Since the last post....

India's #s looked like they topped out last week at more than 400,000 new cases per day.  Thankfully, it looks like it's trending downward.  It has dropped a bit each day (in the 370 - 350,000 cases a day range which is still insane!)  There was an updated article that talks about the "why" -- the country had recently opened back up because the health minister said they were at the END of the pandemic.  YIKES!  There were also large political rallies where people were not masked.  Finally - as mentioned before, there was a large public "bath" as a religious event.  All of this while a new covid variant was making it's way across the globe.  

Vaccinations were low - still are - but that is starting to ramp up.  I've been following the data every week.  Just to check in on it.   This is interesting to see the spike mapped out compared to other countries.  

Now it looks like John Hopkins' map is showing the number of world-wide doses of vaccine administered.  Interesting!   Here in Georgia, the numbers continue to decline thankfully, however...... my prediction, we'll see another spike soon:  the CDC just released the mask mandate for fully-vaccinated people.  (However, they just offered a clarification for schools:  stay masked up.)  Unfortunately, our school system and the neighboring school system jumped and released a statement about dropping the masks if vaccinated.  They also told us that we're not policing it / we're not asking who has been vaccinated or not.

At school, I've had students argue about their masks.  I'm constantly policing and saying "mask up."  Now - the new CDC masking recommendations will be fuel for those who don't want to wear them... even the people who haven't been vaccinated.  It's a problem really only in the high school (regarding students).... for we have students ages 14 and above.  The kids' elementary and middle schools should still be masked-up... except for the adults that work in each of the facilities.  

Kids 16 and above have had the opportunity to have had 2 doses of the vaccine + the 2 week efficacy time.  Last week, 12 year - 15 year olds now also have the opportunity but it will be approximately 6 weeks before any of the 12, 13, 14 and 15 year olds would have the opportunity to be considered fully-vaccinated after the 2 week efficacy time.  

I'll stay masked up.  I only have 2 more weeks!  I am counting down soooo hard 'til summer!

The next two weeks will be insane.  I had signed Isabella up for summer swim team about a month ago.  Little did we know that last week she would be named as one of the players for Little League All-Stars for their park!    Swim starts tomorrow (every day after school 'til school is out, then it's every morning).  All-Star baseball practices started the day after her regular season ended. And it has happened every day since.  Every....Day....Since.  EEK! 

She had a fun season.  Normally, I'd be taking teaching classes, but because things were virtual this year - I was actually able to be at more of her games than the previous season.  There's some good energy at these games as the kids are starting to "get it."  Isabella seems to understand the game pretty well (probably because she's been to a zillion of her brother's baseball games -- or on the playground near his games and it's rubbed off?).  She has been a valuable part of their team, the Emeralds.  She was playing mostly in-field (1st, 2nd, short, or 3rd base.  She played some left field as well.) 

She loves being the only girl.  There are lots of moms out there rooting for her.  I overhear people telling their little girls / siblings of team-members "look... there's Isabella at bat. Let's watch her."  (inspiring the littles who are a few years behind her -- much like Gabby who played on M's team for awhile.)  I hear dads yelling "come on baby-girl."  Hey... that's MY line!   and on multiple occasions, I've had strangers -- people who aren't on our team -- come up and talk to me about her.  I don't want to tell her this because it will go to her head, but she's like a little rock star out there in the 7 & 8 year old fan-base.  (I don't need to tell her.  She already knows it.)

I love this photo... she hits and then you can tell where the ball is going by looking at the opposing coaches.  

They came 2nd in the playoffs.  There's one team that just couldn't be beat.  Some of the boys were flat-out crying about it.  She was OK.  I think they did great.  

There were some things that were pretty exciting and I'd have to text Todd about (because he'd be at Mercer's game.)  "She hit a double and knocked in 2 runners to tie up the championship game 17-17." then "someone knocked her in for the win!"   OR  "she just caught a pop-fly!"    one lady sent me a video clip of her getting the ball and running down the person who was trying to go from 3rd to home.  She caught up with them after fielding and tagged them out.  There were some intense moments!  She's a firecracker!

Todd has been coaching BOTH her team and Mercer's team -- jumping from one to the other back-to-back many days. Mercer's team is currently in the playoffs.  Their next game is also against the 1st place team that hasn't lost yet.  Unfortunately - Todd had to leave to go coach Mercer's game and didn't get into this shot.  

We'll see later what happens this week.  In the meantime, here are some photos from a recent game where he pitched and played 1st base.  He's also been playing center field.  He's fast. 

 

He's definitely got speed on his side.  He won the park's Hit-Pitch-Run event.  He made 3 of the 6 pitches in the strike zone.  He hit the ball straight down the line he farthest and ran so fast that -- between all 3 events -- he had the best score and *MAY* advance to the state Hit-Pitch-Run event at the Brave's stadium at the end of the summer.  We won't know how he places in the state / if he qualifies 'til other clubs have had their events.  

I didn't get to see it.  I was at home getting ready to chaperone for prom at my school.  It was low-key.   I think the students were just all happy to be going somewhere and were all pretty well-behaved thankfully!  

Since then, we did squeeze in a couple of fun things.  We tried something new as a family:  disc golf.  The coach at Isabella's school was teaching students how to play -- then -- offered free family lessons at a nearby park.  We took him up on it and gave it a shot. Todd won.  I was not very good (oh well).... but we had fun!  

Later that weekend was mother's day.  I ordered some new blog books (trying to catch up -- it's been 8 years since getting the last book!)

