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  1. In Memory of LAJ_FETT: Please share your remembrances and condolences HERE

JCC Coronavirus Escape Pod (Vent/Emotional Support/Share/Homeschool Help!))

Discussion in 'Community' started by Luke02, Mar 20, 2020.

  1. darthhelinith

    darthhelinith Force Ghost star 6

    Registered:
    Feb 10, 2009
    My husband has done a pretty decent job in keeping my undercut trimmed. The rest I've just let grow.
     
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  2. Luke02

    Luke02 Chosen One star 6

    Registered:
    Sep 19, 2002
    Well I work at a high school @LAJ_FETT so bluntly we don't worry about "child care" however the administration understands that many of our students have siblings/relatives in our feeder schools (elementary) therefore we are linking up our bell schedule to match the grammar schools plus they are trying to sync siblings to be on the schedule of when they are in school on the same weeks as well. Breaking up by week was also done to help parents as well so it's easier for them to plan which is why they are doing this at elementary schools around us as well.

    We will just see how it goes as a lot of adjustments will be made as we go along. I listen to a doctor from the Mayo Clinic who is kinda leading everything who says despite it all they feel much better how to diagnose/treat it now then they did four months ago and it his belief that they will take a massive step forward with that within the next four months as well and hopefully a even bigger step four months from then. So perhaps PERHAPS my superintendent's dream of us all being together this upcoming school year even if it's just for the last month will come true. It be a miracle and there is nothing wrong with hoping for a miracle but as Brad Pitt as Dr. Fauci said on SNL, "a miracle would be great, who does not love a miracle...but even Sully tried to land the plane first." :cool:
     
  3. Runjedirun

    Runjedirun Force Ghost star 6

    Registered:
    Sep 3, 2012
    Your schools really are thinking of more than ours @Luke02 Unfortunately, somehow the school my kid goes to messed up his IEP and the summer school teacher keeps trying to correct it. Also she didn't realize just how far behind my kid is. He really needs to repeat a grade at this point :( He needed to before this started :( I'm learning more and more that he had a horrible teacher for first grade :( We have emailed the principal 2x now and not heard back. Just thinking about it makes me sick, I am so scared for his entire future because he's almost 7 supposed to start 2nd grade and he doesn't read, can barely write his own name. Basically just learned to talk in sentences this year, but he's blossomed and you can have a conversation with him now. I mean he talks almost normal. So why didn't they try to teach him more writing and reading? Well they were up until everything shut down and the teacher gave up, threw the towel in and didn't even try to hold classes. Anyway awesome summer school teacher is even adding an extra class tomorrow to start back with him and site words, but the kid is very afraid of learning to read. He just always says he can't when you try to get him to pronounce letters or try anything and we know he can. Hopefully she can get him started. Who knows. I'm so upset and frustrated, as I've already stated.

    But I got MAJOR issues at work, 2 guys have quit and now our boss got fired today. I have been working like crazy all week and tomorrow my 14 day quarantine is finally over so I am dipping back into the office to hopefully catch up some more + do some stuff my boss was supposed to do. Now that he's not there I can just do them myself. It's a big mess. I'd quit too, but I am scared of not having $.
     
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  4. Jedi Ben

    Jedi Ben Chosen One star 9

    Registered:
    Jul 19, 1999
    My local barbers are being pretty damn smart.

    Hand sanitiser on arrival, masked / faceshields, numerous anti-bac cleaning sprays, one disposable gown per customer and they haven't whacked their prices up, unlike some places. £2 increase, which feels reasonable, up to £14.
     
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  5. BigAl6ft6

    BigAl6ft6 Chosen One star 8

    Registered:
    Nov 12, 2012
    I think all the TV ads in North America about "time to drive again, the roads are open, make up those miles, vroom vroom!" are like hella irresponsible. "Get out there and drive a truck because America drives outdoors (and spreads covid19) America!"
     
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  6. Jedi Ben

    Jedi Ben Chosen One star 9

    Registered:
    Jul 19, 1999
    Also, evidence is emerging that air pollution helps covid. So yeah, get those big rigs running, with diesel fumes to max......
     
