Not wimpy at all. You can do hard things. Big hugs.

I'm so sorry, that sounds hard. No good advice, just hugs. Is waiting and knowing you need to do it worse than getting over the hurdle?

Just for you to consider...what are the medium-term and long-term plans for your parents? Any chance they're planning to move to be closer to one of you at some point? Could an argument be made that, in light of the Covid situation, that time has come earlier than expected? No relation to the cleaner at all, no need to investigate her or cast aspersions, just a different stage in life, which happens to remove her from their lives. And, if this stuff is on the horizon anyway, I'd make sure one of you siblings has power of attorney, and is listed on bank accounts, and is visiting frequently, if your parents will be comfortable with all that. If they really trust this woman, and their judgement is slipping, she could maneuver to be the one who is in that position.

Your neighborhood is so much more interesting than mine.

True enough. Anyway, not to derail the thread, your skunk family sounds charming, especially from a distance.

Yep. It took a year to get the local crows to come to my feeder. They still won't come when I'm outside, except now when they sit in very tall treetops near me and caw, I optimistically assume they're asking for more peanuts and go put some out. So, *they've* trained *me* effectively enough. Someday one will bring me a gift. Something really priceless, like an old bottle cap or a spot of carrion. A woman can dream.

And here I thought I was the only crow-obsessed boardie. 😄 My ambition is to manage to construct (or hire some talented teen to construct) this crow feeder. https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2982961/The-feeder-trains-birds-PAY-food-Crow-Box-teaches-corvids-collect-coins-return-peanuts.html I downloaded the instructions once, but it looked pretty complicated by my far-from-tech-savvy standards.

This. And this. Unless we have a role in the courtroom, where I agree that judgement must be reserved until the case is proven, our most appropriate role as involved citizens is to express loudly and openly our horror, disgust and moral outrage. That is a valid role, which can help drive change. Those emotions aren't inappropriate; they are utterly appropriate and necessary. No one is arguing for lynching the officer. His arrest and trial need to be by the book. The role of the citizenry is different. We get to express our outrage, and doing so is the best action we can take, aside from voting in ways which will further the cause of justice.

Holding all of you in my thoughts.

What sweet babies! I'm glad your dd has something fun to think about now.

Here's a good article on how contact tracing works in practice. https://www.propublica.org/article/you-dont-need-invasive-tech-for-successful-contact-tracing-heres-how-it-works/amp__twitter_impression=true

Just in case the Covid test was a false negative, have you got a pulse oximeter?

Yeah, I agree online only isn't the solution. Some kids need to be there, physically, in person. Some could manage with part time in person, part time online. Some might be able to manage online only, with virtual, synchronous classes, like the online classes many of us have utilized as homeschoolers. I'd be pleased to see options, so parents can pick what works best for each student, especially at the high school level. But that might be too complicated for districts that are going to be struggling under any circumstances. This year is going to be full of opportunities for us all to practice compromise and flexible thinking, bearing in mind that the ideal world is not available right at the moment. Hopefully in a year we'll be on firmer, more favorable terrain. And, you know-- flexibility...compromise...perseverance...resilience. These are some pretty valuable lessons for our kids, as tough and as valuable as algebra or a foreign language. They may end up learning more than we expect.

This all makes sense, thanks. My remaining high schooler actually is on the spectrum, but she's probably closer to level 1 than level 2 now, and she doesn't get any help with social skills or facial expressions. She doesn't want to wear a mask, because, as she said, if the school is risky enough for masks to be needed, she doesn't want to be there at all. I can't argue. But that's really all beside the point here. Do you think school without masks is feasible in the special education world? What are the best options there?

I think I must be missing something. Why are masks such a problem? I mean, I do understand sensory issues, but those don't affect most students. And somehow that's not the vibe I'm getting about the concerns here. What concerns me is the very real danger to everyone in the schools, teachers, staff, and students. The virus is the concern, not the masks; the masks help minimize the risks from the virus, so they're undoubtedly a nuisance, but to me, they're well worth the trouble. About 40% of the adult population is at high risk. Is this feasible? Asking someone to retire early isn't easy or cheap. My dh is in this category (young 60s, less than five years from retirement, preexisting conditions). We're not sure what his employment situation will be, but if he had to retire now, unexpectedly, there would be all kinds of financial implications for us, from loss of health insurance to lower lifetime social security benefits. We still have two teens who need to get through college to independence. Are we, as a nation, willing to help teachers and staff make this sort of transition? I suspect funding masks is cheaper than shifting many thousands of school employees away from exposure to kids. Many parents are capable of providing masks for their kids, just like they'll provide notebooks and pens. I like this idea. My high schooler doesn't want to set foot in the school next year. I really don't want to be in the position of needing to force her to undertake a risk she doesn't want. She's working hard at home. There must be others feeling the same way. Letting them stay home, at least part time, would help everyone.

Same here. I can't seem to stay logged in for more than a few minutes.

Thank you! I appreciate your information and personal experience with Sweet Briar. Dd has chosen to go elsewhere, but others reading here may find all the insights people have offered useful. Maybe even my younger dd in a few years, who knows...

I would like to know this also.

Party Joanna, I am so very sorry.

Right, plus testing. I think testing capacity is still strained.

This article has been updated to say that Phase 1 will not actually last two years, or until a treatment or vaccine is available. https://www.richmond.com/news/virginia/update-governors-office-says-phase-one-of-reopening-virginia-will-not-last-for-two-years/article_434516e1-9f6e-51f5-b30d-d328870cc8bc.html

I am so sorry. Missing the family gathering really would increase the sense of loss. I hope you can all gather together as soon as possible.

I like that model. Returning to homeschooling would not work well for my high school dd, but she's no more eager to attend school in the normal way while Covid-19 is circulating than I am to send her there. Once or twice a week sounds like a sane compromise, if it means only half the student body is attending at a time.

The thing is, beagles are bred to run and follow scents. They're bred to be hunting dogs. If I were on a farm and wanted a dog who would stay on the farm or outside around the house without a good fence, a beagle would not be the right choice. But I'm in suburbia, and we have leash laws, and our yard has a good fence which was planned and professionally built to contain dogs safely. I mean-- it's a standard 5' fence, part chain link, part more attractive aluminum. But I got it to contain dogs and small kids. Most days our beagle gets either a longish walk or two, on a leash, or some significant training and exercise (obedience and agility) in the yard. He hasn't tried to run off. He does miss his exercise if for some reason it doesn't happen, and then he might be up in the night barking and wanting to chase deer out of the yard. He is with dd15 almost constantly, because she is his person, and he doesn't want to be away from her. The one time he slipped out when my nephew left the door open, he ran right around and waited on the front porch to be let in. Back in the misty past a month ago, when dd was at school all day, he spent the day snoozing on her bed until it was time for the school bus to bring her home, and then he woke up to meet her at the door. He does love to dig, no question. So, I think beagles may run, under some circumstances, because they're supposed to, after all. But I also think their needs can be managed so that it's not a problem, depending on your situation.

Beagle. Golden retrievers and labs are great, but for kids who are 8 and 11, they may just be too large and strong to manage. Beagles are happy, sweet, friendly dogs which are great with kids. My only caution would be that some from rescues have been hunting dogs and may not have been well socialized, but you're talking about a puppy, so that wouldn't be an issue. (Even shy rescue beagles are wonderful dogs, just talk to the group and find out about the individual dog if you decide to go this route. For a first-time dog owner, I'd suggest a happy, confident dog, rather than a shy one.)