Grateful Friday

Yesterday I did my final check out of my classroom.  I can't believe what better shape I'll be in this fall compared to last fall.  For example:  I know what's inside all the cupboards.

I added some polka dots to the said dark brown and gloomy cupboards:

Also Mark went with me and brought his tool box.  It was hot in my classroom and the stuff he was building was not easy, but he is awesome.  The Legos were a good investment.

The child can build stuff and he is a willing helper.

Here's the finished product:

This replaces a bulky dark brown cupboard with lots of unusable space in it.  I sent it packing and I don't miss it a bit.

Cheerful and useful storage is my love language.  I'm grateful for Mark with his good natured helpfulness and native handyman abilities.

I was also grateful last night for the fireworks show the Alpine School district put on last night in honor of the graduating seniors.  For ten minutes fireworks burst over every high school in the district.  From our deck you could see five fireworks shows and two more besides if you peeked over obstacles.  It was fun to see where the high schools are in relation to us and each other and also it felt like a nice tribute.

Summer time

Yesterday I had 6 hours of online professional development and also our end of year faculty picnic.

So highs and lows.

The online training was about as thrilling as you'd expect.  At least I did it with my friends.  The third grade team always meets in my classroom because they say it's the cleanest.  Right now all our rooms are equally clean with all the end of the year loose ends tied up, but I guess old habits die hard.

We stopped for lunch and had an end of year teacher slideshow that made me want to cry because I love my job and my school and the people I work with so much.  I felt very fortunate to be where I was.

(I was trying to remember why I didn't go to the faculty end of year party last year as an aide and I remembered. I was in the hospital, with Mark.  I liked this year better.)

We ate our lunches out on the lawn in clumps of chairs and the third grade teachers ended up with the second grade teachers and we talked about all the things.

We dragged ourselves out of the sunshine and back into my classroom.  By then the AC had been turned off (it only runs in the morning during the summer months) and the temperature crept up in equal measure to our eyes getting heavy.

I fished some quarters out of my bag and went to the faculty lounge to try out the brand new soda machine.

It took my money but didn't deliver a soda.

And it wouldn't relinquish my coins.

I checked the thermometer in my room and it was 78 degrees.  Perfect weather for studying the new science standards we are going to be teaching....

Mark arrived inexplicably.  A few days before I had talked to him about helping me in my classroom but I didn't mean yesterday.  I was doing my training yesterday.  He had been asleep when I left home in the morning and then there he was.  I gave him some cash and told him to go get me a soda.  He happily complied (and got one for himself which surprised exactly no one).

There was a stream of teachers coming in and out of my room.  Miriam, the PE teacher, Nicole, a 4th grade teacher, and Jamie, the instructional coach stopped in to chat.  Lauren, a 1st grade teacher popped her head in and asked Jamie if she still had sodas in the fridge in her office.  Jamie said yes.

I said, "I had my teenage son go get me one."

Lauren said, "I don't have a teenage son."

I gestured to the corner where Mark was listening to his headphones and said, "You can use mine."

But Jamie had a soda for Lauren and we got back to our training.

Later, because miracles haven't ceased, I was finally able to go to IKEA to pick up some things I'd ordered for my classroom.  (Every day I would try online to set a time to pick them up and every day I would get the message that they were full for the day.)

Adam and I went to IKEA and grabbed dinner and anytime I do anything with Adam, it's a good day. We talked about the day and a supreme court podcast he likes and the news.

We got home in time for the senior parade.  People in our ward with trucks had the families of graduates in the back and we lined the streets with noise makers.  Horns were honking and we all waved happily to each other.  We live close but we haven't necessarily seen everyone.  Some YW leaders brought up the rear with an ice cream truck which was a decorated ATV.

We read scriptures on the deck and started the brain teaser we do every summer night about when we should turn off the AC and open the windows.  No one wants to be the one who thought it was time to open the windows and then the temperature inside climbs.  Ask me how I know.

It feels like summer is really and truly upon us.

I like it here

Since Mark has more or less resumed his social life (sans anything school or work related), we decided to read scriptures before he begins his evening activities.  Mostly because I go to bed early.

One night last week Mark's friend Marek was on his way over.  I told Adam, "We haven't read yet."

