Although I entered 2021 very carefully, and continue to tiptoe around, the unbelievable just keeps coming. Perhaps most unbelievable in my world, is that the dad has just submitted his intent to represent himself in a court case that he initiated against me in 2018. He has been through nearly 10 different attorneys since our […]
Is January the Preview? — Army of Angels: Part 2
While the holidays bring images of happy homes and loving families, please remember that the pictures don’t tell the whole story. Be gentle and merciful toward others. Time has been a great healer of the AoA past. Eight years ago, Christmas Eve, the dad walked out of our house after pacing the floor, saying the […]
A Different Christmas Eve — Army of Angels: Part 2
December 22nd…..almost Christmas! We have had a lot of fun this season, even amidst a pandemic. Little AoA sent out about a dozen gift packs to her pen-pals. In the weeks that followed, packages started coming regularly for her. She has had so much fun with her pen-pals! Little AoA never really had friends in […]
Almost There — Army of Angels: Part 2
It hasn’t hit my immediate household yet, but my nurse daughter tested positive for covid. She is just feeling like she has a head cold with pleurisy right now. She knows how to fight this battle! My heart just sinks when I think about her being sick. She was so worried about missing these last […]
It Has Hit My Family Now — Army of Angels: Part 2
Today, a huge holiday weight was lifted from my shoulders. We had court scheduled for December 30th. The dad filed a motion against me back in 2018, because the kids were not both ready for visits. Within a few months of his filing, both kids started visits. Then, two months later….BAM! Covid hit! The visit […]
Relief for the Holidays — Army of Angels: Part 2
Child development took a detour! Our children are doing the best they can. They should not have to worry about spreading an illness….period. I am getting on my soap box for a minute. What our kids need now is not more testing! Teach them…..teach them….love them…..play games with them…..challenge them…….they are surviving a pandemic! Family […]
Making Friends — Army of Angels: Part 2
The holiday season may be a little tangled this year, but there is still JOY! I just worked a full week in person, for the first time in over a month! Unfortunately, that may have been the last full week for a while. It looks like our whole county will be remote schooling by the […]
Holiday Time in My Corner — Army of Angels: Part 2
Most of the time, we get to choose whether we engage in a battle or argument. We get to analyze it, and decide whether it is worth our time and energy. When a vindictive ex spouse dedicates his or her time and money to taking you to court, there isn’t really a choice. You hire […]
Only the Lawyers “Win” — Army of Angels: Part 2
I took a two day respite trip with Little AoA! What could go wrong? We needed a short respite time. Everyone we left at home had what they would need for several days; food, clean house, paper products, and so on. My adult kids were aware that the grandparents would be there, and may need […]
Sitter for Next Time! — Army of Angels: Part 2
It was time for some much needed respite! I wish we could take a break from the pandemic, which is what we really need! Until then, we have discovered that the beautiful Smoky Mountains are an easy four hour drive from our home. On this stay, we decided to try Dream More Hotel, which is […]
Much Needed Respite — Army of Angels: Part 2
The holiday season has officially started, and it is a welcome distraction from the pandemic world. We ate our traditional turkey dinner on Wednesday….because we could. No company…no extended family…just our “pandemic pod”. My adult son took a to-go plate, as he is fairly certain that he has been exposed to covid at his new […]
Holiday Season: 2020 — Army of Angels: Part 2
It finally happened….our whole school system moved to remote learning. The covid numbers in our county have reached the level of “high spread”. Many teachers are out with either positive covid cases or symptoms. There aren’t enough substitute teachers to keep up with the need. Parents want their kids in school, but I guess not […]
They Sent Us Remote — Army of Angels: Part 2
Today my 14 year old received confirmation that has been a long time coming….an autism diagnosis. I have suspected this for a very, very long time. We have had testing after testing, only to be told that the dad’s treatment most likely was behind the very odd behaviors. Well, it has now been a few […]
Confirmation — Army of Angels: Part 2
Behold, the health department drive through line for Covid-19 testing. I ended up there a week ago. I woke up with a sore throat and terrible headache. Normally, I would have written it off as my body’s response to the drastic weather changes. But no, not in a pandemic! I had learned just a day […]
Grounded — Army of Angels: Part 2
Tuesday night was a tense night, as people everywhere waited to see how the presidential election results would unfold. Some states, like mine, are ALWAYS the same. It turns into a red state.every.time.fast. Nothing new to see here. Then came the other states….red-blue-red-blue…….on and on through the night. Next, the stall out! Some states had […]
What About This Neverending Election?! — Army of Angels: Part 2
This week, our school system closed three schools due to widespread Covid-19. One of them was the school where I have my office/classroom. I know of three teachers who have covid. I only know because they posted about it on social media. There is no transparency about it. Our school systems are just not equipped […]
Whole Schools Close — Army of Angels: Part 2
