What's harder than teaching during a pandemic????

Answer: Teaching during a pandemic when there's a wildfire raging outside of your classroom. 

I took these pictures of my bigs last Tuesday as we walked out of school together. Every day I feel so incredibly grateful for where we attend school. It's a short 5 minute drive from our home, but it takes us to one of the most rural spots in the city. In fact, directly across from where I park, we have some goats and wandering chickens among other farm animals that also call this space their home. The kids and I love saying hello to them and even feeding the goats a quick snack on our way out. 

Fast forward two days later. Thursday morning, the winds were raging and our well known Santa Anas were back. Those mornings always feel especially eerie because everyone that lives here knows that these winds coincide with extreme fire conditions. Dustin's school was cancelled for the day because SDG&E shut down power in the area where his students live. But we were still in school as usual. 

All morning long the kids were mesmerized by how strong the winds were. The leaves were blowing everywhere and the gusts of winds were loud and powerful. 

Right as my students were beginning to line up for lunch, I heard my neighboring teacher call my name in a loud, something's not right, voice. I stepped out my door and saw this. 

The kids were called back inside as the principal's voice calmly came across the intercom announcing that remaining lunches would be held indoors due to poor air quality. My principal and assistant principal are THE best and stay calm, cool, and collected in literally every situation imaginable. Including this. 

The next hour or two were chaotic. Black smoke ripped down the hallways of the school creating an eerie, orange haze inside the classrooms. Some students were hyper and silly others started to cry. It was so challenging trying to keep everyone calm and distracted. I kept wondering when we were going to evacuate! Our principal was emailing us throughout the situation and let us know that we would be "sheltering in place" and that we were to keep our doors locked to keep the smoke out as much as possible. When I had opened the doors of the classroom to get these pictures before the shelter in place decision, it sounded like a freight train was running through the school. The sound of the fire crackling and the wind raging was terrifying. Not to mention that we had both planes dropping fire retardant and helicopters dropping water. The sounds of the air traffic made the floor and walls of our classrooms shake. 

And then, by the grace of God, the firefighters put the fire out and all was calm.... smoky, but calm and we were still able to dismiss at our typical end of school day. 

I could barely move by the time I got home that afternoon. I don't think I've ever felt so exhausted in my entire life! I literally had nothing left in me. Dustin made dinner and I crawled into bed so early although I couldn't sleep. The adrenaline was still pumping as I looked at the pictures and text messages from teachers and parents over and over again. 

It was nothing short of a miracle the way that our school was protected. 

With extreme gratitude, we decided to make cards for our firefighters and drop off some yummy treats to their station today. 

It was a day that the kids and I will never forget!

November Memories

It's been a busy month and a slow month all at the same time. 

With the pandemic only getting worse in our area and across the country, our main activities continue to just be work and being together at home. But life still seems to feel very full and the days continue to fly by. Here is a glimpse of November at the Hein house. 

Donovan finally got to join Emmerson and I at school! 4th and 5th grade were our final groups to welcome back on campus. These two kiddos accompany me to school each Tuesday and Thursday. These are the days we all look forward to. While school still has restrictions that make it feel completely different than what we're used to, somehow we've settled into this new version of "normal" pretty easily. 

In my own class, we have good days and bad days. I'm finding it so hard to engage my students for long periods of the school day where they sit in their seats with their desks and shields. Having the students in class only twice a week is also a challenge because there is very little consistency to their days.  But somehow we make it work, and more often than not, we celebrate the victories of our days together. 

November was also the month of early Christmas decorating at the Hein house. Because we spend the full week of Thanksgiving at Grammie's, we like to decorate the week before. This way, when we return from Thanksgiving break, we can hit the ground running on the holiday festivities. The kids were just as giddy as ever decorating the house this year. The Christmas carols were on repeat and the holiday scented candles were lit. 

Emmerson and Taylor devour all of the decorations like they're brand new toys. Mary and Joseph have found a large addition to their manger complete with stables full of horses. 

My boys continue to look more and more like college roommates as they spend their evening hours leading up to dinner playing super old video games from Dustin's old school game systems. 

The kids and I used the Veteran's Day holiday to cut out tons and tons of snowflakes. (A tradition we started last year that feels like a must from here on out). The process is long, but their rooms look so magical with each unique little snowflake dangling from the ceiling above. 

There's just something so cozy about Christmas lights in their bedroom at night. They've requested that they remain on until after they're asleep each night. It is so sweet seeing their sleepy little faces illuminated when I come up to bed each night. 