Adam said, "We can do it after Marek gets here."  Then he paused,  "Do we know, is he a member of the church?"

I had no idea.

When Marek arrived, before they headed to the basement, Adam said, "We'll read scriptures later, Mark."

Mark said, "OK."

Marek said to Mark, "You guys do Come Follow Me?"

That answered that question.

Jackson arrived too and before I went to bed, we called Mark upstairs.  All three boys trooped up and pulled out their phones and turned to the scriptures.

It is a pleasant little grove we live in.

Yesterday

My aunt posted this picture on Facebook.  My grandma goes to the cemetery on Memorial Day.  The end.

My uncle Richard and my grandma, standing by my grandpa's grave

I pulled out some summer stuff.

Adam and I got more flooring samples + I got more confused about flooring samples.

Adam and Mark built me another cage to keep squirrels out of my garden boxes and I planted a zucchini plant and have a tomato waiting on the counter for the other cage to be repaired.

We went to three stores to get more netting for the cage.

We couldn't find any.

I think this is why we have a never ending chore list.

Memorial Day Weekend

Usually, we would be gathering at cemeteries in the Salt Lake Valley today, remembering our kindred dead.  Even though that isn't the plan, it's still in my heart.  My grandma is in my heart and the stories she has told me.

Emma and I went and visited her Thursday in honor of her 93 birthday.  It seems like a really bad idea to visit a 93 year old during this pandemic, but earlier in the week, I had been in her neighborhood and not stopped by.

She called me and said, "I'm not happy with you!"

It is the first time I've ever heard those words come out of her mouth and let me tell you, they made an impact.

I sputtered that I didn't think she'd want a visit and she insisted she did.

So Emma and I went.  We wore masks and sat across the room and neither hugged nor kissed nor got remotely close to Grandma.

Yesterday we had the distinctive honor of being dinner guests at Braeden and Anna's.  They made pizza, having perfected their crust recipe and method.  They even tinkered with a recipe Adam had made up and their modification was a good one.  After dinner we took a walk on the lovely tree lined Provo streets.  They are heading to Logan today to visit Anna's grandma.  Braeden asked us what we were doing today and we said we were doing chores around our house.

Braeden said he was glad that didn't involve him.  He said, "We did our chores Saturday."

We said, "So did we."

I guess we have more chores.

It hasn't been all work and no play though.  We watched Jane Eyre this weekend.  More of the family canon we're introducing Mark to.  As Emma said, "Those Brontes don't pull any punches do they?"

During our first night of viewing, Mark said something about Mr. Rochester having a wife.

Emma texted us this:

Because sometimes you text when you're sitting next to someone on the couch.

Grateful Friday

Yesterday we had a reverse parade at the school.  The teachers lined the street and the students drove by, waving good-bye.  There was lots of furious waving and smiling.  Janelle said after awhile, "My smile muscles are getting sore."  But we loved every minute.

First of all, elementary teachers are my people.

This is just who was immediately by us, there were a lot more sights to be seen.  One of the fifth grade teachers brought a huge sound system and drum set and he played the drums the entire time.

I observed the teachers and the efforts they had gone to and I felt proud to be numbered among them.

Then my heart started parading on past.

I can't tell if I'm more in love with that little face or the adoring look his mom is giving him.

My sweet sweet kiddos.  I was robbed of time with them.  That is all.

There were a few of my students drive by that I didn't get a picture of.  There were a few of them who I haven't seen on any online meetings and who didn't come to the parade and I feel doubly robbed.  I need closure, but alas.

I love my job.

I'm grateful I get to do something that I love so much.

I'm grateful that I get to rub shoulders with stellar teachers and a caring administration.

I'm grateful for sweet children to read good books to and to love and to teach.

Emma's hair

Nola and I dropped Emma off at Joelyn's and went looking at flooring and tile samples.  (Flooring for me, tile for her.)  We have similar taste and found the same things untenable and the same things pretty.  It's sort of nice to spend an hour determining the level of grey, brown, blue, pink, gold in a piece of wood or tile.  I brought home two wood samples to show Adam and he didn't like either one.  He said, "I trust you to pick whatever you want."

Feels contradictory....

But he usually likes what I end up with so we'll proceed.

Anyway, this post is supposed to be about Emma.

