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The 2020 School Dilemma

6 Jul
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There’s this crazy dilemma many of us are being faced with at the moment and from a variety of different perspectives.  The school dilemma.  How will kids go back to school with all the chaos of covid continuing to linger over our heads here in the US?  August is quickly approaching and it’s still unclear how the pandemic will be truly handled by the school systems.  We clearly didn’t heed the call to chill out and stay home to blunt the curve as we currently are winning the race for most cases… And that’s not something to toot our own horns about. So, do we send them or not?

THE SCHOOL DILEMMA

Last Monday I was driving home from work and I was listening to my normal MSNBC on Sirius.  I used to listen to NPR and still do somethimes, but today it was Nicole Wallace who’s my go to show to enjoy on the way home from work.  And while I consider myself somewhat liberal, she is probably my favorite show to listen to.  I think I’ve loved her ever since the HBO movie Game Change came out where Sara Paulson portrayed her as the gal who really didn’t care for Sarah Palin.  If you never watched it, it’s not too late and it’s a good one.  Anyways, I digress.  I do find it funny that my favorite show is that of technically a republican, although maybe now she’s a former republican.

BACK TO SCHOOL BINGO

So last week I’m driving home from work, listening to her chat and make all her very good points and take in everything that all her super smart guests are saying and it’s close to the end of her show.  This is the time she highlights a life lost to corona-virus. She goes to commercial first and I hit a stop light so I grab my phone and check some emails. I’ve been busy at work all day and haven’t looked once. Plus I’m practicing for the new law that started July 1, but I’m at a stoplight. I see an email from my daughters school that I’ve been nervously and anxiously awaiting.  Even just seeing it in my inbox makes my stomach turn upside down. I start reading…
*We will practice social distancing when possible.
*Students and staff will need to wear masks, at times.  Masks could also be required for certain classrooms or classroom activities.
*Depending on how many students reserve a seat on the bus, we may be required to reinstate walking zones and discontinue bus service for some students who live near their school.
*Students may be assigned seating and will be spaced as far apart as possible.
*There will be separate areas created in our health clinics—one for regular care and an isolated area for anyone who presents signs or symptoms of illness.
*No one should be in our buildings if they are experiencing any symptoms of illness. 
That last one made me chuckle.  What is considered a symptom of illness?  I know I’ve sent my kid to school before with a cough and we all know you have too.  But is this real life?  How can they ensure my child’s safety?  Will they be able to make the kids keep the masks on?!  How will they social distance?  Are the teachers really going to sign up all this?   I could go on with these questions for days… They typically consume my daily thoughts.
Nicole is back. I drop the phone and turn the volume up and listen.  That’s when I hear “8 year old” so I turn it up louder. “Yoshi’s parents say she was their favorite little star.”  I tear up. 8 years old and she passed from the coronavirus. No underlying conditions. She just died. And my heart melted for those parents.  Even reading this back to myself as I write it all out, makes me tear up again.

Eight
Years
Old

My daughter is 8. Even though everyone is so sure this doesn’t affect children, it does.  And we don’t know enough to say it doesn’t.  I don’t know what I’d do with myself if my daughter died of the corona-virus or any virus or accident or ANYTHING for that matter. If she died, I’d be broken. Forever.
And what scares me most is that people are walking around like these lives don’t matter. All I hear is “I want this” and “I want that.”  I don’t want to be the parent who is saying “I just want my baby girl back” if we can help it.  I don’t want that for anyone.
So this is why my mind is constantly filled with all the questions and uncertainty and this school dilemma. Listen, I want to be able to go shopping and  out to eat with my family too, but we just need to take it slow and the more everyone rushes this, the longer it’s gonna take.  It’s not going anywhere and you can see that by the increase in numbers all over the country.
There will come a moment in our looking back on this time, and honestly it might come sooner rather than later, that people will say what the hell were they thinking. I keep thinking that this whole bit of our history will be looked at with such scrutiny — political scrutiny, empathetic scrutiny, and scrutiny of our humanity.  Those who came before us sacrificed so that we could survive… from very small things like parents not eating during the depression so their children could to larger sacrifices like lives lost in war.  Why can’t we handle this seemingly simple ask to keep our fellow mankind safe?  Why is it such a task to stay home and slow down for a bit?!
I realize all situations are different but whatever your situation, I can almost guarantee, that in our current state of pandemic and economic slowdown, you are not alone. As many have stated before me, we are all in this together.  I loved seeing the amazing outreach that came towards the beginning of all this mess.  The kids coming up with creative ways to serve their communities, food pantries taking care of anyone who needed food, singing on the balconies, people visiting elderly though windows… I mean the love and kindness that came from all of this had to be a ridiculous increase from previous times…

