It's been over a month since posting last. Been busy with school and baseball.

School is going "OK" - not bad, but in my opinion - not great.  I don't feel that connected to the students over Zoom.  There are some students that don't ever turn on their cameras.  There are some who are absent a lot -- either they decide to not go to some classes that day or they have a hard time waking up (for the 9 am classes) or they get busy after lunch (for my 1 pm classes) or they log in the wrong day or time and you can't start their Zoom (special code for each class) and I can't quit my current class to tell them to go to their CORRECT class in that time-slot!   I had one student say that they took a nap at lunch and didn't wake up in time.   I have parents saying that they're working and they can't get their student to log in / they're on video games....etc.    Just THANKFUL that Mercer is keeping up with his Zooms.  He's an honest kid and he seems to be doing the right thing!  (He's missing some assignments - which we're working on - but overall he's doing "OK" too.  Here's a photo of him working at the desk in our living room... he had to post a selfie for one class.  

Isabella's been in the "teacher kid pod" at my school for the 1st 5 weeks (there were photos on the last blog entry).  She did pretty well staying on track with her Zoom classes with the help of the room monitor.  There were some things that she missed too, but that's OK.  I am so grateful - still - that the school system set this up for us teachers!    We just found out that - because a local church wanted to help out Marietta City teachers - they raised money and have subsidized our child care costs!  It's been cut in half.  

Last week, Isabella moved back to her home elementary school and is in a different "teacher kid pod" there.  There are 9 desks set up in the auditorium and they have plexi screens / distanced apart.  She's still doing her virtual instruction 3 days a week from that pod... but she's actually moved into the classroom 2 days a week!  They have split the class in half -- some kids going M/W and others going Tu/Th.  And - from her class of 18... not everyone has opted to go back, instead remaining virtual 100% of the time.  It looks like there are 8 kids in class on her face-to-face days.

Outside of regular teacher stuff, I have a lot of "new teacher" classes through my school + my Saturday CAD class + the teaching program I'm in for 2 years just started back. 

I'm about to crack, unfortunately!!  We have a break coming up soon -- a week off for fall break.  This is so needed!   At the beginning of the month, we had Labor Day - one extra day off.  It wasn't long enough... but we did sneak in some fun stuff:  we celebrated Mercer's 12th adoption day with food (orange chicken, of course, and sickening-sweet cupcakes) + zip-lining.

   

I was concerned that he wouldn't like it because of the sensory issue, but he seemed to enjoy himself. Whew!

We were REALLY PROUD of both Mercer AND Isabella.  She is little, but fearless and she rocked it.  The "kiddie course" was for ages 4-6.  Thankfully, this place, the regular course was age 7 and above.  She would not have been satisfied on the kiddie course!   

Both kids rocked it!  Todd did too.  He admitted that he wasn't looking forward to it, but he enjoyed it in the end.  I had done it before with my students about 5 years ago at a different course.  I had a great time back then -- hence signing our family up for it this go round.  I didn't enjoy it as much as last time, though.  I hurt my shoulder on the obstacles and opted not to go to the 3rd level.   It felt like it was coming out of joint. 

The obstacles and ziplines get higher and higher at each level.  You notice that the photos start off closer to the ground and before you know it -- they're way above your head!

It's good that they build you up like that.... a slight progression so that you don't really notice it.

Literally.   5 years ago, I went through level 4.  This trip, I only made it through level 2.  Isabella was quick to point out -- well, you ARE older now!  ha.  (true.  true.)

Todd and the kids went through level 3.  On the final zip on that level, most people can't make it all the way across.... there may be too much slack in the line?  (It flies across the parking lot).  They ask you to bring gloves (b/c of Covid - normally they would provide) and they teach you how to grab the wire and pull yourself the rest of the way.  Poor Isabella couldn't do that part.

Mercer is back in it full-force with his 2 baseball teams (one for the rec league and the other for the tournament team)  During games, he pops off a homerun every now and then.  Last weekend, he hit 2 homers in one day!  One for his rec league and one for the tournament team (which is made up of rec league kids from various teams).   

There was also a Home Run Derby that the league hosted.  Apparently, it was supposed to have happened last spring, but.... covid (....of course).  The derby also happened last weekend.  Mercer and one other kid - Daniel - seem to be the two power-hitters in the league that are the home-run guys.  It doesn't happen all the time, but as mentioned above - M hit two HRs in two games last weekend. 

