Online Learning Update

Online schooling has taken some getting used to, that's for sure. All three of us (four of us!) have had low moments over the last several weeks. But, I think despite the pitfalls of online learning, there are some definite benefits to learning at home for our family.

We all really do like not having to rush around to get to school in the mornings. What used to be a hectic time full of "hurry, hurry, hurry" is not that now. Jason often sleeps until after 8, yet he still has enough time to wake up, eat, dress, and get ready before class starts at 9. He's learning some great skills in organization and executive functioning that he would probably not have to practice yet. Shawn really is thriving on learning with appropriate accommodations that dad is able to implement, and he especially loves the break he gets between classes that are spaced 45 minutes apart. Jack likes the ability to get out some of his wiggles during class without "getting into trouble for it." We all appreciate that we have not been sick in months!

Sure there are some downsides, most notably that they aren't getting a chance to play at recess with their friends. But, as Jason put it, even if they were back in school, they wouldn't really get a chance to play with friends due to social distancing anyway.

I think for now, we are all making the best of this situation and doing the best we can!

 

Pop

Another warm day today. Jack took advantage of it and played in the water. :)

Friday Four

We are in another warm spell this weekend. Jack is making sure to spend as much time as he can in the water. The kid is a fish.

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Jack and I took a stroll around the neighborhood yesterday. He was so funny. I let him pick our direction and challenged him to racing sprints. (He always won.) It was nice to be outside. :)

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Jason had one of his accounts hacked this week, and it sent him into a panic. He even broke out in hives! (He may have got that fun from my side of the family. Ahem.) Thankfully, all was well in the end, but he did learn a good lesson about password security.

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Shawn has gotten into the habit of crawling in bed between classes, which has made him not so willing to get up and go to his next class. Turkey. lol. So, we had to make a rule about not "resting" until after the whole school day is over. These boys always keep us on our toes. 

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This was a Friday Four kind of week. I'm pooped!

Rocks

Jack did a project on rocks last week. He LIKES to make videos of himself. LOL

Way Back Wednesday

This week in 2014...

Jack - 10/4/2014

 

Handprint Day!

We fell into this tradition by accident, but once I realized it could be a thing, I made it one. Every year on this date, I make the boys stamp their hand prints on paper.

We started it in 2011 - Jack's first year on Earth. He was not quite 6 months old. The big boys were nearing 4.



Jason, Shawn, and Jack (left to right)
September 28, 2011



They were all so tiny then.

They keep getting bigger, these boys.  





Shawn, Jason, and Jack (left to right)
September 28, 2012



Bigger.

Shawn, Jason, and Jack (left to right)
September 28, 2013

And bigger.

September 28, 2014
Shawn, Jason, and Jack

And stronger.

September 28, 2015
Shawn, Jason, and Jack

And even stronger. 

September 30, 2016
Jason, Shawn, and Jack

And even stronger!

September 28. 2017
Shawn, Jason, and Jack

And super strong!

And super, super strong!

This year, these boys' hands are practically manly! I can hardly believe it.

My hand on the right, Jason's hand on the left.

It's a little bittersweet to see how much they've grown.

Their hand prints are such a visual representation of how much they've changed, a tangible way of seeing the passage of time when sometimes it's so hard to grasp in day to day living of life.

These hand prints tell the tale. Our boys are not so little anymore.

Project!

Jack finished his California relief map project this weekend! He did such a good job, too!

The point was to show the different regions in CA. He used dirt for the desert region. A sugar/dirt mixture for the coastal region. He painted the Central Valley. He used purple hot glue for the mountain region. (I did help a bit with the glue after it burned him. Oopsie) He used pompoms for location markers. LOL