Good morning Hey Ayo, I hope everything's going well over there in California.

DC is, uh, I guess doing okay.

I mean cases have increased, but not an astronomical level, like very very slowly.

I can't wait for the days where we can just go back to normal and I don't know when that's going to be and we can just go and the kids can be in school and we can get our lives back and get our time... What are you doing?

Say hi.

Hi.

We just took over your call.

Yeah.

Hi.

I don't want you to press it cause that means you’re going to hang up.

Take a picture?

No, I'm recording this little one.

Ba ba.

Ba ba.

Wow.

[laughing] For real?

What are you gonna do with the video once you edit it and everything?

I'll show it to you guys first.

I want to find a story inside our own family.

You're experiencing a lot right now that I never did when I was in third grade.

It's warm?

Yeah the fire.

I'll just be here for a minute.

Ok. ...follow along with a warm up today.

We are learning choreography.

So, I hope that you all have a great rest of your Tuesday.

Adios amigos.

Bye!

I see.

You want to see?

Okay, can you let's push the button, the blue button, to talk to your teacher.

Let's see what...

Okay, push it.

Okay, let's try it one more time.

Ready, tap.

Yeah.

Mmm.

Mmm.

I eat the laptop.

Mmm.

Mmm.

What does it taste like?

Cookies It tastes like cookies?

Yeah.

I don't want him on so much screen time.

And then when you're watching them, then they're showing a video.

So it's like two times the screen.

Watching them, then watching a video, then going back to watching them.

It's just like having those kids just sit there in those little squares like staring at a screen is just kind of ridiculous to me.

Draw a blueberry there.

You need to use your other hand.

Hey Ayo, we just found out that Carter is starting pre-K virtually.

So... that changes things.

You need to use your right hand.

I thought that I would be going back to work, but now I'm still at home.

Hey Mare, thanks for your message.

I know you were looking forward to being outside of the house again and I'm just sorry that it's not happening.

Everything is just kind of crazy and different right now.

And yeah, you know, same for me trying to plan this wedding and it's just hard.

We're all stuck at home which is just not ideal.

So how come you look so nice?

Because my sister is getting married in California.

So I jumped up pick up my outfit last night to get dressed.

Got to see her doing her makeup or getting her makeup done rather.

Then a flash of the outfit right before she ran out the door.

So we're waiting for the Zoom meeting to start.

Yeah.

Do I need to click again?

No, I actually hooked it up to the speakers.

Oh, wow.

You can just walk around the house and wait for that "ding."

Oh, okay Are you sure we don't have to click it again?

She hadn't sent anything to you, right?

Like, I'm on pins and needles here.

Hi, are you able to get on the Zoom?

See they're in it.

You're on it?

They're done?

No, we never got in.

[Gasps] Look Carter, you see grandpa?

He's dressed up.

Oh.

Yeah, I got dressed up too I was... Me too!

Yeah, we were sitting waiting for the meeting to start.

That's what I said.

Freakin' Zoom, man.

I said we should get out and go back.

I'm so sorry, babe.

I feel totally responsible.

...get a mask just in case.

OK!

Ready.

Ready, Daddy.

It's your turn, Carter.

We got cars.

Everybody's got so many cool masks.

No!

Well, we're gonna go.

We need our masks on.

I’m not going.

You have to wear a mask to go to the playground.

Momma.

Yes?

It’s got 13 slides... Whaaaa...

I'll be right with you, Carter.

Shhhh.

You have to do this.

So go run around get the blood flowing.

Come on.

Yeah.

Okay?

All right.

Momma, momma.

You finished it.

When we make more cookies, we'll put it in here.

Okay?

All right.

Get yourself comfortable so you can focus and you can do this.

That's what I'm doing.

Laying down and doing math isn't gonna...yeah, okay.

Three minutes after you left I kind of just fell asleep.

My eyes were like this.

Do you have any ideas how you're gonna get all this work done?

I'm worried that you're gonna miss playing.

Look, you told me you had a problem understanding something with the math.

So I'd like to look at that with you today.

But, you're...you're feeling sleepy.

Where are you going?

You're walking away from me.

And, I asked you to go upstairs.

[ding] Thank you all for being with us here tonight we are just getting started...and being really transparent that we have no idea if before the end of this school year, we will return to 100% of the students being in the building at the same time...

This is a space for us to capture what you're thinking in this moment.

...the three year old... like, this has been really hard and we're in an emotional breakdown phase every afternoon.

...I mean I would say we're treading water.

He hasn't learned anything this year and he's actually kind of hating school.

The elephant knew just what to do.

But Taylor didn't feel like remembering, so the elephant also left.

They sat in silence until Taylor said "please stay with me."

The rabbit listened.

No!

And literally he's like this, dazed and as soon as you want to close a book..."I wanna read another book."

No!

Just go to sleep.

Momma.

Yep.

What?

Just you and Momma.

Not Daddy.

Okay.

Hey babe, so I'm gonna work now.

And then you have that meeting... And then I have that meeting, yeah.

Hey Ayo, Carter has moved away from taking naps period.

So it's basically like two kids all the time.

A lot of activity a lot of energy.

We're ready.

I wanna eat!

Dave is trying to get all this work done.

I don't even have time to think about what kind of work I would want to do.

Or even consider a job at this time.

