barrett: 89 months old

 

We're headed towards Halloween, and Barrett's inevitable indecision when it comes to a Halloween costume.  We're not even trick-or-treating!  So far, Barrett has wanted to be Captain America, Iron Man, a squirrel, Shining Armor (a My Little Pony), Nakita (a motorcycle-riding character from the game "Hill Climb 2"), a cowboy, and a Dallas Cowboy football player.  Suffice it to say, I won't buy another costume until maybe one week before Halloween, because I am pretty sure he'll change his mind at least 3 more times.  

Both Barrett and Britton are staying in virtual school until at least January (after Christmas break).  He's working with a retired teacher every morning, and staying on task.  Sometimes a little too well!  They are able to get through the majority of his schoolwork in the mornings, so when Barrett goes back to his assignments in the afternoon he's almost finished.  We've been switching up physical education, getting away from the video links and actually getting outside to walk the dog or play on the playground.  

Likes:  squirrels, collecting pinecones for Memaw's Christmas wreath project, going on walks every day with the hubs and I after work is over, his scooter

Dislikes:  being told I'm not buying him every Halloween costume he thinks of

134 months old

Nella decided that Britton's monthly picture surely needed a cameo!  She likes Britton the best, probably because Britton lets her lay out in sun patches on her bed while she Zooms for school all day. Speaking of, virtual school is going well!  It's not the same as being in person of course, but we don't feel like we've been abandoned in no man's land either.  Yes, we get a ton of school emails per day (every announcement, every assignment submitted, every grade, etc.), but on the flip side, I'd rather be more informed than not.  At the end of every grading period you can change from virtual to in person (or the other way around), and we haven't seen any spikes in our area.  Britton's school is now 80% in person, but we're holding out for at least the rest of 2020.  We've all given up A LOT since March to avoid being infected, and I don't want to loosen the reins quite yet and make all of our precautions for nothing.  Both the hubs and I are working from home, so there's no rush to get the kids back into the schools, and every kid not in school helps the kids who have to be there.

No theater, volleyball, soccer, swim team, dance, or clubs are going on right now, so we oddly have a ton of free time after school.  Last spring, I was spending 3-4 evening carting both kids to their activities, and now we quite literally have nowhere to go and nothing to do.  We're trying to mix it up a bit now, so Britton and I are going to the mall tomorrow to get her some new clothes (since we didn't bother when school actually started).  And with the cooling weather this weekend, we're headed up to the tennis courts to introduce the kids to tennis.  

Britton finally started actually playing her clarinet!  Her band class has spent a while going over music basics, and now they have learned to assemble their instruments and make some sounds.  We found a great clarinet teacher to give virtual lessons once per week after school, to help Britton get a good handle on her clarinet (since she's not in person to get one-on-one instruction from her band director).

Likes:  playing dress up (note the gloves above), messing with the cat, reading, black clothes (early goth?)

Dislikes:  giving up trick or treating but was willing to accept premium candy as a substitute