All Set for Distance Learning Part 2

Or is it Part 3? 🤔 We ended Pre-K (for Ella) with distance learning when the country went into lockdown back in March 2020... and then we did kindergarten with distance learning for the 20-21 school year... and now here we go again for the 3rd time. The 3rd freakin' time. Never thought I'd be doing another round of this, but here we are. I'm actually pretty excited about getting more time with my girls while they're this young and still want me around. Ya know? 😉

So if you're not in California and are not familiar with our state's plan to reopen schools... just thought I'd share that schools have reopened for in-person learning this 2021-2022 school year. I'd say most schools public schools have already started and others will be starting in the next couple of weeks. Many school districts had reopened for full-time in-person learning towards the end of the school year last year, but ours did not. We had hoped to have had our girls go back to in-person learning, but now that we are going through another surge of COVID outbreaks with a variant that's highly contagious... and because my girls do not have the opportunity to get vaccinated yet... we opted to go the independent study route instead. This was not a clean-cut decision for us - Ella was in the Spanish Dual Language Immersion program last year and for her to be successful in the program, it would be in her best interest to be in the classroom learning with her classmates since I do not speak Spanish fluently. She (and I) put in a lot of work last year to keep up with the curriculum and Ella did so well. But the program is not designed to be taught virtually in this district and was not an option this school year. And it left me torn between sending her back to school or taking her out of the program completely and putting her into Independent Study. In the end, keeping her healthy was our main priority. At least until she can get vaccinated. So we transferred her into the Independent Study program and she started school as a 1st grader on Monday, August 9th.

We are not sure how long we will be doing Independent Study, but since we are doin' it, I spent the last couple of weeks transforming a space in our home into a comfortable learning environment for both Ella AND Everly (who was only enrolled in preschool).

3 Things I Did to Prepare for Another Year of Distance Learning...

1. I restocked and reorganized our school utility cart with new workbooks and replaced some of the supplies (crayons, pencils, arts&craft supplies).

2. I used a corner in our dining room and turned it into a little learning corner complete with calendars in both English and Spanish and a few educational posters to reference when they're doing their homework. If you're wondering why the dining room, it's because it's the center of our home and it allows me to multi-task between house chores and tending to Everly's needs when Ella is attending her virtual classes. I also think having this learning corner in the playroom or bedroom allows for too many distractions, so the dining room is where the classroom is at.

3. And last, but not least, I bought the girls some new clothes for school. Last year was the year of loungewear and pajamas for us. No joke. I did not spend the money to buy anything new unless they absolutely needed it. But since it's a new year and my girls have grown AND because I just wanted to create a true "back to school" experience as I could - I did some major shopping for their wardrobe capsule this Fall. Yes I'm aware it's still Summer... but their clothes are still Summer friendly and easy to transition for Fall. 😉

1st Week of School Update:

I think we did good. 😂 I mean, we're exhausted. But we did pretty good. It's always so hard to go from Summer vacay mode to back to school mode. I'd say give us one more week and we'll have this routine dialed 😂.

Anyway, wishing you all a very successful 21-22 school year!!!

xoxo,

Jane

7 Lakes We've Visited in California (so far)

I'm an island girl at heart which means I'm a beach girl through and through. Can you believe I've lived in California for almost 22 years and I've barely (like 6 years barely) begun to explore the lake life? Sure, I've visited Big Bear Lake every so often - whether its for a staycation or just to stroll through the village and enjoy the area - but I've never actually stepped foot in the actual lake. It wasn't till we had Ella and my MIL had moved up to Gardnerville, NV (just outside of Lake Tahoe) that Lake Trips became an actual thing in my life.

So I thought I'd share all the different lakes we've been to so far. All very beautiful lakes, each with their own unique "personality".

NorCal

1. Lake Tahoe (Sand Harbor)

Probably one of the most popular lakes and definitely one of the biggest. We love to visit in the summers as well as the winter. And because this spot is so popular, it's also almost always super crowded and their parking lots can fill up quick. So it's always best to go super early in the morning to find that perfect spot on the beach. Lake Tahoe's water is just so blue, cool and refreshing you can't not want to keep going back.

