those it affects.
10. Animals are not affected, but there is still a cat that tested positive in Belgium in February when no one had been tested, plus a few tigers here and there…
11. You will have many symptoms when you are sick, but you can also get sick without symptoms, have symptoms without being sick, or be contagious without having symptoms. Oh, my God.
12. In order not to get sick, you have to eat well and exercise, but eat whatever you have on hand and it's better not to go out, well, but no…
13. It's better to get some fresh air, but you get looked at very wrong when you get some fresh air, and most importantly, you don't go to parks or walk. But don’t sit down, except that you can do that now if you are old, but not for too long, or if you are pregnant (but not too old).
14. You can't go to retirement homes, but you have to take care of the elderly and bring food and medication.
15. If you are sick, you can't go out, but you can go to the pharmacy.
16. You can get restaurant food delivered to the house, which may have been prepared by people who didn't wear masks or gloves. But you have to have your groceries decontaminated outside for 3 hours. Pizza too?
17. Every disturbing article or disturbing interview starts with " I don't want to trigger panic, but…"
18. You can't see your older mother or grandmother, but you can take a taxi and meet an older taxi driver.
19. You can walk around with a friend but not with your family if they don't live under the same roof.
20. You are safe if you maintain the appropriate social distance, but you can’t go out with friends or strangers at a safe social distance.
21. The virus remains active on different surfaces for two hours, no, four, no, six, no, we didn't say hours, maybe days? But it takes a damp environment. Oh no, not necessarily.
22. The virus stays in the air - well no, or yes, maybe, especially in a closed room, in one hour a sick person can infect ten, so if it falls, all our children were already infected at school before it was closed. But remember, if you stay at the recommended social distance, however in certain circumstances you should maintain a greater distance, which, studies show, the virus can travel further, maybe.
23. We count the number of deaths but we don't know how many people are infected as we have only tested so far those who were "almost dead" to find out if that's what they will die of…
24. We have no treatment, except that there may be one that apparently is not dangerous unless you take too much (which is the case with all medications). Orange Man is bad.
25. We should stay locked up until the virus disappears, but it will only disappear if we achieve collective immunity, so when it circulates… we must no longer be locked up for that?
Any QUESTIONS??

2020 Quarantine - Day 15

 I haven't changed much of my routine, guess being an introvert isn't a bad thing during a pandemic. "Stay home, save the world." I can do that! Oh, and the research! I love reading, watching, and soaking up all the news. Fact-checking, projections, conspiracy stories, oh my! But I can only take so much before I empathically explode. My biggest trigger is all those Gen Z kids acting invisible, not treating this emergency as such. Every day M* asks to go to Starbucks, and every day the answer is "NOPE." Now she asks every few hours just to be funny. :) I'm enjoying blogging again, reading (although I miss the library), organizing, long walks, Netflix binge-watching, staying up late, and sleeping in. Not enjoying cooking, cleaning (Dane does), lagging internet, politics, kids bickering (similar to politics), kids playing (too loud), kids staying up late and waking early!

 

2020 Quarantine - Day - 14

 

Can you guess mine? I can't imagine the stress of adding school work to the mix!

2020 Quarantine Day 13

We thought a Pandemic would be the perfect time to raise a couple of ducklings. They are getting a lot of love and attention. Still haven't decided on names but we're getting lots of ideas.

 

 

2020 Quarantine - Day 11

 

Christian was born on April 9th, 2001, at 5 months old, I sat glued to the TV watching 9-11 unfold. Everyone mourned and came together during an uncertain and scary time.  Fast forward 18 years. This June is another monumental event that will be forever clouded by a world shutting down and mourning.

2020 Quarantine - Day 10

March 22nd

The weather has been so beautiful during this time of self-distancing. Daily walks and bike rides with the littles have been so refreshing during a time when there's not much else to do. Downtown Gladstone, I saw kids playing on the playground, teens having picnics in the park, and the Pickleball courts were full! I've never seen so many families out and about enjoying each other. So not looking forward to being cooped up indoors for the foreseeable future, shit's about to get real!