It is that time of year…time for some creepy decorating! For some reason, the skeletons make me laugh! I think it is because we are so lonely here, that we just want company! The covid numbers are far too high here. Our little state just moved up to 8th in the country, with cases of […]
Scary Stuff — Army of Angels: Part 2
Today we lost a 7th grade student to suicide by gun. This is the first time in my 20 years, that this has happened at a school where I serve. Our faculty is overcome with grief, as we prepare to tell the students when they return to school tomorrow. My sadness and anger intertwine. This […]
Another Needless Casualty — Army of Angels: Part 2
After a much needed week long break from work and school, we are buckling up for the next covid wave! I shared some concerns with my teacher council representative, after unknowingly walking into a school that had almost an entire grade level out, along with all front office staff! The updates that our county said […]
Buckle Up! — Army of Angels: Part 2
It happened…..we lost a public school employee to Covid-19. He went home one day with Covid-19, and passed away soon after. Schools have been in session for about seven weeks. We currently have 41 adults out with Covid-19, and 32 students. Many more are quarantined as “close contacts”. Our employee worked at two of the […]
We Lost Someone — Army of Angels: Part 2
The teacher anxiety is real. This week, it finally got to me. I have been sucking it up to, “mask up and go in”, as we are told to do. I travel to different schools, and see about ten kids in person a week. The rest of my students are remote. Of the ten in […]
Teacher Anxiety Increasing — Army of Angels: Part 2
One of our main high schools had to close for a 14 day quarantine. Each day, our county updates on which schools have had to send students home to quarantine. No one seems to connect the fact that if students were exposed here, there is a good chance that siblings at other schools are at […]
Pandemic Anxiety and the birthday cake — Army of Angels: Part 2
Schools have been open in my county for a full month now. I don’t think parents or other stakeholders really thought in advance, what that would look like in this pandemic. Many people where I live, still think it’s a “hoax”, and only the “scared” should wear face coverings. So no one is required to […]
The Ripple — Army of Angels: Part 2
Little AoA found joy this weekend in a Walmart. We knew that there was a new line of greeting cards featuring our favorite, Dolly Parton. We looked for them every time we went to the store, and finally, we found them! It was a little treasure in these challenging times. I’ll take it! Our schools […]
The Little Things — Army of Angels: Part 2
Here in my county in Tennessee, we have just completed two weeks of school with kids in person. Our state seems to be in complete denial that the pandemic is serious. Our state sat at 17th most cases in the country not so long ago. The cases have not been decreasing here, and we have […]
Mass Confusion and Frequent Pivoting — Army of Angels: Part 2
Teachers in my county became “essential workers” last week. I learned today, that someone I was in a room with on Thursday, was actually contact traced or had a loved one at home with Covid. He was at work because that is what we were told to do. Luckily, we were both wearing masks, and […]
Let’s Do This! — Army of Angels: Part 2
Teachers have been back to work for three weeks now. The students have been back for one week. There have been 16 positive Covid cases in the schools so far, all adults. I had my own Covid crash this week. One of my work friends spiked a high fever on Monday night. I had been […]
Three Weeks — Army of Angels: Part 2
Today was our first day of school with kids. It went very smoothly at my school, mostly because our administrators are logistics superstars! Classes on my side of the building, with 5th and 6th grade, were at a little less than half capacity. The kids were mostly not wearing masks in the classroom, and neither […]
Mask Up And Go In! — Army of Angels: Part 2
I went to my classroom one last time today, to get ready for Monday, the first day for kids. I couldn’t resist taking this picture of the items given to each teacher, by our school. The cleaner is some sort of “natural cleaner” from a local company. One face shield and one mask, along with […]
Protection! — Army of Angels: Part 2
School systems around us have been starting to open this week. Many are having to close and switch to all remote learning within days, due to transmission of Covid-19. A six year old child in our state died today from Covid-19. Kids are showing up to school with it. Schools in my county open in […]
Open and Close! — Army of Angels: Part 2
Teachers have been preparing their rooms and lessons to be ready to receive students! As the time draws near, my teacher friends with compromised health conditions grow more nervous. One of my friends is “getting her affairs in order”. My own parents are scared that I will unknowingly bring this virus home. All while one […]
Ready to Go! — Army of Angels: Part 2
Everyone needs to wash their hands, because our school board voted tonight, not to require students or teachers to wear masks at school! Correct me if I’m wrong- I am not a doctor… but I thought we knew our special virus was airborne. Three school board members, the school attorney, and superintendent (he is BRAND […]
The Vote Against Masks — Army of Angels: Part 2
Some kids in our state will start back to in person learning tomorrow. My county starts next week. Today was the deadline for families to register for remote learning if that is what they choose. I am very curious about how many students will be remote. We will know tomorrow. I am looking forward to […]
Here They Come — Army of Angels: Part 2