Interesting, however, Mercer and Daniel did not win the Home Run derby.  Two kids who don't typically knock them out of the park -- or maybe who haven't even hit a home run in a game -- took the top two spots!  Mercer and Daniel were in the top 5, but I thought it was interesting to note.  

Isabella's baseball started back up.  She is doing pretty well -- at almost every bat, she makes a hit and gets onto base.  And - sometimes she gets some runners in.  (She calls it VRI or RVI instead of RBI - Runs Batted In - but who am I to argue with her?!)   

She didn't enjoy playing sandlot over the summer, but she's enjoying fall ball.   The other team player's parents are impressed with her and love that this girl (the only girl on the team) is a firecracker!  Every game, someone stops me to talk about her!  

Isabella and I got some giant caterpillars from our community garden - the pipevine plant was growing around the asparagus and tomato plants.  We were trying to pull it off to save our veggies.  But - we ended up - over the course of a week or so getting 8 caterpillars that we put into the butterfly habitat.  (She's showing off ANOTHER lost tooth in this photo!)  

They pretty quickly made chrysalises.  

About a week later, one or two of them hatched each day!  It was fun to come home from school each day and check the butterfly cage!  

Pipevine swallowtail butterflies are so beautiful!  They have dots on their wings when they're up / closed.  Then, when they wings are open, they're an iridescent blue color.

And shortly after they hatched, they would start mating!  They were trying to start the process all over again!    Isabella did a great job of letting them free this time pretty quickly after they emerged.  But each time a new hatch... more mating!  It was crazy.

The "butterfly habitat" was a great investment!  It has been well used and has brought a lot of enjoyment.

It is such a complex, amazing process!

A few other things going on:  

I broke out my old spirograph and Isabella likes it!

Todd's nephew, Ryan (his God-son) and Ryan's girlfriend, Claudia had a baby this month.  (Isabella mentioned that when Claudia was pregnant that she was not happy about it... she would no longer be the baby in the family.)   

She's so smart!

This makes Todd's sister, Tonia, a grandmother / Rory Sr a grandfather... and Rose Marie a great-grandmother!

Here are some nice photos of Mercer catching up with an old friend from pre-school!  (His mom and I hit it off, so we stay in touch / get together at least once a year.)  Her son, Gabriel, is really into fishing... like really really into it.  Covid has brought out the fisherman in him and he's fishing in a creek behind their house almost every day apparently.  

Mercer likes his mask.  He picked it out.  He has another with a drooling mouth on it.  :) 

Mercer and I met them at a park we like to go to with a pond, great hiking to some ruins and a river.

One final thing we did that was new for the kids... we went to a drive-in movie:  ET.  

(Mercer forgot to bring his glasses, so he couldn't see / wasn't that into it.)  Isabella enjoyed it.... and eating popcorn out of the back of Todd's SUV.      

The Covid cases are still climbing.  World deaths are almost at a million.

United States deaths are almost at 200,000.

Georgia deaths are at 6,600.  The numbers for recovered aren't published for Georgia for some reason.  (A friend of ours was in the hospital for several weeks, but has been discharged from the hospital) We're learning of more and more people who have gotten it.  Thankfully, everyone we know have overcome it.  

Colleges have opened back up and numbers on campuses are rising.  Some school systems went back face-to-face and numbers went up there as well.  Where we live, the county schools are bringing face to face back next month.  The city where I work and the kids go to school brought the littles (K-2 back already 2 days a week) and are ramping up by bringing older elementary back 2 days a week next month.  The following month, Mercer's age group and high schoolers will be doing the same.

Despite the climb in numbers on college campuses, the overall numbers for our state are on the decline / the school officials feel like it's time to re-engage students.  We'll see!  Tough decisions all around......

(Blogger has changed some features.  Also, my old school system license for Microsoft expired... can't drop these photos into word from a screen shot anymore.  So now, I have to include a photograph of computer screen.  :/ )

Things have been hard with virtual school... the juggle of extra classes (on me, but also the impact on Todd)... the juggle of baseball... etc.... but we're trying to make the best of it and still create memories!