Gramma Camp Week 22

We've gotten in supplies. We're grateful for our garage fridge, although we had to bring the juices and water in as they were frozen!  

Izzy has a new gym sheet she has to hand in. They are making them accountable for physical education. Working parents are being given more and more layers of complication. We spent 50 minutes outside Monday. 

Josephine's health teacher assigned them this project: make a meal for your family. Jos chose minestrone soup and focaccia bread with rosemary. The poor girl had to clean up, too. 

Happy meal, it was wonderful. They had to take photos of everything, including themselves cleaning up!

Isabelle relaxed in her office. 

Our health unit, Leeds Grenville & Lanark, is sending local kids back to school. Ottawa kids are still out, as well as others in the large cities near Toronto. 

 We know how difficult it is to monitor kids virtual school, while physically juggling your work. Some teachers or school boards are sending home strongly worded memos for parents to back off! You cannot yell at the teachers on zoom in front of or over the shoulder of your kid! 

The rule should be, 'Don't do or say anything you wouldn't do if it was in-person schooling!'

That said, our kids and grandkids are doing really well. Our kids in Vancouver are socially isolating from their families. Jess is working from home, and his daughters are both going to school. One is in kindergarten 5 days a week, the other in nursery school two afternoons a week. 

Sunday night we did showers, had a pep talk for the upcoming week, planned meals, and talked about making them more comfortable here. They seem about as happy as they can be, all things considered. 

Josephine tells me she wants me to get her up early. With the push for physical education by their virtual teachers, they are really committed. They go for a 10-minute family walk every school morning, prior to school. We oldersters, with insomnia, ease ourselves into the day. I was awake at 4:30, and finally got back to sleep after 90 minutes. sigh. I know my blog friends experience the same thing!

We're back on schedule this week. 

Schedule

09:00 - 10:00 - first period

10:00 – 11:00 – second period

11:00 – 11:45 – nutrition break

11:45 – 12:45 – 3rd period

12:45 –   1:30 – 4th period

  1:30 –   1:45 – asynchronous, independent work

  1:45                 –45 minute break

  2:30 –   3:30 – final asynchronous work period.

I came up with a new plan for phys ed. I thought I could assign each girl a trailcam, they can look for tracks and figure out where they could put up their camera. Also, Grampa's walking track is a bit narrow. We asked if they could go out and widen the track with snowshoes. They did, on Sunday, bless their hearts. I usually do, but I cannot find my snowshoes. It's a bit weird. We've looked everywhere. I usually keep them in the garage, but sometimes will put them on the front deck in the sun to dry off. 

Grampa started the day with the school bus, lights flashing. 

Breaks are wonderful, watching the deer out front!

We went outside during the 45 minute break. I showed Izzy the coyote tracks. 

She chose her location for the trailcam.

I noticed that the turquoise of the bottom of her boots reflects on the snow.

She'd made a chair and a snowman outside last time they were here. I suggested they spray paint them. Jos painted the chair, with permission, of course. Evergreen branches for hair!

We had a great day, until the last asynchronous period, when Isabelle accidentally spilled her water on her laptop. Emergency phone call to Momma, I offered to phone, but Iz said it was her fault, she should make the call! 

We consulted Papa and turned the laptop upside down, put some rice on the screen side. Isabelle found a cat toy to prop it open. We wrapped it in plastic and put it on two books over the heater. We will hope for the best. Papa said we should keep it there for 24 hours. He's the computer expert. Cross your fingers for us! She can use one of our computers for school on Tuesday. 

Pot pie and BBQ ribs for dinner, with mashed potatoes for us, and corn for Iz.