Home (insert activity)

Home school, Home office, Home woodworking, Home barber, Home everything.  Lots of home cooking, too.  I still can't believe how much we are eating together at home.  I'm sure we'll look back on this and be thankful that we are healthy and got to spend so much relaxing time together at HOME.

Home School

The kids have been working very well on all of their assignments from before break.  They typically do not need a whole lot of direction from either of us.  However, I read through Owen's writing packet the other evening and his paragraphs consisted of one sentence.  We had to review what a paragraph is and the details that are required for his assignments.  Needless to say, he redid his assignment.  

Owen has actually been reading A LOT!  He will spend a couple hours on the couch reading Harry Potter if no one intervenes.  He is getting through his math review packet with no problem and is way ahead in his specials (PE, music, library, art) requirements.  He still hasn't done a lot for science, but we're waiting for more instruction from his teacher for that.  

This week Owen's teacher will be available for video conference/chat everyday for an hour.  I'll be interested to see how this goes.  Hopefully it will work out and he can see some of his classmates.  Owen spent a little time talking to some friends on Friday.  He was so excited to actually see Kai through facetime and talked to Walker, also.  Nick took the kids for a 4 mile bike ride last week and rode past his friend Sean's house and they were outside to wave hi to each other!

Owen doing some homework at the counter

Reading Harry Potter on the couch

I think he probably likes this reading spot better than the classroom.

School for Gracie

Gracie spends a lot of time working on school stuff.  I'm not sure that it's all required, but she actually likes doing work.  Her assignments are all review, as well, so I think most of it is not hard.  She was also given packets before school was canceled, but she has also been able to upload her assignments and turn things in through her google classroom.  She reorganized her room last night so she can have a better work space if she wants to use her room.  She and Nick built a couple shelves for her wall so she has more space to keep her books and folders.

Gracie also is able to email her teachers and has a lot of different ways that she can keep learning.  She has a log for PE, they use an online program to monitor practice for band, and like I mentioned, teachers are still staying in contact through google classroom.  The only issue is if we are all trying to work at the same time and our hotspot can't handle it.  She also has to practice trombone in the evening while mom and dad aren't meeting with people.  She has created a schedule for herself and tries to stick to it every day.  She even made a lunch schedule for during the week so she and Owen can eat without needing to ask mom and dad for help.

Gracie's study nook in her room

Working from the dining room table

Quick visit to the LAKE!

So, we probably wouldn't have gone down, except we only had a couple roles of toilet paper left in our house and my mom found some down there.  EVERYWHERE I went in Columbia was out of toilet paper and we had not bought any for over two weeks.  So, we maintained our physical distance from each other and joined my parents at the boat for a couple hours.  It was so good to get out and see people!  Another bonus was that it was a beautiful day and we sat in the sun!

Owen on the bow of the boat.

Passing the time....

Still running.  I have company more often, now, though.  Gracie has joined me on her bike a couple times and she has also joined me running for short distances.  We still drive into town a lot of the time and park somewhere, usually at the city park.  It's very strange; the playground equipment has caution tape around it, so it is off limits for kids to play on.  However, there is a 1/2 mile track around the park that is still being used.  Usually I just run around town on the streets, though.  It's much better that the treacherous rock that we have on our road.

Running.  Something that I don't have to give up right now.

Gracie took this picture while I did another mile after she had ridden her bike 5 miles with me.

Meditation

We have also been walking a lot more since being on our stay at home order.  Owen stopped to rest and meditate for a minute last night.  I have also gone for a couple walks with our neighbors out here.  I'm so glad we live where we live and can get outside.

Woodworking.  Nick is pretty good at this.  He has been working on stall doors for the barn and he decided that he needs his own desk.  So he built that this weekend, too.  He was too impatient to let me stain it first though.  He's still not great at finishing things.

Nick's home office desk

Here is our music room/office

Gracie was supervising while he constructed her shelves for her room.

She says she helped, too.  Safety first!

Barber Shop!

Nick finally cut his own hair and then convinced Owen that it was time.  Owen's hair was getting in his eyes when he was trying to catch baseballs.  

Owen getting his hair cut.

Field Trip!

Nick and Owen went exploring a few miles down the road at Ashland Lake.  They took the canoe and fishing poles for a couple hours about a week ago.  We found that Owen's (50lb) life jacket doesn't exactly fit him any more and the bigger one is at the lake.  We had never been to this lake, but it looks like it is pretty nice.  Not going to lie though.  I think I would have been pretty bored fishing with them.

Fishing from the canoe.

Nick and Owen at the dam going to Ashland Lake.

Building Forts in Your Room!

Gracie and Owen worked on this last week during an afternoon when they had completed all their school work for the day.  Fun times.

This was before Gracie reorganized her room.

They pretty much used the whole room and every blanket in the house.

Nice days are spent outside!!!!

We have gone for walks, played catch, ridden horses (well, not me), relaxed on the porch in the sun, among other things whenever the weather cooperates.  It's kind of nice working from home and having access to the outdoors just a couple steps away.  It's also a little of a distraction, too.  Still learning to balance.

Not sure if this was before or after Dancer bucked Owen off.

Dancer's crazy mohawk hair

Just chillin' with Sonita

My boss asked us all what our days look like now and what we miss about working at MATC and what we like about being home.  Here are my answers after spending two weeks at home.

I try to keep my days about the same as far as scheduling students and meetings. I just don't have a 20 minute drive to and from work right now.  That's actually saving a lot of miles on my car and a lot of money for gas.  I think we're trading off in groceries, though.  I still get up and run most days, unless Gracie wants to go with me in the afternoon.  (She doesn't get up quite as early as me).  Now that we have no activities to go to, we have more time after school/work to exercise.

I still meet with students at their scheduled times via Zoom and try to keep up with their grades/assignments the best I can.  We still have meetings through zoom and I think I am probably busier at work now than I was before.  I see my Grad assistant every morning via zoom and we have a staff meeting MWF first thing in the morning.  We are trying to stay connected the best we can at work. Our ELP staff had our meeting and then "happy hour" last Thursday to kind of relax together.

As a family, we typically eat together in the evenings and find things to do together.  During the week, the kids are getting to bed by 9pm still and we're trying to make sure that they are up between 7am and 8am to start their day.  They have their school schedules and I am trying to keep up with the emails from teachers and reminders from their apps that they are using. I have Gracie read all of her emails from her teachers to make sure that she is getting the information that she needs.  Owen is not as connected through his classroom.  I think the elementary does not use the google classroom tool as much as the middle school.  At least not the students.

We are not needing to drive a second trip to Columbia for baseball and softball right now either.  This weekend would have been Gracie's first tournament for softball and next week would be the first week of league play.  We are definitely not feeling the pressure of time, or lack there of to get to practices, games, other Mizzou events, etc.

And we carry on.  We've had another nice week so far, but I'm afraid it will get cooler again.  We'll just keep taking advantage when the weather is wonderful.

Until next time...