Adrift

 Last week was our first week of virtual school. I prepared as much as I could. I tried getting the kids psyched up for it. We made table top tri-folds to give them some privacy and help keep them focused. We wrote out their schedule and talked about “classroom” boundaries. We tried on their headphones and logged into their computers. I figured we were in better shape than we had been in the spring when the rug was yanked out from under us and we were in a confusing free-fall. But, alas, it seems no amount of planning and preparing is going to make Love Bug comply with virtual learning. He did great his first day while at daycare but began a rapid backslide at home that culminated in a very difficult Friday in which I spent most of the day begging, pleading, bribing and cajoling him to just sit in front of the computer with his headphones on. It was sheer torture for all of us. I was supposed to be working but trying desperately to get Love Bug engaged (along with the wrap around support staff who were there in some capacity nearly the entire day). Love Bug was done with all forms of virtual schooling and just did not want to do it. And Chica Marie was upset that Love Bug was getting so much of my undivided attention and she was expected to carry on as if nothing was happening. I described it to a friend like this: in March our carefully constructed and supportive boat capsized into rough and choppy waters. I seized a life raft but was soon knocked out of it by a large wave. Not one to give up, I have battled the raging seas and managed to lash together the things that were dumped from our life raft and we are floating together in one jumbled heap. I have even managed to locate our life raft but every time I grasp hold of it, a wave knocks it away from me and so here we are – floating lashed together within sight of our life raft with little hope of climbing aboard it. We are safe, we are healthy but it would feel damn nice to get on some dry land one day soon!  

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