It's Been a Minute

Long live the blog. 

We’ve been in our new home for close to a month and have only a few boxes left to be unpacked, mostly boxes of books that are waiting for a new bookshelf. We have yet to hang a picture or start decorating, but I think everyone feels settled. It will come together in due time. 

We have also been busy with guests. Before the first month of Hutto life comes to an end, we will have already hosted four different sets of visitors. I recognize that for most people, this would be a nightmare. We just feel loved. Logan and her boys came around day 8 of being in our new house and we explored new parks, IKEA, and a candy store (major let down, btw). Robyn came next only for one night and we explored the creek near our house. Then the Hohbeins came and we went to Typhoon Texas, the creek a few times (Ellie helped Ollie catch fish! He is beyond ecstatic to have his pets.), parks, IKEA, outlets, and bats in downtown Austin. Jennifer comes on Friday to hang out with us for a day or two then is going with us to Montana. 

The other thing that I feel like has been consuming a bit of my time and a ton of brain space is school. Our new school district has jumped positions a few times already to better accommodate safety. I guess hope really did play the biggest role in all of this because I feel like as it gets closer to school re-starting, districts are scrambling to come up with plans and equitable solutions. I want to shake someone by the shoulders and ask what they were doing all summer. Sure, we all hoped corona would go away, but surely someone was out there planning for the eventuality that is may not just disappear? Maybe I ask too much.

First our district was adamant about an early start on August 11^th. Then a few more emails came about continuing with an early start, despite what districts around us are doing. Then came a move to a virtual start on August 11^th, with no end defined for virtual. Then an email announcing a virtual start on August, 18^th and staying virtual until September 8^th, with a date set to re-evaluate on August 22^nd with the choice of two more weeks of virtual or four more weeks of virtual. (It makes me wonder why on earth they have already set September 8^th as a return to school. More hope, perhaps?) I have been surprised by the stances of districts around us as well. Our neighbor district has decided that they will only do virtual and have an in-person option when appropriate, but the kids that go to school in person will still be doing virtual with their chromebooks. Just a change of scenery if you will. They have made this decision in the name of equity and I get the thinking behind it, but it has surprised me all the same. It may also be a sign of good virtual teaching, a strong plan in place, which I think many districts are floundering with. Austin ISD (obviously the area's biggest district) was the first to come out and say they would start the year virtual and also didn’t give an end date. I’m guessing that a good chunk of the year will be virtual.

What are families to do? I really feel for those that need their kids out of the house. (I just want mine out. Ha!) It feels so much different this time around. In March we all patched something together and made due until the summer. Starting the year this way feels much more ominous. We have the inconsistency of virtual/in-person flip flop staring us in the face for the entire year. I try and gain reassurance from my teacher friends with questions about what the days will look like, how will virtual be framed this fall and they don’t know. Their districts haven’t told them. Oye. It really feels like we are all stuck between a rock and a hard place. My number one choice would be to send my kids back to school in person, but that is not currently an option, so I think we will plow on with homeschooling. (Insert gasp here.) We plan to keep a close eye on what the district does and if it looks like the school is able to re-open and is having success staying open we will jump ship and head over to try and make some hippo friends. 

In all of this, I actually think Nolan may be the most challenging initially. He will not appreciate having his brothers and mama occupied on something that he can’t jump right in and be in the middle of. He is also such a great kiddo when it comes to pretend play. Seth does the best out of anyone at playing make believe games with him, but it would be so nice to see him play with friends and like-aged peers again. I know him and Ollie will miss having friends the most, but I'm hoping to make neighborhood friends. Or fall sports are still saying they will be open if they are outside. Or church. Or??? 

In any case, I'll keep you posted! Wish us luck!