The coloring was a success.  Joelyn is good at what she does.  This is the picture Emma posted on Instagram.  My children with their tiniest flair for drama....

Mark approved the color.

Update

Today students are turning in Chromebooks and we are giving them the contents of their desks in exchange.

My fellow 3rd grade teachers and I are wearing matching t-shirts (I bought two for each of us.  It got away from me.  I don't want to talk about, but I did ask them, "Hasn't it always been your dream for us to have our entire wardrobes matching?")

Although it may rain so we'll have jackets on.  No one will even know we are wearing one of our two matching shirts.

Later today Emma is getting her hair dyed a natural shade of red.  I said, "Do you want to look like Mark?"

She said, "No, Talia and Anna."

Actually, first she wanted to try her hand at dying her own hair pink.  This is what happens when a 21 year old is quarantined with her parents apparently.  She asked me if I thought it was a good idea.  So many times no.

I suggested I would take her to Joelyn who is my hairdresser that I love.  (Also, I cut Emma's hair a little while ago in my shoddy style so I think I owe her a good haircut.) Emma said yes to that but she wants dyed hair. So Joelyn is on board.  She and Emma have been texting back and forth.

I will post a picture tomorrow.  2/3 of my children will be gingers.  3/4 counting Anna.

Last night Emma discovered out dishwasher was leaking water.  I said, "Well, we need to call a repairman."

Adam got down on the floor and started tinkering.  "Get me a Philips head screwdriver?" he asked.

"Just call a repairman," I said.

"There's the problem," Adam said, shining his phone flashlight underneath the dishwasher.  "Do you want to see?"

"No," I said, surveying him lying on the (let's face it, not clean) kitchen floor.  "Just call a repairman."

I went upstairs to read an Adam eventually joined me, and he made an appointment with a repairman.

This morning he told me, "I fixed the dishwasher."  That man has a whole rich life he lives while I go to bed early.  Sometimes he goes for a drive.  He reads.  He watches Scandinavian Noir movies.  Sometimes he fixes the dishwasher.

I've been working in my classroom.  Organizing and sorting and scheming and dreaming.  I truly love all of it.  An entire room to decorate and arrange and organize and rearrange and tinker with.

Yesterday we had a meeting (online) with the 2nd grade teachers and they told us our preliminary class lists and told us about the students.  So now I have an idea what to expect.

Fingers crossed we are in the classroom in August!

I'm fine. It's fine. Everything's fine.

We're wrapping up the grade battles.  Mark's view is:  just take the pass.  My view is:  no way.

It hasn't been as fun as it sounds.

Also, his grades have improved dramatically since he and I have been home together.  I don't know if you should feel more sorry for me or him in this circumstance.

I made Mark email his teachers if he "didn't know" what to do to improve his grade.  (Is this when I become a Tiger Mother?)  Mark's teacher emailed this back after Mark said his parents wouldn't let him take a pass.  I may have never felt so validated.

So now we're embarking on the summer school portion of the fun.  Mark's grades in two classes last fall were abysmal, which happens when you don't go to class.  (Life hack:  go to class.)

So he has a semester each in two classes that he is retaking online. (You can guess whose idea that was, mine or his.)  He also didn't want to take English 12 and the English 12 teacher at good old PGHS is one Braeden and Emma both had and I decided then that another child of mine would take a class from her over my cold dead body.  Pleasant Grove: great for performing arts, not for English.

So he's taking English 12 online this summer too.

Please keep us in your thoughts during this difficult time.

Here's the thing.  My one amiable and easily entreated child is grown up and married.

Mark and I had a round of battles at the kitchen table yesterday morning.  Then I went in Emma's room for moral support and to decompress.

She asked, "He's more stubborn than I am, isn't he?"

"Yes," I said. "And how is that even possible?!?"

Besides being stubborn, Mark is also very smart and very careless and very sweet.  Let's hope resilient too.  Let's hope we're both resilient.

Or we'll never survive this summer.

Early bird makes an exception

Saturday was a pleasant day of errands and tasks and then we got burgers and had a little picnic with our favorite newlyweds.  We called it celebrating the end of school and Mark's completion of his AP exam but then Anna told us she found out she got a full tuition scholarship so we celebrated that too.  (Is there anything happier than having your children marry well?)

