I am tempted to say "the new normal". Though we are probably all sick of hearing it these days, it really is quite a good phrase. And I would say especially for children. They go with the flow in a way that is hard for most adults. What is, is, and that's it.
So here is our granddaughter Hazel today on her first day of school since March.
And
Nana is doing my best at not being nervous. We have no cases in our town as of now. The children all live here. Some have traveled over the summer, but have quarantined when they returned. Most have stayed right here, and had their own "pandemic pods". These groups have mingled with others as the summer has gone on, and we all feel pretty comfortable. We wear masks in stores and in outdoor groups like the Farmers' Market.
The grandsons, Campbell and Indy are being remotely schooled at home. Their school is a bit different in that the kids come from different towns, and the boys' parents wanted to see how things are at the school before letting them go back. So far, so good.
Addendum: Just got a text from Margaret, and Hazel had an "awesome day"!!
She looks so happy to be headed back to a classroom, Nan! I know that we are all a little nervous about kids heading back because we know our own risk level to exposure will go up at least a little as a result. My three grandkids are older, one a college senior, one a college freshman, and one a high school senior. All three are doing online schooling, though, so not much has changed for them yet.
ReplyDeleteMy two daughters, though, have gone back to the classroom now, and we don't see them in person anymore at all unless we all stay outside on the patio. Houston is still having close to 5,000 new cases a day, so I'm not comfortable enough yet to do it any other way.
I can't believe the number. That is about double the population of my whole town. That is an horrific amount of people to get sick every day. I'm happy you can still see each other outdoors.
DeleteSorry, Nan, I misspoke up above when quoting the stats. The 5000 is for the whole state. Houston is running about 2000. Still a horrible number.
DeleteYes, I was going to say "still". Poor Texas.
DeleteDo you know about this site - https://covid.cdc.gov/covid-data-tracker/#cases_casesinlast7days
I do my virus checking for about 10 min a day unless my Governor is having a talk and then it is a bit more.
If I were a math whiz, I could figure out if proportionally your amount and mine are really the same because you are in a
big state and I am in a little one.
Hazel looks adorable! Best wishes to her this school year!
ReplyDeleteMary
Thank you!!
DeleteHazel is growing up so fast. I sympathize with your nervousness, but it sounds like both sets of parents are considering the situation and doing the best thing.
ReplyDeleteYes, it really does!
DeleteHazel looks as though she can't wait to get out of the door! The problem we've found here is that teachers have no way of knowing whether a child has a slight cough or coronavirus and lots of children are being sent home to get tested and sometimes whole classes or even whole schools sent home for no real reason. You can't blame the teachers who obviously have the safety of all the children to consider.
ReplyDeleteI try and keep up with the situation there by reading the Guardian. A lot of upsetting news these days, there and everywhere.
DeleteHappy Back to School day for Hazel! Your community sounds like a bunch of level-headed, reasonable people who have dealt with the current situation in a responsible manner. Hopefully, it stays that way and no infections will result from re-opening the schools.
ReplyDeleteThank you!
DeleteSo hoping all will be fine with the kids. Such a strange time.
Hazel is getting so big. A different normal for sure. We have (2) with remote only classes and (1) in school (their town has just over 2,000 people and only 1 COVID case thus far. The individual didn't have ties to school population.
ReplyDeleteI think we are in the 1-4 cases since it all began. I guess that's what they do with small towns. And the even smaller towns they don't say at all, probably because of privacy.
DeleteI can't get over how Hazel has grown up. So good to see her getting to do a 'normal' school start. It is rather nerve racking thinking about how it could be not so good for her health tho. I hope all goes well. Smaller numbers do make it less possible for the virus to be spread. Best of luck to all your Grands.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Lisa, and good to "see" you!
DeleteMy grands have been back to school since the 9th. SO far so good here too.
ReplyDeleteOh, good!!
DeleteWhat cute pictures of Miss Hazel and her first day of school! Love it! She looks very responsible with her little mask, but also excited to be going back to her friends I suspect. Hope all goes well for everyone. All the school districts around our area has given parents a choice - virtual or in-person. Almost all are back to in-person if the family is OK with it except the Austin School District. I think they will start with in-person in early October - again, if the family wants it. The kids in our neighborhood seem to be partly doing virtual and partly doing in-person. Glad I'm not having to decide these days. Ha!
ReplyDeleteOther than the college kids, who will do as they will do with parties and get-togethers, our area is trending down in new cases. Our county a lot more than the county that Austin and Univ of Texas reside in. We'll see how it goes this fall and winter. We've changed very little in our behaviors - I go very few places and wear a mask. Again, Miss Hazel is so precious!!
Thanks, Kay!
DeleteYeah - college kids! I've heard of at least one school that sent the kids home. https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/providence-college-issues-stay-at-home-order-due-to-coronavirus-outbreak/ar-BB19hAky
What a beautiful smile! She looks very happy to return to school. Is she in first grade this year? I know you're nervous, but it sounds like your community has a good handle on the situation, keeping everyone safe at the school. My granddaughter and niece are both in Wesleyan colleges (Nebraska and Virginia) and so far, so good. My other niece is staying home (junior in high school) and doing her coursework online. As Kay says, I'm so glad I don't have to make these decisions! We stay home for the most part and hope our numbers will continue to fall. Thanks for sharing the darling photos of Miss Hazel!
ReplyDeleteThanks!
DeleteAnd yes, first grade. Campbell is also in first, and Indy in Kindergarten.
Blessings on your family 💖🙏
ReplyDeleteThank you!
Delete