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  7. Runjedirun

    Runjedirun Force Ghost star 6

    Registered:
    Sep 3, 2012
    I'm stressing about deciding for my kids if they will go back 2 days a week. I hate that they made this the parents decision. My kids want to go back and I know my youngest will break down if he sees other kids out there getting on the bus and he has homeschool. So I guess I let them go, but I don't think it's a good decision. I just wish they'd make learning all virtual until it's safe.

    Also my youngest really wants a haircut. I might take him this week, rules here are really strict and he's good about wearing his mask. Hopefully we can get in and out quickly.
     
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  8. anakinfansince1983

    anakinfansince1983 Skywalker Saga/LFL/YJCC Manager star 10 Staff Member Manager

    Registered:
    Mar 4, 2011
    Gov. Cooper just announced a hybrid option for us, so the kids will go to school one week and have two weeks off. That works pretty well for my kids and I’m glad they will get some in-person instruction. I don’t have much of an idea of what my job will look like at the moment; I am assuming that I will be in the building and exposed to around 50 kids per day, since I normally work with six or so groups. I like the idea of working with smaller groups, only 8-10 kids at a time, but the level of exposure is still scary.
     
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  9. Luke02

    Luke02 Chosen One star 6

    Registered:
    Sep 19, 2002
    A lot of the parents @Runjedirun have made it extremely clear they want their kids to attend school this year even if it's just twice a week. As several told my wife, "they need the classroom time plus it buys me some time to get some work done uninterrupted". A lot of this will change as the school year goes along as my guess is almost every state will be having online schooling only by the time the election rolls around which btw I found out for the first time we will not be in the building on Election Day. It has already been deemed a "online only" day so the number of people coming in the building is minimum. I guess all our half days will also be all online as well just to make things easier.

    Haircut places by us are not taking reservations but also will call you to come in (though we have yet to go ironically since my Godmother did my wives and I hair while my wife does the kids hair) so hopefully the places by you are following the same protocol as it seems to be working pretty well.

    Interesting that it it is one week @anakinfansince1983 on and then two week off. I wonder what the thinking is as I assume that is everyone together or is that 50% capacity? The problem we keep running into is the cafeteria problem hence why classes will only be to 12:30 PM. We just are going to send everyone home basically to eat as the cafe will only have meals to go for students who rely on lunch from school/those who stay after for extracurricular activities/tutoring help though now the talk is they will be able to leave after 12:30 PM to have lunch if they wish and come back for extracurricular activities/tutoring help. I guess the parents made a big stink about that them being stuck at school if they wanted to stay after for those things especially since seniors will be able to drive to school like always so now students apparently will be able to leave campus for lunch after the school day ends (or if they have last period off) and be permitted back in the building. I am not sure how I feel about that. We also found out that we cannot eat in the classrooms (which is something I always encourage my students to do at least snacks since the day is so long) but we are allowed as of right now to drink something though we are supposed to "spread out" when we do. So I normally have my green tea walking around the room as the kids in groups or something. Now I will have to quickly sip it pulling my mask up or down and be away from everyone. Just such a crazy time we are living in!
     
  10. anakinfansince1983

    anakinfansince1983 Skywalker Saga/LFL/YJCC Manager star 10 Staff Member Manager

    Registered:
    Mar 4, 2011
    It’s supposed to be 50 percent capacity but a lot of schools are currently running at 130 percent capacity so the district is splitting students into groups of three. I wish we would do half days but it might be possible to social distance in the cafeteria and on the playground with groups that small. I hope the kids don’t have to eat in classrooms or not have recess—that is torture for small kids.

    I usually circulate while I am teaching and drink either coffee or seltzer water. I did not even think about a mask interfering there. I also usually have to lean over the kids to help, especially with computers.
     
  11. anakinfansince1983

    anakinfansince1983 Skywalker Saga/LFL/YJCC Manager star 10 Staff Member Manager

    Registered:
    Mar 4, 2011
    Oh my ****ing god.

    My district is in the middle of a ****ing Entmoot to decide if we’ll start full remote and move into hybrid later or if we’ll go ahead with hybrid. No kidding. It’s been over four hours now.

    Other districts across the state are going remote for first quarter, at least many of them are.
     
