Virtual school update

We are now almost done with Week 2 of our temporary switch to virtual school for the holiday season. One more week until Christmas break. Then they’ll have 1 more week virtual after break before hopefully going back to school on January 11th.

It’s going waaaaaay better than previous attempts. I am kind of shocked, actually. The kids are doing awesome and have been immensely independent with everything this time. I literally have done nothing except answer a small handful of questions.

This is giving me hope that they WILL be okay managing college syllabuses on their own one day!! Hahaha! But really, I have been impressed. Ethan seems to put his nose down and just work and work and work….I think I take more breaks than he seems to. LOL! He is very motivated to just get going and get his stuff done and out of the way.

Asher’s Zoom schedule has been a bit more spread out (versus Ethan’s which are more concentrated in the mornings), but he has also done awesome at keeping tabs 100% on his own of when to log in and all of that. I don’t even look at the schedule, honestly. He just does whatever it is he needs to do. I haven’t even had to check to make sure work is turned in! I am admittedly a little bit surprised!

Do they like virtual school? Not really. Asher commented that the days and weeks seem so long compared to being AT school. Ethan said the Zooms get boring. But I think they do like the slower mornings. They both have said they can’t wait to go back, though. (And our hamsters are probably feeling like insomniacs. I swear, every hour on the hour the poor hamsters are getting yanked out of their beds for a quick snuggle.)

One thing I do NOT like is the LACK OF ACTIVITY!!! I feel like they are turning into bumps on a log. With no sports going on, soccer off, etc. plus limited outdoor play activities outside/with friends right now, there just isn’t that much to do! They are doing a LOT of sitting. 😦 I have instituted a daily walk policy and have been trying to get them to do a workout once a day in the basement. Asher does swim several times a week. But other than that, not a ton of movement happening. Especially since it’s dark outside at 4:30 now, too.

They have been doing a lot of reading- great, but more sitting. Ha. I just brought home this stack for Ethan:

Our library is closed except for curbside pickup, but they have this cool service where you can fill out a form with your interests/ genres you like and the librarian will “shop the shelf” for you. She put together this random bunch for Ethan and he was ecstatic to dig in to see what he got!! He started with the bottom one (The Walled City) on Wednesday afternoon and finished it before bed on Thursday night. It is a 448 page book. 😲

Anyway, so far, no major complaints. I think I feel very differently about it all, too, because in my mind it is “temporary”. So I’m a bit more like, “Ehh, whatever. It’s all good.” Haha. But for the most part, I’m pleased with how it’s going and how little involvement is needed from the parents this time (i.e. I can actually work!!!). Still really hoping they go back though on Jan 11th as planned though.

Daily Gratitude:

I am grateful for my literacy. I can’t imagine life without it, although I know that a sadly astonishing number of adults in this world ARE, in fact, illiterate.