Anyway, Dave keeps coming inside.

I'm trying to have my own conversation here.

That's another thing that kind of bothers me a little bit is like I'm not really able to talk about my feelings.

Like, I think I'm gonna have...this is like one way that I could do it, so I could like share more candidly what's really going on...for someone to like hear it.

Sounds like you're really rundown.

You don't have to be with Carter every single moment of the day.

Like, you're a great mom.

What if you told Dave like, hey, I need you to just take over here.

He would have to do that and he can.

Do you want to keep this?

Yes.

Okay, then put it somewhere.

I want her to do some things I've been asking her to do for weeks and I don't want to keep saying it.

Do it, and then you can do other things.

Like, I see downstairs now there's just more stuff thrown all over the basement when I was trying to like keep it...it's just like 'oh, I'm gonna leave a mess everywhere and...' No, I'm not anybody's maid.

That's so annoying.

I just want to have more help by people in the house.

Oh, it's boiling already... You want someone to play with you?

I want to make that.

I want to make that!

Daddy's the genius with this.

Here you go.

You’re blue... Carter I have your food.

What's that wet from: water or pee-pees?

No, we're going upstairs, Carter.

I go downstairs.

Carter, there's your shirt and your shorts.

No.

Hey, Carter, your pants.

I turned them inside out for you.

He's pooping me out for sure.

You know?

Ah hah.

Are you gonna put on your shorts?

Oh, no biting.

So, are you able to... switch with me at all today?

Oh, you're trying to switch with me?

All done, okay, let's go down.

Let's try Ms. Marina's link one more time.

No!

You’re supposed to go to her link.

I'm gonna try to talk to one of your teachers to find out.

Ughh!

Daddy, stop!

Excuse me.

I want to ask if you did this assignment.

I'm here to help you get work done faster so that you can play.

These videos are for another day.

[crying] I want to check in on the school conversation that's happening right now.

Oh, they are having it again today?

Well, it's maybe a little different.

[Sighs] [Phone:] The current DC guidelines are that you can only have 12 people per room, which means we cannot fit the entire school in the building at any point at the same time for the rest of the year.

It's been really hard for our kids to not see friends anymore.

I don't know, having really little kids and working two full time jobs has been incredibly challenging.

Our family cannot financially or psychologically keep kids at home one more month.

I too am a mother, I'm a single mother.

So believe you me, I understand the...the strain.

Um.

Carter, keep your hands to yourself.

Carter, keep your hands to yourself.

[screaming] Okay.

Where's Aven?

You want to make sure you get out.

Remember where we used to go with Niko?

Oh my gosh yeah, that hill.

I miss those days.

Because you're working, I'm doing everything else.

So there isn't any room for me.

Like, I don't really have time.

And then I feel like I need to be doing more all the time.

Even though you're at capacity.

...for some reason... ...it's just that feeling.

It's been a lot.

Don't go in there.

Where's Carter?

Carter's out front doing gardening gloves.

Oh yay!

I want to join him.

We might need some other You mean me?

Yes.

So you could ask me directly.

Why don't we try... let’s try that again.

Hold on Carter.

I'm speaking to Aven.

Will you please help us.

You can stop filming for a while.

And just start helping?

Yeah.

I guess I could.

Maybe I should...do that.

I'm coming.

Like this... Ready?

Okay.

Yay, I did it!

[screams] I like this ornament.

I like that.

So when do Ayo and Jeremy arrive?

This Thursday.

There's some other kids, too.

Look, in that other car right there.

You okay?

Good job!

Give us a high five.

We love you, you did it.

We made it.

Hey, Carter...Carter let's go see Ayo and Jeremy.

Okay.

Yay!

Wait for Carter... Yay!

Hi!

Hi!

Ohhh!

I missed you so much.

Cuties!

Oh my god.

[sobbing] ...upstairs, okay.

Are you going upstairs?

Yeah.

Ok, ready?

Here we go, yay.

Nice.

Is Benji in this photo?

Okay.

Okay, ready!

[camera shutter] Carter, we're getting information about your school.

You're invited to attend campus hybrid learning at your school, yeah!

Thursdays and Fridays.

Ready.

Yeah!

I'm going to hold baby.

Vroom!

She's gonna take you to Mr. Jorge.

Okay?

You ready?

All your friends are upstairs waiting.

They're waiting.

Thank you so much, for everything.

You get to see your friends you haven't seen in a while.

Uh huh.

Imani!

Hi, Aven.

I'm so happy you're here.

...photo of the first day of school.

Can I get a picture of you together?

Yeah let's get a picture.

[camera shutter] Having something to do is an excuse to get ready.

Even putting on jeans is kind of a big deal.

I have on an outfit.

A casual outfit because I'm working from home, but it's still better than wearing sweatpants.

Hi Ayo, quick update...just started working again.

It's really exciting.

Hi, how are you?

Hello, how are you?

Good!

I like your braids, because yours have like bangs.

I never do that [laughing] It's inspiring to have this space of my own.

I’m able to find some sense of my own identity.

You know, in addition to being a wife and being a mom.

I have a chance to just be me.

[beep] What's this you're showing Daddy?

Very good.

Now Mommy, look.

Gills, that's in your book.

Yeah, they open it and then?

And then...and then what happens when they open it?

They breathe.

That's a shark.