COVID-19 Homeschool, Day 58

By the numbers:
58 days of homeschool so far (counting today)
9 days until moving day (hooray for single digits!!)
8 Google/Zoom meetings left this week
8 days until we close on the house
6 days of homeschool still to go (also counting today)
2 kids who are begging for a "light day" today
1 mom who can totally go for that

Yesterday when I picked up the kids' things at their school, I had a lovely chat with each of their teachers, who sent along their best wishes for our move, and who assured me that both kids are doing great in their studies and that they are confident the kids will settle in quickly, both socially and academically. Even though I felt that way myself, it was reassuring to hear it from a professional who not only knows my kids in both those settings, but who sees lots of the kids' peers and has a solid basis of comparison for what's expected at that age. Which is all to say that I am confident that taking a day off having a light day today will not be a problem in any way, and will likely be good for all our mental health.

That said, here is what a "light day" looks like in our homeschool.

7-8:30am: Last night, I asked the kids to put in their request for today's breakfast, and they were both in the mood for scrambled eggs, toast, and sausage (well, one kid requested sausage; the other is not a sausage fan). As I collected the ingredients, I realized that I had finally managed to reduce our pantry and refrigerator cabinets to the point where we were actually low on (and, in the case of bread, out of) a few key supplies. Bread, eggs, and butter go onto a "crucial items" shopping list that we (by which I mean "my husband") will pick up before the end of the day.  As I head for a second cup of coffee, I add "half and half" to that list. I should note that while I am eating my breakfast I am watching African wildlife including elephants, gazelles, giraffes, hippos, and ostriches moseying around waterholes via one of my favorite livecam websites. It's very relaxing. Also, elephants are pretty much the stoners of the animal world. They just hang around, being all mellow and munching on everything within reach. Good-natured, never in a hurry. Elephants are the best. (Please note that I am not advising anyone to become a stoner. Just an elephant.)

8:30-9:30am: We begin the day with a discussion of whether there are one or two specific assignments that we ought to - or want to - do today. They both have a class meeting this afternoon, so we check the teacher's emails to see if there are specific topics or assignments that will be discussed that we should be sure to complete and/or review. My daughter has a math FlipGrid that she needs to record, and my son is taking a virtual field trip to Sea World. We hit an early snag because her word problem was figuring out the length of a pool based on the length of the "concrete slabs" running alongside it, and she had no idea what a "concrete slab" was. Once I explained and drew her an illustration, she had no problems solving it. Once she finished posting her video, she moved on to working on a comic strip she's been drawing. She is incapable of doing this without a running commentary, so it is probably a good thing that her brother has his headphones on. It is less than I good thing that I do not. I am going back to watching the elephants, It helps.

9:30-10am: My son has moved on to virtually riding roller coasters. Normally, I wouldn't consider this schoolwork, but he likes to analyze the physics of this type of thing, so it counts. My daughter is still absorbed in her comic strip drawing. I am listening to the third book of Hunger Games and procrastinating climbing up to the attic to break down a couple of shelving units and take a final inventory of the stuff that's up there. I tell myself that I'm just waiting for a cooler day, but mainly I'm putting it off because it's distasteful.

10-11am: My daughter continues to draw her comic, but now she's added listening to and singing along with her favorite songs. My son has claimed refuge in another room and is watching Atlantic White Shark Conservancy. I am baking French bread, possibly for the last time in this house. Sniff.

11-11:30am:  My daughter is watching videos for inspiration; my son is googling shark stuff following the AWSC feed, and I have thrown the bread in the oven and will be taking it out just in time for lunch. Something to look forward to!

11:30am-1pm: Lunch break and free time. Bread will be eaten and enjoyed.

1-2pm: Both kids have Google Classroom meetings, so I am off duty. I'm sucking it up and braving the attic. It's not as bad as I feared. But it's still pretty toasty, and it reminds me that this Thursday is the last trash pickup before we move, which means there's still a bunch of junk up here that needs schlepping to the curb. But not as much as I'd feared. And mostly it's too heavy for me to carry down the stairs, so it can wait until my husband has a few free minutes. Which means that both the kids and I are done for now! Have a great rest of the day!