DAY 129

We heard that the elementary school that my husband and I attended here in town is going to be torn down in the next few weeks. Yesterday we gathered in front of the building with a few old classmates and my husbands siblings to reminisce and take some pictures. We talked about old teachers and classmates that we have lost touch with. My husband, the ex safety patrol boy, tried to keep us all in line but we weren't having it.

My brother in law lowered the flag to half-mast, as we are all mourning the loss of a piece of our childhood.

DAY 128

Every summer on two separate weekends a local landscaper opens up their property for a "Hosta Walk." They live on a beautiful shaded piece of land in Hartland. You can walk the paths they have created through the woods, enjoying the plants, birds, and many fairy hideouts. Poking out from under their garden shed are pair of legs clad in striped stockings and black pump heels, Wizard of Oz style. They sell Hostas and other shade-loving plants at the local farmer's markets and have them available for sale on these two weekends at their home.

My cousin, who just moved back here from California, wanted to know what she could plant in her shaded front yard. I gave her a few ideas and said, "we need to go on the Hosta Walk." She said, "I don't know what that is but I want to go!"

We both spent quite a bit of money.

DAY 127

I went to visit my daughter and her family today. The baby was sleeping when I got there. My daughter and my two-year-old granddaughter sat out in the yard and visited. When my daughter heard the baby starting to wake up she told me to go wash my hands. She was going to let me hold the little critter. I cried like a baby.

I held that little chick for about ten minutes. I walked around the yard with her, showing her the leaves on the trees and talking to her about the color green. She was reluctant to look me in the eyes because she does not know me. Having to talk to her through a mask is not the ideal situation, either, but I will take what I can get at this point. It felt so wonderful to finally have her in my arms. When this insanity is over we are going to have some serious catching up to do.

DAY 126

Way back on March 14th when I wrote my first post in this blog I could not have imagined that we would be facing another school year with this virus hanging over our heads. But here we are. I have been getting emails from our school district about every week. They vaguely discuss what might be happening in the coming school year. We have gotten two different surveys to fill out and return letting them know what we plan for our kids. Will we be putting them on the bus? Are we in favor of in-person classes? How comfortable are we with a mask requirement for BK - 5 students in the hallways? And a whole lot of other questions. I have filled out these surveys and returned them. It is mid-July and I still have no clear idea what they plan to do, or when.

The more I listen and read about the possibilities and talk to other parents about what they think, the less inclined I am to send Miss Ten into a classroom this fall. I am honestly more concerned about the effect of the stress and anxiety of being in a classroom under the conditions that they are planning than I am about the actual virus. With a teacher who is stressed out to boot. I have seen first hand that kids will not social distance themselves without constant reminders. They will share materials and germs at will. Classrooms are Petri dishes on a normal basis, and I can't imagine the frequent cleaning and handwashing will make a big difference. Many children were already stressed out in school. Adding a whole new level of stressors cannot be a good thing for them.

I am also not enthused about whatever distance learning plans the school district might be putting in place. I know that they did the best they could in the spring on the spur of the moment, but it was less than impressive. As an experienced homeschooler, I can come up with far more engaging ways for her to learn, without relying on a compute/tablet/whatever. Kids showed up on the planet ready to learn. As long as they are exposed to a rich variety of experiences, they will learn.

I think that we have a real opportunity here to re-imagine and reinvent the way we educate our children. Warehousing them together for many hours five days a week is not the most effective way to encourage learning. I know from experience that two hours a day spent on academics is plenty. Throw in some art projects, physical activity, and music. Read and write something every day. They need no encouragement in the technology department!

My heart goes out to the parents who have to leave home for work, who have to choose child care or school, who will have to try and guide their children through online learning while trying to maintain their careers. The choices and sacrifices required of us all are incredibly difficult. To all parents, whatever choice you make is the right one for your family. Know that you are doing your best under ridiculously horrible circumstances. You and your kids will be stronger for going through this. 

DAY 113

Independence Day, 2020. We didn't do much of anything. Not much to do. We hung around the house and ate dinner on the deck. When it was almost dark we went to Page Field and lit some fireworks that my husband procured from a local stand. We drove around through the cemetery and watched a few fireworks displays that people across the lake were having in their yards. Then home to bed. Definitely not our usual 4th of July, with a family picnic at the park, parades, and a big fireworks show.

Nothing is usual anymore, is it?

DAY 111

It is Miss Nine's birthday. She is now Miss Nine Plus One. Or as she insists on calling herself, Miss Ten. Double digits, growing up too fast. She told me in January that she wanted to camp for her birthday, so I made a reservation at a kid-friendly campground close to home. With the quarantine situation, I was not sure if we would still be able to camp, but when I called them a few weeks ago I was told that we were good to go.

We have a 27 ft. Jayco travel trailer, our home away from home. I hauled it out to the campground and parked it. Voila, we are camping. I used to be a tent camper. I made fun of people with RV's and such. I thought that they might as well just stay home. I was much younger and did not mind sleeping on the ground in a sleeping bag. Now I am old and want a real bed at the end of the day. And my own toilet in the middle of the night.

Miss Ten invited a friend to come camping with us. She came to stay last night and her mom picked her up this afternoon. This campground has a beach, a splash pad, putt-putt golf, playground, basketball court, and lots more. I prefer a quieter camping experience but this is a fun place for the kids. The girls swam and played, we made s'mores on the campfire, and they giggled like girls until late last night. Today my oldest daughter and daughter in law came out to have a birthday lunch with us. This evening my husband and two grandsons joined us for dinner and a swim. And of course cupcakes and presents.

Social distancing while camping should be relatively easy. You are outside and everyone has their own allotted area. When you are a kid, though, your boundaries are pretty flexible. I cautioned the girls to play a safe distance from others. I asked them not to climb on the floating rafts in the water. I had them wash their hands often. Mostly I just let them enjoy themselves. And I sat in my lawn chair and read an entire book.

DAY 110

Since early June when businesses started slowly opening, the number of Covid-19 cases has increased considerably. Who saw that coming? Outbreaks in the last few weeks have been linked to bars and other large gatherings. Young people, in particular, are gathering in large crowds, ignoring social distancing recommendations, and are spreading the virus among themselves and to their families.

Governor Whitmer signed an order today closing all bars in Michigan once again. These businesses can have outdoor service and are now allowed to sell "cocktails to go." I imagine drunk driving tickets skyrocketing.