By the time we got home it wasn't necessarily an early enough evening to start, but we decided to watch more of Pride and Prejudice.  Just a bit more.

Then we kept watching until 11:30.

I have always been a go to bed early and get up early type of girl with a brief stint of staying up later when I was in college.

11:30 is waaaay past my bedtime these days but it was Pride and Prejudice!

When we reached the happy and satisfying conclusion of the movie and Mark remarked with satisfaction that Mr. Darcy was "not a simp," and Emma decided the character she most identified with was Kitty who went to hide whenever she didn't want to see whoever was visiting.  We sat around joyfully reminiscing like we'd just attended a wonderful party.

The kids were shocked that it was so late and I was still there.  Mark said, "I kept thinking you were going to say you had to go to bed."

Every party has a pooper....

A few minutes after I was upstairs, I remembered that I had laundry in the washing machine.  Our children had both dribbled dinner on their clothes so I had started a load when we got home.  Eating messy burgers in a park causes mishaps even when you're 17 and 21 apparently.

I went to the basement and Mark was concerned, "Mom!  What are you doing?"  (Did he think sleepwalking?)

I told him about the laundry.

He said, "I'm surprised you're still standing."

"You know I'd do anything for my children," I said in my best long suffering voice as I pulled their clothes out of the washing machine.  He kissed the top of my head.

Truthfully, I guess I'd do anything for Pride and Prejudice.  Including staying up way too late.

Grateful Friday

The whole coronavirus COVID 19 thing is kind of awful.  I don't like the uncertainty and suffering and fear that people are feeling.  I don't like that I can't be in the classroom with my students.  I love those kids and I feel like I was robbed of some of my time with them.  I don't like the ways my children's education has been limited.  I know that we're lucky and it's not been limited by much, but it still hasn't been the same.

On the other hand, there are things to be grateful about.  Here are a few things I have time for because of the virus:

1- more reading time

It is such a gift!

2- unscheduled evenings

Unless you count our movie nights.  It is wonderful that no one has anywhere to be every. Single. Night.

3- piano

I have been practicing a little every day.  Like Elizabeth Bennet, I play very ill indeed, but I am enjoying it.

4- Emma is home

She would have still been in Provo all this time and I only would have seen her on Sundays for a few hours.  I prefer this.

5- Little projects

I have organized the hot mess that is my school google drive.  I have cleaned up my word documents and computer desktop.  I am working on culling photos.  I decided to sew a blanket out of some scraps of Seahawks fleece Olivia gave me years ago.  The blanket is in no way symmetrical.  My sewing has a certain Picasso flair.

The family canon

Since our governor said it was OK, we have started letting Mark have the occasional friend over.  The other night that was the case and the rest of us decided to watch Pride and Prejudice.  There was some discussion about which one but decided on the Colin Firth one and I maintained that the Kiera Knightly one was way too short and cut out too much good stuff.  I feel pretty neutral about the newest Masterpiece Theater one.

As we were watching and Mr. Darcy was in the bathtub, Emma or Adam, I don't know which one, said something about him being in water a lot in the movie between that and the lake scene.  Emma said that we could distinguish between the movies by calling them the Dry Darcy and the Wet Darcy.

Emma also decided Braeden was Mr. Bingley and Mark was more of a Mr. Darcy.  "But who does that make me?  Caroline Bingley?"

I told her she could be Georgiana Darcy and she was much happier with that suggestion.

Yesterday afternoon, for "homework" we told Mark he had to watch the first part of Pride and Prejudice to get caught up to where we were.  Adam said, "It is part of our Family Canon and you have to watch it."

Mark sent us this:

That actress was in Persuasion too.

Mark is embracing the family canon.

We watched a few more hours last night.  I love Pride and Prejudice on a cellular level and sharing it with Mark made me happy.  He is reluctant to admit it, but I think he likes it too.

Emma said it was "on brand" for Elizabeth Bennet to enter scenes with a few running steps when she's outside walking.  On one walk, when Mr. Darcy approached horseback, Mark said, "Can I interest you in an insult in these trying times?"

I would have been happy to keep watching but Mark was done and Emma said she had homework.

I said that was feeble excuse.

I mean, it's part of the family canon.

Of good report

I am just tiiiiired of this.

I like plans that you can count on, not projections that no one really knows are accurate.  I'm tired of politics and lectures and conspiracy theories and animosity all related to this virus.

