Semblance of Normalcy

 Today was a pretty good day.  Ron and I got out early this morning and I actually did a little shopping.  First stores I've been in since March and even though I must admit I was nervous and nothing about shopping in masks is normal it's the closest I've felt to normal in 6 months.  I was out trying to find outside games and toys for my daughters.  Since they have to split classes up outside there are areas with nothing for the kids to do.  So I found some ring toss games, hoola hoops, bean bag toss, jump ropes, balls, etc. to use outside.  They aren't allowed to share anything (to keep the chance of cross contamination down) so they had absolutely nothing.  Just one more thing teachers are expected to purchase I guess.

We bought Mike an Alexa.  He loves the one we have and will ask it the craziest questions.  Today he proposed to her and she said she wasn't going to get married until Mars is colonized.  Ron is going to install his for him tomorrow.  We are hoping it's something he can have fun with and will keep him entertained.  His attention span is so short I'm not sure.  I had to write questions for him to ask her.  There are a lot of songs he likes to listen to but he has trouble remembering the names.

I'm trying to just not get on facebook or watch the news because every time I do I hear something else that bat @#$% crazy Trump has said and I get so mad it makes me crazy!  The crap he says is so nuts I can't believe the GOP doesn't try to stop him.  I'm hoping he just takes them all down with him.

I saw a watch today that has a countdown of the days until the election.  Kind of funny but I'm not paying $20.00 for it.

I have been painting rocks with Trump's face on them and I put the daily death count and date on the back.  Along with the quote "It is what it is".  I just drop them around town.  Oklahoma is such a red state I'm sure I've managed to piss off a few people around town.

Too Little Too Late

Rain, rain, and more rain.  We have received approximately 10 inches of rain since yesterday and there is more to come.  We are having flash floods but fortunately we are high enough that won't be a problem for us. 

Mike got tear duct plugs today.  Hope they are as comfortable for him as mine have been.  I don't notice them at all but they do seem to be giving me some dry eye relief.  I recommend trying them if you suffer from dry eyes.

School started yesterday and so far the girls have reported things are going as expected.  Four-year olds can't social distance.  No surprise there.  Fortunately she has a small class.

Kindergarten is doing well with wearing masks.  You'd think adults could do the same.  Only issue is that they get pretty grubby by the end of the day.  

Ron and I are now moving on with our projects and we are going to make a puppet theater out of the PVC pipe we have left.  I saw a video on facebook and I believe it will be pretty easy.  I'll make some curtains for it and a bag to put the pieces in when it's broken down.  This should be fun to make. 

Today our Governor addressed the state and stressed the need for the 3 W's.  Wear masks, wash hands, watch distance...  Basically what the CDC has recommended since February but our illustrious leader is just now recommending.  This is after the proudly went out to eat with his family and didn't wear a mask.  Since then he contracted Covid but still wouldn't tell people to wear masks.  But now that he wants schools open he's finally telling adults to wear them and to do anything to reduce the spread of the virus.  Hope it's not too little too late.

We are one month closer to November 3rd.  I don't know if I'm anxious or not.  I know I won't predict anything....we know what happened last time.

 

Game Changer

 Things have been busy around here lately.  Ron and I finished the last of the sneeze guards.

Glad to get them out of my kitchen.

I also had the pleasure of meeting our newest addition to the family, Miss Libby Gael.

She's a keeper.  She is just now back to 5 pounds.  Tiny girl!

And...I made a new gnome.  This one is a Christmas Gnome.

And now for the not so good news.  We got a call from Mike's doctor concerning the CT scan results.  It appears he has a tumor in the sinus cavity.  They are going to do another CT with contrast this time to get a better image of it.  Either way it will probably mean surgery and possibly chemo and radiation if malignant.  We will wait until we have all the information before we tell him anything about it.  But we are weighing all possible scenarios.  No matter what this is not going to be easy and may be a game changer.  He will not handle cancer treatment very well and just the mention of it will probably send him over the edge.  He obsesses over an ingrown toenail I can't imagine what this will do and I'm not sure of my ability to handle him or care for him through this.  Please keep him in your prayers!