Lake Tahoe Sand Harbor circa Summer 2019

Lake Tahoe Sand Harbor Circa Summer 2018

2. Silver Lake

We've been to this one twice already and is one of our favorites. We love the coves we get to hang out in where the water is calm enough for the littles to play and we don't have to worry about crazy waves crashing up onto the shore. We also got to hike and do some boulder climbing.

Silver Lake circa Summer 2021

Silver Lake circa Summer 2020 (during the time when California was on fire)

3. Blue Lakes

Another beautiful and quiet lake but not kid friendly. Very limited "beach" areas for them to play. Mostly just dirt and rocks. But it's the perfect lake to go kayaking, paddle boarding... things like that. We took our inflatable boat out and got to explore other areas of the lake. We had gone in July of 2019 and it was cool to see that not all the ice from winter had melted yet.

circa Summer 2019

4. Caples Lake

Pretty lake. But probably my least favorite. The one time we've been, it wasn't busy at all. Which is a plus for sure. However, the minute we stepped foot onto the rocky beach, we were attacked by flies that bite. I never knew biting flies existed till then. One bit my toe so hard, it started bleeding. I'm not a wuss, I can handle bugs and blood. But I'd say it totally ruined it for me 😂. Nothing a lil bug spray couldn't fix. But still, bugs are annoying.

circa Summer 2018

5. Kirkwood Lake

This one is a good one if you're not into crowded lakes. It's definitely a lot more quiet and serene, perfect for fishing and just taking a boat or paddle board out. And just like Silver Lake, there were lots of hiking trails to explore as well as rocking/boulder climbing opportunities. Also great for camping. Lots of pesky mosquitos though. So make sure to have all things bug sprays handy if you plan to go to this lake!

circa Summer 2021

SoCal

6. Big Bear Lake

Like I said earlier, I've never actually been IN this lake. But I love walking through the village of shops and restaurants. If you're not a fan of swimming or boating in lakes, it's still a cute place to visit year round.

And yes, these are are the only pics I could find of any of our trips up to Big Bear 😂. Ella wasn't even a year old yet in these photos. But I promise you, Big Bear is beautiful!

7. Silverwood Lake

And last but not least, Silverwood Lake... not too far from Big Bear Lake. I'd say it's kind of a hidden gem. I had never been here till just recently (like almost a year ago recent) and we decided to go here because we thought it wouldn't be as crowded as it is everywhere else. Because we were very much still practicing covid precautions and trying to avoid being in large crowds. Hence the mask wearing (yes we were outdoors but we were around a few people at times so we were just being safe). It's not as big a lake as all the others, but it's still a nice spot to hang out and chill. And there's picnic areas, too. But it can get pretty windy so check the weather before you plan to go!

circa Summer 2022

It's crazy looking back at all these pictures... mostly because my babies have gotten so big since!

Anyway, there ya have it! I highly recommend ALL of these places if you're ever in Cali and are wanting to get some lake fun in. Whether its's for vacation or just a weekend getaway... totally worth the trip. I promise!

xoxo,

Jane

1st Grade, Here We Come!!!

It's been a couple of weeks since my Ella Bella's last day as a kindergartener happened and things have been kinda crazy around here with graduation celebrations and summer vacay things. But I'm finally in a good place to finally share it all with ya!!! My emotions have kinda been ALL over the place (shocker) and I'm still in denial about the fact that I am now a mother of 1st grader. 😳😭 So crazy, right? Like WHEN this happen? This whole 'watching them grow up' thing does not get easier for me. Being a mom is the most amazing and rewarding experience for sure! And watching my sweet girl conquer every milestone makes me so SO proud. But it tugs at my mama heartstrings knowing that each milestone we celebrate brings her closer to adulthood and well... I'm just not ready to let my baby go! 😭😭😭

Here's a recap of our last week of school...

