Fantastic Four: Week 7

Wow.
7 weeks. With all the feels.
Depending on the day, at least one child is having a "COVID Crazy" moment where they burst into tears, wanting to see their friends and go back to a normal life.
I tell them I don't know when, if ever, that will be.
That's difficult.
I want to be honest - sugar coating isn't my way.
The kids have handled a lot in the past few years.
But I don't have the answers. Not. Even. Close.
I almost lost it when I was at Wegmans the other day. The Flower Section was gone. It felt like all the HAPPY was being taken out of the world.
That made me sad.
I'm just tired and doing the best I can.

Caroline learned that one of her friend's mothers is ill with the virus. I could see the color drain from her face as she realized how close to home things were starting to be.
Then, as she and Autumn were sitting on the sidewalk, social distance kibitzing, a lady that I know from around the 'hood (but doesn't know Caroline) walks by the girls and says to Caroline "OH YOU LOOK LIKE YOUR MOTHER!!!" Caroline was ~~only sightly~~ horrified.

We're hitting a groove in school.
7 more days of lessons and we're halfway through the school year - in a 12 month school year - we're exactly where we should be. Which is good.
I was stressing about the kids being behind public school kids.
I'm not anymore.
I purchased a math curriculum for Caroline for next year. Looking at ELA, history / geography, science, foreign language, art / art history and health now. We'll get there. Who even knows what life will be like at that point.
We were talking that Caroline might try some online intro classes at the local community college.
We'll see.
And we'll jump off that bridge when we get to it.

Kids are Zooming for dance classes here and Facebooking for the ones in Oklahoma.
More activity does their brains good.
The boys earned Nerf guns from the Spring yard cleanup. Right before Benjamin went outside to play I heard him say, "I have my gun. All I need is a sweatshirt and a cape."
Obviously he didn't get the memo from The Incredibles.
Caroline took her earnings and got herself some SIX swag.
I got a ~~nice~~ better looking yard.
We all won.

I'm loving the time I have to do more sewing. This dress was made out of old curtains. I was channeling my inner Katie Scarlett. Or was it Carol Burnett?
Either way, the dress was cute.

The Youngers helped sew masks. Because who wouldn't want a mask with dinosaur skeletons on it?

he's smiling. Really.

Quarantine hasn't been all bad, though. Nate found the Christmas presents he bought for the other kids and hid TOO well. Everyone was excited to get their gifts when we located the stash in the basement.

We've had more Adventures in bread making AND direct buying produce from restaurants. We even got a sourdough started. I'll let you know how long it takes for me to kill it.