A DAY IN MY QUARANTINE LIFE

Which brings me to my thoughts on this school dilemma… and where my uncertainty about all this comes from… we clearly are not in this together. As much as I wish we were as a country, we were so far divided before the pandemic, It’s hard to imagine such a life altering event being able to bring us together. So how am I to trust that the people I’m sending my child to school with are taking this seriously?  I can’t.  As much as I want to (and need to) send her back to school, I just don’t think it’s a good idea to {what I’m considering} rush into things.  But my survey is due back today on whether or not my daughter is planning on attending school and riding the bus.
My answer? I have no clue. So my answers on the survey will be yes.  Because I don’t want to be in a situation where I said no and then don’t have a place.  But I’m still on the fence and things don’t seem to be getting any better with just a couple weeks before they go back…
I just keep thinking, is it really possible to socially distant with class sizes as they are?  Even cut in half?  Could each individual really stay six feet apart? Realistically?  And how will that be policed?!  Kids like to socialize and as my little one says, “touch her friends.”  And she’s anxiously awaiting the time when “cowona-birus” (she’s 3) is over so she can do just that, but that time has not yet come…
On the bus, how will that all go down?  We did hear that there will be no sharing seats on the bus unless you are from the same family.  Which is good to know, but will they be taking temps at the bus stop?  And what happens when the kid comes with a fever but his parents are already at work?!  As much as we hate to admit it, school is a childcare for a lot of people so they can work and we need to make sure that’s being taken into account.
What happens when the schools start to see an increase in cases?  We honestly don’t know what will happen, but we can’t just say that by cleaning everyday and keeping space – in an enclosed environment – that there will be no issues.  We have to anticipate that kids being together INSIDE is going to prompt more cases.  Then what?!  This is the school dilemma.  And quarantining for 14 days if that does happen — who all is affected by that?  An entire class?  All teachers?  Certain staff?  How does that go? But seriously, HOW DOES IT GO?  This virus is young and probably changing more than we know… We can’t expect to have school as it always was, and there aren’t any really good options right now and the LACK of honest and transparent information is unsettling.
No one knows anything at this time, but please be prepared to send your kids back to school in 3 weeks.

FIRST DAYS OF SCHOOL

I trust the teachers… but will they come back?  I mean, honestly we are lucky to have a great school so I trust that everyone there has my child and all the kids best interest at heart, but will those people be around?  The expectation we are putting on educators during this time – educators who are already overworked and under paid, oh and are already short on resources – is insane.  Not to mention the crisis of a teacher shortage we are already facing…  We are expecting them to now police masks, temperatures, e-learning options, and so much more… We learned that e-learning as prepared for the end of the spring semester wasn’t ideal for most families or children, but that wasn’t their fault.  They did AMAZING things on such short notice!
Most of my questions for the school dilemma surround the what if situations — like what if a kid gets sick during the day?  what happens if they come with the fever?  what happens if the teacher contracts it?  how will there be enough subs?  I just see many many teachers opting out this year… and I don’t blame them one bit.
So there’s my rant on the school dilemma and whether I decide to send my kid to school this year or not.  I sit here daily, wondering why we can’t just suck it up for a bit and take this more seriously.  Even if we need to learn to live with a new way of doing things, we aren’t ready to just go back to life as it was with the current status of the pandemic.  We need to figure out the best ways that work for us, and all of us, and try to stick to that.
Isn’t it irresponsible to feel like school MUST start back up in the fall?
None of this works. And logically people have to see that…
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Categories:
2020, Back to School, Blog, COVID-19 Quarantine, Deep Thoughts, Reflection
Tags:
Back to school, coronavirus, covid-19, deep thoughts, going back to school

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Hey There! I'm Abby. Some people started calling me "Little Miss Martha" a few years back and this blog followed. I started it to share my DIY wedding progress, but it's now evolved to include other good things. Read More…

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Abby || Lifestyle Blogger
Easy after school // back to school surprise you c Easy after school // back to school surprise you can do!  You just need plates, snacks, and a small
Suprise! 
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#afterschoolsnack #backtoschooltips #makemagic #smallcelebration #biggerisntbetter #makememorieseveryday #occasions #firstdaybacktoschool #smallsurprises
And they are off! Hopeful for a great year for AL And they are off! 
Hopeful for a great year for ALL of us! 

https://www.instagram.com/reel/ChHq6DVgDNF/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=
FREEDOM!!! The kids are back in school which means FREEDOM!!! The kids are back in school which means it’s time for regular schedules and bedtimes, which in turn means I have ME time again!!! PARTY!!!! 

