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Sunday, September 27, 2020

Introducing Mr. Peppers

 

He's a rescue cat who was living with a neighbor until she needed to rehome him due to allergy reasons.  He's very gentle with our dog Bitzer and has been very loving and sweet with everyone.





Saturday, September 19, 2020

Roaring Point Camp

I've been reading "Chesapeake" by James A. Michener for two years, it's a book that covers multiple generations of Marylanders in a fictional way so I read a generation then put it down for awhile.  The book began around the Nanticoke River so I wanted to find a campgrounds in this area and get a better feel for where this book began.  I found a campgrounds called "Roaring Point Camp" and we planned a trip for the weekend of "Talk Like A Pirate".  We told the kids about pirates who used to pillage these areas and it was a really fantastic weekend.

















Wednesday, September 09, 2020

Grocery Store Pick Up Rated

Walmart - 4 stars out of 5

I've been using it for almost a year, here's the pros and cons:

Pros:

* The minimum buy is $35 and I can usually hit that twice a month.  Our primary grocery shopping is at Aldi and I use the Walmart pick up for anything I can't buy at Aldi or want name brands such as Old El Paso Enchilada sauce, Starbucks espresso beans, brand name cereals, Great Value Garlic Bread, Jalapeno Cheddar sausages, brand name chips and the occasional soda, and Walmart has a much better ice cream selection.

* You can also ask for things like school supplies, toys, bedding and containers.  I think you can order anything in the store but I mostly stick with groceries with a few others thrown in.  I've even ordered deli meat but it has to be one pound increment to start.  That's fine, we can go through a pound of deli meat in one week.  

* They are super professional and hard workers at our local Walmart.  The first couple of times I wanted to give them a hug because they were so warm and friendly.  If I only had this when my babies were in car seats!  

Cons:

* Sometimes an item is available on the app but when you get to pick up they either don't have it or will offer a substitute.  Usually they will send an email so you can be aware before going.  At the beginning of Covid-19 it was so prevalent that I stopped using pick up for awhile.

* If an item isn't available like a toy, and you were shopping in the store you could get something else.  The one time I tried this it was for a birthday party and it was really inconvenient to have to then go into the store when I wasn't planning on it so I've ultimately avoided items that can cause greater stress by just getting food that is not urgently needed that day.  

* The app doesn't track our vehicle correctly so when we get there the system shows we are still in transit, that can cause delays.  I hope they get this fixed soon.

Target - 4 out of 5

Pros:

* There doesn't appear to be a minimum requirement for pick up order.  I've ordered just under $20, then I placed an order that was half pick up and half delivery for items not in store.  

* You can go any time in 3 days from order placement and just let them know you are coming through the app. This super beats Walmart because they require you to schedule almost a day in advance, during the early days of Covid-19 it might be a three day wait.  I really love scheduling it whenever I happen to be in the area within the time frame.

* They are really strict about no touch.  My first visit I didn't know and the girl was new so she handed me the bag, the next time I was told they must put it in the car.  Then I have to reach around to grab the bag and make sure everything is there but safety is important.

Cons:

* In my last order, I purchased 8 bags of masks for the kids.  Out of the 8, six items had a message that masks were resized for better fit.  The two that did not have the message did not fit well.  Those are the two going back!  I kinda wish the person picking them out had thought to only give me the ones with the message to be consistent but that's the kind of detail I might bring to a shopping trip and that's one small thing you give up when asking a total stranger to do your shopping for you.  

Lowes - 5 out of 5

There doesn't appear to be a limit for pick up.  I ordered a $10 chair and it was fine.

They have the same policy as Target, order and tell them you are coming through the app.  I've been there twice now and each time it went smoothly.  The first time a guy was stationed outside and as soon as we pulled up he came right over and then went to get my item.  The second time I waited 15 minutes for a guy to show up but he did come out with my items.  It was a longer wait than normal but it was Labor Day so I won't ding them a star for that.