This news article came out today. Schools open for in person instruction in just one week….oh, and masks are optional. I had the pleasure of being able to participate in a teacher’s union zoom call tonight. They had a panel of doctors who have been trying to help guide the safe opening of schools. What […]
Open Them Up! — Army of Angels: Part 2
Today was the third day of professional development for teachers, pandemic style. Everyone has to have their temperature taken at the front door, and log their answers to the Covid-19 questions on a google form. Then it is each teacher to his or her classroom to log on to distanced training. I never realized how […]
Pivot! — Army of Angels: Part 2
Teachers in my state waited anxiously for our governor to address the state today about the opening of schools. Yesterday, Dr. Birx visited our state because our transmission rate is so high, and many of our citizens either don’t understand, or disagree with Covid-19 being real and in need of mitigation. She urged so many […]
“Good Luck Ya’ll” — Army of Angels: Part 2
Today was the first day back to work for teachers in my county. We all went to our rooms, and met remotely as a faculty. Three of my peers were remote from home, in quarantine due to having been exposed, or waiting for test results. Another school had an administrator test positive, and much of […]
Lift Off- First Day — Army of Angels: Part 2
I am as ready as I can be for the re-entry into the schools tomorrow morning. We have two weeks to work on professional development to learn some new skills and prepare for the combination of in person and remote learning. Everyone will do an on site temperature check and COVID-19 checklist upon entry to […]
7 Hours to Re-Entry — Army of Angels: Part 2
Teachers return to schools in one day! The students will return two weeks later. The school system is providing teachers with two weeks worth of training on distance learning. It is important to mention how it will be done. Teachers will report to their schools, do the COVID-19 check in with temperature check, and then […]
1 Day- Countdown to Re-entry — Army of Angels: Part 2
Tension rises as the day to re-enter our public schools gets closer. While I am ready to get back to the routine of going to work and interacting with others, I am terribly afraid that it won’t be safe. I need to keep my mind sharp and critical, so that I can pull out and […]
8 Days- Countdown to Re-entry — Army of Angels: Part 2
It is time to begin the countdown to return to our public schools for the professional development activities that occur the week before students return to school! In reality, we won’t even know what this might look like for another three days, when our school board meets to decide. The main things that we know […]
9 Days- Countdown to Re-Entry — Army of Angels: Part 2
Our kids are set to return to school on August 3rd! Of course, this could change at any time. The only thing we really know is that each school is being given a thermometer gun for each 40 kids. One school I serve at is providing face shields for anyone who wants one. Do you […]
Who’s Going To Do That? — Army of Angels: Part 2
Last week, our governor decided that local county mayors could mandate mask wearing in public if they thought that was best for their counties. Guess whose county DID NOT get a mask mandate? Mine…..Our county mayor decided that individual freedom was more important than wearing masks and saving lives for a short time during a […]
Processing New Mandates — Army of Angels: Part 2
I can’t believe we are three weeks from teachers’ return to the public schools! The schools are starting to put out their plans for returning. Each school has its own plan. Masks? Wear them if you want to….. To say the least, I am already concerned. I go to seven different schools each week. I […]
The Plan is to Pivot? — Army of Angels: Part 2
Pandemic holidays are really something. I usually love seeing the fireworks, and shooting some off at home. This year, we all decided to just watch the celebrations on the television, while listening to all the neighbors shoot off fireworks in their yards. We had some nice steaks and salad for supper, and a cherry pie- […]
Independence Day Pandemic — Army of Angels: Part 2
Covid has hit close to home now. My oldest daughter, a nurse at a local nursing home, is working amidst a new outbreak. She has had to ask a family member to keep her daughter for at least a month, as the outbreak makes its way through her workplace. As the facility becomes short of […]
Every Man for Himself — Army of Angels: Part 2
Is it over yet? I was blogging daily while our state was under a stay at home order. Right after that ended, teachers were called back to work. We had to complete all of the IEP meetings that had come due during the stay at home order. We then had to go back into the […]
Is 2020 Over Yet? — Army of Angels: Part 2
The people where I live emerged from their places of quarantine by the middle of May. The teachers at the school where I have my classroom, returned to work to clean out classrooms and do a drive by pick up for students to retrieve their things. We were all wearing masks and gloves, and practicing […]
They Emerged — Army of Angels: Part 2
Day 55…… Tomorrow I venture back into my school building to pack up my classroom for the summer. My room is mostly cluttered with books that I inherited from a retired teacher. Every year when I try to get rid of some, I get interested in them, and they stay in my room. Maybe this […]
Quarantine Day 55 — Army of Angels: Part 2
Day 53…… I missed writing the last couple of days. I had spread myself too thin. I had signed up for a group book study with some other teachers. The schedule was fine when I signed up for it several weeks ago. It was to meet on four different mornings for two to three hours […]
Quarantine Day 53 — Army of Angels: Part 2
