Live from Tormville!

We Played! / Day 192

We're now heading into our sixth week of in-person school, and our third week of a full sports schedule.  Prior to the last three weeks, we had xcountry, tennis and golf - but everything else was in a holding pattern and that portion of the calendar is filled with cancellations.  

I've been enjoying getting out to watch games as a way of supporting the kids, feeling like I'm part of the action and socialization while still avoiding crowds (for my own health) and to use my camera again.  Photography is my stress relief, but not posed/for hire photography. To me, that's stressful. I just like shooting what's happening, and we get what we get. No stress, just fun.  My photos get shared with the Public Relations department, and this year I'm sharing with yearbook as well, as yearbook 20/21 is a huge challenge for so many reasons.  

My goal right now is to get a many pictures as possible, while we can.  As for soccer, their yesterday game and Tuesday game have been canceled because the other team's school has been shut down/quarantined due to Covid-19. So. Challenges. 

I'd never shot tennis before. For this, we shoot through the fence.  I'll have another go at it, hopefully, this coming Saturday. 

Cross-country is competing at the high school this year, which is convenient as they run right by the tennis courts, so a 2 for 1 for me. 

I brought my new camera (Canon 7D Mark ii) to volleyball. I've still got a lot to learn, but it's the kind of learning I enjoy.  

And Friday night football!  

Only two guests per player allowed, a few key players out due to the last quarantine sweep, stands hugely empty, no band, no halftime show - but they played. I felt like I was holding my breath right up until the moment the game started, as every day seems to bring new closures and new cases resulting in more quarantine sweeps. It's a six game season, with three games at home. Fingers crossed we can play all six. 

Random: Over the years, I've occasionally suggested football to Mark. He doesn't know the game at all, but he's got his size and he understands defense. He was looking at my football photos and when he saw this one, said: Yeah. I think I'll pass on football. My kangaroo abilities aren't that great. 

Coming up this week, hopefully: 

Mark's soccer practice
Volleyball
Women's Swim and Dive
Varsity Soccer
Dentist (me) 
Marching Band Practice
Tennis
Cross Country
Mark's Soccer
& Happy 28th (!!!) Anniversary to Greg and I 

A New Week / Day 185

Looks like I'm back to once a week posting now that we're back in school. 

Tomorrow we head into week 5, and our first full week. It's going well. I finally took my camera out during lunch and recess last week and got started on yearbook photos. LOTS of smiles. 

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This week brought me a new camera. I ordered it last weekend during Labor Day Sales. It got put on the porch the day before my refund check from mine and Brian's canceled New York trip was put into my bank account. Timing!  I finally took some time today to pull the camera out of the box and play with it. After much research, budget crunching, and wondering how much I could realistically justify, I went with the Canon 7D Mark ii. It's an upgrade from my old camera, so some things are the same, but there are enough new and changed features, that it's going to take me a bit to get used to it. I ordered a book to lean on.  

I'm back to shooting high school sports, and I'm hoping to feel comfortable enough to use it at volleyball and football this week.  (This past week I shot jv soccer, varsity soccer, tennis, men's cross country and women's cross country) 

What I haven't told you is that my old camera was dying. There have been several times recently when it would just stop. 

One time was when I was taking the full class photo for Brian's Confirmation. That incident still gives me the shakes. I don't know that anyone even noticed me extra sweating in that heat, stalling, popping my battery in and out, sweating some more, and wishing it to work for just a few more shots. As near as I can tell right now, it seems to dislike two of my lenses.  It works fine when I put a prime lens on it. Now that I have another one, I can send it in to get cleaned/tweaked. 

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Today was the first day of Sunday School. 

Mark knows we always ask who his teacher is, but he rarely gets a name. He doesn't know a name this year, either, but gave me these clues to go on: 

1. I feel like you and dad know him. 
2. It seems like he'd be a really good minister [because he had a lot to say about the lesson and he conveyed it well] except that he uses the words awesome, cool and like a lot. 
3. He has a receding hairline

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On deck this week: 

Mark - Soccer: practice and game
Me - Photograph Volleyball and Football (Excited!) and candids at school
Boys - Dentist
And see how much I can purge before Purple Heart comes on Tuesday

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Be good! 

 

A New Week / Day 179

I enjoyed my four day weekend.  