Rocking Along

Yesterday's project was created for my daughter Julie's kindergarten class.  Julie had sent me a picture of these painted rocks and asked if I could make it for her class.  Sooooooooo here it is:

 I have to admit these were fun to paint.  I had to cut down a canvas bag so the rocks wouldn't just rattle around inside but this was fun.  Who knew we had so many expressive faces! 

Today we are back to work on the sneeze guards.  11 more to go and then we are done.  I think I have to paint a few more pvc pipes and then it's on to assembly.

Today is the first day of school here in Norman.  Going virtual for this week and then the plan is to go in person next week.  Hoping all goes well today and everyone feels encouraged by the end of the day. 

Tomorrow I'm getting tear duct plugs put in my eyes.  I have such dry eyes the doctor wants to try plugs again.  She said of have some corneal damage in my left eye so thinks I need the plugs.  I tried them several years ago but they fell out almost immediately so who knows, maybe they will work this time. 

Meet the teacher behind the mask

 Meet the teacher night was held in person this past Thursday.  Parents and children were scheduled two at a time for a 10 minute meet and greet.  My daughter had her schedule set Wednesday and received a cancellation Thursday morning, one of her families had tested positive for Covid.  If they had come she would have been in quarantine BEFORE the 1st day of school even began.  It's ridiculous to think you can bring hundreds of children back into a school building and still prevent the spread of Covid.  One school district here was in school one week and all the teachers in the middle school tested positive.  Now they are virtual.  When all the teachers get sick who is going to teach?  Virtual school is the safest way to do school at this time.  It is not ideal by any means and will certainly be difficult for a lot of children and their families but it is still the safest.

Members of the President's task force on Covid (Dr, Birx) were here in Okla. two weeks ago giving Governor Stitt recommendations on how to slow the spread.  They recommended closing all bars in the state and issuing a statewide mask mandate.  Both of which he refused to do.  This week Oklahoma is now in the RED zone.  Go figure!

The University students have been trickling in for the past 2 weeks and our infection rate has steadily risen.  I'm very disappointed that OU has not chosen to go virtual and that they are still planning on a football season.  They only plan to fill the stadium to 30% of capacity.  Lets see....a stadium that holds roughly 140,000 that would only be 42,000.  What could go wrong there.......?  I guess I'll be stuck in my house for the next 2 to 3 years!  

Yesterday Piper's baby sister was born.  Libby Gael weighed 5lbs 4 oz. and was 17 inches long.  I was surprised to hear they went home today but I guess they want them out of the petri dish as soon as possible.  I hope I'm not 90 before I get to meet her.

 

 If I sound a bit sorry for myself I guess I am a little blue.  Seems to be this season's color!

One Room at a time!

 Here is what a lot of those "lazy" teachers who just want to stay home during the pandemic are doing on their own time and their own dime.  Creating fun ways for kids to return safely to the classroom.  Ron and I made these for my daughters Pre-K classroom and now we are working on the other daughter's kindergarten classroom.  It cost about $160.00 for each room.

If more parents would stop complaining and ask how they can help they might get their kids back in school sooner.

Consequences

Right now the two most under appreciated and overly criticized professions in America are education and law enforcement. Each under the watchful eye of people who have done neither. Each bombarded daily by people more than happy to tell them how they “should” do their job! Where one minute they are a heroes and villains the next. I can't imagine doing my job every day to come home and read what a lousy job I did on Facebook? Often from people I have considered friends and whose children I have loved.  This is happening to teachers every day.  We know what is happening to law enforcement.

My daughters have been crushed this past week.  A decision was made by the school board to delay in person teaching until the spread of community infection has decreased.  We are currently in the "red zone".  This is in accordance with the CDC guidelines as well as local health officials.   Teachers had nothing to do with the decision though many agree it was necessary.  This decision was met my ranting and raving parents who view education as nothing but free child care.  They have called teachers lazy among other things. 

If people in our community had done what was recommended, worn masks, social distanced, avoided large gatherings and washed their damn hands regularly the rate of infection would be down and they'd be getting their free daycare.  It's called choose the behavior choose the consequence.