School in 2020

School looks different for everyone this year, that is for certain. A pandemic will change things and everyone has different ideas on how to make it work. I have friends with kids in school all day, everyday, others are at home all day on their computers and the rest of us are somewhere in between! We have experienced a taste of it all and although we are doing great, I will not miss this school year when it's over!

We started our school year fully online (after being delayed a week when they finally made the decision), so first day of school pictures were done in bare feet, old clothes, and no backpacks-

6th Grade -- Middle school

    

3rd Grade

 

Kindergarten

 They were all a little confused about why I was making them take pictures on the porch when they weren't even leaving the house that day, but we didn't skip any of those first day traditions! We even made sure we had rainbow pancakes for breakfast-

We got each of them set up in a different part of the house because there would be lots of live video calls and privacy was necessary-

 

 

Everyone settled in pretty quick and even though little sister wanted in on every moment, we still survived the day-

Do I look super excited, or what? Online learning for Eve was not nearly as bad as I thought it would be, but still hard that I had to stick close while she figured the computer thing out.

 We actually got into a great rhythm with online learning everyday, and just when things started feeling good, they switched things up on us and we began the "orientation phase" to hybrid learning. This meant that 25% of the school's population would go each day (prepping for 50% of the population) for two weeks. Luckily Kindergarten students got to skip this phase and went straight into their "full hybrid" learning which means Eve goes to school Monday, Thursday, and every other Wednesday.

 

She was so excited to finally be able to go to school on the bus!! Can you tell?

She rode with Cohen and Anabelle her first day of school since they boys were on a different orientation schedule...yes, I've very aware of how weird this all is. But we made it work!

 

 My boys only got to go to school four half days over this orientation phase and were on their own to do asynchronous work the other days. This was harder than full online learning because there were no live classes or check ins because their teachers were teaching in person. They got a little bored/overwhelmed (I didn't know this could happen simultaneously before a pandemic) by the end of it, but they were also glad they were able to spend a little bit of time in school.

And yes, Thad chose to be in band for his music credit and is learning to play the trumpet this year! He is a little bummed he has to carry it around all day on his band days (no lockers cuz COVID), but other than that he loves it! He has picked it up a little faster than some of his classmates because he already knows how to read music and by the end of first week he had taught himself Mary Had a Little Lamb. Love that smart boy of ours!

The days of him shooting hoops while he waits for the bus are over now that he has to walk a ways to his stop, but I just think he is so cute walking with his back pack and trumpet.

This boy is just the cutest! He loves being at home, but he is a social butterfly and was so excited to spend some time at school. He was a little disappointed that his half of the class during orientation only had 3 of the 11 kids on his day (they split it up by alphabet). He was done with that orientation phase when it ended!

Love that thumbs up from my handsome red head!

AAAANNNNDDDD FINALLY after two of those random orientation weeks, it was finally time to go "full hybrid" and we have thankfully stayed there ever since. My boys go every day for half the day and Eve has stuck with the half day M, TH, every other W. We all wish they could go more, but to be honest, none of us ever complain about it, not even the masks, we are all just so grateful they are able to do some in person learning. It looks totally different than any other year (especially for our middle schooler entering a new school during the pandemic), but they're there. And for now, that's all that can matter. It's kind of incredible how a pandemic can give you perspective really quick, even to 11 and 8 year olds. 

 

We will pray we are able to maintain the hybrid schedule for the remainder of the year and will be pleasantly surprised if full day is an option at all during the 2020-2021 school year. I was sad we started school fully online, but to be honest, it was a blessing in disguise because I have no hesitations or worries about online learning because we saw it work (and work well) and will be able to transition seamlessly if the need arises.  

2020 will be a year to remember! Even if we want to forget!

Eve is 6!

 Our favorite oldest sister turned S-I-X and even though we're still in the throws of the pandemic, we made sure (well, she made sure because that's the type of girl she is) to make this birthday as good as any other! I decided a few weeks before her birthday that I wanted to get her a doll house--a doll house that would stand the test of time. I was inspired at the Farr's this summer where Eve and Eden played on the two doll houses that Hanna's dad made for her and her sisters! Well, doll houses can be pricey, so I got on Facebook Marketplace and found the perfect one-

So maybe it looks big to you in this picture, maybe it doesn't. It didn't look too big to me and I didn't check out the measurements so when I showed up and when they brought it out in pieces because it doesn't fit through doorways, I was a little surprised! As I looked closer at it, I decided I wanted update it before I gave it to her. I spent the weekend before her birthday painting and wall papering it-

We had to wait until the night before her birthday to put it together and we just laughed as we brought up all the pieces and watched it grow and grow in height as we put it together! It is SO BIG!

We got that monstrosity put together, decorated the kitchen, and were in bed by midnight and excited to celebrate that girl the next day!

We heard her singing in her room around 7am and went in and got her and snuck her down the front stairs so she wouldn't see the dollhouse. She was so excited to see the presents and birthday bling!

One of the first things she opened was her memory books. I made them for Wes and Thad this year and she knew hers was coming so she was so happy when she saw it! One of the binders is her "baby book" with all of the monthly blog posts from her first year and the other has all of her yearly blog posts. I still need to add some pictures, but it is such a relief for me to have it done and something I know she will treasure forever.

