Arlo McCanna, 7, uses his index finger to measure a space between words during a writing assignment for his first-grade class at Peaks Island Elementary School. From late March to early June, I worked part time for the paper, spending four days a week at home shepherding my two sons through their daily school work.

Otis McCanna, 12, sports his trademark beanie while working on his seventh-grade assignments for Portland's King Middle School.

Otis draws the human muscular system for science class.

Arlo sits on the back deck during a Zoom meeting with his first-grade teacher and classmates, presumably playing with the various backgrounds the website offers.

The brothers share the couch while Arlo flips through a pop-up book illiustrating human anatomy. I'm fortunate that these boys are good friends, despite a five-year age difference. It's made our time together pleasant, if not easy.

The McCanna boys goof around on a rock, on the shores of Peaks Island, knowing the camera is focused on them.

Otis carries Arlo piggyback-style during a walk around the perimeter of Peaks Island.

Arlo, my wife Jennifer Mora and Otis pause for a snack break, while the boys identify shapes in the clouds, during a hike around the perimeter of Peaks Island. We originally planned to walk exclusively on the shoreline – across rocks, sand and seaweed – but eventually had to turn onto roads after the terrain became too treacherous for a 7-year-old.

Jennifer and our black Lab Yoko pose for a portrait on a rocky beach on Peaks Island. The dog was named by Otis during a phase when he was a Beatles fan. Our cat is named Eleanor Rigby.

Jennifer and Arlo run the home stretch back to our car, completing the roughly five-mile loop around Peaks Island's outermost perimeter.