100 Days

Week 15 is coming to a close here and we are apparently on day 100 since the SIP order began. Summer has officially begun though we've had Summer weather basically the whole lockdown thus far. I can't complain about that. The weather is one of the reasons we originally fell in love with this valley in the first place back in 2007. 

We can now drive our car to a local park so we can visit the ones beyond walking distance which allowed us to have a beach day yesterday. 

Every other day for the kids is a playdate within our two-family pod which is fun. We adults have a cocktails and games night once a week after the kids go to bed. Joel and I also host a Zoom trivia night for our family and friends in Canada every Saturday which has been going on for about two months now. I am planning to do some socially distant outdoor walks with a friend. This wasn't allowed until quite recently. 

Mentally we're actually doing fine. We're among the lucky folks who have not lost both parent's jobs, aren't sick, haven't lost loved ones, can make house payments. We also have two kids who can play all day together and all this time together has been really good for each of us in different ways. We read a few papers in the evening, avoid any televised coverage and skim through medical journals a few times a week to monitor how things are going out there and then we unplug from news again. I don't really find the news as stressful as I find the idea of not knowing things so the daily check in is essential. I gravitate to the stories of exciting scientific research and cures the most. That's the hope I'm looking for.

Every so often I think of sitting by our pool in Singapore or a rice field in Bali or strolling the streets of Paris. But then I flop into our hammock and watch the little lizards scurry across the baking rocks and listen to the hum of cicadas and feel ok just being here. 

Pods of People

We are deep in the hot lazy days of Summer now. A little while ago, we created a two-family "pod." It was in the works back in February when our families were on a ski trip together, and we hatched a plan that "if what happened in Italy happens here, we'll isolate together." Well we did it. It was totally surreal to walk into a friend's house and hug them. It's been overwhelming to go from really quiet with days owhere we don't even talk very much to all the giggles and shouts and other adults to joke with. The other family also has one parent working from home and one doing the homeschooling. Two parents now are teaming up and running what we affectionately refer to as Bummercamp. The kids are so happy. We each take turns cooking for our group of 8, we juggle kids around so everyone gets breaks and couples get "dates". We've combined all our grocery orders, and our gardening plans. I do all the baking and am enjoying having more to share it with. Our favorite new tradition is "the half sleepover". We have dinner and put all four kids (aged 4 and 7) to bed in one room. Then adults make cocktails and watch a movie. When it's time to part, we carry the guest kids to the car (they don't wake up) and out them in bed at home. They are so used to all going to bed now it's like a well-worn track. 

#blacklivesmatter Posters for the car caravan

Aside from our happy little pod, we have been focusing less on covid and more on civil rights. We've been pretty absorbed in the Black Lives Matter protests. It has sparked more learning about US history for us.  We joined the Fairfax BLM car caravan last week with the kids and started some big conversations with them at their level. It's a pivotal time for the United States. My Canadian friends aren't sure why we aren't running for the border. I'm not afraid really. The rise of Trumpism is scary sure, but this isn't just happening in the US. It just happens to be exploding here right now. Like Mr Rogers said "Look for the helpers" and we do, and they are always there.