Back To School!!! Wahoo!!

 The kids headed back to school today, August 17, 2021.  All four started today, Chloë off to middle school and the younger three back to Paul Ecke Central Elementary.  Middle school is only 7th & 8th grades and then you head to high school.  Ella is headed into 3rd grade, the boys into 5th grade and Chloë into 7th grade. 

tweenager 

Myke isn't excited at all about back-to-school

Love these boys!

Summer wasn't particularly long, just about 2 months exactly, but we packed a lot into those weeks.  Myke and I went to Oregon for a family wedding, then all 6 of us did a trip to the east coast.  We did week at the Jersey Shore, a few days in New York City and some time at my in-law's house outside of Philadelphia.  I also took a solo side trip via train down to Richmond, VA to help my parents pack up their house.  They have since closed on the sale of their house and have driven across country to Nevada, where they are looking at possible future homes.  We'll see where they end up!  

Here are a few old photos from June from Chloë's 6th grade promotion.  It was a big day for us, saying goodbye to her elementary school after 7 great years there.  By the end of 6th grade these kids are big and just don't fit in in the elementary school setting.  They are definitely ready to move on.  It's just an end of an era after 7 years in Spanish immersion.  That program was a leap of faith and I am super impressed with where it took Chloë with the language.  It's just hard to believe that it's done!  There is one class offered for 7th grade that is taught in Spanish, which I'm thrilled about.  I can't imagine just being DONE with Spanish after so many years immersed in it.  Such a shame to think about in my opinion.

6th Grade Promotion (6/17/21)

Uncle Hale 

with friends and her 6th grade teacher (tan dress)

First day of kinder and last day of 6th 

Last day of School 2021

Promotion Celebratory dinner with friends 

Going to end here and enjoy my first day of quiet in SUCH A LONG TIME.  

More soon! 

 

 

Venting Post

 March 13, 2020.  Friday the 13th.  That was the day that we were notified that schools were shutting down.  Just over a year ago.  I remember it like it was yesterday.  Owen had to present his 3rd grade project about the Encinitas Boathouses and I had driven his poster in around 10am.  I had been planning to sit in and watch him present to the class but they were not allowing anyone else on campus besides staff and students.  There was a mild panicked energy going on in the main office of the school and the school secretary seemed baffled and overwhelmed, fielding phone calls from parents non-stop, dealing with all the confusion, etc.  I dropped off Owen's poster and picked up Ella's iPad.  She happened to be home sick that day already and since parents had been notified by text just an hour before that students would not be coming back the following Monday for school, I decided I should get that for her.  This day is just so ingrained into my memory.  It was a very surreal day.  At pick-up at 2:20pm there was an eerie quiet in the air as cars drove through the loop, picked up their kids and moved on.  We sure what the next few weeks would entail, working parents were wondering how they would manager weeks at home with their children, etc.  We were told we would be out of in-person school until after Spring Break so that meant a month at home with the kids.  A MONTH.  It was hard to wrap our heads around.  If someone had told us that we actually wouldn't step foot back in the classroom for the remainder of that school year no one would have believed it.  It couldn't be!  If someone had told us that A YEAR later we would STILL be not back to full time normal school schedule, we would have lost it.  I think I can speak for all/most parents on that one.  

Anyways, I have done my time.  I am OVER it.  I am so OVER facilitating and teaching the kids at home. They are in school Monday and Wednesdays and home Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays.  All of their work is in Spanish and I think that is what is (continuing to) take me over the edge somedays.  Owen does not only NOT want to work on his 5 paragraph essay on Life on the Ranchos in 1800's California...he also doesn't want to write it all in Spanish.  It's one thing for me to help him with the structure, format and how-to of the five paragraph essay (this isn't our first rodeo during this pandemic) but then translating it all into another language... I. just.can't.anymore.  (This is how I'm feeling RIGHT now, while typing this.  I've stepped away for a moment in order vent/release.  To bring my frustration level down.  So I can go back into the trenches of the school day today and help them with a fresh start and energy.  I have a tween who shuts herself in her room all day and then a 4th grader who doesn't love the writing part of school (but does love the math) and a 2nd grader who the teacher says "seems distracted" on Zooms (HELLO, she's a 2nd grader!...and she's Zoomed-Out like the rest of us!).  

It has been a year.  It has been a year for everyone.  I know that we are so lucky that I am able to full-time help the kids and manager their lives, help them when needed.  However, we NEED to go back to regular school.  I'm not a dual-language-immersion teacher.  Also, kids, MY kids at least, take suggestions better from their teacher or another person than they do from their mother.  They are as tired of me as I am of being such an integral part of their learning day....for the past year.  Soooo, that said, they are supposed to go back to school 5 days per week for just under 5 hours per day starting after Spring Break.  I am over-the-moon ecstatic about this.  I'm OVER it.  

Thank you.  

February Fun

 We are full-on into "Birthday Month" here at the Hines household.  Ella has turned 8, Myke has turned 42 and this upcoming weekend Chloë will turn 12.  February is always a busy one around here and this year all the birthdays are falling on either Saturdays or a Sunday so it has been party weekend after party weekend ...Covid-style that is.  Nothing too fancy.  Ella wanted to watch a movie with her best friend so we allowed her to have someone over for that.  We had monkey bread for breakfast and then cupcakes (made by Eli and Chloë) for dessert later in the day.  Myke's birthday was this past weekend and we actually did a little getaway to the local mountains for 2 nights for his celebration.  It was beautiful and cool weather, perfect for a hike on Saturday.  Was nice to just chill, watch movies, play games and just be all together without the distractions of being at our own house (cleaning, laundry, sports, etc.).  Chloë is so far undecided about what she wants to do for her birthday weekend.  Momma is exhausted!  Haha.

Eight is Great! 

Some have inquired about how Chloë is doing now that we are nearing 2 months from her Covid diagnosis.  She is great...no lasting effects that we have seen or noticed.  She is completely back to her normal self again.  Her doctor told her she was more or less immune to getting Covid again for 3 months from when she was sick so she is enjoying that feeling of a bit more freedom/less worry.  We have allowed her to see friends more since she recovered.  The other kids feel that this is a bit unfair as we are still more strict with them, but it is what it is.   Have to cut this short--today was the kids' in-person learning day and it's time to go pick them up from school. 

She's almost as tall as me!

Myke's Birthday Snuggles

Idyllwild Mountiains

10 Day Isolation is DONE

Feeling a sense of normalcy again and we couldn't be happier... 

New Year's Eve Chloë seemed to be perking up just a bit, then she napped 4pm-7pm and woke up and seemed even better than ever!  She hung out downstairs for the evening, we watched movies, watched the east coast countdown and then we all stayed up until midnight to ring in 2021!  Chloë, too!  I think that was a first for the kids to make it to midnight.  Never have I felt the ringing in of the new year as so symbolic of a fresh start.  New Year's Day also marked the end of Chloë's 10 days of isolation and, apparently, this means she is no long contagious and can be back with the family on a regular basis.  It was almost like a flip was switched in how she seemed back to herself on Friday 1/1/21.  Her energy was back, she was chatting, complaining about how I made her bed (yup, she's BACK, baby!), playing with her siblings, etc.  Everyone was so relieved/happy to have her back, to be able to not be so strict with wearing masks in the house, etc.  Technically, the rest of us are still on quarantine through Tuesday, so we continue to stay home, order in groceries, etc.  Chloë is cleared to return to school on Monday but the other 3 aren't allowed to yet.  

First family picture of 2021- just after midnight

We did sparklers in the driveway

Getting to hug my girl with no mask!

New Year's Day fire pit 

Eli cooks French toast