What a difference a month can make! Four weeks ago, we were coming off a busy robotics season and thinking about soccer starting up soon, and now…nothing, or what seems very much like it. But even in the midst of all the hard stuff going on in the world and in our own lives, there is much to thank God for. As a way to remind myself of that truth, I thought I would share some of the things I’m grateful for right now.
During Christmas break, Aria learned how to do 3D digital modeling with Blender and made the props for the video short animated by her robotics teammate, Jonathan. In February, their team was awarded the 2020 Digital Animation Award! We surprised them at one of their meetings with the news and cake, and they were presented with a trophy at the competition on February 29th.
Here is the winning video:
Although she sometimes found the schedule exhausting, Aria really learned a lot, including how to use several power tools, both small and large. She also was given the job of technician at the competition, shuttling the robot back and forth from the matches and making sure it was charged and ready to go. I’m very grateful that she could actually attend a competition this first and last year she will be on the team, as a couple of weeks after her team competed, all further competitions were cancelled. I can only imagine how disappointing that was to all the teams who had worked so hard to prepare.
I am thankful that the routine of homeschooling can continue almost seamlessly, with the absence of piano lessons and most of our co-op (see below). It really does help to maintain a semblance of normality to our days, even with hubby working from home. I am a bit nervous about how break week will go, with nowhere to go – not even to play with the neighbor kids. I’m encouraging the boys to make a list of the things they’d like to do next week. I’m glad I’ll have our third term to plan, and I’m also hoping to do some of the free online Classical Conference.
Mr. R’s joyful smile as he finishes counting to 100 in his Horizons math book (nota bene: Horizons K is plenty for a first grader. 😉 ):
Technology has truly been a blessing during this time. The boys were able to participate in a couple of Shakespeare classes with the other kids from our co-op, and the youth group has been meeting via Google Hangouts or Zoom each Wednesday night. I enjoyed meeting with a few of the ladies from church to discuss the second book of the Kristen Lavransdatter trilogy, and I’m looking forward to the “virtual Bible study” later this week. 🙂 And of course, our pastors have been taking turns preaching via our church’s live stream each Sunday morning. It certainly isn’t a replacement for meeting in person, but it is definitely better than not meeting at all.
Aria is currently keeping very busy with another online art class from SCAD, and I’m thankful it coincided with this otherwise un-busy time. The Lord willing, she’ll be graduating mid-July!
Daily walks help me avoid feeling completely shut in, and I’m thankful we can continue to enjoy the occasional hike at a local park, providing we keep our distance from others and don’t use any playgrounds. Here are some photos from some recent hikes, as well as some glimpses of spring, which continues to unfold even if everything else is on hold. 🙂
The “street artists” have been busy in our neighborhood, giving Aria and I some much-needed smiles:
I pray that you and yours are healthy, and that you can find some bright spots of gratitude in these dark and difficult days.
