With school back in person we were finally able to get into some kind of routine. Sure, things were different with face masks and having to stay home if you had a runny nose or any kind of a cough or cold, but at least it was a little more normal than the past 6 months.
Both AJ and Jameson participated in fall rec soccer. AJ was thrilled to be on his very own soccer team and showed it by dancing through every game. Some kids look for dandelions in the field while "playing" soccer, AJ spontaneously stops to do the "worm." AJ understands that any moment can be the perfect moment for a "dance break".
Jameson and AJ participated in the PTA fundraiser by running as many laps as they could in 10 min.
Fall sports were a go at Ridgeline as long as everyone complied with COVID-19 guidelines. Jenna and Korinne were able to run Cross Country but parents were only allowed to attend the Region meets with masks. At Invitations races only runners and coaches were allowed.
Jenna in the gray shirt
Korinne
They didn't cancel all Homecoming activities completely, but they did change a few things. As a member of the Student Exec Council Jenna was involved in painting the street intersection leading to the high school in the middle of the night for Homecoming.
The traditional Homecoming parade was canceled, but they still allowed the Powder Puff game between the Junior and Senior girls. Jenna played on the Senior team which came away with the victory.
The parents and spectators wore masks and socially distanced in the stands.
While the school did not sponsor a Homecoming dance a group a parents took matter into their own hands and planned a dance anyway. Jenna was asked to Homecoming by the same guy that had originally asked her Junior Prom before it was canceled back in March. His poster said, "Ok, let's try this again. . . Will you go to HOCO with me?" It was pretty funny but then again Jared, who is a good friend of Jenna's, is known around the school for his sense of humor.
Jenna's Homecoming group did not go to the actual Homecoming dance put on by the parents. They had their own little dance in Jared's backyard where they decorated a big gazebo with white lights and danced the night away. They had just as much fun but didn't have to worry about possible COVID-19 exposure from the bigger group dance.
I did LOTOJA as a relay with a team put together by my sister Heather. It was my first time doing LOTOJA since I rode the entire thing in 2014. I was happy to only have to ride 50 miles, but a lot of it was uphill so I was definitely tired when I tagged my teammate for the next leg of the 206 mile race.
Heather rode the first leg and I rode the 2nd leg of the race.
There was a large windstorm that hit during the night of September 8th that caused a lot damage in the valley. Thousands of trees were uprooted during the storm. This huge tree narrowly missed our neighbor's house! We were fortunate that we didn't have any damage at our house, but volunteers were needed all over the neighborhood to help clear away debris.
After teaching early morning English classes with VIPKID for almost 2 years I started to reduce my classes during the month of September. The catalyst was that they changed the pay structure for all teachers and were basically giving everyone a pay cut, but the reality was that I was tired of getting up at 4:00 a.m. five days a week. I was really sad to stop the actual teaching part since I really enjoyed my students and had fun in class, but I wasn't sad to stop going to bed at 8:00 p.m. so I could get up at 4:00 a.m. and teach 5 classes before 7:00 a.m. Adam handled bedtime with the boys for 2 years like a champ, but the boys were struggling and he needed some reinforcement. In the end it was the right time for me to go back to a normal sleeping schedule.
My classroom set-up
It was a really good gig when we needed it so I'll always be glad that I taught for VIPKID. I definitely learned a lot and gained a new skill set. I still have a contract with them so I can start teaching again at any time if I want to, but I'm not obligated to teach any classes. My plan is to take a break for a few months and see how I feel in the future.