There was a part of me that wished I had planned for an adventure. That I had gone to Minnesota to visit Wendy, or packed a bag and headed out to spend a night in the woods. 

But then I remember that I hate holiday traffic. 

I did thoroughly enjoy the relaxed pace of the weekend. I caught up on a few things at home, went out for lunch with my mom, had Brian get some drive time in, brought Mark to the lake for his laps - several times, got in a few walks, hiked the trails at Kensington (above photo), did a little work related stuff (because you know me), took advantage of a few Labor Days sales from the comfort of my recliner, chatted with Wendy on the phone, did some yard work, took my husband's head shot for his job, and cooked smores over the fire pit. 

The only thing that I hoped to do, that I didn't quite get to, was to go for a bike ride. I'm not even really sure why. 

The outlook for this week looks good: 

SPORTS!  
I'm excited.  I've got my photographer pass for the season, and I'm hoping to capture soccer, tennis and cross country this week. 
The first football game is next week. 
I was hoping we'd get to move into our new office this week, but when I stopped in yesterday for a quick minute, my hopes were a bit crushed. Maybe they worked today? 
I am getting rather attached to my temporary office though. The location is good - near my student files - and I get a lot more done when people can't see me. 
I have a few meetings this week. 

In fact, the schedule for this week gives the illusion that things are closer to normal. 

And yet, they're not. 

Not yet. 

Day 179

 

Wanna See My Shields? / Day 176

A question that I'm often asked by those who have known me my whole life is, "How are YOU doing with the whole mask thing now that you're back at work?"  

I'm not. 

At least not for extended periods. I have masks and I do wear them, but not for all day every day. I'll tell you though, it's very very difficult to take pictures with a shield on, so when I make my way into the building to capture some yearbook photos, I will pull out a mask. 

I did get called out by a student this week. 

Student: Why are you wearing a shield and not a mask?  You know the little germies (waggles fingers) can get up under there and still get in you. 
Me: Well. You know how you're sitting in my office right now because of [medical condition that shall remain confidential]?  Well.  When I was your age, I got pneumonia ALL.THE.TIME.  The result of that is permanent scar tissue on my lungs and I don't breathe as easily as other people do. My doctor said it's not a good idea for me to wear a mask, so a shield it is. 
Student:  Oh!  

I don't mind getting called out, but it did get under my skin a little bit when I got called out by a nurse at a training just before school started. I asked her if she needed to see my doctor's note, at which point she backed down. 

Am I afraid of the little germies that will get up under my shield?  NO.  I'm honestly not.  
I'm tending to kids when they come to the office, but our contact is minimal. We are together for less than 15 minutes (typically less than a minute, in fact) and hand washing - still deemed a great defense - is instant and easy.   (Side note: The end of week 3 and there are still some misunderstandings in regards to sick kids and/or quarantine. The rules are still the same as what I put together in this post: Clerk Work) 

But - back to shields. 

I've got three different styles. 

• Instashield was the first shield that I bought back in June. It came in a five pack, and I'm still using the first one. It's the one on the left in the photo, and it attaches easily to my ball cap. I keep this one in my van, and use it to get in and out of the school and for quick trips into places like the post office, gas station, etc.  I used it at work during those two weeks before school started when there were only a few of us in the building. I'd pop it on my head if I had to step out of my office and walk down the hall or into the copy room.  I'd buy these again.  

Using it that two weeks of summer working, I soon realized that it would not be the ideal shield for answering phones once school was back in session. I needed a flip up shield for daily use at my desk. 

• MATCC Safety Face Shield was the choice I made (the one on the right). It comes with 1 frame and 10 shields. I'm still on my first shield. I was so happy with this one, that it's the same one that I bought for Mark. I've since noticed that it's also the one that's being used by our family's dentists and doctors. 
  I can flip it up and down with one hand while I'm on the phone with the other, it's easy to adjust the sizing on the back and I only had that phantom hat feeling for one day.  The only real negative is that my hair kind of poofs up over the top sometimes. 
  Mark hasn't worn his yet, so I can't give you his review. He's still trying to figure out, through context, which of his teachers might be afraid of the little germies that are sneaking out under his shield. 

