One of the worst parts of watching a show is the words “To Be Continued…”, especially if it is the season finale. Well, apparently our last post in April was the spring season finale. But good news! The budget has been approved and the fall season of the Quiver of Chaos is back!
We ended last season being faced with the uncertainty of COVID – what it meant to be safe, how to stay connected, and how to homeschool without actually homeschooling. Deep down, I’m not sure we were convinced the storm would last as long as it has. But here we are, nine months in, and the storm is still going. Let’s get the cameras rolling and see how the Martin household is faring. Oh my, what is going on in the foyer area?? We’ll come back to that shortly…
The school bus is a no-go, which means we drop off and pick up the kids each day. Jen actually likes this because it is an excuse to get out of the house (yes, we have still mostly stayed in the house for the past nine months, so any excuse to get out is exciting). Twice daily trips to and from the school (a 40 min roundtrip) means a tighter schedule in the morning and afternoon (naps, snack time, etc.). Oh, and our youngest daughter now goes to Pre-K, which adds an extra trip three times a week. Somehow Jen manages some magic and gets all three kids picked up in one fell swoop on time during those afternoons when all are in school.
Remember the chaos in the foyer? To keep things fluid and ready, we’ve basically made the front door foyer area a walk-in closet that is regularly stocked with backpacks, to-go snacks, lots of shoes, and a random assortment of jackets and hats. Cleanliness is still important to us, but you might not know it if you were to walk in our front door.
Speaking of our front door, the last time someone, without the last name Martin, walked through it was February. But don’t worry, it’s still getting good use. And by good use, I mean a regular pounding of small hands running in and out to play (our kids haven’t mastered the art of treating the front, glass door like it is actually made of glass). But an entryway into the outdoors being used frequently means the kids are spending more time outside. Even before COVID hit, that was a hope of ours. While the door probably gets squeamish when the kids run at it, the motivation for them running is good. And, I must say, the weather this fall and early winter in Kansas has been nothing short of great. Let the outdoor games continue!
Then there’s the daily monitoring for any COVID-related symptoms, and what constitutes a call to the doctor and the school and what is just dust mites. This is made tougher by 3 kids who suffer with seasonal allergies, 2 who suffer with animal-related allergies, and one with food allergies. This means the probability of a runny nose on any given day is pretty high. Oh, and then there’s the baby who is still developing general immunities. In a strange turn of events, and by the grace of God, this cold and flu season has been remarkably quiet in our house. For reference, some seasons have hit us hard as early as September.
At school, pickup and drop-off looks different. The kids’ temps are checked before even getting out of the van. Too warm? No school. Once in school, masks are to be worn at all times, and any sign of sickness gets an immediate call to parents. There is no lunch in the cafeteria, and certain extracurricular activities no longer occur. The class sizes are small to allow the kids to be more separated in the classrooms. Some days all kids are present, but many days some are absent. Our oldest daughter came home in tears one day because she was missing a fellow classmate who had been out for weeks. In-person learning has its advantages, but it isn’t perfect either.
Once back at home, we’ve transitioned to having the kids get all cleaned up soon after school instead of waiting until after dinner. We clean their masks and water bottles and get them ready for the next day of school that we assume, and hope, will happen.
When warm days come around, we try to take family walks, or sometimes one of us will walk with a kid or two. Something other than being in the house is our goal, especially when the weather is nice, while also trying to be safe. We’ve found some favorite spots to walk and ride bikes, and sometimes we simply get in our van and take a drive around the city (about an hour-long drive).
Church is still virtual-only, but we try to treat each Sunday as if we we’re actually going (it helps to keep that time important). Typically, Jen and I will tune in to the livestream of the service, then have a separate time with the kids. Jen has done a great job making the time important for the kids.
For me, work has mostly remained the same. I still go into my office on a regular basis, although the lack of people in the building makes it seem like a perpetual weekend. The main impact to home life is that I telework from time to time (something I never did before COVID). On the infrequent days this occurs, I help get the kids off to school, then it’s off to my makeshift office (a desk in our bedroom) for 8 hours. The commute is stellar!As chaotic as the world has been at times, we’re finding ways to keep the chaos minimized at the house. It’s required a change in priorities, a renewed focus on being content (not the easiest sell), and some extra creativity.
We hope life returns to a more “normal” state soon, but we also hope that the lessons learned in quarantine will have a positive impact moving forward.
Written by Roger
Filmed in Kansas