April 24, 2020

COVID cookin' and other updates

As seems to be the thing to do, let me open this blog with what has become the traditional greeting:

I hope this message finds you, safe, healthy and well.

What a weird world we now live in. My last post was from a few months back, re: fabulous Hawaiian vacation, when 'driving the Road to Hana on Maui' was simultaneously the most entertaining thing to do, and posed the likeliest threat Nowadays a trip to the grocery store fits the same bill. Go figure.

How is your household dealing with all the separation and change in routine? Around our house, I'm fully able to work from home. For Kate, it's been a rollercoaster. Her business model is all about delivering face-to-face therapy in a fast-paced office. She obviously had to close her doors, and lay off a significant number of staff members. But, she's managed to recoup some businesses online so that's good, and someday hopes to hire folks back on. Then there's the kids, with the cancelled team and community sports, and thrust into the world of online learning. We've very intentionally kept our kids off of computers for most of their lives, and that is showing up in extremely lack-lustre typing skills all of a sudden! They are adjusting well, and--no surprise--Kate is proving the most adequate educator at home compared to me.

Outside of work and school and a weekly grocery store trip, we've been nowhere, visited no one and done "nothing" (as it should be, after all). We're getting exercise together, mostly going for runs and bike rides, and the kids have been having fun cooking one meal a week for us. Some of that they've parlayed into a fun little video project, which we've called COVID cookin'! You can watch their latest video here. Three episodes so far. Thursday is their weekly night to cook something, so we'll see what comes next! It's a little painful to be behind the camera and not helping them when they make a huge mess, but that's all part of the fun I guess!

 

Aside from that, we've had one birthday in the house. Somehow Heidi went from being a teeny premature baby to a ten-year-old, just like that! having a socially-distant birthday was a curious thing, but really, very low-key and nice. AND, the grandparents conglomerate that exists in this family got together to help fund the purchase of a NINJA line (cool slack line with all sorts of cool attachments) Now, with the playgrounds all closed, we can bring a playground with us wherever we go!




OK, that's enough of an update. After all, what more is there really to say?!

Until next time, remember: stay safe, stay calm, and stay home (in the words of our much-respected Provincial Health Officer, Bonnie Henry!)