Author: annabyang

Beginning to See the Light

/ annabyang
Beginning to See the Light

All of my “memories” popping up from this time last year reflect our first few days of Shelter in Place in Illinois. Schools were closed and remote learning was mostly independent work (which was a disaster). I made a schedule for my kids and tried to keep them entertained through the volume of free content made available by different companies and individuals as they tried to help parents that were adjusting. There were YouTube art classes, virtual museum tours, and sing-a-longs. Our energy to engage in these activities waned quickly as the weeks of isolation dragged on.

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The Second Pandemic Birthday

/ annabyang

When my kids were young, I used to plan elaborate themed birthday parties. They really couldn’t appreciate the work that I put in, but they always enjoyed having friends over and lots of food. As they got older, they opted to substitute a party for a trip to a hotel with an indoor waterpark. And that was the case last year – in March of 2020 – when Quentin was turning 8 years old.

A mere few days before his birthday, everything shut down due to the pandemic.

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One Year of Pandemic Later

/ annabyang

It has been a year since had any type of “normal.” On March 13, 2020 we pre-emptively kept our kids home from school. We saw the writing on the wall that schools would likely be closing due to COVID-19, and we were right. Later that same day, our governor announced the closure of schools, limits on capacity in businesses, and other measures to curb the spread. The day before, we had gone shopping, thinking that we might be in “lockdown” for several weeks.

How wrong we were.

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Back to the Classroom

/ annabyang

Just shy of one year since my kids have last seen the inside of a classroom, my kids will be returning to school next week.

Remote learning has been a struggle. From the early days of trying to establish a routine to changing techniques to keep my kids engaged, it has often felt like a losing battle. I kept telling myself that it won’t be forever, but I have also spent more time crying on the phone to the teachers (and principal) than all prior years of elementary school combined. The longer the year dragged on, the more it felt like a toll on our mental health.

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A Bit of Relief

/ annabyang

After I wrote last week about how much we are struggling right now, my mom emailed and offered to come and stay with us.

We have followed every single guideline around social distancing, travel, and being around people not outside the household. We haven’t seen family in person since Christmas of 2019. But my mom has received both doses of her Covid vaccine and is incredibly careful.

My response was “How quickly can you get here?”

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