So today, here's what I'm happy about that has nothing to do with any of that.

Yesterday I had a quick google meet with one of my students.  At the end we were signing off and she said, "Oh, wait!"

"Yes?"

"I hope you had a good Mother's Day," she said earnestly.

Another student emailed me the other day saying, "You are so sweet."

They loved the book I just finished reading them, Tuesdays at the Castle and I loved seeing their comments and emojis in response.

I love organizing my classroom and dreaming and scheming about next year.  I will do a better job.  I know more.  I will be more prepared.  (I just need students.)

I love deck sitting weather.

I love the green green valley.

I love taking walks with Adam (we're about to leave as soon as I am finished).

I love all the birds in our yard (and I'm glad none of them have been suicidal lately and flown into our window.

I love that Mark moved my prism to the highest window that doesn't have blinds on it.  Rainbows and sunshine.

That's what I seek.

Hair cut!

It's pretty exciting.

It's been awhile.

Sunday Marianne texted that Desi had curled Hyrum's hair so "he would look like one of the Davis boys."

I took a picture of Mark to show her just what she was trying to achieve.

He had had an allergy attack and took Benadryl then had a nap and that is why he looks like he just took Benadryl and woke up from a nap.

That hair though.

Yesterday he went to Great Clips which is now open!

Hurray for Great Clips!

(I made sure he tipped them because it couldn't have been easy cutting that mop!)

Mother's Day

For Mother's Day I wanted:

1- To make zero decisions

2- To take a walk

3- Everyone here for dinner

4- Brownie sundaes



I got everything I asked for.  A few times my "you have to because it's Mother's Day" crossed over into Adam saying, "Wait, are you making a decision?"

We went to BYU campus which is a beautiful ghost town and took a walk.  We saw baby ducks swimming in a stream and very very few people.

Braeden and Anna, who have been quarantining hard core because Anna was exposed to someone at work who tested positive for coronavirus (even though he had zero symptoms), came for dinner.  We social distanced and mostly were on the deck.  (Except for when a violent and short lived windstorm swept through and we ran into the house.  Then it was over and we went back outside.) It was wonderful to see them.

Adam cooked a terrific dinner; steak and green beans and caprese salad.  The brownie sundaes were worth it.

Whatever it was.

The kids all gave me books.

This from Braeden and Anna.

It has been on my to be read list forever and I am excited to read it.  From one introvert to another, Anna understands me.

Mark and Emma gave me Newbery winners, which are always winning gifts.  Emma attached hints to the outside of the wrapped packages.

And...

I don't know if her hints or Mark's poem delighted me more.  He wrote me:

Roses are red

Violets are blue

Mark's mom's favorite

This much is true

Being married to Adam and being their mother is my favorite.

Grateful Friday

I am grateful for motherhood and mothers.

My mom is amazing.  She is a force for good in the world.  She stares down trouble with faith and optimism and she has way more confidence in her children than we probably deserve.  She is constantly looking for ways to serve and help her children and grandchildren and she adopts people into her realm of care that need her as well. I remember visiting people with her when I was growing up.  Again and again we visited a widower who was lonely, a woman in poor health.  My mom would bring her homemade bread or rolls and cheer.  I remember waiting in the car while she delivered food to a newly widowed mother.  Her brand of goodness is imprinted on my mind of what a righteous woman is.  It's hard to live up to, but I appreciate the example.

She is an irreplaceable role model for me and I'll always be grateful to her.

There are many mothers I appreciate though.

I'm grateful to Geri for raising a fantastic son.  I'm grateful for the grandmother she is to our children.  They love her and feel loved by her.  She plans for fun and it happens.

I'm grateful for our grandmothers and our grandmothers' mothers and all the strong women we are descended from who made choices that brought me to be born in a land of opportunity and happiness.

I'm grateful to my sisters.  We are in the trenches of motherhood together and talking to them about all the things is the ultimate judgement free zone where I get empathy and good ideas and reality checks.

I'm grateful to my friends who have been shining examples of motherhood.

I'm grateful for the women who have mothered our children:  the primary teachers and seminary teachers and YW leaders and camp leaders.  I'm grateful to the school teachers (drama teachers! Emma's French teacher!) who have wrapped our children in a loving safe place where they can learn and be themselves and have fun.

