Online School Update

 Today is November 1, and we've had a lot going on, so I haven't been updating as I should, but here goes.  We've definitely settled into an online school routine.  Occasionally the girls venture into the living room for a change of scene.

This particular set up lasted about 20 minutes.  Usually Elena hangs out at the dining room table and Vivian hangs out in her room.

After the first couple weeks, Vivi decided that she really needed a desk, so we found her one that wasn't too expensive, and got her a fun spinning desk chair as well.  She is now very happy.

Vivi's lunch is much earlier than Elena's, so there is some table overlap during the day.

We try to find fun things, like the new Star Wars cereal, to brighten the day.  We also try to get them outside as often as possible.

I'm really glad that I'm working part time, because I've been able to use the rest of my time to help the girls with their school work.  I've pulled together some extra resources for both of them as well.  Vivian needed some help with science, and Elena needed something to do that didn't involve screens.

Elena has definitely mastered the rules of online learning.

Vivian is still in search of her "look", and I was in definite need of a haircut, so we had Goerss Girls salon outing.  

Not to be left out, Elena got some blue and purple streaks in her hair.

A less fun outing was the DMV.  I had to re-register our car that we took to Colombia.  The DMV is so backed up that at this point it takes at least a month to get an appointment.  Then, when I go there, the guy at the information desk said I didn't have the right import paperwork.  I almost lost it.  Luckily, I got to talk to the manager, who put me into the system for an new appointment the following week.  That gave me enough time to reach out to the shipping company to get the paperwork we needed.  The DMV set up looks very different now,

but it is still, undoubtedly one of the rings of hell.

Despite the craziness, we're trying to stay positive.  We're focusing on fall and football season.

We celebrated the Jewish New Year with my family, starting off with apples and honey.

The girls tried matzo ball soup for the first time, and declared it yummy.

We also ate the round honey cake to hopefully keep things sweet and smooth.

Jeff has also been finding ways to keep us all entertained.  He got Elena a Winnie the Pooh balloon, and when the girls and I were out, he created a series of pictures for us entitled "Pooh Likes Art".

The girls had a sleepover at my parents house, and he sent them pictures of Pooh looking for them.

Of course, Elena's favorite is Pooh goes poo.

This is definitely a challenging time, but we're trying to focus on the things that make us laugh, the things that make us happy, and the things we can celebrate.