Sequestered 2020: online school AGAIN

Here it is people!  The second installment about online school!  I know you are all waiting with bated breath (what a weird phrase*) to hear how today went.  Well, you're in luck because wonders never cease and I am not too tired to hop on here and tell you the tale...
Yesterday was a dumpster fire.  Today that fire smoldered.  It was still there, but it died down.  A little.  There was a gamut of emotions today.  For example, Dave had to leave the room to join a meeting while we soldiered on in the living room/school room central.  Five minutes later we were treated to a symphony of shouts, shrill shrieks, screams, squeals and squawks**.  No I am not exaggerating!!!  Apparently internet/technology was amuck/amok (you choose!) and so was Dave.  I offered to help but...I wound up laughing and giggling uncontrollably from the other room.  I'm sorry, babe, but seeing you spit hot words of anger is so rare - I forget what that looks like/sounds like!!  Other emotions to make an appearance today were things like overwhelmed, ambivalence, anger, joy, and um....poutyness?  Is that a word?  Spell check says no.  Sullenness?  You get it, I'm sure you do b/c all of you are stuck at home too.  See that's why I'm writing this.  I need something to do that I like that maybe just maybe will makes us feel a little more connected.  People, send me a letter.  Email me.  Call.  Video chat if that's your thing.  I am pretty much a people person and this is ridiculous.  My days are going to be marked by a feeling of helplessness...I'm trying not to think of it in such a depressing manner, but I can't help my kids w/everything, I can't help my hubby w/the stupid internet and I can't help other people I love since I am stuck here!!!  But - I can try to stay connected....right now I feel like there aren't enough hours in the day for 'me' time or time to stay connected but I think it will get better.  I hope to schedule some time - I have a friend who literally makes appointments to talk to people.  I need to do that.  An appointment would help b/c then I wouldn't just say "let's do it" and forget but really do it!  Ok, this story about our day got off the track there, but that's ok.  There probably is no track now.  Whenever something seems off or out of the ordinary let's just yell CORONAVIRUS!  I got off track.  CORONAVIRUS!  I used to say 'squirrel' as a way to explain my ADD tendencies, but hey, we're blaming the virus for a lot right now, so why not?  Ok, back to the story.  We borrowed another friend's daughter's school lunch gimmick at the end of the day today.  It's called pits and peaks.  We went around the table and said one pit (low point of day) and one peak (high point of day).  I started crying when Mo told his peak.  He said it was looking out the window while doing school and seeing the sun and how it moved through the clouds and all the nature outside.  *gulp* First - I busted butt to get an area of school set up.  I chose to put it by the big windows b/c if it were me, stuck staring at a screen in the same room when I had been used to going around different parts of school, I would want to be by a window.  I loved my college classes where I could sit by a window.  I am an outside girl.  I love nature and I love our property out here.  I picked that for them b/c I hoped it would make them feel like they were part of the outside even when they were in.  It made me feel good that Mo liked it and that I actually did something that helped someone!  On the other hand though, it made me feel bad that this is happening to my kids.  I wish I could take it all away!!!  Sure, skip school, go play, that's better for all of us anyway....only we can't.  There's this list of work for your classes...ARG - I have said it more than once - Mom doesn't want to do this either.  At least we get to be together.  We had a few more laughs tonight when we played a family game - Franklin was overreacting when he started to lose, well, maybe he didn't feel like it was overreacting!  He made these faces....we all got the giggles...then Dad kept missing a turn b/c the direction was changed right before it got to him, so he started to over-exaggerate and overreact!  This felt like a really really long day but overall it was a good one.  Not all kids got all their work done but I am over it.  We're doing the best we can.  At one point during the day I ran out to get supplies for a craft.  I need to do something each day for me.  I get so mad and emotional about the difficulty of all of this.  My brain gets stuck and if I don't shift gears...well, I don't know but I'd rather not find out.  So - we're going to make a snuffle mat for the dog!  And maybe some Easter crafts.  More on that in another post - that will probably be more interesting than my rant of the day!  Hopefully you read all this and it was like a hug from me, b/c I miss those too!!  

*Side note that it is not spelled 'baited' as I had previously and erroneously thought.  Bated breath is a phrase that means to hold one's breath due to suspense, trepidation or fear. Bated breath is a phrase first mentioned in Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice. The word bated is an abbreviation of the word abated, meaning to lessen in severity or amount.  The more you know...

**How is it that I spelled that word 'sqwuak'?  I have been spending waaaaay too much time sounding out words w/my kids!!  Can I just go back to my babysitting job??  Please??  I miss baby talk, patty cake and cheering when a tower is knocked over.  Seriously.  Brain.  FRIED.   It will get easier though!  We get a bunch more chances to practice this whole school at home thing!  TOMORROW IS A NEW DAY!!