We went on a picnic and a bike ride.  (I ordered a charcuterie plate.  Mercer was NOT happy with the food.  "This isn't real food." )  

Oh well.  At least Isabella was into it!  

Todd picked up some tulips. The kids made cards.  (I really like tulips when they start to wilt...I always keep them past their prime!)  They're "artistic" in how they fall!  

Here are some flowers that I got - I had to snap a photo or two.  (In fact, the house looked pretty good with these flowers on the ftont porch + the flag blowing in the wind.)  

Here's a fun "closing photo" for today's blog... Isabella found something else to do at the ball-field. After a ton of rain, there was standing water near the play ground.  She couldn't help herself - she had to pick up the frogs!

India on my mind...

I don't get to watch the news very often, but I am not hearing anyone talk about this:  India's Covid rates have skyrocketed over the last couple of weeks.  My colleague told me about it / we looked up stats one day after school.  It's just insane.  Yes - the US was pretty high once.... but it was a short peak.  They've surpassed the "high" Covid rate that the US had back in January and they keep going. 

So far, in this "2nd surge" they hit 330,000 positive cases this week in one day.   And it's still on the rise.

A National Geographic article that I just read said that they relaxed their thinking that the virus was under control.  They exported a lot of their oxygen supplies and vaccinations.  The article talked about new variants too (The UK variant hit there B.1.1.7 -- but so has  an Indian variant B.1.617 and this one has 2 mutations.)  There was also a large - 3.5 million - religious event where people partook in a "holy bath" in the Gagne River.  Now - it's being looked at as a super spreader event.  

The population there is so large.  There is so much poverty. They are hosting mass cremations as they're overrun with fatalities.    This is heartbreaking.  

Here are more statistics (from earlier in the week) comparing the US and India.  Not great images - screen shots, but very telling.  

Look at the green "bar" across the bottom of the 1st screen.  This shows India's population as it relates to % of people vaccinated.    And the same green bar across the bottom of the US map.

Amazingly, India - with all of it's population and poverty, it was relatively low 'til recently.

And, here is the growing death rate.  The US is still higher, but at the rate that India is going, I imagine they'll surpass us shortly.

It's really shocking and grim.  At the beginning of this pandemic here in the US - there were mass burials in New York in long trenches.  This makes me think of that again.  Horrific.

(Sometimes I just want to document here on blogger.)  I fear - for them - this is still growing and climbing.  They just don't have the resources there en masse like we do.  And their population is enormous.  And in many cases, the living conditions are beyond awful.  

The Earth is a collection of ecosystems.  Viruses, human population, natural disasters / storms and the like certainly define these ecosytems across the world.  

In many places - because of Covid - there will be a noticeable change .  

I believe this is just the beginning of a MAJOR change of the face of India.  

Happy Adoption Day

Yesterday was Isabella's adoption day.  It, unfortunately, fell on a very very busy day!

We had a chiropractic appointment followed by team photos and her baseball game.  She had a pretty good game - hitting 4 for 4 with a couple of doubles and knocked in some RBIs.  She crossed the plate herself a couple of times.  It was a tough game, but they won!  She found a grasshopper at the baseball field, so she was happy about both!

Here she is the next day... yes the thing slept in our house in a box.  She - seriously - played with this thing for 3 hours until it (sadly) jumped and "flew" away.  Off-and-on all day she was sad and she cried herself to sleep because she wasn't ready to give up the grasshopper quite as early.

I had a pick-up downtown to get plants for our garden.  I also had a nice (masked) visit with a friend who lives on the same street as the garden.  She gave me a sourdough starter... guess I'll be giving that a try~

Mercer had team photos and his baseball at another field.  Mercer also had middle school campout before / after his game.  Todd dropped him off for a couple of hours, then picked him up to take up to the evening baseball game.  Isabella played with friends at the game and played with the grasshopper she found at her game earlier in the day.   Todd dropped Mercer back at the campsite (on a farm near Kennesaw Mountain park) and came home to eat a very late dinner with Isabella and myself.   Whew.

What Isabella asked for to eat for dinner:  Wendy's.  (frosty and fries)  That's what you get when you ask an 8 year old what she wants.   Easy!  I guess Wendy's (Dave Thomas Foundation) supports adoption - so it's fitting.

It was a total juggle, but I don't think she cared as much as we did.  It seems like she had a good day.  (We got her a watercolor set of pencils of her own (she was a little jealous of her brother's set that he got for Easter).  She got some games for her Nintendo and a chapter book set on dragons.  Ironically and a happy coincidence - the Wendy's toy that came with her meal was a dragon that she got to put together!

Isabella had STEM camp at her new school to try it out / get used to it.  She was reluctant to go, but knew a few kids there, so said it was OK.  

(She sure does like this STEM stuff here in my classroom, however!)  I think she just didn't have a good experience with STEM at her current school so was upset at first to go to this event.  

Todd just got his 2nd covid shot today through my school.  He's taken Phizer.  We're hopeful that he doesn't have side effects like I did last week from my Moderna 2nd shot.  I was "out" on Saturday after having received it Friday.  I felt better Sunday, but Monday at work, cold sweats and chills came over me / I left.  

I made up for it.... I worked so much this week and even put in some extra time (with a little helper) to help unbox, organize and "try out" the different things I ordered the week before break that came in.  :)   She enjoyed using the x-acto knife (under my supervision, of course), color pencils and a compass. 

I realized that I did not post stats for the Corona virus on the last post.  

3   MILLION   PEOPLE   have died from this in the past 1 year + 1 month.

Here's an updated infographic to one I posted last year:  The Covid "poof" is at the bottom.