Last Day of School - Thursday, June 3rd

On Thursday, June 3rd, Ella (and I) had our very last virtual class with Señora Agosto. And I bawled like a big baby. No joke. And I still tear up when I think about it. On a normal school day, we would have had 3 virtual sessions but because it was the last day, and we had to drop-off/pickup some things at the school, Ella's teacher did just 1 session. And you would think that the kids would be so excited to be done with class... but it warmed my heart to see that even when it was time to say good-bye, almost every single student stayed on to talk with their teacher and classmates for a few minutes more.

Let's rewind a lil bit to see what my little girl looked like on the 1st day of school in the Fall of 2020...

How is she already lookin' so grown?! 😭😭😭

We've seen Ella's teacher a handful of times throughout the year but every meeting was socially distanced and all of us were masked up. And while Ella's school was still taking all the precautions and implemented a drive-by drop-off/pickup, ya know we couldn't let the year end without getting a pic.

Ella really loved her teacher this year and is really gonna miss her! So far, she's had a great Pre-K teacher and an awesome Kindergarten teacher. We're hoping it keeps going and we love her 1st grade teacher, too!

Virtual Graduation - Tuesday, June 1st

Because these kids weren't going to be able to have an in-person ceremony, Señora Agosto put together a virtual ceremony complete with caps & gowns and a full program of songs and student performances. The school principal even made an appearance and said a few words. It was a milestone that needed to be celebrated and I thought it was the cutest thing ever!!!

What About Everly + Preschool w/Mommy?

And we can't forget about Everly! Because of the pandemic, we refrained from registering Everly for real preschool. And since Big Sis was doing distance learning and I was her at-home teacher, we thought it'd be good for Everly to be Ella's classmate! She loved it! Especially the arts n crafts part 😂.

...and look at how little she was back in August!

Oh and I am happy to report that she has been registered for REAL preschool in the Fall. And she can't wait!

Saying Farewell to Distance Learning

I cannot believe we freakin' survived an entire school year of distance learning! And, not gonna lie. I am gonna miss it. All of it. I know in the beginning, I kinda dreaded it because I was nervous and afraid that I wouldn't be capable of teaching her all the things she needed to learn to keep up with her grade level. Especially since she's enrolled in a dual language immersion program for Spanish. But all the nerves went away once things got rolling. And I have Ella's teacher to thank for all that we have achieved in this process. Ella's teacher is THE BEST. She loves to teach and is very dedicated to her students and their success. And she was there every step of the way which made this entire experience easier to navigate.

To be quite honest, I really enjoyed it. After I mourned over the fact that Ella Bella wouldn't get to experience Kindergarten the conventional way that I got to experience, I realized that I needed to make this year a good one despite it all. I needed to look on the bright side of things - the fact that we GET to do this as opposed to HAVING to do this... made all the difference. Because I got to have my babies home with me every single day for the past year and a half since the beginning of this pandemic. Because I got to have VIP front row seats to watch her learn and interact with her peers. Because I also got to know her teacher and classmates and their parents on a more personal level that we most likely would not have had the chance to if distance learning did not exist. I mean, we were invited into each other's homes virtually and got to meet siblings, other family members and even pets... it was GREAT!!!

Sure distance learning is not ideal. It is new, scary and different. And let's not forget just how messy and confusing it all was right at the very start of lockdown last year. But over the summer, these teachers worked their butts off to make it work. To fine tune all the things that went wrong. Yes there were challenges. And it wasn't easy peasy all year round. And it definitely was a team effort. But you know what? These kids are the real MVP's. They are so smart and SO resilient. This temporary change did not break them. They persevered. They totally rocked it. They freakin' did it! And we (Ella & I) enjoyed every bit of the whole process.

So yeah I cried like a baby at the end of it all. Because I am going to miss it. Schools are reopening up in the Fall and both of my girls will be in the 1st grade and Pre-K. And even though I would love to do another round of distance learning again, I know I can't be selfish. There's only so much my non-Spanish speaking self could teach them!

I'm gonna miss having these 2 with me 24/7...

However your 20-21 school year looked like, whatever challenges you may have faced and conquered... we survived it all! And we made history. So here's 🥂 to closing another major chapter of our lives and let's move on to tackling the next. 🙌

XO,

Jane