A Visit

We have not seen Grandma 'Verne since before we went to Hawaii; over a month ago.  Grandpa has been over for a sauna, and gets out of the house for groceries and such, but grandma has been largely sitting tight.  We miss them both, so the kids made signs and we visited through the window.  It wasn't perfect, and it was cold so we weren't able to stay long, but... it was something.  Good to see their faces!

Pray For Us

For their entire lives, my children have begged to be home-schooled.  Their vision of home-school entails sleeping in late, having a brunch, and playing video games online wherein the information magically soaks in to their brains by osmosis.  I know enough homeschooling mamas to know this is utter bunk.   I have always told my kids that we could never home-school for several reasons, not the least of which is that I work outside the home. There's also the fact that they don't listen to me, and we are not a family that has the self-discipline to follow a routine well.    There you go.  Several really good reasons why we have not, and probably should not, home-school.

Enter COVID-19.

Suddenly, the prospect that the children will return to school any time in the near future is, as the Governor so succinctly put it yesterday, "very unlikely".  Cue panic from the mama.  At the same time, my hours at work have decreased by nearly 60%.  This turn of events has led to a NEED for homeschooling, and a MEANS for the mama to home-school.  Oh. My. Goodness.  We're going to have to do this.

Rob is working from home now, so my usual means of enforcement for getting them to do anything (turn off the wi-fi) is not an option.  He needs wi-fi for his job.  The kids need wi-fi and computers to do their online learning.  HOW does one ensure that they do not have a math assignment on one window, and "Destiny 2" secretly on another?  How does one simultaneously do laundry, the dishes, make meals, etc. when certain offspring do not do ANYTHING unless I'm sitting physically right next to them?  How do I motivate someone with no motivation?  How do I instill a need and desire for learning when they know that the state is not making them learn at the moment? And how does this all work when I do have to leave the house for work?  Right now, my shifts are super sporadic, and I often don't know what I'm doing until the day before.   This all terrifies me.

Here's the plan for the moment - I'm sure it will change significantly as we move forward:

QUINN:

Prayer Table

Spanish: Duolingo

Math: Pearson, Khan Academy

English: Great Gatsby

Science: Allele practice sheets

Music: Khan Academy, Work on St. Michael Song

Health: Tramp/Bike Ride

Chore:

COLBY:

Prayer Table

French: Duolingo

Math: Pearson, Khan Academy

English: AP Videos, Writing Practice

Music: Khan Academy, Work on St. Patrick Song

Health: Tramp/Bike Ride

Chore:

REAGAN:

Prayer Table

Math: Freckle/Prodigy

Social Studies:  Liberty Kids on Youtube

English: Read, Daily Writing Prompt

Science: Mystery Science – Water Cycle

Health: Tramp/Bike Ride

Chore:

I do know that I don't want my kids NOT to learn for months on end.  I want them to continue to grow and think, and the structure will be so good for all of us to maintain some sense of normalcy and purpose to these days at home.  So your prayers, advice, and support are appreciated.  I'm a frightened newbie at all of this!!  Is there a patron saint of homeschooling mothers?  Anyone?  Anyone?  [Quick Google Search]  Let's go with Thomas Aquinas.

St. Thomas Aquinas.  Pray for us!!

These People

Maybe we weren't social distancing as we should, but I am super blessed to work with an amazing group of people.  And... Reagan made us a flamingo cake!  How awesome is that?

Hope

The Great Melt has begun.  Spring will come; is coming.  It does our spirits good.  Rob and the kids took advantage of this absolutely beautiful day!

Feast Day Fun: Feast of the Annunciation

Waffles and bluberries for breakfast, white cake with blueberries for dessert after dinner, and a reading of the Annunciation and the Magnificat in between!  That's a lot of carbs, but hopefully it brought home the fact that the incarnation happened not on Christmas, but on THIS day, when Jesus entered Mary's womb.  And it also drives home the point that... CHRISTMAS IS ONLY 9 MONTHS AWAY!

Shelter In Place: How we Spend Our Days

The kids have been off school for nearly two weeks, but the official "don't leave home except for vital reasons" happened this past Monday.  My hours have floundered significantly at work, and I am scrabbling for any random shifts I can find, serving meals to the elders at the nursing home, working inpatients at the hospital, whatever is available.  Rob has cleared space in the bedroom, and is now working full time from home.  LOTS of togetherness, for the forseeable future.

