Home Learning - Week 7

4/27

The kids arrived at 9:00 this morning after the weekend with dad. It was so so so wonderful to see each of them again and give them big hugs. We had a family meeting to talk about the day and figure out out priorities and to do list. Once that was in place, we got downt to business. Reed had his Monday Zoom call with his teacher and classmates. They invite parents to join at the end, so that was fun. I think the kids oddly enjoy home learning as they just jumped right back into our routines. I am back at work after spring break and had our district equity lead meeting today. Other things of note - we worked in the front yard: Charlotte raked, I trimmed the hedges, Edison made a cobblestone border. We did exercise by doing giant laps around the lowland roads near the Town Center. Reed helped make dinner tonight - Gnocci and “chicken-less” chicken nuggets. Yum. We went on a post-dinner walk/ride which always feels so good. The kids played outside while I sanded the patio table to prep it for a new coat of stain this week. It was a solid day, but definitely not glamorous or photogenic.

4/28

Pattern: home learning in the morning. Play in the afternoon. On Tuesdays (today) the kids go to Nana’s and eat a picnic lunch outside, ride bikes, and help her with jobs in the garden or washing her car, etc. I am trying to manage working from home in the middle of all of this. Charlotte had a social zoom with her friends this afternoon. We worked in the garden beating back the ivy late afternoon and kids played in the trees on the hanging webbing. That was probably the highlight of my day as I got to eavesdrop on their play (they had games about knights, training, etc.). After a dinner featuring Edison’s amazing macaroni and cheese, we went on a walk/ride through the neighborhood which is full of blooms and flowers right now. It was a solid day.

 4/29

Worked hard this morning: my class zoomed online and I had a zoom staff meeting featuring the new grading policy aligned to OSPI standards. It was fun to watch the kids learn and I tried to take some pictures of that. Charlotte got invited to participate in a virtual Math is Cool competition and her coach is organizing two 90-minute practice sessions a week plus she has to prepare ahead of time by doing old tests - so she was up to her eyeballs in that today, but loving being on a zoom with her coach and teammates. Reed had a PJ party zoom with his class - his teacher is always bringing the great ideas! I started a google calendar for Edison so he can keep track of all of his zooms, meetings, etc. that seems to be going well. We headed to Hamlin for exercise today. It ends up being a five-mile loop from our house. The kids ride their bikes and I run. They do enjoy riding on the trails through the woods. I saw 2018 senior senators - Shelby and Eddie in the park, so fun to catch up! 

4/30

Morning work is going well. Edison had a class zoom and Charlotte had her math team zoom. Reed is getting more confident at reading and decoding words. The kids all helped out - Reed by organizing his room and Edison and Charlotte by putting more tree prunings into the yard waste bin. After lunch we went on a four-mile hike at Carkeek Park. We all liked being ensconced by trees, leaves, growing things, greenery, and the whisper that comes from the breeze blowing through that type of environment. The beach itself was really windy and not much fun today. Luckily the hike was awesome in-and-of itself. Edison and Charlotte had their weekly Swim Team Zoom with Coach Pete. Love that he is doing that!

Spring Break 2020

4/20

This is officially our first day of Spring Break, and weather-wise the best day of the week. We were supposed to be going to Disneyland today. Sadly, COVID-19 made travel impossible. So, we decided to lighten our school/work load today and enjoy Spring Break. The kids helped plant another garden area in the backyard - which now looks amazing (I really didn’t think that was possible). They also helped me string up a set of outdoor lights that renders the courtyard enchanting in the evening! After lunch we rigged up the bikes and went to West Seattle to do the Alki Trail. We rode about nine-miles today - skipping the end of the trail that is in the industrial area. The beach, city, sound, and mountain views were breathtaking and we all enjoyed the super flat paved path. We brought squirt cheese, crackers, and apples for a beach picnic. That was wacky and fun. The kids played Jedi training games on driftwood on the beach at our halfway point. It was a beautiful afternoon and we are all advancing in our biking skills.

4/21

We got a lot of learning done in the morning and even finished up the second planting bed with rocks and bark. Reed’s reading is coming along so well - very proud of him! My mom and I arranged another opportunity for the kids to see her and to go over to her place and play. So that was fun for everyone. The kids stay outside, ride bikes, go on walks, etc. and social distance while my mom wears a mask. Not ideal, but still works - it will be great to be able to do hugs again! We got more work done at home later in the afternoon, including me working on the taxes (feels good to be nearing finish line with those!). The kids watched Toy Story 4 tonight as a reward for all their hard work today.

4/22

It rained all day. It made me thankful for the otherwise amazing weather we’ve been having. We used this opportunity to explore our introvert selves. After finishing their learning checklists, the kids read, explored other online learning, and sang along to Hamliton songs for the rest of the day. Their enthusiasm for Hamilton inspired us to look for tickets to a show (when the world returns to normal). We found they do a daily show in LA - so I arranged our travel plans for our week in August down there in which we were going to Disneyland in order to also go to see Hamilton in Hollywood! So that is super fun to look forward to and, fingers crossed, it will happen! We tried indoor exercise, but it is hard to stay motivated or that. We also all cleaned our rooms and I cleaned out four bags of old clothes from my room. Edison helped make garlic cashew broccoli and tofu - very cool! Edison and Charlotte had a social Zoom after dinner. Then it was time for bed to get ready for another day.

 4/23

The weather improved a little and it alternated between overcast and slightly drizzley all day. We buckled down with home learning and chores in the morning. After lunch we hiked up to Hamlin park to expore the trails there. Charlotte and Reed rode their bikes while Edison and I walked. It was nice to get up there with the kids and help Edison plan his one-mile route to get to school at Kellogg Middle should he decide to walk or ride his bike in the mornings. The trails in Hamlin were well kept and set amongst wonderful trees. Reed and Charlotte enjoyed the mountain biking aspect to it and I got to chat with Edison while we walked behind them. We were proud of our 4.5 mile walk when all was said and done. Edison had asked to spend more time on social studies during home learning. He picked the Seven Years War as a topic - so we found a couple documentaries on that for the kids to watch in the afternoon. Reed did a great job with his workbook and writing. Coach Pete from Cascade organized a Zoom call for all his swimmers which was cool. Afterwards, Charlotte and I had fun making her dinner choice: vegetable fried rice. It turned out way better than I anticipated and might turn into a regular in our house. After dinner we did a lap around the neighborhood with the kids on bikes. Edison and Charlotte finished the night with a book club Zoom session. Each child wrote a few questions to pose to the group and it is a cool system to see in action.

4/24

I am so impressed by my children’s motivation to keep learning and complete their home learning checklists each today. Today was another wonderful example of that. We also had a hands-on problem-solving activity involving figuring out how to rig up a system of straps on the big tree in the backyard that we can use to hang our hammock from. We had some trial and error, some sawing of dead limbs, and had to use some ingenuity. But we did it! It was funny how much the kids enjoy just swinging on the straps alone. We also had to bring some mail to the Town Center, so the kids rode bikes and I walked behind them. I think they can get down there in under five minutes on a bike. It is really cool to see them start to get the lay of the land and feel like they can get around town on their bikes. After lunch (Edison’s favorite: Impossible Burgers) we went to Richmond Beach to do a beach walk and clear our heads. It was a great way to finish up Spring Break 2020.