The third shield I bought from Etsy at the same time as the one above, just to be sure that one of the two would work for what I needed

• Fog Resistant Face Shield  Honestly, a piece of crap, and I rarely give bad reviews. There was a string of bad reviews on this shield that same week that I got mine, so I'm not sure what happened - but it seems the reviews have improved, so maybe there is a chance that the seller took what was being said and improved upon it.  I couldn't tell you.  For me, it wasn't usable. The glare was awful, the sizing band didn't come with a way to hold it in place - so I would have had to finish making the product myself in order to use it, and it didn't go up and down as easily as the other one I ordered. 
• There was one last shield that I got from the district, but it doesn't flip, meaning it's not conducive to my job and my needs. It's also not adjustable and doesn't fit well over glasses. If you wear glasses - I definitely do not recommend this one. I also don't like how it's labeled 'face shield'. Why does it need a label? I don't wear shirts that say shirt or pants that say pants. Do they think I'll forget what it is? They meant well. 

And that's that. 

For now - the sun is shining and I'm looking at four full days of no masks and no shields.  What to do first......

Masks and Noses / Day 175

We've just completed our third week of in-person school. 

At the secondary level, students and staff are wearing masks all day long. 

Enter today's evening conversation with Mark: 

Mark (13): So, mom. In class today we went outside for a mask break and to play a game where we all took our masks off so the teacher could see our faces and then she had to try and remember all of our names when we didn't have our masks on.  And you know what?  ------------ had a nose that was surprisingly bigger than I expected. 

And I laughed. 

This year is so weird. 

Clerk Work / Day 171

I'm four weeks into working the 20/21 school year so far. 

We have completed two weeks of in person schooling for those that chose it. (Our district offered a virtual option as well) The first week was three half days, the second week was four full days and due to the Labor Day holiday, these next two weeks are four full day weeks. 

It's going well. 

One of my duties, as clerk, is to keep a close eye on attendance and to understand the policies in regards to absences, illnesses, communicable diseases, and reporting to the health department at the end of each week. 

I have three manuals on my desk that cover C19, as well as a handy dandy flowchart pinned right above my computer. Four weeks in, I finally feel like I've got a pretty good grasp of the guidelines as they stand at this moment in time. I had posted on Facebook a few of the common misunderstandings, and I thought I'd go ahead and share here as well. 

SICK KIDS

There are two common misunderstandings when it comes to sick kids in your own home

1. If Mark were to wake up tomorrow morning with a fever, he would stay home. The common misunderstanding is that all kids from the same home need to stay home. NO.  If Mark wakes up with a fever and Brian is fine - Brian may go to school.  Mark may return to school when he is 24 hours fever free, as is the normal every year procedure. 
   Can parents choose to keep their other children home out of an abundance of caution? Certainly. But it is not required. 
2. If Mark were to wake up tomorrow with a fever and/or any of the other symptoms. I must immediately go and get him tested.   NO 
   If Mark has recently had contact with a positive case, then testing is the recommendation. If Mark had recently had contact with a positive case - he wouldn't be in school anyway - he'd be quarantined.
   
   In a nutshell: If the student has a fever, diarrhea, vomiting, abdominal pain, severe headache, sore throat and/or an uncontrolled cough: Keep them home and monitor symptoms. They may come back to school when they are 24 hours fever free (without that aid of fever reducing meds)/diarrhea free/vomit-free, the cough has improved or they have had 2 doses of antibiotic for their strep throat. Like every other year.  
3. If Johnny comes to the office and has a fever, we're going to send all of Johnny's siblings home too.  NO  

QUARANTINE

A common misunderstanding in regards to Quarantine

1. If Allan were to come home from work tomorrow and inform us that he's been informed that he's been in contact with a positive case and must quarantine, we must all quarantine.  NO 
   If Allan, our lives at home again oldest, comes home from work and has news that he's been in contact with a positive, then he is the only one in this home that must quarantine. We would do our very best to keep him separate from the rest of the family. Brian would move into Mark's room, Allan would have the second bath to himself for two weeks, etc.  If Allan were to start developing symptoms, he would get tested at that time.  If he ends up being a positive, the health department would decide how well we did with isolating him and inform us who else would need to, if anyone, quarantine within our home.  My assumption is that we'd all have to quarantine at that time as we have a small home and isolating is hard, but that's for the health department to decide. 
2. Same thing with my school kids.  Let's say Brian, our 10th grader, tested positive and had been in school that day. 
   Due to the block scheduling, he only has four classes each day. 
   At that point, it will be up to the health department and established school personnel to determine who was within 6 feet of Brian for over 15 minutes (accumulative) on that particular day.   Does the whole band class have to quarantine?  Highly doubtful. Brian is nonsocial anyway and sits nowhere near, say, the flute section.   