There have been a few previous times in my life where my world has just stopped:  when I was on bedrest while pregnant with twins (off work for 3 months), sick/cancer treatment 3 years ago (off work for 4 months), and then again last year for another round of treatment  (off work 3.5 weeks). I guess the six weeks of maternity leave after each pregnancy could be lumped in there as well.  So, I have experience hanging out at home and keeping myself busy, but none of those previous episodes have included my entire family, and certainly none  encompassed essentially the whole country!  Adjustments are afoot, but there are so many blessings, too.  We have largely been at peace during all of this, despite the frantic news that filters in hourly, and the economic consequences of a world shut down.  Maybe that's because reality hasn't hit yet - I don't know.  But I'm grateful for the peace and lack of worry, despite the craziness and uncertainty of everything about us. Maybe because it is so completely out of our control, there's no point worrying about it.  Maybe because there really is nothing we can do one way or the other.  I hope, though, it's mostly because we are putting our trust in God, and are riding this wave as best we can, in the hope that we'll all come out the other side just fine.

We open every day with a morning offering from the Divine Office, as a family, around the prayer table.

 The kids spend time each day exercising their mind, bodies, and creativity (with some minor nagging from the mama, and a concrete ToDo list), and do some small chore to keep the house in order.  We have dinner as a family each and every night (we're all taking turns cooking), and celebrate all major feast days without fail. Rob and I go for a walk together after dinner, then we watch a movie together as a family.  This is the order of our days, and it puts emphasis on all the things I've always wanted to put emphasis on, but haven't been able to because life was too busy. We have the luxury of time at the moment, and it is SO NICE.  In fact, it may have taken a world-wide pandemic and house arrest, but my copper pots FINALLY got polished!

We pray for all those who are suffering and sick.  We worry for our nation and it's floundering economy.  But for now, when we focus close at home... all is well.  All is well.

Feast Day Fun: St. Joseph

We're looking for silver linings these days at home in isolation.  There are plenty, if we choose to see them.  One bright spot is that we now actually have the time to pray daily as a family, and celebrate feast days.  There's time to COOK now, because... what else are we gonna do?

Today's feast day is especially needed, as masses and church services are cancelled around the world. St. Joseph is protector of the church, and his protection is resoundingly sought right now!

We celebrated with calla-lily shaped pasta, as his flower is the lily.  This was meatless to remind us of the holy family's humble station, and sprinkled with bread crumbs to remind us of the sawdust associated with Joseph's profession as a carpenter.  We had fancy bread, braided in the shape of a cross, because apparently that's what they do in Italy on this day.  For dessert, we had Zeppole di San Giuseppi, which also is traditional on the Feast of St. Joseph.

St. Joseph, terror of demons, protector of the church, pray for us!

Thought For the Day, from that wise old sage Chesterton

“Hope means hoping when things are hopeless, or it is no virtue at all. And faith means believing the incredible, or it is no virtue at all.”

Feast Day Fun: St. Patrick's Day

Last year, after doing one of those DNA tests, I discovered that I (and therefore my children) are significantly Irish.  I had presumed I was primarily German, with a little English thrown in for good measure, but when the test came back, it showed that I was nearly 1/3 Irish, and that a relative had come from County Cork, Ireland within the past 3 generations.  Given that I had done our family tree on Ancestry.com, I knew that wasn't the case, and I chalked it up to a bad test result.  But THEN, a genetics professor from downstate contacted me, saying that his DNA test showed that we were distant cousins, but he couldn't figure out HOW.  He suspected (given that my cousin and father were also related to him) that it was through my "Towne" side... the side of my paternal great grandmother. My research had shown that the Townes were an old English family, that had immigrated long before the nation had even gained independence, sometime in the 1600s.  In fact, the Townes had a few family members that had been burned at the stake during the Salem witch trials.  The Townes had an illustrious and colorful history, which I thought was uber cool.  BUT... because of this email from the downstate genetics professor, and a whole lot of sluething and interviewing of my one remaining great aunt, I discovered that I am not related to the Townes at all!  In fact, my paternal great great grandfather had been born a "Herrick" and had been adopted by the Townes... and his biological parents were from County Cork Ireland!  Who KNEW?  We still couldn't find the direct connection to this genetics professor downstate, but did find (via old census information) that our ancestors grew up nearly next door to each other in Buffalo New York in the 1880's.  Evidence suggests that there may have been some hanky panky between his relatives and my great great great grandmother... which would explain why my gg grandfather was put up for adoption at age 12, after his mother died, when his sisters weren't.   FASCINATING stuff.  All brought to light because of a DNA test 140 year after the fact.