I'm grateful for the women that mothered Braeden on his mission.  I can't think about Stella and Rebecca who stayed with Braeden in the hospital while he was so far away without tears filling my eyes.

I'm grateful for Amy, Anna's stellar mother.  She raised a fabulous daughter who blesses our family.

Finally, I'm grateful I get to be a mother.  It's not easy and sometimes it feels like the worst.  Mostly though, it feels like the gift that it is.

May 2010

Even after 47 years

Yesterday afternoon I asked Mark to empty the dishwasher and he said he had to do his accounting class.  I commandeered the microphone and told my mom that I wanted her to know that Mark needed to empty the dishwasher but he said he couldn't because of accounting so I was going to do it myself at great personal sacrifice.

My mom said she appreciated me letting Mark do his accounting class.

As I was emptying the dishwasher I remembered a story my roommate Jamee told me one time about her teenage brother on Thanksgiving.  Jamee's mom had been cooking all day (and probably the preceding days as well). She asked Jamee's brother to take the garbage out and he sighed deeply and said that it was his vacation and he was "just trying to relax."

So good news moms everywhere.  Your kids are still bratty when they are 47 years old.

(And I really do appreciate my mom teaching Mark accounting.)

Lost day

Yesterday I had a whole plan.  That is nothing new; I often have a whole plan because I love to plan.  Also, it was nothing new that my plan didn't work out because that is often the case.

But yesterday was a lost day.

Another migraine.  Which was too soon after the last one.  So I won't really write about the awfulness because who wants to read that?  There were some good things:

Everyone was really kind to me.  Adam and Emma and Mark checked on me and took care of me and were kind.

I got an appointment with my chiropractor.  That rarely happens on the same day and it really helped. (And Adam drove me there which also helped.)

Since I had planned to go to my classroom to work, I had recorded the videos in advance so I didn't need to do that yesterday.  I did log in a few time to check email from my students.  One wrote wondering why the school had taken away his free MP3 player and I had no idea what he was talking about so I referred him to the school district help desk.  That feels like a good response in such cases. Another student wrote that it was his dad's birthday.  I did know what to say to that one.  I even sent emojis.

It was perfect deck sitting weather in the evening.

I got out of watching yet another Pirates of the Caribbean movie.  The first one is fine.  They get longer and more tangential as they go. (Ask me how I know.) And our kids love them.

So even a lost migraine day has its perks.

Ten things that matter

Yesterday Marie Louise texted and asked how we were doing.  We're...just doing.  Nothing too interesting.  Nothing terrible.  Nothing exciting.  Nothing new.

It's easy to forget what day it is and why anything matters.

So for the sake of remembering this bizarre time, here's what is mattering to me.

1. bright color out the window

It is past its blossoming prime and the leaves are taking over but it has been beautiful.  I love catching glimpses of intense purple out windows.  Also, I love the bluebirds.  They flit outside my office window, parading their pretty blue color.  May is starting to be a bit of a show off.

2. discovering a new series

Adam found it which is always the case.  He's the source of good things.  We've been watching The English Game (on Netflix) and we all four love it.

3. taking walks

I seriously love taking walks.  Especially with other people.  Adam went with me yesterday and it was delightful to me.

4. reading with Mark

We read scriptures together in the morning and have silent reading time together after lunch.  It is cozy and wonderful.

5. the deck furniture is on the deck again

My happy place.

6. the New York Times crossword

Emma and Adam and I sit side by side and solve it together on my laptop.  Emma types and we all fire answers at her.  We're not a bad crossword team.  Emma knows the French words, Adam knows the Supreme Court and sports stuff, I know synonyms.

7. recording lessons is wrapping up

I want it to be over because it's just kind of a hassle.  I'm ready for the next school year to start. (Not literally ready, emotionally ready--except I still want my same class.)  I want to be a teacher in a classroom.  (If you say there's going to be a resurgence and we will need to teach online again I will walk away from you and pretend I didn't hear you.)

8. having the sacrament at home

I love it.  It feels more meaningful to me and our house feels lighter and the simple joy and peace of the Gospel are real.

9. May

The weather is perfect.  We need neither our heat nor AC.  Everything is green except the flowers and the sky is blue, blue, blue.