Aldi - 1 out of 5

Aldi, uses Instacart for pick up and they charge a hefty mark up for their efforts.  I realized this because I memorize prices and while putting items into the online cart I noticed ground meat was $3.85 and I last paid $3.39.  That's a 20% mark up!  I quickly discarded the cart and went there in person.  Aldi's in store prices are great, and this might be helpful to someone who cannot do their own shopping but I'm not willing to pay a mark up.  The sad thing is on their website they advertise free pick up and I think that's hugely misleading.  

Revised back to school plan

The first day went well enough, I kept Violette home and she did two hours of work where I would initiate a subject and then give her a page to work on while I worked my job.  Then I had an unexpected conference call in the morning and had to send her off to play her phone for an hour and a half.  Later that day when I picked up the others, I talked to the principal and learned she was less concerned about student spacing than I originally assumed.  Later in the afternoon my cousin came over to finish the lessons and we both realized if she could be squeezed into the classroom it would be better.  So today all four kids went to school!  The only problems we are having is school runs from 8:30 - 1pm and the kids are starving when I pick them up.  I've sent snacks but it's not enough so I might just prepare lunch right before I pick them up so they can eat when they get home.  It's either that or I pack lunches and let them stay with their dad until he's ready to leave at 3pm.  

I have to say today was unbelievably peaceful from 8 - 1pm.  I think it's the longest span I've been alone since they were sent home mid-March!  

Friday, September 04, 2020

Our Back to School Plan for 2020/21

The kids were sent home from spring break through the end of their 2019/2020 school year.  We did well, but in hindsight it's because the teachers gave less work, cut out entire subjects and the kids had the benefit of being in school for three quarters of the school year so they were used to the curriculum.  We were told our kids were outstanding students.  They did their school work while I worked full time.  Mike was home more often and could help with questions.  

For the fall semester, Mike will be working at the school from 8:30 - 3 or 4pm.  The school has two plans - distance learners and in-school learners.  The classrooms are small for some grades so there is a limit to how many students can squeeze into a classroom and be positioned six feet apart.  We decided early on to keep ours home, after all they did so well in the spring, and many parents were desperate to get their kids back in school.

This week I met with the teachers to pick up books and go through all the subjects they would be learning.  After reviewing the 7th grade workload I panicked and asked the teacher if there was space for mine to switch to in-school, thankfully she said yes.  My oldest freaks out when she can't hear instructions clearly, or can't figure out what to do next and I can just see myself having to sit next to her and teach along with the teacher, while at home on a lap-top, and the laptops haven't even been delivered yet, so she'd be home on our terribly old laptop that everyone hates.  So the new plan is for her to go for a few weeks until the computers come in, and if she feels comfortable enough to work from home she can switch.  I have a very strong feeling she will continue going to school.

My 2nd child is in 6th grade and I'm more familiar with his work load, but I'd rather put him in school for at least two weeks so he can get used to the curriculum and then he can come home.

My 3rd child is in 3rd grade and her class is too full for her to attend so I'm trying to make it seem really cool and awesome that she gets to stay home with me.  My cousin is the teacher and I have a huge comfort level with her so I'm very confident this will work out fine.

My youngest is in Kindergarten this year and her teacher said if we can teach her to read she can stay home, I can't do that and work full time.  She also is very determined to go back to school so she's going!

If my 2nd decides to stay home in two weeks, then I'll have two home and two in school.  I'll be driving in to get them every day at 12:45pm but we live 10 minutes from the school so it's fine.

One school mom is bringing her two kids over on Thursday's to watch so she can maintain her full time job.  

It's going to be an interesting year!

I plan to get up at 5am to work for 1.5 hours, then help get half the family off to school, get the remaining kids started on their school work, then back to work.  It's a good thing I thrive with a busy schedule, also a very good thing that I don't have any trips for the foreseeable future.  

I also plan to work on meals this weekend so there is less meal time prep on school days.