This post might be a little scattered. I have not written anything for a couple of weeks because life has been extremely busy and chaotic. In my title I began with the ugly and ended with the positive. I think I’ll continue that. I always appreciate a good ending.
After sheltering in place all spring one of our first outings (in a group setting) was to Family Camp in Devils Lake. It was as though no one out there even knew what COVID was.😬😂 Granted many of the people there were country folks who had 0 cases in their county but I’ll be honest I was a bit uncomfortable with all of the hugs and hand shakes. At the same time I believe that not being around germs and such is NOT good for my immune system. I came back from camp with what seemed like a common cold. It was over within 4 or 5 days and then the following week I had a cough for about 2 days. The cough scared me enough to take a COVID test. The test did come back negative. No one else in my family got sick.
Okay so here are my positive experience with the At-home kit:
- It was super convenient
- It was easy to take
- It came to me the very next day from when I ordered it
- It was covered through insurance
- It was in the lab within 24 hours of me taking it
Here are my negative experiences with the At–home Kit:
- It took about 10 days to process!!
So I’m glad I took the test for peace of mind and the safety of all those I’m around however I was not impressed by how long this test took to process. Their web site says that they take 3-5 days to process and they process samples 7 days a week so I’m unsure why mine took so long. I think the best thing about this test is that it was simple to take. They send you a kit with several q-tip like wands (small). Your instructed to take 1 q-tip and circle the inside of each nostril 3 times. Then place the q-tip in a small tube they send with some sort of liquid (that I suppose keeps the sample stable for testing). Super easy and non-invasive at all (like most of the other tests out there).
Just a few days after my cold symptoms I got back to feeling really good so I started exercising again. I decided to take an online cardio step class. It felt great to get moving again so I decided to take a yoga class as well. That’s when I though I was passing out. I felt the floor shift from beneath me. All I could do was lay on the floor and close my eyes. I thought something was seriously wrong. My husband said that we should get to the walk-in clinic right away because he didn’t want to wait till the evening and have to pay for an emergency room visit. It turns out I just had Vertigo. I was dumb founded. Like seriously? That’s it? I pretty much laid in bed for 2 days. It did eventually pass but it was miserable. I felt like I was in one of those wave pools and I couldn’t get off the ride. I was nauseous and dizzy almost the entire time. Anyone else out there had Vertigo? What was your experience? Do you get it often?
We decided to buy a camper after we realized that most of the kids activities and camps in Fargo were going to be canceled because of COVID this summer. It was one of the best decisions we made! We have made so many great family memories this summer. Here is a list of the campgrounds we have visited so far: Eggerts Landing (Valley City, ND), Lakewood Park Bible Camp (Devils Lake, ND), Games Lake County Park (New London, MN), Yogi Bear Jellystone Park (Sioux Falls, SD) and this weekend we are off to Lake Geneva Christian Center (Alexandria, MN). My personal favorite out of all the places we’ve been to so far is Eggerts Landing. Its well maintained and each site seems somewhat private. You feel part of nature there. The bugs weren’t too bad and the beach and park were wonderful! If you go ask to be close to bathrooms. Some of the sites are quite far from the bathrooms and beach access. The kids favorite campground of course was Yogi Bear. My only complaints about Yogi Bear was it was a more expensive and the pool was just too small for the amount of campers. If we go again I would do this one during the week and not on the weekend. I might write a post in the fall as a follow up to this one. That way I can share more about each campground. We have had fun at each place we’ve been to! What are some of your favorite camping spots?
The one thing that did not get canceled was the kids tennis lessons. They went twice a week throughout the month of July. The kids started out really loving it but by the last week or two they didn’t want to go. They actually have to exercise and move (imagine that). I think they also got a little bored with the same motions each day. Next time I think I would sign them up for more of a 2 week program or a multi-sports summer program. We liked the instructors they were very nice and good with the kids! I think I counted about 9 or 10 boys and about 12-15 girls each week. It was a big group.
IM OFFICIALLY A HOME SCHOOL MAMA! It seems like a daunting task. When Fargo had an online-zoom meeting recently and shared their plans for the 2020-2021 school year I knew I had to go with my gut and choose to homeschool this year. Im hopeful that our kids will get back to a normal class room setting next year. My main 2 reasons for leaving public school this year:
- I’m not a fan of the public school home learning system.
- Kids should not be mandated to wear a mask all day
- Kids should not be asked to social distance
Fargo schools will have kids learning in the classroom and from home. Three days one week and two days the next. Plus they will likely have closures throughout the school year. I prefer the kids to have a stable learning environment. The shuffling around does not seem stable to me. I don’t plan to comment on the mask issue. Doctors/scientists wont even agree on the mask issue so I’m not going there. I just prefer my kids to breath fresh air. This last point is the nail in the coffin for me. What is the point of sending my child to public school if not to make friends and socialize? I’m afraid that’s just not what Public schools are concerned about this year- which makes me very sad for the students. I’m praying for the mental and emotional health of all the children put in public school this year. I realize some parents don’t have the option to homeschool. Each family needs to make the decision that best fits their needs. I just know I can’t send mine this year. Most of the summer I have been researching curriculum. A friend of mine from Willmar who has been homeschooling for a few years now turned me on to Master Books. I have looked online at much of their curriculum and I think its going to be a perfect fit for my family. Its very reasonable, I paid under $400 TOTAL for my 2 kids (4 subjects for each child plus an America Geography book- states). My favorite part of this curriculum is that each subject weaves Jesus throughout. Its gentle (as to let kids develop a love for learning and retain the information). I’m super excited about the curriculum but very nervous about doing this for 9 months! Lord help me. If you are homeschooling tell me: what extra curricular activities are you signing your kids up for? What curriculum do you use and why?
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