So here we were in the middle of a nation wide lock-down because of COVID. Who would have ever thought this is the way things would be when we kicked off 2020. The girls were both in a solid routine of homeschooling. They were doing their classes and schoolwork online with their teachers and staying in touch with their friends as best as they could, but not seeing anyone but each other day after day was a bit difficult.
We were trying to maintain some normalcy by celebrating holidays and making things fun for the girls, so when Cinco de Mayo rolled around it called for some virgin margaritas and a Mexican feast! A day afterwards Cecilia was off to the orthodontist to get her braces. She was scheduled to get them on weeks prior, but the office was closed due to the pandemic. The second they reopened we got her in and began the long road to straighter teeth.
The first day was cake, but after that the pain set in and it was a rough week for our girl. The pain was pretty intense as she got use to all of the metal in her mouth. It was difficult for her to eat anything and speak, but she quickly adjusted, like I knew she would. My birthday was a few days after she got them put on, so she wasn't much in the mood for celebrating with me, but she still manage to help make my day special.
The girls made me a cake, homemade bread and some pretty special homemade gifts for my garden. It was a quarantine birthday, just like so many others that turned one year older during this time, but I was able to celebrate with my family which was all I need to have a special day.
Aside from Cece heading to the orthodontist for her braces, the girls really had not ventured out since the quarantine had been lifted. Things were beginning to slowly reopen, but with pretty heavy restrictions. One of the first things to reopen were hair salons. With temperature checks and masks the girls were able to visit our hairdresser for a trim. We were lucky enough to get our last haircuts the week before lock down, so we were really not overdue, but it still was good for them to get out and do something normal.
The next thing to reopen was the dance studio. We slowly started bringing classes back from online to in person. Each week a few more classes would come back and soon we were back to our normal schedule. The girls did the best they could to keep their distance from one another, but they were just so glad to see each other and be back doing what they love so much.
When the girls were not doing their online school work they were slowly getting their activities back. Dance was back in session, but soccer was still online and gymnastics had not started back up. There was not much else open or available for us to do and the girls were a little bored and bummed they could not see their friends as much as they were used to, so I arranged a surprise for them. I had the Kona Ice truck come by our house so the girls could place a private order. They had no idea and were very surprised it pulled up. It helped to lift their spirits during a otherwise challenging time! Not to mention, it was tasty!
With school only a few days away from ending, we were dealing with a lot of different emotions. Relief to be done with the e-learning aspect of it all, but also sadness that Cecilia's last year at Peace Montessori was going to end without getting to have an official goodbye. Thankfully the school arranged a goodbye paradecso the students could drive through the campus and say goodbye to the teachers and staff. For some, it was just goodbye for the summer, but for Cece it was goodbye after 7 years at her school.
Emotions were high as we drove through the school parking lot. Cece never got to say goodbye to her friends, her teacher or all of the other people we was used to seeing on a daily basis. It was hard to hold back the tears as we saw Ms. Amanda holding her sign and telling Cece how much she missed her. She was used to seeing her everyday on Zoom, but to see her in person and know that this would probably be the last time she saw her was quite sad. Ms. Amanda was her teacher for 1st thru 3rd grade. She helped to prepare her for her transition to Canterbury and promised to stay in touch. This was Ms. Amanda's last year at Peace Montessori as well, so they were both having to say goodbye in an nontraditional way.
A few days after the parade it was Cecilia's official last day of school. I promised her that I would I would take her to her school in the morning with her backpack on, as if she heading off to school as normal. I wanted to make it a special day for her, even though she was not able to have the last day of school at Peace that she deserved.
So there we were all alone taking pictures in front of the empty school when suddenly Ms. Carrie, the school director appeared. We had every intention of social distancing but our emotions got the best of us and a hug was necessary! This school and these people have been a part of both Cecilia and Olivia's lives since they were toddlers. We may be in the middle of a pandemic that has caused Cece's journey at Peace to end in a disappointing way, but she still got to have a proper goodbye and wrap up 3rd grade in a very rewarding way!
After our tearful goodbye with Ms. Carrie we took a little walk around the campus, said goodbye to the goats and reminisced about the wonderful memories Cecilia created during her time at this school. As we were walking away Cece said, "I am going to miss my school so much!". I have no doubt this will be true, but I am so very excited for her to start at Canterbury. I remember what a wonderful transition it was for her sister at this age, and I am confident it will be the same for Cecilia. Peace Montessori will always have a special place in our hearts. My girls grew up there! I will make sure they remember how much of an impact this school on had their lives.
A few days later Olivia had her last day of 7th grade, online and very uneventful. Thank you COVID! She wrapped up 7th grade the best she could, completing all of her assignments and showing up for all of her virtual classes. Despite having not stepped into a classroom since the middle of March, she still managed to achieve top student status...second year in a row. I am proud of my girl for maintaining an above A average, even while learning from home.
Despite a good chuck of the school year taking place from home, the girls did a great job. They kept up with their work, took it seriously and made the best of the situation. For that, I am incredibly proud of them! They deserve to have a care free summer. One free from having to worry about all of the stresses that come along with this world wide pandemic. My only hope, is that things have somewhat improved by the time they go back to school in August.
