The things little girls do when they’re bored. Those are stick-on earrings that Ella got tired of using, so she put them all over Zoe’s face.

Anyway, I again looked up phrases to see if I could find something good for the number 23, and oh my goodness, who knew there was so much wrapped up in that number? Check out these incredible facts.

That might explain what an odd Week 23 it was, but for no reason that seems to fit those facts, thankfully. The week started out with an eye doctor appointment for me, since my husband makes fun of me for tilting my head back to read the computer screen I stare at all day long. My glasses are from a 2018 prescription, and while I’ve gotten 2 other prescriptions (and frames) since then, no one can seem to get my prescription right.

It hasn’t helped that I’ve been trying to fix a hands-on problem remotely, as my glasses store has been closed for the pandemic. Plus, I have been in very few buildings since March, by choice. But on this past Monday, I braved an opthamologist appointment, because I really need to be able to see.

When I booked the appointment, I asked if I could wait in my car instead of their waiting room. They said yes, but when I tried to call to check in, I was on hold for 12 minutes… So I braved the stairs up to the 5th floor and arrived for the health screening.

Worker: “Are you having any respiratory issues?”

Me: “Well, I just took 10 flights of stairs in a mask to get up here, but other than that, no.” (she chuckled)

Two and a half hours later, after clutching my bag and holding my breath in a full but socially distanced waiting room and three exam rooms, I bolted out of there (down the stairs), happy to have a new prescription. I got home to realize there was NO WAY this prescription was right. When I called to let them know, they asked if I could come back in… I guess there’s no other way to figure out the RIGHT prescription. I said yes, but NOT for 2.5 hours, and two days later they really did get me in and out in 12 minutes as their first appointment of the day. I sure hope this one works.

But most importantly, our girls ‘started’ school last week! We officially have a 5th grader and a kindergartener. Woot! Our first day was supposed to be on Tuesday, which technically it was, but here’s how that went:

We got an email with a Zoom link and instructions to login to Schoology, our new learning platform. For the record, I thought it was “School-ology” (it’s not) and pronounced it that way. Ella now corrects me every time I say it correctly. Ha!

Our Zoom link was sent on Friday for a webinar with the principal at 1 pm on Tuesday, with an undisclosed length. Rest of the day? 15 minutes? Who knew? We, of course, showed up (and it was about 45 minutes). Bless our principal. She did her best, only forgetting to share her screen for the first few minutes of one tech walkthrough, until she noticed the chats saying that we couldn’t see what she was talking about.

I am NOT poking fun. I can’t believe how well our tiny public school has come together to create an experience for these kids and try to help us parents feel like this virtual school will be manageable.

On Tuesday and Wednesday we had a checklist, provided by the school with activities for the kids to complete for their first two days. Zoe picked up that assignment and ran with it. Ella, though she can ‘read’ could not possibly have read that checklist. So while one intro call from the principal on Tuesday and one with their teacher on Wednesday were welcome events, we basically ended up with very active homeschooling duties on those days.

On Thursday, instruction started. We considered this the “First Day of School”, and prior to my first work call of the day, I ran the girls outside for our annual photoshoot!

My favorite of the two of them is the second one above, where Ella looks discombobulated. She insists that she brushed her hair and refused a ponytail, which resulted in a look (and attitude) that very much fits our pandemic experience.

Our school spent a chunk of the week helping with tech issues, which our principal responded to personally and quickly, and by the end of the day Friday, we had gotten access to everything we needed. That’s a win!

I have no idea how Ella’s teacher will ever be able to wrangle her attention on an iPad. Ironically, when she’s doing what she WANTS to do on that device, it’s impossible to pull her attention away. I’m sure we’ll all hit our groove, and I’m certain we’re going to need to supplement Ella’s learning. But hey, I feel thankful that we CAN do that, and my heart goes out to families struggling with tech and time way more than we are.

On the non-school front, we had a low-key week. Our after-school program consisted of checkins on their Zoom instruction time, a few walks, and lots and lots of Lego time. We had some pool time two days last week, as it was in the mid-90s every day, and our inflatable pool was back in action. Then it deflated. Oops? Good news = it’s actually possible to buy one online now, and for a reasonable price! Plus, these 90-degree days are not over…

On the craft front, Zoe crocheted an entire scarf, all by herself!!

She was so impressed with herself that she crocheted another one for her friend’s birthday. And it turns out that I am out of control… My friend Kim introduced me to the Bernat blanket yarn you see above, which is thick and soft and so easy to work with that I have now crocheted 9 scarves and even a small blanket for Ella, which she sleeps with every night.

Someone asked me “Where do you find the time?” I simply can’t sit still, and when I DO sit still, I need something to do with my hands. So I crochet by the light of a selfie ring my sister gave me for my birthday as we watch mindless TV (or last week, the DNC). I’m sure it’s also saving hundreds of dollars by keeping my fingers away from Amazon.com.

On Sunday I got some virtual sewing time with Oma, my brother-in-law’s mom, who is a fabulous seamstress. She gave me some much-needed advice. So far my sewing has been “from the hip”, but I’m taking on a new pattern for a romper that Zoe picked out, which is very intimidating to me… While I didn’t work more on that on Sunday, I did cut out two more A-line dresses for the girls and assembled Zoe’s on Sunday night.

Yes, her hair is wet. I made her (asked her nicely to?) put it on after she’d been out in the pool. What you can’t tell is that her hem is fashionably, and accidentally, asymmetrical. Still cute. I might be hopeless.

Next weekend we’ll be celebrating Zoe’s 10th birthday (it’s officially on September 1, but we’re being proactive). We have a plan, and I will of course blog about it, but wish us luck!

Stay safe out there. And whether or not you’re dealing with school, I hope you’ve hit your groove and are finding ways to stay positive. It’s a journey!