All of this is a long way of saying "Kiss me, I'm Irish-ish!"  And now we have even more reason to celebrate the patron saint of Ireland!!

We celebrated with margarita-mix and Sprite mocktails, Rueben sandwiches, and tater tots.  The corned beef was disgusting and tough, the kids were highly suspect of the rye bread (thinking it was burnt), and plates were not quite clean at the end of dinner.  The mocktail and tater tots went over well, though, and we did have a good discussion on St. Patrick, his capture and time as a slave, his escape back to England and then his return to pagan Ireland to "drive the snakes into the sea".  Reagan made a lemon custard pie for dessert, and dyed it green.  The color made the pie look like sludge, and no-one was too thrilled about eating it, but the mama ate it and knew that it tasted DELICIOUS, despite it's murky appearance.  More for me :).

Happy St. Patty's Day!

Little Flowers, Learning a New Skill

Our virtue of the month is patience, which is very apropros, given the current state of the world at the moment.  Little Flowers decided that the "show must go on",  despite viruses and pandemics.  We're a small group.  Everyone is healthy.  We brought hand sanitizer.  It's all good.

We went to a local shop to learn how to sew on antique sewing machines.  It was so much fun!  I had no idea how beautiful sewing machines used to be.  These machines were elegant, inlaid with abalone, had gilded details and ornate designs.  They lived inside gorgeous, solid-wood cases.  They were solidly made, and reportedly require almost no maintenance whatsoever, even being 130 years old.  I learned that they also NEVER JAM.  This is a huge thing!!  Yes, you have to spin the wheel yourself, and they only have one type of stitch, but you know what?  When you want it to work, it does, and that's a whole lot better than the two machines I have at the moment.  Reagan and I have both decided that we want one :).  I like beautiful, well-made, reliable sewing machines.

The girls made "pocket saints", and they turned out so cute!  The ones filled with rice (others were stuffed with polyfill) became "pocket saint hot packs," which gave them a utility as well.  I made myself a Joan of Arc hot pack, and I'm pretty proud of it.  I've already used it twice!

The Difference A Day Makes

I don't talk about world events too much on this blog, because it's a blog about our family, and there's lots of other places to talk about what's going on in the world, BUT... world events have encroached upon this family, and I feel like it's important to document.  There is a coronavirus pandemic happening globally.  We got back from Hawaii just.in.time. apparently.  Thursday after robotics, the kids were going on and on about how the superintendent was going to cancel all after-school events.  They had it on good authority.  No robotics, no track, no drama.  All the stuff we were worried about fitting into the schedule would just "POOF"... disappear.  I pooh-poohed this.  Surely not.  But then, I talked to their source, who was a mom who also works at the ISD.  It's true, she said.  Believe it.  The letter would go out on the morrow.

So THEN the kids said we would probably just have all school cancelled, and I pooh-poohed THAT as well!  In fact, I had it on good authority that the ISD Superintendent, in conjunction with the health department, said that school would NOT be cancelled, and had emailed such just this day.

Well, lo-and behold.  The Governor stepped in.  No school for three weeks.  No drama, no robotics, no track, no learnin', no nuthin'.  This also means no WORK for me, as half my workload involves the school (well, at least half work for me).  That's not good for an hourly employ who just used the last of her precious PTO going to Hawaii with her family.

The economic and social impact of this all is astounding.  Things are changing by the minute.

For now, I will be screening people visiting the hospital for the coronavirus, during the hours of 9pm-7am. I'm thankful that the hospital is providing opportunities for employees to make up hours any way they can.  The children will be holed up, and hopefully we can enforce some semblance of order and normalcy around here.  Our busy schedule is now nearly completely blank.  It's as if the WHOLE WORLD is taking a snow day.

Prayers are in order, and prayers we will give!

All the saints in heaven, please pray along with us!  Let us storm the gates of heaven for our vulnerable, for our nation, and for the world!

Robotics

For the first time in it's 19 year history, Team 857 Superior Roboworks WON districts for robotics.  Of course, my boys were in Hawaii when the victory went down, but they participated in the design and building process none-the-less.  Robotics is slated to go to one more district event, then the state competition.  According to the coaches, the chances of going to World's is more likely than  not.  That's a lot of robotics in the next month.  I talked to the drama coach about the boys bowing out of that, and emailed the track coach to say the boys would start in a few weeks, but not now.  We need to thin things out a bit to make sure it all fits into a 24 hour day.