The brothers hooked her up with the softest pig dragon stuffed animal and some cute anklets that she loves so much!

The Henries are so kind and sent her this awesome pony! She had a few and loved adding to her collection.

Sevi sent her this Rainbocorn so that Eve could be just like her and Brookie! We sure love the Cochrans!

 

And last, but certainly not least...

The dollhouse!! She was so excited when she saw this and just kept saying how big it was and that, "Mae will love destroying this." She couldn't believe it was taller than her and loved checking out all the little rooms. She got her princesses that Grandma Teresa and Grandpa Russ gave her right away and loved playing with it all morning. Major success!

 

Luckily Dad didn't have to rush off to work to teach, but any time he leaves us in the morning is far too soon. We love having that guy around! Eve was so happy he was there to spend the morning with her.

The rest of the day was her day, so when she wanted to put the Rainbocorn nails on, you better believe we did it!

Wes is the cutest and loved drawing with her and playing in her new doll house with her. Birthdays are the best!

We got this cute girl ready for the day and she was feeling GOOD! Isn't she just darling? We went to Kroger to pick out her birthday cake (her idea) and then got the lunch of her choice, Wendy's!

The boys were happy with that pick! And yes, they got to eat with us on a school day because of the pandemic and they only go to school in the afternoons...and also because of the pandemic, Eve didn't have school because as a Kindergartener she only goes to school Mondays, Thursdays, and every other Wednesday...say that 10 times fast!

 

So instead of going to school we searched the city for a place to get this gal's ears pierced...again! Her Christmas Eve ear piercing when she was 4 didn't go too well, one was extremely low and the other kind of low, so we have been waiting for them to heal and now was the time! We first went to the shop where Anabelle got her ears pierced a few months prior and they were shut down!! Eve shed some tears in the car as I scrambled to figure out where to go. I knew I didn't want to do the mall thing again because of the other bad experience, so I googled "piercing near me" and we ended up at a shop called Body Jewel in a random strip mall. It was an...interesting... place, but I had a lot more confidence in these piercing techs than the mall ones, so we just went for it! A couple last pictures before getting it done....

 

And...wah la!

She was so so brave and barely even cried, just some watery eyes! The idea of not getting them pierced that day was a lot more sad than the needle going through her ear, so no complaining from this girl!

Mae was a little bit of crazy cat while we were there, but we made it out with all smiles.

 

Next, we went to the mall to try and blow the $25 cash Grandma Cindy and Grandpa Kent gave her, but she could not decide on anything so we left empty handed and with some hope to find something on Amazon or at Target later. I love this girly girl of mine!

 

One of the requests for her family only celebration was to get ice cream at Jeni's, so we went straight after school before the boys had to go cross country and soccer practice. No complaints here!

 

And it took a few tries to get all faces AND the Jeni's sign in the picture, but I finally managed!

I can do hard things!

Man, we love this beauty of ours! She really is STRONG and FEARLESS and we all feel so lucky she is ours.

 

While the boys were away and I finally got Mae to take a second nap, I snapped some pictures of our favorite big sister and hope I always remember this 6-year old face, her sweet hugs, and constant love.

After I gave her a kiss on the cheek, she insisted she give me one...and I couldn't turn her down!

 

Cake and another round of ice cream rounded out this girl's birthday and she couldn't have been happier!

I don't see it when people say our kids look alike... ;-)

Oh, and don't forget scriptures in the brother's room before bed. I never want to forget these days or sights like these that overwhelm me with gratitude for the souls we have been given to raise.

Six Things We Love About Eve-

1. That smile. She brings so much joy to all of us. Whether it's helping Mae, wanting to wear my makeup, or writing a sweet note, she almost always has that gorgeous smile on her face.

2. Her courage. She didn't flinch when it came to getting her ears pierced, she didn't hesitate to fly down the Bons' hillside on their homemade zip line, and didn't even care that she had to get a flu shot at her check up. If the high dive would have been available at the pool, you can bet your bottom dollar she would have been jumping off!

3. Creativity. She can cut and paste and arrange all sorts of things to just be the cutest! Currently she has a fort/library under her loft bed complete with a sign up in the bathroom for others to enter. She comes up with the best ideas!

4. Friend for all. The girl is a bit bossy and independent, but she can hang with them all. The big kids, the brothers, the younger neighbor kids, and the adults. This girl is a girl for all!

5. Her Prayers. I love hearing this girl pray to her Father in Heaven. Her Evangelical preschool roots come out when she says things like, "grateful we can feel the gospel in our hearts" and "thankful we believe in you, God and Jesus" and it makes me smile every single time. 

6. Her determination. This girl doesn't let anything stop her. She goes for it---whatever IT may be! Learning a round off after watching a YouTube video a couple times, or taking the time to figure out buttons or buckles on her clothes, this girl is determined to be Miss Independent and though it can be frustrating at times, the good in this situation FAR outweighs the bad!

We love you forever, Evelyn Ann, don't you ever forget it!