Anyway. I hope that helps.  All of this can be found in the Return to School Parent Toolkit, with the flowchart being on page four. The one I have above my desk is only slightly more detailed, but with the same end results.
As both a parent and a staff member, I know that I was overwhelmed by the amount of communication, information, and how to process it all as it pertains to me and our family.  And, of course, to the school for which I perform clerk duties. 

Now that I've got it down - it'll probably all change tomorrow.  

A wish granted / Day 163

If you had a conversation with me at any point this past month, you probably heard me say that "My one wish, my one hope - is that the kids can get at LEAST one week of in-person school in"  

There was so much worry that we wouldn't be able to start in person. Right up until the eve prior. I think part of it, for me, was remembering that 2 am school cancellation call on Friday, March 13th.  I woke up Wednesday morning relieved; grateful at that point to get even just a DAY. 

Because. There are so many that need in person.  I need in person. 

I realize that it's not for everybody. And.That's.Okay. 

This is about me, my kids and the many many many phone calls that I take with my job as a clerk for our elementary. This is about me, seeing the light in the eyes of those who have returned. The skip in my own kid's step. The appreciation for routine and some semblance of normalcy. For feeling like I've regained some purpose. 

This past few weeks, I have taken calls from parents in tears, so grateful that we are offering the in person option. 

I've taken so many phone calls of appreciation.

And no, not all the calls have been pleasant, and that's okay too. Are there bumps in the road? Most definitely. If I can help someone voice their way through the frustration and help them to remember that the choice is theirs, well then - I've done my job.  

There is one message in particular that I still can't quite get myself to delete because it's so representative of our here and now. It's the message that has you quaking in your boots and wondering who you can pass the call onto, but I wanted it. At the end of one of many very long days when I should have already been home in my recliner, I took it.  And I listened. I empathized. I listened some more, and with all the steam blown off, I believe I've made a new friend. 

There is no easy choice right now, for anyone.  BUT. To make one choice or another doesn't have to mean that we're giving in to an agenda. It means that we're doing the best we can for ourselves and each of our school aged children individually at this place in time. Because! Even in our own homes, each of our children have different needs and many families are making different choices within their own family. Do we have the right to change our mind at any time if we no longer feel like the choice we've made fits?  Absolutely.  

You have to do what's best for you. 

I'm thankful that our family is fortunate to have the best option available to us, for us. 

First Day of School / Day 161

Yesterday was the first day of school.  We chose the in-person option. All three of us made our own choices.

I went back to work on August 3rd, and it's been a bit busy. My job revolves around the students comings and goings. Besides the obvious busy-ness, we also have a new phone system, temporary under-supplied offices while they finish the remodel, updated PowerSchool and a new staff attendance system to learn. 

So. Yeah. It's been busy.  

We did sneak away to Boyne this past weekend, and although I was slightly recharge - by the time yesterday morning came my boys were already at the bus stop when I remembered that I hadn't taken their first day of school picture. I debated about walking down to the bus stop. They wondered later why I didn't. 

But here is their AFTER the first day of school picture. Our first three days are 1/2 days. It kind of eases us back into things after having been off since Friday, March 13th. 

This photo was taken the second after I asked: Wait. Mark. Are you taller than Brian now?  

I was helping Mark through a few struggles last evening, one of them being finding his new Schoology account on our PC since his Chromebook is currently malfunctioning. (I've emailed Tech) 

In doing so, I ran across his answer to one of his first day assignments

 

Question: What is the best part about being back at school in person?
Mark: Actually knowing what to do instead of trying to find it in the abyss you call gmail.

Here's to Day Two! 

Happiness is a Yellow Chair / Day 143

I'm still trying to wrap my head around the fact that I go back to work tomorrow, and that Greg will continue working from home. 

I bought him a new chair recently. I had gone with my mom to pick up the new chair that she ordered - and, I'm really not sure how, but this chair ended up in the van as well. 

My husband isn't one to complain. 