Emmerson had her very first sleepover with her best friends Kayla and McKayle. 

Kayla's mom sent me all sorts of pictures of their sleepover cuteness throughout the night. There were crafts....

And Chik-fil-a dinner because my picky girl HATES pizza!

They even had unicorn floats complete with their own cups that donned their names in pink glittery lettering.

These girls had a blast!

The next morning she was notably tired and a wee bit cranky, but also soooo happy that I think she talked about nothing else for at least the 3 days straight. 

While she was gone, we were down to two kiddos and they were very cute together. They sure missed their comedic middle sibling a whole lot. But, we had some fun, too. We watched the Grinch and read Christmas stories together. 

And the next morning I set up a play dough station outside for this little one while all of the big kid neighbors ventured up our giant hill. The hill has been THE hangout as of late. The kids are building "steps" up the hill with a myriad of tools and ideas. It's drawing out several neighbors each day. The kids spend their whole afternoon up the hill and come in SO dirty and SO exhausted each night and equally excited about starting all over again the very next day the second school work is complete. 

I snapped this picture while the neighbor girls explored the new American Girl Christmas catalogue. 

And Sundays have continued to be Sundays... church online each Sunday morning and evening supper shared with family. I love these nights so much. Next stop for the month is a very needed and much appreciated Thanksgiving break! Boy were we ever ready for it this year! 

Trick or Treat & Back to School Take 2

Hey y'all. It's November and you know what that means... Hallmark movies and Christmas carols are finding themselves a space up in here! Let's recap a little Halloween shall we? 

Leading up to the big day, Emmerson's crafting reached new levels thanks to art hub for kids. 

Put this child in a room with paper and markers, glue or tape and she is one happy camper. 

On Friday night, Halloween Eve, our cousins came over for our own festive celebration. This Halloween was obviously different as our county put restrictions on Trick or Treating or large gatherings. But we still made it the very best we could!

How cute are they? They were soooo happy to be together. 

Mom whipped up some Pinteresty goodness. 

And Gram donned her cute little pumpkin costume. 

We played games. 

Emmerson and Gram made a pin the nose on the jack-o-lantern game outside. 

And candy, lots of candy!

Jonathan and Jill spent the night at my Mom and Dad's and the girls stayed here with us. I was SO tired after a long work week that I am pretty sure I fell asleep before the kids did. 

Halloween was on a Saturday this year. We had a very relaxed morning and day. 

In the afternoon we started to get dressed in our costumes. Emmerson was a 50's girl in her poodle skirt. (She called herself an American Girl doll after seeing one dresses similarly in a catalogue). 

Taylor was an adorable little pumpkin this year. 

Like her best buddy, Gram. 

And Donovan was a creepy mask that he saw on Amazon. So long years of Mickey Mouse and baseball players. Waaaa! He was very proud of his spooky look. 

Even mom got in on the fun this year!

The evening was very mellow. We set up the movie screen out front and watched Hocus Pocus with a few neighbors. It was nice sitting out front and chatting with neighbors as they walked by. The kids never once complained that couldn't trick or treat. It seems that we have all grown accustomed to the new normals of a pandemic. But all in all it was a very mellow and fun Halloween. 

On Sunday we did a little family walk at a local park that we hadn't been to in a long time. It felt so good to be out of the house, away from work, and enjoying some gorgeous scenery. 

Sunday night we had our usual family supper and Dad and I wrapped up a book study we had been doing online with church for the past 5 weeks. 

Then the work week began and students were officially welcomed back for the first time in 8 months. 

It's still a work in progress and we're all adjusting. It was so sweet seeing the students in person finally. The class is split into two halves. Monday we meet online altogether. Then Tuesday and Thursday I meet with "Cohort A" and Wednesday and Friday I meet with "Cohort B." It's sweet having Emmerson back at school with me a few days a week and Donovan will start next week. There are so many limitations teaching this way, but we're making it work and for now, just happy to have some normalcy away from the screen. 

Emmerson has still been happily crafting with a little group of friends at the park on her stay at home days. 

And Donovan has loved playing with his buddies on his stay at home days which sadly will come to an end for him as his two besties are in the opposite cohort from him. Boo!

And now... it's November and we are counting down the days until our Thanksgiving break. Grammie flew home today after being with us for a whole month. She will be missed so much in these weeks leading up to our trip up north to see her again. 

Giving thanks today for election results, restored hope, and a cold, blustery weekend that feels perfectly festive for welcoming the holiday season. 

Cheers to you and yours.