This Year

A year ago our lives changed, and 365 days later with numbers rising, limited vaccination availabilty in Canada, and buzz about a third wave, things are feeling pretty low.  

This past month I've been struggling, more than I have in any time during the pandemic so far. I lost a friend to COVID-19 a few weeks ago. My kids are feeling the impact of long term loneliness and the vaccine for all of the grandparents can't come fast enough.

It's been hard to motivate myself to do anything lately, but I'm trying to see the light at the end of the tunnel. While I've had plenty of pity parties lately I'm also trying to be more grateful that these erm...unique circumstances have provided us this past year. 

Here are 10 things I am grateful for:

1. Having lunch with my kids basically every single day.
2. That freelance life has allowed me to stay at home, work, and supervise the kids with remote learning (even though my hours are less than conventional)
3. Being able to sleep in 45 minutes later than usual most days because no one is commuting each morning.
4. Getting Jack a diagnosis for two learning disabilities and seeing his confidence soar thanks to his teacher, a thoughtful IEP, and the ability to scribe for him to help him better communicate what he needs.
5. My dog Ted. While Ted Theodore Logan is not a pandemic dog, we've had him for two and a half years, he certainly helps keep us company. He also makes sure that we get outside every single day and for longer walks when it's nice out. 
6. Our patio heater. In the middle of the summer I recognized that the pandemic was going nowhere.  As the weather we were able to have warmer socially distanced visits outside in comfort. Today we're able to open up our garage door and hang "outside" with some warmth for a change of sceneary from the inside of our house.
7. Jogging pants - Before the pandemic hit, I bought a couple of pairs of Roots jogging pants for our trip to Arizona. After we came out of the first lockdown I bought two more pair because jogging pants have become pretty much my uniform.
8. Nature in Ontario. In order to get some exposure to other kids safely my kids have been participating in an excellent outdoor Nature Program and High Park every week (save for lockdown).  Limiting our travel to Ontario only we've been able to see just how amazing our province is to enjoy.  This past summer, when numbers were much lower we decided to explore some more of our province by renting a cabin on Manitoulin Island. This vacation is one of the fondest I remember.
9. Technology. The things I have learned about connecting socially online have been game changing. Post pandemic we are well equipped to join friends virtually for games night should a babysitter fall through and be able to continue our regular virtual Euchre game with my inlaws when they resume snowbirding post pandemic.
10. My family - Everyone has done their best to be safe and stay safe. People have bundled up to endure cold weather socially distanced walks, embracecd technology the best they can and stayed as positive as they could. I am also happy that each of the grandparents have already received or will be receiving their first vaccine in the next week.

Stay safe everyone!

Only the Lonely - Helping Kids Cope with Loneliness in Covid One Year In

Molly is normally a ray of sunshine. She is the most genuinely positive person I have met in my life. As an aside, I don't know where she came from. Because of this luminous disposition, it's particularly noticeable when she's feeling down.

This morning, Molly came downstairs in a complete and total funk. When I asked her what was wrong she tried to brush it off. After some light prodding she started talking about how much she missed her friends, how it has been nearly a year without seeing anyone, and how she was lonely. 

While we were able to do some outdoor play dates with masks when the weather was warmer and COVID numbers were lower in our community, she hasn't had much outdoor time with other kids beyond her brother since late fall.

For the most part we've been good about trying to keep her connected, but even I must admit, in the dog days of winter we have been less good about scheduling social interaction (for both ourselves and the kids).

 Now that we're seeing the temperatures rise and regions open up from lockdown it's time to get back outside and safely plan some outdoor time with friends. It's also a good time to plan some virtual experiences with friends for days when the weather is nasty or in case of some further restrictions in our community.

Here are some ideas to get your kids connecting virtually:

• Virtual arts and crafts sessions (the kids recently attended an amazing virtual birthday party where the kids crafted the same thing at the same time and were able to show it off). It just takes a little pre-planning.
• Online or distanced instructional painting classes where you take chat breaks with a friend online to compare notes. Molly recently tried one with her cousin from Pinot Pallette and loved it.
• Online game sessions. All the kids in grade four are really big into Among Us right now. Us grownups have loved euchre on Trickster Cards as well as a Pictionary Game we found.
• Virtual book club. We've been reading and lending graphic novels to friends and then scheduling a chat to talk about the book(s).
• Virtual baking challenges. A friend created a group to showcase Groundhog Day themed baking. It was fun to share photos with friends and see what other people made. Bonus points for doing a no contact food exchange with friends and loved ones.
• Old fashioned board games. I've heard successful reports of kids playing Guess who and Battleship together on Facetime calls, provided that kids have the same game boards as each other.
• Send each other post cards, drawings, & letters.

Here are some ideas for some socially distanced outdoor play:

• Neighbourhood scavangerhunt. We did one for Halloween that worked quite well and a friend just hosted a successful distanced outdoor spy mission.
• Geocaching
• Go on a hike together
• Old fashioned playground play
• Backyard "camp fire" (kids can bring their own materials to make Smores)
• Make nature art together and gather up supplies on a walk (like this example).
• Bike ride (for older kids)
• Backyard or Driveway outdoor movie theatre
• Sidewalk chalk driveway murals
• Photo scavenger hunt
• Make your own mini golf course

How are you keeping your family engaged with other people while socially distancing?