The times are still crazy and are positioned to get ever crazier, but more on that in a bit...
Since my last post (yes, I know--I let more than 2 weeks elapse again), we've had a lot of stuff happen, so let's back up and start where we left off.
First, we moved Jip into his apartment. The nice thing about moving on a weekday was that we were able to back our trailer up to a covered loading dock and we were able to hang out there all day. We had a three hour window, but including lunch, we needed about 4 hours. The kids were great help--until we got the wifi turned on. Then, they were busy catching up on their videos and Roblox games. :) Here are a few shots of Jip's cute little studio.
We're now on week 3 of Jip taking up prepared meals, and so far, so good. He has a bowl of cereal in the morning, packs his lunch, and warms up dinner when he gets back in the evening. If one of my prepared meals don't tickle his fancy, he has sandwich makings and a couple of microwave meals in the freezer. We have a pretty good system down.
The kids started school on September 8. We certainly had a few hiccups in the first couple weeks, from Ryleigh having hardware issues to RJ's teacher sending out wrong Zoom links. But, everyone keeps on keeping on, so we'll get through it.
PE happens live twice per week for each kid--the PE teachers get the kids moving and stretching, but they've also spent a good amount of time talking about feelings and mental health. They've done a really good job. Last week, they played a fun game of "musical chair" (yes, there is no "s"). The kids had to move around their chair and then when the music stopped, they had to run to their Chromebook and type in a word or a number.
The kids have had meetings with their gifted resource teacher, and she has given them assignments to help get their math brains going while the rest of their classes are doing some review. They are also back to regular meetings with the school's military counselor. I'm so grateful for Ms. Emily.
RJ even got to have a virtual field trip this past week. Normally, all Virginia Beach 5th Graders get to go the Oceana Air Show preview day and have some STEM lessons. But, the Air Show went virtual. So, they made the field trip virtual, too. The highlight for RJ was doing an egg drop in our house.
RJ took another Outschool class, but this time it was a class on how to draw a t-rex. He had a lot of fun and I think he learned a bit, too.
The first weekend Jip was home, we had some beautiful weather. We pulled out the Chili's app, ordered our favorites, and then headed to a park to eat at a picnic bench. Our kids were the only ones wearing masks while on the playground, so we kept our distance as much as possible and left as soon as they were tired. There was another family at the next table over wearing their masks, but other than that, not many masks to be found. It is so discouraging. People--wear your masks so kids can go back to school and stay there!!
RJ reached another milestone at Code Ninja and completed his orange belt. He is the 4th kid to finish orange and now he is on to green. He is proud of himself and we are so proud of him!
The kids are gearing up for in-person learning beginning October 6. We've received pick-up and drop-off instructions, so it is getting real. We are all nervous and excited.
And, now for the times getting crazier...
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Please say hello and congratulations to the 51st Commander of Puget Sound Naval Shipyard, CAPT Jip Mosman! The plan is for Jip to take command in the first few days of December, so we'll be leaving Virginia around the 9th of November. The kids are mad/sad/scared, but still very proud of their Dad. We all are so proud! This was very much out of the blue--Jip was in his new job in DC 5 days when they told him that this was coming. We haven't even been reimbursed for Jip's moving mileage yet, and here we are, preparing to break 2 leases, get packed up, and hightail it to Washington. PSNS is what Jip has wanted since he decided he'd like to have Command, but we had made our peace with the fact that the Navy had other plans. But, as always with the Navy, you just never know. So, now I'm busy researching gyms, dance studios, Code Ninja locations, and of course, schools. We're crossing our fingers that schools in Kitsap County will be back in person, or at least partially in person through a hybrid model, by then so that my kiddos will meet other kids and their teachers in real life. And, we're crossing our fingers that we'll be able to move into Quarters E on the base by Christmas. Send us your good vibes!
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I keep promising to do better at blogging, but I'm not very good at keeping those promises. But, I want to do better, so I'm going to promise again. I'll take pics and let you know how our last few weeks here are going. Until next time, cheers!
