Summer in the Violet Garden by Sandra Schmidt

Dear Parents, 

June has quickly turned into the middle of July for me. After the cold Spring, the warmth feels good. With the warm weather we’ve been able to run through the sprinkler during outside time in the morning. Our garden continues to grow lush with this warmth - tomatoes will soon ripen to nibble on and we have been feasting on raspberries these last few weeks. 

As we settle into our “new normal”, I’m sure my co-workers would agree that we weren’t quite sure what to expect with our reopening last month during a pandemic. I have found that the children and I are still the same. We enjoy each other’s company - we talk of what we’ve done at home and what we plan to do. We look ahead to our summer birthdays, and how the raspberries are red and tasty...how the mint is up to Luci’s bellybutton. In short, life carries on. This summer there are fewer children in my suite, this has given me the opportunity to implement the new health protocols into our daily rhythm with the least disruption to the children. I do wear a mask for most of the day, but it is not questioned why (it has become an accessory like my glasses). I do feel strongly that the world of COVID is not for the children. Their world is a dreamy one of fairies and gnomes, and all things magical. The pandemic has brought back memories for me, I remember being eight and watching the news...listening to the adult conversation and being terrified that an unknown enemy (to me) from Vietnam would find me. My eight-year-old mind devised a plan to hide under my bed when the Vietnamese came to our house in Wauwatosa. That I could hide and be safe. I was burdened with fear. I do not wish the children in my care to have a similar burden. I sense my co-workers feel the same because talk about COVID is generally limited to “adults only” time. 

For now, our routine in the Violet Garden remains much like any other summer at LifeWays...lots of time outdoors, healthy meals and being comfy cozy at nap. At lunch, we will continue to talk about birthdays and what we plan to be at Halloween. Even now with all the uncertainty in the world, our children pull us into the future - their future and all the wonder it holds and for that I’m eternally grateful. 

Blessings, Miss Sandra