He's been using a folding chair for months. We originally thought his working from home would be temporary, but it's becoming a very long temporary.  

He was extremely grateful when I brought this one home, only then mentioning how the folding chair was causing him aches and pains. This one offers a much higher level of comfort and support. 

That, and I love yellow and it matches our bedroom. 

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I think back over the last 143 days, and there is a very large part of me that wishes I had accomplished more.  Others have done so well with home projects, weight loss and creative endeavors and I wonder why I didn't grasp any of those bulls by the horns. 

And yet I did, just not on a large scale, but on a more day by day pace.  When I look back, a lot has happened since March 12th.  We have done a lot. 

I'll get that crawl space cleaned another time. 

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As for today - we woke up to pouring rain. No morning swim today. 

Church - some of us in person/some of us via conference call. 

Puttering

List making

Getting ready for a new week

Oh - and I ordered a new yellow blanket. 

I do love yellow. 

Hello August / Day 142

August!!  

• The last few weeks have been a whole lot of nothingness. 
• I get a lot less done when there is nothing on the calendar. It doesn't make a lick of sense, I know, but I'm much more productive when my calendar is full. I'm better at squeezing things into small moments than I am at utilizing a full empty day. 
• So. August. I should get a lot more done in August. 
• I go back to work, in the office, on Monday. 
• I don't think my remodeled office is actually done and ready for me yet, but - eh - we'll roll with it. I can't change what I can't change. 
• I still avoid grocery stores and any possibly congested gatherings, but I'm not nervous about going back to work. Due to my poor lungs and asthma, I do have a note from my doctor stating that I qualify to wear a face shield rather than a mask. 
• I was feeling silly getting a note, considering that shields were listed as an acceptable face covering - but I like having my documents in order. 
• And good thing I did, because - HA! Surprise - the rules changed this past week. Due to the most recently updated governor's orders - shields are no longer an acceptable face covering in the school setting. 
• I can do masks short term, but there is concern - in my case - about long term. 
• Yesterday we went and got a note for Mark too. 
• The boys go back to school on August 19th. In our district, we do have the option to enroll in a Virtual Academy while still being a part of our district. It's a semester by semester commitment.  We are opting to do in person school. 
• We are at peace with that decision. It fits US. 
• Mark did express a little anxiety before bed last night, but also shared: "Mom, remember, I am ALWAYS nervous before school starts"  True that. 
• I reminded him that EVERYone is feeling it this year. Together.  Scheduling is different, passing time is different, everything is different and the time away has been so long - for EVERYbody. 
• It's a good thing that the first week of school are just half days, as I don't think he'll sleep a wink before his first day of school. 
• In other news - we still get to the lake and swim almost every day. 
• My floatie, several years old, didn't quite make the summer. It went into the trash yesterday. We have a routine:  Swim laps, do 20 minutes of aerobics, and then relax on the floaties. 
• It has been a relaxing summer, I will say that. 
• We had a garage sale last week. It was rather last minute, and we didn't dive too deep into the collections, given our short notice, but we made enough cash to make it worth it. 
• Now we're on our subdivision's newly formed Facebook group page, so we'll have a little more advance notice on the next one. 
• Brought the van to the shop this week. We were a little concerned that we may have to trade it in for a new vehicle, but now we're feeling more confident that we can irk it out for awhile longer. 
• Allan is still biking to work - knowing his days are numbered as the colder days/poor weather days will be arriving all too soon. 
• He found out yesterday that his company is keeping everyone at their Covid Hazard Pay raises. They won't be cutting anyone's wages back down to pre-Covid salaries. Bonus! 
• Wendy is job searching - still looking for full time closer to her new apartment. 
• We still struggle to get Brian driving time. 
• Greg is still working from home. He goes to the office just once a week. It's going to be really weird when the kids and I all head out mid-August and he's at home working. 
• I finally got in for the filling that was scheduled for the 3rd week in March. 
  I decided to be brave and not wait for the forever backordered hoses that are now required for the nitrous users. 
  But alas, too late. The dentist said I'm his second patient that he is calling a root canal due to the Covid shutdown. It should have been a small filling. I'd gone in just before the shut down and had the bigger filling taken care of. This tooth was the small one. 
  I'm on a soft food diet until my appointment next week. 
• August will be busy, thank goodness. Bring it!