We made it through two and a half of school last week before the proverbial Covid s*** , hit the fan. I was sitting at my desk on Monday morning, attempting to get caught up on a year and a half of desk work when the dreaded call came in.
I saw on my phone that the call was from Round Meadow Elementary, which was already a red flag. All parents know that you rarely get a call from school in the middle of the school day unless something is wrong, even when the person calling starts the conversation with, "This is Mrs. Cooper, the principal at Round Meadow. Don't worry, everything's alright."
Well, not exactly alright, as it turns out. She proceeded to tell me that Graham had been exposed to someone with Covid at his table (specifically), in his classroom, and that I would need to come and pick him up immediately. I couldn't even process what she was saying. Didn't we just start school a few days ago? How can my child already be booted out, when's he's only been back for a nano second? Is Graham going to get Covid? Is my entire family going to get Covid? And what about Catherine, who is in the same classroom? Don't. I have to pick her up too? This can't be happening!
She explained that I would be getting a call or email from the district nurse later in the day to explain all the details and advise on how to proceed. But in the meantime, the long and short of it was that he would need to be picked up immediately (either by me if I was available, or by someone listed on my emergency contact list ,if I was not). He would have to remain at home and quarantine for 10 days. You have got to be kidding me!
The email that came later in the day explained more. As it turned out, Catherine would not need to quarantine, despite being in the same classroom and sharing the same bedroom with said "exposed child," (that would be Graham). Because she was not sitting at the same table with the child who was infected, she would not have to quarantine. None of it made sense to me, but who am I to look a gift horse. in the mouth? One child home under quarantine is more than I had bargained for this soon into the school year, so far be it from me to question the policies.
Graham and I are on our third day at home together (thank goodness the clock started ticking on the day he was supposedly exposed, which was last Friday, on his 9th birthday. Happy Birthday Graham!). We have another week to go. So far we have been making a pretty good go of it, I must say. Most importantly, he has not exhibited any symptoms of Covid, so I am enormously grateful for that. Nor have any of my other children, which at the end of the day, is all that matters.
He has to log into some sort of virtual-one-room-classroom each day, with the technology teacher, Mrs. Anstead, from 8:30 to 2:30. She seems to be teaching all the quarantined kids from 4th and 5th grade, from what I can gather. She is doing her best to keep the kids busy and their spirits up. Hopefully they are keeping up with some of their grade-level classwork as well?
Selfishly, it has been lovely to have my sweet, quiet, organized and considerate Graham at home. He hasn't been a bother at all. Just the opposite. I sit at my desk during the day and get my work done while he attends "virtual school." He listens to Vivaldi's Four Seasons on his computer when he is doing his homework. How can I complain? I check in with him throughout the day. I make him special snacks and lunches to lift his spirits. Although, honestly, he has been an absolute trooper and has taken this far better than I had anticipated, and probably better than I might have taken it if I were in his shoes.
Today he said to me, "You know what Mommy? I am going to miss being with you at. home when I go back to school." I replied, "Not half as much as I going to miss being with you Graham." We both smiled.
(Note: Watch out for the twin's fabulous birthday blog coming in the next few days.).
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