  12. Luke02

    Luke02 Chosen One star 6

    Registered:
    Sep 19, 2002
    We @anakinfansince1983 are in the opposite boat as most districts around us seemed to be pointing towards starting with a hybrid plan and then moving to all remote as we get into late fall/early winter (if we get that far) with Thanksgiving being the week for an automatic "coronavirus/flu season" shut down to start and at last until at least mid January (and most likely long after) then reevaluate from there. Were actually out of town for the week at my cousin's vacation home but that is the sense I am hearing from talking with colleagues (we had a quick catch up Zoom call today) along what my wife is hearing/expecting especially since our governor just split our state into 11 regions which I haven't read much about but apparently it is being done so hot spots are identified quicker and my guess is more districts can have in school classes if they wish.

    I also found out that along with my annual physical at school (which is free) we are encouraged to get antibody test which they will pay part therefore I signed up for it when I schedule my annual school physical though it won't be until towards the end of September. Still I am curious to see if I test positive. Most likely I won't since only about 15% of people are so far. We are also getting our annual flu shot for free again which I hope they make available to students as well.
     
    Last edited: Jul 15, 2020
  13. anakinfansince1983

    anakinfansince1983 Skywalker Saga/LFL/YJCC Manager star 10 Staff Member Manager

    Registered:
    Mar 4, 2011
    That ended up being what my district went with. We’re hybrid for a couple of weeks in August then full on remote. So I’ll be in my building with limited numbers of kids for a little while then working from home again starting in September.
     
  14. Juliet316

    Juliet316 Chosen One star 10

    Registered:
    Apr 27, 2005
    Note from the canary in the coalmine at the start of the pandemic (I.E. Toilet paper shortage): Went to the store yesterday and got some toilet paper. There were a bit more varieties than there have been in a really long time, including familiar brand names (Still no Scott's, which had been my usual brand before the Pandemic). So a light at the end of the tunnel, perhaps as far as that goes.
     
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  15. Runjedirun

    Runjedirun Force Ghost star 6

    Registered:
    Sep 3, 2012
    Teachers, @Luke02 @anakinfansince1983 and anyone else who is an educator. I'm talking to parents here. Many are hiring tutors or paying for private school next year. They don't see how public education is going to keep up with limited hours. What are your thoughts? Has it been discussed at any meetings? Our elementary school principal let it slip enrollment is down. Thanks in advance for your input.
     
    Last edited: Jul 19, 2020
  16. anakinfansince1983

    anakinfansince1983 Skywalker Saga/LFL/YJCC Manager star 10 Staff Member Manager

    Registered:
    Mar 4, 2011
    Our district has a separate virtual academy and we are asking parents to not un-enroll their kids if they want to go virtual. Our union is also asking that per-student funding be frozen at 2019-2020 levels. I expect there will be some funding decreases from schools across the country though.
     
  17. Thena

    Thena Chosen One star 7

    Registered:
    May 10, 2001
    Probably a good idea at this point to start stocking up supplies for the winter, we're still going to be dealing with this and I suspect there maybe even worse shortages than in the spring, better safe than sorry, but a lot of canned goods and toiletries.
     
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  18. Luke02

    Luke02 Chosen One star 6

    Registered:
    Sep 19, 2002
    Scott's @Juliet316 is our brand as well and there are tons of it here so if you get really really really desperate, I can always try to send you some rolls LOL! And I kinda agree @Princess_Tina that we could very well be back where we started in the fall so better be safe then sorry though I hope it does not come to that. I must admit we have provisions in the back storage room just in case. Just really worried about the late fall/early winter as if we are struggling this much in the summer, imagine how bad it will be in the late fall/winter. Now granted testing and *fingers crossed* therapeutics should be much much better by then but we seem to be just two steps behind where we should be throughout this and given it will be flu season, it will make things that much more difficult.

    Our hybrid plan @Runjedirun is to have the afternoon available for tutoring both in person and remotely so the hope that additional tutoring time will help them keep up. Our school day ends at 12:30 PM therefore from 12:30 PM-3:00 PM students will have the opportunity to receive tutoring help (by appointment) either in person if we are in hybrid or remotely if we are not in a hybrid though a few of my colleagues asked if we could do remote tutoring even in a hybrid which I think will get approve again if the student(s) reserved the time (all students whereabouts during the day need to be accounted for when they are in the building therefore if they want tutoring time or want a quiet class room to study before an after school activity, they need to reserve the space). As @anakinfansince1983 mentioned we are asking parents not to remove their kids from school as there will be a remote option available to all students. Far as I know very few parents have unrolled their kids and are projection for enrolled seems to be on track and that is the same at my wive's school. Now will be in remote or hybrid? Stilll remains to be seen. I am curious how that is playing out with @jedijax as well.

