A Wash

That is what we are calling this school year -- an absolute and total wash.  And I'm super okay with that.  Hahaha.  But seriously, though.  I just need it to be done!  In the last couple of weeks I've received multiple emails from various teachers across the board all communicating the same basic message:  so-and-so has not turned in x, y, and z assignments and now has a 42%.  Or in some cases a 37%, or a 55%, or...you get the picture.  This week I'm trying to crack the whip and eliminate screen time in order to get these children to just focus and do their work.  And actually TURN IN said work when done, because that's another part of the problem.  Also problematic?  Their inability to make sure they've checked in for the day when they're home for virtual school on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday so that their attendance is actually counted.  I've received 2 separate letters from the school district this semester for two different children who are essentially being tagged as truants because they've each racked up a half dozen unexcused absences since January.  And all because they are NOT logging in on time for the day!!!  Those kids!

(Unrelated, but Isaac is trying to single-handedly bring dabbing back to the forefront of our popular culture.)

Alex's face sums things up for me.

To protect the not-so-innocent, I have tried to cover up any identifying information that might embarrass certain children.

But enough about that.  There have been fun things to note in the last month or so, as well, and now is as good a time as any to document them.  

• EASTER

We had a lovely Easter weekend!  The sleeper hits of the Easter baskets this year were slap bracelets (Isaac ended up swiping Jane's because he was so enamored with it and then accidentally dropped it between the slats of the back deck and lost it forever) and Color Wonder markers (you know -- the Crayola markers that only work on the special Color Wonder paper; Grace loved them so much she went out and bought another pack just a few days later).  I never know what's going to tickle their fancy.  Hahahaha.  We also enjoyed having Easter Sunday at home watching General Conference and enjoying our semi-annual breakfast feast.  Making all the food is a chore, but it's such a favorite tradition at this point that I could never cut anything back even if I wanted to.  Grace, on the other hand, informed me this time around that she will not be continuing this tradition with her family because it's too much work.  Hahaha. 

Buster Brown loves him some water balloons.

Informal poll:  Yay or nay -- Mike & Ikes are gross.  (The correct answer is yay.)

Sophie was the last to stumble downstairs just in time for breakfast.

Conference viewing at its finest.

Easter and Spring go hand in hand, and I've loved seeing all the flowers and trees starting to bloom around town.  Every day feels like Christmas morning as I go out and check to see what's growing in our front flower beds.  As of right now, we've made our way through the crocuses (so small, but I love them so much), forsythia, hyacinths (which smell heavenly by the way), and viburnum; and we're enjoying the last of the tulips while waiting for the peonies (my absolute favorites), pincushion flowers, roses, and lily-of-the-valley to fully bloom.  (Plus some ferns, hostas, hydrangeas, daisies, lavender, and day lilies that will be blooming in the summer along with the crepe myrtle).

• PROM

Our household experienced quite the excitement when Ethan was asked to prom this month!  He hadn't planned on going, but when a lovely young woman from church asked him a couple of weeks ago, he was happy to say yes and they enjoyed being able to have at least one normal senior activity for the end of their high school experience.  

(Yes -- they were supposed to wear masks at their prom.)

They're so adorable.  

(Funny story -- Ethan found out after getting to dinner at the BBQ place that he picked out that his date was a vegetarian.  Thankfully, she had taken the time to look at the menu online in advance and found some suitable options.) 

And speaking of end-of-high-school experiences, Ethan got his cap and gown the other day and I can hardly believe this is all really happening!  Hahaha.  His last day of school is the end of this month and graduation will be mid-May.  We'll actually be able to attend in person (with masks, obvis) and I know Ethan is excited about that.  And as much as I actually HATE graduation ceremonies (a fact that I think has been fairly well-documented here), I'm excited enough for Ethan, that I think I'll be able to handle it.  Hahaha.  

• VACCINES

As of this morning, both Scott and I are fully vaccinated from Covid-19, and Ethan and Grace have both received their first dose!  Initially, Grace was signed up to get the shot last Wednesday and Ethan last Friday -- but because Grace was actually going to be finishing up state testing on her day (a fact I did not know when I scheduled things) and Ethan would be going to prom the day after his, we were able to do a switch-a-roo so that neither one of them had any conflicts.  And it's a good thing we did!  Ethan (like myself and Scott) was feeling pretty crummy 24 hours after his shot, and most likely would have been miserable during prom had he stuck with the Friday appointment.  

From what I've read, it seems pretty common for those who have had the actual virus to have a stronger response to the first dose.  That was certainly the case for me, Ethan, and Scott.  I don't know if theirs was exactly like my experience, but about 24 hours after I got my first shot, I started feeling achy and my head hurt horribly and for the next 24 hours, I essentially felt like I had Covid all over again.  Thankfully, I was feeling back to normal by the next day.  (Other than my arm still being SUPER sore where I got the shot.) My second dose kicked in about half a day quicker, but it was much milder and lasted for less than a day, so I'm really hoping that I've reached the end of my personal Covid journey.  Hahahaha.

• HOUSE STUFF

And finally, our house is a bit of a disaster.  I guess technically that doesn't fall under the category of "fun things" happening around these parts, but what WILL be fun is having insurance cover our lodging expenses for almost half of our road trip this summer while the floor is being sanded down and re-stained! Forget about silver linings -- this one is practically gold.  Hahahaha.

Ruined boards ripped out...

To continue our saga of polar vortex busted pipes, the second leak in our piano room ended up damaging the floors in the front hall.  It didn't take very long for the floor boards to start warping, and as a result, they need to be replaced.  We've decided to wait until school is out before doing any re-finishing -- because it will entail moving everything out from downstairs so that the entire main floor can be sanded down and stained the same color -- and I think it's a good call due to the chaotic, end-of-school-year hustle and bustle that will soon be upon us.  Insurance is covering everything -- from the moving of the stuff out, to the housing of us (and Maxwell) while the work is being done, to the actual refinishing of the floors -- which is AWESOME.  And since it doesn't really matter WHEN we have the work done, we decided to coincide it with our already-planned road trip for this summer, thus killing two birds with one stone.  Pretty smart, right?  Hahaha.  While it is a minor nuisance to have our front hall, piano room, and dining room in total disarray for the next few months, you'll hear no complaints from me because we are getting a fantastic deal out of this chaos!  Haha.

...new boards put in.

And that, I think, is a wrap folks!  I don't know that there's anything else worth recapping at the moment, but we're on the downhill slide towards summer and that always brings some stories, right?  Or at least some reflections.  Hahaha.  Until then, I'm counting down the days until this school year is over!!!