…and the living’s easy…especially now that school is over! I think it’s taken me a few weeks to get over how the year ended and how strange it all felt….how strange the world still feels.

I was so impressed with Sky and how she handled all of a sudden not going to school, following along with my lesson plan and schedule, then transitioning to a combo of distance learning with her teacher(s) and my supplementing with materials I put together on my own. Some days were better than others for sure and I think we learned that homeschooling would not be our first choice*. However, Sky was pretty great to hang out with day after day, and I got to see first-hand the things she knows, and how she processes information and learning, and I am so proud of her. I’m kinda proud of me too for not missing a beat and pulling together a home based classroom and learning materials.

So thankful that Sky’s teacher was only a text or email away and it really felt like she held our hand through the whole process! The school district did a great job providing learning packets, virtual field trips and encouraging messages every week. The support was pretty great all the way around!

Now, we take a breath while still doing our 3rd to 4th grade bridge workbook which I figure is going to be more important than ever considering school may look very different in the Fall than what we are used to. We spend 30 to 45 minutes a day on it and it’s just enough to keep her mind working. We did it last summer and Sky’s test scores at the beginning of 3rd grade showed she didn’t lose any progress over the summer. Workbooks are available at most book stores, Amazon, and Costco and I can’t recommend it enough!

We are set to enjoy a socially distant summer, with lots of time camping, self contained style, in our trailer away from others. We are playing it safe this summer for our own health and for the health of those we love.

Happy Summer!

*On the homeschooling note, Sky is so social and really misses her friends and classmates, plus she listens better when it is not coming from me. Also, I myself am not a math/science person and my brain has a hard time in those fields…I will very quickly reach my limits of being able to help/teach her anything in those areas. Having said that we are open to whatever the “best” option is come Fall. It will all depend on what the plan looks like from the district and what the COVID situation is and if it feels safe to send Sky to school (if that’s even an option), and of course as of right now I have a job to go back to as well, so there is that to factor in. As parents we will do whatever looks best for Sky and our family given all the factors involved. I now we are not the only ones wondering what Fall will bring and I just want to say hang in there, I know it’s not easy right now…just hang in there!