I did not mean to be gone for so long. I kept insisting to myself that I’d get a post out, but it just doesn’t happen. I’m so tired at the end of the day – my brain is like oatmeal – and I just can’t bring myself to open the tab to type.
Last week was a rough one. I spiraled WAY DOWN. WAY DOWN. I felt like a crazy person and frankly, I was afraid. There was a reason for the spiraling (it’s nothing awful and I’ll write more about it later) and by the end of the week I was able to pull myself out of the depths, but it sucked and I was exhausted by Friday.
I knew this week was going to be rough – my son’s virtual Back to School Night is tonight and mine is tomorrow night IN PERSON (WHY?!) – but I wasn’t expecting my son to be stuck at home for most of it because someone in his class tested positive for Covid. That really throws a wrench in things.
This morning, an hour into my husband FIRST DAY AT THE OFFICE (he has literally not stepped foot in his office since the pandemic began), we got an email, voicemail, and text saying that our son was a close contact and had to be picked up as soon as possible. Luckily my husband was able to leave work and get him because it would have been REALLY HARD for me to step away from school in the middle of the day, let alone get there quickly. So now our son’s whole class is out until next Tuesday and there will be no distance learning even though everyone is home and it could easily happen. (In my opinion this is some bull**** and I will be asking why this is the case. What is the teacher even doing all week?!)
I can’t really take off tomorrow because it’s Back to School Night so my husband is taking the day (but trying to make some meetings), and I’m taking off Thursday (which is a day I hate and a day I was REALLY dreading this week after the late BTSN presentations I have to give in person tomorrow) so my husband can work. We’re still not sure about Friday – I have a minimum day so I think I’ll just go and take the afternoon after I get home.
As stressed as I am about the disruption, I recognize that we kind of lucked out because the exposure was last Friday, and they only got the positive result today (the student has been out with symptoms since the weekend) and since this coming Monday is a holiday, he’s only missing 3.5 schools days out of the 10 days of quarantine. We can get him tested Thursday and feel confident that the test will be accurate because it will have been 7 days since his exposure. They may even be able to spend the night at my parents house on Sunday night like we had planned. So yes, it really could be worse. We are the first class at the school to be quarantined this year, and I’m hoping they will learn how to better manage it when it happens again. I will definitely be sharing my input. 😉
So that’s where I am at. Still here, still hanging in there, but just barely. It kind of feels like I’m hanging on by my fingernails. I’m hoping that next week I’ll feel better, and things will be back to normal. I have high hopes for this long weekend to reset.
How are you doing these days?
That is…. So much. I’m sorry. I can’t imagine being a teacher these days, let alone a teacher with young kids. I hope your school is understanding!
Good luck with everything.
I guessed you were super busy last week and this. Did NOT guess the exposure though know another SFPD Elementary student who went out after second day of school so perhaps that was silly on my part. Crossing my fingers the teacher is vaccinated and Not Sick. This looks to be a grim year across the country and thinking this will certainly not be the only time you all face this problem of both coverage AND education loss.
At least so far you were told of the exposure! In many places schools are not sharing this information.
DO hope all the grands get their booster shots….. I fear this area is sorely underprepared to provide the boosters on the scale they will be needed, so getting the boosters will be hard also. And the anti-vaccers seem to wanting to not just decide for their own selves but also to make it harder for others with a different opinion to decide for their self……. All so discouraging and worrying.
The big positive is that your husband parented. I’m glad his office was supportive, but know it will increase his work stress and spill over on you and the children as he tries to recoup and regroup re the lost time.
And then there was Ida, DIxie, Caldor, Afghanistan, the supporters of violence against our own government, and Texas. SO, I need to say how wonderful it was to hear from you today. Stopped my whirl-pooling down, grounded me, and reminded me of the positives. Your classroom is not quarantined, nor your daughter’s, your husband’s office is open, all your grands are ok and today my air is not filled with smoke, my grands are ok and at school, my children healthy. I shall focus on my blessings and wish them for you all as well.