10. Stephanie

I asked her to record dance instruction for my class--for all the third grade--because we were supposed to have a dance festival this spring.  She immediately said yes and her videos were fantastic.  She is fantastic.

Google meet

Friday I met with my class in a virtual meeting.  There were 15-16 of them there.  I didn't count, plus some of them kept popping in and out.

I was in our classroom and it made the students sad.  They kept saying they wanted to go back to school and they wondered what day they were going to be able to go back.  I told them not until August.

I said, "You'll be going to 4th grade then though."

One girl asked, "All of us?  4th grade?"

"All of you."

Some of them seemed legitimately surprised and mad about that and it made me wonder if their parents hadn't told them.

I made them all mute themselves because of all the crying/screaming siblings in the background. (Seriously, is that how your house is all the time?!? Because no wonder you want to come back to school.)  If they wanted to say something they could type it.

I had previously sent them and their parents all pictures of some lost and found jackets in the classroom but few parents responded.  When I held them up to the camera, they all disagreed hotly about whose was whose.

I gave up and moved on to water bottles.  I was able to get definitive answers on 2 bottles and arguments about the rest.

I reminded them that Mother's Day was coming up and mostly they were shocked.  They unmuted themselves to share their dismay except for one straitlaced boy who was usually the one I left in charge if I had to leave the classroom.  He stayed muted.

One girl said, "I had no idea!"

They asked over and over, "What day is it?"

It is clearly up to the dads this year.  The dads may not even realize how much they've been relying on schools sending home cards and gifts.

I told my class that I was a mother so I was the expert and I knew what they should give their mothers.

1- help with something

2- write a letter

I said, "Don't just say 'you're awesome and I love you'.  Be specific.  Tell them specifically why you love them. Name a reason."

They looked serious and thoughtful.  One of them asked, "Now when is Mother's Day again?"

I had had a plan for them to write a story for their mothers with their mothers starring as a superhero.

I had lots of plans.

Speaking of Mother's Day, I talked to Braeden Saturday and he told me that he and Anna had a panicked thought that the next day was Mother's Day and they weren't prepared.  They scrambled to get ready.  Braeden had talked to Geri that day and wished her a happy Mother's Day.  She said, "You know it's not until next week, right?"

He was relieved but a little embarrassed.  He said, "But now we're all ready for next week!"

Sunday morning Emma came in my office where I reading and said, "Happy Mother's Day."

I said, "It's next Sunday."

Later, Mark came in.  We'd already had a few conversations including but not limited to me asking him if he wanted toast, him saying no, me making toast for him anyway.  I seriously forget to listen to the answer when I ask questions sometimes.

Mark came in my office though and kissed me on the top of the head and said, "Happy Mother's Day. I'm sorry I forgot before and didn't say anything."

"It isn't Mother's Day!"

He said, "Oh, well I heard Emma earlier."

So if all my kids forget next Sunday that it's Mother's Day, I guess we already celebrated.

Grateful Friday

Yesterday and today I should have been at Women's Conference at BYU.  I had my days off all approved and a substitute in place.

Rats.

I love BYU Women's Conference and I know they're streaming parts of it but it isn't the same without trying to keep up with my long legged sisters as they stride across campus and visiting with them and my mom and my aunt and cousins.

It isn't the same.

And my friend Erin was going to be there too!  We were roommates at BYU and we could have relived our glory days!

I saw that the deaths in the United States from Covid-19 have surpassed the deaths of Americans in the Vietnam War.

(Then I read on Facebook the crazy pants people calling the whole thing a hoax because it's an election year and I think, "Why do I even ever go on Facebook?!?")

So me missing Women's Conference isn't the worst thing ever (considering all the people that are truly suffering.)

Emma and I took a walk the other day and she lamented about the financial hole she is still in from her trip to France.  She was hoping to earn a lot of money this spring as a door manager and box office worker at the theater.

I reminded her that at least she has a safety net.  Independent girl said, "But I don't want to rely on a you and Dad.  I want to work!"

I get it.

At the same time, I feel really grateful that the worst effect this has had on us is frustration and inconvenience and disappointment.

I know a lot of people have it worse.

(And I got to take a walk on a sunny spring morning with Emma.  The coronavirus giveth and the coronavirus taketh away.)