Offspring Opinions, No. 4
- Prof C
- Feb 18, 2024
- 6 min read
Avery:
About a week ago, I went to this program called ANSEP ( Alaska Native Science and Engineering Program) and it was really fun. I learned a lot of things and I made new friends. During this exciting trip I saw four moose. I'm pretty sure that it was two moose that showed up twice. One time when we saw the moose was when we were coming back from the ANSEP Academy Building. We were heading to the commons to go eat lunch and we were just walking and all of a sudden the moose hops out from the deep snow and starts to munch on the tree right next to him. So our chaperone told us to stop and take the long way to the commons. So that was a little fun experience that we had along the way. Something that was also really fun was building a PC. So, being myself I have very little experience with PCs so I had no idea what I was doing. But in the end it payed off because I now have it at my house and use it about every day. But there is just one problem. Siblings. I'll turn my computer on and guess who comes over like a dog hearing the food bowl? Emily and Jadyn. So I will turn it on and they just sit down and either start playing or downloading some game they found. So now that computer I built is now more of a collective computer than my computer. Oh! And another fun experience is when I was flying from Fairbanks to Anchorage I was seated by a grandma that I do not know at all and she would not stop talking and asking me questions! She kept on asking where I lived and where I came from, why I was there, who was I traveling with, and where I was going. But overall it was a very fun trip and I enjoyed it.
Joshua: So if I'm being honest nothing notable of writing has really happened except for a couple of things. The first notable thing that happened was our Battle of the Books battles. Battle of the Books is a district-wide event where teams of 3 people read several books and then they have to answer questions about the books. The first battle we were in we won by a lot (I forgot the exact score but it was like 64-29). And then in our second battle, we tied for second. Afterwards we realized that we were the last River school remaining so that was nice to know. The second notable thing is the amount of snow that has come down on us. The snow outside is so deep in some places that if you walked there you would disappear and it is still snowing right now. That's all that has happened that's notable of writing so later guys!
Emily: I have good grades, Moms class pet bit me when I was feeding her and cleaning out her cage. I need to grow 5 inches in the next week so I can spike and bully little kids (joking, of course...). I spent an hour and a half sorting colored pencils, next up is markers. Last Friday some of Mom's students were playing with dominos and I joined, we had some cool set ups. Bye bye now, I miss playing softball with my team.
Vicious class pet:1, Emily: 0
Jadyn: The last month or so has been a little rough, as far as school goes. I hesitate to go into detail, but certain individuals are less than pleasant to be around, and unfortunately, I have to be around them often. Academics themselves have been going smoothly... no complaints there. Life at home hasn't changed much, but going into the final stretch of the school year, I've been thinking more and more about my life beyond high school. My college applications are in, tests have been taken, and all other necessary preparations have been made... the only thing left is to decide which direction to go. It may be best to stay home for a year, find a job, secure financial stability before going off to college... or maybe it's better to just take the leap, and see where I land. I just don't know yet. For now, I'm going to enjoy the life I have now as much as I can, because it's now painfully evident that it won't last forever.
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In other news...
I know my last post was rough, but a lot of good came out of it. First, thanks to all of you who sent words of encouragement my way. It's good to hear that we're not alone in the struggles we face. A lot of progress came out of that wave, and this past week, despite some typical work frustrations, has been great.
I forgot to mention that the week Avery went to Anchorage for ANSEP, Philip and I used our roundtrip to Fairbanks, one that the district pays for every year. We made a list of in-town errands that we wanted to check off, as well as purchases to bring back that have been difficult or impossible to get otherwise. Everyone at work kept asking us if we were excited to get back to civilization for awhile, but truth be told, we had more anxiety than excitement. First, there was the concern that we'd miss something logistically, in securing the hotel, rental car, and flight procedures at Wright's. Additionally, we already had one child off in Anchorage, and we were leaving the other three alone, for the first time, in the village. We were also worried about how the last two days during the school week would go, with others covering our classes. Granted, I only had one student that week, which was part of the reason we chose that particular week to go. It also didn't help our concerns, when the day we flew out, the Wifi went out in all the teacher housing, and remained out the entirety of our trip. We had no way of contacting our kids once they left school for the day. Of course, the other two teachers were around, and the principal, should an emergency arise, but being off the grid is only fun when we're all together.
Our time in Fairbanks was really more frustrating than it was relaxing. One of the goals we had was to get our Alaska Real IDs while we were there. My driver's license was set to expire on my birthday, so I needed something that would serve as identification, and soon. I will spare you the HOURS and repeat trips that we spent at the Fairbanks DMV, but I will say that Philip and I ended up both getting driver's licenses instead of ID cards, and neither of us could get a Real ID, because we didn't have the right paperwork from the district. It's a major bureaucratic problem, living in a village that doesn't have any physical addresses. If you're ever in Alaska, and you find yourself in the throes of state paperwork (Alaska has been awful!), prepare yourself and be warned: you may emerge from it all looking like someone from America's Most Wanted. Check out Exhibit A below. Philip said he was going for a smirk. But his patience had run out.
Also while we were there, it was bitterly cold. Never any warmer than -45 degrees. We had rented a car, to allow us to get around, since getting a taxi in Fairbanks is a rare occurrence. When temperatures are that cold, you have to plug in your car, in order to keep the engine warm. Otherwise, after about 1-3 hours, your car won't start. The things I had no concept of, until we got here...
All in all, we checked off the errands we wanted, and were able to enjoy some good food and coffee while we were there. But it struck us both how much we did not miss anything resembling city life. I was ready to get back to our little corner of the woods, where it was quiet and peaceful. We're constantly forming our goals for the future, in addition to improving our present, and we definitely know that our future permanent residence will be away from the madding crowd. However, it would be nice to be able drive for supplies, rather than have them flown in. So our future home, wherever it may be, will most likely have roads. :)
Lastly, it was my birthday last week. Philip, the kids, and my students all did a great job of making me feel pretty special. One of the things we did in Fairbanks, for my birthday, was go to a fur trader, and purchase materials for one of the locals here in Kaltag to make me a pair of beaver mittens. My pathetic little fingers just can't stay warm out here, and so I was told this will be the last pair of mittens I will ever need. I love that they will be handmade by people whom we have come to know and love, and they will indeed be the last pair I ever buy. My parents-in-law also sent me the perfect gifts: more sweaters and long-sleeved shirts. (The Merino wool sweater has become my new favorite.) I am acclimating to this climate, but the extra insulation is still very much appreciated.
I still wish I felt as mature as my age would suggest, but then again...the child inside isn't always a bad thing to keep with you.
Last random photos...
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