2020 Quarantine Day -

A couple of weeks ago, I was explaining to Sam how the Coronavirus was killing elderly and medically fragile people more than young healthy individuals. He shared an interesting insight after I explained how the immune system works (ie.. your neck has adenoids that fill up with "fighter cells" when you have a cold). He said something like this...

"What I think is happening is the immune system of older people or people who are already sick, is that their immune system is already on high alert so it goes overboard."

2020 Quarantine - Day 9

 After feeding the ducks this morning... Oh yeah, that's a memory I won't ever forget during this crazy time. We are now the proud parents of baby ducks! Anywho, Emma begs me once again to go ride her bike. Although she's now a big 8-year-old, we still don't want her to ride by herself. Therefore, am getting lots of forced exercise. After her ride, she decides she wants her training wheels off! After 4-5 times holding the back of her bike, I let go! Wow, that was a surreal moment! My last kid to take off on their own. There wasn't even that moment of being upset that I let go. Just a confident, "I got this!"

Happy 8th Birthday Emmalyn!

Emma has been such a trooper during this time that should be filled with lots of family and friends. The original plan was to celebrate with all her classmates (today being the last day before spring break) at JJ Jumps. Then the plan changed to having a small party with grandparents, but with Sam coming down with the flu, we had to change the final birthday celebration to a small porch party with Grandma & Bop-Bop Harkey. I'm so thankful for their gift, a bike & helmet. Our gift... ice skates lit up her face but she understood they would not get used for some time.

2020 Quarantine- Day 8

For the past few days, I've done nothing but snuggle with Sam and watch lots of movies; Star Wars, Marvel, DC, and YouTube. And give lots and lots of back-rubs. The muscle aches and cough are the worst symptoms of this flu. I'm pleasantly surprised no one else in the family has caught this horrible virus.
 I confirmed today with Baskin Robins that they will still be open and Emma's cake will be ready. I also received my first online/pick-up order from Fred Meyers today. I was not surprised to find that many of the items on my order were out of stock! I ventured into the store to check if they had re-stocked TP... NOPE! Good thing we have a bit of a stockpile, but it won't last forever!

2020 Quarantine - Day 7

Today Sam's fever came back along with increased ear pain, so we've decided to start the antibiotics. When Sam is sick, particularly when in pain, he is the grumpiest grump ever! After his Tylenol and back rub, he slept most of the day. I hate to say it because I know he feels horrible, but once he feels better there is gonna be a lot more unrest in this house. I don't know if unrest is the word I want, but definitely more loud fun, and nasty fights for sure. One kid down makes a huge difference in a family of six under quarantine in a small house.

2020 Quarantine - Day 5

Taking Sam into the clinic was something out of a movie, the usually busy parking lot was bare. Upon entering the building an employee stopped us to ask a few questions such as, do you have a cough, are you experiencing shortness of breath? Sam still had a bad cough and was given a mask. In the pediatric department, only one other family was waiting to be seen. I was grateful to see it wasn't busy, that was our biggest concern about going in. I offered my phone for Sam to play on but he just wanted to sit and mope. We were called back right away by a nurse in full PPE (personal protection equipment, an acronym we all now know). While being evaluated they must have changed gloves 10 times! No wonder there are now shortages everywhere! Take history; change gloves, take BP and temperature; change gloves, type results in the computer; change gloves. In the end, the doctor couldn't tell me if his ear pain was bacterial or viral. Said it could go either way and gave me a prescription "just in case." Hmm, isn't that what I suggested in the first place? The good news that came out of the visit, I convinced them to do a flu test. A short time later we received the call that confirmed Sam tested positive for influenza A. While it sucks he caught this horrible flu bug, it's a blessing to know it will be over soon!