    The IFOT (Illinois Federation of Teachers) came out this morning stating they recommend all schools start remotely next month though they kind of back off that this afternoon and instead are saying that unless their guidelines are meant, a school should not have in person classes & in their eyes most schools do not meet their guidelines. So some major posturing/negotiating as my wife and I both agreed upon will commence plus to see how cases continue over the next month. From what I gather, our union was pretty happy overall with our safety plan and my wife said the district is out of felt the same way so will see how this all shakes out. I am not sure @Runjedirun I answered your question but I think most kids will be able to keep up in public schools especially since most private runs will be following the same state mandates in terms of safety as the public ones. Would a tutor help? Yes but it might not be necessary as I think it really depends on how well the school's remote learning is laid out since even in a hybrid situation 50% of it will be at home. So really I think the first thing to do is see how the remote learning aspect of it will be done and see how well put together it is.

    So our trip went well as the weather could not been better overall since all the kids wanted to do was go swimming and that is pretty much what we did everyday. As my wife put it, it was truly the first time since this all started we kinda forgot about it at all and just got to unwind. The place my cousin has is just fabulous and he refused to take any money for it (kept saying nobody was going to be there anyway so who care) so instead I bought him/his family a Blu-Ray player and left it all hook up ready to go there. I figure it could use it plus my kids had Blu-Ray discs they wanted to bring so it all fit. The town freak us a out a bit since a lot of people we saw were not wearing them so we did not go out at all for food. We pick up groceries on the way there and I did curbside pick up a few times. We made sure to clean including disinfect and do laundry/dishes before we left which my kids kept asking me why as they thought it was like a hotel (which I kinda straight up anyway) but I kept explaining it wasn't so we had to make sure it was cleaner then even our house! But overall it was nice to just get away from everything and just be. Even my wife made sure her schedule was light at work which it turn out anyway since two principals in her district were still trying to tweak their plan so other then some typical administrative stuff, her week was pretty clear of anything. This week? Not so much. Think it will be like us all going forward now with the school year being only less then a month away. It seems so close yet so far away it since things change so fast. I am just trying to roll with the punches the best I can but it's really hard. Hard for everyone especially the kids. They want to back so badly but we keep telling them it is out of our hands even though they think their mom in particular as pull being a school principal. We keep telling them nope people much higher up on the food chain decide all this LOL!
     
    Last edited: Jul 20, 2020
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  19. Runjedirun

    Runjedirun Force Ghost star 6

    Registered:
    Sep 3, 2012
    Oh well, I just found out today I need to be back in the office full time, so my kids doing virtual school is 100% up to them and the little time my husband can find while he's here working. I don't want this all on him, makes me feel useless as a parent. I don't know, that's my initial reaction. Will read your whole post in a bit @Luke02 , busy atm :)
     
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  20. Diggy

    Diggy Chosen One star 8

    Registered:
    Feb 27, 2013
    Best WFH day ever.



    [​IMG]
     
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  21. Luke02

    Luke02 Chosen One star 6

    Registered:
    Sep 19, 2002

    Sorry to hear that. A lot of companies are bringing their employees back to work even though they shown they can work from home which to me does not make any sense. As of right now, we are all going back in a hybrid plan and of course my wife and I school has different plans for how that will work and where the boys do as well. The surveys for both my wife's district and I showed the overwhelming majority of students and parents wanted to at least have a hybrid plan of some sort. Now it can changed based off what happens in the next three weeks based off our region (which our numbers have been very steady and low for months now so I don't expect to see any sudden job over the next few weeks) and the schools (which would be out of the two more likely) but as of right now yes I, my wife and kids all going back come next month. My school is doing a dry run the first week where all the kids will be doing remote while we in our classrooms going thru how it will work plus making sure all the technical issues are square away before the kids start coming back on a alternate week schedule which we also found the kids can opt out on a given week along with there is a percentage that have opted out for the semester.