So… inquiring minds want to know… what would you like to see on LMMBlog in the coming months!?!? Because I might have time to tackle some things now!!! 🙌🏻
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#backtoschool2022 #firstdayofkindergarten #firstdayof5thgrade #momfreedom #backtothegrind #momlifeunfiltered
If you are close to Chicago, you may want to check If you are close to Chicago, you may want to check out the @stranger.things.store in Oak Brook!  It’s only open for a couple more weeks, but it’s def worth checking out if you are a fan!  Lots of fun photo ops, exclusive merch, and plenty of details to take in! 

We recently planned a stop and visited on the way to our vacation final destination!  Loved surprising the girls with this one!  The only other stores are currently in Dallas and Paris!!! 

Read more on the blog at hellomissmartha.com! 
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#summerbucketlist #strangerthingsfan #ifionlycould #strangerthingsstore #strangerthingssummer #visitillinois #visitchicago #summerfun☀️ #familyroadtrip #robincosplay
At the start of every school year, I looked forwar At the start of every school year, I looked forward to the one year the girls would be together in school and get to ride the bus together. Well, this is that year, but  instead they but they are split up with Ella heading into 5th at the Intermediate school that’s probably bigger than my high school and a class of what I heard was 700+ 🤯 and Olive heading into Kindergarten at Shamrock ☘️ which also might be bigger than Dwenger 🤣. Can’t wait to see the what this year brings! 

Cheers to a great 2022-2023 school year!
If you’ve been here a while, you know I love a g If you’ve been here a while, you know I love a good tablescape!  This one comes to you from @indyspotpicnics!  She set this up for a fun litttle #CreatorsNightOut with @theindymommy!  Glad to partake in the fun and meet up with some other creative ladies! 

Until next time…🙌🏻
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#indycreatorsociety #indyentrepreneurs #indybloggers #summerpicnic #summernights🌙 #creativegatherings
Ready for a beautiful creators evening with @thein Ready for a beautiful creators evening with @theindymommy and this lovely picnic-scape from @indyspotpicnics! 

Lovely picnic really set up by @indyspotpicnics but felt like playing magical momma! ;) 
Thanks for the invite! 
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#theindymommy #indycreatorsociety #creatornight #indyblogger #welcomefriends #indyspotpicnics
Truth bomb today! I’d love to be a feed that’ Truth bomb today!  I’d love to be a feed that’s beautifully consistent with gorgeous styled photos, but let’s be real, these kids are with me nonstop and usually they have something on their faces and we go places like Costco and Waterparks to make memories… so… 
Welcome to my real world!  Hope you hang around! 
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#clownjuice #marriedacarney #sometimessharingbeautiful #realmomlife #conflictedcreative #wetry #welcometomyworld #momlife #justamom
Just a couple hours south of Indy, you’ll find @ Just a couple hours south of Indy, you’ll find @graduatehotels where some #strangerthings are happening… 

We surprised our Super Fab daughter with a stay in their Stranger Things Suite a few weeks ago and boy was she surprised… 
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#strangerthingsfan #strangerthingsdecor #strangerthingssuite #thegradutaehotels #upsidedownatgraduate #theupsidedown #summerbucketlist
Back in July we decided to head on a Strange adven Back in July we decided to head on a Strange adventure. It was a Surprise for Ella, our Stranger Things Super Fan!  After becoming a fan myself, thanks to her, I started looking into Stranger Things experiences!  I mean, it’s based in Indiana so why shouldn’t there be something here?!?

Well… @graduatehotels came back having a Stranger Things suite and after talking it over with Mike, we decided it was the perfect summer weekend away with a twist! 

Scroll to see a few pics, head over to the blog #linkinmybio for a recap of the whole experience and keep an eye out for a reels a bit later! 
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#strangerthingsfan #strangerthingsexperience #strangerthingssuite #upsidedownatgraduate #thegraduate #upsidedown #indianafun #visitbloomington #summerbucketlist
Just some minor updates in the guest room for unde Just some minor updates in the guest room for under $50!  New DIY curtain and rods inspired by West Elm soon to be on the blog!  Check the link in bio now for guest room must haves! 
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#copycatchic #lookforless #diyhome #guestroomdecor #guestroom #welcomeguests #diyhomeprojects
Preparing the guest room for visitors! It was abo Preparing the guest room for visitors!  It was about a month since anyone had been here and now we are a revolving door again!  What’s one thing you love to see in guest rooms when you visit? 

