School

Another thing that COVID has canceled is the annual school 'open houses'.   During these events, we would get to see the inside of the kids' classrooms, chat with their teachers, and see various projects that they had been doing over the school year.

But of course now no parents can come into the classrooms, and for the second year in a row, we have had no open house.

The kids did bring home to projects, which probably would have normally been hung up for open house, so I will share here.   First Alaina's poem:

And second, Ethan's letter to us:

Meanwhile, our district announced last night that they would not be extending the school day to the pre-covid normal day until perhaps next fall, which is quite irritating.   The kids are all back every day, but for 2/3 time.   Full-time pay however, is going to the teachers.  I am not sure how the educational deficit will every be made whole.   

Easter and Spring Break

This past week was the kids' spring break.   We spent the week up at the cabin.   There was still a fair amount of snow on the ground, so we did some spring skiing most mornings (until it was too slushy). Highs were in the 50s most days, so over the course of the week we certainly watched the snow melt!   At night the temps dropped down below freezing though, so skiing on the snow each morning was more like skiing on refrozen ice cream--until it warmed up each day.    We were lucky to have bluebird skies though--it sure was beautiful!

Sadly, Jason broke his toe a few weeks ago, so unfortunately, he could not cross-country ski, but the kids and I did that too.

  

The Easter bunny managed to find the kids in Tahoe, so the week was fueled by jelly beans and peeps.   We did some repairs around the cabin, and got a bit more organized.  

  

One afternoon we went down to the lake and it was even warm enough for the kids to take off their socks and shoes and play in the sand!

 

  

In-Person Passover

Last night was the first night of Passover.   Because Jason's parents, Aunt Marcy, Brother Jeremy, Jason and I have all been vaccinated, we were able to have an in-person celebration.   It was the first time we stepped foot Gary and Eileen's house in over a year!

Eileen made a quite a feast, and we all enjoyed spending time together.  It happened to be a beautiful spring day as well, which was a treat.

Alaina's enjoyed reading the "four questions" during the Seder, and Ethan made some Matzoh crack as a dessert (which is kind of like a caramel and chocolate coated matzoh).

It felt good to have some slight return to normalcy!

Ethan cooks a family meal

 One of Ethan's classes this trimester is called "life skills".   I have to say, I really appreciate this class because they teach the kids things that most privileged Marin 12 year-olds have never done.   One day they learned how to scrub a toilet.   Another they were instructed on washing and folding clothes.   Ethan, as it turned out, was really amazed by the iron.   He has been using it ever since to press his facemasks before wearing.   Impressive.

Anyhow, last week was the end of the class, and his final project required him to plan and prepare a family dinner. He chose roasted chicken and asparagus.   Though he wasn't able to do it all himself (he flat out refused to clean out the raw chicken), he mostly did..and he made some cupcakes (from scratch) for dessert to boot.

The meal was actually better than expected, and I think the fact that we all enjoyed it gave him confidence.....hopefully enough confidence to keep it up!  

R.I.P. Dot

 Well, it has been a tragic weekend for the Greenberg family.   On Friday morning, Alaina woke up and went to feed Dot before school.   She found the cage closed, but blood and fur all over the door.   She went and got her brother.

Ethan went down to the cage and found Dot alive but bleeding in the bedroom of her hutch.  He called me at work, hysterical.   I was in the middle of starting two really big OR cases...so I did my best to quickly calm him down and told him to go to school.

Later in the day, I texted my dad to tell him the story and he offered to stop by.   He and Paula inspected Dot more closely and found her to her seriously wounded, though still alive.   

By the time I got home that evening, she was nearly lifeless.  By the time Jason got home she was dead.   

Whatever critter got her was seriously aggressive and vicious.   It reached through the bars of her cage, I assume while she was sleeping.   (Why she was not sleeping in her enclosed "bedroom" I will never know.)   Guessing it was a raccoon, fox or coyote.  Still I am shocked that the predator was able to do so much damage through a cage.  Ugh,  what a way to go.   

The kids are heartbroken, and have been intermittently crying all weekend.  I have to admit, though she was not my favorite, I have been pretty sad too.  Poor thing was only 4 months old.

Here is a poem Alaina wrote about Dot in school just last week:

We offer the kids to bury her in the backyard, but Alaina was adamantly against it.   Instead, they are making a little memorial area for her, near where her cage was.

So, our first foray into having a family pet did not go well.   

Pandemic Parenting

Parenting in the pandemic while working in healthcare has been interesting to say the least. Wendy Stead, an Infectious Disease Physician at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, published this poignant piece in JAMA Network that captures so much of it.  One of my colleagues shared it with me at work, and I had to save it.

An Essential Worker's List of Pandemic Chores for the Kids

by Wendy Stead, MD

Sorry I had to leave before you woke up.

You’re right, it isn’t fair.

Please empty the dishwasher today. And brush your teeth.

Remember to feed the dog. He will die if no one remembers

to do this.

Do your homework. And not just as fast as you can.

Do your laundry. And if you can’t, at least pick it up off your

floor.

Be kind to each other. You are each other’s best friends

though you don’t believe this yet.

Crying doesn’t make you weak. Some men think this. Don’t

believe them.

It’s OK to lose the game. It’s more important to try your best.

But if you must throw your bat down in disgust,

walk away so your teammates won’t see.

Sometimes a leader needs to stay calm so everyone

else knows it will be OK.

Take out the trash. And change the trash bag after,

because if I throw something in there and there’s no trash

bag, that’s annoying.

Keep being funny. Especially keep dancing because it is

really funny. You got that from your dad.

Wash your hands. In this strange time, cover your face when

you go out.

This will make others feel better than your beautiful smiles.

Don’t touch or hug anyone. Eventually forget I said this.

If everything works out, it won’t be true anymore.

But still wash your hands.

At work I’m called essential. It’s a gift to be essential to you.

Though perhaps I am neither. A strange comfort while

the dead pile up.

You are now stronger than your parents.

I am a silly T-rex chasing you around our kitchen.

I am deep thoughts on post-it notes in your lunch box.

I’m sorry I had to leave today.

I love you loved you will always love you,

Mom

Spring-time refresh

 Look at our beautiful nectarine tree.   Spring is coming!  They days are getting longer and warmer.   As a plus our county has moved into the "red" covid zone, meaning a few things are opening back up (not more school though yet, unfortunately).   It feels like (maybe) a glimmer of hope.   It has almost been a year now since we 'shut down'.  Wow.

In other news our bunny Dot is growing like a weed.   We were told she would be a 'dwarf' bunny, but looking at her now, I am not so sure!