    Our principal informally told us that he says plan on having classes be 30-40% full instead of 50% between students opting out both at a semester but also weekly basis. Given I am teaching mostly seniors this year, I fully expect to have 25%-35% of the class filled by the time October rolls around and that is assuming we make that far before needing to shutdown again and gong all remote (though we been told that unless it's really really bad, we will doing remote from the building so will see need to go in order to do remote learning though we been told that since will be in our classrooms by ourselves we can have our masks off which will be obviously lot more comfortable. Classes are only to 12:30 PM everyday. Obviously doing remotely counts towards as they attended even if they opted out for that week when they are supposed to attend so by mid October, I can see kids opting out left and right particularly since there will be no major school activities like homecoming. A few clubs yes but sports have been pushed back at least a month and frankly do not know at all why the ISHA does not simply push all contact sports to the spring and just try to have socially distance sports like golf in the fall only. There is no way we can have football this fall, no way. And it isn't the risk even of our kids given to each other but rather from one school to the next. Regrettably we are not getting N95 helmets so really no way we can play this fall and even the spring looks like a longshot but they be a much better chance of it working now then it would right now. Like my wife told her staff, there are no good answers here none. Just try to make the best decision based off the evidence in front of you and be ready to adapt at a moment's notice.

    Just sucks especially I am petrified about the fall/winter with flu season. I think it can be really really bad. Not so much I don't expect COVID-19 to be raging worse then it is now (though it could obviously) but wiith flu season it would make everything just so much worse. I know vaccines are the end game but testing and thearputics are the turning point therefore we better hope the government finally let this second first wave scare them enough into gear so we can get thru the fall/winter in one piece plus start really returning to a true "semi normal" in the spring.
     
  22. grd4

    grd4 Jedi Grand Master star 4

    Registered:
    Dec 11, 2013
    I don't know if this belongs here, but in my aim to escape my COVID cabin-fever nope depression, I recently joined an online dating website. Within days, a girl messaged me. We talked for over a week and had a great rapport. Two days ago, she asked me to go on what would have been my first COVID date. It bolstered me, giving me the first thing to look forward to in four months. And now, three hours before the date, she cancels, claiming she "didn't want to lead me on."

    This is small potatoes compared to what many are going through, but I feel like I just got run over.

    /guidman edit
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Jul 25, 2020
  23. Sarge

    Sarge Chosen One star 10

    Registered:
    Oct 4, 1998
    Fight on, and do not despair.

    But if you do, then, fight on in despair.
     
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  24. Runjedirun

    Runjedirun Force Ghost star 6

    Registered:
    Sep 3, 2012
    Our numbers have been steady and relatively low, but other parts of our state are spiking and they don't want to risk it might get bad here, hence the all virtual start.

    As for work, I will be the first to admit I get way more done in my office than being home with my family. I used to have a work from home day before Covid with just me at home and I was productive, unfortunately I suck at tuning out the background noise.

    So my big question is, because there are lots of us, what do working parents of K-2 students do? We can not sit next to our kids and assist them or keep reminding them to pay attention to school. School is during work hours. I won't even be home 4 days a week. My husband will be here, but he's working.

    Also when I get home from work I am frazzled, I am tired and somewhat unable to function. Plus my kid is tired, so I keep considering doing some school work in the evening and then I stress. This is the fault of that dumb "let kids be kids" attitude that led to no homework for kids in elementary school (at least in my county). Now kids and parents alike don't know how to adapt.
     
  25. Luke02

    Luke02 Chosen One star 6

    Registered:
    Sep 19, 2002
    I figure I bring this here since I did not to overload the COVID-19 thread with education talk but @jedijax if you have any questions about Schoology, just let me know. We been using it for years now. It really will make your life so much easier in the long run. It does take a bit of time to get used too but again you will like it long term. At least I do. I could not even imagine teaching now without even before the pandemic. It honestly shocks me that many states/districts still don't use platforms like Schoology but I forget how lucky my wife and I teach in the area we do.