When guests come to town, you want them to be comfortable. While this space is really a mishmash of things old, older, and some new, it doesn’t have to feel like a hand-me-down room! 

Check out my must haves for your guest room over on the blog… #linkinmybio 

Follow my shop @Little Miss Martha Blog on the @shop.LTK app to shop this post and get my exclusive app-only content!

#liketkit #LTKhome #LTKfamily #LTKstyletip
@shop.ltk
https://liketk.it/3JuQ2
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#guestroom #guestroomdecor #guestroommusthaves #visitors #welcomefriends #cozyspaces
I feel like I’m always running up that hill… I I feel like I’m always running up that hill…
It’s been a summer full of Stranger Things over here and even Olive is loving the soundtrack of the summer! 
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#runningupthathill #strangerthingssoundtrack #strangerthingsfan #strangerthingseveryday #katebush #katebushmusic
Happy Birthday to this guy! It’s a mini milesto Happy Birthday to this guy!  It’s a mini milestone and you wear it well!  Wishing you a day filled with Jeep rides to small town USA, puppies, freezer fixing, and maybe a door dashed cake later! 🎉🤣🎉😉
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#happybirthdayhusband #happiestbirthday #manofthehouse #fortyfive #likeafinewine #justababyface
The 2022 Indiana State Fair is just a few days awa The 2022 Indiana State Fair is just a few days away! 

We have the BEST memories going to the fair and make more every year!  Plus, there’s something for everyone. 

What’s your fave fair memory?! 

The popular $2 Tuesdays are gone since the fair is closed Mondays and Tuesdays. Instead, fairgoers can take advantage of $3 Thursdays, with $3 admission, $3 midway rides and $3 food options at each food stand.
@indystatefair 
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#indianastatefair #ourstatefairisagreatstatefair #indianafairgrounds #statefair #summermemories #indiana
I saw somewhere it’s National Carousel Day! We I saw somewhere it’s National Carousel Day!  We love us some gorgeous old school carousels… how about you?! We have to ride them wherever we see them!  I blame my former life carnie husband 🤣

Do you have a local fave? 

Pics by swipe! 
1. Navy Pier, Chicago @navypierchicago
2. Forest Park, Noblesville @noblesvillein @noblesvilleparks 
3. FW Zoo, Fort Wayne @fwkidszoo 
4. Charming Carousel, @waltdisneyworld 
5. Kringle’s Carousel, Merry Prairie, @connerprairie 
6. Indianapolis Zoo Carousel, @indianapoliszoo 
7.  Carousel Wishes & Dreams (old Broadripple carousel), Indianapolis @childrensmuseum 
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#nationalcarouselday #carousels #carouselsofinstagram #letsride #carouselhorse #carousel #indiana #chicago #waltdisneyworld
When my kids ask me to go to target… Because it When my kids ask me to go to target… 
Because it’s bad enough when I go by myself, but when they go with me?!? 💰💰💰
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#targetproblems #nomoney #kidsareexpensive #gru #pointofviews #pointofview
When will it be cool enough to sit out here again? When will it be cool enough to sit out here again?! 😭 Happy Friday friends but seriously how are you staying cool these days?! Also, what’s your thermostat set at?! Just wondering… 
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#staycoolmyfriends #summerheat #summershere #coolair #summerparadise #backpatio #oneroomchallenge
You can share fireworks all summer right?!? Someon You can share fireworks all summer right?!? Someone just set some off in our neighborhood so I figured this would be a fun share!  Fireworks are one of the best symbols of summer! 
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#fireworks💥 #pyromaniacs #libertyridge #soundsofsummer #fireworksshow #summermemories #sparkleinthesky
Twelve years later and we’ve still got it… We Twelve years later and we’ve still got it… 
Well, we’ve got something 🤣
Here’s my IG tribute to our 12th wedding Anniversary (requested by my mom because I posted only on FB over the weekend). Haha. 

Here’s to 12+ more… unless we go to Bongies, then there might be trouble 🤣! 

Love you ❤️
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#twelveyears #weddinganniversary❤️ #12yearsmarried #longertogether #bettertogether #happyanniversary❤️ #feelingvintage
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