Indiana has opted to allow each school district determine if it is going to welcome students back into its buildings or begin the school year online. Sarah's school district, like most others, have chosen to bring its students back onto its campuses. Fortunately, along with the decision to open its doors, parents were given the option of whether or not to send their kiddos back. We had made the decision as a family not to send Sarah back right now, but received further confirmation our decision to do so was the right one by her neurologist at the Cleveland Clinic who determined that until COVID cases went down she would not be safe to attend school in person. It's not so much her disease that is the problem as it is the treatment she receives to combat her disease. She currently receives an off label chemotherapy treatment twice a year which essentially wipes out both the bad blood cells, but also the good ones too. Sarah is receiving her schooling as a homebound student. This means that all of her assignments are given to her at the beginning of the week and she works through them and then turns them in at the end of the week. Once we deem it safe for her to return to school, she will pick up like a 'regular' student and head back to the high school campus.
I am both loving having her home and also anxious for her to go back. Sarah is on an honors track which means honors and AP classes are regular parts of her course load. Because she requires so much assistance from me, it means I am also taking honors and AP classes.(No, I am not doing the work for her. I just need to make sure that I know what I am talking about so that when she has questions I know how to best answer them.) Thankfully, her teachers are wonderful (with the exception of one) and are very helpful to not only Sarah, but to me as well. I am also anxious for Sarah to go back to school because it is the only normal activity she has in her life. She loves going to school and being there. She is a super smart kiddo who thrives being around other mature kiddos who she can interact with and who challenge her.
On the other hand, it is nice having her home with me. I love having my kids with me. Getting to have her home has been a special treat for me. And although the break I get to focus solely on Elizabeth while Sarah is at school is important, I find that I miss Sarah when she is away all day. I just really enjoy being with my kids and spending time with them. I will hog up all of the opportunities I can to do so until they move out, and even then I will still try to be with them as much as possible. They are my favorite people to be with. They are such amazingly cool people to be around.
Elizabeth started working on her 8th grade year several weeks ago and will follow Sarah's school schedule while Sarah is home. I am hoping to incorporate more field trips this year into our normal schooling routine especially since this might be our last year schooling at home, but I need the risk of one of us bringing COVID home to decrease first. (It is undetermined if Elizabeth will go to public school for high school or be home schooled for the duration of her academic years.)
The start of the new school year for both girls has necessitated the start of our school year routine which includes bedtimes and specific wake up times. I typically begin my day around 7 am and get ready for our day. The girls wake up at 9 am. We do schooling from 9:30 - 12:30 followed by an hour lunch break from 12:30 - 1:30 pm. School work commences at 1:30 and we work until it is completed or 3:30 pm - which ever comes first. We have some down time and then begin dinner prep at 5 pm. We eat at 6 pm and then have free time. (We usually take a walk together or go to a part to kick a soccer ball around.) At 8:30, we begin getting ready for the next day; Teeth are brushed, faces washed (or showers are had), followed by me reading aloud our current book selection. We then listen to an audiobook we have selected together to listen to. The girls have a little bit of down time with lights out at 10:30. If Andy is off from work we usually play three rounds of Rummy. Josh used to play, but is usually in bed now that he has to get up for work at 3:30 am. (He began a job loading UPS trucks about 6 weeks ago. He works Tuesday - Saturday from about 4:30 - 9 am.)
I am thankful for the new routine. This year has been so wonky. At least now there is some semblance of normalcy even though it isn't the old normal way of doing things. I am learning to become okay with this even though it has been really, really challenging at times. I know everyone is in the same boat and this gives me some comfort.
Well, I suppose I have procrastinated enough. Those bathrooms are not going to get cleaned on their own nor are those nightstands and tables going to be polished by themselves...It is time I get my chores done.
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