    Not sure how your plan is coming in your district @anakinfansince1983 but we sat thru a presentation last week of how this hybrid plan is going to work and afterwards, I was ready to go drinking even though I basically never drink. I must admit the district is going well beyond the protocols that even the Illinois State Education Board is recommending but still this entire thing is just so daunting. No lockers, staggered passing periods, cleaning desks, monitoring hallways for any student lounging around, pre screening via our phone before we walk thru the door, temperature check at the door using a automatic reader, masks on at all times except when eating which we been "highly encouraged" to either outside or if we leave close by go home for lunch since we all have lunch at the same time etc. I just really don't know how this all going to work. I honestly think given the fact that point of care testing will be the to the point there will be home test kits that you can buy at the drug store and get results in 15 minute within the next few months (I am hearing hopefully by the holidays that will be the case), that perhaps it be best if we just all do remote for the first semester and then hopefully by spring, advancements in technology will allow to test regularly therefore we can go back to the point it almost like regular school. I do understand that the fall will be worse then it is now which is why I think trying now makes sense since if we don't have any in person classes now we won't this semester at all but given how many hoops and protocols we have to follow, it just seems like too much and therefore remote learning makes the most sense for this semester but again hopefully testing (along with therapeutics and *fingers crossed* vaccines) will not only make it safer for us to return but also make it so we don't have so many protocols to follow since it just seems unmanageable long term.

    We did find out that we are being allowed to work from home in the afternoon at least twice a week in a hybrid plan which is really helpful. Our school day ends at 12:30 pm therefore we are being allowed to go home at that time at twice a week if we wish to and I will definitely be since all my kids even my daughter who is four are starting remotely. The plan right now is to have my parents watch them twice a week in the mornings and then I come home in the afternoons, my in laws watch them all day twice a day and Fridays is well whatever we can figure out LOL! As of right now my wife has to be in the building all day/everyday but she is seeing if she can somehow get at least an afternoon from home to help out. We both get the sense that the districts are just waiting for our governor to call it and push back in school classes until at least mid September/October 1st but Mayor Lightfoot is insisting that we at least try to have in school classes to start the year. I understand why she is but at this point I really do not think many districts are ready for students be in the building. Like the district I work at seems to be well ahead of the curve and even we are squeamish about having kids be there in two weeks. Just feels like we are not ready especially since we don't know what the plan is yet fully since it's still being negotiated. I do get it though. So many kids count on us for everything from meals, their meds and being almost a parent that they need come to school but it feels like we are just going in too fast but perhaps we will that way no matter what. Will see how it all plays out. This last week before school starts is going to be really interesting.

    And @Runjedirun lots of teachers are tutoring this semester especially in terms of ones who opted out so hopefully you get the support you need. I been asked by a neighborhood family if I could tutor once a week their two kids in Social Studies & English which I said I will try but ultimately comes down to if I can get out of the house once a week in the late afternoon/early evening LOL! Again my wife is hoping to work remotely once a week in the afternoon so perhaps that could be a day I can help tutor. Football season got pushed back to the spring and right now the plan is to play Lacrosse in the summer (will see how many coaches and students want to spend the entire summer playing sports especially if things are way better next summer like we all hope) therefore I am not coaching this fall so I would have time but again all depends on who I can get to watch the kids for the 60-90 minutes I am gone. I don't want to burden our parents or my brother/sister in law even more since they will be taking turns with watching my kids as it is when we are at work. So will just have to see how it goes. That is really the only answer anyone can give right now.

    Last week of summer break. Seems so odd but it fits this past summer since this has been unlike anything I ever experienced or anyone else. On the one hand it's been absolutely heartbreaking watching everything continue to unfold as there has been more then one night my wife and I went to bed in tears over everything. And the fact there is no end in sight is even more heartbreaking though someone I trust up high up on the medical food chain said next spring is when we should expect to see the true turnaround to begin. In a way that is absolutely depressing to think we are not even halfway to the point will begin seeing a real turnaround but at least it's something manageable at least for me. I think others will really struggle if that were the case. But it's been a really tough summer for obviously reasons and yet on a personal level, it's been really awesome too. We never gotten to spend this much time with the kids before or even our immediate families during the summer as the kids were always too busy with "x activity" or something on that regards. We really gotten to spend quality time as a family I never really thought was possible. Our trip was fabulous and really despite it all, we had so much fun together as a family along with my wife and I getting some more major QT time as well that we normally never get especially since the kids have spent some nights at either my parents, her parents or my brother's house. I must admit I feel guilty about that. We really had a great summer even though we could not do much and yet so many other people have been suffering throughout the summer. I am not sure how to brings those two together. I guess be thankful that we got to enjoy our summer and continue to try and help the best we can while still being safe aka following CDC guidelines of staying home whenever possible. I am thankful for it that is for sure. Just hope other people can start enjoying life again. It's been far too long though regrettably we are at best halfway thru this thing.
     
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