Spring Break

The kids are out, this week.  But it was scheduled, and expected.  There's no word on whether their school will open back up afterwards.  Lots of the local schools have announced that they are staying closed and doing distance learning work until...April. 

I feel sorry for the parents that planned for one week, and don't have the flexibility that we have to absorb more with nothing more than frustration with the fighting.*  Lots of folks depend on schools to babysit their sprogs because both of the parents work.  Lots of people are being told to work from home, yes, but many of those are not going to know what to do with the kids that are stuck home with them.  Most kids, if given room and no distractions, can get through an entire week's worth of worksheets and packets in a couple of days--yes, school is slowed down that much by the idea of putting all ability levels of the same age into the same classroom. 

My oldest is spending a couple of nights with his grandma.  My youngest--my clingy, social little girl-child--is home with just me.  So far, we've straightened the entryway (she mopped it with the swiffer mop first--yes, out of order, but it's done); washed her laundry, gotten other laundry sorted to be put away; gotten yet more laundry gathered up to be washed once hers is transferred to the dryer (last load for the day, with a load scheduled for tomorrow, and another one on Wednesday), gotten the dishwasher run, and unloaded; the microwave wiped down on the outside; and some schmutz on the floor soaked down with Windex.**

Why, yes, I'm already pooped and peopled out.  Thanks for noticing.  SHE ISN'T.  AND she's bored and lonely. 

If the kids are out for longer than planned, I will keep them busy.  I have a lot of stuff that's been put off because I've not felt up to doing it that I can use to keep them busy and too mad at me making them do stuff to fight with each other.  

Not to mention, part of what I'm trying to get done is in their best interest: I'm going to make them help me clear out part of the garage to set up for them to use as an art area, so that the art supplies are no longer making a horrendous mess out of my house.

 Right now, though, I'm still working from my Spring Break plans.  Right now, there's no word from their school about extended time away.  Great for mom the introvert, great for my extrovert little pixie.*** 


*And there will be fighting, because our weather this week is terrible, and it's SW MO: next couple of weeks could be awful, great, or disastrous, weather-wise.  Or a mix of all of the above.  

**Schmutz is too dried to clean up without soaking, couldn't find any floor stuff, but like the FlyLady says, "Soap is soap."  

***Eventually, I'm going to have to come up with something different to call her.  The top of the child's head comes up to the bridge of my nose.